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WebNote is an online note-taking program. It lets you create a tableau, where you can create and edit notes in various colors. You can interactively drag and resize notes, make whatever edits you want, and then save the tableau.
What makes WebNote amazing is that it's web-based. Try it here. The coolest upshot is that you can use WebNote as a collaborative workspace like a Wiki, but giving users more powerful visual hints in the form of colored notes arranged in space.
Still, while I think the idea and code is neat, I'm not sure this is that valuable as a standalone application. I think these notes are most useful as annontative elements on an existing, larger piece of content. In particular, I think it would be a useful piece of interface in a writing workshop. Readers could position notes around a document in order to share questions and suggestions.
Another cool idea would be a collaborative whiteboard space. Here it would be most interesting to combine the annotated tableau with some sort of periodically updating interface. Maybe the notes slide down over time, and fade into a regular blog. But when something is important, you can make a big note and put it right on top. Perhaps a few people can share this and use it as an efficient way to share bits of more and less transient information during the workday. Or you could use it for your own note list. If something important is about to slide off screen, just drag it back to the top of your attention!
It doesn't do most of this stuff yet, but luckily, WebNote is open source too. An inspiring piece of interface work.
[via Napsterization]