PKM apps need to get better at resurfacing information
4 days ago
- #PKM
- #Information Management
- #Productivity
- PKM apps like Obsidian, Things, Drafts, Readwise Reader, and Raindrop help users capture, organize, and synthesize information.
- Current PKM apps lack effective resurfacing of old or forgotten information, making it hard to re-engage with past data.
- Resurfacing could be simple (e.g., showing tasks older than six months) or AI-driven (e.g., finding related journal entries).
- Benefits of better resurfacing include remembering existing data, pruning stale items, reducing choice paralysis, observing patterns, and sparking serendipity.
- Spotify's Home tab is an example of effective resurfacing, suggesting music based on user history and preferences.
- A future PKM app could feature a homepage with recently edited notes, historical notes, infrequently accessed notes, and algorithmically grouped notes.
- The author has built custom tools (e.g., StumbleDrop, StumbleWise) to resurface random bookmarks and articles but wants native app features.
- PKM apps risk becoming 'black holes' for information without better resurfacing, leading to anxiety over unused data.
- The author urges PKM developers to prioritize features that help users re-engage with their collected information.