Use a work journal • Hacker News Board

Re: Use a work journal

#181

Post by lelanthran » Sat, Jul 13, 2024, 1:05 PM UTC

slyfox125 wrote: post #142

tarruda wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting tool. I currently use a TODO text file in the root of each project I'm working on, which I update right before I stop working. The lists are hierarchical, so each task I'm focused on has a parent item, which helps me remind of the bigger picture.

Usually, ths simplest solution is best and your approach exemplifies it: no need for a special application, simply open the text file and then go to work.

> Usually, ths simplest solution is best and your approach exemplifies it: no need for a special application, simply open the text file and then go to work.

I agree. The "tool" I have simply maintains text files and provides a streamlined way to display/edit the current one, switch to some previous one and switch back.

I made it to manage context switches. IOW, it's not to serve as a journal, it's to serve as a swap partition for my brain.

Re: Use a work journal

#182

Post by bloopernova » Sat, Jul 13, 2024, 1:14 PM UTC

sudhirkhanger wrote: post #151

mistahenry wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For the never-ending text file for todos and work journal, I've found great success with org-mode, especially since deadlines automatically end up in my calendar with org-agenda. The outline format of org-mode is quite nice and it took all of 1 day to learn the key commands for making / manipulating the outline, creating links, and cycling through TODO states (using Doom emacs made the start super easy since I alread…

How does one hide completed tasks from org mode?

In org-journal, opening a new daily or weekly file only moves uncompleted tasks. It leaves completed tasks in the previous file.

Re: Use a work journal

#183

Post by snakey » Sat, Jul 13, 2024, 1:34 PM UTC

huevosabio wrote: post #175

I like having a "devlog.md" file for each project/repo. The log is jut a reverse chronological order of comments/todos/rants. I have mapped on VSCode cmd+shift+I to write a timestamp. Whenever I want to write something I just insert a timestamp at the beginning of the bullet-point list and write it out. This is stored alongside the repo. It is particularly useful for recovering in the morning where I was the night be…

Along the same lines, I also find it useful to have a text log for each sizeable task I undertake. This could contain anything, notes of module structure, code & data snippets for testing, everything!

Like one of the top comments mentions, it acts as a node of knowledge within a wider system (graph) and I end up revisiting these logs more often than you would expect! It only gets better as you explore/document more and edges form.

Re: Use a work journal

#184

Post by neilv » Sat, Jul 13, 2024, 1:38 PM UTC

Sometimes I use the project management tool's issue/task comments for notes on what I'm thinking. Other times, comments in the code. Other times, the relevant page in the startup's wiki.

Sometimes the intermediate notes want to evolve to more polished documentation and/or code, and other times it wants to be preserved in a very lightweight way.

What's important is that information you or others might later need is captured in a way that's accessible when you need it.

Make it a practice, and it's negligible additional effort.

Re: Use a work journal

#185

Post by hghar » Sat, Jul 13, 2024, 1:41 PM UTC

This sounds so similar to certain productivity dogmas that were mentioned already in the comments and I know that some people get extremely obsessed with those methods and that in the end that might become precisely a productivity obstacle.

But honestly I have been doing exactly what the author claims work for him, just write what you are doing and you “feel” is going to be useful later, this very thing that just happened in the command line is a clue to the complete puzzle. And it’s funny that this is exactly what those productivity dogmas describe as “second brain” in my perspective you just take what works for you from those methods.

I think you just have to try it, although it seems like that’s a waste of time and that you will never see that note again just write it save it and maybe the next month when you come back to the same exact problem those notes will be pure gold, yea I know most of those notes are going to be just a bunch of bytes never to be seen again but when they are useful you will be so thankful that you did it.

Re: Use a work journal

#186

Post by gdilla » Sat, Jul 13, 2024, 1:44 PM UTC

all the senior engineers i worked with, when i started out 20 years ago, carried around bound books and kept as journals. And they logged things all day, dated entries. They just said it was essential, so I did it.

Re: Use a work journal

#187

Post by hruzgar » Sat, Jul 13, 2024, 1:45 PM UTC

adius wrote: post #179

Heynote was exactly developed for this purpose. Just one big buffer with sections and lots of shortcuts and nice little additional features: https://heynote.com/

no vim support sadly

Re: Use a work journal

#188

Post by g8oz » Sat, Jul 13, 2024, 2:06 PM UTC

gdilla wrote: post #186

all the senior engineers i worked with, when i started out 20 years ago, carried around bound books and kept as journals. And they logged things all day, dated entries. They just said it was essential, so I did it.

Indeed, we are doing a lot of reinventing. Or more charitably reapplying old ideas to today's world and it's affordances.

Re: Use a work journal

#189

Post by Flimm » Sat, Jul 13, 2024, 2:20 PM UTC

huevosabio wrote: post #175

I like having a "devlog.md" file for each project/repo. The log is jut a reverse chronological order of comments/todos/rants. I have mapped on VSCode cmd+shift+I to write a timestamp. Whenever I want to write something I just insert a timestamp at the beginning of the bullet-point list and write it out. This is stored alongside the repo. It is particularly useful for recovering in the morning where I was the night be…

Do you commit "devlog.md" to your version control system? If not, how do you sync it between your different computers?

Re: Use a work journal

#190

Post by setopt » Sat, Jul 13, 2024, 2:23 PM UTC

sudhirkhanger wrote: post #151

mistahenry wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For the never-ending text file for todos and work journal, I've found great success with org-mode, especially since deadlines automatically end up in my calendar with org-agenda. The outline format of org-mode is quite nice and it took all of 1 day to learn the key commands for making / manipulating the outline, creating links, and cycling through TODO states (using Doom emacs made the start super easy since I alread…

How does one hide completed tasks from org mode?

    (setopt org-agenda-skip-scheduled-if-done t)