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Open challenge for a live "notes tool utilization" contest. I'll represent

, someone can represent

Audience chooses a topic we agree on, then we have 30 minutes to put together the best outline possible on the topic using only our tool.

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Robert Haisfield

@RobertHaisfield

Apr 7, 2020

@andy_matuschak

representing yourself and whatever it is you're using :)

Andy Matuschak

@andy_matuschak

Apr 7, 2020

Sorry: mu. I'm not interested in using my notes this way. This fitness function isn't uncorrelated with my goals, but it's a poor basis vector. I really don't identify with the goals of almost anyone who writes about notes. More and more I feel I need to abandon the term "note."

Replying to

(This sounds a touch uncharitable, but please interpret it charitably) The most common goal for note systems (particularly e.g. BASB) seems to be "I want to be able to rapidly write a short Medium essay from excerpts and jottings." That's fine! It's not my goal.

7:14 PM · Apr 7, 2020Twitter Web App

Replying to

What would you say the goal of your notes and writing is? I could also see more interesting competitions based on learning in a somewhat extended period of time, producing something of true quality, rather than in a rush.

Replying to

I totally get that argument, I think it only applies though if you're mainly collecting other peoples ideas vs. making your own ideas more navigable.

Robert Haisfield

@RobertHaisfield

Apr 7, 2020

Interesting. I was wondering why your system felt a little different to me- most of what I put into my Roam is about the navigability of my own ideas and thinking.

Replying to

My goal is: "I want to produce novel, powerful ideas." A computer-supported thinking system is helpful insofar as it supports that. But it's hard to evaluate those systems empirically because such ideas are rare. People who blog about note-taking systems don't produce them.

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Andy Matuschak

@andy_matuschak

Apr 7, 2020

That's a notch too strong a generalization as stated. But only a notch. I don't think it's an accident that Luhmann wrote "Communicating with slip boxes" near the end of his career.

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Replying to

The JIT principle underlies a lot of the philosophy of notetaking of BASB (

@fortelabs

) I think, where the processing of information happens on a “needed for content” basis, which is why ~everything is saved, since low cost of storage and search gives it potential for later