In “Obsidian: The Good Parts,” Tris shares his five years of experience with Obsidian, emphasizing the importance of using its core features—tags, links, and properties—over folders to create a flexible and effective knowledge management system. He warns against common pitfalls like “Yak shaving” and encourages viewers to build a personalized second brain that enhances productivity and organization.
In the video titled “Obsidian: The Good Parts,” Tris shares insights from his five years of experience using Obsidian as a tool for organizing thoughts and building a “second brain.” He emphasizes that while Obsidian has a plethora of community-made plugins, its built-in features are powerful enough for various uses. Tris warns against common pitfalls in setting up Obsidian, highlighting that there is no single correct way to build a second brain, but there are certainly wrong approaches. He aims to guide viewers on how to effectively utilize Obsidian’s core features to create a personalized knowledge management system.
Tris introduces the concept of “Yak shaving,” a term from programming that describes the tendency to get caught up in setup tasks instead of actual work. He notes that many users fall into the trap of constantly switching between organizational apps, which can lead to frustration and inefficiency. Obsidian, however, allows users to build a flexible system that can adapt to future needs, making it a sustainable choice for personal organization. He stresses that the key to success with Obsidian lies in understanding how to structure data effectively.
The video outlines three main organizational tools within Obsidian: folders, tags, and links. Tris argues that folders are a limitation and should be avoided, as they do not integrate well with the other features of Obsidian. Instead, he advocates for using tags and links, which provide more flexibility and allow for a more organic structure. Tags can be used for categorization and can have parent-child relationships, while links enable connections between notes, enhancing the overall navigability of the system.
Tris elaborates on the importance of properties in Obsidian, which can be used to treat notes like a simple database. He explains that properties can contain various types of metadata, allowing users to organize their notes more effectively. Additionally, he introduces the concept of “named links,” which provide clarity in relationships between notes. By using named links, users can create a more meaningful ontology of their knowledge, making it easier to navigate and understand the connections between different pieces of information.
In conclusion, Tris encourages viewers to embrace the “good parts” of Obsidian by avoiding folders, utilizing named links for strong relationships, and employing regular links for weaker connections. He emphasizes that by working within a single platform that users control, they can create a powerful and scalable system for managing their thoughts and projects. Tris expresses excitement for viewers to start building their second brain using these principles, highlighting the potential for increased productivity and organization.