Humans process really well, especially when patterns are found easily. However, our brains got scooped together like a biological ice cream sundae; our brains can identify the things making noises in the brush to let us know, "I should probably start running and grab a sharp stick".
Patterns are not knowledge, at least not directly knowledge. Patterns are fraught with bias and misapplication. It is the frontal cortex saying, “Close enough for government work". Sometimes it is not close enough, and that scares the hell out of me if I am being honest.
I have had the privilege of working with some really fine and smart people. Like super smart. Not just at engineering topics, but that taught me how the relationships and limitations of patterns leading to knowledge and then knowledge leading to systems.
You start building a bunch of systems and implement them, run them, see their limitations, fail miserably, and retool; then you get what I think is most coveted, wisdom.
I was once told that wisdom is found in the warnings of those people who have F'd up big time and have had the human decency to tell you about the paths you really don't want to travel.
I don't have wisdom for you. I am sure there is a sign over some mythical cave that says, "For those of you coming here to find wisdom, give up all hope". I can help you with a couple of steps before then.
If you try to store knowledge in your head, you are doomed to a life of fear of loss of that knowledge. You will hold on to things harder and be biased on what you remember. Not good. Professor friends of mine and general smarty-pants I have had the pleasure of knowing, they all used to have these MASSIVE libraries. I would ask them how they kept them organized. Each one of them said in one way or another, they tried at the beginning, but eventually, THEY GAVE UP. Their libraries, like their offices, were cluttered with papers in boxes, books piled.
What did I do? I tried to emulate them, which has been a general hazard in my occupational and life journey in being the best me I can be.
The number of backpacks that I went through in carrying around books. The parts of my mind and treasure that I have shed in losing or lending my copies of "Roark's Formula for Stress and Strain" would make you concerned for my well-being. I am STILL looking for this amazing book on integrals that I lent to this guy named Jaime. I WILL FIND YOU (the book…and if I am being honest, Jaime).
Side note, I did run into Jaime at an Office Depot in California once when I was visiting. Talk about knowledge and memory quirks. FIVE MINUTES after saying goodbye to him, I remembered the F'ing book. This was like 15 years after we graduated from university.
Digressing….
Back to the backpacks. I carried books on trips, I had journals with notes in them on key information. They would all rip at the straps on the top outside right hand strap. And as I have heard many time "It's me... not you", my poor heartbroken backpack. My endeavor to keep these key books with me was horrific for me and those around me. I lugged HUNDREDS of books with me when we moved over 20 years ago. I kept this mental and physical load with me. I had to keep this monolith of information straight in my head. I would tell people where to find what they may be looking for, and ultimately they would tell me they don't have it. Hence the lost books.
My quest led me to be paperless, which I won't bore you with, but I am still in love with my Fujitsu scanner. I have had many in my life. I have a travel scanner that has been retired. My current Fujitsu (IX1500) is like 2 feet from me on my desk. I have been as "paperless as practical" for over 15 years. It took me about 10 years to get there.
Hundreds of books have been de-spined, scanned, and OCR'd. I have bought books from garage sales, sell-offs from libraries, I have had the honor of receiving the library of a fallen engineer (rest in peace, Richard).
All of this information is with me. Right at my fingertips. Hundreds turned into THOUSANDS of books in my library (a bit over 6,000 books that are all searchable). Not to mention articles from magazines that were in my possession. I have my own little Google of my life.
The hardware to do this is not insignificant. But that investment has done for me what I don't think can be done any other way (and if there is an easier way, I will go there after kicking myself for not thinking about it on my own). The investment has taken so much load that I was carrying from state to state and from job to job. I could allow myself not to remember things that I don't need to use every day. I no longer have to think about where that knowledge could be. I just know how to search for it.
I have a container outside my brain. It is stuffed with things that likely don't have to be there. I can be neurotic and obsessive over other things now. And this blog is one of the fruits of that admittedly odd tree.
I did not want to go out like my professors and colleagues that just gave up. Long story short, I am still on my journey on knowledge management, but I can tell you where I am. I am very, very capable in both Windows, Mac, and I am on my Linux journey. My daily driver is Mac. For those of you who have a visceral reaction to that, seriously? For those of you Mac nerds (I am one, remember) that look down your noses in judgement, REALLY?
- I have my content and a process for gathering new content. Google Dorks are your friend. Also, there is a tool called DevonThink Pro Agent (which is a different program from DevonThink) that I use for finding content. That little program is like having an odd little curator that looks at the Internet my way. Reeder, GoodLinks, TabToLInks help me gather information. I use Yoinks, Default Folder X, and Dropzone for quickly triaging of information to go to my file structure.
- My method for categorizing is still evolving. In short, I have a file structure on my computer that I have kept in parts for a long time. In fact, I have it laid out for every company that I worked on and ‘deadfile’ that way. If I ever worked for you I can tell you where I would have kept it. The folder structure could be 99% empty, but I know where to find what I worked on. It consists of folders lettered and numbered using the hierarchy of symbols that computers recognize so they can be grouped accordingly (letters for administrative and running the business, numbers for deliverables). As numbers climb, they become more spaced out. Still a work in progress. The folders are structured and named for deliverables, projects, and most importantly the requirements in hierarchy of importance and use.
- I have tools to find deliverables/files. Real talk, Windows files management F'ing sucks. I am a Mac person. Do with what you are comfortable. No judgement. It is your workflow. I use HoudahSpot on my Mac with saved searches (or at least I am building my saved searches).
- File management - I use Hazel. I would write about it if David Sparks (Macsparky.com) has not already done the most usable course to make your life better. Knowledge pro tip: when someone has put up the definitive work, don't F with it. Give it the props it deserves.
- Hardware - thanks to TSA, yes that TSA, I have been through more laptops in 15 years of international/domestic travel and when I think about it makes me unhappy and very sad. There is a stack of laptops in my basement that have been dropped or otherwise sacrificed to the technical overlords (hail Skynet). All that to say. Don't mess around with spinning drives in laptops or carry around a spinning drive for backup. Solid state. If you have a lot of information like me I carry 2TB of data in a 1.25" by 1.25" square by about a 0.5 inch solid state hard drive (enclosure by DuoCase and drive by Sabrent). Those are my core files. Keep it encrypted. I have this backed up on my NAS Drive(s). I keep a 60TB array and a 16TB array. I can get to the information on the road if need be. There is a hefty cloud backup in the world encrypted. Gone are the days of my lugging spools of DVD-Rs.
- Knowledge Management - I use DevonThink - David has also done a course on DevonThink. I use the Pro Office and have for a very long time now. I am no expert and I don't know if one truly breathes except for Mr. Sparks and the developers. I owe those people a meal and an adult beverage if they so imbibe. The magic of DT is fantastic. I have databases upon databases. It was practical AI for years before the current models. And it is mine. I put in what it needs to evaluate and organize. I just dump tons of data at it and then send in my query. I can type a statement and it's finishing my thoughts before I am finished. It is the only time I like that. The secret sauce is how I have things titled in my file structure. Each deliverable that has subsequent value as a behavior, tool, or training, is named as such and is the first word in my file structure. I can type my query and I will have Books return, procedures (SOP), process flow diagram (PFD), articles, templates, forms, all show up. I can then look at the folder structure to see the context further. Was this back in the days when I was working on stem cells or med device? DT then highlights the phrases and keywords that I was looking for. If you are not getting excited, I don't know what to do for you.
So now, here is the best part of all of this. I can collect information and classify it in my system. I can pick up books for pleasure. I can gather knowledge without worrying about the burden of keeping it. I keep audio books and a small number of hardcover and paper back books (with the exception of many D&D books but that is something else for another time).
I have other workflows for notes and incidental information that ages like potato salad at a summer's picnic. Contextual information goes into a repository. I am currently using Drafts to capture that information. It has an extension to send to DevonThink and lots of other places. I finally moved my blog writing to Drafts. Eventually, I will get an extension to my blog platform.
Well, dear readers. That's what I got.
Appreciate you. Be well. Every day you make this place a better place to live and breathe in. For those of you on your journey, feel free to shoot me a question.