Notion vs Obsidian // Databases vs Dataview
TLDRThe video explores the differences between Notion and Obsidian, highlighting Notion's hierarchical structure and Obsidian's freeform approach. Notion's databases are organized but inflexible, while Obsidian's Dataview plugin allows dynamic querying of notes without predefined categories. The video suggests Notion is ideal for structured tasks and limited use cases, whereas Obsidian, with its plugin ecosystem, is suited for complex, evolving thought processes and making unexpected connections.
Takeaways
- 📝 The speaker began using Notion in 2019 for both work and personal life, appreciating its interface, customizability, API, and the support from the Notion team.
- 🤔 The fundamental reason for switching to Obsidian is its alignment with the speaker's thought process, which is more bottom-up compared to Notion's top-down approach.
- 🗂️ Notion is hierarchical and requires users to decide the location of a note before creation, which can influence how the note is thought about and organized.
- 📑 In contrast, Obsidian allows for a more freeform approach where notes can be created without immediate categorization, using tags and links to connect ideas later.
- 📁 Notion's structure can lead to a cluttered sidebar with an increasing number of pages, which might not fit neatly into predefined categories.
- 🔗 Obsidian facilitates linking and tagging, allowing one note to be found through multiple pathways, enhancing the interconnectedness of ideas.
- 🧠 Obsidian's Graph view is highlighted as a more relevant tool for the speaker than the traditional file explorer, visualizing the connections between notes like a brain.
- 📊 Notion's databases are structured and require upfront planning on categorization, which might not accommodate evolving needs or new ways of accessing data.
- 🔍 Obsidian Dataview, a community plugin, provides flexibility by turning all notes into a dynamic database without the need for initial categorization, allowing for on-the-fly queries and views.
- 📈 For users who prefer a structured and predefined approach, Notion is suitable, especially for specific use cases like work documentation or personal wikis.
- 🌐 Obsidian, with its open-ended and adaptable nature, is recommended for those seeking a tool that can grow with their ever-changing thought processes and facilitate unexpected connections.
Q & A
What year did the speaker start using Notion?
-The speaker started using Notion in 2019.
What aspects of Notion does the speaker appreciate?
-The speaker appreciates Notion's interface, customizability, API, and the friendliness of the Notion team.
Why did the speaker switch to using Obsidian?
-The speaker switched to Obsidian because it better matches the way they think.
How does Notion's hierarchical structure influence the way users think about their notes?
-Notion's hierarchical structure requires users to decide where to categorize a note before writing it, which can influence how they think about that note.
What is the fundamental difference between Notion and Obsidian according to the speaker?
-The fundamental difference is that Notion is hierarchical and structured, while Obsidian encourages a more bottom-up approach with tags and links for organization.
How does Obsidian handle the organization of notes compared to Notion?
-Obsidian allows users to create notes first and decide where they fit later, using tags and links to connect notes to various topics.
What is the main advantage of Obsidian's approach to note organization?
-The main advantage is that it allows for a more flexible and interconnected organization of ideas, without the need to predetermine categories.
How does Notion's database feature limit the organization of data?
-Notion's database feature requires users to decide on categories and structure upfront, which can be limiting if they later want to access data in a different way.
What is Obsidian Dataview and how does it differ from Notion's databases?
-Obsidian Dataview is a community plugin that turns all notes into a database without needing to create one upfront. It allows for dynamic queries based on metadata added to notes.
Why might someone choose Notion over Obsidian?
-Someone might choose Notion if they have a specific and limited use case, need a structured hierarchy, or prefer a tool that helps them map out everything in detail.
What kind of user would benefit most from Obsidian according to the speaker?
-A user who benefits from a tool that allows for chaotic complexity of real human thought, serendipitous connections, and growth in unplanned ways would benefit most from Obsidian.
Outlines
📝 The Shift from Notion to Obsidian
The speaker began using Notion in 2019 for both work and personal purposes, appreciating its interface, customizability, API, and the support from the Notion team. Despite Notion's innovations in note-taking, the speaker has transitioned to using Obsidian due to its better alignment with their thought process. The video aims to highlight the fundamental differences between Notion and Obsidian rather than a feature-by-feature comparison. The speaker discusses the hierarchical structure of Notion, which requires users to decide on the location of a note before creation, potentially influencing how the note is perceived. This can lead to organizational challenges as users try to categorize notes across multiple aspects of life. In contrast, Obsidian promotes a bottom-up approach, allowing users to create notes first and then decide on their categorization later using tags and links, thus offering multiple ways to find a single note.
🔗 The Flexibility of Obsidian's Dataview
The speaker contrasts Notion's structured databases with Obsidian's Dataview plugin, which offers a more flexible and dynamic approach to data organization. In Notion, databases are created with predefined categories, which can become limiting if the user later wants to access data across different categories. For instance, combining notes about a country, books, and TV shows in a single database is not straightforward in Notion. Obsidian, with Dataview, allows users to create metadata on existing notes and then query this data without the need to create separate databases. This means users can add properties to notes as they see fit and then generate views that reflect these properties, such as a list of all activities in 2021 or a list of people met that year. The Dataview plugin thus provides a more adaptable and organic system for managing knowledge, akin to the way the human brain makes connections between ideas.
🤔 Choosing the Right Tool for Your Thinking Style
The speaker concludes by suggesting that Notion is best suited for users who have a clear vision of their organizational needs and a specific use case, such as internal work documentation or a personal wiki on a narrow topic. Notion's structure provides a comprehensive framework for detailed planning and ensures thorough coverage of a subject. However, for those who require a tool that can adapt to the unpredictable and complex nature of human thought, allowing for unexpected connections between diverse topics, Obsidian, with its open-ended and flexible system, is the recommended choice. The speaker also mentions upcoming content on Obsidian's plugin ecosystem and a detailed look at Dataview, encouraging viewers to stay tuned for more information on these topics.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Notion
💡Obsidian
💡Dataview
💡Hierarchical
💡API
💡Customizability
💡Graph view
💡Front matter
💡Metadata
💡Serendipitous connections
Highlights
The presenter started using Notion in 2019 and appreciated its interface, customizability, API, and the Notion team's friendliness.
Notion is credited with revolutionizing note-taking.
The decision to use Obsidian over Notion is based on how it matches the presenter's thought process.
Notion requires users to decide where to place a note before creation, which influences the thought process about that note.
Notion's hierarchical structure can lead to an overwhelming sidebar with many pages.
Obsidian encourages a bottom-up approach, allowing notes to be created first and organized later.
In Obsidian, notes can be found in multiple ways through tags and links, without being confined to a single folder.
Obsidian's Graph view is more frequently used than the File Explorer, as it represents a network of interconnected ideas.
Notion's databases require pre-planning of categories, which can be limiting if future needs change.
Obsidian Dataview turns all notes into a database without needing to create one, allowing for dynamic queries.
Dataview allows for metadata to be added to notes as needed, rather than deciding on categorization upfront.
Dataview queries can return different subsets of data based on added metadata, providing flexibility.
Notion is best for users with specific and limited use cases, providing a structured approach.
Obsidian, with Dataview, is suitable for users who require a tool that can grow with their evolving thought processes.
Dataview is a community plugin for Obsidian that enables complex data organization and retrieval.
The presenter plans to create a video explaining the installation, setup, and use cases for Dataview.
