Hi All, I started using Obsidian few weeks ago. I’ve been using text files for years, but this is a kick.
After creating three vaults:
my private stuff, what i write privately + all my notes
my research and practice notes
reading (some full text), references, all things ‘incoming’ (all areas)
I am really tempted to merge them into one big thing, but am hesitant.
After short period of testing 3 vaults I already see that boundaries are fuzzy and it takes unnecessary load to decide where to put information, not to mention lack of ability to search it all and link it all.
Out of crazy feature requests realm, it would be great to be able to somehow connect/disconnect whole areas/vaults, on the other hand, having it all in one big vault and not minding separation is, as I said, tempting.
What is your take on one vs. many vaults in this case?
I use, and would recommend, one vault. Some of what you are reading, researching, and writing in your private notes could be connected, and you’ll miss out on that if you begin with silos. As well, creating three vaults forces you to make an immediate decision on which bucket an idea goes into—a decision that is somewhat binding in the future.
A big benefit of a system of a tool like Obsidian is the ability to draw connections between different ideas and insights. If you start out with three vaults to begin with, you are missing opportunities to do that.
Thanks for your reply, @djdrysdale. I already experience what you describe - mental load on choosing one of vaults, as things are fuzzy. No other way then to dive in and try. My only worry is mixing too much external content with my notes and writings - will see how this pans out.
Reducing ‘friction’ in your knowledge management system is important if you are going to find pleasure and ease in using it. Having 3 vaults creates a lot of friction as you need to decide which vault to use, and when you’ve done this you’re recognising that you want to make links between ideas in different vaults.
So I would only use one vault, reduce the friction, and allow the ideas between these three different systems to emerge as you work.
