[mikeg]

Sorry I don't have time at the moment to read this thread as carefully as it warrants or to make an equally considered response, but I wanted to jump in with my own desire for searching across multiple databases.

In my case, since I deal with computing topics both inside and outside my job I've settled on having one database for work and another for home. There is inevitable overlap. However, with no easy way that I'm aware of to keep the two synchronized, and with some home material being inappropriate for work anyway, I now maintain a home and work URD which have an estimated 30% overlap in types of information, but less than 1% exact match on specific information items.

Anyway, for me it is simpler to back up the latest home URD to my work machine and vice versa, then open and search across both as needed.

As a DBA and data architect, I'm familiar with the need to avoid redundant data and redundant databases, but, as tfjern and others have expressed in their own words, a database designed to store ad hoc information and free users from the rigid confines of modeling and normalization would benefit from cross-domain search capability. Cross domain/database search increases opportunity for browsing information that is hopefully not redundant, but is tightly or loosly related.

Now this can get kind of scary with gigantic databases and expanding into the realm of desktop search engines if the user's goal is to store most or all content (ALL documents, etc.) within UR and expect a search in UR to find everything on the computer. I avoid huge databases (and search results) by using UR for storing important ad hoc infomation scraps (from notes, Web pages, docs, emails, etc.), but only linking to larger information stores such as folders containing related, but numerous and bulky items. This system depends in part on a habit of maintianing reasonably organized folder structures outside of UR as well as inside.

Search across multiple open UR databases would just be another tool to help fill the gaps and make life easier while allowing users to work more the way they want... Hope I didn't drift off point here by skimming through too quickly.