Obsidian: The Most Powerful Learning Technology in History?

[@maddoxmb3170]

Odysseas has a great and simple Obsidian setup video, for anyone looking after this video.

[@chriswhitmire4167]

His vid is great! I highly recommend it!

[@Doomsdayparade]

Depending on what you're learning, don't be afraid to customize oddyseas setup to your needs. Like I made a note template specifically for programming so I could jam in code examples. And take notes from everything. It's really nice.

[@neckbro]

The best channel. Posting things that really help, not Python code for same projects nobody cares about anyway.

[@BodP4]

Obsidian works beautifully. However, work environments can restrict local file changes and there is no cloud-based version of Obsidian. Consider this if you think about using Obsidian profesionally.

[@godzilla47111]

I regard Obsidin as my Personal Knowledge Base, not my work knowledge base. So, I also take all my notes on my personaml notebook. Works for me. I can see that it will not work for everyone.

[@tan90]

obsidian sync? totally worth the few quid every month to keep all devices up to date.. sure there are some things to be careful with - no platform is ever perfect - we always adapt to the imperfections.. personally, i find Obsidian irreplaceable! I'm limited only by my own brain.. it's life changing

[@godzilla47111]

Obsidian can be used for things like journaling, knowledge bases, project management, and for organizing and developing ideas, or maintaining a digital Zettelkasten. This video gives an introduction how to use it as such to get you going with note taking in a Zettelkasten sense. All techniques presented in this video can be implemented in the free edition of Obsidian. Obsidian is not a text editor and this video is not about text editors.

[@YazBelinskiy]

Isn't it ironic that Nickolas Luhmann is primarily known for the Zettlekasten system rather than his contributions to the social theory...

[@veganfamilykitchen]

It's pretty common that methodology papers get cited a lot more than the findings that were generated through that methodology, the reason being that the methodology applies across a broad range of fields and sub-fields. It would be similar for this (except that Luhmann didn't write a whole lot about his method).

[@YazBelinskiy]

@@veganfamilykitchen Sure ,if the methodology in question is directly concerned with new knowledge production. e.g. new experiment design, new math / theoretical techniques. But Zettlekasten is not of that kind - it can be crudely summarised as "take notes, link them together". That might be more or less effective than other methods - we just don't have much evidence to decide either way.

[@weberb2781]

You may not know much about Luhmann’s academic achievements. If you have a PhD in Sociology or Legal Sociology, you'll not say such layman’s words.

[@YazBelinskiy]

@@weberb2781 My point exactly. If you need a PhD in an obscure field to see the impact of someone's work, then the work holds a rather narrow appeal, whereas Zettlekasten is quite widely known these days. If you want an example of academics whose work has impact well beyond the order of PhD holders then just take John Rawls, Noam Chomsky, Max Webber, heck even Heidegger. When those are mentioned it is first and foremost for their ideas, not how they took notes..

[@kurtmueller2089]

Because Social Theory itself is not exactly a "hard" science (in terms of rigour) and even within this science, Luhmann was not exactly mainstream either.

[@AndreAngelantoni]

Ideas are easy to generate. Success comes from execution.

[@the_flushjackson]

Having used many tools that have been otherwised personally abandoned: Emacs org mode, Notion, local wiki software, mindmap software, etc -- I'm entirely on the careful end of the spectrum when it comes to adopting a new tool to toss on the Jawa pile. I can see the potential power of Obsidian, but I can see it entirely failing like the local wiki software or any knowledge base. It would seem the most important thing is what boundaries you would put around such a system -- what goes into it, when do you consult it, so on and so forth.

[@patiakreles]

I have been using obsidian since march and it has fully replaced my brain 😂. I use a system for developing analysis projects. I love the fact that I just toss my learning into my "knowledge garden" and then if I need anything I will go and recycle. I never start a project if I don't have 70% of the concept already thought. It saves me so much time that I literally take 5 minutes to complete "projects" that could take others a full week because they don't have the data. I am starting to program a lot more and I document my thought process, I document the processes that need intervention and what I am lacking is connecting the notes with the backlinks, I was very invested into that, but I lost the habit. It is my favourite thing. I open my computer and I immediately open obsidian.

[@timbushell8640]

Great environment, brain replacement, not so much... all those commands to recall and use, if noting else... : ))))))

[@reinerheiner1148]

Whats your workflow? I have been using obsidian for more than a year and Inam nowhere near what you described

[@patiakreles]

@@reinerheiner1148 whenever I have a new task I will create a new note that goes into my "current projects". There I will start writing what I already know and I will link my previous notes that have something to do or I will copy paste from the previous notes. For example I prepared a document with changes in legislation, so when it is time to review legislation again I will take the entire note and put it in current projects. I use a to do list plugin that allows me to write a task in any note and consolidate in a big list. Everyday before starting I take a look at my to do list and change priorities of things. There, the list contains the link to all the notes, so I work by prioritizing. My folder with current projects gets cleaned about once a month, some things never get completed because priorities change, but if I did some research I will recycle it later if needed. My computer has the same folders, I have an open projects and a knowledge garden where I basically just toss everything into. I am extremely disorganized and I say it has replaced my brain because my ADHD is so bad that I could just forget where I put an entire project on my computer, if I saved it like "normal people", in a year, a topic, a month I would lose it forever. I read the book "building your second brain", I took notes in my obsidian and for a long time one of my projects was "build my second brain". It takes time and a little effort, but it was 100% worth it for me. I started this whole thing because I was having real issues with my memory, I had hypoglycemias during the night that I was unaware of that were affecting my cognition. I used my obsidian to track my symptoms, to consolidate my research and now I am better. I had to stop eating gluten and dairy and that became a project. Anything can become a note, but I try to make it part of something that I am working on. Give it context. Anyway, the power of taking notes resides on actually using them. I don't even now how many notes I have, but there aren't many, I just want to have my resources packed in one place. Do whatever suits you!!

[@Maadman.]

Shouldn't we pay money for syncing all devices?

[@patiakreles]

@@Maadman. I pay about 4 dollars to synch in every device, I work in education so I get a discount on the full price. I wasn't sure about paying, but I gave it a try, I loved it and it has become second nature to use. Best 4 usd/month

[@arbuz_kawon]

Obsidian is great, I have been using it daily for a few years at this point, and I can certainly say it feels like an extended part of my mind now

[@tomaszwnuk7096]

And how it looks when it comes to typing mathematical formulas? It's important for me. Edit: okay, it supports LaTeX

[@veganfamilykitchen]

I love Obsidian and I love your video style, super fun. Thanks!

[@ccikara]

This is a great video for beginners like me, I’ve been stalling using Obsidian because I thought it was so complex!! Thanks

[@ajithsdevadiga1603]

Although its a great digital notes taking app, with cool features I used. Still prefer to take handwritten notes. ✍🏼📝

[@storyler2696]

nooooo haha

[@v0.1-y1j]

I literally downloaded Obsidian yesterday and plan to use it for my masters. Perfect timing!

[@gouthamkrishnakumar5921]

me too , but i dont know how to use it for mathematics though , my area of masters. maybe i can combine previous video of python programmer on essays and probably do mathematics like old times when the symbolic language didnt come .

[@v0.1-y1j]

@@gouthamkrishnakumar5921 i also have no idea how to use it properly, i guess I’ll just use it as a notepad alternative because how minimalist it can be

[@_S_P_A_C_E_M_A_N_]

Take a look at the PDF++ plugin. It makes working with documents a million times easier.

[@lyrebird9749]

Fine if you want to keep all your ideas & notes on a computer / device. I doubt it can beat writing in notebooks. Easier to carry, easier to write in, easier to add drawings or diagrams.

[@HoraceMash]

Thank you so much: your brief and incisive how-to taught me (a user of Obsidian since Jan 2024) several really valuable things that I had no idea about. I have been using Obsidian live in meetings to capture and organise key points from collaborative discussions. What I haven’t been doing is using the tagging and linking aspects of it because they haven’t been of primary importance when capturing ideas live. I really appreciate the way that you write and present. Your clear and effective communication is a pleasure to watch and learn from.🎉

[@EmmaMoshood-qb8tt]

You know, sometimes I could subscribe a thousand times. I really love you videos because they are informative. Thanks bro keep it up!!!

[@timbushell8640]

There is the debate, note size; atomic or essay length. Both work, Obsidian can link to a whole note, or to within a location in the note. If making notes on a paper/book reading... initially perhaps, make that one 'large' note... And Zettle/Obsidian's hidden gems come from reviewing that note to make thinking and thoughts yours and refactor them into smaller more atomic notes... progressively link... 'they' never really finish. Then build 'an' output note for your content... a 'new' larger not. The built-in and community add-ons, give access to call outs, outlines, tables, database like properties, and the ability to publish your selected (output) files to the web... for others to read. 'Books' have been published via Obsidian as the medium of sharing...

[@WebmediArt]

What about Logseq? I think, beside it being open source, it is even superior in its base to Obsidian, no plugins needed.

[@immortaljanus]

I have a significant wiki depository for my fiction writing, thinking about transplanting it to Obsidian. Best part about it: it work on Windows, Linux, Mac, even on tablets. It will take a lot of work though.

[@kevinflick8274]

Great review! This tool is so powerful.

[@SciFiMangaGamesAnime]

The only problem I had with Obsidian is the fact that it doesn't work well if you are trying to use it in Linux (only in virtual machine environment? Haven't tried outside of VM). The canvas feature doesn't work properly and, apparently, its not an app's fault, so devs made no promises to fix it. Tried different distros, but no luck. Also, no portable version and if you want to keep your stuff private (in case someone get an access to your PC), you'd have to use something like VeraCrypt to protect your profile. Other than that, its a great software. Making personal database/diary is a very simple process. Thank you again!

[@AB-tl4er]

What exactly didn't work for you? I use it no problem on fedora with the AppImage

[@herdenq]

There is a portable version available for Android and iOS.

[@fog2]

On Linux (and for that sake on Mac also) I use Emacs (Doom Emacs) with org-roam. The same stuff as Obsidian, but also works with Dropbox (and syncs with iPhone). What is better in this solution, than Obsidian, IMO, is that it also includes task management (merged with calendars and reminders on iOS and macOS) and task clocking (time tracking).

[@SciFiMangaGamesAnime]

@@AB-tl4er Moving elements in the canvas, as well as changing their size and creating links between them. Everything else is fine.

[@SciFiMangaGamesAnime]

@@fog2 Org-roam looks curious, on the first glance at least, thank you!

[@crerarchristie3361]

Obsidian ~ a bit more technical than most apps to begin with, but once you get past that, it's such a rich and effective tool for building a PKB.

[@johanpretorius1428]

Like you say there are many apps but I think Obsidian is a great way to start building a personal knowledge base with linked ideas/topics and a little bit of structure. I started building my own pkb about 6 months ago after getting really tired of searching for information (or mybe knowledge) I know I had somewhere (word docs and PDF's are the worst for recording information, and trying to search through emails takes way too much time). Btw, if any one asks me about how I take notes and why I like using Markdown I can point them to this video!

[@aruncps]

0:33 stopped here... Wandered to Big Magic... Now awe-struck at "A brief for the defense" from Refusing Heaven!!! Thanks a lot for introducing "Big Magic"...

[@harshchauhan5514]

Ofcourse Obsidian video has mention of "how to take smart notes" and maybe there some vids that even have "para method" init too, no hate towards those system but the one that works for you is best for you!

[@Tennisbull-match-statistics]

It’s free, has an iPhone app, hundreds of plugins to extend functionality and a huge community 🤙

[@xtan-io]

And linux support unlike So called notion

[@Tennisbull-match-statistics]

Plus the data is stored in simple text files and not locked up in a database - that makes it future proof

[@captnoplan3926]

Can you paste images into obsidian documents (like you can in OneNote)?

[@cosmokramer7462]

yes you can

[@yormumahoe6469]

Also, there is OCR addon. So you can find text on images like in OneDrive

[@tajsec498]

for example if your image is big you can show it smaller in the obsidian e.g. if the screenshot is 750 pixel when you paste it into obsidian it would look blur, you can adjust it by typing the 80% size of imge which is 600px; ![[img.jpg|600]]

[@DisabilityAlmanac]

Emacs Org mode and Org-Roam... If "Emacs" didn't scare you off...Org mode can do many things besides just linking notes.

[@timbushell8640]

... as can Obsidian.

[@dangernoodle2868]

I really like that you're so passionate about this method, but this video seems a lot like a remake of the last one. I use obsidian myself in part because of your videos, but I kind of want "more" from this video. Like, everyone says that the zettlekasten method is so good, but what has it helped you to do that's beyond making videos? I was hoping that it would help me to engage with work more efficiently so that I could get promoted. That's unfortunately still a way away, and I have faith, but a part of me wonders of the promise will ever live up to the hype. For now I continue to use Obsidian because I have seen the ways how it makes my work more thoughtful and how it allows to engage more with other people. Perhaps for now that's enough to keep using it. Still, the promise is that this system becomes exponentially powerful over time and I want to know what's beyond that event horizon.

[@wburris2007]

I have 40 years worth of source code, will Obsidian help me organize it. Currently what I do is if I remember something interesting that I once did, I go searching for it, then have perplexity convert it to python.

[@mitchellsmith4601]

HyperCard basically did this forty years ago.

[@indyztech]

1: Clickbait title. 2: Longwinded intro, not getting to the point. 3: This video is an ad for a text editor. Boo.

[@timbushell8640]

text editor... ... not a mere text editor

[@murtadha96]

Not only that but it’s amazing how someone can supposedly read a book and come out with that shallow understanding of the technique discussed in it. It’s almost like he watched another KZbin video about it or read an AI summary.

[@Quantum_Nebula]

He did say it was neither perfect nor bad... it just fit the bill. The first two things you mentioned are accurate though.

[@dangernoodle2868]

Gtfo if you don’t like it

[@Quantum_Nebula]

@@dangernoodle2868 arguably, his criticism is more valuable to the creator than your response.

[@jimdelsol1941]

Right now i'm using Joplin to take notes, and i'm wondering if I should make the switch to obsidian. Is there a benefit ? Is there a way to do with Joplin what you can do with obsidian ?

[@timbushell8640]

Yes... better still, just push Joplin to work on MD, and the file can be common. The MD version is a little diff., but haven't pushed back from O into J once advanced data features have been used. Terminology varies, BUT the joy of Obsidian, is primarily, the files are local, assuming device sync, isn't a big thing. Joplin is remote Just in the process of dropping Joplin, used mostly as a method a while back of export into Obsidian from a non-MD source.

[@olgadelmolino8711]

You are so good at this and you would have so many more subscribers if the title of the channel was not so especific! But it might be that is the way you want it. Thanks anyway !

[@neckbro]

I went with Notion 4 years ago, to late to change now.

[@5yotub]

Can notes in different vaults link to each other?

[@_S_P_A_C_E_M_A_N_]

No, each vault is separate. Though you could have the contents as two high level folders within the same vault.

[@johnnyragadoo2414]

Obsidian is a wonderful framework. I’ve used Devonthink forever and haven’t found anything substantive Obsidian does that I can’t do in DT, so I’m kind of fixated on it. Great video!

[@pipertripp]

I like obsidian... I started using it after you made a previous video about it. I don't think that I use it well though. I need to do more tagging and linking. I tend to create large notes rather than many smaller, interlinked ones. I do like how easy it is to include code snippets and latex.

[@ScottPigeon]

Tried using it to share guides or scripts for other techs on my team, but the pdf exports don't allow linking to different sections of the same page. Something like a table of contents or a link to an appendix or figure won't work.

[@carinebruyndoncx5331]

I use quartz website and the envelope community plugin which seems to work well overall to share aka publish notes to a static website

[@woodhousii2445]

if obsidian is complicated, then so is writing in a journal. or making a thread of posts on any social media. I mean, at that point, watching and saving videos to a playlist is difficult.

[@RiteshKumarPanda]

Obsidian is great i still don't get how it is useful for developers ? Like how do programmers actually use this app ? Do you write every defination? Do you use it as personal documentation? In my experience that just feels like extra work without significant benefits . It is GREAT for writers and personal knowledge management but I don't get it why so many programmers suggest this app .

[@_S_P_A_C_E_M_A_N_]

It's useful for programmers because it's familiar. It uses markdown, plugins are written in JavaScript and typescript, you can use CSS to customise it, it has excellent interoperability with other programs and formats, the functionality is similar to that of other IDEs, support for code blocks, LaTeX etc. As for what you'd make notes about, there's no use in writing down every definition or things that can easily be googled. You'd only make notes of things you would need to remember or your own thoughts in relation to something. Personal documentation and project management are common uses. Others are notes on learning resources, scripts, that sort of thing.

[@ananthpurohit]

Obsidian is great, but I'm very much comfortable with LaTeX!!

[@WhosShamouz]

Do they have a web app yet?

[@_S_P_A_C_E_M_A_N_]

No and it's unlikely they ever will. The whole point of Obsidian is that it's local and not stored on someone else's servers.

[@KatwereJames]

Thanks

[@meiyuc22]

your shots are too fragmented, very distracting.

[@fx3176]

Does obsidian have a linux native version

[@_S_P_A_C_E_M_A_N_]

Yes

[@radspiderjackson]

actually, W advertisement, well placed but still got me

[@ABHISHEKKUMARabhinitrpr]

How it is better than Notion ?

[@YazBelinskiy]

You keep your data locally

[@_S_P_A_C_E_M_A_N_]

Privacy and flexibility. They have different strong suits though. Obsidian is more of a wiki whereas Notion is more of a database.

[@circulodebienestar]

I love your accent 🥰🥰

[@defdaz]

Imagine thinking a hyperlink capable note app is 'the most powerful learning tech in history' lol

[@username00009]

I don’t think that was his claim - the claim was made about creating a personal knowledge database, like a Zettelkasten, but digitally. Obsidian is one of the more popular tools for creating digital Zettelkastens.

[@creativesource3514]

Notion is good

[@realmcafee]

i get hard when i see the visual animation of my notes in the 2D graph.

[@whoadog8725]

Apple Notes for life. Obsidian customization turns into a giant time suck for most people. You can backlink notes in Apple Notes or use tags to link them.

[@abteenz]

It didn't work for me. I used it for more than a year and everyday and didn't add much value to my though process.

[@pinabad]

There is an open source alternative?

[@WebmediArt]

Yes, Logseq

[@Darth_Bateman]

Before even TRYING obsidian? I suggest you look up "How to build the perfect mindmap" in 2024. Why? Well, one thing you will realize is that Obsidian is just a pretty mind map machine, and when you know how to make a GOOD mind map? You won't need Obsidian anymore. Just a Dollar Tree composition notebook. Thing is : A dollar store composition Notebook is one dollar + tax of up to 13 cents. Obsidian wants 10.99 per month and they make the cancellation process intentionally difficult. (Red flag).

[@veganfamilykitchen]

Obsidian is free unless you want to use their platform to sync (you can sync without it) or publish your thoughts with it.

[@Darth_Bateman]

@@veganfamilykitchen Huh.....

[@rsturks]

​@@Darth_Bateman Obsidian is free to use. What are you talking about?

[@jrnmadsen2710]

@@veganfamilykitchen True,- and I'm using it on my Macbook Air. Having Time Capsule - I have my own backup. Some time ago, I did a automatic Obsidian file backup to my Google drive, but I found it redundant and useless. I don't sync with anything. When not at my computer, I don't write. My phone is only for calls and short messages. A trick. Reading a book or something. I want some text as notes in Obsidian. I take a picture of the text with my Android,- it can read the text, then I send this text to my Mac - and paste it into Obsidian. Takes seconds. Vital parts of a book I have as notes in Obsidian this way.

[@timbushell8640]

@@jrnmadsen2710 and OCR is also available in Obsidian... so could be quicker, perhaps...

[@analoguearchives4578]

Emacs org mode?

[@Sergio_Loureiro]

This is like an Wikipedia.

[@Paranoidandroid300]

How to use it to learn code and beyond? Giles im not a genius and high IQ like you... 😢

[@pipertripp]

You can add code blocks like this: ```R my_sample

[@carinebruyndoncx5331]

I like it to create cheatsheet kinda notes, I tend to forget and skimming through man pages each time is slow to just get that combination of options I need

[@mpty2022]

thats html

[@RobertDeloyd]

By the time I type all that in to get started I'd forget what I was thinking about, BUT, I'll give it a try

[@timbushell8640]

Lol... and 'Word' or 'Wordstar' does it better how? ; ))))

[@EdgeSmartIO]

Obsidian is a requirement for navigation to other worlds or dimensions.

[@DonClark]

Why does the user have to create links/tags? I would expect the software to do this automatically with the ability for the user to edit.

[@username00009]

The beauty is in the ability to customize it to fit your needs. As a digitized Zettelkasten, you’re using it to think and make connections between seemingly unrelated ideas. If the app does that for you, then you aren’t thinking or learning.

[@LucasDanielSantoro]

It seems to me they copied Roam Research

[@jackknightsbridge5232]

As soon as I saw the name Elizabeth Gilbert I stopped watching.

[@086guti]

Why?

[@gokulhemanthkumar4556]

...But why? Why would I need to make notes when I can just google and get any information online in seconds?

[@murtadha96]

Because the type of notes talked about in that book are entirely different from the notes 99% of KZbinrs making videos about it showcase (including this video).

[@dayanand.1227]

Not much colors for text, no way to add indention and when you do text becomes code....

[@whatislovebutonelonggame5406]

but electron ... thanks but no thanks.

[@dougmarkham]

This is just a very crude unimpressive version of Personal Brain, which does all that but comes with the ability to attach files ,folders, images, video etc.

[@airiksg817]

1 minute in and no

[@tajsec498]

don't make vids about it:) let it be a secret

[@MonsterDojo]

bro thinks a notes app is the most powerful learning technology in history holy shit get a life

[@David_10157]

This video has stacked ads. Obsidian and Magellan. Jesus Christ. Have a backbone mate. Do you give any thought towards your audience.

[@juleswombat5309]

I mean the title gave it away right. Its a plug for Obsidian as per the title. Magellan was right at the end, after the main content on effective note taking. Hell he doesn't even claim that Obsidian is the best App, just that is does the job.

[@wajahatriazmirza]

Nah, it's sh**

[@aneeshprasobhan]

emacs org mode >