As a brand new user of Logseq I wanted to set out a few thoughts on programs like Logseq, based on my very short experience with Obsidian.
I spent many days (weeks actually) trying to see how these programs work and what they offer. What follows is a rather negative or pessimistic presentation of thoughts which reflects me rather than the programs themselves or other users.
One caveat to what follows. I’ve only tried Obsidian in practice because I’m primarily interested in open-source programs or programs that would store my data locally rather than in the cloud. I know that Obsidian is not open source, but it fits the second condition.
In my view these programs at first may be daunting and complicated for the “common user”. If you are like me you will ask yourself what is the optimal setup for my program? What would need to be tweaked, adjusted or set up to make me productive to my maximum level? Usually there are many options, making it difficult to try them all and decide.
There is also the risk of falling into a “plugins pit” where even more features, facilities and options are being offered. I hope that I’ll avoid this with Logseq.
Another issue that a new user has to cope with is a choice among folders (where applicable), pages and tags. This is a never-ending debate, but it raises my stress level!
What I’ve come to realize is that there is no single tool for every job. That’s a pity because I, as a user, will have to make some compromises in choosing a particular program.
It’s also an issue if one chooses a program that has inadequate technical or user community support. This happened to me recently with a backup program that I was testing. In the end I stopped using it and chose another one that had better support.
However, it’s not all about the programs. the user bears a lot of responsibility too, mainly if there is no clear focus on what the user wants. Usually there is a multitude of objectives, For example my needs are to:
* Organize my thoughts
* Record and research ideas
* Organize my digital documents
* Task management
* Project management
* A system for reminders
* Keep a record of contracts or agreements with suppliers for home maintenance
* Record maintenance and repairs done to my home and car
* Keep a record of movies seen or books read and write some thoughts about them
* Keep a journal of noteworthy or even trivial events happening in my life daily
Would Logseq satisfy all the above wants? Probably not to the same extent. I would be successful if Logseq was at the core of these requirements and provide me with an efficient means to deal with them.
I decided to become a Logseq user because in contrast to Obsidian I find it easier to think in blocks. I believe that I have been doing this for most of my life. When I first read about the outliner nature of Logseq I was skeptical. However, as I read more about it I became interested, then intrigued and then curious to try it. I’ll continue to keep Obsidian up to date in the interim period until I feel comfortable enough to transition to Logseq.
In the spirit of this Section, that is Questions and Help, I would appreciate learning about other Logseq users’ suggestions on how to move from another program to Logseq. I’m not particularly interested in data transfer, as I could start from a new page (no pun intended). What was the major approach that you adopted at first to make using Logseq a success?
Take it for granted that I’ll read all articles and view all YouTube videos about Logseq for beginners. I’ve already done quite a bit of this, but I would appreciate suggestions about particular articles or videos that you found useful at the start of your journey.
(he proof reads for me 
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