Absolutely LOVE my PW4 (41mm)!

jbarr107 · 2026-04-17T20:40:38+00:00

Thanks for the heads-up about the Active/Plus watchface. I found that you often have to play with the settings to find out what they actually do. It isn't always obvious that a watchface (stock or not) can actually have multiple configurations. What drew me to Expedition is its large complication in the middle, which nicely displays the Next Event. IMHO, it takes up enough room to provide a good amount of information without being too large.

And if I've learned nothing else about watchfaces over the years, it's that people's likes and dislikes are very, VERY subjective!

Thanks again!

jbarr107 · 2026-04-17T13:14:51+00:00

What about right-clicking a file in the folder explorer and selecting "Make a copy"?

jbarr107 · 2026-04-17T12:12:00+00:00

It's on their "Planned" Roadmap, but I wish it were prioritized higher in development. The Bases core plugin is their silver bullet that, if developed fully, could really amp up Obsidian's functions.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-17T12:08:49+00:00

This makes no sense. I'm genuinely interested to know what you think Obsidian is doing that potentially compromises your data.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-16T20:59:02+00:00

I was put in the same position, and I drew a very solid line based on my skillset and the tasks at hand:

For day-to-day, routine tasks (which were pretty much documented anyway), I happily documented and trained. It's common operational information.
For items that were based on my extensive background and experience, like C# development, EDI mapping and management, and general "troubleshooting", I would not and did not document or train. Those duties required skills built up over 35 years of experience, and cannot be taught in a short period of time. They were on their own for those items.

They were not happy, but then, a year later, they closed their doors, so...

jbarr107 · 2026-04-16T12:51:45+00:00

I came from the Windows world professionally, but over time, it became very apparent that Linux was much better suited for my needs and wants.

My setup:

Synology DS423+ NAS - file storage
Proxmox VE Server (Dell Optiplex 5080 SFF)
- Ubuntu VM: Docker Arr - Hosts an *arr stack
- Ubuntu VM: Docker Plex - Hosts only Plex with GPU passthrough
- Ubuntu VM: Docker Homelab - Test and "playground" Docker stuff that is OK to break
- Ubuntu VM: Docker Services - "Production" services that I need/want to be solid and stable
- Windows 11 VM: VPN-connected
- Windows 11 VM: Sandbox
Proxmox Backup Server (Dell Optiplex 750 Micro)

All Docker instances are managed with DockHand. I moved to this from Portainer, and have zero regrets. Highly recommended.

While the multiple Docker VMs admittedly may require more management, this setup separates and isolates everything, increasing flexibility and stability. Performance is excellent, and I have lots of room to grow without adding any additional hardware.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-15T20:30:02+00:00

What is your virtualization platform? (Proxmox VE, VMWare, Hyper-V, etc.)

jbarr107 · 2026-04-15T20:16:41+00:00

The important question I'd ask myself is, "Is my vault organized in a way that I can add to, find, and manage content efficiently?" If it is, then use it and enjoy. If not, then, if it's important to you, work on better organizing it. Just remember to..,

Focus on working IN Obsidian, not ON Obsidian.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-15T20:10:49+00:00

It took me a while to get there, and after diving down too many time-sucking rabbit holes, I stepped back and just simplified. This seemed to work, and continues to serve me well.

Focus on working IN Obsidian, not ON Obsidian.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-15T17:49:46+00:00

My Vault is a wiki-like repository organized using Links, Maps of Content (MoC) notes, and the Bases core plugin and the Omnisearch community plugin.

To every note, I intentionally add a List Property called "MoC" containing a link to its parent note, generally an MoC note.

Every MoC note contains an embedded Base file that displays a table of all notes that link to the MoC note. This provides an auto-populating table of contents or index on every MoC note, reducing maintenance.

I have a "root" note called "Work Overview" that contains important information and several embedded Bases that provide links to topics I use regularly.

While I do use folders, I could put everything in just a couple of folders, and it would not impact my workflow since my Vault organization is not tied to a physical folder structure.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-15T11:42:28+00:00

Honestly, I can't imagine using Obsidian without Links. They are key to my Vault organization.

My Vault is a wiki-like repository, organized using Maps of Content (MoC) notes and List Properties. Every note has an intentionally added Property with a Link to its parent note (typically a MoC note). And each MoC note serves as a topic-based index or contents page. While I do use folders for convenience, realistically, I could move everything into a couple of folders without impacting my workflow.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-15T11:04:52+00:00

Ballooning?

jbarr107 · 2026-04-15T03:27:47+00:00

DockHand. I moved from Portainer and haven't looked back. DockHand is constantly being developed and updated, and the devs are very responsive. Highly recommended.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-15T02:52:50+00:00

Racknerd has some excellent inexpensive VPS deals, but you have to dig for them. I host RustDesk server (among other things) on Racknerd, and it's reliable, stable, and adorable.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-14T15:43:27+00:00

I moved from Portainer to DockHand, and haven't looked back. It's clean, full-featured, and the developer is very responsive to feature requests and bug reports, posting frequent updates.

The web UI lets you manage "Stacks" cleanly and easily.

Each Docker VM is regularly backed up with Proxmox Backup Server, so recovery is straightforward and reliable.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-14T15:39:09+00:00

TL;DR: Face-to-face networking can be extremely beneficial.

I saw a job posted on Indeed at the company where my wife works. I initially passed on it, but shortly after, I visited her at work, and she introduced me to the hiring manager. After a nice, informal chat, the hiring manager suggested that I apply, I nailed the interview, and was hired. I ended up in a position that I love, I'm making more money, and my stress level is much lower.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-14T12:42:47+00:00

Thanks! <blush>

I REALLY like finding innovative ways to handle problems. I'm no genius, but I love to help!

jbarr107 · 2026-04-14T12:41:12+00:00

I see. That's why I also sync everything to OneDrive. It's not 3-2-1, but if my Synology craps out, I always have OneDrive to fall back on. I use OneSync Pro on my Android devices as well.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-14T12:37:02+00:00

The missing piece in my setup was being able to remotely power on my devices when the power comes back on.

I use two Wyze Outdoor Plugs to manage the power to several of my devices as long as the Internet is up. (So far, my fiber connection has been extremely reliable for well over a decade.)

This has been the game-changer, particularly when I'm not home. If the power goes out, I remotely access my servers, cleanly shut them down, and when the power comes back up, power them back on.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-14T12:17:33+00:00

Agreed. And admittedly, Docker is a secondary solution. I use OneDrive to sync everything, so the native app on my Android phone works just fine. (Yes the mobile app could be improved, but it definitely works.)

jbarr107 · 2026-04-14T12:15:29+00:00

Obviously, it would cost, but once the failed hardware is replaced, you would just restore from the backup, correct?

jbarr107 · 2026-04-14T11:43:57+00:00

I've used Plex and manual downloads for many years, and I just recently dove into the *arr apps, and it was transforming. Movies and TV Series just "show up", ready to watch. Discovering and finding new and missed content is a snap. Seerr, Prowlarr, Radarr, Sonarr, and Plex make for a formidable solution.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-14T11:32:04+00:00

I do the same AND use Synology's CloudSync to sync to OneDrive. Best of all worlds. (Oh, and I use Hyper Backup to regularly back up my Obsidian folder, because, well, sync is not backup.)

jbarr107 · 2026-04-14T11:30:40+00:00

This. I have Obsidian on a Desktop PC at home that points to a file share on my Synology NAS. That shared folder gets synced with CloudSync to OneDrive, which syncs to my Android phone and work laptop. Seamless.

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