Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: How to organize personal knowledge?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 228 posts

Re: Ask HN: How to organize personal knowledge?

#111

Post by kasperset »

This can be difficult. I was looking for a system to organize all the personal knowledge beginning of the year. I tried Evernote and several of the alternatives such as OneNote, but none of them stuck with me well. My main issue was storing code along with the notes. Evernote does provide code formatting but not very friendly with the syntax highlighting. I also tried Quiver for storing code, but it is specialized towards code storage.

Currently, I am trying StackOverflow Team but only for myself. I am so used to question and answer format that it makes it easy for me to dump the information. Most of my searches on Google ends up on StackExchange families of the website that this solution has that familiarity. Plus, it has some versioning built into it. It lacks on some fronts such as limits on the size of images. I am still looking for a better solution.

Re: Ask HN: How to organize personal knowledge?

#112

Post by shubhamharnal »

The key to organisation is a WORKFLOW, followed by tools that fit your workflow.

I found and paid for https://www.buildingasecondbrain.com/ . It was immensely useful for me. The course provides a workflow specifically on managing all the information that feeds into our lives and shows you how to use Evernote to do this. Happy to answer any questions from my experience.

Re: Ask HN: How to organize personal knowledge?

#113

Post by skunkwerk »

Dynalist.io is the best note taking software I've seen in 12 years of using note-taking software. Features endlessly hierarchical lists, with tagging, links to other nodes, images, zooming to a single node, full-text search, Chrome web clipper, Dropbox backup.

- It's like Workflowy, but better... - I've tried Evernote, OneNote, Apple Notes, Google Keep... they all just end up becoming a massive mess of unorganized notes.

Re: Ask HN: How to organize personal knowledge?

#114

Post by rcdwealth »

You need to master ONE method sufficiently and you may easily become satisfied.

Simplest method there is is the file system and files. That method is offered on each computer. Make your own hierarchy.

In general, I suggest 2 folders, one for individuals, one for groups.

In the folder of individuals, you are sorting by name or also by their ID number their files, files that arrived from individuals.

You may symlink the individual folder to a group file, thus knowing which individual belongs to which group, or individual may be symlinked to multiple groups.

Within groups, you can have further hierarchy, those can be groups of knowledge, for example "All about God" put in one folder with the hierarchy below, there you can place your research on Elohim, Summerians, or Annunaki, whatever you may want.

Other folder may be for your personal mind development, you place things underneath.

Some folders may be related to the humanity, groups, countries, and similar.

Sciences can be organized that way.

All you need is a computer, text editor, and file system, and knowing how to use the file system.

People placing everything on "Desktop" have yet a long learning period to go to understand why is there a file system.

Re: Ask HN: How to organize personal knowledge?

#115

Post by yigitdemirag »

skunkwerk wrote: post #113

Dynalist.io is the best note taking software I've seen in 12 years of using note-taking software. Features endlessly hierarchical lists, with tagging, links to other nodes, images, zooming to a single node, full-text search, Chrome web clipper, Dropbox backup. - It's like Workflowy, but better... - I've tried Evernote, OneNote, Apple Notes, Google Keep... they all just end up becoming a massive mess of unorganized no…

And don't forget inline LaTeX support. With this feature, listening technical conferences, lectures or noting mathematical ideas are really comfortable.
Post reply on HN