Notes Against Note-Taking Systems (2022)
Posted2 months agoActive2 months ago
sashachapin.substack.comOtherstory
calmmixed
Debate
20/100
ProductivityNote-TakingPersonal Knowledge Management
Key topics
Productivity
Note-Taking
Personal Knowledge Management
The article critiques the obsession with note-taking systems, sparking a discussion on the effectiveness and limitations of these systems in personal knowledge management.
Snapshot generated from the HN discussion
Discussion Activity
Light discussionFirst comment
9m
Peak period
1
0-1h
Avg / period
1
Key moments
- 01Story posted
Oct 24, 2025 at 6:14 PM EDT
2 months ago
Step 01 - 02First comment
Oct 24, 2025 at 6:22 PM EDT
9m after posting
Step 02 - 03Peak activity
1 comments in 0-1h
Hottest window of the conversation
Step 03 - 04Latest activity
Oct 25, 2025 at 6:01 AM EDT
2 months ago
Step 04
Generating AI Summary...
Analyzing up to 500 comments to identify key contributors and discussion patterns
Discussion (2 comments)
Showing 2 comments
ofalkaed
2 months ago
I agree with the general message but his method is essentially what he is arguing against, an aesthetic. Note taking systems are bad because most of the time it is square peg and round hole. Develop the structure of your notes around what you are taking notes on or what you are taking notes for.
turtleyacht
2 months ago
Take notes to publish; any other endeavor is futile. Pure learning sounds okay, but without the grinding wheel of application--hypothesis, experiment, failure--there's no reinforcement of concepts.
View full discussion on Hacker News
ID: 45699641Type: storyLast synced: 11/17/2025, 9:14:12 AM
Want the full context?
Jump to the original sources
Read the primary article or dive into the live Hacker News thread when you're ready.