From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: John Hendy Subject: Re: org-mode for knowledge management Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 23:54:41 -0500 Message-ID: References: <87oatkkdes.fsf@wmi.amu.edu.pl> <87siiwc4gd.wl-n142857@gmail.com> <87fvevgvv9.fsf@ericabrahamsen.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Return-path: Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:48855) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1XdBB7-000560-RC for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sun, 12 Oct 2014 00:54:46 -0400 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1XdBB6-0004S2-8J for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sun, 12 Oct 2014 00:54:45 -0400 Received: from mail-lb0-x22b.google.com ([2a00:1450:4010:c04::22b]:33845) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1XdBB5-0004Ro-RR for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sun, 12 Oct 2014 00:54:44 -0400 Received: by mail-lb0-f171.google.com with SMTP id z12so5011377lbi.30 for ; Sat, 11 Oct 2014 21:54:41 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <87fvevgvv9.fsf@ericabrahamsen.net> List-Id: "General discussions about Org-mode." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sender: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org To: Eric Abrahamsen Cc: emacs-orgmode On Fri, Oct 10, 2014 at 9:53 PM, Eric Abrahamsen wrote: > John Hendy writes: > >> On Fri, Oct 10, 2014 at 10:46 AM, Daniel Clemente wrote: >>>> > >>>> > 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. >> >> I'm curious about this. Is this a well-known recommendation/best >> practice? I actually struggle with this a great deal. Often a bit of >> research or testing for a specific project at work is very possibly >> relevant to any number of future projects. So, working in product >> development, I find it hard to decide what the best "single location" >> is, and would love for it to act as though it were in multiple >> locations. > > Isn't this what tags are good for, though? Sort of providing a secondary > structure to your information, orthogonal to Org's subtree structure? Agreed, and have tried that, though that has issues as well, unless I'm missing something (see below). > >> When the current project is done, I'd like to archive everything >> specifically related to it while keeping around the general knowledge >> I've accumulated for use with future efforts. > > You could organize a project by subtree, but put generally-useful > research elsewhere, and tag that research by theme. Then give the > project subtree its own tag, but also add tags to the relevant research > themes. Open an Agenda with a "projecttag|themetag" tag search to see > both general research and project-specific stuff. > > When the time comes, the project subtree gets archived, but the thematic > stuff stays. This is the bit I'm not sure about... * project_a ** experiment about blah :proj_name:theme: [2014-10-11] Did x, y, and z today. Will analyze results tomorrow. [2014-10-12] Wow. Interesting finding. This will help a lot and may be relevant to future projects! So... when I archive project_a, don't I lose the thematic information from my experiment? This is sort of the conundrum I often find myself in. I work in product development, and many of the difficulties, experimental findings, or even contacts/information for a given project seem like they'd be really helpful to recall/go back to for future projects. The learning is uncovered only because I'm working on launching *this* product... but isn't inherently relevant *only* to this project. I've migrated from one file per project like I used to do to the big 'ol one-file method (except for a contacts.org file and miscellany). Thus, I tend to like to archive, but for whatever reason have an aversion to agenda-ing on archived stuff. I find I only look in archives when someone asks something really specific about a past project and I think I have notes on it. Anyway, that was my thought. I saw Daniel replied as well; you both understand my struggle -- you tackle it with tags and he's suggesting lots of links (more on that in a sec). Thanks! John > > Anyway, I'm sure you've considered all this, just curious what your > thoughts on tags are... > >> Or is this what you mean by using links? Are you just saying that >> individuals should not be copying the same text around in multiple >> places? >> >> >> Thanks, >> John >> >> [snip] > >