A structured note-taking app for personal use(github.com)
github.com
A structured note-taking app for personal use
https://github.com/penxio/penx
155 comments
What you disliked about Logseq? Are you good at self-organizing (were you before)?
While the initial experience is super confusing and I barely knew what that tool is supposed to do, later on it turned out to be the first tool that helped me keep some structure in my notes.
I love note taking but I'm horrible at it, chaotic and inconsistent. Daily notes plus the way logseq easily links articles gave me some decent notes. I even left those to my colleagues when I switched jobs and even plain markdown files were useful for them.
While the initial experience is super confusing and I barely knew what that tool is supposed to do, later on it turned out to be the first tool that helped me keep some structure in my notes.
I love note taking but I'm horrible at it, chaotic and inconsistent. Daily notes plus the way logseq easily links articles gave me some decent notes. I even left those to my colleagues when I switched jobs and even plain markdown files were useful for them.
Logseq is "Everything plus the kitchen sink" when compared to Obsidian out of the box.
For me, I already have a daily planning and project management tool, and it's called Pagico. What I needed is a note taking application. Simple, down to earth, knowledge base. A successor to Zim wiki, I may say.
That thing is Obsidian. I tried to resist to moving it for so long because it's closed source, but it creates value and extracts structure and knowledge from your Markdown files, locally and super-fast, without bogging you down.
Also, logseq's webpage is very ambiguous. Tons of promises, no screenshots, you enter the live demo, it looks like a simple web page.
In short, Logseq feels too big, feels too hard to start with, and demands too much at the first impression. If failed to get me, and I failed to get it.
For me, I already have a daily planning and project management tool, and it's called Pagico. What I needed is a note taking application. Simple, down to earth, knowledge base. A successor to Zim wiki, I may say.
That thing is Obsidian. I tried to resist to moving it for so long because it's closed source, but it creates value and extracts structure and knowledge from your Markdown files, locally and super-fast, without bogging you down.
Also, logseq's webpage is very ambiguous. Tons of promises, no screenshots, you enter the live demo, it looks like a simple web page.
In short, Logseq feels too big, feels too hard to start with, and demands too much at the first impression. If failed to get me, and I failed to get it.
In which way does Obsidian "create value and extract structure and knowledge from your Markdown files"?
I tried it a few months ago because of all the hype, and from a quick try I didn't see anything useful that my current choice (Joplin) didn't have, but from what you are saying, maybe I didn't try for long enough?
I like Joplin, one of its strong points being that it's open source, but I'd be willing to switch if an alternative really adds value.
I tried it a few months ago because of all the hype, and from a quick try I didn't see anything useful that my current choice (Joplin) didn't have, but from what you are saying, maybe I didn't try for long enough?
I like Joplin, one of its strong points being that it's open source, but I'd be willing to switch if an alternative really adds value.
> In which way does Obsidian "create value and extract structure and knowledge from your Markdown files"?
It's search is extremely fast, plus with a bit of metadata, you can pack tons of information into a standard markdown file.
Moreover, when you start to add more and more knowledge, you start to connect notes to each other, which creates a Zettelkasten-like connected notes web. I write gigantic notes generally, but even they have connections, and again the searching for linking is so instant, you can write at the speed of thought.
I have a simple tree note organization scheme, and Obsidian can handle it extremely well, plus files are open on the filesystem. I can unleash another tool on top of that file tree, if I want to edit or analyze them.
I still use Evernote for some personal notes, and Joplin is just the same thing, and its limitations on file/note organization is very limiting for my needs.
Lastly, Obsidian vaults are completely isolated from each other, so the vault which I manage my small digital garden is completely isolated from my work vault. They are on different places, sycned differently, can have different plugins, etc. This is a very nice feature.
TL;DR: Obsidian is a pure "knowledge/documentation" management tool and allows for creation at the speed of thought. It's unobtrusive and Markdown metadata is extremely powerful. Also leveraging internote-connections supercharges Obsidian.
It's search is extremely fast, plus with a bit of metadata, you can pack tons of information into a standard markdown file.
Moreover, when you start to add more and more knowledge, you start to connect notes to each other, which creates a Zettelkasten-like connected notes web. I write gigantic notes generally, but even they have connections, and again the searching for linking is so instant, you can write at the speed of thought.
I have a simple tree note organization scheme, and Obsidian can handle it extremely well, plus files are open on the filesystem. I can unleash another tool on top of that file tree, if I want to edit or analyze them.
I still use Evernote for some personal notes, and Joplin is just the same thing, and its limitations on file/note organization is very limiting for my needs.
Lastly, Obsidian vaults are completely isolated from each other, so the vault which I manage my small digital garden is completely isolated from my work vault. They are on different places, sycned differently, can have different plugins, etc. This is a very nice feature.
TL;DR: Obsidian is a pure "knowledge/documentation" management tool and allows for creation at the speed of thought. It's unobtrusive and Markdown metadata is extremely powerful. Also leveraging internote-connections supercharges Obsidian.
I tried logseq and obsidian and I'd argue the opposite, obsidian does everything while logseq is good at structuring your text and querying it.
The thing i missed the most is the outline style, where every block can be queried and nested bloxks inherit tags from parent blocks. Huge for note taking
The thing i missed the most is the outline style, where every block can be queried and nested bloxks inherit tags from parent blocks. Huge for note taking
I think that's a fair take, and I believe everybody's brain works a little differently.
This is why I'm a big believer of horses for courses approach about everything in life. If logseq works better for you, more power to you. I believe and love huge text files with tons information, so Obsidian and similar tools works better for me.
This is why I'm a big believer of horses for courses approach about everything in life. If logseq works better for you, more power to you. I believe and love huge text files with tons information, so Obsidian and similar tools works better for me.
Sorry I shouldn't have come through as "obsidian is worse", that's not the intent, my point was mostly about "obsidian does everything because it has plugins".
I do have a reason for avoiding obsidian, which is the one I outlined, but your case is totally legit AND a good reason for choosing obsidian over logseq.
The outline vs non-outline is really the big difference between the two. I'm not sure if it's possible to have both approaches in a single editor given the huge difference in behavior
I do have a reason for avoiding obsidian, which is the one I outlined, but your case is totally legit AND a good reason for choosing obsidian over logseq.
The outline vs non-outline is really the big difference between the two. I'm not sure if it's possible to have both approaches in a single editor given the huge difference in behavior
Hey, I didn’t read your comment as “obsidian is worse”, but “logseq’s way of operation/thinking fits me better”.
Yes, Obsidian has tons of plugins, but I use exactly none of them. The features they add is immense, but I need none of them, because I just write tons of long text files, not dissimilar to old, long text files ubiquitous on the web in the early days (think https://computer.rip style writings, but as technical docs).
The difference between the two is very fundamental as you say, one has an internal database while the other runs on simple Markdown files with minimal extra data on top (except search and index Obsidian keeps internally per vault).
Again, there’s no hard feelings, just a hat tip to the diversity of our brains, way of thinking and creativity of people for devising these different ideas regarding knowledge management. :)
Yes, Obsidian has tons of plugins, but I use exactly none of them. The features they add is immense, but I need none of them, because I just write tons of long text files, not dissimilar to old, long text files ubiquitous on the web in the early days (think https://computer.rip style writings, but as technical docs).
The difference between the two is very fundamental as you say, one has an internal database while the other runs on simple Markdown files with minimal extra data on top (except search and index Obsidian keeps internally per vault).
Again, there’s no hard feelings, just a hat tip to the diversity of our brains, way of thinking and creativity of people for devising these different ideas regarding knowledge management. :)
> Zettelkasten-like connected notes web
ZK isn't a notes web or anything like that. Just because it can replicate some of the ZK 'methodology' doesn't mean it's Zettelkasten-like.
It's a wiki-like connected notes application.
ZK isn't a notes web or anything like that. Just because it can replicate some of the ZK 'methodology' doesn't mean it's Zettelkasten-like.
It's a wiki-like connected notes application.
I have neither said it replicates ZK nor I use it as a ZK tool. It's wiki-like, yes, and ZK is not a simple "web of notes". However Obsidian's management of notes and links make it more advanced than a simple Wiki-Like application.
It's less linear than a Zim Wiki like desktop wiki, but more linear than a "cloud of floating notes" approach of TiddlyWiki.
It's less linear than a Zim Wiki like desktop wiki, but more linear than a "cloud of floating notes" approach of TiddlyWiki.
I like Obsidian on the Desktop and not much on the phone where I like iA Writer. As I manage the files and synced, I can use anything to access the files. I can use iA Writer on the Mobile and still access my files, while I edit that on Obsidian on the Desktop. Sometimes, I just open the whole folder in Sublime Text and start editing it or use Draw/Excalidraw to work on something. Obsidian being the primary but I'm not limited.
My reasoning is to approach contents as data-first with tools on the top. Obsidian happens to be one such brilliant tool for now.
My reasoning is to approach contents as data-first with tools on the top. Obsidian happens to be one such brilliant tool for now.
iA writer is a great tool for focused writing. I use it for authoring my blog posts, and it's "filler detection" does wonders.
> In short, Logseq feels too big, feels too hard to start with, and demands too much at the first impression. If failed to get me, and I failed to get it.
This is interesting, because it wasn't my experience at all. I migrated from Roam to Logseq after I realized I didn't use enough of the fancier features to justify the price. Basically I open Logseq, take notes in my daily journal, and tag blocks so that I can easily pull them up by topic/person/etc later. That's all it took for me to get started, and also as far as I've felt the need to go. For better or worse I have no idea what other "kitchen sink" features it has.
This is interesting, because it wasn't my experience at all. I migrated from Roam to Logseq after I realized I didn't use enough of the fancier features to justify the price. Basically I open Logseq, take notes in my daily journal, and tag blocks so that I can easily pull them up by topic/person/etc later. That's all it took for me to get started, and also as far as I've felt the need to go. For better or worse I have no idea what other "kitchen sink" features it has.
I think, because the reason is what we want from our tools is different. I already use a much sophisticated tool for my tasks, and project planning (Pagico), and what I want is a bona fide desktop wiki which I want to store my technical research and howto docs (and share them in my digital garden).
This is what Obsidian is. If I wanted something to organize my tasks and other things, I'd take a much different route.
What I'm aiming to get is akin to these: [0] & [1]
[0]: https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Hack_on
[1]: https://notes.joschua.io/
This is what Obsidian is. If I wanted something to organize my tasks and other things, I'd take a much different route.
What I'm aiming to get is akin to these: [0] & [1]
[0]: https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Hack_on
[1]: https://notes.joschua.io/
Hey I follow that first guy on Goodreads. Good taste in book he has.
Logseq is great, but I definitely agree that everything around it (docs, website, ...) is terrible. They really need to rework their marketing pitch and give proper docs. Right now you have docs scattered across 3 websites, and the only useful one is made in Logseq itself, which isn't a good system for scaling documentation.
The sad part is that the tool is really underrated.
You don't need to even think where to put notes.
All that overwhelm that all the folks are speaking about, just start writing in your daily page, when you look back -> you have a clear link.
It actually kills ambiguity without having folders and having too much un-needed structure (obviously use-case varies).
Logseq doesn't need plugins because a lot of it is already in-built (tasks, block-references, in-built queries).
It reminds me of the discussion when people praise Next.js for all the packages, and ecosystem but its not a feature, there is a reason people building these.
You don't need to even think where to put notes.
All that overwhelm that all the folks are speaking about, just start writing in your daily page, when you look back -> you have a clear link.
It actually kills ambiguity without having folders and having too much un-needed structure (obviously use-case varies).
Logseq doesn't need plugins because a lot of it is already in-built (tasks, block-references, in-built queries).
It reminds me of the discussion when people praise Next.js for all the packages, and ecosystem but its not a feature, there is a reason people building these.
I think an application's usefulness depends on how much you align with its design and mindset it brings to the table.
For some people, stuffing pages into a notebook (a-la Evernote/Joplin) is fine. I use Evernote, and it's fine for most things.
However when things start to get crowded, this model breaks down. I also don't like shoving things into an application and meta-sort it with tags and whatnot. I like structured work, because I can put clutter aside in the structure and focus on what I'm working on.
Also, having the files as plain Markdown files is a plus for me, even if it doesn't have the block references. As I already said, I need Obsidian for document and knowhow management, and glorified text files are what I exactly want.
For some people, stuffing pages into a notebook (a-la Evernote/Joplin) is fine. I use Evernote, and it's fine for most things.
However when things start to get crowded, this model breaks down. I also don't like shoving things into an application and meta-sort it with tags and whatnot. I like structured work, because I can put clutter aside in the structure and focus on what I'm working on.
Also, having the files as plain Markdown files is a plus for me, even if it doesn't have the block references. As I already said, I need Obsidian for document and knowhow management, and glorified text files are what I exactly want.
I hate it that all their explanations are videos and not articles I can read
> What you disliked about Logseq?
For me it was the fact that it's a pure outliner and I couldn't write free-form text. Everything had to be list.
For me it was the fact that it's a pure outliner and I couldn't write free-form text. Everything had to be list.
Wow! This is me. I'm not worried about the open-source part because, as you mentioned, we own the files and their organization. I will just walk out and still have everything I need with me.
I'm kinda pretty well organized. If you wake me up in the middle of my slumber, I can tell you where I have kept something with a series of steps to make it easy for you to find. Even if not precise at times, I will have a way via a general direction. So, this works for something like Obsidian and will only work for things I know how the underlying things are organized.
This is also why I lost Logseg - it was too smart for me and my ways.
I'm kinda pretty well organized. If you wake me up in the middle of my slumber, I can tell you where I have kept something with a series of steps to make it easy for you to find. Even if not precise at times, I will have a way via a general direction. So, this works for something like Obsidian and will only work for things I know how the underlying things are organized.
This is also why I lost Logseg - it was too smart for me and my ways.
>Evernote
I _still_ have some notes in Evernote. Imagine my surprise when I logged in after maybe a year of not using it and now search in text notes is not working unless "you upgrade". WTF?
The only good feature of everyone now is that it's easy to export ones notes (I hope that still works).
(about Obsidian) >The only downside is that it's not open source
Indeed, but a saving grace is that it can just store in a bunch of text files you can use any editor with. Some editors (neovim/emacs I think) have plugins to read/write obsidian's notes properly.
I _still_ have some notes in Evernote. Imagine my surprise when I logged in after maybe a year of not using it and now search in text notes is not working unless "you upgrade". WTF?
The only good feature of everyone now is that it's easy to export ones notes (I hope that still works).
(about Obsidian) >The only downside is that it's not open source
Indeed, but a saving grace is that it can just store in a bunch of text files you can use any editor with. Some editors (neovim/emacs I think) have plugins to read/write obsidian's notes properly.
It got worse: 3 weeks ago Evernote announced that their free version will be limited to 50 notes
https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/29/23981683/evernote-limit-...
https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/29/23981683/evernote-limit-...
FWIW, I exported all my Evernote notebooks just recently from my old free account. Used https://github.com/akosbalasko/yarle to convert them to Markdown. It also has support for various PKB formats, like Obsidian. Hope that helps!
How does Obsidian's text editing experience compare to VSCode?
I'm using VSC for everything at the moment, which includes a workspace roughly structured into GTD categories via subfolders, filled with markdown documents.
The only thing that keeps me curious about Obsidian is the note linking/network visualization and features related to that. But I'm so used to having dev tool levels of text editing available in VSC that I can't bring myself to try switching Obsidian.
That’s actually one of the main reasons I like Obsidian - that I can easily use vscode with it. Obsidian’s backend is just markdown files on the file system which you’re free to edit with another editor at the same time as you have Obsidian open (it’ll notice file system changes and update any open documents near instantly). I even have a plugin setup that when I hit a keyboard shortcut it executes the necessary vscode command line tool to open whatever I’m viewing in obsidian in vscode.
Same here, but other side of the chasm.
I use logseq for note keeping but I just want the text editing experience of vs code.
I'm not sure why they all roll their own editor. Can't it be a plugin?
I use logseq for note keeping but I just want the text editing experience of vs code.
I'm not sure why they all roll their own editor. Can't it be a plugin?
I tried Dendron, and I preferred to have a fully separate editor.
This way I context switch completely away from code.
Also it annoying to swap workspaces and keep the up.
This way I context switch completely away from code.
Also it annoying to swap workspaces and keep the up.
Thanks for this, I'll give it a go.
I can see how having the environment be at least cosmetically different might help though. I feel like there must be a good enough solution to that, I'll have a poke around
I can see how having the environment be at least cosmetically different might help though. I feel like there must be a good enough solution to that, I'll have a poke around
In Logseq, you can open the current note in the default system editor - I do this for long form note taking (in my case in emacs) but everything is back in the Logseq graph for connection and search and all its syncing goodies.
Fyi, if you are ever looking for a fun project you might be able to implement this. The vscode editor source is available as a library https://microsoft.github.io/monaco-editor/
Seeing vscode users want their knowledge base in their editor makes me think of the parallel to emacs users.
I think you might be confusing the two different meanings of editor here.
1. Editor as in a complete program that is VScode and everything it entails.
2. Editor as in the actual text editing experience with syntax highlighting, code completion, etc.
You are likely thinking about the first type. Where the person you respond to is talking about the second one. The experience of editing markdown in VScode is a very pleasant one so I can see why people would want that editing experience in other markdown based note apps.
1. Editor as in a complete program that is VScode and everything it entails.
2. Editor as in the actual text editing experience with syntax highlighting, code completion, etc.
You are likely thinking about the first type. Where the person you respond to is talking about the second one. The experience of editing markdown in VScode is a very pleasant one so I can see why people would want that editing experience in other markdown based note apps.
> I'm not sure why they all roll their own editor. Can't it be a plugin?
There are multiple reason, like editors having too much of their own baggage, or not being meant to be used as a foundation for a mature app. But I guess mainly it's a matter of licensing, and building your own editing-experience.
VS Code is for plaintext, while obsidian has deep rich-text-handling. It's probably not that easy to combine both flawless and still supporting all the plaintext-editing.
There are multiple reason, like editors having too much of their own baggage, or not being meant to be used as a foundation for a mature app. But I guess mainly it's a matter of licensing, and building your own editing-experience.
VS Code is for plaintext, while obsidian has deep rich-text-handling. It's probably not that easy to combine both flawless and still supporting all the plaintext-editing.
You should have a look at Foam: https://github.com/foambubble/foam
There is a Vim plugin for Obsidian, so for me the editing is pretty similar. And I guess it's a good indicator that a plugin for your taste may also exist.
For actual coffee editing, there is also https://github.com/sunxvming/obsidian-vscode-editor
For actual coffee editing, there is also https://github.com/sunxvming/obsidian-vscode-editor
Same, and it took some months before the plugin ecosystem got to the point where I found it useful. I don't think I would go through that with another note taking app. And it would be difficult for another app to create such a big ecosystem.
Try SiYuan Note. It's free and open source local-first mix of Notion and Obsidian.
https://github.com/siyuan-note/siyuan
https://github.com/siyuan-note/siyuan
Are you(or anybody) using the Obsidian iOS mobile app with git for sync/versioning? Is that possible?
Weird that people find Obsidian before Joplin
The issue for me is that I don't want to run another web service just to take personal notes. I'll likely keep using Obsidian until I can find something else that is self-managed and "flat".
Try SiYuan Note.
It's a free and open source local-first of Notion+ Obsidian.
https://github.com/siyuan-note/siyuan
It's a free and open source local-first of Notion+ Obsidian.
https://github.com/siyuan-note/siyuan
Currently, you can install it as a PWA app. when the web version is stable, I will develop a desktop app.
In which format are the notes stored? Many of us have been bitten by vendor lock in before, so we prefer our notes tobe in simple human readable formats that can also be read in 30 years when your app (more likely than not) doesn't exist anymore.
If you expect that your notes will still be valuable in 30 years, then you should probably migrate them to something other than a quick note taking app. If everything I wrote into onenote before eg last year disappeared right now, I wouldn't lose much sleep.
Why would I do that? I use only apps that use text files anyways. I am pretty confident I will be able to open them in 30 years.
My point is that I sincerely doubt that these notes will have any usefulness in 30 years.
Situational, I suppose. I still have an active project that's not quite 30 years old (it's mid-20's) that I reference old notes for all the time.
Actually... I reference a lot of notes from at least 20 years ago. There is a lot that doesn't change, you forget, and is an instantaneous search away. I don't foresee this changing in the interim 10 years.
Actually... I reference a lot of notes from at least 20 years ago. There is a lot that doesn't change, you forget, and is an instantaneous search away. I don't foresee this changing in the interim 10 years.
If you are making notes about your life, memories, etc, you might want to revisit them years in the future, and not tomorrow
Depends on which notes you take. I still have academic notes from 15 years ago that are useful.
I'm an academic. Any kind of note that I didn't migrate to a durable support from more than a year ago is basically gone.
I constantly have book X that I read ages ago where I need to find point Y. My notes are valuable for that. But I and my note-taking are not universal.
But even if I it wasn't I don't like to think about the lifetime of any thought as I note it down. This os a distraction I don't need. If the closet with the notes in it fails, I want to be able to read them still.
But even if I it wasn't I don't like to think about the lifetime of any thought as I note it down. This os a distraction I don't need. If the closet with the notes in it fails, I want to be able to read them still.
I even have files from 20+ years ago that I can open just fine, including notes.
If you use something proprietary, then yeah, it might be difficult. But that doesn't stop us from asking whether something we're interested in using now uses data formats that would be easily readable in 20-30 years.
If you use something proprietary, then yeah, it might be difficult. But that doesn't stop us from asking whether something we're interested in using now uses data formats that would be easily readable in 20-30 years.
[deleted]
It's not a human readable format outside of simplistically formatted text, but even then the vendor locking is solved via exporting to that simplistic format so that you can easily do that when the app dies and you need to move to another one, no need for every app to suffer the limitations by choosing that as its internal data format
For me it is important to have effective note taking and management.
I tried a lot of note taking apps myself and I am not satisfied with the ones I tried.
Even unsuccessful planed and tried to write one myself : )
I used zim-wiki[1] in the past and at the moment I am using Obsidian[2], that is working good for me.
I like the way you use to take notes. I know it from Workflowy [3].
Everyone has some personal approach and use cases for taking notes. From taking only notes for a grocery list to a full-fledged personal wiki system. And it is important to figure out what PND (pain/need/desire) your application should really satisfy.
[1] https://zim-wiki.org
[2] https://obsidian.md
[3] https://workflowy.com
I like the way you use to take notes. I know it from Workflowy [3].
Everyone has some personal approach and use cases for taking notes. From taking only notes for a grocery list to a full-fledged personal wiki system. And it is important to figure out what PND (pain/need/desire) your application should really satisfy.
[1] https://zim-wiki.org
[2] https://obsidian.md
[3] https://workflowy.com
For me it's obsidian and noteplan.
This looks pretty nice.
In the same space, personally, I'm a huge fan of Joplin. Apps for every platform I care about, and the ability to self-host the server component (which is what I do). I has some really nice features, like import/export of directories of markdown files, and sharing notebooks with other users.
In the same space, personally, I'm a huge fan of Joplin. Apps for every platform I care about, and the ability to self-host the server component (which is what I do). I has some really nice features, like import/export of directories of markdown files, and sharing notebooks with other users.
Since Joplin's developer decided to put all Markdown files into a database and thus give up all the advantages of a flat file system, I have uninstalled Joplin. In my view, the last discussion in Joplin's forum on this topic further discredited the developer.
That seems an odd take given the content of the discussion: https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/why-im-leaving-joplin-for-...
Especially since it looks like a solution via plugin was identified?
Thanks for bringing it up though, I went for spicy programmer drama but instead found a somewhat interesting and incredibly polite disagreement. I am curious about what happened that they have such a solid opinion about acceptable use of file metadata.
Thanks for bringing it up though, I went for spicy programmer drama but instead found a somewhat interesting and incredibly polite disagreement. I am curious about what happened that they have such a solid opinion about acceptable use of file metadata.
>incredibly polite disagreement
Not sure I agree. Here's one comment by the developer (laurent):
"Ok, there's so much wrong in what you write about that it's hard to know where to start. I guess it would help if you had a clue about what you're talking about."
https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/why-im-leaving-joplin-for-...
Not sure I agree. Here's one comment by the developer (laurent):
"Ok, there's so much wrong in what you write about that it's hard to know where to start. I guess it would help if you had a clue about what you're talking about."
https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/why-im-leaving-joplin-for-...
Ouch.
I'm not proud of that answer but to be fair there are also more balanced views in this thread. It's also an old thread and some of what's in there is no longer relevant. For example someone recently created a prototype of the app that saves the notes to disk, and although we can't merge his work as it is, we plan to investigate and see whether it can be somehow integrated.
It's one of these features that, all things being equal, we'd rather have than not have, but it's obviously not trivial to add it when the app wasn't originally designed for it.
It's one of these features that, all things being equal, we'd rather have than not have, but it's obviously not trivial to add it when the app wasn't originally designed for it.
I completely understand. It wasn't my intention to blow this out of proportion. It's a single expression of frustration that every developer can relate to.
Sure - but it is a departure in tone and sandwiched by more normal and productive comments (from that dev). It isnt ideal but it is also a pretty normal and minor human mistake (growing frustrated and then short to be specific).
And the previous comments were claiming that this project's data was 'proprietary' and not 'open' and the situation was inexcusable, basically because they assumed a database was this big scary thing (as opposed to an open book). That is a frustrating experience, and yeah maybe indicates that the person telling you how to write software doesn't know what they are talking about (for the folks following along at home, those frivolous cries of foul play were distracting from the real need they had for plain text over a database, someone else describes it quite succinctly a little later)
And the previous comments were claiming that this project's data was 'proprietary' and not 'open' and the situation was inexcusable, basically because they assumed a database was this big scary thing (as opposed to an open book). That is a frustrating experience, and yeah maybe indicates that the person telling you how to write software doesn't know what they are talking about (for the folks following along at home, those frivolous cries of foul play were distracting from the real need they had for plain text over a database, someone else describes it quite succinctly a little later)
Sure, it's no big deal and it's completely understandable. I just wouldn't characterise it as "incredibly polite".
I think file system vs database storage is very much about trade-offs. Unfortunately the debate descends too quickly into who is right and who is wrong.
It's always difficult for developers to talk to users who often really don't know what they are talking about. I know that very well.
The only thing you can do as a developer (if you have time and patience) is to translate what users say into the closest thing that does make sense in terms of trade-offs.
But nobody is always patient.
I think file system vs database storage is very much about trade-offs. Unfortunately the debate descends too quickly into who is right and who is wrong.
It's always difficult for developers to talk to users who often really don't know what they are talking about. I know that very well.
The only thing you can do as a developer (if you have time and patience) is to translate what users say into the closest thing that does make sense in terms of trade-offs.
But nobody is always patient.
Oh! That makes sense, I'm a little jealous then. To me the way that discussion did not crash and burn due to a little friction was incredible
I applause Laurent's answer.
I'm so tired of self-entitled users that don't contribute anything and have no skin in the game and just complain "this should be done as I say because I'm smart". Yes, obviously sometimes maintainer can get something bad and a better solution is easily available, but as app complexity goes up, it's unfair (to not say naive or a worse word) for users assume that developers are clueless and hadn't thought about the problem space before taking the design decision.
Thanks for bringing this one up. It's almost strange to see a civilized discussion about something that clearly polarizes a lot of people in the thread. Makes me wonder exactly what kind of social dynamic results in a bunch of people actually talking through their differences, instead of the these days usual trench warfare...
The linked discussion also lists some huge limitations of the flat markdown file system, how did he discredit himself?
I loved the TinaCMS blog post on how they still use flat files as their source of truth, but have a level.js database that powers a bunch of their functionality. https://tina.io/blog/Tina-CMS--Leveljs/
You can blow up the db & regenerate it very quickly. All the data is still flat files. But the advanced functions harvest & are derived from the source of truth. Seems like a perfect compromise.
I haven't done it yet but I have a git-auto-cimmit project I intend to use with logseq, that'll help me better keep a record of changes over time. That ability to have a flat file source of truth feels hugely hugely empowering to me, and I have a hard time imagining having anything else.
You can blow up the db & regenerate it very quickly. All the data is still flat files. But the advanced functions harvest & are derived from the source of truth. Seems like a perfect compromise.
I haven't done it yet but I have a git-auto-cimmit project I intend to use with logseq, that'll help me better keep a record of changes over time. That ability to have a flat file source of truth feels hugely hugely empowering to me, and I have a hard time imagining having anything else.
You can blow one database (level), but not the second one (git) which you also need to sync, and this doesn't cover the issues of changing the data layout, git isn't always great in tracking those (doesn't store renames). Then also all your data is duplicated in a git db and a flat file db
(they also don't support smartphones?)
(they also don't support smartphones?)
Yeah you still need a source of truth, duh.
I'm not sure what you are talking about vis a vie "changing the data layout". You can do whatever you want, it's just flat files. Git is great at tracking file renames.
Trying to say data is duplicated is basically wrong, as far as I'm concerned. There's a materialized view, which very few people I think would argue breaks the idea of data-nornamization. There is only one data source, the other is a generated view which can be regarded as ephemeral data.
I sympathize a lot with the parents perspective that Joplin switching to database backed world is a pain. I think the appeal of well managed flat files, controlled by git, is much more directly manageable & has much broader tooling. I appreciate attempts to raise dissent against this system, but none of your points carry much water for me personally. It strikes me as pretty weird having these litany of basically wrong non-issues to swat away?
I'm not sure what you are talking about vis a vie "changing the data layout". You can do whatever you want, it's just flat files. Git is great at tracking file renames.
Trying to say data is duplicated is basically wrong, as far as I'm concerned. There's a materialized view, which very few people I think would argue breaks the idea of data-nornamization. There is only one data source, the other is a generated view which can be regarded as ephemeral data.
I sympathize a lot with the parents perspective that Joplin switching to database backed world is a pain. I think the appeal of well managed flat files, controlled by git, is much more directly manageable & has much broader tooling. I appreciate attempts to raise dissent against this system, but none of your points carry much water for me personally. It strikes me as pretty weird having these litany of basically wrong non-issues to swat away?
But you don't need two, one in git (which stores the full copy) and another one in flat files when you can have only one in the database and then store just the diffs (and have an easier way to discard history when needed vs git, which would be especially painful with many clients)
Git uses heuristics to identify renames, and not a great one (and also limited in number of files), which is a known limitation of this "great" tracking
And data structure means renaming/moving your flat assets, even if git catches them, your note app will not. Or breaking cross-references due to that. Ability to regenerate broken wouldn't help you here
What "broader tooling" do you mean for notes when you don't even have a real system, just something all you could imagine as the best?
Also wild to ignore smartphones as yet another non-issue
Git uses heuristics to identify renames, and not a great one (and also limited in number of files), which is a known limitation of this "great" tracking
And data structure means renaming/moving your flat assets, even if git catches them, your note app will not. Or breaking cross-references due to that. Ability to regenerate broken wouldn't help you here
What "broader tooling" do you mean for notes when you don't even have a real system, just something all you could imagine as the best?
Also wild to ignore smartphones as yet another non-issue
Feels exceeding weird to me to draw a distinction between git and the flat files it has.
Git does come with some challenges (deleting a file from history is a good one; the filter-branch command for doing so can be a beast!), but overall there's so many git tools available. Gitlense, GitHub, magit, gitk, and hundreds more ("broader tooling"). And is imminently google-able. Love it or hate it, it's a well known system, and TinaCMS using git seems like a huge advantage to me (with my reasonably competent modern developer hat on) in any circumstance.
Tools like logseq and TinaCMS have ways to rename pages, without breaking references in their markdown. Seems solved.
Smartphones are pretty good at using web apps I've found so not sure why you once again are leaping to attack again.
"you can have only one in the database and then store just the diffs" has big "draw the rest of the owl" vibes to me. Maybe it is really easy. But I have to learn that system & figure out how to work with that history. I see very little benefit in a simple system, that is custom tailored to one particular use, that will have a range of limitations I can't assess or judge well ahead of time. We have a great tool for handling control of different versions of text over time. I'm here for it. It seems wild to me to imagine DIY'ing for your specific app.
Git does come with some challenges (deleting a file from history is a good one; the filter-branch command for doing so can be a beast!), but overall there's so many git tools available. Gitlense, GitHub, magit, gitk, and hundreds more ("broader tooling"). And is imminently google-able. Love it or hate it, it's a well known system, and TinaCMS using git seems like a huge advantage to me (with my reasonably competent modern developer hat on) in any circumstance.
Tools like logseq and TinaCMS have ways to rename pages, without breaking references in their markdown. Seems solved.
Smartphones are pretty good at using web apps I've found so not sure why you once again are leaping to attack again.
"you can have only one in the database and then store just the diffs" has big "draw the rest of the owl" vibes to me. Maybe it is really easy. But I have to learn that system & figure out how to work with that history. I see very little benefit in a simple system, that is custom tailored to one particular use, that will have a range of limitations I can't assess or judge well ahead of time. We have a great tool for handling control of different versions of text over time. I'm here for it. It seems wild to me to imagine DIY'ing for your specific app.
But I don't care about "overall", I've asked you about note-specific workflow, and "hundreds" of bad/irrelevant tools hurts googlability, not helps
> "It seems solved"
Care to share specifics? You've changed file names/folder structure/image file name/format etc. in your favorite flat file tools How does a system reconcile those edits happening outside its garden?
> Good at using web apps
A single good example for this domain would be nice. Say, you have your flat files in Dropbox with .git? Which web apps could I use?
> "draw the rest of owl" vibes
More like "imagine someone can draw it" just like you had an image of the owl in this meme in your mind.
By the way, if you plan to use autocommit, so basically have just a linear series of diffs added automatically, what does git buy you?
> but I have to learn
Well, yeah, doing something better requires learning how to do better
> "It seems solved"
Care to share specifics? You've changed file names/folder structure/image file name/format etc. in your favorite flat file tools How does a system reconcile those edits happening outside its garden?
> Good at using web apps
A single good example for this domain would be nice. Say, you have your flat files in Dropbox with .git? Which web apps could I use?
> "draw the rest of owl" vibes
More like "imagine someone can draw it" just like you had an image of the owl in this meme in your mind.
By the way, if you plan to use autocommit, so basically have just a linear series of diffs added automatically, what does git buy you?
> but I have to learn
Well, yeah, doing something better requires learning how to do better
Well, if what you need is a flat file system, the json-as-database approach that penx is taking isn't really an improvement.
I'm interested in what advantages you have lost. Joplin allows you to export your entire notebook as a directory of markdown files (with front matter), and from a performance, reliability, and replication perspective, a database seems like a much better choice.
I'm interested in what advantages you have lost. Joplin allows you to export your entire notebook as a directory of markdown files (with front matter), and from a performance, reliability, and replication perspective, a database seems like a much better choice.
I won a lot and didn't lose anything. Obsidian plus a few plugins beats Joplin on every level. And I can edit all notes without redundancy by exporting from a Joplin database with nvim, iA Writer, find, grep, cat and millions of other tools.
> Obsidian plus a few plugins beats Joplin on every level.
Not really. Obsidian has its shares of problems too, and most of them originate from using Markdown. Markdown is a freeform text-format, and works very well for writing text, but it really sucks for data and structured content. Most plugins and features in that area are very brittle and overspecialized, working only well enough in their specific use case. And gosh, Obsidian has really a huge amount of plugins for data-handling. At some point, it was so bad that there were multiple competing task-plugins which broke each other just because they had different formatting for dates.
Not really. Obsidian has its shares of problems too, and most of them originate from using Markdown. Markdown is a freeform text-format, and works very well for writing text, but it really sucks for data and structured content. Most plugins and features in that area are very brittle and overspecialized, working only well enough in their specific use case. And gosh, Obsidian has really a huge amount of plugins for data-handling. At some point, it was so bad that there were multiple competing task-plugins which broke each other just because they had different formatting for dates.
> And gosh, Obsidian has really a huge amount of plugins for data-handling. At some point, it was so bad that there were multiple competing task-plugins which broke each other just because they had different formatting for dates.
Depends on how you see it. I think it's great that they have a free market of open-sourced plug-ins that you can donate to. I'm actually impressed of how rarely they break each other.
Depends on how you see it. I think it's great that they have a free market of open-sourced plug-ins that you can donate to. I'm actually impressed of how rarely they break each other.
Agree! See my next comment.
> Not really. Obsidian has its shares of problems too, and most of them originate from using Markdown.
Aha. Which problems do you mean?
> Markdown is a freeform text-format, and works very well for writing text, but it really sucks for data and structured content.
Joplin is using md to. And if Joplin does a good job on "data" and "structured content" (whatever you mean by that) by separating that in their DB, it's a big NO for me since it's a closed silo.
This: https://github.com/blacksmithgu/obsidian-dataview works so wonderful for me, and it never breaks anything in my simple md files.
> Most plugins and features in that area are very brittle and overspecialized, working only well enough in their specific use case.
Aha. I don't think so. Which authority says that? And even if It's like that, my markdown files would survive everything, since they are a) in git. https://github.com/denolehov/obsidian-git and b) easy to fix since it's a text file. Gosh!
> And gosh, Obsidian has really a huge amount of plugins for data-handling.
And gosh, this is a good thing!
> At some point, it was so bad that there were multiple competing task-plugins which broke each other just because they had different formatting for dates.
Installing multiple task plugins shows that something is "broke" on the user side. It's not the fault of Markdown or Obsidian.
Just have a look on: https://github.com/ivan-lednev/obsidian-day-planner but you dont need a fancy task plugin like this, if you know your way around https://github.com/blacksmithgu/obsidian-dataview or https://github.com/obsidian-tasks-group/obsidian-tasks
Since the Ecosystem around Obsidian and pure Markdown, most of the time I stay in my browser https://github.com/deathau/markdownload and nvim https://github.com/epwalsh/obsidian.nvim
Aha. Which problems do you mean?
> Markdown is a freeform text-format, and works very well for writing text, but it really sucks for data and structured content.
Joplin is using md to. And if Joplin does a good job on "data" and "structured content" (whatever you mean by that) by separating that in their DB, it's a big NO for me since it's a closed silo.
This: https://github.com/blacksmithgu/obsidian-dataview works so wonderful for me, and it never breaks anything in my simple md files.
> Most plugins and features in that area are very brittle and overspecialized, working only well enough in their specific use case.
Aha. I don't think so. Which authority says that? And even if It's like that, my markdown files would survive everything, since they are a) in git. https://github.com/denolehov/obsidian-git and b) easy to fix since it's a text file. Gosh!
> And gosh, Obsidian has really a huge amount of plugins for data-handling.
And gosh, this is a good thing!
> At some point, it was so bad that there were multiple competing task-plugins which broke each other just because they had different formatting for dates.
Installing multiple task plugins shows that something is "broke" on the user side. It's not the fault of Markdown or Obsidian.
Just have a look on: https://github.com/ivan-lednev/obsidian-day-planner but you dont need a fancy task plugin like this, if you know your way around https://github.com/blacksmithgu/obsidian-dataview or https://github.com/obsidian-tasks-group/obsidian-tasks
Since the Ecosystem around Obsidian and pure Markdown, most of the time I stay in my browser https://github.com/deathau/markdownload and nvim https://github.com/epwalsh/obsidian.nvim
> Joplin is using md to.
The way it's handled can make the difference in control.
> by separating that in their DB, it's a big NO for me since it's a closed silo.
Joplin is using a popular open database with a healthy community and good tooling. It's as open as markdown. Maybe not for you, when you lack the knowledge, but markdown is similar closed for anyone not understanding filesystems and editors.
> This: https://github.com/blacksmithgu/obsidian-dataview works so wonderful for me
Good for you, but that is very low level in terms of data-handling. Dataview is really just an elaborated search, there is no good level of interaction. Datacore, the next project of the Dataview is supposed to bring this, but it's not even usable yet AFAIK. Coincidental, the Obsidian-devs are also working on that front, but nothing is finished yet.
> https://github.com/denolehov/obsidian-git and b) easy to fix since it's a text file. Gosh!
That's useless when the app itself is not working. And even worse if you are not realizing the errors early.
> Aha. I don't think so. Which authority says that?
My own experience. I've tested enough plugins over the years to know their dark corners.
> And even if It's like that, my markdown files would survive everything
The thing is, technically you are not even having proper markdown, but a fork with some extensions of Obsidian. So some features of your parts might break when switching away from Obsidian. And the reason for all this is also because markdown is lacking definitions for what obsidian-people are doing with it. Coincidentally, this seems also one of the reasons why Joplin is using a database.
> And gosh, this is a good thing!
Not if they all suck.
> Installing multiple task plugins shows that something is "broke" on the user side.
Sure, because the plugins are lacking features, its the users fault... Maybe some users have just very different levels of requirements from you.
The way it's handled can make the difference in control.
> by separating that in their DB, it's a big NO for me since it's a closed silo.
Joplin is using a popular open database with a healthy community and good tooling. It's as open as markdown. Maybe not for you, when you lack the knowledge, but markdown is similar closed for anyone not understanding filesystems and editors.
> This: https://github.com/blacksmithgu/obsidian-dataview works so wonderful for me
Good for you, but that is very low level in terms of data-handling. Dataview is really just an elaborated search, there is no good level of interaction. Datacore, the next project of the Dataview is supposed to bring this, but it's not even usable yet AFAIK. Coincidental, the Obsidian-devs are also working on that front, but nothing is finished yet.
> https://github.com/denolehov/obsidian-git and b) easy to fix since it's a text file. Gosh!
That's useless when the app itself is not working. And even worse if you are not realizing the errors early.
> Aha. I don't think so. Which authority says that?
My own experience. I've tested enough plugins over the years to know their dark corners.
> And even if It's like that, my markdown files would survive everything
The thing is, technically you are not even having proper markdown, but a fork with some extensions of Obsidian. So some features of your parts might break when switching away from Obsidian. And the reason for all this is also because markdown is lacking definitions for what obsidian-people are doing with it. Coincidentally, this seems also one of the reasons why Joplin is using a database.
> And gosh, this is a good thing!
Not if they all suck.
> Installing multiple task plugins shows that something is "broke" on the user side.
Sure, because the plugins are lacking features, its the users fault... Maybe some users have just very different levels of requirements from you.
Don't put any real data in the hosted demo. The database credentials are leaked in the .env file.
Apparently that's for development, the deployed production version is using a separate database: https://github.com/penxio/penx/issues/20#issuecomment-186770...
I especially enjoyed the header saying ".env is .gitignored" https://github.com/penxio/penx/blob/main/.env#L1
I look at these apps occasionally, and I've even tried a few of them. In the end, I find them to just be overkill. Give me a simple text editor, and I put the text files where the information belongs.
Using fancy apps, where you can do formatting, place links, etc? I spend too much time futzing with all that stuff and less time actually getting stuff done.
Using fancy apps, where you can do formatting, place links, etc? I spend too much time futzing with all that stuff and less time actually getting stuff done.
I spent lots of time with notion and obsidian and this is what I came to as well.
What I do now is have markdown files, and use the OS folder system for organising. I then use OneDrive for syncing - this works perfectly fine between MacOS and Windows, and for both I use Visual Studio Code for editing. For android I use an app called FolderSync to sync and TMarkor for editing.
Has been working perfectly for over a year now.
What I do now is have markdown files, and use the OS folder system for organising. I then use OneDrive for syncing - this works perfectly fine between MacOS and Windows, and for both I use Visual Studio Code for editing. For android I use an app called FolderSync to sync and TMarkor for editing.
Has been working perfectly for over a year now.
Just curious, any reason you're using TMarkor instead of Markor? (https://github.com/gsantner/markor/ , https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.gsantner.m...)
Only asking since this was also the editor I ended up settling on in Android, but it seems like TMarkor is just a repackaging of Markor without any references to its forked(?) source.
My requirement was that the editor had to be open source so that I could audit the repo and compile the APK from source, as well as potentially fork it for personal modifications if needed.
Only asking since this was also the editor I ended up settling on in Android, but it seems like TMarkor is just a repackaging of Markor without any references to its forked(?) source.
My requirement was that the editor had to be open source so that I could audit the repo and compile the APK from source, as well as potentially fork it for personal modifications if needed.
I didn't really think about it much, I just searched for markdown editor on the play store and used the first one that worked.
This looks very similar to Logseq. I would go as far as calling it a clone because the main page looks almost exactly the same. Logseq has matured a lot over the years, what is PenX doing better than Logseq? From the demo it feels like it's still behind Logseq a lot.
+1 and curious, too
I would go further than that also. It directly mirrors https://anytype.io/ but without the desktop or mobile clients to actually store the workspace on your device.
I would go further than that also. It directly mirrors https://anytype.io/ but without the desktop or mobile clients to actually store the workspace on your device.
Unless I'm missing something obviously, quite likely, I can't see how the notes are structured. Screenshots would be nice.
Why would I use this over sonething like zim-wiki? Admittedly there is no mobile client but in a pinch I use markor for that.
Why would I use this over sonething like zim-wiki? Admittedly there is no mobile client but in a pinch I use markor for that.
If you visit the website, there is a demo: https://www.penx.io/
Say I'm already using Obsidian, what would be some cool features it can add to my workflow?
Side note: "Privacy first" but then "Login with Google" :)
Side note: "Privacy first" but then "Login with Google" :)
This looks really similar to Logseq, are the notable differences?
This has definitely caught my attention. The fact that it's a web app that allows me to self-host it makes this a strong contender against Obsidian.
Looks great too!
It seems like this tool is creating a hierarchical document database, it reminds me of XML, but it's json! (or serializes to json at the very least)
I don't know what to make of this. I do like the fact that it's a tree, and you can sort of create a document-like hierarchy. The issue with enforced hierarchies is that you now have to find a spot in this arbitrary tree structure for every note you take.
It's also a little jarring that list items are treated in the same way that two articles would be. I'm not sure I like that. Lists are a useful readability tool, but articles and chapters are semantic partitioning concepts. I get a little bit of a weird feeling when this is the only representation of the note set that's available. And it feels like cross-referenced notes might be difficult to represent.
I do like the representation from a minimap perspective, and it's making me think that maybe the best solution is to use this tree-view as a UI model rather than a canonical representation.
I don't know what to make of this. I do like the fact that it's a tree, and you can sort of create a document-like hierarchy. The issue with enforced hierarchies is that you now have to find a spot in this arbitrary tree structure for every note you take.
It's also a little jarring that list items are treated in the same way that two articles would be. I'm not sure I like that. Lists are a useful readability tool, but articles and chapters are semantic partitioning concepts. I get a little bit of a weird feeling when this is the only representation of the note set that's available. And it feels like cross-referenced notes might be difficult to represent.
I do like the representation from a minimap perspective, and it's making me think that maybe the best solution is to use this tree-view as a UI model rather than a canonical representation.
I wonder what's the use for this "https://explorer-api.walletconnect.com/w3m/v1/getAssetImage/..." which fails to load on my Firefox.
This is what I call an outliner-database hybrid. FYI, many note-taking apps are going in this direction.
- Tana.inc (closed alpha) introduced the concept of supertags [1], equivalent to what this app calls meta tags
- Remnote.com also added editable tables [2] to its outlines not long ago (only in the paid version).
- Logseq.com is planning such an addition soon.
It is a powerful combo because it combines two very primary ways of interacting with data: the tree (outliner) mode and the grid (table/DB) mode.
So for me, this could be an alternative to logseq as OSS/local. It seems promising, I hope it will continue to grow.
[1] https://tana.inc/docs/supertags [2] https://help.remnote.com/en/articles/8118336-tables
- Tana.inc (closed alpha) introduced the concept of supertags [1], equivalent to what this app calls meta tags
- Remnote.com also added editable tables [2] to its outlines not long ago (only in the paid version).
- Logseq.com is planning such an addition soon.
It is a powerful combo because it combines two very primary ways of interacting with data: the tree (outliner) mode and the grid (table/DB) mode.
So for me, this could be an alternative to logseq as OSS/local. It seems promising, I hope it will continue to grow.
[1] https://tana.inc/docs/supertags [2] https://help.remnote.com/en/articles/8118336-tables
Capacities too. But I feel like Notion is easier to maintain in the end and has the databases with linked records and you can do lots of stuff with that... not sure why Notion gets so much hate.
Yeah, they both have DBs, and you can kind of outline inside pages. The difference is that, technically, in a "real outliner", each "node" (or line) is (by default) a different entry in the database, whereas in page-based apps (Capacities/Notion), it is the whole page.
Capacities is partially going in this direction. Notion, less so, but it is simple and advanced (linked records...) and hence a favorite of mine too.
Capacities is partially going in this direction. Notion, less so, but it is simple and advanced (linked records...) and hence a favorite of mine too.
The fundamental question for me is about privacy. Good, well-created note-taking apps abound these days, but few really promise and deliver solid privacy that even their creators cant breach. One need not be taking notes on "howz to makez bombez 101" to value nobody being able to snoop their notes at will.
FWIW I need a Kanban board view from a note-taking app, am using extensions which add one to Obsidian and vscode.
I’m working on a new block editor that will have Kanban board supprt within your note[1].
I already made a Kanban board for my previous note-taking app but it’s in a different view[2][3].
[1] https://www.get-plume.com/
[2] https://rubymamistvalove.com/notes/kanban.mp4
[3] https://www.get-notes.com/
I already made a Kanban board for my previous note-taking app but it’s in a different view[2][3].
[1] https://www.get-plume.com/
[2] https://rubymamistvalove.com/notes/kanban.mp4
[3] https://www.get-notes.com/
What are your typical workflow when you use Kanban extension in Obsidian vs the one in VSCode?
Do you use the former to manager personal tasks, while the latter for coding tasks?
Do you use the former to manager personal tasks, while the latter for coding tasks?
It's actually just that I'm in the process of moving from Obsidian to vscode in general. (Lack of a mobile version of vscode is a problem though!)
Before finally settling on Obsidian I tried Foam extension for VSCode.
I thought Foam would be great, b/c I already wrote lots of Markdown in VSCode, but Obsidian was much better for me.
I thought Foam would be great, b/c I already wrote lots of Markdown in VSCode, but Obsidian was much better for me.
Joplin's kanban plugin is quite nice:
https://github.com/joplin/plugin-kanban
https://github.com/joplin/plugin-kanban
I am working on the Kanban view now
Looks cool. My suggestion would be to change your color from purple as it seems ripped off from Obsidian.
This looks robust and the example project works fine.
I am low-key into these type of apps. Similar enough to Google Keep, with more privacy and (potentially, didn't really check) E2E encryption.
Sharing and cooperating notes with others is a must-have, but it's unclear if there are any plans.
I am low-key into these type of apps. Similar enough to Google Keep, with more privacy and (potentially, didn't really check) E2E encryption.
Sharing and cooperating notes with others is a must-have, but it's unclear if there are any plans.
Of course, the development of the sharing feature is in planning
I'm super into these apps too, but I have had less interest since trying keep.
Nobody else really comes close, at least not in the FOSS space, but hopefully one of these days someone will!
Nobody else really comes close, at least not in the FOSS space, but hopefully one of these days someone will!
Tangential question: I see you chose the AGPL license. Coincidentally, I was reading more about it yesterday and it seems like a good choice for software that can be hosted. Could you share your decision process on what or any insights you might have?
Nothing fishy at all about wanting to connect to walletconnect.com
I usually don't like the hate on everything cryptocurrency or web3. But I cannot see nor understand why it would be needed here.
IPFS maybe?
IPFS maybe?
For me it seems like the Previous Day and Next Day buttons have an off-by-one error. Next day keeps me on the same day and Previous Day takes me back 2 days.
It’s even worse for me, already the first load is full of UI errors.
- The splash screen asking me to install as PWA or to go to the web app is not hiding the app. Overlapping the text and confusing me - The buttons for the days don’t work - The calendar selector is not working either
- The splash screen asking me to install as PWA or to go to the web app is not hiding the app. Overlapping the text and confusing me - The buttons for the days don’t work - The calendar selector is not working either
Welcome to Node! This is one of the least buggy “apps”.
The best note taking app ever made by far is called verbatim and was built originally for the competitive debate community. It’s so good that people who watched me use it in college were jealous at the power it enables within Microsoft word for structured notes.
https://paperlessdebate.com/verbatim/
https://paperlessdebate.com/verbatim/
It seems to be for Windows and Mac only, right?
Why do you think so?
Does it sync between devices? Does it work on mobile at all?
Does it sync between devices? Does it work on mobile at all?
Honestly difficult to tell what it even does
i wouldn't call completely broken on mobile a beta
Sorry, It's not stable yet，but I am working on it
Yea it’s pretty broke.
I've been using Dendron on vscode with some success: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=dendron....
Dendron development stopped about a year ago: https://github.com/dendronhq/dendron/discussions/3890#discus...
Oh.
Well, at least it isn’t cloud software.
Well, at least it isn’t cloud software.
Is there a similar tool that allows pasting of images and uploading of files --- that I can self host on say AWS and use S3 for storage and hosting?
I'm testing the web version in the phone and I can't create tags, not sure how's the testing of this
Does it keep my folder structure and files as plain md? This is the biggest reason I still use obsidian. There is no vendor locking.
Is there a free, cross platform note taking app (mobile, PC, Mac) that allows you to save on cloud and sync?
Joplin
Obsidian + Syncthing
I found syncthing lost severals of my changes . I settled on the live sync plugin and for the moment it works nicely
Thanks for the pointer!
https://github.com/vrtmrz/obsidian-livesync: self-hostable sync via CouchDB, MIT license, supports the visual conflict resolver and end-to-end encryption.
https://github.com/vrtmrz/obsidian-livesync: self-hostable sync via CouchDB, MIT license, supports the visual conflict resolver and end-to-end encryption.
I'm using a free hosting by IBM, the set up is decribed in the plug in github, so it was easy
I wouldn't trust syncthing if it were only running on my "end-devices". I have an instance on my server running as a sort of master. Else you can end up in situations where, for example your laptop is the only device online with no sync partners, and then you turn it off before it could sync properly.
How did Syncthing lost your changes? Are you talking about versions or the sync? I'm gradually transitioning to Syncthing for a lot of stuffs and I want to be prepared.
I lost changes that I made on one device. To be fair it was probably a mistake on my side, but I didn't notice how it happened so I prefered look elsewhere for a sync solution for obsidian.
Simplenote.
Nice but, does a note taking app with 3 contributors need a Discord?
This is nice. But, how this is different from Joplin?
Any comparison?
Any comparison?
Looks good, but cmd+a test failed ;)
taskpaper is my go to for this
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There's a healthy ecosystem of plug-ins, searching is highly performant, all of my files are just structured in folders as markdown files so there's zero vendor lock-in, has a very good mobile app, and I use git for easy sync / versioning.
The only downside is that it's not open source.