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I use textfiles... Some are lists, like todo.txt Some are individual topics, brainstorms, etc. For organizing them, I put hashtags like #food inside. Even t

I use textfiles... Some are lists, like todo.txt Some are individual topics, brainstorms, etc. For organizing them, I put hashtags like #food inside. Even thousands upon thousands of textfiles (which I'm nowhere near) grep quickly, archive and backup quickly, and transfer to other systems quickly, without lock-in or putting my eggs into someone else's basket. I can even build my own UI on top of it... First, index them into a SQLite, then generate some HTML from it, and have a form which puts another textfile back into the directory. Best of all: the UI never changes without my consent. After getting burned repeatedly by third-party systems with stupid UI changes, data migrations, just plain shutting down, leaking my data, your version is out of date, and your OS is not compatible with our new version, and your device is not compatible with the new OS version, etc., there's no way I'm using a third-party system for this ever again.

TranquilMarmot 5y ago
I've switched to doing this, too. I've ping-ponged between Evernote, OneNote, Obsidian, Notion, Confluence, and probably half a dozen other tools over the years. Now I just write markdown files and store them in a hierarchical folder structure (never more than three folders deep!). I use VSCode to write everything which gives basic formatting for italics, bold, and code highlighting as well as an outline of the headings. You can click on links to go to other files. It has a preview feature if you want to see embedded images or videos or HTML. I use an extension that lets you edit draw.io diagrams and embed them without leaving the editor (https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=hediet.vscode-drawio https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=hediet.v...) Global search across all notes is instant. I have a few node.js scripts I've written to take care of automating some tasks, and since it's all markdown parsing it is easy with a library. I've even been built a VSCode extension to show all of the markdown files in a folder in a webview and lets you organize them on a grid (I'll probably release this + make it open source once some bugs are ironed out). Best part is, it's all just text files in git. I can read the formatted markdown files on github (and edit them in _any_ browser with https://vscode.dev/ https://vscode.dev/ !!!). It all works offline and syncing can be done with a click of a button.
- lelanthran 5y ago
  > Now I just write markdown files and store them in a hierarchical folder structure (never more than three folders deep!). I do the same, except that I use Emacs org mode. This gives me (other than highlighting): 1. Clickable hyperlinks (linking to the same document, linking to another org file, linking to any other file and linking to a URL). 2. Pretty export options (my entire blog is just a collection of org files exported to html, some technical documents are exported to LaTeX/pdf). 3. Text diagrams using the graphviz dot language. 4. Builtin history management and versioning using magit (of course this is all stored in Git :)) 5. Nice formatting in emacs - parent checkboxes are automatically calculated and filled when children items are filled in, M-q nicely formats paragraphs, Sections and subsections are easily folded/unfolded by my simply hitting tab while the cursor is on the heading, tables are incredibly easy to create and modify, (sub)sections are movable without needing to copy and paste, etc 6. Items in a tasklist can easily be cycled between various states (TODO -> RESEARCHING -> IN-PROGRESS -> DONE) with custom states being specified at the top of the file..
  - TranquilMarmot 5y ago
    I've tried org mode (and evil to get vim keybindings) but could never get into it, none of the features were really "killer" for me. VSCode has clickable hyperlinks (although not formatted nicely when editing) and for export I have a script I've written that generates a static site from the files. Of course, VSCode is also way more resource intensive than emacs :) Kind of like using a power tool to build IKEA furniture.
    - I_complete_me 5y ago
      I'm a vim user but I used Lockdown #2 to learn org-mode. I installed doom emacs, learnt to use org-mode (with vim keybindings) and now I will never not use org-mode. It's too damn good. I use zim-wiki for my (kinda) second brain and keep my journals in markdown using my vim editor. Three tools, I know but they just evolved organically so no cognitive overload.
andreilys 5y ago
Agreed, I've been burned too many times by companies getting acquired or deprecating features that I relied on. Open source tools might not be as polished as Roam Research or whatever other fad is going on at the time, but I know they are more likely to stand the test of time. My personal setup is creating markdown files with vimwiki and using fzf for file search. Occasionally I'll use https://obsidian.md https://obsidian.md to visualize my knowledge graph but otherwise I don't depend on it.
imchillyb 5y ago
It's like that last sentence of yours attacked me. I wouldn't use another 3rd party system for keeping track of anything essential, ever again.
ijidak 5y ago
Same here. I love the distraction free experience of editing text. I format however I want. And it's ultimately portable.
brazzy 5y ago
I'm using a self hosted and customized TiddlyWiki. The nice thing is that it stores all its data in markdown-like text files as well.
- Chris2048 5y ago
  I'd love for a proper app (web-based or otherwise) that uses a regular DB (maybe an SQLite file) as the backend. Then I could just slap up a tiddly-service and connect. Incidentally, I've mostly switched to "Zim" wiki, but it's fairly similar.
  - tlavoie 5y ago
    Several do, I think. I use org-roam, which extends org-mode on Emacs. The files are org-mode (very much like Markdown), but there is a SQLite DB that enables speedy search.
punkspider 5y ago
Same here. After hopping from software to software for a few years I realized I had been taking random notes in Sublime Text for years by reflex, I just had to get a little bit organized. Since ~8 months ago I've been consistently keeping notes organized in markdown files using Sublime, and storing them in Dropbox. To read/edit them on my phone I use Obsidian and I use Dropsync for Android (free) for better syncing.
beckman466 5y ago
do you use git on top of it to track changes? date metadata?
LrnByTeach 5y ago
Here is my final destination after years of path work with notes saving, I been doing this for 3 months and I am extremely happy. three parts. 1/ saving Notes in markdown files on github 2/ using static site generator to create website https://github.com/shuding/nextra https://github.com/shuding/nextra 3/ hosting on Vercel for free https://docs-site-coral.vercel.app/ https://docs-site-coral.vercel.app/ The above is the sample site that was created with Nextra and hosted on Vercel, when you navigate on this site you would appreciate the simplicity of markdown files with good website navigation . Vercel hosted site will be updated as soon as you checkin .md file changes to github All you need to do is clone this repo https://github.com/vercel/swr https://github.com/vercel/swr , npm install and run the site locally . If you like the site, remove the files and replace with your own .md files , check-in into your own github repo , create Vercel account and it will pull your github repo and you Docs site is online .

TranquilMarmot 5y ago

I've switched to doing this, too. I've ping-ponged between Evernote, OneNote, Obsidian, Notion, Confluence, and probably half a dozen other tools over the years. Now I just write markdown files and store them in a hierarchical folder structure (never more than three folders deep!). I use VSCode to write everything which gives basic formatting for italics, bold, and code highlighting as well as an outline of the headings. You can click on links to go to other files. It has a preview feature if you want to see embedded images or videos or HTML. I use an extension that lets you edit draw.io diagrams and embed them without leaving the editor (https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=hediet.vscode-drawio https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=hediet.v...) Global search across all notes is instant. I have a few node.js scripts I've written to take care of automating some tasks, and since it's all markdown parsing it is easy with a library. I've even been built a VSCode extension to show all of the markdown files in a folder in a webview and lets you organize them on a grid (I'll probably release this + make it open source once some bugs are ironed out). Best part is, it's all just text files in git. I can read the formatted markdown files on github (and edit them in _any_ browser with https://vscode.dev/ https://vscode.dev/ !!!). It all works offline and syncing can be done with a click of a button.

lelanthran 5y ago
> Now I just write markdown files and store them in a hierarchical folder structure (never more than three folders deep!). I do the same, except that I use Emacs org mode. This gives me (other than highlighting): 1. Clickable hyperlinks (linking to the same document, linking to another org file, linking to any other file and linking to a URL). 2. Pretty export options (my entire blog is just a collection of org files exported to html, some technical documents are exported to LaTeX/pdf). 3. Text diagrams using the graphviz dot language. 4. Builtin history management and versioning using magit (of course this is all stored in Git :)) 5. Nice formatting in emacs - parent checkboxes are automatically calculated and filled when children items are filled in, M-q nicely formats paragraphs, Sections and subsections are easily folded/unfolded by my simply hitting tab while the cursor is on the heading, tables are incredibly easy to create and modify, (sub)sections are movable without needing to copy and paste, etc 6. Items in a tasklist can easily be cycled between various states (TODO -> RESEARCHING -> IN-PROGRESS -> DONE) with custom states being specified at the top of the file..
- TranquilMarmot 5y ago
  I've tried org mode (and evil to get vim keybindings) but could never get into it, none of the features were really "killer" for me. VSCode has clickable hyperlinks (although not formatted nicely when editing) and for export I have a script I've written that generates a static site from the files. Of course, VSCode is also way more resource intensive than emacs :) Kind of like using a power tool to build IKEA furniture.
  - I_complete_me 5y ago
    I'm a vim user but I used Lockdown #2 to learn org-mode. I installed doom emacs, learnt to use org-mode (with vim keybindings) and now I will never not use org-mode. It's too damn good. I use zim-wiki for my (kinda) second brain and keep my journals in markdown using my vim editor. Three tools, I know but they just evolved organically so no cognitive overload.

andreilys 5y ago

Agreed, I've been burned too many times by companies getting acquired or deprecating features that I relied on. Open source tools might not be as polished as Roam Research or whatever other fad is going on at the time, but I know they are more likely to stand the test of time. My personal setup is creating markdown files with vimwiki and using fzf for file search. Occasionally I'll use https://obsidian.md https://obsidian.md to visualize my knowledge graph but otherwise I don't depend on it.

imchillyb 5y ago

It's like that last sentence of yours attacked me. I wouldn't use another 3rd party system for keeping track of anything essential, ever again.

ijidak 5y ago

Same here. I love the distraction free experience of editing text. I format however I want. And it's ultimately portable.

brazzy 5y ago

I'm using a self hosted and customized TiddlyWiki. The nice thing is that it stores all its data in markdown-like text files as well.

Chris2048 5y ago
I'd love for a proper app (web-based or otherwise) that uses a regular DB (maybe an SQLite file) as the backend. Then I could just slap up a tiddly-service and connect. Incidentally, I've mostly switched to "Zim" wiki, but it's fairly similar.
- tlavoie 5y ago
  Several do, I think. I use org-roam, which extends org-mode on Emacs. The files are org-mode (very much like Markdown), but there is a SQLite DB that enables speedy search.

punkspider 5y ago

Same here. After hopping from software to software for a few years I realized I had been taking random notes in Sublime Text for years by reflex, I just had to get a little bit organized. Since ~8 months ago I've been consistently keeping notes organized in markdown files using Sublime, and storing them in Dropbox. To read/edit them on my phone I use Obsidian and I use Dropsync for Android (free) for better syncing.

beckman466 5y ago

do you use git on top of it to track changes? date metadata?

LrnByTeach 5y ago

Here is my final destination after years of path work with notes saving, I been doing this for 3 months and I am extremely happy. three parts. 1/ saving Notes in markdown files on github 2/ using static site generator to create website https://github.com/shuding/nextra https://github.com/shuding/nextra 3/ hosting on Vercel for free https://docs-site-coral.vercel.app/ https://docs-site-coral.vercel.app/ The above is the sample site that was created with Nextra and hosted on Vercel, when you navigate on this site you would appreciate the simplicity of markdown files with good website navigation . Vercel hosted site will be updated as soon as you checkin .md file changes to github All you need to do is clone this repo https://github.com/vercel/swr https://github.com/vercel/swr , npm install and run the site locally . If you like the site, remove the files and replace with your own .md files , check-in into your own github repo , create Vercel account and it will pull your github repo and you Docs site is online .