If I don’t care about the graph, is it a good idea to ditch pages altogether and using only blocks? Deciding every time if a piece of information should be a page or just a block in my daily journal creates too much friction and discourages me from using logseq that often. Blocks can be linked (through block references and embeds) and they have linked references too so I don’t see the need for pages.
I’d stick with just entering info into blocks on the journal pages until the need for pages becomes self evident.
Trying to decide ahead of time what qualified for a page and what doesn’t was, as you said, too much friction for me at first. I made pages I never looked at and tried to categorize things before I needed to.
Eventually though, I found a use for pages and for page properties around the same time.
Getting a handle on writing custom queries (a.k.a. reading all of @Siferiax ’s posts) happened around the same time.
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But how exactly did you eventually feel the need for pages? Query can also be used with blocks and they can also have properties.
From the looks of it, soon you won’t need to worry about that (assuming the new db version continues on the path described in the last post here):
I can’t remember the exact sequence but I think it was when I realized I could/should make pages for individuals I manage and add properties to those pages, sort of like a contact entry, like job title, email address and phone numbers, but also the name and number of company provided computers, server access, installed software versions, and contract start/end dates
Then I added notes about their task progress and eventually queries for all their tasks, meetings, and sessions that person was tagged in.
These people pages became very handy references for trouble shooting remote work tech issues, scheduling, shipping, all from one link in a meeting note or TODO on a journal page.
I now have pages for service providers and their employees and one for each deliverable I am responsible for. ( a.k.a. TV episodes).
I also have a TODO page that’s just a bunch of queries for TODOs by deadlines 2,3,4, or 5 days away, unscheduled, and past due. It’s in my favourites and usually always open in the right side window.
- Information goes to journal.
- Knowledge goes to pages.
- Almost everything begins as information and in the future may or may not advance into knowledge.
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Would like to second this. This is how I approach using Logseq as well; use blocks for everything. Almost never use pages unless it’s for a personal thesis.
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What’s the difference between the two?
Contrast the following:
- Information:
- doesn’t depend on knowledge
- answers superficial questions:
- When/where an event/experience/accident/etc. took place.
- Under what circumstances.
- Who was involved.
- What was said/done/decided/etc.
- is about monotonically logging what happens to things
- Examples:
- today some woman delivered a baby in a ship
- Notice the focus on the specific date.
- today the temperature was low
- Notice how this info is not directly important outside that date.
- today some woman delivered a baby in a ship
- Examples:
- Knowledge:
- depends on information
- answers deeper questions:
- How things happen.
- Why things happen.
- What are their characteristics/styles/preferences/interests/opinions/etc.
- is about systematically filing the truth of things
- Examples:
- this person got born in a ship
- Notice the focus on the specific person.
- in this place the temperatures are low most of the year
- Notice how this knowledge is directly important for this place.
- this person got born in a ship
- Examples:
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information is the data, the facts, the “what”, while knowledge is structured information, the “why, how”
Querying to find something created at a certain time might be easier if all blocks exist on some journal page. The opposite is true if all blocks exist on a non-journal page. Does this make the decision easier?
Having a page for tasks that repeat often is also useful. When you get up in the morning you might write in your journal LATER prepare [[Shopping list]]. Then hit CTRL-O and on the Shopping list page you could create a block with /today and then use SHIFT-ALT UP or DOWN to grab children (
) from previous dated blocks created with a /today command, eliminating the need to think what you need to buy.
Let us hope the NSA doesn’t flag me as a potential sex offender after this post.