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TLDR; [ email + git(markdown + wiki) + google calendar ]

Tried and failed :

* emacs(org-mode)

* plain text files

* markdown files

* tiddlywiki/ mediawiki/bunch of other wikis

* google keep

* one note

* notational velocity

* anki

* evernote

What "works for me (TM)":

I use a separate email just for this. Every new thought, todo, bookmarks, quotes, images of doodles, event, information about people becomes a new email.

Updates are email replies on last email on that subject. Todos are right there in my inbox reminding me each time I open up my email (many times a day). Once/twice a month I go though my email history. Any email with enough content or insight to a "WIP" wiki page in my git repo.

Whenever I find time or feel like the need to research some concept that I left mid way, I go through my queue (my WIP page) of pending items.

If there’s enough content/files/code, it gets its own markdown file and/or directory. Common patterns, get linked via their respective wiki pages. Related topics are back linked and cross referenced.

This setup has worked well for me for almost a year now.

I do not worry about email / git becoming obsolete. Or how I would move my email/git data when I need to switch vendors. I can access it via any device I own or use someone else’s with just a browser. There are backups of my git repo in almost every laptop/desktop I have access to. There's no shortage of client applications for any of these to choose from. And above all... like I said, this system "works for me (TM)".

Something that was not obvious at the start but I do now, is to keep my wiki relatively small. Because the purpose of the wiki is to supplement and complement my brain and its finite resources. I try to keep the gist in mind and offload details and references to this non-degradable store for when I need it. I've deleted/merged more content than I have added. I routinely see stuff added to my queue and deleted because its a rehash of a concept camouflaged as something new. No other system I used did this for me.

I've posted this comment before [1] reposting as I still find it relevant.

[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20007108



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