Replies

@JoeBuhlig @JWellsCFO This is fair, and something I’m actively concerned about. But I’ve only just started and I want to track the “coming out” part as time goes on.

Ideally, Roam becomes my own personal Google before an actual Google search. But we’ll see.

@joshuaginter @JWellsCFO Would love to see this part of your system over time. I do something similar with searching but it’s with plain text files on local folders.

@JoeBuhlig @joshuaginter Short term vs. long term. More work now building in backlinks to make connecting ideas easier in the future. Or a big waste of time feeling like you're actually doing work when you're not. Could go either way.

@JWellsCFO @joshuaginter I think that’s part of my concern. That this is another Evernote situation with the Collector’s Fallacy. A lot going in, with very little (or nothing) coming out.

@JoeBuhlig @joshuaginter This is what every productivity nerd (I use this term lovingly; I’m one too) does: you’re trying to make the tool fit your workflow, but Roam/Zettlekasten seek to disrupt the workflow. If it doesn’t work for you, move on.

@JWellsCFO @joshuaginter Can’t say I’m trying to make it fit. I’m trying to understand how others are using it. The more I learn about it, the less I want to use it. It seems to complicate simple workflows. Thus, my questioning.

@JoeBuhlig @joshuaginter If they’re little bits, Josh’s point about formatting shouldn’t be a deal breaker.

@JWellsCFO @joshuaginter I think I come at this very different. When I have a bit of info to go into an article, I put it in an article in a raw text file that I access from a few different tools. The concept of splitting them out and then attempting to reconnect with links is a lot of work.

@JoeBuhlig @joshuaginter You don’t write directly from your permanent notes. Lumahnn didn’t! (His were physical notecards.)

The permanent notes inspire writing.

Roam excels at capturing, organizing, and connecting notes. I’m not sure why you’d want to export any of that anywhere.

@JWellsCFO @joshuaginter That’s a solid point. Wouldn’t it make sense to copy the little bits into a formal writing tool, though

@JoeBuhlig If there is one thing Roam is not good for, it’s writing in. It even has version control! But what it exports is garbage and it doesn’t work well with any other Markdown program I’ve found.

@joshuaginter One of the aspects of a Zettelkasten that most refer to is the ability to increase the output of writing pieces. If writing is something Roam isn’t good for, is it not serving its purpose?

Or is it one of those that accidentally fills an unintentional void?

@JoeBuhlig Yes. Yes. And… yes.

I actually mean everything.

So that includes screenshots, mind maps created in Muse and saved as a PDF, quotes, articles (entire articles, or just links), photographs, book notes, ideas, lists, emails.

I’ve been trying to save… everything.

@joshuaginter Dude! You’re not messing around.

The bulk of those I keep as raw files in local directories. Maybe that’s why I struggle to find a use case for it.

Photographs? As opposed to Apple Photos?

@JoeBuhlig I have not yet written about my personal knowledge management setup, but I approach my Roam as though it’s a garden:

Everything I find interesting goes into Roam in some shape or form and then I search inside if I’m looking for something I know I read at some point.

@joshuaginter “Everything I find interesting”

What is this? Book notes? Ideas? Gifts? I keep a lot of that sort of thing in a notebook.

I ask because I have a hard time translating it.

Awesome to see Roam rank so high.

I use Roam all day, every day, for personal knowledge management and for CRM purposes at the office.

I've said this a thousand times.

Is it clear I love Roam? https://twitter.com/thesweetsetup/status/1316757561404727296

@joshuaginter Do you have all your use cases documented somewhere? I explored it yesterday and couldn’t figure out what I would use it for.

next