Inspired by the best documentary ever made, "Connections" by James Burk back in the 70s. A series of links labeled so you could follow the evolution of ideas from the ideas that inspired them.
So an idea like "Popping toaster" would start the series. The next idea it inspired: "Pop Toast" would have a link to the first labeled "Inspired by (#1 in chain)" and "Inspired (#3 in chain)". The next idea, "Napalm Butter" or whatever would have a link labeled "Inspired by (#2 in chain).
Thusly, with a few clicks of the mouse you could see how an idea like Po''s "Kitten Fluffing Brush" led to 8th of 7's "Cat Extermination Wand"-- doctorremulac3, Aug 27 2011 Had this been implemented earlier, we might have discovered the ur-idea from which all others are descended.-- mouseposture, Aug 27 2011 In a similar vein, one could create a lexicographic phylogeny for all HB ideas, to see who was out on a limb.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Aug 27 2011 You're chancing your arm with that one.-- 8th of 7, Aug 27 2011 fluffing brush? hells bells - let fluffy fluff herelf.-- po, Aug 27 2011 If you really want to fluff a cat, about 3kV will do it.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Aug 28 2011 What would be lexicographic about it, [MaxwellBuchanan]?-- pertinax, Aug 28 2011 I was sort of thinking about this the other day while daydreaming; not this exact idea, but a much better one. If the entire internet, or the halfbakery specifically, was recorded in real time somehow as posts were uploaded and the discussions emerged the whole internet, or the halfbakery could be replayed in the future as a sort of moving picture show, or "movie", as I imagine people will call such things in the future.-- rcarty, Aug 28 2011 I think that's been half-baked before, [rcarty], but I can't find where. I agree it's an attractive idea.-- pertinax, Aug 28 2011 // the ur-idea from which all others are descended //
Scraping ice off windscreens with old floppies.-- nineteenthly, Aug 28 2011 yay!-- po, Aug 28 2011 [po], I think I've seen a gif of that-- Dub, Aug 29 2011 random, halfbakery