The Case for a Personal Knowledge Management Systems (PKMS) #

Why is it still important in the age of AI? #

“People how organize, store and catalog their own thinking and reading will have a leg up in an AI-driven world. They can make those resources available to the model and use it to enhance the intelligence and relevance of its responses.” #

Having “real ownership”: #

By having “ownership” I mean the freedom work with the content without any restrictions. By rewriting and re-using parts of it, adding comments, build connections I am able to internalize it far better so that it becomes truly MY knowledge.

Connecting the dots #

Having knowledge stored locally allows me for “connecting the dots” to get a deeper understanding about a subject matter. The field of organizational science is heavily influenced by social sciences such as psychology, sociology, and economics, among others. Understanding the origins often helps me to make better use of a certain concept or practice.

Easy to reference information sources #

In my endeavors we often discuss concepts, principles etc. Sometimes my counterparts are not aware of a certain topic. Having my “Playbook” I simply point them to the respective entry that provides guidance and references.

Storage place for my customized frameworks and mental models #

Each of us operates on his/her very own set of best practices and values. Both develop over time. My PKMS allows me to document those practices for easy retrieval and continuously develop and adjust them based on new experiences.

Putting new topics on my radar #

To broaden my knowledge, I create a page for concepts I don’t know much about but could be important later and add content to it. I connect these new ideas with stuff I already know. In some cases I become aware of the right denomination only at a later point in time.

Access Speed #

In time critical scenarios I am able to pull up content in about a second in the desired granularity

Content you have stored in your domains is always there when you need it #

Content get removed from the web or suddenly disappears behind a paywall. Having it stored locally I am always sure that is there when I need it.

Supports several learning techniques #

Retrieval Practice: Using flashcards I can increase my learning pace. In it´s electronic version I can access them from everywhere and at anytime
Spaced practice: It allows me to review my material in spaced intervals

Favorite source vs. source suggested by other services #

Goggle and other search engines do a great jobs finding the best resource. Just sometimes it’s not the best resource for me. For example I have preferences in regards to how something is presented and usually prefer a teacher who picks me up where I stand.

Quality of search results of Search Engines and AI Tools #

Search Engine return content that has been optimized to be found by them. It´s a constant struggle for them to distinguish optimized content from quality content and they do not always win. Furthermore results are not repeatable over a certain period of time, so the great article I found 4 weeks ago, might not show up anymore today.

Pure content #

Noise-free, No ads, pop-up’s, etc.

Second Brain #

It functions as my Second Brain. Working as a freelance consultant I am facing new challenges every couple of months. Besides for being a Subject Matter Expert, clients also contract me because they know I am a reliable worker capable of quickly getting a grip on new topics and adapting to new environments.

Everything in one place #

Having sources in different media formats available from one location I quickly find content in right format for the right situation in case I’d like to “refresh” my knowledge on topics I only deal with from time to time: Audio file when I am on the road or do my exercises, videos for some “edutainment” after a long work day, an electronic book to take with me on a weekend trip.

“Build to last” by using markdown #

Why MD? https://hacks.mozilla.org/2022/09/the-100-percent-markdown-expedition/
Design to last: https://jeffhuang.com/designed_to_last/
The art of plain text: https://www.netmeister.org/blog/the-art-of-plain-text.html
Designing better file organization around tags, not hierarchies: https://www.nayuki.io/page/designing-better-file-organization-around-tags-not-hierarchies

What others people say: #

Justin Yan/Why use a Personal Knowledgebase? People recall structured information 40% better