What is non-attachment?

What is he attempting to say here?

What about using the notes for comparison and/or contrast of ideas?

On one level, the reason is obvious: accountability. There’s a lot at stake...

except somehow for Donald J. Trump and some in identity politics...

How do they get around it? system 1 vs system 2

ideative connectivity sounds fun, but ???<br /> Sounds like a Nick Milo neologism...

potentially a stab at combinatorial creativity?

How to get round the idea of processing which is a stumbling block for fun?

processed notes are akin to the amount of nutritive value in processed food...

I often find that people who discuss "workflows" and the idea of "processing" their notes are the ones who are falling trap to the anxiety-producing side of the work.

BD should have found more exciting words for "processing" which he uses two more times in the next paragraph.

This relates to Luhmann's quote about only doing what is easy/fun/flow:<br /> - https://hypothes.is/a/TQyC1q1HEe2J9fOtlKPXmA<br /> - https://hypothes.is/a/EyKrfK1WEe2RpEuwUuFA7A

Compare: - being trapped in the box: https://hypothes.is/a/AY7ABO0qEeympasqOZHoMQ - idea of drudgery in the phrase "word processing"

There are some fleeting ideas which are truly great and the entire purpose of writing them down is to maintain their value. ("I was in the bath one day...") Others ideas aren't particularly genius, but may need to be kept for later use or actionability. Still other ideas are just useless and these get flushed out in the wash.

BD doesn't do an exceptional job of looking at the entirety of the spectrum of ideas here, which could be useful and illustrative, but instead focuses on moving things toward what he's calling "main notes", and even these can have different levels of value to a particular person.

BD seems to sideline PKM, but is using the underlying ideas to further his claim that we're forgetful, so capturing thoughts on paper is worthwhile. Seems a bit disingenuous. Maybe sideline the "religious zeal" and take what you need to build your argument here instead?

I really don't like this David Allen quote which is often seen in these spaces. It's usually used by people who haven't spent any time training their memory.

I'll give BD the benefit of the doubt that the entirety of this PKM paragraph is sidelining the "PKM scene" altogether.

Is he poking fun at the PKM space here? This non-definition definition would seem to be a subtle jab certainly.

I've never like the phrase fleeting notes, though it does serve a purpose. It's really a conflation (or portmanteau) of two separate ideas: fleeting ideas and writing them down/capturing them quickly so that they're no longer fleeting. Sort of a noun/verb in form.

glad that he's got a section on coming to terms with some of the space, but he's only really looking at recent terminology since about 2013 and even more specifically terminology from Ahrens and how it's been used/misused.

Organization of the book gives preference of the practical ("how-to") over the theoretical ("why-so").

An alternate stating of the process: 1. capture<br /> 2. refine<br /> 3. connect<br /> 4. search

cross-reference earlier process: https://hypothes.is/a/HgcILIvyEe-OfdOArKZxGg

card system ⇒ system theory

In the early 1900s it was very common, especially in English speaking countries to call these note taking/paper database systems "card systems". Is it a wonder then that they may have helped to create "systems theory"?

In particular, look at Niklas Luhmann's work as well as Ross Ashby.

Example of a fleeting note triggered by a single word in a context, but with thoughts not relating at all to the specifics of the particular work.

aside: interesting that he uses the umlaut here, but not consistently other places.

also card index and card system (early 1900s)

Overview of Bob Doto's suggested process:<br /> 1. having and capturing thoughts<br /> 2. refining thoughts into clear ideas that can be repurposed<br /> 3. connecting ideas across topics<br /> 4. developing connections and making them accessible<br /> 5. transforming notes into writing for readers 6. re-integrating writing back into the system (he lumped this in with 5, but I've broken it out)

How do these steps relate to those of others?

Eg: Miles1905: collect, select, arrange, dictate/write (and broadly composition)

Before he even begins the enterprise, Doto starts off by giving pride of place to a quote by Sertillanges admonishing the reader to beware of over-collecting.

https://hypothes.is/a/tGF6povnEe-bSc_BdDPn5Q

Doto, Bob. A System for Writing: How an Unconventional Approach to Note-Making Can Help You Capture Ideas, Think Wildly, and Write Constantly - A Zettelkasten Primer. 1st ed. New Old Traditions, 2024. https://amzn.to/3ztjrfb.

Annotation url: urn:x-pdf:231323658d79d9bdf946e1cfbe01e500

Alternate annotation view

I love the fact that my personal website is physically the last word in the book and therefore "gets the last word."

You have to love that one of the final sections of the book is "There is No One System". This gives the reader the confidence to explore and experiment to see what works for them.

Doto wastes no time getting into the most important aspects of note taking. Even before the book has begun, the copyright page in the front matter is getting you ready for what is about to come:

Please cite the author and book when quoting.