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Summary
People have used paper notebooks as thinking tools for over a thousand years. As a result, many popular digital note-taking tools have adapted familiar metaphors and structures from paper notebooks. But digital notes can do much more than paper. This seminar by Duly Noted author Jorge Arango shows you how to unlock your cognitive potential using connected note-taking apps. Watch Part 1 Watch Part 3
Key Insights
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Hypertext note-taking breaks free from linear, hierarchical structures by linking individual idea-focused notes, enabling emergent knowledge networks.
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There is a critical distinction between notes taken for memory (mnemonic aids) and notes aimed at creation and knowledge generation.
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Evergreen notes, intended for long-term revisiting and growth, benefit most from hypertext environments.
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Legacy note apps mimic physical folders and binders, introducing friction in linking and discoverability.
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New hypertext-native tools like Obsidian make linking notes fast and native, encouraging deeper knowledge connections.
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Three core mental models for effective hypertext note-taking are: isolating key ideas in their own notes, treating links as first-class elements, and nurturing notes over time.
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Knowledge gardening—regularly revisiting, pruning, and expanding notes—is essential for evolving understanding.
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Markdown is a critical skill for efficient hypertext note-taking and aligns well with text-based AI models like GPT-4.
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Over-tagging notes can create friction; a minimal, purposeful tag system (e.g., project, state, kind) works best.
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Hypertext note systems prepare users to leverage large language models for discovering latent connections between ideas.
Notable Quotes
"Many people assume notes are just for memory, but notes can do much more, like evolving your thinking over time."
"Linear notes have fixed hierarchical structures; hypertext notes have flexible, emergent networks."
"Obsidian and Notion bring decades-old hypertext concepts into accessible, modern note-taking apps."
"Links should be treated as first-class citizens in your note system to build meaningful connections."
"Knowledge gardening means tending to your notes like a garden—with planting, pruning, and watering over time."
"The real value is the thinking that happens while creating and linking notes, not just the final product of notes."
"Markdown lets you capture notes faster and stay in flow without hunting for formatting commands."
"Most people have anxiety about losing strict hierarchical folders, but hypertext notes work better when linked as peers."
"Over-tagging notes can slow you down with little benefit; keep tags minimal and purposeful."
"These tools don’t think for you, but they make it easier to think differently and more effectively."
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