Folders or Links? The key to both is A.C.C.E.S.S.

Folders & links can work together—not as an afterthought—but as a fundamental part of the design. A.C.C.E.S.S. helps you achieve a system to manage knowledge—and action—in the digital age.

00:00 - Introduction
01:48 - The emphasis of knowledge management systems
06:46 - Introducing ACCESS
07:05 - Atlas
07:37 - Calendar
08:03 - Cards
08:50 - Extras
09:07 - Sources
10:01 - Spaces
12:29 - Access in action
18:34 - Spaces in action
23:24 - Conclusion
24:57 - Outro

🏷 TAGS: #Obsidian #obsidianapp #Obsidiannotetakingapp #LinkingYourThinking

[seankim]

Thanks for the awesome content!! After checking the LYT 6 guides, I wanted to explore more on the ACCESS approach, but the only way to do that was by checking the actual obsidian vault. However, with this, it's a lot easier and simpler to learn it :)

I can't quite afford the LYT Workshop, so I'm grateful for all these guides you make on youtube!

[brentjohnson]

Nice. This seems usable (with some tweaks). However, I prefer not to have duplicate letters in my acronyms if I can avoid them. I might call these something different: Overview, Timeline, Ideas, Resources, Bibliography, Spaces. Then the acronym is ORBITS.

It's not just folders and links, though. The tension is three-way: folders, links, and tags (respectively for organization, browsing, and search).

[NathanSeiling]

I manage a startup company for construction contractors and I have around 10, 000 pages of notes. In Nick's early days he seemed to be pushing links over folders. I am glad to see this approach as folders are also key in managing large amounts of information. I have boiled my main entry into: Person and Work (as he said), then I have 10 entry points, then within each entry point can have between 3 and 10 more. Once I get to 10, I try and break the logic down to 3 and move information more inward. It makes finding info much easier when I need to find a concept (rather than specific information) . I use the links as they stop me from re-writing data over and over again, but the reader can easily reference the linked information if they need it. Thanks Nick, you really go deep with this information. I am almost done moving the 9, 000 pages I had in Workflowy over to Obsidian. That has been a task....

[pablomarkaide]

I really appreciate the effort in trying to "balance" the forces you mention, but after seeing the video I don't see it as a huge solution. You just create a folder and subfolder structure with fancy acronyms with either adding stand-alone notes or MOCs. So you just tidy up the notes into folders and improve browsing capabilities. Even realizing you are using a mock example, in the entire video you didn't make examples of using intensively links or examples of how this system leads into action. I really would like more examples on usability, because the idea is good.

[spencerfretwell]

Thank you for this system, Nick! From it, I've created my own structure that's exactly the same in spirit but uses a different acronym that I more identify with:

(B)ases - Home Base -> where we start and go from
(R)outines - Periodic | Temporal | Habitual
(A)toms - Zettels | Ideas | Nuggets
(N)exes - Self-Made Fusions of Ideas -> Guides | Models | Templates | Diagrams
(C)ontent - External Ideas -> References | Libraries
(H)yperspheres - Contexts | Metastates | Roles

Totally just a re-skin of your idea, so anyone is welcome to use it!

[psheldon]

This is brilliant! I’ve struggled for a few years now to find the best way to integrate these instruments and somehow there is always a piece that doesn’t quite fit. This solves that.

Difficulty now is migration…where is the line of diminishing returns for taking time to migrate old knowledge to a new system.

Thanks for making this content free! I hope to be able to attend a workshop one day.

[ChipWhitehouse]

I am so grateful to have found your channel. I only wish I would have found it earlier! Better late than never. You and Tiago Forte are my heroes now. I literally am just discovering this Second Brain/ Zettelkasten/ Obsidian world only a few weeks ago and it feels like something I have been waiting for my entire life. I feel like I intuitively have wanted to keep detailed notes like this my entire life but felt insane for even having the thought. It’s like I finally have the permission to do it and explore and get all my thoughts, passions, ideas, and curiosities out of my head and down onto “paper” or into the digital world. Obsidian is LIFE CHANGING! I can’t believe I only learned about it a few weeks ago!!! 😭😭😭 Thank you for this! I can’t wait to devour more of your content. Makes me so happy 💖💕💖🙌 Appreciate you and your passion for PKM!

[tristanrentz]

Jeez I'm glad I hadn't put off watching this video any longer! WOW!! Really impressive Milo. And much gratitude

[linkingyourthinking]

Do you prefer folders or links? Or both? How are you using them together?

[Tylermania]

You couldn't have posted this at a better time for me. This was exactly what i was looking for. I just started using obsidian, and I've been trying to hash out a folder system without nullifying the usefullness of links.

[bokinloch]

This is genius. I’m a knowledge worker- actually a meta-knowledge worker. I’m a director of legal operations and organizational KM is where I started that journey. I love Obsidian’s map/graph data structure. I think this hybrid is going to be capable of being applied both personally and organizationally.

[oelnepz]

"We shall call you A.C.C.E.S.S., the God of Balance you shall be" - Rush 'Hemispheres' (sort of), as C.G.Y.N.U.S. is one hell of an anacronym to match the concept.) When balance is struck between the fractured world of the split hemispheres of Left vs. Right brain thinking. The Holistic, Creative, Right brain (linking) vs. Linear, Logical, Orderly Left Brain (Folders). The first link I made watching, anyway. Great Video Nick. Thank you.

[ac]

Wow, it seems like a lot of personal epiphanies have been unified together in a really elegant, practical way here. The theory makes sense, and so does the practice. I’m really looking forward to what more you have to share on this. It feels fresh and full of potential.

[paulmfti]

Nick, thanks for your awesome contributions to PKM through obsidian. Your ideas have been so helpful. You are definitely a giant in this space.

[stugots]

Can't justify the cost of the LYT workshop, but can I just say that LYT and this ACCESS methodology is the best pkm concept I've come across! Thank you Nick!

[matrhein]

Extremely inspirational. To me, it is not about copying the access letter by letter but getting the concept behind the combined power of both folders and links. I will translate the folder idea into namespaces in LogSeq and see what structure will emerge. Thank you for this unique perspective, Nick!

[thomasquendt]

I'm very interested in PKM systems for decades now. ACCESS is very well thought. IMHO the best I've ever seen. Chapeau!! At the moment I'm applying ACCESS into my personal PKM system and it's great so far. But I struggle a little bit about the decision wether to put a note into the Cards folder or within the appropriate Space/MAPS folder. That's sometimes a hard decision....

[BrandonKBoswell]

Great video, Nick! I found that I came to a similar conclusion when building out my vault. I recently did a video on "Should you use PARA in Obsidian?, " and someone mentioned in the comments about your system. I am thankful they did. Have a great day!

[julieoc]

This couldn't come at a better time! I was just trying to find a way to balance Links, MOCs and Folders in my own set-up. With the number of notes incrising, it was getting difficult to easily navigate them.

At first glance, I'm a little confused by MOCs in two different locations (Atlas and Spaces). While the ones for Life makes perfect sense to keep separate from the rest, I'm wondering if there's not a risk of misplacing or duplicating with the ones for Work, depending on how one uses their PKM. I'll take a closer look now, and maybe I'll find the answer to my question :)

[hc]

you can do all these things with both links, tags and MOCs. What wasn't clear to me from this video was how this actually differentiates or adds anything other then having to add another organisational task alongside current links and tags.