1787

Johann Eulitz, 62

1774

Johann Eulitz, 78

1647

Maria Preuser, 53

1643

Hans Preuser, 58

1637

Sabina Lindich, 52

1632

Matthes Lindich, 52

1650

Maria Fichtner, 63

1669

Maria Lindich, 47

1676

Donat Lindich, 65

1679

Anna Fichtner, 50

1673

Georg Fichtner, 85

1733

Regina Fichtner, 75

1733

Georg Fichtner, 74

On the Jokerzettel

9/8j Im Zettelkasten ist ein Zettel, der das Argument enthält, das die Behauptungen auf allen anderen Zetteln widerlegt.

Aber dieser Zettel verschwindet, sobald man den Zettelkasten aufzieht.

D.h. er nimmt eine andere Nummer an, verstellt sich und ist dann nicht zu finden.

Ein Joker.

—Niklas Luhmann, ZK II: Zettel 9/8j

Translation:

9/8j In the slip box is a slip containing the argument that refutes the claims on all the other slips. But this slip disappears as soon as you open the slip box. That is, he assumes a different number, disguises himself and then cannot be found. A joker.

Many have asked about the meaning of this jokerzettel over the past several years. Here's my slightly extended interpretation, based on my own practice with thousands of cards, about what Luhmann meant:

Imagine you've spent your life making and collecting notes and ideas and placing them lovingly on index cards. You've made tens of thousands and they're a major part of your daily workflow and support your life's work. They define you and how you think. You agree with Friedrich Nietzsche's concession to Heinrich Köselitz that “You are right — our writing tools take part in the forming of our thoughts.” Your time is alive with McLuhan's idea that "The medium is the message." or in which his friend John Culkin said, "We shape our tools and thereafter they shape us."

Eventually you're going to worry about accidentally throwing your cards away, people stealing or copying them, fires (oh! the fires), floods, or other natural disasters. You don't have the ability to do digital back ups yet. You ask yourself, can I truly trust my spouse not to destroy them?,What about accidents like dropping them all over the floor and needing to reorganize them or worse, the ghost in the machine should rear its head?

You'll fear the worst, but the worst only grows logarithmically in proportion to your collection.

Eventually you pass on opportunities elsewhere because you're worried about moving your ever-growing collection. What if the war should obliterate your work? Maybe you should take them into the war with you, because you can't bear to be apart?

If you grow up at a time when Schrodinger's cat is in the zeitgeist, you're definitely going to have nightmares that what's written on your cards could horrifyingly change every time you look at them. Worse, knowing about the Heisenberg Uncertainly Principle, you're deathly afraid that there might be cards, like electrons, which are always changing position in ways you'll never be able to know or predict.

As a systems theorist, you view your own note taking system as a input/output machine. Then you see Claude Shannon's "useless machine" (based on an idea of Marvin Minsky) whose only function is to switch itself off. You become horrified with the idea that the knowledge machine you've painstakingly built and have documented the ways it acts as an independent thought partner may somehow become self-aware and shut itself off!?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNa9v8Z7Rac

And worst of all, on top of all this, all your hard work, effort, and untold hours of sweat creating thousands of cards will be wiped away by a potential unknowable single bit of information on a lone, malicious card and your only recourse is suicide, the unfortunate victim of dataism.

Of course, if you somehow manage to overcome the hurdle of suicidal thoughts, and your collection keeps growing without bound, then you're sure to die in a torrential whirlwind avalanche of information and cards, literally done in by information overload.

But, not wishing to admit any of this, much less all of this, you imagine a simple trickster, a joker, something silly. You write it down on yet another card and you file it away into the box, linked only to the card in front of it, the end of a short line of cards with nothing following it, because what could follow it? Put it out of your mind and hope your fears disappear away with it, lost in your box like the jokerzettel you imagined. You do this with a self-assured confidence that this way of making sense of the world works well for you, and you settle back into the methodical work of reading and writing, intent on making your next thousands of cards.

bent four is alive unless it bends at 1-1

1756

Andreas Vetter, 34

1737

Maria Mehnert, 56

1796

Anna Maria Mehnert, 74

1739

Hans Mehnert, 66

1797

Johann Georg Mehnert, 80

1715

Barbara Hauswald, 85

1693

Paul Wagner, 84

Jacob Hauswald, 67

1700

Maria Gumlich

1691

Martha Gumlich, 90

1677

Christoph Gumlich, 65

1708

Barbara Gumlich

1751

David Gumlich, 83

1679

Maria Wagner

1712

Martin Mentzel, 68

1725

Maria Mentzel, 81

1735

Johann Mentzel, 48

1628

Martin Proschmann

1633

Erasmus Mehner

1715

Martin Mehnert, 65

1705

Maria Mehnert, 53

1632

Martha Opitz

1619

Matthes Opitz

1641

Hans Ehlig

1693

Barbara Ehlig, 57

1679

Georg Ehlig, 48

1639

Hans Mehlich

1671

Hans Mehlich

1699

Samuel Mehlich, 52

1816

Samuel Mehnert, 70

1682

Hans Rühle, 79

1637

Michael Müller

1609

Mrs Nickel Kröll

1610

Anna Zocher

1601

Nickel Kröll

1616

Michael Sehnitz

1585

Mrs Asmus Zocher

Asmus Zocher

1592

Urban Kuntze

1600

Anna Kuntze, 13

1632

Barbara Mehser, 48

1631

Gertrud Schnitze, 56

1671

Georg Kuntze, 82

1662

Maria Kuntze, 55

1683

Georg Kuntze, 51

1698

Margaretha Kuntze, 59

1730

Christian Kuntze, 51

1743

Sophia Kuntze, 51

1714

Maria Kuntze

1749

Anna Schlechte, 70

1747

Christian Schlechte, 69

1782

Anna Sophia Schlechte

1699

Maria Tagsell, 87

Michael Weser, 48

1700

Maria Thiele, 79

1682

Stephan Thiele

1683

Michael Schlechte, 42

1694

Maria Starcke, 48

1792

Andreas Schlechte

1817

Anna Maria Strohbach, 64

1829

Carl August Strohbach, 2

1833

Johann Gottlob Strohbach

1863

Johann Gottlieb Strohbach, 69

!- intrinsic fear of death : strong role in creation of a self illusion -Ernest Becker, David Hume, Shanti Devi all regard death as a major reason we create the self illusion - Becker cliams we reify the self as a bulwark against the terror of death - the fear of death is deeply wired in us - the story of a self allows it to posit a symbolic form of eternal life, hence resulting in immortality projects - we know we have fallen under the spell of the illusion of self when we can be insulted, when we get angry, when we feel shame - it is these affects which establish a self, hence why the self imputation is so strong and difficult to dislodge

1594

Mrs Lucas Kießling

1603

Mrs Andreas Irmler

Lucas Kießling

1608

Andreas Irmler

1624

Ursula Berner

Gertrud Irmler

1621

Martin Irmler

1610

Peter Limpach

1611

Georg Limpach

Peter Fritzsche

1638

Anna Birckner

1639

Gregor Pietzsch

1625

Anna Pietzsch, 65

1639

Jacob Jepel, 55

Georg Pietzsch, 88

1743

Martin Gießmann, 67

1738

Christina Gießmann, 68

More people are (finally!) coming to the realization that GitHub repos full of Markdown and the edit-via-pull-request anti-pattern is not a substitute for a real wiki.

1670

Maria Jahn, 69

Martin Gießmann, 24

Caspar Gießmann, 69

1667

Martha Gießmann, 19

Caspar Gießmann, 14

1644

Christoph Gießmann

1641

Caspar Gießmann

1714

Martin Gießmann

1627

Georg Potzscher, 74

1628

Martin Wustlich, 87

1648

Ursula Dietze, 62

Barbara Wustlich, 63

1635

Georg Hoyer, 68

Georg Wustlich, 59

1675

Maria Schüttig

1676

Jacob Hermann, 70

Margaretha Hermann, 62

1629

Ursula Burckhard

1640

Barbara Hoyer, 74

1611

Regina Fichtner

Georg Hoyer

1587

Anna Hoyer

1599

23.04. Georg Winckler

Die Stephan Andrie

Die Wenzel Franz

1593

Wenzel Franz

1595

17.01. Hans Franz

17.01. Wenzel Franz

29.08. Die Philip Pazsch

09.10. Burckhart Furman

1659

Martin Börner, 60

ha ha this is all about money!

i love this!

in english it would be something like, *I am not saying I am right, because who am I, but I give priority to my approach. *

France, Anatole. L’Île Des Pingouins. Project Gutenberg 8524. 1908. Reprint, Project Gutenberg, 2005. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8524/pg8524.html

Death by Zettelkasten!!

(Coming soon to a theater near you...)

In the preface to the novel Penguin Island (L'Île des Pingouins. Calmann-Lévy, 1908) by Nobel prize laureate Anatole France, a scholar is drowned by an avalanche of index cards which formed a gigantic whirlpool streaming out of his card index (Zettelkasten).

Link to: Historian Keith Thomas has indicated that he finds it hard to take using index cards for excerpting and research seriously as a result of reading this passage in the satire Penguin Island.<br /> https://hypothes.is/a/rKAvtlQCEe2jtzP3LmPlsA

Translation via: France, Anatole. Penguin Island. Translated by Arthur William Evans. 8th ed. 1908. Reprint, New York, NY, USA: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1922. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Penguin_Island/6UpWAvkPQaEC?hl=en&gbpv=0

Small changes in the translation by me, comprising only adding the word "index" in front of the occurrences of card to better represent the historical idea of fiches used by scholars in the late 1800s and early 1900s, are indicated in brackets.

The walls of the study, the floor, and even the ceiling were loaded with overflowing bundles, paste board boxes swollen beyond measure, boxes in which were compressed an innumerable multitude of small [index] cards covered with writing. I beheld in admiration mingled with terror the cataracts of erudition that threatened to burst forth.

“Master,” said I in feeling tones, “I throw myself upon your kindness and your knowledge, both of which are inexhaustible. Would you consent to guide me in my arduous researches into the origins of Penguin art?"

“Sir," answered the Master, “I possess all art, you understand me, all art, on [index] cards classed alphabetically and in order of subjects. I consider it my duty to place at your disposal all that relates to the Penguins. Get on that ladder and take out that box you see above. You will find in it everything you require.”

I tremblingly obeyed. But scarcely had I opened the fatal box than some blue [index] cards escaped from it, and slipping through my fingers, began to rain down.

Almost immediately, acting in sympathy, the neighbouring boxes opened, and there flowed streams of pink, green, and white [index] cards, and by degrees, from all the boxes, differently coloured [index] cards were poured out murmuring like a waterfall on a mountain-side in April. In a minute they covered the floor with a thick layer of paper. Issuing from their in exhaustible reservoirs with a roar that continually grew in force, each second increased the vehemence of their torrential fall. Swamped up to the knees in cards, Fulgence Tapir observed the cataclysm with attentive nose. He recognised its cause and grew pale with fright.

“ What a mass of art! ” he exclaimed.

I called to him and leaned forward to help him mount the ladder which bent under the shower. It was too late. Overwhelmed, desperate, pitiable, his velvet smoking-cap and his gold-mounted spectacles having fallen from him, he vainly opposed his short arms to the flood which had now mounted to his arm-pits . Suddenly a terrible spurt of [index] cards arose and enveloped him in a gigantic whirlpool. During the space of a second I could see in the gulf the shining skull and little fat hands of the scholar; then it closed up and the deluge kept on pouring over what was silence and immobility. In dread lest I in my turn should be swallowed up ladder and all I made my escape through the topmost pane of the window.

1655

Christoph Stenzel, 44

1664

Paul Böhme

Georg Börner

1610

Lucas Wustlich

1607

Peter Hoyer

Georg Schubert

1591

Dorothea Lockel

Jacob Götz

!- similiar to : Mortality Salience - grieving of the loss of a loved one - grieving the future loss of one's own life - Ernest Becker is relevant - Denial of Death, Death Terror !- aligned : Deep Humanity

1610

Mrs Börner

1682

Georg Börner

1662

Anna Berndt

1632

Paul Berndt

1632

Magdalena Dietrich

1633

Peter Dietrich

1690

Anna Dietrich, 74

1688

Nicol Dietrich, 82

1691

Sophia Zincke

1624

Mrs Melchior Detzschman

1622

Melchior Detzschman

1599

Egidius Wolf

1667

Caspar Wolf

1661

Martin Wolf

1599

Mrs Ilgen Neuber

1613

Ilgen Neuber

1617

Georg Göhler

1619

Magdalena Schneider

1626

Christina Göhler

1658

Christoph Göhler, 70

1670

Martin Göhler, 73

1687

Sabina Göhler, 52

1613

Christoph und Susanna Dietel

1727

Susanna Göhler, 57

1702

Johannes Böhme, 53

1704

Paul Zincke, 58

1703

Martin Wolf, 51

1768

Christina Wolf, 68

1747

Abraham Wolf, 42

1717

Paul Erler, 68

1718

Stepahn Göhler, 82

Maria Göhler, 82

1719

Hans Göhler, 82

1751

Georg Göhler

1742

Susanna Göhler, 69

1715

Susanna Göhler, 66

1807

Anna Rosina Funcke, 78

1758

Friedrich Göhler, 44

1716

Johannes Zincke, 52

1712

Rosina Erler, 62

1710

Susanna Zincke, 33

1762

Johann Friedrich Zincke, 59

1750

Gottlieb Zincke, 0

1684

Christoph Rudolf, 30

1673

Hans Michael Lehmann, 0

1687

Joachim Lehmann, 60

1693

Justine Lehmann, 44

1696

Sabine Lehmann, 61

1694

August Glöckner, 4

1703

Hans Caspar Glöckner, 1

1707

Christian Glöckner, 0

1730

Caspar Glöckner, 79

1683

Christina Stentzel, 70

1681

Hans Georg Stentzel, 9

1682

Georg Stentzel

1702

Sophia Rosina Stentzel, 21

1705

Eleonora Stentzel, 0

1626

Martin Stentzel

1824

Johanna Sophia Heinrich, 77

1842

Johann Gottlob Zincke, 68

1833

Carl Gottlob Göpfert, 64

1832

Christiana Sophia Göpfert, 50

1829

Johanna Christiana Amalia Göpfert

1827

August Julius Göpfert

1777

Caspar Heinrich Berndt, 63

1786

Anna Regina Berndt, 75

Beata Berndt Göhler

1783

Johanna Sophia Göpfert, 45

Johann Gottfried Güntzel, 78

1785

Johanna Sophia Günzel, 74

1778

Carl Gotthelf Göhler, 0

1774

Georg Friedrich Göhler, 0

1775

Sophia Göpfert, 70

1767

Maria Dorothea Zincke, 48

1752

Gabriel Bernd, 44

1771

Johann Georg Göpfert, 62

1803

Christoph Zincke, 74

1813

Johann Gottfried Göpfert, 75

1820

Johanna Beata Göpfert, 45

1855

Christiana Sophie Zincke, 80

Ben Bradshaw. (2021, November 2). More than 50 #COVID19 cases in Parliament. U.K. still highest infection, hospitalisation & death rates in Western Europe. Still virtually no mask discipline among Tory MPs. Dwindling on public transport too. #Covid19UK [Tweet]. @BenPBradshaw. https://twitter.com/BenPBradshaw/status/1455451405205098498

Leonhardt, D. (2021, July 19). Vaccine Persuasion. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/19/briefing/vaccine-skepticism-vaccination-drive.html

COVID-19: UK reports 34,574 more coronavirus cases and another 38 deaths. (2021, October 10). Sky News. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-uk-reports-34-574-more-coronavirus-cases-and-another-38-deaths-12430693

Ambrose, T., Campbell, L., Belam, M., & Lock, S. (2021, November 11). Covid live: Brazil reports 12,273 new cases with daily deaths down to 240; Russia’s death toll passes 250,000. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/nov/10/coronavirus-news-live-france-orders-those-aged-over-65-to-show-proof-of-covid-booster-shot-china-reports-drop-in-cases

https://twitter.com/GYamey/status/1453132196416524292?s=20&t=REKS2qu5Ti7lby2jmu6Imw

Willsher, K. (2021, October 11). French study of over 22m people finds vaccines cut severe Covid risk by 90%. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/11/french-study-vaccines-cut-covid-deaths

Bar-On, Y. M., Goldberg, Y., Mandel, M., Bodenheimer, O., Freedman, L., Alroy-Preis, S., Ash, N., Huppert, A., & Milo, R. (2021). Protection Across Age Groups of BNT162b2 Vaccine Booster against Covid-19 (p. 2021.10.07.21264626). https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.07.21264626

Pagel, C., & McKee, M. (2021, October 7). Why is England doing worse against Covid than its European neighbours? The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/07/england-vaccine-just-plus-europe-covid

Vergales, J., & Gandhi, M. (2021, November 3). The Childhood Vaccine Debate Ignores a Crucial Point: Kids Aren’t Supposed to Die. Time. https://time.com/6113220/why-kids-should-get-covid-19-vaccine/

Gideon, M.-K. (2022, February 23). Has Covid-19 Been Worse Than the 1918 Influenza Pandemic? Medium. https://gidmk.medium.com/has-covid-19-been-worse-than-the-1918-influenza-pandemic-1c3362f01bcc

Covid: Boris Johnson resisted autumn lockdown as only over-80s dying - Dominic Cummings. (2021, July 20). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-57854811