# On why and how I use Obsidian as my PKM from:: [[Memex]] related:: [[On PKMs and the extended mind thesis]] In the past I've used various combinations of [Evernote](https://evernote.com), [Tinderbox](http://www.eastgate.com/Tinderbox/?cmdf=tinderbox+app), [OmniOutliner](https://www.omnigroup.com/omnioutliner/), [Scapple](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scapple/overview), [TaskPaper](https://www.taskpaper.com/), [Diigo](https://www.diigo.com), [Apple Notes](https://www.icloud.com/notes), [VooDoo Pad](https://www.voodoopad.com/), [SimpleNote](https://simplenote.com/), [Notational Velocity](https://notational.net), as well as simple plain text files and folders, but I've never been as excited about the possibilities of a PKM system as I am about Obsidian. Obsidian gets so many things right from a usability perspective, but they also have a thoughtful development philosophy and [user-focused principles](https://obsidian.md/about) that prioritize long-term [portability](https://obsidian.md/blog/free-your-notes/) and privacy via [offline-first control](https://x.com/kepano/status/1675626836821409792?s=61&t=K5Lrizj_vkkJeo4rjDaEmg) of your local plain-text markdown files. In short, they are not trying to lock you in to their system since Obsidian essentially works "on top" of any folder of plain-text [[markdown]] files, making it relatively easy to bring your notes to many other apps due to the ubiquity of markdown and wiki links. This, along with their non-VC [profit model](https://obsidian.md/blog/kepano-ceo/), a generous free version, and a great [community](https://obsidian.md/community), made me feel confident enough in its long-term viability to start using it as my main PKM... thing. ## How I use Obsidian I use Obsidian in a variety of ways, but mainly to externalize my learning, thinking, todos, etc. into a reliable system I can refer to later. This is helpful when I need to jump between topics or priorities because it lets me get back to a given context without too many negative [[Human multitasking|context-switching]] effects. It also helps me do the occasional [[brain dump]] or [[Getting Things Done|GTD]]-style mind sweep so I can have a clear head to focus on whatever my current priority is and maximize opportunities for [[Deep work (concept)|deep work]] and [[Flow (psychology)|flow]] states. I also use Obsidian as a good excuse to go through the mental exercise of writing things down, which requires me to think through my thoughts on a deeper level in order to articulate the specifics of my understanding, as opposed to being content with a superficial intuition. I.e, writing can be an augmentation of one's thinking in that clear writing requires clear thinking ([[Writing as thinking]]). I think writing in this way can also serve as a decent substitute for the [[Feynman technique]]. #to/expand : - Experimenting with sharing notes, digital garden, obsidian publish, indieweb, etc. - [[On notes as thinking]] - [[Codex/Tech/Tech|Tech]] and [[Codex/Tech/Programming|Programming]] notes %% Next - Tech as extended mind, writing as tool for external/extended thinking, PKM and Obisidian as big advancements in writing tool > thinking/mind > Tech. Externalization into tool/notes as individually and internally helpful, but what possibilities are there with sharing these kinds of notes and how useful applicable is it for others or for collaborative projects, etc.? Idk, but I'm curious enough to find out - link to [[On PKMs and the extended mind thesis]] %%