Curating your knowledge
This is a short primer on curating the knowledge we gain, the thoughts that we have or the information we accumulate on a daily basis.
Notes
Use notes for anything simple, something you can comprehend in a single glance.
There isn't much I have to add here except suggest that you use Google Keep and get done with it.
It let's you search (including text within images), make nested lists, doodle, take voice notes (with automatic transliteration), take pictures, set reminders, collaborate with others
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Use Joplin for anything more elaborate.
Mind maps
Mind mapping is a very powerful technique to express something complex and visualize the various relationships and dependencies among its parts in a very intuitive manner.
Use mind maps for anything which would not fit in a single note.
I would highly recommend Mindly. It is easy to use, values your privacy and has no distractions which is very important for a mind mapping tool.
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Use Whimsical if you prefer something which has a web version.
Links
The thing about links is that they can suddenly stop working one fine day.
Browser bookmarks are cool for maintaining a simple reading list but unacceptable for anything you need to keep safe for the long term.
Pinboard is a great social bookmarking service that does it's job really well. It is privacy-focused, fast, uncluttered and has a great archiving add-on.
It gives you relevant stats about your collection like tag counts, broken links, etc.
It also let's you save notes and mark links as to read which you can use instead of browser bookmarks so that you keep all your links in one place.
Tips
- If possible, read things right away. Imbibe the knowledge and convert into a note. Bookmark only if you don't have the time to read.
- Cap the number of things which can enter your to read list
- Firefox has a great reading mode which lets you read distraction-free
Note
None of these services are free. I would recommend paying for your services, so that you don’t become the product.