Zettelkasten Forum


Inline key-words and key-phrases

Been reading a bit about interstitial journaling and it has got me thinking that the principles could be applied nicely to note-taking. The reading was focused on intermittently making small short journal entries during transitions between activities, modes, tasks, etc. Not really a Zettelkasten thing. But it, along with @ctietze in a recent post, lead me to think differently about “interstitial”. Interstitial in terms of mixed in, to get all metaphoric, to follow a natural flow in the river of note making.

Incorporate more of the metadata inline the note text.

Been considering tagging vs keywords. Seems Luhmann thought there were 4 characteristics of a Zettelkasten.
He stated in Fabrication of Serendipity
1. specific system
2. card numbering rules
3. internal linking
4. comprehensive keyword index

Nowhere does he mention tags or categories of note.

  • Links - an ontological relationship between notes
  • Tags - a category relationship between notes
  • Keywords - a taxonomical relationship between notes

Maybe it isn’t an either or question.

  • Has anybody implemented a keyword system?
  • Does anyone have tips for implementing an inline markup that is unobtrusive in the editor and could be nonexistent in the output?
  • How about key phrases?

Please school me in my ignorance.

Will Simpson
I must keep doing my best even though I'm a failure. My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time.
kestrelcreek.com

Comments

  • @Will said:
    Been reading a bit about interstitial journaling and it has got me thinking that the principles could be applied nicely to note-taking. The reading was focused on intermittently making small short journal entries during transitions between activities, modes, tasks, etc. Not really a Zettelkasten thing. But it, along with @ctietze in a recent post, lead me to think differently about “interstitial”. Interstitial in terms of mixed in, to get all metaphoric, to follow a natural flow in the river of note making.

    Funny, I've also been on the interstitial journaling notion, but I'm using it to adapt my physical journaling to more helpful practice.

    • Has anybody implemented a keyword system?

    In my mind the only difference between #tags and keywords is that #tags are things I think will apply as a category, but keywords are "synonyms I will probably type accidentally when I'm trying to find this note which don't go in the text".

    • Does anyone have tips for implementing an inline markup that is unobtrusive in the editor and could be nonexistent in the output?
    • How about key phrases?

    You mean like putting keywords in a YAML block ?

  • @mediapathic said:
    In my mind the only difference between #tags and keywords is that #tags are things I think will apply as a category, but keywords are "synonyms I will probably type accidentally when I'm trying to find this note which don't go in the text".

    I think of keywords in a form much like a reference book index. With the entries lists for one to see and peruse. Tags, the way most software is developed are clickable but so could keywords. Tags can also be listed and perused in the form of a tag cloud. Something I use Keyboard Maestro for.

    You mean like putting keywords in a YAML block ?

    No this is not my thoughts. I'm thinking interstitial markup. Not separated from the note body. I think I may have seen @Sascha in the past use § as inline markup for what I thought where keywords. Please correct me if I'm wrong but @Sascha doesn't use this type of markup anymore.

    An example might be:
    Brains/minds don't come with a §owners manual. We have to develop our own using a haphazard array of §gadgets and §hacks. This takes a really long time unless we stand on the §shoulders of giants.

    Will Simpson
    I must keep doing my best even though I'm a failure. My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time.
    kestrelcreek.com

  • Use hashtags like all the cool kids from 2009: inline.

    Your quote adapted to tag stuff I could actually want to search for:

    Brains/minds don't come with a owners #manual. We have to develop our own using a haphazard array of gadgets and #hacks. This takes a really long time (#deferred-gratification) unless we stand on the shoulders of giants. #grateful #livingthelife #productivealldayeveryday

    Okay the last three were meant jokingly :)

    Author at Zettelkasten.de • https://christiantietze.de/

  • edited February 2019

    Split the discussion

    I split the discussion like an idiot, i.e. one post too early, and not regarding the mixed-topic nature of some posts properly. Sorry!

    The Interstitial Journaling part after my question is now here: https://forum.zettelkasten.de/discussion/472/interstitial-journaling

    @Will also replied on topic:

    @Will said:

    @ctietze I have only 20 tags, I wonder how many you and @Sascha have? Do you guy intermingle them in the text or place them in a header or footer, or do you do some of both? Luhmann had thousands of entries in his keyword list. If tags are treated as keywords then there could be thousands of 'categories' a note might be matched with. The cognitive overhead might overwhelm.

    Author at Zettelkasten.de • https://christiantietze.de/

  • I'm not quite sure what you mean by your distinction between "category relationship" and "taxonomical relationship". FWIW, I've been using #tags to mark zettels as files, mostly to relate them to other objects in my electronic systems external to the ZK. Internally to the ZK, I've been using ????keywords (if it's not displayed properly, that's the 'key' emoji), mostly inline but sometimes also on a separate keyword line in the note.

  • In this context, I distinguish a "taxonomical relationship" a creation of a type of link that uses a word or phrase used in the actual text on both sides of the link. Not added just for the sake of linking. This adding terms for sake of a link I consider creating a "category relationship". Something meta, a division of notes into groups. Creating structure.

    It sounds like your inline 'key' emoji creates what I'm calling a "taxonomical relationship" that can be searched on. Although I'm not quite sure how the "Omnibar" in The Archive would handle a 'key' emoji.

    You've got me curious about...

    @Eurobubba said:
    I'm not quite sure what you mean by your distinction between "category relationship" and "taxonomical relationship". FWIW, I've been using #tags to mark zettels as files, mostly to relate them to other objects in my electronic systems external to the ZK.

    ...I'm trying to imagine what these would be? Objects in electronic systems?

    1. Todo list
    2. Calendar
    3. Biblo

    or

    1. chemistry
    2. dieting
    3. philosophy

    I'm unsure what you mean by "objects". Can you provide some clarity?

    Seems in your system keywords reference within Zettelkasten and tags reference outside Zettelkasten?

    Will Simpson
    I must keep doing my best even though I'm a failure. My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time.
    kestrelcreek.com

  • @Will said:
    I'm unsure what you mean by "objects". Can you provide some clarity?

    Seems in your system keywords reference within Zettelkasten and tags reference outside Zettelkasten?

    Yes. I have a more-or-less consistent but open-ended set of tags that I use extensively in the Finder, Mail (via MailTags), Evernote, OmniFocus, etc. — basically any app that supports tagging. They serve a lot of different purposes: projects, status within a process, dates, reference categories, etc.

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