@bimlas that was a very interesting read, even for someone like me that doesn't really take many notes (if at all). It makes me think about patterns of cognition and how the process, need and inherent value of note taking varies from person to person. The domain of activity is probably also just as important a consideration, in that the value of such a note taking process and the notes themselves will vary depending on the subject matter.
What you describe is also a good example of creating solutions that put the problem first, rather than the technology, as well as highlighting the value of establishing effective best practices and routines. In this lies an interesting UX challenge as well, how to facilitate such a solution without adding unnecessary complexity or barriers. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. I know it takes a while considering the language barrier so it is doubly appreciated. Cheers, Saq On Tuesday, August 4, 2020 at 9:19:47 AM UTC+2, bimlas wrote: > > I recently started applying the principles of Andy Matuschak’s Evergreen > Notes <https://notes.andymatuschak.org/Evergreen%20notes>, which is based > on Zettelkasten > <https://notes.andymatuschak.org/Similarities%20and%20differences%20between%20evergreen%20note-writing%20and%20Zettelkasten>, > > but the same principle can also be found under the name digital garden > <https://www.mentalnodes.com/a-gardening-guide-for-your-mind>. The main > principles of this type of methodologies are roughly the same: > > - > - Make notes so that thoughts and experiences are not lost, in > addition, the wording helps to understand > - Add a unique ID to your notes (in TiddlyWiki, it’s simply that two > notes can’t have the same title) > - There should be only one well-defined idea on a note > - Link related notes frequently because links are more expressive than > a table of contents or text search > > A non-linear, link-centered collection of notes is much closer to your own > thinking than any book divided into chapters and subchapters because the > links follow your line of thought rather than the notes being related to > each other in a predefined grouping. > > Reading a book gives us the information in a predetermined order. When you > read your notes that are linked to each other, you determine the order in > which topic you want to learn more by clicking on the link of the topic. If > you are interested in another area of a particular topic, you are > following a link to the "parent" of that note. > > The hierarchy corresponding to the table of contents in the book is given > by the index notes (glossary or a table of contents of only one topic), but > they do not necessarily form a tree structure where one list is subordinate > to another, but rather should be thought of as a "view": collecting notes > that are related in some way so that you can see the topic. > > It follows that using a link-based note collection, we can search for a > topic by following links and backlinks instead of full text search, because > we can find results that are more accurate and follows our mind as opposed > to having to search a list of notes that contain the searched words. > > Store meta information (tags, unique attributes) in the text of the note > instead of entering it in different software-dependent fields (eg > TiddlyWiki fields) because > > - those who are unfamiliar with the use of the software can also view > these values > - text search can find them too, you don’t have to use a unique search > solution > - when refactoring the note, you also move the metainformation > together with the text, you do not need to copy them from the fields of > the > original note > - if you use the value of a custom field as a link, it may not appear > in the backlinks of the link's destination > - it can cause an error when renaming a note if you can't find all > the links to it > > Why are links important? > > - Everyone knows how to use them, there is no need to explain where to > click > - Notes are an integral part of the text, so they can mostly be used > independently of software (plain text, wiki software, task manager, etc.). > - An index note can also contain links to a structured list that is a > software-independent table of contents > - We see all the connections in one place, we don’t have to jump back > and forth between the table of contents and the text of the note > - If software allows it, we can actually display a kind of table of > contents below the note (eg a view template in TiddlyWiki that shows a > list > of <<list-tagged-draggable>>) > - Links can be recursive without hassle and can easily connect any > distant notes > - At first it may seem that link-based navigation is slower, but if we > combine the right topics, thoughts, experiences and basically use a lot of > links, we can connect directly between relevant notes and this navigation > is faster like anything else > - The text surrounding the link adds shade and weight to the link, the > relationship between the two notes, which cannot be marked otherwise (eg > "read the details in *Note X* and you can find a counterexample in *Note > Y*", "Attention! Also read the *Note Z*!") > - It follows that links can understandably link even minimally > related topics (e.g., "a *Builder pattern* is similar to *Designing > a house*") > - In addition, listing backlinks helps you recall already forgotten > links > - You can also give weight to the link by formatting the text (e.g. > highlighted in bold) > - If we want to rename the note and our note taker does not support > automatic renaming, it actually helps us because we need to rewrite all > the > links to the new name by hand, so we will also check that the link is > still > required, valid with the new name. > > I think it is more expedient to increase the usability of the note > collection by building notes in the right way instead of technical > solutions. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TiddlyWiki" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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