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Zettelkästen?

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Re: Zettelkästen?

#2
For those not enlightened by the German title, "Zettelkasten", or "slip-card box", is an index-card based information capture and organisation system created by the late Geman sociologist Niklas Luhmann.

Re: Zettelkästen?

#4
post #3

Arno Schmidt is a somewhat obscure German author, known for the use of this system. He wrote a book titled "Zettel's Traum". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arno_Schmidt https://www.zinzin.com/observations/2013/who-was-arno-schmid... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottom%27s_Dream

Use of index cards by authors and researchers is pretty much legendary. From some earlier research I've done:

- Carl Linneaus, who largely invented the modern index card. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616080137.h...

- Numerous library cataloguers, including Melvil Dewey.

- Vladimir Nabokov

- Garrett Hardin (of "Tragedy of the Commons" fame). I've seen his personal collection, which was extensive.

- Herb Caen, "three dot columnist" for the San Francisco. Chronicle.

- John McPhee, The Control of Nature and numerous other books. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/01/14/structure

I've written previously (discussion POIC, a similar model) here: https://ello.co/dredmorbius/post/u4dgr0tkxk4tk9npuvex5a

More on index card usage:

https://o.ello.co/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2...

Re: Zettelkästen?

#5
This article describes roughly how I use Evernote for about half of my notes, and this process has made me a lot more creative and improved the quality and coherence of my thinking.

Re: Zettelkästen?

#8
There is even a VS Code extension that looked promising, but I was not able to get it to work when I tried:

- extension: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=nergal-p...

- repo: https://github.com/nergal-perm/zettelkasten-vscode

Also I wasn't able to find a license file when I looked now. And unlike stackoverflow there isn't an implied license on GitHub, except to read and fork the repo.

Re: Zettelkästen?

#9
I have been using this system for a few months now. I keep my notes organized as markdown files in one directory.

My experience has been positive, and my zettelkasten rewards later visits with serendipitous connections. It's like how one often makes/discovers these connections while conversing with a friend -- except, in this case, the "friend" is a snapshot of your own thoughts at a different point in time.

Re: Zettelkästen?

#10
post #8

There is even a VS Code extension that looked promising, but I was not able to get it to work when I tried: - extension: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=nergal-p... - repo: https://github.com/nergal-perm/zettelkasten-vscode Also I wasn't able to find a license file when I looked now. And unlike stackoverflow there isn't an implied license on GitHub, except to read and fork the repo.

package.json lists license as MIT.

https://github.com/nergal-perm/zettelkasten-vscode/blob/mast...

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