Sharing an article I wrote on how I search in Obsidian.
https://link.medium.com/OthkS27scvb
It includes using:
- a search ‘workspace’
- search operators
- Dataview for indexing notes and external files
Enjoy
2 Likes
Hi there
This would be very useful to read, but medium.com won’t let me read it unless I become a member.
I won’t be coaxed in becoming a member just to read an article…
Why don’t you share this very interesting publication where it can be accessed freely?
Thanks
2 Likes
Agree with this.
In which case the post is not really sharing, but more an advert
1 Like
Medium allows everyone to read 3 ‘locked stories’ for free per month.
Each article I’ve written has taken significant time to first gain the experience and then time to write in a way that is easy to follow and apply.
I’ve freely helped users within this forum solve complex problems. But I choose to share my work on Medium for the following reasons:
- gain experience as an author
- financial compensation for work performed
- better formatting options
- reach a wider audience
- statistics indicating interest and showing where the reader came from
Generally speaking, when authors are compensated then they will introduce desirable content into the world. Everyone benefits.
Obsidian follows a similar payment model: free to use, pay if you want to support.
I certainly have other demands on my time: work full time, family (newish dad), school (recently graduated), starting a business, personal research, etc.
Now that I’ve graduated and have some more time available I am excited to write and share more articles. I have unique approaches to solving academic problems and managing information for work. The statistics on my articles show readership is high for both (free) non-members and registered Medium members.
I am interested if people on the forum want to see more articles from me. Let me know.
1 Like
Update: The forum admin told me to stop sharing articles I write on Obsidian. He called me a parasite and said my contribution to the community was minimal.
I will no longer be writing and sharing articles on Obsidian.
I genuinely thought people enjoyed these and that they added value to the community. Some were even cross shared by the ‘Obsidian Round Up’ newsletter.
While I love Obsidian, I think I’ll direct my energy elsewhere.
Take care!
2 Likes
I am not a forum admin. I am one of several volunteer moderators. Any failure to communicate gently and politely was my own failing.
Mod transparency: I sent a DM to @Gahrae pointing to our Code of Conduct, which talks about overly self-promoting. The title of that section is “Parasitism”. I then asked him to “please ease up a bit” on the number of promotional posts, as almost 40% was promotional activity. I didn’t say “stop sharing”, or flag any posts. I certainly didn’t call anyone names, or judge the quality of any posts.
2 Likes
Not necessarily: it is the way the Medium site works.
Articles don’t have to be behind the paywall, that’s a choice the writer makes. Writers in the partner program are heavily incentivised to generate reads and followers. They become salespeople for Medium subscriptions.
Correct, and that writer made the choice to put it behind a paywall because he does not just operate on the Obsidian forum. My guess is that he will not have a separate publication system for each forum or community he publishes on. And apparently writing is part of his income.
Someone who is interested in what the writer has to say is not obliged to join Medium, one can always walk away. Furthermore, there are ways to bypass paywalls; that is an ethical choice one has.
And finally, as witecat did, one can always ask the writer to post the content of his Medium page here.
No need to make a big deal.
1 Like
And could have indicated in the post here that it was behind the paywall. I’m always irritated when I go to a medium article and find it’s hidden.
1 Like
I understand, I have the same feeling when it happens to me. Then, in the next instant, I kick myself for forgetting that Medium is behind a paywall, it is nothing new.
1 Like
Think it is incongruous to use ‘sharing’ (‘Sharing an article I wrote on how I search in Obsidian’) and then present readers with what amounts to a bill.
Better to be upfront, IMO: ‘Here’s a link to a paywalled article I wrote on how I search in Obsidian.’
Even reference the paywall (an emoji or recognized symbol would suffice, such as 
or $ ) in the title of the thread so it is easier for forum users to avoid reading the initial post at all.
Anyway, I’m sharing a little love in this post, and now you all owe me €5, because that’s how sharing works (I make a fortune every birthday when I share my cake with people and charge €10 a crumb – napkins and plates are optional extras).
And I support @rigmarole for making the forum policy clear to the OP. Appreciated.
2 Likes
True. It used to be that most Medium articles were free, but writers now are encouraged to put them behind the paywall. I never go to Medium now, but I did in the beginning.
Mostly I think it’s best for everyone to be upfront when they’re recommending something behind a paywall. YT etc isn’t quite the same because everything has ads unless the user pays.
1 Like
If you use an Apple device, Wipr means never having to see an ad on YT or anywhere else again. Expect other blockers are pretty good as well.
There is something in that. OTOH, if you would link to a NYT article, would you state it is behind a paywall? I doubt it, I have never seen anyone doing that.
That’s fair enough. However, equating self-promotion to parasitism, as per the “Code of Conduct”, does amount to name calling, contrary to rigmarole’s statement. Apart form the fact that his statement is a contradiction in terms, on a forum that claims to promote civility it does not make sense, to put it mildly.
2 Likes
Hi.
I understood things differently.
rigmarole said they sent a DM (so not on the public forum) and did not call the OP a name. Can’t see the issue with pointing out the code of conduct in a private message. None of this would be known by anyone else if the OP hadn’t made public their interpretation of a private conversation.
Personally think the NYT comparison is different as that’s not self-promotion, unless the person posting to the forum is the author of the NYT article.
Interesting range of opinions.
Respect. 
2 Likes
True, he did not call the OP a name in public, but this juxtaposition in rigmarole’s statement above:
does not leave anything to the imagination as to what he meant. So, I understand the OP’s interpretation, although perhaps he/she needn’t have put that out on the public forum. Clearly, his/her feelings were badly hurt by rigmarole’s rebuke, even if only in a DM.
1 Like
I think you’re pushing your point too far to say you know what I meant. But yes, I do agree with you. The phrasing of the code of conduct made it difficult to cite without sounding insulting.
We’ve discussed it, and the Code of Conduct will be updated with more benign phrasing “excessive self promotion”, along with some guidelines as to what that means.
Thanks for the feedback everyone!
1 Like