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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 31, 2019, 05:28 PM »

ok...how am i supposed to name the files?
the files seem to start with a 14-digit timestamp, and then what?
20191031103943 (topic number one).md

-superboyac (October 31, 2019, 04:38 PM)

Is that the program?
Luhmann just increased the number by one each time, switching to letters when he forked.
Date/time stamp is just laziness; it's what I'm doing.

Since the date/time stamp is unique, you shouldn't need any other name. But it might be useful to give you some idea what's in the note.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 31, 2019, 03:53 PM »

i do not yet know how that will turn out as far as a creative writing exercise

-superboyac (October 31, 2019, 01:38 PM)

Won't be easy because you will have to work it out for yourself. Luhmann didn't do it and neither do the vast majority of people with zettelkasten.

As one approach, you could use the individual notes to write chunks in, like the Scrivener cards and then just put them in order. I won't rule out doing that myself, but it won't be my initial choice.

im not sure about this...like, this is the intense analysis of the ideas for the script?

-superboyac (October 31, 2019, 01:38 PM)

Yes, from the first glimmerings of an idea, to ideas about contents, plot, characters, settings to comments and thoughts as the script develops. If you're doing a screenplay one note might be on pronunciation of a particular word etc.

Just the way I would do it, but try what suits you.

I'm a little hung up on the one thought one note aspect.

-superboyac (October 31, 2019, 01:38 PM)

A zettelkasten is essentially about the relationship between thoughts and developing new thoughts by pondering over those relationships. If you already have the relationship between thoughts in a fixed state, there can be no gain from pondering the network of relationships. But you can define one thought however you wish.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 31, 2019, 03:15 PM »

ok, i'm not going to read the book.  lol.  i just want to quickly learn how the system works.

-superboyac (October 31, 2019, 01:38 PM)

I know. I did too. And I tried. But it took a lot of time because the book spread the good stuff in lots of other stuff that wasn't relevant to me.

my initial instinct is to have all the notes in one folder, and let the linking and other content stuff link to the other notes.  but i also like what you are doing with categorizations.  not sure what the categories should be though.

so i just read some more about zettel, and it seems that using a single zettel for everything is recommended.  i'll try that.  and my real practice will be to stick to the one topic, one idea. 

-superboyac (October 31, 2019, 01:38 PM)

A lot of people seem to have different zettels for different projects.
But I only have one zettel for everything.
The folders are simply an aid to workflow. I need folders because all my notes are separate files. I need an easy way to decide where to put the files. And potentially, if it gets huge, a way to reduce the search parameters. They are also a way for me to know where I am and what I need to be doing next. None of it is an issue if you are using a program to do it.

All the academic zettels have links to references often in a reference manager. My Sources folder contains all the sources that I have used that are linked in teh zettel. So, I have a copy of the Ahrens book in there. Luhmann had one of these and I've seen it called his second zettel, but it is just a necessary companion to the actual zettel.

My Resources folder is simply an equivalent of stuff I've developed or written myself. Some are things I might copy into an individual zettel note, some might simply be references. For instance, my zettel might contain zettel notes about an experiment. In this folder, might go the dataset and the results. They would be linked to the notes.

Writing simply contains the actual writing. Includes outlines, drafts, first and second edits etc.

The contents of all of these are linked to the zettel, but aren't part of the zettel. necessary because I'm using files and the file system.

I also have a Temp folder - this is for notes I haven't processed yet - for instance they might be named, but not had the unique identifier added. Often they will be what Ahrens describes as 'fleeting notes' (ie temporary) - highlights or clips with very short comments from me. The next stage is to go through those and give them more thought; at that point my methodology is simply to add the deeper reflection on to the note and put them into the Annotated folder.

When I go through the Annotated folder, I will try to develop my ideas based on the combination of all the annotations. One idea, one note. At that point, I move the lot into the zettel/Notes folder, add the tags, and add the links (have to do it this way round or the links will be broken before I have even started).

i heard that the zettel inventor would also write a lot of books.  so he must use the zettel to organize his thoughts, but i doubt he was writing the book in the zettel.

-superboyac (October 31, 2019, 01:38 PM)

Yes. he used the zettel to organise and develop his thoughts, but wrote outside the zettel. His notes were already written in appropriate language and it was easy for him then to rewrite them. Rather like putting Scrivener cards in order on on the corkboard and then tidying and correcting the writing in single document format. Adding anything necessary.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 31, 2019, 02:27 PM »

I have a problem. My methodology means that hyperlinks are likely to be broken quite often when tags are added or removed. Changing methodology for tags means that the system won’t be independent of OS or software. I appreciate that there is no such problem for the users of the spiffy programs.

The unique identifier means I can easily search for the linked file(s), but that will be more work and more time. Maybe I can automate by sending the identifier to Everything through the context menu or an AHK script; not as much more work and time but still more. If text search and tags work faster and easier then I can see usage tipping towards them.

So how important are these direct links?

I know Sascha (zettelkasten.de) has attacked the value of one category of direct link (the folgezettel) and Daniel Lüdecke has defended its necessity. I can see both points of view.

I understand the value of tight links raised by kfitting. I believe these can be duplicated within a tagging system, but in usage probably wouldn’t be. Tags can’t replace the folgezettel.

All such questions have something unknowable at their heart:
How much did Luhmann’s precise methodology reflect the limitations of his technology rather than an ideal?
How much would my needs be best met by Luhmann’s precise methodology rather than a variant?
I think Sascha’s contrast between principles and methodology is an error. Anything Luhmann said about the principles of his system would have been an emergent property of his methodology. I don’t believe that his zettelkasten system came into being fully fledged as a result of his theoretical ideas; there will have been trial and error and his explanation of the difference between not working/working/best working will be the principles. And he never had the opportunity to try tagging or full text search.

I will be pragmatic. I will insert hyperlinks when it seems easy enough to be worth the time and effort. I will put parent hyperlinks a the top, child at the bottom and other links in between – when I put them in. If the links break, I can easily search and replace if it seems worthwhile.

I will also have a system to duplicate his Keyword Index. This detailed the numbers of a few key notes that were good starting places for explorations on that topic. The keyword will be the note name and it will have an Index tag. On the note will be links to the key notes for further exploration.

As an extra, I will have notes which simply contain links to those notes used in a single investigation, and they will be tagged as such. The methodology will be that I will put copies of notes I am looking at in a virtual or temporary folder; delete the ones that aren’t useful, and then copy the list left at the end as links into a new card; I will add a short explanation of the investigation and the value of this list of notes.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 31, 2019, 11:28 AM »

Programs I've selected so far include Bulk Rename, DocFetcher and Q-Dir.

Bulk Rename works very well, as i'm sure everyone here knows.

I've used DocFetcher previously. Portable version on same disk as the zettel. I can choose the folders I want indexing, and it will only be indexing when I decide to use it.

Also used Q-Dir before. I have Directory Opus and XYplorer, but I can see the potential value in having four listers open in front of me.

I've also put the portable Screenshot Captor on the same for clippings designed for the zettel. Will need to play more with how to use it. PDFs are very inefficient.

Of the taggers, I'm most likely to go with TagSpaces if I get comfortable with it (and it works). I tried to use the clipping feature once without effect (claims it is a potential replacement for Evernote).

I'm mulling greps.

For writing notes and documents, I'm happy to mix and match. I'm okay with Atlantis as my main writer for the notes with Jarte as a fall back). I'm writing a longer piece putting my thoughts together. And went automatically to WriteMonkey: the text folding is just so useful. I have the colour systems on all of them set up to be gentle on my eyes.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 31, 2019, 11:06 AM »

I have topic notes which can be just lists of links to internet articles, links to my other main type of page (sources). Source pages are so I can either: save the article, save the bits of the article I like, or pull the article apart because I'm trying to understand it. The topics allow me to collect different sources. Sometimes my topics have been refined and rewritten, sometimes they are basic.

-kfitting (October 30, 2019, 04:57 AM)

Makes sense. My usual webclipping into OneNote or Evernote works perfectly well and simply and there's no reason not to let it continue to function as my private hoard.
There's no reason I can't add things to my zettel that never get a real note. Available in text search, but can easily be archived if they start clogging usability.
I've also decided to add an annotated text folder. Partly because it is a stage in the zettel; partly because they may never warrant more processing.
And an Archive folder.

It's all about efficient workflow for me. If I'm reading a book or paper, I won't necessarily read all of it, let alone make notes. I see no virtue in spending time on it now for no short-term purpose when there may never be a purpose. What I will do is note what I haven't read or annotated, and why.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 31, 2019, 05:39 AM »

ill check out that book, i believe it was the one you guys were referring to earlier in the thread.

-superboyac (October 30, 2019, 10:38 PM)

I hesitate to recommend it. The useful stuff is scattered throughout the book. Hard work to mine it.
Much of the rest consists of him cajoling and hectoring students to take better notes the way he thinks they should be done. Very oriented to writing academic essays and papers. And the prose style reflects it: more heavy than light.

The first use for my zettel system was highlighting the relevant sentences and paragraphs, commenting briefly and then developing new thoughts as I reviewed them. Maybe that was his idea. Give people what they need in a simple single chunk and they wouldn't need a zettel at all

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 31, 2019, 05:30 AM »

One thing a standard would settle is the identifier format. sublimeless_zk seem to use YYYMMDDhhmmss timestamps, which I like. But they have an issue tracker request for shorter format using other base systems for the identifier. Interesting idea!

-Nod5 (October 31, 2019, 04:40 AM)

Bulk Rename offered me a lot of options when adding date/time to the name. Wondered why for a second; I didn't explore them. Maybe I should have done, although I like understanding exactly what it means.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 31, 2019, 05:24 AM »

Well, if I had another client that would actually use that format, then I suppose nothing would have been.  But moving to something else that doesn't do the same...  Not vendor locked is not the same thing as usable in another platform.  There's also the matter of the time spent color coding the types of files/folders.

-wraith808 (October 30, 2019, 10:24 PM)

I get that.

I restricted myself to the filename approach because I could access them by file search on any platform. I'm trying to avoid dependence on any particular software. Haven't reached the tagging stage yet, so I'm free to change my mind. SetTags is the only other one I know that uses filenames, though I expected there would be others. Can't say I've taken to TagSpaces or SetTags. I did consider simply using Bulk Rename and manage the tags manually.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 30, 2019, 06:33 PM »

So Ive started practicing this...i am writing an outline for a screenplay.
so i created the note, a zettel, if you will.
now, i am going to work on the note and finish it.  so now what?  i start typing all over the note, however it makes sense.
i am done for now.

some time passes
now i am ready, to work on that outline a little more.
do i continue working in the note i created previously?  or do i start a new note?  shouldn't i keep working in the first note?

-superboyac (October 30, 2019, 05:43 PM)

First, remember that the system is designed for academic research. Sources, notes on sources, thoughts about those sources, new thoughts.
You are doing creative writing. Maybe you have no research, no sources. That means that you have to make decisions about how to structure your zettel. Remember each note is limited to one thought.

I'm using folders purely as stages or components of the zettel. So I have one for sources. One for resources (stuff I have written myself that's a resource for the writing part - might be a setting). Another for the writing. And then the Notes/zettel itself. One might be about the purpose of a scene. Another might be about the style of dialogue and why. Each new thought has a new note. Ultimately there would be the writing of the scene - probably in segments. The sequence, of course, can be the other way round; depends how you work.

So you have your note. If it's an unfinished note, then you simply continue. If you're not happy with it, you should probably write a critique explaining why. And then a new note which is effectively the second draft.

These are just ideas as they come. I've not started anything creative in it yet myself. The important constraint is one thought per note (but up to you what constitutes a note). And not constantly rewriting in a note (because then you are losing all the thinking about why you want to change it, and it's the thinking the system is designed to capture).

Here's a quote from the Ahrens book about the writing stage of an academic paper:

Turn your notes into a rough draft . Don’t simply copy your notes into a manuscript . Translate them into something coherent and embed them into the context of your argument while you build your argument out of the notes at the same time . Detect holes in your argument , fill them or change your argument . 8 . Edit and proofread your manuscript .

For me, the writing itself would be outside the zettel but available for linking. Including the outline.
The zettel would contain notes with ideas, comments, criticisms.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 30, 2019, 12:44 PM »

I lost a lot of the work I'd done organizing with it when I had to switch, so that was a bummer.  Just something to watch out for.

-wraith808 (October 30, 2019, 11:05 AM)

If it saves tags in the filename, what got lost?

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 30, 2019, 04:39 AM »

i am interested in NOT being a knowledge hoarder.

-superboyac (October 29, 2019, 11:35 AM)

I think that some of the key zettel principles for this are:-

• That you have a single integrated workflow, that you become expert in using
• That notes have to sustain repeated iterative processing, potentially with new notes for new thoughts. If information/thoughts/notes aren't worth this degree of processing, then they don't deserve to be in the zettel.

The problem I see in what you are suggesting is that you will be following multiple workflows.

-Dormouse (October 29, 2019, 02:12 PM)

I've thought further. The system was designed for academic use and only academic use.
Most of the commentators are academics only looking at academic purposes ie writing books and papers in the chosen field.

I think that their nuances are all wrong. System efficiency (and your own expertise) is increased by using it for everything (ie not just academic stuff). But only stuff that warrants thought.

There's no problem with having a life outside the zettel. There's no problem with reading stuff that, at this point, does not warrant active thought. There isn't a problem with having a private hoard, unless you're a greedy dragon wanting to hoard everything: it's just a collection of bits, curated by yourself, that might warrant thought at some point in the future. As long as you have an efficient collection method and fast search, it is probably better than having to use libraries and the internet. So long as you are doing the reading anyway. The minute something warrants thought it goes in the zettel.

But ideally only one hoard, not lots of hoards in different rooms.
And no disruption to your main workflow or work time.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 29, 2019, 07:15 PM »

onenote has the  features necessary to do it, but overall, i dont think it is very conducive to it.  more of a GUI thing than anything else.

Journal, it may do it, but I would not use the journal for notetaking.  i like it for writing big projects like screenplays or books.

-superboyac (October 29, 2019, 05:25 PM)

I think these observations are critical. They are all about the process and workflow as experienced by you. If they don't fit you, or irritate, then there's no chance you will be able to sustain their use in the way a successful zettel demands. Unless you have superhuman discipline, of course.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 29, 2019, 07:09 PM »

I hadn't realised that the method of one card, one idea originated with the immortal Beatrice Webb (one of the founders of the London School of Economics, the Fabian Society, and the New Statesman amongst many other things).

Monday, April 19, 2010
One Fact, One Card ...
Beatrice Webb wrote in the Appendix of My Apprenticeship of 1926 that "The method of writing one fact on one card enables the scientific worker to break up his subject-matter, so as to isolate and examine at his leisure its various component parts, and to recombine them in new and experimental groupings in order to discover which sequences of events have a causal significance."

She claimed: "To put it paradoxically, by exercising your reason on the separate facts displayed, in an appropriate way, on hundreds, perhaps thousands, of separate pieces of paper, you may discover which of a series of hypotheses best explains the processes underlying the rise, growth, change or decay of a given social institution, or the character of the actions and reactions of different elements of a given social environment."

This advice has lost none of its saliency, even though computer programs allow you to create "cards" or notes of great length. To restrict yourself to one detail, fact, item, idea, or thought is not crippling but enabling. There is great virtue in breaking things down into their constituent parts. Luhmann spoke in this regard of "reduction with a view of building complexity."
Posted by MK at 1:40 PM

from the TakingNoteNow blog
Thank you , Manfred Kuehn

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 29, 2019, 07:00 PM »

That you have a single integrated workflow, that you become expert in using

-Dormouse (October 29, 2019, 02:12 PM)

after 20+ years of using notetaking software, one thing i am absolutely certain of is that i am not doing it in a good way as far as productivity.  and what the zettel talks about, like the progression of an idea, and being able to continue where you left off, etc...this is all very much what i want.

-superboyac (October 29, 2019, 05:25 PM)

One of the problems with the zettel approach is that it is very demanding. My guess is that the majority of people who have been able to sustain one fail to reap the rewards because their implementation falls down somewhere. My other guess is that the majority of people who start one stop. Or stop and start, stop again, switch method and start again and on and on. I think the system is great for lightening cognitive load and facilitating the ability to concentrate on the actual work (almost irrespective of the rules you decide to follow). But only if you implement it all the time. That requires stability and discipline and great practiced familiarity with your workflow and method. And ideally an immunity to CRIMP.

I'm going down a simple document route because I know that, if I can follow that system now, I will be able to do it in ten and twenty years time. I accept many software alternatives may have advantages (though it is too easy for them to pull me down into CRIMP), but I'm not sure they will ever fade into the background leaving only the work to absorb my attention.

So far (ie barely started), I have found it easy because of the reduced load. But repetitive, and the notes and thoughts can't be left half done or half processed.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 29, 2019, 06:34 PM »

nice article that concludes Infoqube is the best.  Nice Pierre, well deserved!
https://pauljmiller....m/tag/connectedtext/

-superboyac (October 29, 2019, 05:50 PM)

And this review is a year old, IQ has gone on apace and CT stayed exactly where it was.
I fully agree it should be supported and bought a licence ? days ago although I haven't tried it for years and don't really expect to in the near future.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 29, 2019, 05:55 PM »

if this method requires me revisiting notes, and rewriting parts

-superboyac (October 29, 2019, 05:40 PM)

I don't think it requires rewriting notes. A revision would be the result of a new thought. A new thought requires a new note.
Additions to notes, yes, - especially in the way of new links.

Better than versioning really because you have a history of why you have changed your idea.

Of course, I might be wrong about this. But, for me, that's the logic derived from the principles.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 29, 2019, 02:12 PM »

This sounds like the problem of hoarding, only with digital/text things.  I struggle with this also, and i see the value in being able to break away from it. 

-superboyac (October 29, 2019, 11:35 AM)

i am interested in NOT being a knowledge hoarder.  I want to be a practical, productive individual.

-superboyac (October 29, 2019, 11:48 AM)

I'd rather have actual growth in knowledge in myself than be comforted by all the notes i physically have.  hmmm.....

-superboyac (October 29, 2019, 11:35 AM)

I think that some of the key zettel principles for this are:-

• That you have a single integrated workflow, that you become expert in using
• That notes have to sustain repeated iterative processing, potentially with new notes for new thoughts. If information/thoughts/notes aren't worth this degree of processing, then they don't deserve to be in the zettel.
• The processing should produce growth in your understanding, but will also duplicate that understanding in the zettel
• Which means that you can go away from that part of the zettel for ten years and still pick up from where you left off, long after you will have forgotten most of the detail of what you had learned

The problem I see in what you are suggesting is that you will be following multiple workflows.
I can't see why you couldn't use ConnectedText, OneNote or The Journal for all your writing and a zettel

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 28, 2019, 09:17 PM »

I've finished the Ahrens book. Making notes on the way. I slightly expanded the system I already had in mind, so on to the internet next to see if there's anything more to add.

I don't think I'd recommend the book. Too much exhorting students to do things the way he thinks is best. Too strong recommending his preferred software, with no discussion at all of disadvantages or alternatives. And the zettelkasten bits scattered randomly throughout the book. Too much focus on academic use.

It would seem that my system may not be a pure zettelkasten - there was mention of text only; I can see that Luhmann would have been text only, but see no reason at all why the system should require it. Also seems to be a tension embedded in the system between following a very focused, selective reading and note making workflow and having cross fertilisation from different topics. I think my system is better than the one he described. Naturally.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 28, 2019, 02:22 PM »

- More fun things to do with file reader output : if you put a special character (not above the number key but like zz), after the "regular" part of the file name and before all your tag-y things, then you can import that directory output into Excel, and chop it up into sections and then your notes can reference the fragment of the file name.

-TaoPhoenix (October 26, 2019, 06:23 PM)

The idea of using special characters to distinguish the tag section and individuate tags in filenames is used by the TagSpaces application

-Nod5 (October 28, 2019, 01:25 PM)

That's interesting. I'm trialling it now (SetTags also). I uninstalled it when I had problems working out how to access the file system (it's not the most intuitive approach, at least for me) but reinstalled after looking at the manual. 

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 28, 2019, 01:11 PM »

For virtually all purposes I much prefer rtf to plain text.

Colours, fonts, tables, bullets etc all make a difference to my speed of apprehension. I will switch colour, or background colour, as part of my editing. It makes rtf much more practical for me than plain text. The ability to insert images is very helpful too.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 27, 2019, 01:59 PM »

Interesting discussion... I've responded about zettelkasten in IanB's discussion on OneNote,

-kfitting (October 27, 2019, 12:27 PM)

I'll check them out. Though it is a very long discussion.

Random thoughts, I know, but hopefully something will prove stimulating!

-kfitting (October 27, 2019, 12:27 PM)

Certainly stimulating. Every contribution like this helps shape my ideas. And random is good!

I've "started" a zettel several times now, with tree-based information managers, with markdown textfiles, and now with Dokuwiki.

-kfitting (October 27, 2019, 12:27 PM)

So what made you stop? And then restart?

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 27, 2019, 01:50 PM »

Instead, use meaningful relationships (links with explanations). Some like to call it "tight" vs "loose" linking (http://takingnotenow...sus-tight-links.html). With a zettel, you're trying to link things tightly, not just throw things into your garage randomly.

-kfitting (October 27, 2019, 12:27 PM)

I read the posts, but I'm not convinced. Some things clearly have direct links. But other links ought to be looser or even tentative. I haven't read enough about zettel to know how it ought to work - but tight links won't lead to serendipitous discoveries. And in some ways I don't care. I will do the reading to see if there's anything more there that's useful and, if not, I'll work out what's useful myself. And I will use tags very flexibly if I use them: some may indicate individuals with a common background, some may be because I think I might at some point write a piece on X or Y.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 27, 2019, 01:00 PM »

Back a few posts there was some discussion about ideas vs facts. Don't know if you've read the post on the Collector's Fallacy: https://zettelkasten.../collectors-fallacy/  I find this very true and something I fight against continually.

-kfitting (October 27, 2019, 12:27 PM)

I hadn't. I agree with the comment about collecting books and papers, but believe that the premise of the post is fundamentally misconceived. There's too much focus on facts.

Taking notes thoroughly means you can rely on your notes alone and rarely need to look up a detail in the original text.

I rarely consult secondary sources again. If I have to do so, it means that I did not do the job right the first time.
–MK, of “Taking Note Now”

The problem here is the idea that there is a virtue to extracting information from a source and storing that information as a note. There may be a gain if it becomes more accessible, but it's a lot of effort simply to copy facts that are possessed already.

If we read without taking notes, our knowledge increases for a short time only. Once we forget what we knew, having read the text becomes worthless. You can bet that you’ll forget about the text’s information one day. It’s guaranteed. Thus, reading without taking notes is just a waste of time in the long run. It’s as if reading never happened.

This is also wrong. It assumes that the only value is in transferring facts to the brain or keeping them close in an accessible form. That's part of the way that computers work, but it's not the way the human mind works. If we read something that has a meaning to us on some level, we may or may not be able to recall the facts involved in the future. But we don't simply store facts. We have models about the way the world works. Some may be precise and others very fuzzy. We may know what our models are but more likely we don't. When we read something, whether we remember the details of any facts or not, that reading will have produced a shift in the network of probabilities in the relevant model. Even if it is only to strengthen some of them.

It is so important to collect why the fact was interesting.... and try to relate it to other things. A jumble of other people's text bits is meaningless to me. A file system of my own thoughts continues to show it's power, again and again.

-kfitting (October 27, 2019, 12:27 PM)

Exactly. And if we do that, me may or may not need to transcribe the facts. A link should usually be sufficient.

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General Software Discussion / Re: I'm thinking of going primitive

« Last post by Dormouse on October 27, 2019, 06:14 AM »

wrt the x..n system. I'm reading the Ahrens book at the moment (How to Take Smart Notes); one place ought to be easier than a myriad of webpages. Very concentrated on academic research and writing papers or books. I can understand that - it's what Luhmann did and it's the motivation for a lot of people interested in the system. But Luhmann went into an office and did his academic stuff - I do many things (and quite a lot of quick switching) and I can't see why the system would not work for anything that requires thinking. Creative writing, building a garage, organising holidays. One input system is so much easier than working out where everything should go.

I'll use the system as I read. I've already learned that I need to develop kindle skills and techniques.