Zettel 202109032239: Is a giant Zettelkasten hiding within the Internet?
I used a search engine to learn more about the structure of a Zettelkasten.
My search term was:
zettelkasten ledger
The second result caught my eye:
Money - My Zettelkasten
https://sudeepdino008.github.io › zettelkastenFiat currencies have their stability issues. Either weak monetary policy (lost of currencies issues) or weak fiscal policy. Ledger can either be transaction or …
Interesting!
So, I clicked the link. And got:
As far as 404 errors go, that was also interesting.
So, I explored the blog further.
And I finally came to the author’s musings on asking questions. And I noticed the author had posted notes on a book they’re reading.
And this inspired me to reevaluate how I’m writing my own notes for my Zettelkasten. And, now the author’s musings impact my own.
Your own Zettelkasten will do this in time as it grows.
And I’m especially interested in the musing on asking the right questions. I have found a new book to read.
I wish I could tell the author how I found their blog refreshing. I wish I could tell them “thank you”.
Why?
Because reading their page has created new connections between ideas in my own mind. This is one of the things we look for from a Zettelkasten.
But does that mean a giant Zettelkasten is hiding within the Internet?
The Internet shares a few similarities with a Zettelkasten. The content on the Internet creates a web of connections. Zettels will also create a similar web-like connection over time. As I showed above, other Internet sites can inspire new ideas. A Zettelkasten does this, too. And they both do this because they create something bigger than the sum of their parts.
But I do see a key difference between the Internet and a Zettelkasten. The Internet is a group of sites created by other entities. But a Zettelkasten is a collection of your own notes and ideas linked together. Yes, you may write notes on other people’s ideas too. But now you’re thinking about those ideas. And now you want to explore and expound on them. You’re looking for a way to import these ideas into your own thinking.
So, the Internet doesn’t have a giant Zettelkasten hiding within it. But you can find people like me putting their Zettelkastens on it.