Note taking apps
Started by Andy Brice
on 7/19/2020
Andy Brice
7/19/2020 6:27 pm
Saw this on Hackers News:
https://akkshaya.blog/2020/07/19/note-taking/
Might be of interest to note taking afficionados.
--
Andy Brice
https://www.hyperplan.com
https://akkshaya.blog/2020/07/19/note-taking/
Might be of interest to note taking afficionados.
--
Andy Brice
https://www.hyperplan.com
Jeffery Smith
7/20/2020 12:42 am
The only notetaking app (if you can call it that) that I used almost exclusively without considering straying away was askSam for MSDOS. Like every excellent MSDOS program I used, there was no Windows version or there was a terrible Windows version. XyWrite, Q&A, MaxThink, and GrandView were great MSDOS programs that didn't make it to Windows in a usable state. So I do use a lot of paper now (Rhodia Webnotebooks primarily).
Hugh
7/20/2020 8:11 am
Thanks, Andy. I thought the comments attached to the article were quite interesting - suggesting several applications that I'd never heard of.
The key problem for me with note-taking apps (as with some other types) is that I want two potentially incompatible qualities, simplicity and complexity: simplicity of use, complexity of provision.
The key problem for me with note-taking apps (as with some other types) is that I want two potentially incompatible qualities, simplicity and complexity: simplicity of use, complexity of provision.
Amontillado
7/20/2020 11:32 am
Interesting, the argument for written notes.
Next, he'll organize his notes into a Zettlekasten, taking what steps he can to provide a "search bar" and metadata.
But that's probably the best attitude, if not necessarily applied to the best available tools. Take notes in a way that imposes order on them. Dragnet's Joe Friday had notched-card databases and got the job done. He would have sold his soul for Evernote.
We look at Evernote and think, meh, Bear is prettier, and then move on to something else.
That, of course, closes the circle. If we're going to be fickle about tools that really will do a great job, even if not a universally great job, we'd better not move beyond markdown and ASCII, since they probably are going to be around forever.
That's what I'm going to do, just as soon as I take a look at Bear in the app store. I think I missed the point when I first looked at it, and it's markdown with improvements. Just a little technology won't hurt...
Next, he'll organize his notes into a Zettlekasten, taking what steps he can to provide a "search bar" and metadata.
But that's probably the best attitude, if not necessarily applied to the best available tools. Take notes in a way that imposes order on them. Dragnet's Joe Friday had notched-card databases and got the job done. He would have sold his soul for Evernote.
We look at Evernote and think, meh, Bear is prettier, and then move on to something else.
That, of course, closes the circle. If we're going to be fickle about tools that really will do a great job, even if not a universally great job, we'd better not move beyond markdown and ASCII, since they probably are going to be around forever.
That's what I'm going to do, just as soon as I take a look at Bear in the app store. I think I missed the point when I first looked at it, and it's markdown with improvements. Just a little technology won't hurt...
Lb
7/20/2020 3:54 pm
Amontillado wrote:
I've never heard of this and had to look it up.
Brilliant!
Dragnet's Joe Friday had notched-card databases and got the job done.
I've never heard of this and had to look it up.
Brilliant!
Andy Brice
7/20/2020 5:01 pm
Hugh wrote:
That is always the big challenge isn't it? To make something rich and powerful without being overly complex.
SLR cameras are a good example. Lots of setting you can play with. But you can also just set it to auto and press the shutter release.
--
Andy Brice
http://www.hyperplan.com
The key problem for me with note-taking apps (as with some other types)
is that I want two potentially incompatible qualities, simplicity and
complexity: simplicity of use, complexity of provision.
That is always the big challenge isn't it? To make something rich and powerful without being overly complex.
SLR cameras are a good example. Lots of setting you can play with. But you can also just set it to auto and press the shutter release.
--
Andy Brice
http://www.hyperplan.com
Ken
7/21/2020 2:48 pm
Andy Brice wrote:
Interesting analogy as I shoot a lot and have a lot of feelings about complexity with respect to software and UI. My biggest gripe is not complexity, but lack of context and information for making decisions about settings. With software, and cameras, there is a bit of learn it, set it and then use it. If the learning phase is complicated, unclear or not intuitive, then it becomes a problem later on when you need to make changes or need to reset things. This is what annoys me. I tend to research everything I can up front, make my choices and usually only make incremental changes as needed. I just find it frustrating later on if I have to go back tot he manual to make a change, especially if I am on deadline or with a camera, in the field. Some menus are well designed and the choices are quite clear and with a base level of common sense, can be changes with minimal effort. But others are quite horrible and cryptic. These are the ones that require web research including looking for article, forum posts or videos. The feature set may be powerful, but it is a fail in my book as it requires more effort than it should IMHO (especially if it is something that is not used or changed every day. So, I guess I would ask for simplicity not in the actual operation, but in the ability to make and changes settings. Just my two cents worth. And BTW, the number of software mentions in that initial article you linked to is enough to set off a CRIMP attack. :)
--Ken
Hugh wrote:
>The key problem for me with note-taking apps (as with some other types)
>is that I want two potentially incompatible qualities, simplicity and
>complexity: simplicity of use, complexity of provision.
That is always the big challenge isn't it? To make something rich and
powerful without being overly complex.
SLR cameras are a good example. Lots of setting you can play with. But
you can also just set it to auto and press the shutter release.
--
Andy Brice
http://www.hyperplan.com
Interesting analogy as I shoot a lot and have a lot of feelings about complexity with respect to software and UI. My biggest gripe is not complexity, but lack of context and information for making decisions about settings. With software, and cameras, there is a bit of learn it, set it and then use it. If the learning phase is complicated, unclear or not intuitive, then it becomes a problem later on when you need to make changes or need to reset things. This is what annoys me. I tend to research everything I can up front, make my choices and usually only make incremental changes as needed. I just find it frustrating later on if I have to go back tot he manual to make a change, especially if I am on deadline or with a camera, in the field. Some menus are well designed and the choices are quite clear and with a base level of common sense, can be changes with minimal effort. But others are quite horrible and cryptic. These are the ones that require web research including looking for article, forum posts or videos. The feature set may be powerful, but it is a fail in my book as it requires more effort than it should IMHO (especially if it is something that is not used or changed every day. So, I guess I would ask for simplicity not in the actual operation, but in the ability to make and changes settings. Just my two cents worth. And BTW, the number of software mentions in that initial article you linked to is enough to set off a CRIMP attack. :)
--Ken