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Thanks for the feedback and I am glad it helped 😊 Only in my workflow alone there are other points of comparison, most in favour of Scrintal but some definitely in favour of Obsidian as well. Your comment inspired me to think about other videos I could be recording. I won't promise but I will definitely keep it in mind. Thanks a lot!

I love the idea behind Excalidraw. I don't think it solves the problem I mentioned in the video (I may be wrong as there is sometime already since I last tested it), but it opens up the possibility for something that I would love to see as reality: linked diagrams. No other app is so close to it as the Excalidraw plugin, I believe. That's the idea where the different "shapes" in a diagram link to different notes/boards. So rather than representing everything as a graph, we can represent things as graphics. I don't know any other tool that can do that apart from the Excalidraw plug-in. (do you know any?)

@@BiaResearcher No I dont know another that does it like excalidraw. Its a game changer but I see your point most defineately. Keep the videos coming. You earned a new subscriber 🙂

oh thanks. I just hope my next videos won't disappoint 😅

Yes, I agree. I have changed apps a few times and I don't regret it 😊 The problem, as you mentioned, is mindless switching, often with the hope that "the next app will be better" but without thinking "better for what?"

I am glad to hear you have found an app that brings you joy. I believe that is the most important 😊 Also, you got me curious on the Graph Banner plug-in, now I need to check it out (I won't move away from Scrintal, but it can help my students who want to use Obsidian). Thanks for the pointer.

I am glad it helped 😊

I agree. The app is a means to an end, and jumping from app to app without knowing what we are trying to do will just bring frustration anyway. Having said that, there is one thing we disagree on and one thing I would like to play devil's advocate about 😊 I disagree that we should master the tool (and fully implement that tool's process) before improving the process. That would be like using a hammer to fix a screw before we decide that twisting it is a better process. Some tools may throw our minds in the wrong direction to the point where our processes can't be optimised for what we want to do. So I believe, instead, that we should focus on our processes before fully focusing on a tool. Of course, to get started choose any tool, stay with it for a while, discover what you want, and then find a tool that suits your mindset and methods best. But it doesn't mean to marry the tool before thinking about the process. On the Devil's advocate side, there is one reason I find it useful to keep an eye on new apps, which is to: learn new ways of thinking. It doesn't mean to jump from app to app, but keep an eye on them. These new ways of thinking can provide a perspective on why we are finding friction in our processes, and then we can decide how to use our current app with that new way of thinking.

In Scrintal, the notes live independently of the boards, so you can move them in or out of boards as you wish. In fact, a note can exist outside of all boards (you can find it via the Archive, links from other notes, or the search). The general graph tends to have too much information to be useful for this use case. If I open my Scrintal graph in Obsidian I can't really see the "empty space" between connected components. The local graph wouldn't work as I wouldn't know which local graphs to have opened. We only know after seeing all cards created within that "section". Someone mentioned ExcaliBrain, but I haven't tried it so I am not sure if it would work. Maybe worth a try? I only confidently made the move to Scrintal when they added the option to export all my notes as Markdown files, so I always have my own backup. Having said that, I wouldn't try to convince you to go out of Obsidian. Each person has their own needs (and honestly, Obsidian is great!) so if that works well for you, I don't see why you would need to move 😊

@@BiaResearcher I’m always looking at alternatives, it’s not I find Obsidian perfect~ Thanks for the info! If you export your Scrintal notes in MD, and you open the folder as a vault in Obsidian, would the connections work? I.e. does Scrintal use the same way of connecting files (at least in the exports) as Obsidian and co?

Yes, the notes work and the exported links are like the ones in Obsidian. Having said that, the export function in Scrintal is not the best. In the filesystem, each file needs to have a unique name, but in Scrintal two or more cards can have the same title if you want to. So when they export, the name of the file is a code rather than the title of the card, which is not good if you want to know what is inside a note. That's something we have reported so let's see when the team will change that.

@@BiaResearcher very useful, thanks!

Thanks, that's very good feedback 😊 I believe Knowledge Management is a means to an end, but it is true that most of the time we just assume the end rather than demonstrate it. I have a couple of videos already scheduled, but I will work on a few new ones based on your feedback. Thanks a lot!

I would love to be able to see a card as a link. That way, the card itself is the documentation of the link 😉 I am not sure if that's what you have in mind.

I am happy you found this little trick useful 😊

I see your frustration and there is some level of truth in it regarding the slow support channels. That is definitely something they need to change asap if they want an official launch. But there is also some level of exaggeration in your message. The unique feature they rolled back (as far as I know) was the Readwise integration (which I believe was a good move). In July 2021 Scrintal was still a drawing (so it is definitely not 4 years in development). Every good app IS opinionated so I don't see why that is a problem, and I don't see any app implementing all feedback sent by everyone. They read, select, and create their own internal roadmaps. It is often the case where the development team has a small group of power users they consult with over time. I understand that is the case for Obsidian (I may be wrong), it is definitely the case for Tana, and it is also the case for Scrintal (I know because I am part of that group. They not only listen but we have regular meetings with the team). Last, Heptabase supports a very different type of workflow to Scrintal. They look like competitors from the outside, but as you start using them, they support completely different things. The most appropriate one depends on what your workflow looks like.

@BiaResearcher, thanks for replying. I understand you're a brand ambassador for Scrintal, so you likely know more about it than I do as a user. However, I don't think my comments are exaggerated. Scrintal changed its pricing model after initially defending it strongly. The next reversal was readwise. Then they decided to rebuild their backend, which delayed other features. This also happened with their AI plans, which were canceled last minute after being announced. Now, they are changing direction again before addressing user requests. This makes them seem confused, unlike competitors like Heptabase and Tana, which have grown quickly and gained loyal users. Scrintal, after 4 years, is still offering cheap lifetime prices to attract subscribers. It's surprising that while the PKM software market is booming, Scrintal hasn't grown much or gained any price advantage. Without their lifetime discounts, people wouldn't have joined, and many who did are unhappy with the progress. Tana, Obsidian, and Hepta have strong communities and hardworking developers, which Scrintal could learn from.

True. They have a Web version only. That's the one I use on my mobile.

Nice. I never tried Muse. Would you recommend it?

I make the links manually between cards. But as cards get added to the board, if there is any link between them, the link will automatically display in the board. Whereas in Obsidian if the link won't automatically appear in the Canvas. Does it make sense?

@@BiaResearcherisn’t this just the graph view then? If you want more customisability then excalibrain might help with that.

@@TheChameleon84 The concept is similar but the execution is very different because notes are stored on the Graph itself, not in files and folders. Because the notes live on the graph all that additional organisation isn't required.

@@DavidROliveryeah I think excalibrain has that functionality.

@TheChameleon84 I am not sure if you mean the graph view (like in Obsidian Graph view). If that's the case, it is not the same. The graph view doesn't allow to create new notes "in" the graph view, or to open multiple notes while seeing the graph at the back. I am not sure if ExcaliBrain would be more flexible, though, as I haven't tried it.

I am happy it was useful 😊

Have you made a list with your needs yet? It is important to take some time to choose your workflow first (mindset and methods) then use that knowledge to choose the best tool. For instance: - In which contexts do you want to take notes? Is it on a computer, mobile or tablet? Comfortable at home, at your work desk, or while commuting? How often do you have/need Internet connection? - Which type of notes you want to take? Reflections, descriptions of your knowledge, or quotes and meeting descriptions? - In which situations you need to find those notes again? Your goals, context, and way of thinking will indicate the best tool for your needs.

Thank you! I have thought that I was clear in my head on an inner list of what needs I have, but thinking about it now I realise that I always go on to a compromise mood and rather wonder how I can make the system's functions work for me with the consequence that I start to adjust my needs and goals to what possibilities the tools are offering.

Been there, done that 😅 And it is the case for most (if not all) of my clients, so you are not alone on that. I hope the reflection will give you a bit more of direction 😊

@@BiaResearcher Thanks, definitely. Your two latest videos were very useful. And for me it ends up with going for Scrintal. It does have more of a flow regarding how I think I want to work.

@@BodilWandt I am happy you found what may work for you 😊If you have any Scrintal big questions, let's chat.

It is a matter of practice. The more you listen to other people speaking English, the more you train your ear to understand English. Keep practicing and one day you will understand 😊

@@BiaResearcher NO NO It's about your pronunciation.... It"s tooooooo bad. Sorry

I am glad it helped 😊

If by ontology you mean RDF/OWL no. Scrintal only works at the note level. You can create/import ontologies in a conceptual level, where cards represent the different entities, but not in a "computationally" formal way with RDF and OWL.

As for the paper, there you go: aran.library.nuigalway.ie/bitstream/handle/10379/4803/iswc_doccons_paper_camera_ready.pdf?sequence=1

I am glad you enjoyed it 😊

I agree as quick thought capture is also something that is key for me 😊 I believe a mobile version is in their roadmap but it doesn't seem to be a top priority yet.

I agree it is too expensive when compared to functionality provided by several other apps in the same price bracket… HOWEVER my experience is that the usage friction level is also considerably lower than most others. I support the ethos of performance, security and core functionality over a bloaty do everything feature set. As Sam indicates it is very easy to get information in and network it very quickly. Additionally the voice input is amazingly accurate, fast and useful. My main gripe is that the map view is seriously underdeveloped and becomes pretty useless with more than a few dozen notes.(eg no local focus, no levels of focus and on iOS no means of seeing a node and jumping to the note to work on it).. I have hoping to see improvements in this area but nothing so far.😢 All this said I do recommend giving Reflect a go and see if it fits for you.

I haven't. It wasn't really for my style or note-taking needs.

Thanks for the comment. I understand your concerns about development pace. I was also upset for a few months as the dev had slow down a lot as they were restructuring. Now it is back to their previous pace of development (which is much better). Regarding competitors, I don't like the comparison with Obsidian and Miro. The goal in Scrintal is the visual organisation of notes rather than the visual development of diagrams. That's why the comparison wih Miro is a bit tricky. When it comes to Obsidian, the main difference is that Obsidian is text-first (although we can make it Canvas-first) whereas Scrintal is Canvas-first. For those taking idea notes or atomic notes, that makes a considerable difference + the ability to work with teams. In my opinion, the actual competitor is Heptabase rather than Obsidian and Miro.

That's interesting. I would love to hear more if you are willing to share.

@@BiaResearcher ofcourse. I mainly use it for my lit review. My topic is a consumer behavior study based in the UAE. I have been collecting sources from academic articles + web articles. Now, I select a keyword based on the outline I created for my lit review and let Napkin bring forward connections for the keyword.

So you use almost like a personal search engine? @@tausifmulla

@@BiaResearcher correct and let the Ai bring connections m

ooh, tricky topic 😁 I am one of those people who promote breaking ideas free from the PDF. Having said that, it would be awesome to link our notes to a specific fragment of the PDF (which I suppose it's what you mean 😊)

@@BiaResearcher Yes, that is what I mean. 🙂

Hi. I haven't tried Milanote yet so I am not sure about the details.

Thank you for your kind words Robert 😊I hope to talk a lot more about that.

Thanks Annette. Learning about 'all things video' on the go 😊

oown Thanks for the nudge 🥰 I have recorded quite a few videos but never brought myself to hit publish. I guess it is time to change that. What would you like to hear about the most?

Oi Tony. Por enquanto Scrintal nāo tem suporte a lingua portuguesa. Só inglês