4 ms·

Ask HN: Do you write a diary?

10 points by 0x54MUR41 8y ago

ryanmercer 8y ago
Not a proper diary. I have blog posts going back to 2001 on http://www.ryanmercer.com http://www.ryanmercer.com though (starting with all of my embarrassingly angsty and emo high school live journal posts) and my Twitter, Instagram and Facebook posts all get copied via IFTTT and Zapier zaps for future reference/mining if I ever see the need. I also use 'ryanmercer' everywhere I can online so that, with a little context of a past thought or conversation, I can relatively easily find the thread via Google. I also have years of IRC logs in Channels I participated in, however I stopped logging them when I switched my daily driver to a Chromebox a year and change ago. My hope is that some day I'll be able to take all of my blog posts, all of my ryanmercer comments online and my social media posts and feed them into a service or piece of software and create an approximation of me as sufficiently-advanced chat bot.
technobabble 8y ago
Yes, I have a proper moleskine journal as well as a spreadsheet to keep track of my mood/work hours in 15 minute increments. Why do I have an actual journal? - to keep track of my mood/depression, and to try to improve it. I used to journal every day, however that proved tedious and not as helpful, so now I write when I feel the need to (about once per week) - Ideas can hit you at any time, and I personally find its easier to sketch diagrams as opposed to typing on a smartphone. Exception: voice memos, which I've dabbled in - it's a physical book that, unless someone stole, I know is mine that I can call my own. Tips on starting a diary/journal (your mileage may vary) - journal: moleskine, Lechtturm1917 are my personal favorites. - keep first two pages blank for a table of contents. You don't have to content every page, just important ones you want to refer back to - I don't use a bullet journal format, but it's something other people really like Conclusion: In Edmund Morris' bio of Theodore Roosevelt, he mentioned that TR's journals were written as if he knew other people will read them. When I'm writing, I make a conscious effort to have that mindset because it keeps me accountable for writing the truth, and writing down my entire thought process. meta: this was a long write
- pmdulaney 8y ago
  Very helpful. Only I prefer twin-ring notebooks since they lie flat better. https://www.jetpens.com/Twin-Ring-Binding/ct/2618 https://www.jetpens.com/Twin-Ring-Binding/ct/2618
trykondev 8y ago
Yes -- it's one of my most prized possessions. I have been keeping a daily diary for the past five years in a text editor, recording thoughts, events, and useful links. I find it very helpful to have a place to vent or just elaborate on my thoughts. I rarely go back and read previous entries, aside from reflective times like New Year's. I love its existence as something akin to an art piece. It provides a candid snapshot into the daily train of thought of a twentysomething developer and writer. It's deeply personal, but I do hope someday to make it available for people to read in some context -- it's the most real and honest thing I've ever created.
- kotrunga 8y ago
  People love learning about other people's lives- let us know when it's public!
sgillen 8y ago
I keep a journal emacs org mode, it’s mostly a daily TODO list and a place to take notes on what I read that day. But I will sometimes reflect at the end of the day or week and put my thoughts in there as well.
freetonik 8y ago
I do, for 4+ years now, and I'm using DayOne suite of apps.
fuball63 8y ago
I see the value of keeping a journal, and I've tried to do it a bunch of times, but I can never stick with it. I do maintain a hipster PDA [1] with index cards for ideas, general lists, and doodles/scratches. I've found that to be a helpful tool. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipster_PDA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipster_PDA

10 points by 0x54MUR41 8y ago

Not a proper diary. I have blog posts going back to 2001 on http://www.ryanmercer.com http://www.ryanmercer.com though (starting with all of my embarrassingly angsty and emo high school live journal posts) and my Twitter, Instagram and Facebook posts all get copied via IFTTT and Zapier zaps for future reference/mining if I ever see the need. I also use 'ryanmercer' everywhere I can online so that, with a little context of a past thought or conversation, I can relatively easily find the thread via Google. I also have years of IRC logs in Channels I participated in, however I stopped logging them when I switched my daily driver to a Chromebox a year and change ago. My hope is that some day I'll be able to take all of my blog posts, all of my ryanmercer comments online and my social media posts and feed them into a service or piece of software and create an approximation of me as sufficiently-advanced chat bot.

technobabble 8y ago

Yes, I have a proper moleskine journal as well as a spreadsheet to keep track of my mood/work hours in 15 minute increments. Why do I have an actual journal? - to keep track of my mood/depression, and to try to improve it. I used to journal every day, however that proved tedious and not as helpful, so now I write when I feel the need to (about once per week) - Ideas can hit you at any time, and I personally find its easier to sketch diagrams as opposed to typing on a smartphone. Exception: voice memos, which I've dabbled in - it's a physical book that, unless someone stole, I know is mine that I can call my own. Tips on starting a diary/journal (your mileage may vary) - journal: moleskine, Lechtturm1917 are my personal favorites. - keep first two pages blank for a table of contents. You don't have to content every page, just important ones you want to refer back to - I don't use a bullet journal format, but it's something other people really like Conclusion: In Edmund Morris' bio of Theodore Roosevelt, he mentioned that TR's journals were written as if he knew other people will read them. When I'm writing, I make a conscious effort to have that mindset because it keeps me accountable for writing the truth, and writing down my entire thought process. meta: this was a long write

pmdulaney 8y ago
Very helpful. Only I prefer twin-ring notebooks since they lie flat better. https://www.jetpens.com/Twin-Ring-Binding/ct/2618 https://www.jetpens.com/Twin-Ring-Binding/ct/2618

trykondev 8y ago

Yes -- it's one of my most prized possessions. I have been keeping a daily diary for the past five years in a text editor, recording thoughts, events, and useful links. I find it very helpful to have a place to vent or just elaborate on my thoughts. I rarely go back and read previous entries, aside from reflective times like New Year's. I love its existence as something akin to an art piece. It provides a candid snapshot into the daily train of thought of a twentysomething developer and writer. It's deeply personal, but I do hope someday to make it available for people to read in some context -- it's the most real and honest thing I've ever created.

kotrunga 8y ago
People love learning about other people's lives- let us know when it's public!

sgillen 8y ago

I keep a journal emacs org mode, it’s mostly a daily TODO list and a place to take notes on what I read that day. But I will sometimes reflect at the end of the day or week and put my thoughts in there as well.

freetonik 8y ago

I do, for 4+ years now, and I'm using DayOne suite of apps.

fuball63 8y ago

I see the value of keeping a journal, and I've tried to do it a bunch of times, but I can never stick with it. I do maintain a hipster PDA [1] with index cards for ideas, general lists, and doodles/scratches. I've found that to be a helpful tool. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipster_PDA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipster_PDA