I endorse the tips/tricks section here (and it seems like the most important bit because different individuals have idiosyncrasies that make different tools useful).
Yes, the “tools” section of my answer is simply an example, if you like, of tools which (a) fit the criteria I note in the “tips/tricks” section, and (b) fit my specific needs. Others’ needs may be different, so the tools they pick may be different also, but my advice is general.
Extended example, in case anyone is interested:
Before I found PmWiki and built my wiki platform, I wrote everything down in RTF files (edited with nothing more fancy than TextEdit), synced between my various computers via Dropbox.
Note that “RTF files, edited with TextEdit” fits the criteria: RTF is an extremely common format, TextEdit is decades old but constantly maintained (and anyway you can edit RTFs with basically anything), the data was in my possession, convertible to anything, easy to back up, easy to sync, easy to search.
(I have since migrated most of those files to the wiki, which also fits the criteria, in different ways. It was easy to migrate. “Text, saved in some standard format” is something you can always find some way to usefully work with.)
The important thing was that the way I started doing this was just:
Open TextEdit.
Begin typing.
The biggest hurdle is starting. The second biggest hurdle is continuing. Everything else is secondary. Worry about tools, workflows, philosophies, etc., after you’ve got enough content for any of those other things to matter.
I endorse the tips/tricks section here (and it seems like the most important bit because different individuals have idiosyncrasies that make different tools useful).
Yes, the “tools” section of my answer is simply an example, if you like, of tools which (a) fit the criteria I note in the “tips/tricks” section, and (b) fit my specific needs. Others’ needs may be different, so the tools they pick may be different also, but my advice is general.
Extended example, in case anyone is interested:
Before I found PmWiki and built my wiki platform, I wrote everything down in RTF files (edited with nothing more fancy than TextEdit), synced between my various computers via Dropbox.
Note that “RTF files, edited with TextEdit” fits the criteria: RTF is an extremely common format, TextEdit is decades old but constantly maintained (and anyway you can edit RTFs with basically anything), the data was in my possession, convertible to anything, easy to back up, easy to sync, easy to search.
(I have since migrated most of those files to the wiki, which also fits the criteria, in different ways. It was easy to migrate. “Text, saved in some standard format” is something you can always find some way to usefully work with.)
The important thing was that the way I started doing this was just:
Open TextEdit.
Begin typing.
The biggest hurdle is starting. The second biggest hurdle is continuing. Everything else is secondary. Worry about tools, workflows, philosophies, etc., after you’ve got enough content for any of those other things to matter.