Two weeks ago, my brain crashed. Not my brain, brain, or wet brain, as some refer to the space between our ears, but TheBrain, my note-taking software I have been using for 15 years, stopped working. It hasn't been the first time my brain has crashed; however, the service center at TheBrain was slow to respond (a week), giving me ample time to question my software choices and long enough to test drive a new version of note-taking software called Obsidian.
I mentioned Obsidian in my first article in a series I decided to write regarding TheBrain. I had tried unsuccessfully a couple of years ago to transition to Notion after reading several articles on new generation data interface technology for personal computing. I loved Notion; however, the software platform was not similar enough to TheBrain, and therefore, I was forced to transfer data almost bit by bit. Finally, after about 500 notes (out of 30,000), I decided the effort wasn't worth the benefit, and I went back to using TheBrain.
Obsidian is a different animal altogether. Like TheBrain, the Obsidian platform manipulates the visual impact of data from computer files and folders to the individual. I should mention that I am extremely computer illiterate, relying more on trial and error than knowledge. By platform, I mean that both TheBrain and Obsidian keep every bit of information on my hard drive. In addition, both have access to cloud services for multiple device use, such as phones and remote computing. These are exciting advantages; however, I have found little use for them in how I use the software.
A primary difference between the two that I find compelling is while TheBrain stored information on my local hard drive, the filename assigned was a random generated 36-character address such as "b3da7986-b582-425a-bd32-e8a8062d8991." While this is helpful knowing that all my pictures, notes, and thoughts are on my hard drive, knowing exactly where the data is stored is anybody's guess if TheBrain software collapsed. Had the crash been irreparable, or if TheBrain no longer existed as a company, I would then be forced to work through each 36-character file to determine what it contained. Scary.
On the other hand, Obsidian holds all files in standard file names, created by you in the main folder called the "Vault." Various folders are contained within the vault depending on needs and wants. For example, I have a Blog, Journal, Library, and Family folders. Geography will hold my information on quadrangles and hikes. Bonus points go toward TheBrain being able to export sizable "chunks" of data which I can "import" into Obsidian, making the transference process easier by comparison. Not easy, but easier.
So, I'll end my Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) series using TheBrain after eight episodes, and perhaps I'll start a new series on how and what I am doing to transfer data to Obsidian while simultaneously keeping up with my life and writings.
Written September 7, 2022