Suggestions for Journal/diary software?

[mikeymikec]

An elderly relative would like a bit of software to write diary entries with (ie. how their day went). I suggested a word processor but they want something that holds their hand a bit more.

It needs to work on Win7 64.

 

[sm625]

Create a sticky note on the desktop and start typing. Drag it into a Journal folder when done. The date will be stored in the file's standard attributes.

 

[lxskllr]

Tomboy notes is a wiki style note software. It's easy to use, but if someone can't use a word processor, I'm not sure what they could use. Pencil and paper maybe.

https://projects.gnome.org/tomboy/

 

[corkyg]

I would do that with Notepad.

 

[PowerYoga]

Teach them how to use a word processor. It should take about 5 minutes to teach them to click on an icon and start typing.

 

[ringtail]

there's a useful list of some choices here

 

[KB]

MIcrosoft One Note can do this (and more).

You could also have them start their own wordpress blog
http://wordpress.com/

Then you can read it online and see how they are doing. Maybe it will give you some laughs, maybe it will catch on and they will get rich, but at least you will know they are all right.

 

[mikeymikec]

WP - it wasn't so much about them not knowing how to use a word processor, but that they have to define the structure entirely themselves.

I'll try that first link on tucows, thanks.

I think an online blog would present unnecessary complications (e.g. privacy, login).

 

[Savatar]

I've tried some of these (and more) and I've never found one that I am really satisfied with. I usually end up sticking with notepad, as corkyg suggested above, or if you want some extra features and optionally encryption maybe notepad++ (encryption is possible with plugins to help make your sensitive text files like a diary/journal more private).

Notepad++ is available here : http://notepad-plus-plus.org/

That said, that would be a bit more technical. I'm not sure there's anything that can hold your hand much more than Office or LibreOffice. It's possible they're just intimidated by all the menus (most of which they can ignore).

 

[mikeymikec]

Eek, tucows is shovelling download managers and crapware (Delta / Webcake toolbar) these days, beware.

I then tried to download ChrysanthDiary from their own website, which says:

Chrysanth Diary is a diary software with no strings attached; NO spyware, NO adware. If you decide not to continue using Diary, all you have to do is to remove it from your computer via the uninstaller.

http://diary.writing.my/downloads/

Then when I run the installer, it has a step to install the Babylon toolbar, the default being both boxes unticked and the 'Next' button greyed out, so you have to install it (tick both boxes) to install the Diary software.

'Efficient Diary' (found through tucows and downloaded directly from the efficient diary website), seems to be crap-free so far.

 

[corkyg]

This one might be worth a look: http://www.uptothesky.com/