Re: org-mode for knowledge management

[Daniel Clemente <n142857@gmail.com>]

> >
> > I've been using org-mode for a variety of purposes for a few years. I find 
> > that it suffers from the same problem that other such tools do. The 
> > problem is me. I can't remember week to week how I may have classified 
> > some scrap of information. Did I drop it into notes/someproduct.org or was 
> > it procedures/someprocess.org?

1. Every information should have a single location, not two. Mix sections fast if you detect repetitions. Use links extensively (C-c l) to connect one header with another, specially after you get lost once. Don't bother too much about finding the right place at the first time, you'll eventually reorder or move headers to the correct place.

2. Use global search (C-a /), you can use regular expressions there. No need to use grep.

3. Use the package „helm“ to get fast access to all headers or to a subsection of headers (e.g. the ones you tag). E.g. I use <<<radio>>> to give important sections a title. After 1 key you start typing some letters, select with cursors, press ENTER and go to the header.

> 
> Also, if English is not your native language, consider making notes in
> English.  Whether you like it or not, it has one huge advantage: it's
> /simple/.  Almost no inflections, so grepping English texts is /much/
> easier than, say, Polish (we have /a lot/ of inflections).  (In this
> regard, Esperanto is even better, though personally I'm not fluent
> enough in it to make my notes in Esperanto comfortably.)
> 

  And I thought I was the only one taking notes in Esperanto! >700 Kb of my notes are in Esperanto. Sometimes I invent new words which later I don't find by searching, but after I do, I add the new variants of the title. It's great for defining strange concepts.
  Inflections are a minor problem in most languages, just use partial search or regexp (e.g. in Polish use „słow“ instead of „słowo“, „następn.*“ etc.) and you'll find everything. If you want inflection-free languages you'll need Indonesian, Chinese, … 
  But I wouldn't force taking notes in a language you don't like, just use the ones you like. („the ones“, in plural).


  Ĝis!
  
Daniel