Knowledge management
Where to do what
Over the years I have learned a lot of lessons about where to store and glean knowledge and how to manage it. My preferences might not work for others, but at least I can put them here for those who don’t have any yet.
Avoid custom domains for longevity
When I was young I was obsessed with squatting on cool domain names. I was a fool. As I approach 60 I’m starting to realize all this knowledge I’m capturing doesn’t have a chance of getting discovered after I die unless I begin to let go of the notion of vanity domain names (like rwx.gg). Sure the Wayback Internet Archive is available for now, but it might not always be. What is likely to remain are domains like github.io that millions of people depend on being there for as long as GitHub exists.
Unless the domain name is for a fun application that could eventually die, or there is a timeless organization associated with the domain that will always have a member there to renew it, it simply doesn’t make sense to even buy and maintain an independent domain. There is zero practical advantage over the several domains that are from services that are completely and perpetually free (like github.io).
Code: GitHub
This is a no brainier. Just the GitHub CLI tool (gh) completely solidifies this decision. It helps that it is the largest repository collection in the world, the best for employment and discovery, the most sustainably financed (by Microsoft), and even regularly saves source into the Arctic Archive.
Written notes: GitHub
That’s right. Nothing but GitHub Flavored Markdown organized in whatever way you like. If I were to ever use a tool like Obsidian I would make sure it is 100% backed by GitHub and that no proprietary Markdown is used (like [[]] for links).
Spoken notes and reminders: Chloe my ChatGPT on my phone
Having Chloe has revolutionized the way I do knowledge management while in motion. I can have an interactive session with Chloe and have her perfectly recall every aspect of the conversation later when I want to put that idea or the whole conversation into a more polished written form later.
For example, while I’m driving or on the bike I can converse with Chloe in any language I want and then just forget about it. Before I might have tried to do some sort of bad text-to-speech to load my words into some brain-dead note system (like Obsidian). No more. Today Chloe has my note-taking back.
Knowledge worth publishing: books repo (rwxrob.github.io/books)
Stuff that could one day be published in a book or booklet goes in my collection of books. I call this perpetual publishing. It’s not the same as a blog.
Personal blog: site repo (rwxrob.github.io)
Few people know that everyone gets a free web site with a full content deployment network (CDN) on GitHub. It used to be you had to use Netlify or pay for this. No more. Most people will never hit the caps and limitations of simply pusting to GitHub itself—especially for blogging stuff.
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DO NOT USE WORDPRESS! I made the horrible mistake of using Wordpress.com once for this. I thought it would make blogging from my bike easier from the phone. It didn’t. All it did was ensure I would never be able to extract my posts in any useable way. Instead, I take my 14" Macbook Pro with me and do a proper blog—much more quickly—when I can take it out and use it. I just use Chloe, my ChatGPT AI, to capture quick notes that I can have her remind me of later when I’m ready to write the blog. |
Real-time chat: Twitch IRC with weechat
Ironically, Twitch IRC is the best way to maintain a community chat for the most people because it has built-in account validation. No worries that someone is going to crash the server. This allows the use of IRC for other communities and questions as well.
I find this far better than Discord or Reddit or Slack for real-time communication at a personal level.
Personal near-read-time chat: Discord
I hardly ever use Discord, but it has the best formatting of any of the chat systems even if it isn’t designed for work. I just cannot get anyone to participate to the same level in GitHub threaded discussions. This what people tend to use in their personal lives.
Perpetual publishing
Managing knowledge as source code
Enables crowd sourcing, but beware
Don’t lose all the reasons that people sometimes prefer a book.
What about it being constantly out of date?
Is any website actually up to date? The difference is openly stating up front that your public book is perpetually out of date manages the expectation better.
Strong opinions, weakly held
The concept of having strong opinions that are “weakly held” reflects an intellectual approach characterized by confident advocacy for a position while maintaining a willingness to revise or abandon it in light of new evidence or perspectives. This mindset values the rigor of well-formed arguments and active engagement with ideas, yet prioritizes adaptability over dogmatic adherence. It embodies a balance between conviction and open-mindedness, encouraging intellectual humility and continuous learning. This approach fosters a dynamic relationship with knowledge, where evolving understanding takes precedence over rigidly defending initial beliefs.
Weekly held
That’s such a clever spin on it! Honestly, though, constantly adapting based on new information is a strength, not a flaw. It shows you’re curious and willing to grow—some people stick to their opinions forever, even when they’re wrong. So if they’re joking, I’d take it as a compliment in disguise! Do you find it tough to balance that openness with sticking to your convictions?
Exactly—that’s the trap. Dogma feels safe, like anchoring yourself to a “truth,” but it also blinds you to better ideas. Being willing to let go of something you’re invested in takes guts. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s also where the best growth happens. Do you have any specific strategies to stay open without feeling like you’re just floating around without an anchor?
How to stay open
Staying open while keeping some grounding is a balancing act, but here are a couple of ideas that might help:
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Define Core Values: Instead of anchoring to specific opinions, ground yourself in a few unshakable principles—like honesty, curiosity, or empathy. They act as a compass, so even if your opinions shift, you’re not directionless.
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Pause Before Pivoting: When new information comes in, give yourself a beat before embracing it. Ask, Does this fit with what I know? Why or why not? That way, you’re reflecting instead of reacting.
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Document the Journey: Start a “thought journal” to track why you believed something and why you changed your mind. It helps you see patterns and reassures you that changing isn’t weak—it’s smart.
Do any of these resonate, or is there a specific area where you feel like you’re too quick to adapt?
Get a job
CV vs resume
The goals of these two critical documents are radically different, one is to capture everything you have ever done in specific detail, the other is to intrigue someone with just enough enticing highlights of you to make them want to talk to you in an interview and give them something to remind them what to ask you about (alont with the dozens of others they will be interviewing).
Resume it provocatively short
"Resume is the Tinder pic that gets you the date." (Insanit13s)
Resume is not to get you in the door, its to get an interview
One of the biggest failed ideas about resumes is that somehow some system is going to crunch it and magically submit you to another person who is going to be so impressed they are going to cold-call you on the spot. This has never happened. Employment opportunities start with a human connection and relationship that leads to initial trust that you can do the job. At that point, the resume is usually a formality that has to be submitted to HR before they can give you the interview. Sometimes organizations will create a job posting just so you can submit the resume even though they have no intention of interviewing anyone else.
Work with good people
People don’t quit their jobs; they quit their coworkers.
Purpose
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more.