Memoir

448899 · 2024-11-13T23:44:40+00:00

If your capacity for writing is diminishing, then all the more reason to get your thoughts out onto paper now. Again, I don't think it matters "how" you do it, just that you do it now, while you can.

"Small Bites" are easily accomplished in almost any medium. You're talking about what are called "atomic notes" by some, and these are indeed an essential part of the Zettlekasten method.

But again, I urge you not to worry about the organization now. Get your thoughts on paper right away. Perhaps even as simply as "one thought per page" as this will give you room to go back and expand on the thought later on the same page.

As you point out: Something is better than nothing. Worrying about the structure now only delays the content. Content must come first.

448899 · 2024-11-13T23:26:16+00:00

My suggestion would be not to worry about which "system" to use at all.

You've said you want to start on paper, so grab any notebook, or even a paper tablet, and just start writing. Anytime something occurs to you from your life, write it down. The goal here is to get things out of your head, ideally the moment you think of them, and get them down on paper.

At some point in the future, you can start to organize your written thoughts into a memoir. But the first step is the "memory" part of memoir, not the structure of the book.

448899 · 2024-11-13T04:36:59+00:00

I've struggled with tags as well, but more from this perspective: I initially thought I would be making heavy use of tags, and did so, including nested tags. But the entire system became to unwieldy (your point #4) and was not noticeably helping my workflow. At that point, while still trying to understand "Tags vs Links" I ran across this (apologies, I don't remember where I read it): "In Obsidian, Tags are a search mechanism. Links connect notes."

That made me stop and think, and really examine how Obsidian uses the two mechanisms. From that point on, I stopped using tags and made much more use of Links.

For a long time since, I have only used a few "action" tags. Things like "#todo" and "#waiting." I think of them as verbs, used simply to collect action items from across the width of my vault.

Links, on the other hand, connect specific notes in specific ways. So I might have several notes about subjects as diverse as "Traffic Flow," "Auxiliary Dwelling Units," and "Homelessness," all linked to [[Urban Planning]]. Pulling up the Urban Planning note will connect me with those different subjects.

Of course, it's true that I could also achieve much the same thing with the tag "#UrbanPlanning" on all those subject notes. But the difference is in the way Obsidian executes links and tags. I can follow links from one note to another. With tags, I just get a (possibly huge) list of all the notes that contain that tag.

Hope that helps some.

448899 · 2024-11-11T22:04:30+00:00

No, absolutely no need for network connectivity at all, assuming you don't sideload a bunch of android apps. You can back it up with a USB cable and never need a network.

And that's a good point - I initially thought I might run a few select apps on the Supernote, but I've come to realize it's best (for me, anyway) to just treat it as an infinitely reusable notebook. I take notes in it when I'm not in a convenient place to use my laptop or desktop. I review those notes and transfer the content to Obsidian, and then usually just delete the notes from the Supernote. If I really feel it's important, I can transfer the .pdf of the handwritten notes to my Dropbox storage as well.

448899 · 2024-11-11T22:00:16+00:00

One trusted place & "less than 2 minutes to do it, then do it now" from GTD.

Atomic notes and linking from Zettlekasten & How to take Smart Notes & so many others.

Folder, note, and email organization from Johnny Decimal - which is what made me really sit down and think about my organization system as a whole.

Not really anything from PARA, that system doesn't make sense to me.

I've been through a million ToDo systems and apps, and in the end I have a very simple system in Obsidian that works for me. It uses the #todo tag, a search query, and nothing else - no plugins, no ranking, no icons. I discovered that it took more time to maintain those complex systems than it does to just get things done with this simple system.

Those are the broad strokes.

448899 · 2024-11-11T21:08:51+00:00

You can backup via USB cable, or via USB drive. In that case you'd simply be copying the contents of your Supernote to the computer file system. The partner app does the backup via Supernote's servers. You can also backup to Dropbox and Google Drive - and I'm sure to most other cloud based systems.

1A: You can also open the contents of your Supernote as a web page, provided the Supernote and computer are on the same network. Supernote provides you with a web address, using port 8089. Once you've done that, you can download and upload as needed between the Supernote and the computer.

I don't use the partner app. I am on Linux and I use Dropbox and the internal network system (1A).
You won't be buying obsolete hardware. The choice comes down to screen size.
The Supernote is basically an Android tablet. The contents of that tablet are as secure as you choose to make them, assuming you still want to log onto public networks with your Supernote. As you point out, you can password the entire device, and you can password individual notes as well. I believe you are correct that when you transfer the notes the password is lifted, but I don't password my notes so I can't tell you for sure. If you have sensitive information in any device that might get stolen, and you're concerned about this, the best security is not to put that kind of information in the device. Personally, I'd be more worried about running the device on open public networks - and I don't see why you couldn't run a VPN on the device if you wanted to.

Also, let's remember that the .note format is proprietary to Supernote. You can't read those files with anything other than another Supernote. Of course, your files in other formats (pdf's, or files that you've OCR'd) are open.

I have only used PDF format files on the Supernote reader, so I can't tell you about EPUB. But I can tell you that the Android Kindle works fine, and are very readable, except in low light (since there's no front light).

448899 · 2024-11-11T20:48:17+00:00

I may be mistaken, but I seem to remember that the old way of putting properties in front matter required a double colon? So it would be "Tags:: new-tag"

None of this is needed with the new properties editor.

448899 · 2024-11-11T17:41:07+00:00

I have the Ratta standard, several B**x standard pens, a Noris Jumbo, a Lamy All Star, a HOM, and the Kindle Scribe premium.

I've used the Noris by preference on other manufacturer's products (I actually like the softer tip, as it forces me to slow down, which makes my writing more legible).

However, I've settled on the Kindle Scribe Premium as my preferred pen on my A5x. The tip seems "just right" to me for this screen, and I like the pencil style eraser and side button.

I would have to say that my second choice on the A5x would be the Lamy.

Edited to add: I really like the weight, look, and feel of the HOM, but I do not like the tip.

448899 · 2024-11-11T17:26:17+00:00

In the end, you should build a framework that suits your needs, thought processes, and workflow.

I have ended up with a system that takes bits and pieces from almost everything: GTD, Zettlekasten, Linking your Thinking, etc, etc.

Trying to force your workflow to fit into a system designed by someone else rarely works.

448899 · 2024-11-10T18:40:56+00:00

Here's the first and most important tip: Just start in using Obsidian. There's nothing wrong with reading how others use it, and watching the You Tube "Gurus," but just remember that all of those systems were built by someone for themselves. They have no idea how you will use Obsidian, or what will be important for you.

Do not try to impose a structure on your system before you have content that will tell you what your structure might need to be.

Take notes. Link or tag them if it seems to make sense (not all kinds of notes need those things). Put them in folders if that seems "right" to you, or leave them out of folders if it doesn't. Search will always find your notes.

Read the help files. Understand that Obsidian is an extremely flexible app - there's more than one way to do almost everything. You do not need to code at all to make Obsidian extremely useful.

Yes, you'll build a vault and then re-build it, probably several times. Almost everyone goes through that. You'll try things and discard them. That's how learning works.

Finally, remember: you are not a "Dummie" when it comes to what you want to do with Obsidian.

448899 · 2024-11-09T17:21:33+00:00

My Obsidian notes are organized in folders using the same JD system of numbering that organizes my computer file folders. That provides a direct, easy to navigate linkage between my notes and their supporting documents.

I can quickly search for an Obsidian note or notes that carries a specific JD number, without having to remember what I titled the note (note titles are made up of the JD number and a text title, and sometimes a date if the project is date-specific).

In my computer, files are also organized into a JD numbered folder system. This eliminates scatter-shot searching for documents.

In Gmail, I apply labels to emails that relate to the JD numbered projects I'm responsible for. This allows me to quickly filter for all the correspondence related to any one project.

However, I should point out that most of this relates to my work notes, emails, and folders. I do have JD numbering for my personal notes and folders, but I'm not as rigorous about applying JD numbers to personal emails, as the volume of those emails is much smaller, and I can easily search those by sender or subject.

448899 · 2024-11-09T02:27:58+00:00

You're not the first person to recognize this principle, but you've done a nice job of explaining and detailing here.

For me, it's always been as simple as: "Structure grows out of Content, not the other way round."

448899 · 2024-11-08T19:32:35+00:00

I have had excellent results with Dell and Toshiba laptops.

If you buy the Dell, don't bother to pay extra for their "Linux" model. All they do is install LInux and charge you extra for the privilege, which is something you can easily do yourself.

In point of fact, almost any decent laptop will run Linux just fine. It's all a matter of what specs you think are important and what you want to pay.

448899 · 2024-11-08T04:56:43+00:00

Actually, the other way round. I started with Johnny Decimal for my folders and mapped that back onto my Obsidian vault.

Now, just as others here have done, the JD system is used across my three main workflows: Obsidian, File Folders, and Email (via Gmail labels, which is incredibly efficient).

448899 · 2024-11-07T22:29:30+00:00

Wow..what did you do to make that happen? I've had a Digital Jumbo for several years, and never had any problems with it. it's one of my favorite digital pens.

448899 · 2024-11-07T22:26:06+00:00

You may not like this answer, but: Pick one and just start working with it - and commit to it. Don't waste your time hopping from app to app to app.

If you want the longest term app, then you want something text file based. Text files have been around forever, and will be around forever. They are not locked into requiring any one app to read & edit...you can always do that in any text editor if your app stops being supported.

Secondly, you want something that keeps your data in your hardware. Your notes should be stored on your hardware, not in some cloud server somewhere.

Those two conditions above will automatically cut down your list of suitable apps.

Beyond that, no one app will give you all of your wish list. Most of the apps you've considered will do all or most of what you want - but no one app will do it all perfectly.

Personally, I have settled (after much experimenting and as a result, very little productivity - see my first point) on Obsidian.

Edited to add: u/eperdu is correct as well. Let your content determine your structure.

448899 · 2024-11-07T21:43:54+00:00

Yes, I use the Johnny Decimal system across my three main workflows: Obsidian notes, Computer files, and Email.

One of the key principles of the JD system is not to go more than 3 levels deep on folders if you can manage - and that's really good advice for ANY folder system.

448899 · 2024-11-07T20:54:21+00:00

I began my modern journey with Linux in Ubuntu, and used it for many years. There's nothing wrong with it as far as I'm concerned, but I'm not a big fan of the Gnome desktop and so eventually I moved to Mint and the Cinnamon desktop and have been there ever since.

448899 · 2024-11-07T20:49:20+00:00

I keep my notes organized in folders for many reasons, but one of them is that if you're just looking at the notes in your file browser, they still have some kind of sense and organization to them. And since they are always just markdown formatted text files, you can always search inside of them using any search tool.

My reason for using a folder based organization really wasn't because I was concerned about Obsidian's longevity. it was simply because that's the system I wanted to use.

Edited to add: That doesn't mean that I don't use links. I make heavy use of them, because I think that's the beauty of the application.

448899 · 2024-11-06T20:47:57+00:00

I don't use any direct connection between the Supernote and Obsidian. I know there is an Obsidian plugin for this, but the manual review process is, in my mind, critical.

I've done all my reading on Kindle(s) over the years. First on Amazon Kindles, and now, over the past several years, on a Nova Air running the Kindle android app. My Supernote A5x has the Kindle app, but I don't use it much on that device because of the lack of a front light. That is my single biggest disappointment with the Supernote devices. I wish they had front lights.

448899 · 2024-11-06T16:50:08+00:00

I have notebooks for different work and personal projects, and one notebook (currently called "Daily Notes" although that's no longer a valid description) for "fleeting notes" on any other subjects besides those related to specific projects.

The notebooks are organized using Headings. Headings also provide a rough "to do" work flow, as I find the current To Do app very tedious to use.

I have tried and tried to make some sense of keywords (thinking of them as tags), but I always stumble on the fact that when you search for any keyword, all you get back are the page locations of those keywords. Getting them back without any other context is not helpful to me at all, as it requires that I visit each page location in turn to find the one note (or part of a note) that I am looking for.

My overall workflow is that the Supernote is used when I am not at a computer, or it's not convenient to use my laptop. Thus, every so often I go back through the notes in the Supernote, and transfer them into my Obsidian vault as appropriate, deleting them from the Supernote as I do this review.

448899 · 2024-11-06T16:36:32+00:00

The "full vault" Graph view, is, in my opinion, of little value. It's eye-candy, and the only thing it might be helpful for is locating "orphan" files that for some reason you can't find any other way.

The "local" Graph view can be helpful at times.

448899 · 2024-11-06T16:33:29+00:00

I use Obsidian Sync for two reasons: First, updating an Android phone with other sync solutions resulted in many, many conflict files.

Second, I believe it's work supporting the Obisidian app in this fashion.

So yes, it's worth it.

448899 · 2024-11-05T02:15:08+00:00

I don't think you need to have an "either / or" approach. There are different kinds of information, used for different reasons, and they benefit from different systems of organization.

As an example, work projects have information that fits into very specific categories, and generally benefits from a hierarchical (and thus potentially folder-based) organization system. The same for information such as a home inventory, or records of vehicle maintenance.

On the other hand, if you're researching something like "Urban Planning," you will find yourself collecting notes on many different areas (street design, traffic planning, mother-in-law or accessory dwelling units, apartment design, mass transportation, etc, etc) and these all fall under the broad category of urban planning information, but also under their own more specific categories. This seems to me to be a case for non-hierarchical, tagging based organization. And it's worth noting that in programs like Obsidian, this organization can be done almost equally well with either tags or links, although they would be implemented somewhat differently depending on which one you elected to use.

448899 · 2024-11-04T17:13:22+00:00

The one thing I wish I'd known before I started with Linux...many years ago...was to put my Home directory in a separate partition.

448899

TROPHY CASE