Choosing by 'Where You Come From' Rather Than 'What You Can Do': Outliner or Wiki?

On the internet, there is a lot of talk comparing Logseq to other
note-taking apps.
This article is aboutchoosing a note-taking appthat suits you.

Of course, they are important. But if you stop using the tool, it doesn't matter.

What you should ask when choosing a tool might be, 'What is the lineage of my thinking!'
That is what Logseq makes me feel.

Two Lineages

Digital note-taking tools generally fall into two lineages.

The Outliner lineage(Logseq, Roam Research, etc.) and the
Wiki lineage(Obsidian, etc.).

Both look like tools for 'storing knowledge.'
But their philosophies are completely different. The outliner lineage is built on the idea of
building structure from the flow.
Write first. Organize later, naturally.

The Wiki lineage is built on the idea of connecting islands with links. It treats independent notes as 'islands,'
consciously creating links to grow a map.
This difference is not about features. It is a
difference in philosophy.

This is not an extreme argument that Obsidian is completely useless.

Which lineage are you? - Self-diagnosis check -

People suited for the Outliner lineage

If you identify with the following points, the Outliner lineagelike Logseq or Roam Research should feel right for you.

Writing and Organizing You start by writing in bullet points, and the structure becomes visible later. You are the type who realizes 'Oh, so that's what this was about' only after you finish writing.

Units of Information Each bullet point is a grain of thought. You treat information as a 'stack of thought fragments' rather than as notes.

Priorities Today's record (journal) becomes the source of knowledge. You throw everything into daily notes and pick them up later.

Form of Evolution Workflows naturally grow from 'flow' to 'structure'.

Who the Wiki approach is for

If you resonate with the following points, you have an affinity for the Wiki lineage like Obsidian.

How you view notes A single note is an 'island.' You write them as complete units that can exist independently.

How you connect them You consciously create links. You enjoy building bridges yourself when you feel that 'this note and that note are connected.'

Unit of management You prefer to build structure through a network of links rather than classifying by folders or tags.

Design You enjoy the feeling of designing your own map of knowledge. You want to see the big picture.

Form of evolution As links increase, a visual network of knowledge grows.

When the lineage of your thinking aligns, your workflow evolves

This is the core. When your own lineage of thinking overlaps with the lineage of the tool, your
workflow naturally evolves.

Conversely, if the lineages are misaligned,
no matter how excellent the features are, the feeling that 'it's somehow difficult to use'
will not go away.

If you don't know which one is you, just use both and try
launching them every morning.
The answer will come from above on the fourth day.

If you choose the outliner lineage, you can experience the process of daily fluid records turning into knowledge over time. If you choose the Wiki lineage, you can experience the process of your own unique map of knowledge expanding every time you connect notes.

It is not about which is superior. It is about which one is 'you.'

Conclusion:

Choosing a tool begins with understanding the genealogy of your thinking.

Logseq or Obsidian? Outliner or Wiki?

You can choose any of them. However, once you know which lineage your thinking has an affinity with, tools change from something you 'choose' to something you 'encounter'.

And at that moment, your workflow begins to evolve quietly, yet surely.

#ToolPhilosophy #RootsOfThought #DesignPhilosophy #Logseq #Outliner
#PKM #ThinkingMethods #NoteTaking #Zettelkasten