4 ms·

I legitimately don't struggle with this. I have the "root" note which opens by default whenever I reset my Obsidian vault and it shows three lists: 1. most rec

I legitimately don't struggle with this. I have the "root" note which opens by default whenever I reset my Obsidian vault and it shows three lists: 1. most recently updated notes 2. most recently created notes 3. notes I've added to my favourites On top of a search bar that doesn't suck, this is pretty much all I ever need. As for "AI", it's never going anywhere near my notes. It's supposed to be my second brain filled with content I've bothered to write down for myself. "AI" doesn't write it, "AI" doesn't process it, and I will never be convinced to change that. I use "AI" extensively, but this is a hard line that I will never cross.

item007 8mo ago
Appreciate the clear boundary. If we reframe it as non-generative assistance (pure local indexing + better retrieval, no writing), would that still be a “no”, or is the hard line specifically about model processing?
- input_sh 8mo ago
  In theory I have nothing against some sort of a tiny local LLM model that will index them and make the search a little bit more powerful, but to be honest if the feature is advertised as "AI", I doubt I will care enough to look into details. I'd rather take a dumb "synonyms" plugin that I have complete control over and renders results "instantly" than invoking any sort of LLM where I have to wait more than 3 seconds for a result.
  - item007 8mo ago
    That makes total sense. Latency kills the workflow, and “advertised as AI” carries baggage even if the underlying technique is harmless. One nuance: the way I’m thinking about this isn’t “you type a query and wait for an LLM”. It’s more like local indexing/pre-computation so retrieval is instant, and any heavier processing happens ahead of time (or during a scheduled review) so it never blocks you. Then you can consume it as a pull-based view or a tiny daily digest—no interruptions, no spinning cursor. If you could pick one: would you prefer a deterministic synonyms/alias layer (instant, fully controllable), or a local semantic index that improves recall but still feels “tool-like” rather than “AI”? I’m exploring a similar local-first, low-noise approach (more context in my HN profile/bio if you’re curious).
swah 8mo ago
Do you mean reset as reopening? How can I get those lists? I would like AI to tell me "this note looks like an incomprehensible brain dump and needs review before you forget today's meetings"
- input_sh 8mo ago
  > Do you mean reset as reopening? Yes, I have two vaults (one work-oriented, one completely personal) and frequently switch between them. Whenever I do so, I use a homepage plugin that always opens the same "root" note. You can vibe-code this plugin within minutes if you prefer, it's literally all that it does. Or you can have that note pinned to the sidebar and skip the plugins entirely, up to you really. > How can I get those lists? You need to be able to embed queries into your notes. Either you use Bases (first-party plugin) or Dataview (third-party plugin). The second one is a little more ironed out as of now, so I keep using that (but will probably migrate in the future). For the first two lists you create queries that simply look at file's creation/modification time. For the third one, Obsidian gives you an option to "star" a note, so you query for that.
  - item007 8mo ago
    That’s a great breakdown — thank you. The “root note as a homepage” + three lists feels like the simplest re-entry surface. Quick question: do you keep those lists purely time-based (recently updated/created), or do you also include any “active project” signal (e.g. notes linked from a project hub / kanban) so the homepage reflects what you’re actually working on rather than what was last touched?

item007 8mo ago

Appreciate the clear boundary. If we reframe it as non-generative assistance (pure local indexing + better retrieval, no writing), would that still be a “no”, or is the hard line specifically about model processing?

input_sh 8mo ago
In theory I have nothing against some sort of a tiny local LLM model that will index them and make the search a little bit more powerful, but to be honest if the feature is advertised as "AI", I doubt I will care enough to look into details. I'd rather take a dumb "synonyms" plugin that I have complete control over and renders results "instantly" than invoking any sort of LLM where I have to wait more than 3 seconds for a result.
- item007 8mo ago
  That makes total sense. Latency kills the workflow, and “advertised as AI” carries baggage even if the underlying technique is harmless. One nuance: the way I’m thinking about this isn’t “you type a query and wait for an LLM”. It’s more like local indexing/pre-computation so retrieval is instant, and any heavier processing happens ahead of time (or during a scheduled review) so it never blocks you. Then you can consume it as a pull-based view or a tiny daily digest—no interruptions, no spinning cursor. If you could pick one: would you prefer a deterministic synonyms/alias layer (instant, fully controllable), or a local semantic index that improves recall but still feels “tool-like” rather than “AI”? I’m exploring a similar local-first, low-noise approach (more context in my HN profile/bio if you’re curious).

swah 8mo ago

Do you mean reset as reopening? How can I get those lists? I would like AI to tell me "this note looks like an incomprehensible brain dump and needs review before you forget today's meetings"

input_sh 8mo ago
> Do you mean reset as reopening? Yes, I have two vaults (one work-oriented, one completely personal) and frequently switch between them. Whenever I do so, I use a homepage plugin that always opens the same "root" note. You can vibe-code this plugin within minutes if you prefer, it's literally all that it does. Or you can have that note pinned to the sidebar and skip the plugins entirely, up to you really. > How can I get those lists? You need to be able to embed queries into your notes. Either you use Bases (first-party plugin) or Dataview (third-party plugin). The second one is a little more ironed out as of now, so I keep using that (but will probably migrate in the future). For the first two lists you create queries that simply look at file's creation/modification time. For the third one, Obsidian gives you an option to "star" a note, so you query for that.
- item007 8mo ago
  That’s a great breakdown — thank you. The “root note as a homepage” + three lists feels like the simplest re-entry surface. Quick question: do you keep those lists purely time-based (recently updated/created), or do you also include any “active project” signal (e.g. notes linked from a project hub / kanban) so the homepage reflects what you’re actually working on rather than what was last touched?