Ask HN: Do you keep a personal knowledge repository? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Do you keep a personal knowledge repository?

#21

Post by maga » Sat, May 25, 2019, 5:04 AM UTC

Evernote. For KM, I keep notebooks labeled:

- Excerpts (for summaries and excerpts from books and articles)

- Snippets (for code snippets, formulas, etc)

- Reports (for results of research on a subject, e.g. learning new API)

- Papers (copies of research papers)

Dividing notes in such a way also helps to review them with varying frequency. For example, snippets get outdated often (e.g. workarounds for bugs or polyfills) so I have to go over them more often. Reports get updated as I learn new things about a particular subject that has its report. Excerpts are updated only if I decide to re-read the material they cover and extend them. Papers last as long as I'm interested in subject.

Re: Ask HN: Do you keep a personal knowledge repository?

#22

Post by samrohn » Sat, May 25, 2019, 5:05 AM UTC

I use google colab (https://colab.research.google.com/notebooks/)for things like work notes on setting things up, any new tech I am learning. The best thing is it support code(python). Google keep(http://keep.google.com) for noting down any interesting thoughts/ideas/lesson I learn through out the day. I usually create a card per month to keep it organised.

Re: Ask HN: Do you keep a personal knowledge repository?

#23

Post by giancarlostoro » Sat, May 25, 2019, 5:07 AM UTC

garkin wrote: post #18

https://workflowy.com/ This simple yet robust app totaly ruined mind maps for me.

This is so awesome I love it, I also love that they dogfeed their own app into the pricing page.

Re: Ask HN: Do you keep a personal knowledge repository?

#24

Post by saagarjha » Sat, May 25, 2019, 5:07 AM UTC

Notes for things I want to jot down. Things that are code end up in projects that I periodically refer back to.

Re: Ask HN: Do you keep a personal knowledge repository?

#25

Post by zhte415 » Sat, May 25, 2019, 5:08 AM UTC

Yes I do but I wish I didn't keep it so haphazard.

By haphazard I mean to focus not only on acquisition but reflection / contemplation: Collecting thoughts is one thing, putting them together into a cohesive and coherent body of knowledge is another. So, that's what I'm working on.

pmwiki for now. Workflow is personal domain, putting browser or window on one side of the screen and what I'm reviewing, or what I'm thinking / text editor (sublime text) of the other side. Putting into a DIY solution based on flask simply because that's flask practice.

I also like pens and paper and whiteboards. So take pictures and use Powerpoint's 'remove background' feature to have a liberal amount of pictures.

A bit rambling, but you asked and asking is usually best! So.. :D !

Re: Ask HN: Do you keep a personal knowledge repository?

#26

Post by asheikh » Sat, May 25, 2019, 5:08 AM UTC

I use google keep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Keep

Re: Ask HN: Do you keep a personal knowledge repository?

#27

Post by asheikh » Sat, May 25, 2019, 5:09 AM UTC

I use google keep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Keep

Re: Ask HN: Do you keep a personal knowledge repository?

#28

Post by Fannon » Sat, May 25, 2019, 5:11 AM UTC

I've had troubles coming to a good software solution or workflow either.

Software wise, I've tryed a few things and settled with MediaWiki and some extensions added. Most notably Semantic MediaWiki (adds structured data storage and querying), Semantic Forms (structured forms) and a Bootstrap based skin. But only the technical setup won't get you far in a wiki, so I've also created a lightweight, flexible "ontology" / structure for knowledge management that was fitting my own needs.

This was not too easy to set up (Finding a structure / ontology / data and query workflow, but also the implementation using the wiki itself), but now I'm quite happy with it as a platform. I really wish there would be a lower barrier to entry for people here. If you're interested, please PM me and I can show you some examples.

As for the workflow of personal knowledge management, I'd be really interested what works for other people as well and I'm still figuring this out.

My current approach is using different phases. It's OK for me to read a book and not note anything or only do kindle notes. When reading articles on the net, I usually bookmark more interesting articles using getpocket. I do notes on paper when I don't want to be distracted or influenced by a computer.

For this year, my resolution is to acquire less new knowledge, but to take some time and to rehearse, summarize and repeat what I've found interesting and worth my time before. What sticks here should go into the wiki.

I want to keep my knowledge base very concise and opinionated. There's no need to create a second wikipedia.org. I'll only add something in the wiki when: * Some idea is truly remarkable on the first spot * I go over my old notes see what was the essentials of it. Those are worth putting into a wiki. * When I'm doing some dedicated, structured research around a topic. Then I also try to get the ontology and structure right first. * Code Snippets that I repeatedly use

Re: Ask HN: Do you keep a personal knowledge repository?

#29

Post by jandeboevrie » Sat, May 25, 2019, 5:13 AM UTC

Both public and private. Public, a static site made from markdown files : https://raymii.org. Almost 400 articles now.

private, a folder called "notes", with almost a thousand short text files. Workflow for it? Use grep to find what I want. I had a system of folders per topic but that became a mess. Grep is good enough. The notes folder is synced with synching to multiple systems and my phone. On the phone I have termux, which has grep and markor as text editor.

Re: Ask HN: Do you keep a personal knowledge repository?

#30

Post by vanoora » Sat, May 25, 2019, 5:13 AM UTC

You can check out Anki[1]. Apart from the initial setup, you won't have to worry about taking care of the web server.

I create separate decks for different fields and then only if necessary do I create subdecks. I also tag all the cards that I create and make sure to spend a lot of time to ensure that it's made and tagged properly. So, whenever I learn something new and I believe at that point of time that it's worth remembering, I create a card for that.

[1]: http://ankiweb.net/