Tools & practice
A small case for offline-first notes
Writing should still work when the network does not.
A useful notebook begins with being available. Plain text and Markdown files are easy to open, copy and move between machines. They do not solve every organisational problem, but they make the underlying information easier to keep.
Keep the structure boring
Start with a folder for current work, a folder for reference material and a small inbox for things that have not found a home. Add more structure only when there is a repeated reason for it.
Separate saving from synchronising
A file that exists on two devices is convenient. A backup that preserves an older version protects against a different problem. Keep both ideas in the routine, and occasionally test whether a saved copy can actually be opened.
Leave a trail
A short description of why a decision was made is often more useful than a long list of links. Write the question, the choice and the one constraint that mattered most.