From cea51a8a110050393ec447cf1ea4ffbdf3fa4ed6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Protesilaos Stavrou Date: Fri, 17 Jun 2022 10:07:11 +0300 Subject: [PATCH] Add section with Frequently Asked Questions --- README.org | 81 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 81 insertions(+) diff --git a/README.org b/README.org index 724781e..dfcf0d4 100644 --- a/README.org +++ b/README.org @@ -1450,6 +1450,87 @@ mutually exclusive. If I missed something, please let me know. +* Frequently Asked Questions +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: h:da2944c6-cde6-4c65-8f2d-579305a159bb +:END: + +I (Protesilaos) answer some questions I have received or might get. It +is assumed that you have read the rest of this manual: I will not go +into the specifics of how Denote works. + +/Why develop Denote when PACKAGE already exists?/ + +I wrote Denote because I was using a variant of Denote's file-naming +scheme before I was even an Emacs user. Note-taking is something I take +very seriously, as I am a prolific writer (just check my website, which +only reveals the tip of the iceberg). As such, I need a program that +does exactly what I want and which I know how to extend. + +The existence of PACKAGE is never a good reason for me not to conduct my +own experiments for recreational, educational, or practical purposes. +Whether you should use Denote or not is another matter altogether: +choose whatever you want. + +/Why not rely exclusively on Org?/ + +I think Org is one of Emacs' killer apps. I also believe it is not the +right tool for every job. When I write notes, I want to focus on +writing. Nothing more. I thus have no need for stuff like org-babel, +scheduling to-do items, clocking time, and so on. The more "mental +dependencies" you add to your workflow, the heavier the burden you carry +and the less focused you are on the task at hand. + +In technical terms, I also am not fond of Org's code base (I understand +why it is the way it is---just commenting on the fact). Ever tried to +read it? You will routinely find functions that are hundreds of lines +long and have all sorts of special casing. As I am not a programmer and +only learnt to write Elisp through trial and error, I have no confidence +in my ability to make Org do what I want at that level. + +Perhaps the master programmer is one who can deal with complexity and +keep adding to it. I am of the opposite view as language---code +included---is at its communicative best when it is clear and accessible. + +Make no mistake: I use Org for the agenda and also to write technical +documentation that needs to be exported to various formats, including +this very manual. + +/Why care about Unix tools when you use Emacs?/ + +My notes form part of my longer-term storage. I do not want to have to +rely on a special program to be able to read them or filter them. Unix +is universal, at least as far as I am concerned. Denote streamlines +some tasks and makes things easier in general, which is consistent with +how Emacs provides a layer of interactivity on top of Unix. Still, +Denote's utilities can, in principle, be implemented as POSIX shell +scripts. + +Portability matters. For example, in the future I might own a +smartphone, so I prefer not to require Emacs, Org, or some other +executable to access my files on the go. + +Furthermore, I might want to share those files with someone. If I make +Emacs a requirement, I am limiting my circle to a handful of relatively +advanced users. + +Please don't misinterpret this: I am using Emacs full-time for my +computing and maintain a growing list of packages for it. + +/Why many small files instead of few large ones?/ + +I have read that Org favours the latter method. If true, I strongly +disagree with it because of the implicit dependency it introduces and +the way it favours machine-friendliness over human-readability in terms +of accessing information. You already get what I mean, based on the +aforementioned. + +Good luck using =less= on a generic TTY to read a file with a zillion +words, headings, sub-headings, sub-sub-headings, property drawers, and +other constructs! My point is that notes should be atomic to help the +user make sense of them. The more program-agnostic your file is, the +better for you and/or everyone else you might share your writings with. + * Acknowledgements :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: h:f8126820-3b59-49fa-bcc2-73bd60132bb9