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These ideas oddly make sense. I'm a little reluctant to quit Obsidian for Dendron, a PKM plugin for Visual Studio Code, built by web developers for web developers. I think it's a tool that prioritizes lists rather than writing. How would you categorize Dendron, the new kid in town? Looking forward to hear your take.
I read that Nietzsche bought a type writer because his vision was failing. After he learned to touch type, his writing style became terse and tight. He commented that “our writing equipment takes part in the forming of our thoughts.” I think this is so true!
Probably more to do with the form factor of the elementary machine than anything else www.malling-hansen.org/friedrich-nietzsche-and-his-typewriter-a-malling-hansen-writing-ball.html
This video really resonated with me! I tried to make Notion work as a PKM tool but I found it to be constraining and barely wrote anything. Just tried Obsidian these past several days and I'm already writing a lot. And yeah, the steep pricetag of Roam is a big turn off. Also, your videos are so well produced and calming! Keep it up!
Thanks Adinda! Yeah, Notion is the next Evernote, which depending on your perspective, isn't really a good thing. It can do everything "okay" and nothing "great"-except for as a team-centric knowledge base...it's really good for that. But not for the effortless writing and connecting of ideas.
yeah notion works great for me as a database tool for organizing my uni-workflow but not personal notes - I am trying out obsidian at the moment - writing is clearly the centre of all your work and considering PKM it is great!
I just want to point out: You mention developing countries can use Obsidian "all they need is an internet connection". Being an offline app, they don't even really need consistently. Just to get the app in the first place (obviously) and for updates. Great video, by the way!
@@lifeofamol There used to be a custom avatar creator for Tiny Tower, but I can't seem to find it anymore. I did find this site which has a photoshop template of the same art style: brandontreb.com/pixel-art-character-tutorial-creating-and-customizing-a-bitizen To create mine, I took an image from the avatar creator (or, this photoshop template, I guess) and customized features myself.
You articulated so many feelings I had struggled to articulate. My biggest gripe was that I am taking notes to write, and so much of my Roam notes were not writing friendly. The fact that you noted Ulysses and Bear shows you really understand the influence of UX in a writing tool. Fantastic video!
Very well articulated video, thank you! I also have the feeling that we are entering in a new "renaissance" time, where more and more people feel the urge to get into the almost forgotten art of thinking by themselves. I can see the Yin/Yang principle in action here: Simply thinking other's people thoughts (or not thinking at all) going down and thinking our own thoughts (on top of other's people thoughts) going up. TAKING Notes going down and MAKING Notes going up. Siloed thinking going down and linked thinking going up. It's just the beginning and I hope that we get to the point of no return on the above mentioned changes. Last but not least, you are the right person at the right time to help with this "revolution". Please keep fighting the good fight!
Thanks for the shoutout Nick! Really appreciate it. Btw, your LYT Kit rocks!! I downloaded and started to play with it, to use it as a reference to start building my own Zettelkasten. I'm at the very beginning of the process but I'm finding the journey very enjoyable and rewarding. Looking forward to see the results in a couple of years!!
This makes my brain tingle so hard! I wondered why I loved studying philosophy so much, why it made my brain feel like it was on fire, and now I'm like "DUH, I'm a Connecter Writer!" Writing *is* thinking! Just downloaded Obsidian and am feeling very stoked. Thank you for making these videos!
Definitely a collector, and yes, my Evernote became so huge that I just scrubbed it in the end. But now I'm noticing the same thing with my RUclips "watch later" playlist, sitting at 1,700 videos, and my read later bookmarks are over 50. It may be a symptom of my personality, but anytime I come back to learning about this subject, I am inspired to write more. It's just keeping up the motivation to stick to one thing. Sometimes these systems seem to have the answer, but only the person using the system will end up making something... Thanks for the video and it gave me an interesting way to see where my issue may lay. Keep it up man!
The writing vs collecting thing is so true! I used to always just copy stuff from the school textbooks into my obsidian notes and maybe change a few words here or there, it didn't really help me remember the content at all. Now, thanks to this video, I read a paragraph, try and process it, and then explain it in my own words. It's so much better for remembering the content and makes the notes much easier to understand when I go back to read them. Thank you!
Thank you, this video helped me understand why I can't get into Obsidian. I want outlines! Really enjoying your videos and I've learned a lot out PKN, TY!
This is one of the best and well-structured videos I have ever watched on RUclips. This video alone has proved your point about the power of Obsidian and how it can help you shape your thinking. Thanks a lot. I always wondered why I use Roam on and off, never sticking to it. Now I know the answer. I am completely switching to Obsidian. I am really impressed by the way you have made this video.
Wow, thank you! I guess you're right: "the proof is in the pudding" and this video is a form of that proof. (I can't wait to share a similarly structured video on Time Value something in early January!)
Revelation! I've been stuck on onenote and notion for the longest of time. I never realize that I maybe a connector writer. I honestly passed up obsidian the first I heard of it because I just taught it was another glorified text editor. Never realized the importance of linking notes together. Before I saw this, I just take notes, then forget about it. I guess that's what OneNote shaped me to be. I especially liked your bloated statement. Upon reexamining my OneNote notebook, it had bloated to a massive 1Gb size!!! I never really noticed it before. Thank you for the wake up call. I may keep notion just for the sake of archiving and the better organizational tools (the database features is an addiction that I can never really shake off) but I'm definitely going to take Obsidian more seriously now. And who knows, once i am more fluent in the learning curve, I maybe able to use Obsidian fully. As of this writing, I never really have a knowledge base, just a collection of notes. Time to do some work. It would be a bit of a learning curve, but I think it might be worth it.
I'm so glad you made this video! I'm currently an undergraduate. Just like Arthur Schopenhauer said learned persons can read themselves stupid, I sometimes feel I've studied myself stupid (especially during finals week). I started using Obsidian a few months ago, and for some reason, I've found myself writing more than ever before. I've been rewriting my notes from previous classes in my own words, connecting concepts across different classes. The thing is, I never even liked the idea of writing before! For the first time, I feel like I'm in control of my own thinking-so thank you. Your thoughtful videos have helped me tremendously!
I tried Roam once for a short time, and although I liked the concept at first, it quickly became burdensome to write on it and link concepts. I am just starting using Obsidian and it feels completely different, writing feels more natural and the end product has a better aesthetic, and linking ideas is fun rather than a chore. The fact that everything I do with Obsidian is in my local machine and will always be available makes it feel that you are not actually wasting your time on something that could disappear someday, and I can stay away from my browser and other distractions while studying. Good video
Wow. I watch every second of this video. Thanks for pointing that out, I am havin problems with Roam for almost months and thinking about moving out, just as you said
Thanks for your videos! I was looking for apps to write school notes and my novels. Ive been exploring multiple note-taking apps and novel writing softwares but none were right for me. It just didn't feel right with me and I can't pinpoint the reason. Watching your video made me realize it's because I want a way to connect my ideas with writing. The powerful linking feature of obsidian is just what I needed. I'm finally convinced Obsidian is for me. These days I'm identifying and organizing my workflow. I'm going to use Obsidian to both write my novel and make a story bible for it. Ill probably just use Notion for aesthetic wikis. Thanks for your videos and keep making great content!
EXCELLENT! I use Roam for work, which requires the daily log, connecting people, info and notes that I take on the job and it's excellent for that. But in my personal life I am indeed a "Connector Writer" and Roam has not worked for that. So I go back to Evernote... .which is a mess (especially since the Evernote company infamously messes up their own application, ad infinitum). Now I understand the value of Obisidian for my writing for my blog and podcast. This video really helped clear up the varied purposes that I have with different note taking apps and will seriously consider Obsidian for what you recommend. Thank you!
Thank you so much for creating this video and putting words to so many of the problems I have face teh last two years as a Roam User. I've made it work for me, but it hasn't been frictionless. I can't help but feel this fear that so much gold of ideas I've captured in my daily notes untagged will ever be surfaced again. Today is that day I want to start experimenting with Obsidian to write and create and connect :)
Wow, what a video. You have a gift for talking about these ideas. I commented the other day, your aside about database thinking in Roam was revelatory for me because I couldn't quite see why it was suiting my professional work so well, and my personal work so poorly -- It's because one rewards the short, bulleted take so much better. I think your insights play out across a lot of the material that's currently available even on RUclips. Roam has so many proponents who like to track personal data on a daily basis and other metadata type tasks. Great thoughts will show through any tool, but why not make it easier for your personality, as you say. Keep it coming!
Excellent content. Thank you for your careful and detailed analysis. Just getting started with Obsidian. I am a technical writer, and researcher, and I am so convinced Obsidian is the best 2nd brain note taking tool for me. Also, I am familiar with markdown. Not sure if I will give up Notion, but I am certain I will dive fairly deep into Obsidian.
Great video, I found that with Roam you can create notes but they will be scattered with no logic and they might stay in Roam’s database for ever. But with Obsidian, I write notes that are scattered at the beginning but with time they develop to a published work since the app relies on page-base layout. I like your thesis too, as cities are built by humans, they later shape their behavior. You expand that to the digital world : )
In the video there are 4 ways to conceive a note-taking app, and basically is said that obsidian count with the best two: writers and idea connectors. But if you include some plug ins or platforms like readwise, you can make obsidian be also a way to collect and sort information, wich leaves us with obsidian being the most complete app, because you CAN do basically whatever you what. But as Nick said, the fact that you can do something doesn't mean that you have to do it.
I definitely read myself stupid during my formal education. I knew it didn't feel right, but I thought that was because I hadn't read enough. I didn't know there was a better way. Thanks so much for this video :)
I've been a Roam user for a year but have just begun the switch to Obsidian due to Roam knowledge graph-based limitations. This video eased some of my trepidations around making the switch! Thank you!
I use obsidian and connect the ideas by sorting them into aspects in life e.g. communication , self reflects and thinking model . Sorting each sub aspect with question like what to do when we have negative feeling towards things that happened or etc and link to the page with steps and solution for this . This works like my brain, when i encounter a problem, i can quickly go through the obsidian in my brain and get a solution . The thinking flow is more sorted and easier .
I gave up after a few weeks with ROAM just because of the day by day list focus. I don't want to put my todo and done lists into this thing, they just live outside it. Especially I have a lot of material and I wanted to organize it and start to link items. Obsidian seems perfect for me.
I was about to close the video and then heard you say roam users reluctantly flirting with the idea of using obsidian - damn! I have been a user of roam for about 8 months. I have been working on my personal growth for a few years now and started using roam to collect all the ideas I have learnt and articulated. But eventually I was struggling to understand how to actually become one of those power users that I see so regularly being mentioned in roam twitter community - as they looked like doing something that was making the tool more useful. But the concept of connected writer has struck with me, I still don't know what it means for me. But the idea of these tools shaping my behavior and needs is suddenly a huge deal - I never looked at these tools that way. I cant sleep now, until I figure this out. Fuck.. *mindblown* such a big punishment for surfing internet while I should have been studying.
Good stuff! I like the fact you’re not overhyping anything, and your video isn’t overproduced like most videos these days. Good points too. I’m a Roam user but it made me want to try obsidian exactly because, despite using Roam for 2 years now, I still constantly have that feeling there is something off with it I can’t pinpoint yet.
I appreciate the way you've put this, and I do see your point, for the most part. I don't agree with a few angles. It is certainly true that Roam is expensive, and new. It's especially pricey if you want to run from local data (but possible). That said, I can't help but note: 1. You use the term 'databaser' - a non-existent word - to describe people who use Roam. That just seems like framing, it's an ugly term and the term 'database' for most non-technical people conjures to mind things which are really quite the opposite of Roam. 2. You refer to mystical properties of the sort of writing you do with Obsidian - it's unclear to me after watching why that should be true or what it is that you mean. Hemmingway has specific features to help with writerly things. It's unclear that Obsidian is special in this way, other than by nature of its 'document' limitation. 3. To me your presentation suggests that organization and interrelation of ideas in Roam is mroe to do with "other people's ideas". I certainly find that when bringing together a body of thought of my own - especially on design.. based upon volumes of original ideas, examples, etc.. that I need somewhere to linearize these thoughts, so they can be shared with other people. Roam is great for that. I don't find that Roam limits my vocabuilary or writing style. On the other hand.. a. I can see that many people are tempted to try to gather the whole world into a file/app - that is obviously a bad idea. The reality is that the world of knowledge is vast and connected.. recording even most ideas you use in your thinking is a distraction. That problem exists with Roam or Evernote certainly (and a reason I stopped using this type of tool a decade ago). b. It is possible for people to devote far too much time to interlinking information. But I don't see that particular problem being caused by Roam. Any large body of ideas needs only a relatively small number of connections. The more associations you already have, the easier and simpler it is to connect in a new idea. Many people are not used to this and they may struggle with Roam. if anything, Roam is very lightweight when it comes to throwng attributes at it - other platforms tend to 'make a meal' of attributes by expecting every attribute to be declared. I don't find I need to declare anything in advance. So I definitely agree with the concept of "Tools Shaping Us". (and it's one of the reasons I avoid macros and plugins) Personally I find the building block of 'Simple Text Documents' the biggest frustration with tools that have Edit / Preview modes, like Obsidian. One ends up either with sparse sets of one liner documents OR more complex definitions are intertwined and can't easily be separated. Frequently key concepts end up with no consistent canonical description, because the effort involved in splitting documents becomes too great to sustain. I am glad you love Obsidian, but I have been looking for something like Roam for many years. For work on Solution Design, Concepts and tightly Consistent works - things which nevertheless require a lot of consistency, it seems perfect to me. It also seems pretty suitable for RPG-style writing, or Rules. If I were writing poetry.. well.. then I might use Obsidian.. or stick with pen and paper, as I find machines soulless. As to Twitter.. I type straight into the blue bird for that. I like your style and definitely appreciate the thoughtful video.
You have almost persuaded me that Obsidian is the right tool for me and I believe in open-source software (and plain text - therefore not being locked in) being the future. However after becoming accustomed to using online tools like Google Docs / Notion where I can login and work anywhere on any platform (including mobile) I'm not sure I can go back to local only software. Especially as my work place (a hospital) doesn't allow software to be installed on it's computers
i haven't even tried any of these software yet so you could be making stuff up for me :D, but your passion and philosophy inspired me to try obsidian first
This video is really well put together! Excellent work my friend! It's structured, so articulated well. I liked the labelling of the various apps into their nuanced utilization.
‘Connector writer’ is a great description of the Obsidian use case. A huge plus is the amazing library of plugins to expand the app based on your own needs, while keeping the base app and performance streamlined.
I just learned about Notion yesterday after making yet another attempt to organize. Started looking into it when this video popped up. Among the three, I'm willing to give Obsidian more effort and attention, since it's free for personal use. Looking forward to learning more about it through your YT channel. Thanks!
Nice video! I appreciate the thoughtful way you laid it all out. Definitely learned some things and you gave this Evernoter of 10 years a lot to think about.
Your videos are so calming and come at the perfect times! Love the content, man. I second a comment below and also would love to see your workflow process as you come across a new idea and how obsidian helps flesh that out!
Very true. Obsidian not perfect but my favorite knowledge processing/linking tool. I like to structure my thoughts in it, breaking information down into more useable pieces, stripping away the unnecessary, beautifying it etc. the longer I’m involved in improving the information, the more memorable it becomes and thus, the better the tool, is my experience so far. Obsidian with your css template and Notion are my fave discoveries in 2020 so far.
I am glad I found your work. Starting my journey on Obsidian, can't wait to link and write. You are continuously inspiring me how to "Think like a man of action, act [write] like a man of thought." - Henri Bergson. Thank you for the great work!!!
My journey started with Notion (which I kept for collaborative work and planning) and I went to Obsidian, then Roam. I stayed with Roam for about 4 months and ended up coming back to Obsidian. My experience was this. Roam is just easier to use. The learning curve is smaller and the ability to automatically link at a block level is fantastic, this truly encourages moments of serendipity where ideas accidentally end up linking together. You can essentially make every point an atomic link and these will organically find one another over time. With Obsidian you have to be more purposeful with how you link and you have to work on this connection between ideas. That said Roam is very expensive for someone like me who isn’t using it professionally and I also lost data permanently -which I just couldn’t abide. Those two major points are what made me come back to Obsidian. If Roam allowed local data storage and dropped their price by about 50% I’d likely go back, for me Roam has the superior design.
@@linkingyourthinking All that said, the block referencing update is really upping the Obsidian game for me. I am excited to see where this journey goes! :)
Your insights really made me think and reassess my notetaking tools and practices. I found your channel through this video. Can't wait to check out your other videos. Many thanks for all this.
Liked and subscribed. I just found about Roam and Obsidian just yesterday and I was doubting which one to go for. Your awesome in-depth video helped me clear up my doubts. I'm going right to your Obsidian series, to learn about this wonderful software. Thank you heaps!
A lot of this video can be applied to RemNote vs Obsidian, too. Though RemNote has folders and tags. Coming from Remnote, migrating to Obsidian I find it hard to decide what to put into a new file and what to put just in a new section. In RemNote, I never had to make this decision because of it's "everything is a Rem" concept that I really love I'm still migrating because as it was said in the video, Obsidian is future proof.
Just discovered that Obsidian now has an outliner plugin!!!!! But honestly I use Athens research and Logseq and use an index like you described but each back link is still all connected ideas for the theme of articles that I write and not random ideas. It’s the same index page or MOC I use for Obsidian so that when I grab my ideas I can go straight to writing the outline into an article. The beauty is that both Logseq and Athens research us like roam in the type is program but is like Obsidian where notes are being stored into your local drive.
I was looking for a way to organise my life and thoughts. Scattered as they are I know there's value there. I tried a notion for a week, but I ended up just making files and never fleshing them out. Also it did way too much for my needs. I came across Obsidian and immediately I was impressed... I have found my home
I agree that more people might prefer the connector-writer style, although the only thing preventing me from switching to Obsidian is that it isn't cross-platform compatible. Most of the time when I feel like I need to write something down, I don't have a computer in front of me. I like that Roam is web-based, and it works on my phone. If I was sitting at a desktop computer all day, Obsidian would be the way to go. Edit: Obsidian now has a mobile app, so disregard this comment. Obsidian is the way to go.
Same for me. I write a lot on my phone and on the tablet, and my only computer time is on my desktop, at home, not mobile at all. Sure, sure, you can sync your Obsidian vault and open your files on some markdown editor, but then you're not really using Obsidian, you're just writing plain text. The fact that I can be reading a book and just open Roam on my phone and make a literature note linking to other notes and using block references with no extra friction is really keystone.
On your computer, use dropbox or gdrive drives to create Obsidian vaults. Then you can use apps like IAwriter on your mobile phones to connect to same drive. You can create new notes from anywhere and everything will be synced.
Done a LOT of "comparison shopping" between these tools, this video is the FIRST time I've seen a logical exposition that clicked with me. Most of the other material out there is just "fluff stuff". Thanks for the video, subscribed!
yes you have to connect everything but thats why i use roam. its the way our brain works - connections. when u force yourself to connect everything u become aware of the bigger picture seeing that everything is connected in a way. it makes u a better thinker.
What you said here really resonates with me! I find that many tools nowadays encourage the ease of use when it comes to "collecting", but what I really need is the tools that make it easier to create. I'm an illustrator and I use obsidian to connect and develop ideas for my art projects. I've only been using obsidian for a month or so but I'm really happy with it largely because of your MOC system. It's perfect for what I need it for. It seems that I made a good choice not to go with Roam because it sounds like it wouldn't have suited. To be honest, the choice was also pretty easy to make because obsidian is also conveniently free.
I think your idea of how tools shape our behavior is spot on - Evernote encourages hoarding, which is what I discovered. In Evernote, I never linked ideas very well using note links - and there was no way of visualizing the links. The linking of ideas is important, but the writing is crucial to organize your thoughts and develop these links into actionable items. I agree that Obsidian encourages writing behavior and combing it with the idea/topic linking. For me, it is the best fit. Thanks for a great video discussing the different roles of each application.
Really like this explanation. I fully agree there were 3 reasons I left Roam and moved to Obsidian 1. The cult. ". The lack of privacy for personal reflection and deep therapeutic work 3. How you explained the concept of connector writer (thank you for giving form to this)
Thank you for bringing up point 2...I tend to write in a private way and privacy is probably even more important to me than I think it is. And it means a lot that "connector-writer" made an impact for you!
This was really helpful. I have been a Roam user for the past 5 months or so, but was starting to bump into issues with managing and making sense of my ever growing body of notes - not to mention concerns about security and access. You explanation helped me see why I was having some issues with Roam - namely that I like to write - a lot - which can be a little tricky when everything is in the shape of a list. I was constantly having to choose between full paragraphs and chopping things up into more discrete ideas in billeted lists. I am just starting to tinker with Obsidian so I will see how it goes. I do find it has bit of a steeper learning curve, but I absolutely love that it is local and all mine.
Interesting. You're at a good juncture to reassess and test out other options then. PKM works on longer stretches of time, so it's difficult to know if you're barking up the wrong tree until months later sometimes
For now, the LYT Kit Webinar vidoes are the best resource. I'm editing them now and those walkthough videos will be available at www.linkingyourthinking.com/lyt-kit in ≈4 days.
Exactly! It is easy to fall in love with creating complex structures for linked notes. But the key test is... does it help you create and write? Renmnote, Roam, etc. don't. There's nothing like the Obsidian's graph, combined with search and peaking content of notes when it is time to connect thoughts and actually produce stuff. However, Obsidian NEEDS TO IMPROVE the UX of working with bullets. Roam and Remnote are much better in this. (And Remnote, with PDFs, kicks ass).
How about Remnote? I think for researcher, writer and PhD students, obsidian is a must, for a grad/undergrad students Remnote is best suited which has built in Anki/Roam/Notion capability.
Remnote is a fine tool. Try tiny tests with both Remnote and Obsidian. The use cases you are describing don’t need different tools, so the goal is to choose one. Experiment. See what works well for you.
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🚀 Want to build a custom PKM System? Join the Linking Your Thinking Workshop starting on February 8th, 2022.. Click the link below and join the waitlist today.
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These ideas oddly make sense. I'm a little reluctant to quit Obsidian for Dendron, a PKM plugin for Visual Studio Code, built by web developers for web developers. I think it's a tool that prioritizes lists rather than writing. How would you categorize Dendron, the new kid in town? Looking forward to hear your take.
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I read that Nietzsche bought a type writer because his vision was failing. After he learned to touch type, his writing style became terse and tight. He commented that “our writing equipment takes part in the forming of our thoughts.” I think this is so true!
What a great anecdote you've shared, thank you Sin-tshong! Very powerful example of that
Did you read this on the Last Psychiatrist's blog?
@@kwd0808 No, I read it in Nicholas Carr's article _Is Google Making Us Stupid?_
Awesome
Probably more to do with the form factor of the elementary machine than anything else www.malling-hansen.org/friedrich-nietzsche-and-his-typewriter-a-malling-hansen-writing-ball.html
This video really resonated with me! I tried to make Notion work as a PKM tool but I found it to be constraining and barely wrote anything. Just tried Obsidian these past several days and I'm already writing a lot. And yeah, the steep pricetag of Roam is a big turn off. Also, your videos are so well produced and calming! Keep it up!
Thanks Adinda! Yeah, Notion is the next Evernote, which depending on your perspective, isn't really a good thing. It can do everything "okay" and nothing "great"-except for as a team-centric knowledge base...it's really good for that. But not for the effortless writing and connecting of ideas.
yeah notion works great for me as a database tool for organizing my uni-workflow but not personal notes - I am trying out obsidian at the moment - writing is clearly the centre of all your work and considering PKM it is great!
I just want to point out: You mention developing countries can use Obsidian "all they need is an internet connection". Being an offline app, they don't even really need consistently. Just to get the app in the first place (obviously) and for updates.
Great video, by the way!
Super valid point Gordon Pedersen!!
hey man where did you get this profile pic from and can i get it as an image as well
@@lifeofamol There used to be a custom avatar creator for Tiny Tower, but I can't seem to find it anymore. I did find this site which has a photoshop template of the same art style: brandontreb.com/pixel-art-character-tutorial-creating-and-customizing-a-bitizen
To create mine, I took an image from the avatar creator (or, this photoshop template, I guess) and customized features myself.
@@death_au wow man thanks so much!
I'm in the developing country, cannot afford roam but there is a logseq
You articulated so many feelings I had struggled to articulate. My biggest gripe was that I am taking notes to write, and so much of my Roam notes were not writing friendly. The fact that you noted Ulysses and Bear shows you really understand the influence of UX in a writing tool. Fantastic video!
Thanks for the pointed comment. UX is sooo important
Never really thought about how much the tools shape me. Thank you for highlighting that fact. Great, well thought video.
You bet James, appreciate your kind words!
Severely underrated video. Thank for you this
Thanks for taking the time to write this, Michael!
Very well articulated video, thank you! I also have the feeling that we are entering in a new "renaissance" time, where more and more people feel the urge to get into the almost forgotten art of thinking by themselves. I can see the Yin/Yang principle in action here: Simply thinking other's people thoughts (or not thinking at all) going down and thinking our own thoughts (on top of other's people thoughts) going up. TAKING Notes going down and MAKING Notes going up. Siloed thinking going down and linked thinking going up. It's just the beginning and I hope that we get to the point of no return on the above mentioned changes. Last but not least, you are the right person at the right time to help with this "revolution". Please keep fighting the good fight!
Wow thanks as always for your insightful and enriching commentary Luiz! Did you see I gave you a shoutout in the video? :)
Thanks for the shoutout Nick! Really appreciate it. Btw, your LYT Kit rocks!! I downloaded and started to play with it, to use it as a reference to start building my own Zettelkasten. I'm at the very beginning of the process but I'm finding the journey very enjoyable and rewarding. Looking forward to see the results in a couple of years!!
This makes my brain tingle so hard! I wondered why I loved studying philosophy so much, why it made my brain feel like it was on fire, and now I'm like "DUH, I'm a Connecter Writer!" Writing *is* thinking! Just downloaded Obsidian and am feeling very stoked. Thank you for making these videos!
wow, I accidentally found that your videos perfect for listening like a podcast. I really enjoy your brilliant critical thinking!
A very accurate view point to the tools we use.
Definitely a collector, and yes, my Evernote became so huge that I just scrubbed it in the end. But now I'm noticing the same thing with my RUclips "watch later" playlist, sitting at 1,700 videos, and my read later bookmarks are over 50. It may be a symptom of my personality, but anytime I come back to learning about this subject, I am inspired to write more. It's just keeping up the motivation to stick to one thing. Sometimes these systems seem to have the answer, but only the person using the system will end up making something... Thanks for the video and it gave me an interesting way to see where my issue may lay. Keep it up man!
The writing vs collecting thing is so true! I used to always just copy stuff from the school textbooks into my obsidian notes and maybe change a few words here or there, it didn't really help me remember the content at all. Now, thanks to this video, I read a paragraph, try and process it, and then explain it in my own words. It's so much better for remembering the content and makes the notes much easier to understand when I go back to read them. Thank you!
Thank you, this video helped me understand why I can't get into Obsidian. I want outlines! Really enjoying your videos and I've learned a lot out PKN, TY!
Thanks for your intro.
You really clarify all the tools' weakness and advantages!
感謝你的介紹!
你真的把些工具的優缺都講明了!
thank you!
This is one of the best and well-structured videos I have ever watched on RUclips. This video alone has proved your point about the power of Obsidian and how it can help you shape your thinking. Thanks a lot. I always wondered why I use Roam on and off, never sticking to it. Now I know the answer. I am completely switching to Obsidian. I am really impressed by the way you have made this video.
Wow, thank you! I guess you're right: "the proof is in the pudding" and this video is a form of that proof. (I can't wait to share a similarly structured video on Time Value something in early January!)
Revelation! I've been stuck on onenote and notion for the longest of time. I never realize that I maybe a connector writer. I honestly passed up obsidian the first I heard of it because I just taught it was another glorified text editor. Never realized the importance of linking notes together. Before I saw this, I just take notes, then forget about it. I guess that's what OneNote shaped me to be. I especially liked your bloated statement. Upon reexamining my OneNote notebook, it had bloated to a massive 1Gb size!!! I never really noticed it before. Thank you for the wake up call.
I may keep notion just for the sake of archiving and the better organizational tools (the database features is an addiction that I can never really shake off) but I'm definitely going to take Obsidian more seriously now. And who knows, once i am more fluent in the learning curve, I maybe able to use Obsidian fully. As of this writing, I never really have a knowledge base, just a collection of notes. Time to do some work. It would be a bit of a learning curve, but I think it might be worth it.
Thanks for the share; I'm with you in feeling you're revelation and excitement. You got this!
I'm so glad you made this video! I'm currently an undergraduate. Just like Arthur Schopenhauer said learned persons can read themselves stupid, I sometimes feel I've studied myself stupid (especially during finals week).
I started using Obsidian a few months ago, and for some reason, I've found myself writing more than ever before. I've been rewriting my notes from previous classes in my own words, connecting concepts across different classes. The thing is, I never even liked the idea of writing before! For the first time, I feel like I'm in control of my own thinking-so thank you. Your thoughtful videos have helped me tremendously!
Love hearing this Kevin. Please email me sometime to keep me updated on your progress. I'm curious how it's going: support@linkingyourthinking.com
Man , your comment is one of the best and most enriching I've come across in quite some time.... 🙂
I tried Roam once for a short time, and although I liked the concept at first, it quickly became burdensome to write on it and link concepts. I am just starting using Obsidian and it feels completely different, writing feels more natural and the end product has a better aesthetic, and linking ideas is fun rather than a chore. The fact that everything I do with Obsidian is in my local machine and will always be available makes it feel that you are not actually wasting your time on something that could disappear someday, and I can stay away from my browser and other distractions while studying.
Good video
Very good points Diego. Thanks for sharing your perspective.
Thank you so much for this video, I'm sold on Obsidian now
This was an unexpectedly helpful review. Thank you for producing it.
This is a valuable insight into these two platforms.
Thank you!
Best review I’ve heard yet!
Wow. I watch every second of this video. Thanks for pointing that out, I am havin problems with Roam for almost months and thinking about moving out, just as you said
Thanks for your videos! I was looking for apps to write school notes and my novels. Ive been exploring multiple note-taking apps and novel writing softwares but none were right for me. It just didn't feel right with me and I can't pinpoint the reason. Watching your video made me realize it's because I want a way to connect my ideas with writing. The powerful linking feature of obsidian is just what I needed.
I'm finally convinced Obsidian is for me. These days I'm identifying and organizing my workflow. I'm going to use Obsidian to both write my novel and make a story bible for it. Ill probably just use Notion for aesthetic wikis. Thanks for your videos and keep making great content!
Happy to hear this was informative!
Love your premise! Well done.
EXCELLENT! I use Roam for work, which requires the daily log, connecting people, info and notes that I take on the job and it's excellent for that. But in my personal life I am indeed a "Connector Writer" and Roam has not worked for that. So I go back to Evernote... .which is a mess (especially since the Evernote company infamously messes up their own application, ad infinitum). Now I understand the value of Obisidian for my writing for my blog and podcast. This video really helped clear up the varied purposes that I have with different note taking apps and will seriously consider Obsidian for what you recommend. Thank you!
Amazing video. Hope you will make one for Taskade one day around outlining + GTD / tasks! :)
Maybe far down the road :)
Thank you so much for creating this video and putting words to so many of the problems I have face teh last two years as a Roam User. I've made it work for me, but it hasn't been frictionless. I can't help but feel this fear that so much gold of ideas I've captured in my daily notes untagged will ever be surfaced again.
Today is that day I want to start experimenting with Obsidian to write and create and connect :)
How did it go?
Wow, what a video. You have a gift for talking about these ideas. I commented the other day, your aside about database thinking in Roam was revelatory for me because I couldn't quite see why it was suiting my professional work so well, and my personal work so poorly -- It's because one rewards the short, bulleted take so much better. I think your insights play out across a lot of the material that's currently available even on RUclips. Roam has so many proponents who like to track personal data on a daily basis and other metadata type tasks. Great thoughts will show through any tool, but why not make it easier for your personality, as you say. Keep it coming!
Glad to hear this Guthrie. Trying to find those invisible lines, those fundamental contours...
You're a great speaker!
Excellent content. Thank you for your careful and detailed analysis.
Just getting started with Obsidian.
I am a technical writer, and researcher, and I am so convinced Obsidian is the best 2nd brain note taking tool for me. Also, I am familiar with markdown.
Not sure if I will give up Notion, but I am certain I will dive fairly deep into Obsidian.
Great video, I found that with Roam you can create notes but they will be scattered with no logic and they might stay in Roam’s database for ever. But with Obsidian, I write notes that are scattered at the beginning but with time they develop to a published work since the app relies on page-base layout. I like your thesis too, as cities are built by humans, they later shape their behavior. You expand that to the digital world : )
Excellent commentary!! Love the city/human analogy
Thank you. You are a master at sorting out the subtleties that make all the difference.
In the video there are 4 ways to conceive a note-taking app, and basically is said that obsidian count with the best two: writers and idea connectors. But if you include some plug ins or platforms like readwise, you can make obsidian be also a way to collect and sort information, wich leaves us with obsidian being the most complete app, because you CAN do basically whatever you what.
But as Nick said, the fact that you can do something doesn't mean that you have to do it.
Vow, I get to know a lot about the PKM world , thanks to your videos!
I was amazed at your clarity of mind about what these tools are and what they do. This video was mind-expanding. Thank you!
You sold me. Great video
Great insights. Thank you.
(I subscribed too 👍)
Welcome aboard!
I definitely read myself stupid during my formal education. I knew it didn't feel right, but I thought that was because I hadn't read enough. I didn't know there was a better way. Thanks so much for this video :)
Thanks for sharing!
I've been a Roam user for a year but have just begun the switch to Obsidian due to Roam knowledge graph-based limitations. This video eased some of my trepidations around making the switch! Thank you!
I use obsidian and connect the ideas by sorting them into aspects in life e.g. communication , self reflects and thinking model . Sorting each sub aspect with question like what to do when we have negative feeling towards things that happened or etc and link to the page with steps and solution for this . This works like my brain, when i encounter a problem, i can quickly go through the obsidian in my brain and get a solution . The thinking flow is more sorted and easier .
Sounds great. You like some aspects of "top-down thinking" to organize your thoughts (me too)
I gave up after a few weeks with ROAM just because of the day by day list focus. I don't want to put my todo and done lists into this thing, they just live outside it. Especially I have a lot of material and I wanted to organize it and start to link items. Obsidian seems perfect for me.
I was about to close the video and then heard you say roam users reluctantly flirting with the idea of using obsidian - damn!
I have been a user of roam for about 8 months. I have been working on my personal growth for a few years now and started using roam to collect all the ideas I have learnt and articulated. But eventually I was struggling to understand how to actually become one of those power users that I see so regularly being mentioned in roam twitter community - as they looked like doing something that was making the tool more useful.
But the concept of connected writer has struck with me, I still don't know what it means for me. But the idea of these tools shaping my behavior and needs is suddenly a huge deal - I never looked at these tools that way.
I cant sleep now, until I figure this out.
Fuck.. *mindblown* such a big punishment for surfing internet while I should have been studying.
The best video on this topic.
Thank you!
Hey man this was really helpful! I was struggling in figure out which app was the best for me and you put things in a very clear way. Thanks a lot!
Just ideas, your mileage may vary
Thank you, it was very helpful! specially the "4 ways this tools are shaping our behavior" section, I enjoy it
I'll be using Obsidian for writing and leave the outlining to my brain. Thanks a lot for this video!
I love it!
Good stuff! I like the fact you’re not overhyping anything, and your video isn’t overproduced like most videos these days. Good points too.
I’m a Roam user but it made me want to try obsidian exactly because, despite using Roam for 2 years now, I still constantly have that feeling there is something off with it I can’t pinpoint yet.
I appreciate the way you've put this, and I do see your point, for the most part.
I don't agree with a few angles.
It is certainly true that Roam is expensive, and new. It's especially pricey if you want to run from local data (but possible).
That said, I can't help but note:
1. You use the term 'databaser' - a non-existent word - to describe people who use Roam. That just seems like framing, it's an ugly term and the term 'database' for most non-technical people conjures to mind things which are really quite the opposite of Roam.
2. You refer to mystical properties of the sort of writing you do with Obsidian - it's unclear to me after watching why that should be true or what it is that you mean. Hemmingway has specific features to help with writerly things. It's unclear that Obsidian is special in this way, other than by nature of its 'document' limitation.
3. To me your presentation suggests that organization and interrelation of ideas in Roam is mroe to do with "other people's ideas". I certainly find that when bringing together a body of thought of my own - especially on design.. based upon volumes of original ideas, examples, etc.. that I need somewhere to linearize these thoughts, so they can be shared with other people. Roam is great for that. I don't find that Roam limits my vocabuilary or writing style.
On the other hand..
a. I can see that many people are tempted to try to gather the whole world into a file/app - that is obviously a bad idea. The reality is that the world of knowledge is vast and connected.. recording even most ideas you use in your thinking is a distraction. That problem exists with Roam or Evernote certainly (and a reason I stopped using this type of tool a decade ago).
b. It is possible for people to devote far too much time to interlinking information. But I don't see that particular problem being caused by Roam. Any large body of ideas needs only a relatively small number of connections. The more associations you already have, the easier and simpler it is to connect in a new idea. Many people are not used to this and they may struggle with Roam. if anything, Roam is very lightweight when it comes to throwng attributes at it - other platforms tend to 'make a meal' of attributes by expecting every attribute to be declared. I don't find I need to declare anything in advance.
So I definitely agree with the concept of "Tools Shaping Us". (and it's one of the reasons I avoid macros and plugins)
Personally I find the building block of 'Simple Text Documents' the biggest frustration with tools that have Edit / Preview modes, like Obsidian. One ends up either with sparse sets of one liner documents OR more complex definitions are intertwined and can't easily be separated. Frequently key concepts end up with no consistent canonical description, because the effort involved in splitting documents becomes too great to sustain.
I am glad you love Obsidian, but I have been looking for something like Roam for many years.
For work on Solution Design, Concepts and tightly Consistent works - things which nevertheless require a lot of consistency, it seems perfect to me.
It also seems pretty suitable for RPG-style writing, or Rules.
If I were writing poetry.. well.. then I might use Obsidian.. or stick with pen and paper, as I find machines soulless.
As to Twitter.. I type straight into the blue bird for that.
I like your style and definitely appreciate the thoughtful video.
Thanks for taking the time to provide your thoughts and insights; they are well-received!
You have almost persuaded me that Obsidian is the right tool for me and I believe in open-source software (and plain text - therefore not being locked in) being the future. However after becoming accustomed to using online tools like Google Docs / Notion where I can login and work anywhere on any platform (including mobile) I'm not sure I can go back to local only software. Especially as my work place (a hospital) doesn't allow software to be installed on it's computers
You can bring a small ipad around perhaps!
i haven't even tried any of these software yet so you could be making stuff up for me :D, but your passion and philosophy inspired me to try obsidian first
Thanks, SteNo! I hope you're finding Obsidian useful and these videos helpful.
This video is really well put together! Excellent work my friend!
It's structured, so articulated well. I liked the labelling of the various apps into their nuanced utilization.
Thanks taking the time to share, Benjamin! Really glad you found this helpful.
This video nailed 3 questions on use i was having on the differences of the software and witch to choose from.Thank you
I agree with you Nick.
‘Connector writer’ is a great description of the Obsidian use case. A huge plus is the amazing library of plugins to expand the app based on your own needs, while keeping the base app and performance streamlined.
Really help a lot!
I just learned about Notion yesterday after making yet another attempt to organize. Started looking into it when this video popped up. Among the three, I'm willing to give Obsidian more effort and attention, since it's free for personal use. Looking forward to learning more about it through your YT channel. Thanks!
Wonderful video! Really good ideas about how our tools mold us tunneling our activity patterns.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Nice video! I appreciate the thoughtful way you laid it all out. Definitely learned some things and you gave this Evernoter of 10 years a lot to think about.
Glad it was thought-provoking!
💜 Obsidian
I'm a collector, writer, and connector.
Ahh, thanks for sharing
Obsidian is a game changer. And you are a true revolutionary!
Keep it up.
Thank you again!
Your videos are so calming and come at the perfect times! Love the content, man. I second a comment below and also would love to see your workflow process as you come across a new idea and how obsidian helps flesh that out!
Will eventually get to something like that. We explore it in depth in the 6-week workshop.
Thank you.
You really, really get it. Thanks for putting it into words.
Thank you!!
Very true.
Obsidian not perfect but my favorite knowledge processing/linking tool. I like to structure my thoughts in it, breaking information down into more useable pieces, stripping away the unnecessary, beautifying it etc.
the longer I’m involved in improving the information, the more memorable it becomes and thus, the better the tool, is my experience so far.
Obsidian with your css template and Notion are my fave discoveries in 2020 so far.
Thanks for the share. I agree with getting repetitions!
I am glad I found your work. Starting my journey on Obsidian, can't wait to link and write. You are continuously inspiring me how to "Think like a man of action, act [write] like a man of thought." - Henri Bergson. Thank you for the great work!!!
My journey started with Notion (which I kept for collaborative work and planning) and I went to Obsidian, then Roam. I stayed with Roam for about 4 months and ended up coming back to Obsidian. My experience was this.
Roam is just easier to use. The learning curve is smaller and the ability to automatically link at a block level is fantastic, this truly encourages moments of serendipity where ideas accidentally end up linking together. You can essentially make every point an atomic link and these will organically find one another over time. With Obsidian you have to be more purposeful with how you link and you have to work on this connection between ideas.
That said Roam is very expensive for someone like me who isn’t using it professionally and I also lost data permanently -which I just couldn’t abide. Those two major points are what made me come back to Obsidian. If Roam allowed local data storage and dropped their price by about 50% I’d likely go back, for me Roam has the superior design.
That makes sense. It's a great app
@@linkingyourthinking All that said, the block referencing update is really upping the Obsidian game for me. I am excited to see where this journey goes! :)
They allow local graphs.
Maybe Logseq is the right tool for you...
An excellent persuasive argument well presented. Thanks!
Thank you kindly!
Excellent video. Thanks for putting this up. I'm checking out Obsidian.
Super helpful breakdown, thank you! Now I know Obsidian is the app I want to look into for myself.
The monitor with the graph in the background looks very awesome.
Thanks Moritz!
Your insights really made me think and reassess my notetaking tools and practices. I found your channel through this video. Can't wait to check out your other videos. Many thanks for all this.
Wonderful! I like hearing people share that it's getting them to question things
Liked and subscribed. I just found about Roam and Obsidian just yesterday and I was doubting which one to go for.
Your awesome in-depth video helped me clear up my doubts.
I'm going right to your Obsidian series, to learn about this wonderful software.
Thank you heaps!
:)
Revisiting this three years later: even more prescient.
A lot of this video can be applied to RemNote vs Obsidian, too. Though RemNote has folders and tags. Coming from Remnote, migrating to Obsidian I find it hard to decide what to put into a new file and what to put just in a new section. In RemNote, I never had to make this decision because of it's "everything is a Rem" concept that I really love I'm still migrating because as it was said in the video, Obsidian is future proof.
throwing the Cassandra right there is awesome
Glad you noticed!
Just discovered that Obsidian now has an outliner plugin!!!!!
But honestly I use Athens research and Logseq and use an index like you described but each back link is still all connected ideas for the theme of articles that I write and not random ideas. It’s the same index page or MOC I use for Obsidian so that when I grab my ideas I can go straight to writing the outline into an article.
The beauty is that both Logseq and Athens research us like roam in the type is program but is like Obsidian where notes are being stored into your local drive.
Interesting...
@@linkingyourthinking here is the link to that video: ruclips.net/video/iRydNlinRlc/видео.html
Excellent presentation of a useful tool! Thank you.
I was looking for a way to organise my life and thoughts. Scattered as they are I know there's value there. I tried a notion for a week, but I ended up just making files and never fleshing them out. Also it did way too much for my needs. I came across Obsidian and immediately I was impressed... I have found my home
This video is straight 🔥🔥🔥. Well done on the video and I just locked down my early bird pricing on Obsidian Sync and Publish.
I agree that more people might prefer the connector-writer style, although the only thing preventing me from switching to Obsidian is that it isn't cross-platform compatible. Most of the time when I feel like I need to write something down, I don't have a computer in front of me. I like that Roam is web-based, and it works on my phone. If I was sitting at a desktop computer all day, Obsidian would be the way to go.
Edit: Obsidian now has a mobile app, so disregard this comment. Obsidian is the way to go.
Same for me. I write a lot on my phone and on the tablet, and my only computer time is on my desktop, at home, not mobile at all. Sure, sure, you can sync your Obsidian vault and open your files on some markdown editor, but then you're not really using Obsidian, you're just writing plain text. The fact that I can be reading a book and just open Roam on my phone and make a literature note linking to other notes and using block references with no extra friction is really keystone.
On your computer, use dropbox or gdrive drives to create Obsidian vaults. Then you can use apps like IAwriter on your mobile phones to connect to same drive. You can create new notes from anywhere and everything will be synced.
Good points Adrian, thanks for sharing
Done a LOT of "comparison shopping" between these tools, this video is the FIRST time I've seen a logical exposition that clicked with me. Most of the other material out there is just "fluff stuff". Thanks for the video, subscribed!
Enthusiasm may be heavy, but it's a fluff-free zone around these parts!
yes you have to connect everything but thats why i use roam. its the way our brain works - connections. when u force yourself to connect everything u become aware of the bigger picture seeing that everything is connected in a way. it makes u a better thinker.
Simply Great. THANKS!
Great vid. Nice connecting/writing insight.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I really love your video. Keep up the great work!
Nick was right
Even a broken clock is right from time to time.
Thank you! This is just in time to better consider some options.
omg. How can you articulate these things so well. I love Obsidian because it allows me to materialize my thinking in the most natural way for me.
What you said here really resonates with me! I find that many tools nowadays encourage the ease of use when it comes to "collecting", but what I really need is the tools that make it easier to create. I'm an illustrator and I use obsidian to connect and develop ideas for my art projects. I've only been using obsidian for a month or so but I'm really happy with it largely because of your MOC system. It's perfect for what I need it for. It seems that I made a good choice not to go with Roam because it sounds like it wouldn't have suited. To be honest, the choice was also pretty easy to make because obsidian is also conveniently free.
Thank you, I really enjoyed reading this. As always, it depends on why you want to take/make notes.
I think your idea of how tools shape our behavior is spot on - Evernote encourages hoarding, which is what I discovered. In Evernote, I never linked ideas very well using note links - and there was no way of visualizing the links. The linking of ideas is important, but the writing is crucial to organize your thoughts and develop these links into actionable items. I agree that Obsidian encourages writing behavior and combing it with the idea/topic linking. For me, it is the best fit. Thanks for a great video discussing the different roles of each application.
Thanks Douglas, I really appreciate you taking the time to articulate your thoughts and perspective
In Obsidian 0.9.5 or higher, in addition to linking to headings, you can now also link to blocks
Really like this explanation. I fully agree there were 3 reasons I left Roam and moved to Obsidian 1. The cult. ". The lack of privacy for personal reflection and deep therapeutic work 3. How you explained the concept of connector writer (thank you for giving form to this)
Thank you for bringing up point 2...I tend to write in a private way and privacy is probably even more important to me than I think it is. And it means a lot that "connector-writer" made an impact for you!
@@linkingyourthinking yes it did, helped understand myself more, thankyou.
awesome works done here !
This was really helpful. I have been a Roam user for the past 5 months or so, but was starting to bump into issues with managing and making sense of my ever growing body of notes - not to mention concerns about security and access. You explanation helped me see why I was having some issues with Roam - namely that I like to write - a lot - which can be a little tricky when everything is in the shape of a list. I was constantly having to choose between full paragraphs and chopping things up into more discrete ideas in billeted lists. I am just starting to tinker with Obsidian so I will see how it goes. I do find it has bit of a steeper learning curve, but I absolutely love that it is local and all mine.
Interesting. You're at a good juncture to reassess and test out other options then. PKM works on longer stretches of time, so it's difficult to know if you're barking up the wrong tree until months later sometimes
Great video outlining for the writers :)
Will there ever be a walkthrough of your Obsidian setup explaining things step by step?
For now, the LYT Kit Webinar vidoes are the best resource. I'm editing them now and those walkthough videos will be available at www.linkingyourthinking.com/lyt-kit in ≈4 days.
Wonderful presentation.
Thank you! Cheers!
Exactly! It is easy to fall in love with creating complex structures for linked notes. But the key test is... does it help you create and write? Renmnote, Roam, etc. don't. There's nothing like the Obsidian's graph, combined with search and peaking content of notes when it is time to connect thoughts and actually produce stuff. However, Obsidian NEEDS TO IMPROVE the UX of working with bullets. Roam and Remnote are much better in this. (And Remnote, with PDFs, kicks ass).
Agree with your assessment
How about Remnote? I think for researcher, writer and PhD students, obsidian is a must, for a grad/undergrad students Remnote is best suited which has built in Anki/Roam/Notion capability.
Remnote is a fine tool. Try tiny tests with both Remnote and Obsidian. The use cases you are describing don’t need different tools, so the goal is to choose one. Experiment. See what works well for you.