CLOSED: [2018-01-26 Fri 18:48] SCHEDULED: <2018-01-26 Fri>
:PROPERTIES:
:CREATED:  [2017-12-24 Sun 10:33]
:ID:       2018-01-26-orgmode
:END:
:LOGBOOK:
- State "DONE"       from "STARTED"    [2018-01-26 Fri 18:48]
:END:

For decades, I have been interested in methods and tools to organize
my life. There are multiple reasons for that. The most obvious reason
is that I don't want to forget or miss important things. Furthermore,
I want to be able to concentrate on the current task without having to
worry about some different things I have to remember in the meantime.

A very important motivation is the need for curating a knowledge base.
This knowledge base is crucial for my life. With it, [[https://arxiv.org/abs/1304.1332][I can
re-construct the past to a great level of detail]]. When I faced a
certain issue and was able to find a solution, my knowledge base is
able to tell me the solution when the issue re-appears somewhere else.

This is about the journey for the best tool there is to organize my
life.

*** Looking back

During my journey, [[id:tags-pim][I have used many different tools and methods]]. From
a variety of paper-based approaches to the huge universe of the
digital ones, mobile or not.

In 2011, [[id:2017-06-03-emacs-history][I attended a talk where Eraldo
showed some really basic stuff of Emacs Org-mode]]. From then on, I
found the ultimate tool of choice for almost all of my workflows.
Meanwhile, I work within [[https://orgmode.org/][Org-mode]] for about ninety percent of the time
I work with my computer. I published many [[id:tags-emacs][blog articles about Emacs
and Org-mode]]. You might be interested in [[id:2019-09-25-using-orgmode][this blog series where I
explain how I'm using selected Org mode features]].

*** It's not about an editor

For simple editing tasks (email, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet][Usenet]], config files, ...), I still
do use the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vim_(text_editor)][vim]] editor on a daily basis. This is no contradiction at
all because [[id:2015-10-23-Emacs-is-not-just-an-editor][Emacs is not just an editor]].

#+CAPTION: Screenshot from my Mastodon account.
#+ATTR_HTML: :alt Non-Emacs-software to #Emacs is like a Playmobil car to a set of Lego bricks. And I've always been the Lego-guy.  I might as well add a sixth car seat if it is necessary.
#+ATTR_HTML: :align center :width 568
[[tsfile:2020-10-01T23.12 graz.social - Non-Emacs is like Playmobil -- screenshots publicvoit.png][https://graz.social/@publicvoit/104961588196992468]]

Org-mode, as an extension to the Emacs platform, is like an endless
box of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego][Lego bricks]]. With those bricks, you can build your personal
information management (PIM) environment. Everybody takes different
bricks out of this box. For every Org-mode user, Org-mode is slightly
something different.

Therefore, with some given urge to develop yourself, you get a
tailored toolset which is unique for your personal tasks. [[id:2014-12-03-emacs-chat][My set of
tools]] is a loyal companion for many years. The knowledge I accumulated
by playing around with Emacs and/or Org-mode is knowledge that lasts
for decades, not just until the next major release. Even more, I do
think that [[id:2017-02-10-evolution-of-systems][this ecosystem is an example of a totally new kind of
software system]]. Something that tears down the walls we have between
our applications. Something that lets us put the information in the
center of all and not separate files, software applications or even
features. Everything that relates to each other is in one common
place.

*** As simple as possible but very powerful at the same time

The basis of Org-mode are simple text files. They are the definition
of openness and therefore I don't have to worry about the future. My
data can be read and processed by all kinds of tools forever.
Data-wise there won't be any migration loss between Org-mode and
something different.

Within my Org-mode files, I can embed and link all kinds of data.
Contrary to many people who have never seen the capabilities of a
modern Emacs, my environment is able to display images and even PDF
files within the editor window. For experts, embedded [[https://orgmode.org/worg/org-contrib/babel/index.html][source code
snippets can be even executed in-line]] and the output may be re-used by
a different code snippet (in a different programming language) or
visualized using any decent tool. Even those advanced features are
implemented so that I don't have to be a genius in order to use and
control them.

As a matter of fact, basic [[https://orgmode.org/orgcard.pdf][Org-mode keyboard shortcuts]] are not that
hard to learn. With just a handful of mnemonic shortcuts, you are
ready to go for your daily work. Starting with simple things like
brainstorming ideas, collapsing and expanding content, moving around
within your data and creating new items quickly - shortcuts you can
remember within minutes.

Text within Org-mode is written in a [[id:2017-09-23-orgmode-as-markup-only][very simple and most beautifully
designed markup language]]. No comparison to hard-to-type markups like
[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML][HTML]], complex ones like [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaTeX][LaTeX]] or [[id:2017-09-23-orgmode-as-markup-only][IMO]] badly designed ones like
[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReStructuredText][reStructuredText]]. Good news: [[https://orgmode.org/manual/index.html#toc-Exporting-1][Org-mode can export your information]] in
all kinds of formats including HTML, LaTeX, [[https://github.com/kawabata/ox-pandoc][docx]], LibreOffice, and [[https://github.com/kawabata/ox-pandoc][a
big variety]] of markup languages. Even PhD theses and whole books are
written using Org-mode.

#+CAPTION: Emacs showing an Org-mode buffer with some syntax examples
#+ATTR_HTML: :align center :width 560
[[tsfile:2018-01-26T19.04.46 Emacs showing Org-mode example -- screenshots publicvoit.png][2018-01-26T19.04.46 Emacs showing Org-mode example -- screenshots publicvoit.png]]

Never in my life have I seen a more beautiful piece of software that
scales well from very simple note taking to the most complex
workflows you can imagine. Its [[https://orgmode.org/worg/][community]] is awesome, you can [[https://orgmode.org/worg/org-mailing-list.html][meet the
most nicest people]].

To me, Org-mode solves things like [[https://orgmode.org/manual/TODO-items.html#TODO-items][simple todo lists]], [[https://orgmode.org/manual/Document-structure.html#Document-structure][note taking]],
[[id:2016-12-16-org-depend][project management]], [[https://orgmode.org/manual/The-spreadsheet.html#The-spreadsheet][spreadsheet calculations]], [[https://orgmode.org/manual/Agenda-views.html#Agenda-views][calendar]], [[id:2015-02-01-muttfilter][contact
management]], [[id:2014-05-09-managing-digital-photographs][file management]], [[https://github.com/novoid/lazyblorg/][blogging system]], knowledge base, [[id:tags-quantifiedself][quantified self]],
[[id:2014-06-28-darum-lifelogging][lifelogging]], [[id:2015-12-26-reference-management-with-orgmode][reference management]], [[id:2014-08-10-bookmarks-with-orgmode][bookmark collection]] and so forth.

Of course, for you, there will be different tasks and workflows you
want to accomplish. And there will be cool answers for you within
Org-mode and related projects.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to motivate people to start with
Org-mode. Following the LEGO comparison above, the spectrum goes from
"describing each an every basic building block" which can be quite
boring without explaining their impact on real-world use-cases. On the
other hand side, if I show you the giraffe I've made out of those
bricks as well as the shiny space-ship, you might get overwhelmed,
because you don't understand how I slowly created those tools from the
basic building blocks. Therefore, you need to accept a bit of
potential boring descriptions of the syntax format, drawers, blocks,
and so forth. Furthermore, you don't have to be overwhelmed when
people like me are writing about complex scenarios supported by
Org-mode based features.

#+CAPTION: Screenshot from my Mastodon account with link to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea_-TaEGa7Y
#+ATTR_HTML: :alt "After switching from #vim to #Emacs, even after using it for a few months, I didn't quite understand how amazing #orgmode is. It is a complete game-changer."
#+ATTR_HTML: :align center :width 581
[[tsfile:2020-09-29T14.00 graz.social - I didn't quite understand how amazing orgmode is -- screenshots publicvoit.png][https://graz.social/@publicvoit/104948093695450077]]

As somebody starting with Emacs Org mode, [[id:2020-01-20-start-using-orgmode][you should definitely read
about my recommendations]] on how to do so in an effective and happy
way.

Your knowledge is the only limit.

*** Other resources
:PROPERTIES:
:END:

- [2023-05-07 Sun] [[https://gretzuni.com/articles/why-non-techie-emacs][Why (non-techie) Emacs? | gretzuni]]