I'm trying to gauge the level of interest in an open-source windows application for recording and storing 4th and 10th step inventories. I am a recovering alcoholic who is also a software developer. I've been working on an windows application for recording 4th and 10th step inventories, basically as a project to keep my skills sharp while I get my business going again. I would give it away, completely free of charge, and provide the source code for anyone who wanted to modify it. It's a fairly comprehensive app with the ability to store multiple 4th steps, following the worksheets that are widely used now. It will also have a recovery journal style component that follows the daily spot-check inventory model used by many people. It will be password protected and encrypted with support for multiple users. All the data will be self-contained in the app, no personal data or data of any kind will be sent from the app, unless the user chooses to share his/her inventories via email with a sponsor. I also plan do build in some reports to track day to day trends in the journaling component. I've made fairly significant progress on the app already and would like to know if there is enough interest out the for me to justify spending a good deal of tie on it. I am considering this service work, if people actually use it when its done, otherwise its just a fun project for me. Please let me know what you think. Thanks You!
Im only familiar with 4 worksheets for Step 4, which I've included in the app. Resentments, Fears, Harm to Others, and Sex Conduct. Is there another one I'm not familiar with?
Open Source Software (OSS) is software that is released with its source code so anyone who obtains it is free to modify and redistribute it, and is usually made available free of charge, which I intend to do. I'm working on this project mostly for myself but would be pleased if others found it useful. I'm currently around 35-40% finished with the project. I should have a beta release available in a few weeks. I'll post some screenshots here soon.
Very generous to offer to develop and share software free of charge.
I'm not sure it is something I would use as the idea of multiple fourth steps doesn't make sense to me, unless you have multiple personality disorder of course. I took step 4 once and keep the slate clean with steps 10 and 11. Step 10 inventory might be helpful as it is a more routine practice, but using software and tracking results which sounds like looking for specific performance results, quantifying same, perhaps coming up with useful kpis mmmm begins to sound like a sort of self help program which AA definitley is not. Using a computer to monitor God's work doesn't sit that well.
Perhaps it is worth noting that the AA program was and is intended to be a very simple undertaking. There is risk in overdoing the analysis, (analysis paralysis) and maudlin dwelling one ones defects does not help recovery. An observation, and something also shared on this site I believe, is that some folk approaching the 9th suddenly have an overwhelming need to redo the 4th instead. Is it because they have accumulated another overwhelming load of rubbish to deal with, or is it a return to familiar territory in prference to facing the new challenge of step 9? I only ask.
Im only familiar with 4 worksheets for Step 4, which I've included in the app. Resentments, Fears, Harm to Others, and Sex Conduct. Is there another one I'm not familiar with?
HI RM, The other section would be list of Character flaws, if you wan to PM me your email I can forward the 4th step inventory PDF I use for sponcees. I think this can be a good idea if you keep it simple, I see a benefit for those who like to stay clear of paper and store things electronically, lets face it that is where thing are heading for many.
I would take a look at using it.....like our book says "most good ideas are simple"
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Rob
"There ain't no Coupe DeVille hiding in the bottom of a Cracker Jack Box."
An observation, and something also shared on this site I believe, is that some folk approaching the 9th suddenly have an overwhelming need to redo the 4th instead. Is it because they have accumulated another overwhelming load of rubbish to deal with, or is it a return to familiar territory in prference to facing the new challenge of step 9? I only ask.
God bless, MikeH
Mike, Thanks for pointing out the above. I have noticed the above happening also, I think you hit the nail on the head....would rather not face the 9th step challenge in most cases.
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Rob
"There ain't no Coupe DeVille hiding in the bottom of a Cracker Jack Box."
I have my sponsees write out their 4th step, on paper, then we spend time going over it ... then we immediately go on to the 6th and 7th steps where I have my sponsee pray for their defects to be removed and then burn their list of defects in the process of having God remove them ... ... ... MY biggest problem here is that any and everything put into a computer, is stored in electronic 'hyper-space' somewhere ... and therefore vulnerable to being found and exploited ... I think it totally defeats our anonymity ...
just my opinion, oughtta be yours, LOL ... ...
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
I have my sponsees write out their 4th step, on paper, then we spend time going over it ... then we immediately go on to the 6th and 7th steps where I have my sponsee pray for their defects to be removed and then burn their list of defects in the process of having God remove them ... ... ... MY biggest problem here is that any and everything put into a computer, is stored in electronic 'hyper-space' somewhere ... and therefore vulnerable to being found and exploited ... I think it totally defeats our anonymity ...
just my opinion, oughtta be yours, LOL ... ...
Hey Pappy, we don't want our 4th step info ending up in our permanent US government file LOL. I had "paranoia" listed as one of my defects on my 4th step :)
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Rob
"There ain't no Coupe DeVille hiding in the bottom of a Cracker Jack Box."
Yep, ... If the government has the capacity to monitor all emails, which they say they have, then of course they can peruse any info on our own personal computers while we're 'on-line' ... Scary thought indeed ...
If you want to see if the government is watching, then just email a threat to a 'high-up' official and see what happens ... LOL ... We have a member of our group that did that while drinking ... FBI was at his door the next day!!!
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
Seriously, I have to go along with the Nike motto and say "just do it", thorough and complete. I just went through a 5th step with a younger guy about (25 yrs. old), I gave him the 4th step inventory sheets and of course reviewed it with him. He decided to type his inventory information in his phone and he read it from there. I thought he did a pretty complete bang up job with the inventory.
Point is, I think he is one of the people who would have appreciated a App like RM is working on. Some of the younger generation just don't like dealing with paper I guess.....just make sure you put one of those little delete trash cans at the top of the App :)
They emphasized being open minded when I came into AA and I would have never gotten sober without it, so I'm going to keep running with that motto, especially if it can help someone.
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Rob
"There ain't no Coupe DeVille hiding in the bottom of a Cracker Jack Box."
Step 8 instruction p76. "We have a list of all persons we have harmed and to whom we are willing to make amends. We made it when we took inventory" Bit of a bugger if we burnt it :( I still have mine, but there is nothing in it that I wouldn't be happy for anyone to read if they happened to come across it. I am glad I kept it because after my fifth I wrote a page or so in the back on how I felt about God and expressed how much I wanted to have a relationship with Him. It is now a precious memory about those early days.
When I was led through the 4th step, my sponsor had me to list anything that ever bothered me in the past ... write down the issue or event or incident ... from That list, we discussed my part in it and what defect of my character had caused me to respond the way I did ... (usually me not getting my way or getting the results I felt I deserved) ... the true nature of my 'selfishness' really came out here ... Apart from that was a new list, a list of people still alive that I should seek to make amends to, and then those who had 'passed' that I also needed to make amends to ...
So, in my previous statement of 'burning the list', I failed to go into detail that the list that was destroyed, was a specific list of 'character defects' and that a separate list, identifying those to whom amends was needed, was retained for the purpose of completing step 8 ...
Good catch ... ... ... Excellent point made to clear any confusion ... thank you!
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
Im only familiar with 4 worksheets for Step 4, which I've included in the app. Resentments, Fears, Harm to Others, and Sex Conduct. Is there another one I'm not familiar with?
Faults.
When we saw our faults we listed them. We placed them before us in black and white.
