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Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian

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Re: Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian

#271

Post by andix »

Apocryphon wrote: post #268
andix wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True, and it's great that they don't block those (they absolutely could). But those are plugins and aren't as easy to use as the integrated sync. Obsidian wants to have their sync to be the easiest to use, and the easiest to discover. If they went FOSS anyone could just create a rebranded fork that includes their sync instead of Obsidian's sync. Even GPL wouldn't stop that, if the competitor would just keeps their pr…

You're replying to the CEO of Obsidian btw ;P https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48088576

:O

Re: Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian

#272

Post by auggierose »

loudandskittish wrote: post #238
himata4113 wrote: post #14

This made me realize that obsidian is *not* opensource, but in a way obsidian made me feel like it was opensource. Obviously now that I researched it, it is quite obvious that it is not, but still it 'feels' like it should be opensource.

So, this comes up pretty much every time Obsidian is mentioned... to the point where I'm curious as to where the idea that it's open source comes from in the first place.

It is because most people don't know and don't care about the difference between free and open-source.

Re: Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian

#273

Post by dspillett »

bachmeier wrote: post #102
himata4113 wrote: post #14

This made me realize that obsidian is *not* opensource, but in a way obsidian made me feel like it was opensource. Obviously now that I researched it, it is quite obvious that it is not, but still it 'feels' like it should be opensource.

The data is open and stored in markdown format. Plugins are open source. The core product is not open source, but it's also just an electron app. I've always viewed Obsidian as the inverse of an open core product.

I see it as “open data”. Despite not being open source at its core, it apparently tries to do nothing to lock you in by holding your data in a manner you can't easily access and interpret by other means.

[caveat: it has been on my “to play with” list for a long time, but I haven't yet, so I may not know enough for my thoughts to be relevant!]

Re: Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian

#274

Post by chr15m »

tsurba wrote: post #255

Joplin is open source, syncing setup between devices is one login to Dropbox, works for free, with native apps on Windows/OSX/Linux/iOS/Android. It has a bunch of plugins too. If you just need markdown files with syncing, use it rather than paying for Obsidian sync. The 2GB free quota on Dropbox is plenty enough for text (and some screenshots). Or you could self-host obviously. Git while lovely for source code is a h…

It saves to sqlite though, not markdown files you can edit on disk.

Re: Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian

#275

Post by tredre3 »

gitgud wrote: post #267
gbro3n wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I open sourced https://asnotes.io - it's markdown based with wikilinking, task management, a kanban board and static site publishing. It runs locally and is Git friendly. The aim was to build something using formats and tech that is likely to stand the test of time.

What does the AS stand for? A polite fyi, when skim reading this, it looked like it said AssNotes…

The company is named App Software Ltd, so presumably that.

Re: Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian

#276

Post by godelski »

backscratches wrote: post #231
godelski wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to mention the majority of business software depends on open source software too! Be it the thousands of libraries we use (so we don't have to implement ourselves and we get better integration with others) to literally building on top of open source stuff (Android, every slicer for your 3d printer, all your servers, and literally millions of other things)

Exactly, this is what I was getting at. The guy above uses open source software every time he touches anything electric.

Agreed. I'm often impressed hope people on HN of all places don't realize how prolific open source software is. Doesn't matter if you throw a literal or figurative stone in a random direction, you'll probably hit something that uses OSS.

Btw, my comment was intended to append yours, not counter or argue. Sorry if it came off that way

Re: Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian

#277

Post by DarkUranium »

gbro3n wrote: post #90
jlos wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why should it be opensource? Obsidian gives you complete control of your data, which it stores in an open standard. Please explain to me why developers should act like monks who've taken a vow of poverty? The devs built something valuable, they should profit from it.

I think there is a special value in open source when it comes to a personal knowlege base. We invest so much time in it, and we need to know that it's not going to be taken away from us, or made unaffordable. I made https://www.asnotes.io (basically obsidian with markdown and nested wikilinking in a VS Code extension), because I wanted and thought others would want something that is a) open source and b) version cont…

Considering Microsoft's been making more and more of VSCode non-FOSS, I'm pretty sure using it as your base is at odds with your goals.

Re: Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian

#278

Post by embedding-shape »

auggierose wrote: post #269
embedding-shape wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If they open sourced it, there would be immediate competition. Anyone could fork it and circumvent/compete with any premium features they might want to add to it in the future. Would it? Something like Zulip seems like a way better target in that case, but Zulip seems to manage just fine with open-source code and running their own platform people can pay for. Not saying it is easy nor not hard, I'm just saying I do…

Zulip manages so well that their top-people just left Zulip and joined Anthropic.

Zulip got a foundation at the same time, literally the best that could have happen to the FOSS parts of it, basically a dream come true for the people relying on it to continue being FOSS.

Re: Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian

#279

Post by auggierose »

embedding-shape wrote: post #278
auggierose wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Zulip manages so well that their top-people just left Zulip and joined Anthropic.

Zulip got a foundation at the same time, literally the best that could have happen to the FOSS parts of it, basically a dream come true for the people relying on it to continue being FOSS.

Let's see in a few years how the development of Zulip has progressed by then. It is not a foundation like Zig, where the main guy is actively working on it. It is the best that could have happened, except of course the top people staying on.

Re: Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian

#280

Post by quaverquaver »

dcuthbertson wrote: post #264
bityard wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, we know that it's impossible to remember everything. Humans are absolutely terrible at accurately recalling things that they observed even a few minutes in the past. But we also can't remember nothing and just dump _everything_ into the second brain, otherwise we'd have no map, no context, no way to even know how to look for what we need in the moment. It would be like taking a random teenager off the street, h…

> Well, we know that it's impossible to remember everything. Yet it's possible to remember a lot. Those who pass "The Knowledge" test are truly inspirational. See this 60 Minutes report on London's Black Cab drivers [0] [0]: https://60minutestonight.com/the-knowledge-60-minutes-report...

...yes but apparently while the posterior hippocampus actually grows in these people the anterior hippocampus shrinks... so there may be tradeoffs required to get this level of spatial knowledge... https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.070039597
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