16 ms·

Anti-note advocate here! Your notes should either be updates on tickets, documentation, or comments in code/git readme. You shouldn't be isolating information

by iamwpj 4y ago

Anti-note advocate here! Your notes should either be updates on tickets, documentation, or comments in code/git readme. You shouldn't be isolating information on separate platform and outside of the tools that you share with your team to manage a codebase/software stack/etc. You're doing a disservice to your team if you're withholding access to knowledge! If you're not a natural notetaker don't worry about becoming one. Update tickets/tasks, docs, etc.

elliottkember 4y ago
Counterpoint, I take notes on paper that I seldom read. The process of writing (nice pen, A5 legal pad) slows down my thinking and stops me from interrupting people. I remember things better when I have written them down, even if I don’t read what I wrote.
- paulcole 4y ago
  I agree w/ you. I saw a quote about this that says, "If you think without writing, you only think you're thinking."
  - kurupt213 4y ago
    I’m not writing to remember it later, I’m writing to remember it now.
diatone 4y ago
Counterpoint, most of my notes are gibberish and exploratory. For me the note taking process allows me to eventually synthesise a coherent idea. The idea makes its way to the team. If they read my notes it would confuse them, just like how I experience a mixture of confusion and familiarity when I reread my old notes.
k8si 4y ago
I read in a 'how to improve executive functioning' book that it can be helpful to have one unified TODO list. So that's what I do. I don't think I should make myself a JIRA ticket for 'buy peanut butter and milk'. I also don't think I should make a Confluence page about 'random idea for blog post I had last night while I was falling asleep'. So for things that I need to share that are relevant to work, sure. Otherwise, my notes are generally a very very very long TODO list (bullet journal method has worked for me), punctuated by things that won't quite fit into working memory that I know I'll need to remember in like 20 mins. Also random doodles that I use to help myself pay attention during meetings.
paulcole 4y ago
Notes are for you. Updates to tickets/tasks/docs, etc. are for the people you work with.
notesinthefield 4y ago
Nonsense. My notes are for me, a synthesis of my observations or things of utility to me, why obligate the effort to everyone to make it all make sense to anyone else?

by iamwpj 4y ago

elliottkember 4y ago

Counterpoint, I take notes on paper that I seldom read. The process of writing (nice pen, A5 legal pad) slows down my thinking and stops me from interrupting people. I remember things better when I have written them down, even if I don’t read what I wrote.

paulcole 4y ago
I agree w/ you. I saw a quote about this that says, "If you think without writing, you only think you're thinking."
- kurupt213 4y ago
  I’m not writing to remember it later, I’m writing to remember it now.

diatone 4y ago

Counterpoint, most of my notes are gibberish and exploratory. For me the note taking process allows me to eventually synthesise a coherent idea. The idea makes its way to the team. If they read my notes it would confuse them, just like how I experience a mixture of confusion and familiarity when I reread my old notes.

k8si 4y ago

I read in a 'how to improve executive functioning' book that it can be helpful to have one unified TODO list. So that's what I do. I don't think I should make myself a JIRA ticket for 'buy peanut butter and milk'. I also don't think I should make a Confluence page about 'random idea for blog post I had last night while I was falling asleep'. So for things that I need to share that are relevant to work, sure. Otherwise, my notes are generally a very very very long TODO list (bullet journal method has worked for me), punctuated by things that won't quite fit into working memory that I know I'll need to remember in like 20 mins. Also random doodles that I use to help myself pay attention during meetings.

paulcole 4y ago

Notes are for you. Updates to tickets/tasks/docs, etc. are for the people you work with.

notesinthefield 4y ago

Nonsense. My notes are for me, a synthesis of my observations or things of utility to me, why obligate the effort to everyone to make it all make sense to anyone else?