Zettelkasten
The Zettelkasten (technique) as originally conceived by the sociologist Luhmann (who co-authored an impressive body of work) is a method for taking and storing notes. It is:
- Nonlinear
- Fragmented and atomic
- Deeply interlinked
It’s original form as used by Luhmann was old archive cabinets filled with index cards with various information on them. Each card had an id which was used to link it with other cards.
Using these links you can browse this interconnected web of information by following links around.
This page is a zettelkasten of sorts.
Digital solutions
These days various apps and digital solutions have long replaced the antiquated filing cabinet.
- RoamResearch
- Notion
- Airtable
Problems
- Many notes → Unmanagable? (How to manage them?)
- A lot of work to keep up (Any system is)
- Choosing a system creates overhead if you want to move to another (Digital problem)
- Storing everythiing you read doesn’t necessarily increase understanding or utility