Master Obsidian: From Beginner to Pro (ft. Nick Milo's Top Tips)

Obsidian: The Second Brain

In this video, Nick Milo, an Obsidian expert, rates the note-taking app on 10 key factors that any notes app needs to become a true second brain.

Searchability

• Obsidian has Boolean search capabilities and robust tagging features.

• Autocomplete is a superpower that makes searching faster and more efficient.

• Overall, Nick rates Obsidian's searchability as a 9 out of 10.

Duplication or Reusability

• Obsidian allows for the use of templates and embedding notes or blocks of information.

• Block references are a powerful feature that allows for easy referencing of quotes or ideas across multiple notes.

• While there are other apps that handle block references better, Nick gives Obsidian an 8 out of 10 for duplication or reusability.

Access to Notes

• Obsidian is available on desktop and mobile devices with excellent sync capabilities.

• Syncing can be set up easily but may require some initial troubleshooting.

• Offline use is also possible since files can be stored locally or in cloud storage services like Dropbox.

Other Factors

• Nick mentions autocomplete as a superpower in searchability.

• Link-based applications like Obsidian provide a single source of truth which is crucial for safety when dealing with important information.

• Overall, Nick rates Obsidian highly as a second brain note-taking app.

Obsidian Note-Taking App Review

In this section, the speaker talks about the Obsidian note-taking app and its features.

Features of Obsidian

• The app has a service called "Obsidian Publish" that allows users to publish their notes online with just one click.

• The shareability feature of Obsidian is powerful and democratizing. Users can share their ideas on the web and reference them later.

• Currently, Obsidian does not support collaboration or multiple people editing the same note. It is almost unusable in a realistic team scenario.

• The app uses markdown for formatting, which means notes are in human-readable form and can be read by other applications that read markdown.

User Experience

• Everything is a trade-off when it comes to note-taking apps. Users have to choose between total control and modularity.

• There is a learning curve when transitioning to something like Obsidian, but once users get used to it, they can work at almost the speed of thought.

• Autocomplete with tags makes editing across multiple notes very powerful.

Upgradability

• The path with Obsidian starts as easy as downloading it and hitting the button that says "new note." Eventually, users learn how to link notes together and can really go crazy with it.

Obsidian App Review

In this section, the speaker talks about the upgradability and transferability of notes in Obsidian.

Upgradability

• Obsidian has a plugin system that allows users to upgrade their note-taking experience.

• However, using too many plugins can make it difficult to transfer notes to another app.

• The use of markdown makes notes future-proof.

Transferability

• The speaker's confidence level in transferring notes from Obsidian to another app is fairly high.

• Plain text files can be easily transferred into Obsidian.

• Novice users who only use core plugins will have an easy time transferring their information.

Linking

• The linking ability in Obsidian is a clear 10 out of 10.

• Users can link note to note, block to block, and paragraph to paragraph.

• Although Rome Research and Log C are better at linking one-line links, overall, Obsidian is a phenomenal linking tool.

Sandbox Approach

• Obsidian provides a sandbox approach that includes folders, notes files, tags, etc., which unlocks all its power.

• Software developers love giving options but this creates a vacuum for step-by-step guides.

Capturing Notes

In this section, the speaker talks about the different formats that can be captured in Obsidian.

Variety of Formats

• There are various formats that can be captured in Obsidian such as text images videos hyperlinks attachments PDFs Word documents.

Obsidian Note-Taking App Review

In this section, the speaker discusses the robustness of Obsidian and its ability to store various types of files.

File Storage

• Obsidian is a robust note-taking app that can store PDFs, audio recordings, and slideshows.

• The app reads all notes as a single database from a local folder on your desktop.

• Users can organize their files using folders, tags, and links.

Organizing Content in Obsidian

In this section, the speaker explains how users can organize their content in Obsidian.

Tools for Organization

• Users have access to folders, tags, links, and databases to organize their content.

• The database feature is particularly powerful for slicing and dicing data.

• Metadata can be added using tags starting with "note" followed by specific keywords.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Databases in Obsidian

In this section, the speaker discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using databases in Obsidian.

Pros and Cons of Databases

• Databases are powerful tools for organizing data but require adding metadata manually.

• Obsidian reads all notes as a single database from a local folder on your desktop.

• This approach has both advantages (e.g., easy searchability) and disadvantages (e.g., manual metadata addition).

Security Features in Obsidian

In this section, the speaker rates the security features of Obsidian.

Security Rating

• The app is rated 10 out of 10 for security because it's local storage only.

• Users are responsible for backing up their own data if they use obsidian sync which is zero-knowledge solution

• There are three syncing options: iCloud, Dropbox, and Obsidian Sync.

Getting Started with Obsidian

In this section, the speaker provides advice for those interested in learning how to use Obsidian.

Learning Resources

• The speaker recommends going to YouTube and searching for "Obsidian" to find helpful videos.

• The speaker also has some videos on their channel that are worth checking out.

Final Score and Conclusion

In this section, the speaker gives a final score for Obsidian and concludes the review.

Final Score

• Combining all of Nick's answers results in a score of 92 out of 100 points (an A-minus).

• Obsidian is a powerful note-taking app with robust features for organizing data.

• Its security features make it an excellent choice for users who prioritize privacy.