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Writing down what I do in Obsidian

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Re: Writing down what I do in Obsidian

#131

Post by oxff »

edelans wrote: post #122
oxff wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All of mine are in same folder, and I use search or linked / unlinked panels for finding / creating links. Thousands of notes in same folder doesnt really matter if you use the Obs. provided tools to navigate it.

interesting. Thanks for sharing. I should probably give it a try and "let go" some control over the structure.

The structure is there, it's just not in the file / folder layout, but in the wikilinks and whatever else Obsidian can uncover (ie. unlinked mentions, orphaned file output).

I guess I learned how my own learning and memorizing works, and managed to match it better with how Obsidian works, and now I don't have to think about silly file / folder structure anymore. Your experience maybe different.

Re: Writing down what I do in Obsidian

#132

Post by oxff »

vbezhenar wrote: post #82
manbash wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am constantly finding myself deliberating whether I should or shouldn't use folders in my Obsidian vault. Most of the times folders feel artificial. I prefer tags nowadays as the single source. The times I separate to a folder is for very-specific Dataview data-only pages, and for storing assets such as images.

I don't understand the concept of using tags or even avoiding them. Everything in my brain is highly categorized and those categories are hierarchical. Computer / Kubernetes / Helm / Something.md Computer / Java / JVM / Garbage Collection Tuning.md Construction / Foundation / Shallow Strip Foundation.md Hobby / 3D Printing / On Shape.md And so on. I don't even think that I need links. May be some. What I need is the…

Where / how do you save a HN shitpost that is definitely not worthy to be part of the atomic note of `Kubernetes.md`, but is still relevant / insightful and related to it?

I would add it to either quotes.md or the daily note with #kubernetes tag.

Re: Writing down what I do in Obsidian

#133

Post by Sakos »

drakonka wrote: post #94

I tried Obsidian on Windows early this year and found it to be quite slow and clunky, but it seems like everyone else loves it. Is it that the software has improved since earlier this year, or was it just a local issue all along?

I think people are just tolerant. I've used it on an M1 MacBook and a Ryzen 2600 and I've been using it on and off for years. It always feels a bit slow and sluggish, and I still open sublimetext first out of habit because of how much more performant and fluid it feels.

Re: Writing down what I do in Obsidian

#134

Post by leogout »

edelans wrote: post #111
manbash wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am constantly finding myself deliberating whether I should or shouldn't use folders in my Obsidian vault. Most of the times folders feel artificial. I prefer tags nowadays as the single source. The times I separate to a folder is for very-specific Dataview data-only pages, and for storing assets such as images.

same here. I've been using obsidian for more than a year now, and my notes are highly categorized in a structured hierarchy. But I regularly feel this is not optimal (sometime a note could fall into 2 different branches of my hierarchy), and I can feel the friction it creates when I want to add a note but I first have to think where to put it. So for people not leveraging folders, do you just create all the notes in…

Personnally I use tags for this usecase, I tag every single note in obsidian and I use a plugin called Tag Wrangler to show my tags as a tree. Tags then act like folders (for example a tag #python/pip will be under python > pip).

Pros :

- A note can fall under as many tags as you want

- The map view is pleasing to watch because tags can be shown but folders cannot, it also helps to categorize orhpan notes visually

Cons :

- You have to maintain the habit to tag each notes you write

Finally, Tag Wrangler allows you to rename / edit tags in bulk so that it is close to be as fluid as moving notes between folders.

Re: Writing down what I do in Obsidian

#135

Post by mellavora »

manbash wrote: post #19
oxff wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is imo how most people should start and use it. All these "structure first" approaches are like using someone else's preferred way of learning and memorizing, if it works its an happy accident. You'll get your structure out of your mind once you learn to know it.

I am constantly finding myself deliberating whether I should or shouldn't use folders in my Obsidian vault. Most of the times folders feel artificial. I prefer tags nowadays as the single source. The times I separate to a folder is for very-specific Dataview data-only pages, and for storing assets such as images.

I prefer folders.

Memory, on a biological level, is tied very strongly to place or paths. Not just in humans, not just in mammals.

My folder hierarchy gives me a path that lets me find things. I remember where I put them, I remember where to find them.

If I need to search, fd and rg at a high level of the folder tree is a godsend.

Tags mean it is just floating in some cloud somewhere, locationless.

There can be friction if something could go into multiple categories, and one will always need a wildcard category, but these can be managed.

The Johnny Decimal system https://johnnydecimal.com/ can be a nice structured approach. Creator is here on HN somewhere; that's where I learned about it.

Re: Writing down what I do in Obsidian

#136

Post by UI_at_80x24 »

axelf4 wrote: post #128
UI_at_80x24 wrote: post #123

General question for the Obsidian gurus in the audience. Is there anyway to use tab-key mid-line? I do not want to indent the start of my line, and I'd be happy to have tab-character auto-convert to spaces, but I cannot use this tool unless I have a way to tab. I seem to use tab to make columns of lists, usually two or three columns worth. A decent analogy would be like the hosts file, or CRON. 2+ vertically aligned…

That just sounds like a table but with extra steps?

Are you saying that there is functionality called a `table` that I could use to give me similar results?

I don't need/want a fancy grid, I just make multi-columned lists a lot.

Another similar use-case: recipes!

    1cup    flour             extra fine/sifted  
    1tsp    vanilla           extract is fine
    1/4cup  something else    more cooking words
It's not a lot steps, but if there's a table function I could look into without creating a grid, I could probably use that.

Re: Writing down what I do in Obsidian

#137

Post by mundietalk »

gala8y wrote: post #108
mundietalk wrote: post #53

I just installed Obsidian. Tried it. The vibe of the contents that I put into Obsidian has a funny 'Obsidious' tone. I think a neutral vibe is what is required for a generic content editing software. Uninstalled.

> The vibe of the contents that I put into Obsidian has a funny 'Obsidious' tone. What do you mean? In my opinion UI is absolutely minimal. Not a single place with any kind of branding left - no logo, no 'Obsidian' text repeated all over. Ok, there is 'Choose Obsidian's default color scheme' in settings (totally warranted). Clean as it can be. It is actually unique in that matter of retracting logo/name from any view…

I'm talking about the [feeling]. It just imbues everything.

Re: Writing down what I do in Obsidian

#138

Post by theshrike79 »

laputan_machine wrote: post #33

Does anyone have any experience with Joplin[0] as an alternative? I'm looking into using SyncThing + Joplin to create a sort of 'networked personal brain'. I was originally looking at Obsidian, but the arguments on why they chose not to go FOSS are pretty weak[2] imo, so I'm looking at using Joplin instead. [0] https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/ [1] https://syncthing.net/ [2] https://obsidian.rocks/why-isnt-obsidia…

I used to use Joplin, but I prefer the Obsidian way where all my documents are just markdown in a directory structure.

The plugin ecosystem seems more viable too, not that I'm using that many.

Re: Writing down what I do in Obsidian

#139

Post by callahad »

raesene9 wrote: post #124
callahad wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only for personal use. If you're using it at work, you're supposed to purchase a license. https://obsidian.md/eula > You need to pay for Obsidian if and only if you use it to contribute, directly or indirectly, to revenue-generating, work-related activities in a company that has two or more people.

That's not exactly how I'd read that EULA. To me it's asking for payment if you use it for work not at work. so someone recording personal notes on a work system wouldn't fall into that category, but someone using it for product development at their company would...

Hm. Yeah, I guess it's not as clear-cut. The Commercial License docs are maybe a bit more explicit? https://help.obsidian.md/Licenses+%26+Payment/Commercial+lic...

> If your notes contain content directly related to work projects or processes for a greater-than-one-person company, then you require a commercial license.

(This is from Q13 on that page, "I use Obsidian to store all of my knowledge, both personal and professional, because it's difficult to separate them. Do I need a commercial license?")

Re: Writing down what I do in Obsidian

#140

Post by Macha »

UI_at_80x24 wrote: post #136
axelf4 wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That just sounds like a table but with extra steps?

Are you saying that there is functionality called a `table` that I could use to give me similar results? I don't need/want a fancy grid, I just make multi-columned lists a lot. Another similar use-case: recipes! 1cup flour extra fine/sifted 1tsp vanilla extract is fine 1/4cup something else more cooking words It's not a lot steps, but if there's a table function I could look into without creating a grid, I could prob…

There are plugins like improved tables ( https://github.com/tgrosinger/advanced-tables-obsidian ) which make markdown tables quicker to write up.
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