Maturity Model for my Obsidian Notes
Based on the great input from Nitin Pai
Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik
Epistemic status
“how much I think I know” about something.
- First, we know things with different levels of certainty.
- Second, what we think we are certain about itself varies in accuracy.
- Third, facts change over time.
my notes falls into five non-linear levels: Bean → Brewing → Brewed → Overbrewed → In-the-Sink
Bean
#epstatus/0-bean
Bean is the primary raw material for a cup of coffee. It may be fresh or roasted. And there are different kinds of roast: light, medium and dark.
In these notes, a note with the status of “bean” implies that it is a new, undeveloped idea. Something that came to mind but has not been developed.
It could be factually wrong, inaccurate, misleading, a dead end, a red herring, a wild-goose or worse, the germ of a brilliant idea that will change the Universe forever. Who knows?
Brewing
#epstatus/1-brewing
The process of brewing is complex, has several variables that can be tweaked, several untweakable and involves time and effort
A note is “brewing” when I have started working on it, but do not think it is ready for sampling. You might smell the coffee at this stage, but it is premature to consume.
Brewed
#epstatus/2-brewed
Coffee is brewed when its maker had decided that the brewing is complete. It is filtered in one way or the other and poured into a cup. You can smell the coffee and taste it too. While it is ready for consumption, the aroma and flavour will change with time.
A note is brewed when I think it has finished brewing. So you can consume it with greater confidence. That said, metaphors take us only so far, and I might decide that it needs some more brewing.
Overbrewed
#epstatus/3-overbrewed
A note is overbrewed when I revise and modify what I had previously considered brewed. I do it because I think it will improve, but I might have made things worse.
In-the-sink
#epstatus/4-in-the-sink A note is in-the-sink when I have discarded it – either because it is ruined, past the expiry date, is a royal mess or stinks.