Mac: Shipley's Delicious Library

Click on image for a larger view

I asked Mollie, a dear friend, of the movie that had the biggest impact on her. She replied ‘The Killing Fields’. It was an emotional experience, she said. I asked her if she heard of Roland Joffe or Bruce Robinson, she said ‘no’. I said, then Joffe and Robinson did what they intended to - primarily to evoke her emotions rather than be recognized, because if they were at the popcorn stall outside the cinema hall, she probably would have by-passed them. Joffe directed the blockbuster and Robinson wrote the script. In essence, they were instrumental in her emotional experience.

Ever since the launch of Delicious Library last year, this amazing Mac program has been winning awards and receiving rave reviews and accolades, but scant mention is made of William Jon Shipley, the creative genius behind the software. Recently, I introduced it to a couple of friends and they have been sloshing with it since, extolling its features every chance they get.

I asked them if they heard of Wil Shipley, they said ‘Will who?’ I said, then Shipley did what he intended to – primarily to have them experience the creation rather than be recognized as the creator, because if he turned up at their door while they were busy cataloging their movie collection, they may take him for a troublesome salesman and turn him away. In a similar vein I suggested that Richard Reeves Brodie, the original author of Microsoft Word, would hardly expect his name mentioned in the corporate world.

Delicious Library is a paradigm shift in user-friendliness of cataloging applications where most actions are done within the wall. The past few months, I have been using this graphics oriented program to catalogue books, movies, music, art, apparel, tech things, tools around the house, even my gym equipment and bicycle collection.

The screen-cast above depicts the ongoing cataloging of my music library using the iSight camera as a barcode scanner, the only program I know written to apply webcams in such manner. At the point of scan, books, movies and music have its covers, synopsis, reviews, current value and publication metadata, appear on the shelf with some intuitive fanfare. (Click the image for a larger view).

Features are extensive, but the icing on the cake is that with a few clicks, the whole library or selected shelves can be shared or published to a website, if necessary.

In the screen-cast below, I tweak the movie shelf with a lovely ballad by Kris Kristofferson.

A drink to big Wil and his team of dainty Delicious Monsters.

Cheers, Tommy

Audio: 'The Bigger The Fool, The Harder The Fall' (Winning Hand, 1983 ©) Kris Kristofferson

Screen-cast: Screenium, MPEG Streamclip

Image: InstantShot

(Mollie Jackson is referenced with permission - the Audio is used without)