the_information_nexus/personal/obsidian_getting_started.md

Here's a detailed plan to set up your modular tag system in a fresh Obsidian install with a new vault, including a name suggestion and steps to build out your system effectively.

Vault Name

Consider naming your vault something meaningful and relevant to its purpose. For example:

• KnowledgeBase
• MindPalace
• NoteHub
• BrainArchive

Let's go with KnowledgeBase for this guide.

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Step 1: Create a New Vault

1. Open Obsidian.
2. Click on "Create new vault."
3. Name your vault KnowledgeBase.
4. Choose a location for your vault and click "Create."

Step 2: Set Up Main Categories

1. Open a new note and title it Main Categories.
2. List the primary themes or categories:

   #personal
   #work
   #research
   #ideas
   #projects
   #learning
   #hobbies
   #reference
   

Step 3: Create Sub-tags

1. For each main category, create a note and list the sub-tags. For example, create a note titled #personal and add:

   #personal/journal
   #personal/goals
   #personal/health
   

2. Repeat for other categories:

   • Work: #work/meetings, #work/tasks, #work/projects
   • Research: #research/articles, #research/books, #research/experiments
   • Ideas: #ideas/blog, #ideas/business, #ideas/creative
   • Projects: #projects/001, #projects/002, #projects/003
   • Learning: #learning/courses, #learning/books, #learning/notes
   • Hobbies: #hobbies/travel, #hobbies/photography, #hobbies/cooking
   • Reference: #reference/tools, #reference/resources, #reference/templates

Step 4: Apply Descriptive Tags

1. Create a note titled Descriptive Tags.
2. List general tags:

   #productivity
   #finance
   #marketing
   #technology
   #creativity
   #psychology
   #wellness
   #education
   #innovation
   

Step 5: Special Tags for Note Types or Status

1. Create a note titled Special Tags.
2. List tags for note types and status:

   #type/meeting-notes
   #type/book-summary
   #type/article-review
   #type/brainstorm
   #status/to-do
   #status/in-progress
   #status/completed
   #status/archived
   

Step 6: Use Nested Tags

1. Create notes for nested tags under relevant main categories.
2. Example for projects:

   #projects/project1/task1
   #projects/project1/task2
   #projects/project2/phase1
   #projects/project2/phase2
   

Step 7: Consistent Naming Conventions

1. Add a note titled Naming Conventions.
2. Describe your rules:

   - Use lowercase letters.
   - Use hyphens or underscores for spaces.
   - Incorporate numbers for sequences or dates (e.g., #project/001, #idea/2023/05/22).
   

Step 8: Combine with Other Obsidian Features

1. Create a note titled Using Tags with Other Features.
2. Outline how to use tags with links, backlinks, queries, and the tag pane.

Step 9: Regular Review and Refinement

1. Set a periodic reminder (monthly, quarterly) to review and refine your tag system.
2. Adjust the hierarchy, merge similar tags, and remove unused ones as needed.

Example Note

Create a sample note to illustrate how to use the tags:

# Meeting with John - Project Update

- Discussed progress on #projects/001
- Identified bottlenecks in #projects/001/task2
- Brainstormed ideas for improving #productivity
- Scheduled follow-up meeting for next week #2023/05/28

#type/meeting-notes #work/meetings #status/completed

Summary of Starting Point Tags

Main Categories

• #personal
• #work
• #research
• #ideas
• #projects
• #learning
• #hobbies
• #reference

Sub-tags

• #personal
  • #personal/journal
  • #personal/goals
  • #personal/health
• #work
  • #work/meetings
  • #work/tasks
  • #work/projects
• #research
  • #research/articles
  • #research/books
  • #research/experiments
• #ideas
  • #ideas/blog
  • #ideas/business
  • #ideas/creative
• #projects
  • #projects/001
  • #projects/002
  • #projects/003
• #learning
  • #learning/courses
  • #learning/books
  • #learning/notes
• #hobbies
  • #hobbies/travel
  • #hobbies/photography
  • #hobbies/cooking
• #reference
  • #reference/tools
  • #reference/resources
  • #reference/templates

Descriptive Tags

• #productivity
• #finance
• #marketing
• #technology
• #creativity
• #psychology
• #wellness
• #education
• #innovation

Special Tags

• #type
  • #type/meeting-notes
  • #type/book-summary
  • #type/article-review
  • #type/brainstorm
• #status
  • #status/to-do
  • #status/in-progress
  • #status/completed
  • #status/archived

This setup will provide a robust, organized structure for your notes, making it easier to manage and navigate your knowledge base.

---

Comprehensive Guide to Using a Modular Tag System in Obsidian

Step 1: Identify Main Categories

Define the primary themes or categories that broadly encapsulate your notes. These categories will help you quickly find and organize notes. Examples include:

• #personal
• #work
• #research
• #ideas
• #projects
• #learning
• #hobbies
• #reference (for capturing general reference information)

Step 2: Create Sub-tags

Break down each main category into more specific sub-tags to further organize your notes. Sub-tags should help you pinpoint the exact type of note or context. Examples include:

• #personal
  • #personal/journal
  • #personal/goals
  • #personal/health
• #work
  • #work/meetings
  • #work/tasks
  • #work/projects
• #research
  • #research/articles
  • #research/books
  • #research/experiments
• #ideas
  • #ideas/blog
  • #ideas/business
  • #ideas/creative
• #projects
  • #projects/project1
  • #projects/project2
  • #projects/projectX
• #learning
  • #learning/courses
  • #learning/books
  • #learning/notes
• #hobbies
  • #hobbies/travel
  • #hobbies/photography
  • #hobbies/cooking
• #reference
  • #reference/tools
  • #reference/resources
  • #reference/templates

Step 3: Use Descriptive Tags

Apply specific descriptive tags to capture the content or key concepts of each note. These tags should be general enough to be used across different categories but specific enough to add meaningful context. Examples include:

• #productivity
• #finance
• #marketing
• #technology
• #creativity
• #psychology
• #wellness
• #education
• #innovation

Step 4: Special Tags for Note Types or Status

Add tags to identify the type of note or its status. These can help you track the purpose or progress of a note. Examples include:

• #type
  • #type/meeting-notes
  • #type/book-summary
  • #type/article-review
  • #type/brainstorm
• #status
  • #status/to-do
  • #status/in-progress
  • #status/completed
  • #status/archived

Step 5: Use Nested Tags

Create a hierarchical structure with nested tags to establish relationships and context. Nested tags should logically connect broader categories to more specific details. Examples include:

• #projects
  • #projects/project1
    • #projects/project1/task1
    • #projects/project1/task2
  • #projects/project2
    • #projects/project2/phase1
    • #projects/project2/phase2
• #research
  • #research/articles
    • #research/articles/psychology
    • #research/articles/technology
  • #research/books
    • #research/books/business
    • #research/books/science

Step 6: Consistent Naming Conventions

Maintain consistency in naming tags. Use all lowercase letters, hyphens, or underscores to separate words in a tag. Numbers can also be used in tag names to denote sequences or dates. Examples include:

• Use #work/tasks instead of #Work/Tasks
• Use #personal_goals instead of #Personal Goals
• Use #project/001 or #idea/2023/05/22

Step 7: Combine with Other Obsidian Features

Tags can be used in combination with other powerful Obsidian features to enable even more effective organization and navigation. For example:

• Use links and backlinks to connect related notes.
• Create queries to dynamically collect notes based on tag patterns.
• Set up saved searches for frequently used tag combinations.
• Use the tag pane to quickly access and manage your tags.

Step 8: Regular Review and Refinement

Regularly review and refine your tag system to ensure it remains effective as your knowledge base grows. Merge similar tags, remove unused ones, and adjust your hierarchy as needed.

Example of a Tagged Note

Here's a practical example of how you might tag a note:

# Meeting with John - Project Update

- Discussed progress on #projects/001
- Identified bottlenecks in #projects/001/task2
- Brainstormed ideas for improving #productivity
- Scheduled follow-up meeting for next week #2023/05/28

#type/meeting-notes #work/meetings #status/completed

Summary of Starting Point Tags

Here's a summary list of starting point tags for easy reference:

Main Categories

• #personal
• #work
• #research
• #ideas
• #projects
• #learning
• #hobbies
• #reference

Sub-tags

• #personal
  • #personal/journal
  • #personal/goals
  • #personal/health
• #work
  • #work/meetings
  • #work/tasks
  • #work/projects
• #research
  • #research/articles
  • #research/books
  • #research/experiments
• #ideas
  • #ideas/blog
  • #ideas/business
  • #ideas/creative
• #projects
  • #projects/001
  • #projects/002
  • #projects/003
• #learning
  • #learning/courses
  • #learning/books
  • #learning/notes
• #hobbies
  • #hobbies/travel
  • #hobbies/photography
  • #hobbies/cooking
• #reference
  • #reference/tools
  • #reference/resources
  • #reference/templates

Descriptive Tags

• #productivity
• #finance
• #marketing
• #technology
• #creativity
• #psychology
• #wellness
• #education
• #innovation

Special Tags

• #type
  • #type/meeting-notes
  • #type/book-summary
  • #type/article-review
  • #type/brainstorm
• #status
  • #status/to-do
  • #status/in-progress
  • #status/completed
  • #status/archived

This guide provides a comprehensive, organized approach to using a modular tag system in Obsidian, allowing you to efficiently manage and navigate your notes.