Obsidian Introduction - A alternative Roam Research app for Notes / PKM / To Do / Journal

TL;DR

Obsidian stores notes as plain Markdown files inside a user-created vault on the local machine, enabling portability and avoiding proprietary lock-in.

Briefing Cornell Notes

Briefing

Obsidian positions itself as a “second brain” built on plain Markdown files stored locally, letting users keep full control of their notes without proprietary lock-in. Notes live as regular text on the user’s hard drive, so they can be copied, deleted, pasted, or opened with any plain text editor—while still gaining Obsidian’s interface features like outline view, multi-pane editing, graph view, and structured hierarchies.

Getting started centers on creating a “vault,” which is essentially a folder of Markdown notes. After installation, users can open an existing vault, create a new one, or start from a help vault full of tips. The walkthrough demonstrates enabling built-in conveniences such as Daily Notes and Outline. With Daily Notes turned on, opening today’s entry automatically creates a dated note for the current day, and tomorrow will generate the next one. Notes are written in Markdown using simple syntax—headings with “#”, lists with dashes—and users can toggle between editing and a live preview to see how formatting will render.

Navigation and structure are handled through multiple views. Outline view acts like an index of a long note by listing headings; clicking an entry jumps directly to that section. For faster note creation, users can create standalone notes or generate pages on demand using links. The transcript highlights wiki-style linking: typing a page name inside double brackets (or using a link syntax) can create the page automatically, and later navigation will recognize the linked page. If a page is renamed, Obsidian can update existing links automatically so references stay consistent.

Beyond page-to-page links, Obsidian supports more granular connections. Block-level linking lets users link to a specific bullet point or section within a note, so clicking a link can take readers to the exact referenced area rather than just the top of the document. Heading links similarly jump to a particular section identified by headings.

The graph view visualizes how notes connect, showing nodes for pages and edges for links. Filters can hide non-existent pages or focus on existing ones, which becomes more useful as the vault grows. For organization, users can create folders (such as a Daily Notes folder or a Programming folder) and move notes via drag-and-drop; Obsidian updates links automatically when notes are relocated.

Finally, the interface supports active research workflows: a backlinks pane shows where a note is referenced, and multiple notes can be kept open side-by-side for comparison and drafting. The closing pitch emphasizes practical benefits—Obsidian is free, updates arrive frequently, and the development team engages with users through Discord, taking feedback and suggestions—framing the app as a flexible, user-controlled system for notes, PKM, tasks, and journaling.

Cornell Notes

Obsidian builds a “second brain” using plain Markdown files stored locally in a vault, avoiding proprietary lock-in. It combines simple text-based writing with features that make large note collections navigable: Daily Notes for automatic dated entries, Outline view for quick section jumping, and graph view for visualizing connections. Wiki-style links (double brackets) can create pages on demand, and renaming a page can automatically update existing links. Newer capabilities include block-level linking, which targets a specific bullet or section inside a note, plus backlinks that show where a page is referenced. These tools make it easier to organize, cross-reference, and retrieve information over time.

How does Obsidian achieve “second brain” functionality without trapping users in proprietary formats?

Notes are saved as plain Markdown files directly on the user’s machine inside a vault. Because the underlying content is standard text, users can copy, delete, paste, or open the files with a basic text editor. This means the note data remains portable and not dependent on Obsidian’s internal database format.

What practical workflow does Daily Notes enable for journaling or recurring entries?

With Daily Notes enabled, opening today’s daily note automatically creates a dated page for the current day. The next day generates the next dated note (the transcript gives an example of how tomorrow’s entry would be created automatically). This reduces setup work and keeps time-based notes consistent.

How does Outline view help when a note becomes long?

Outline view lists the note’s headings like an index. Adding headings (e.g., with “#” for top-level and “##”/“###” for sub-sections) creates a navigable structure. Clicking an outline entry jumps directly to that section, making it easier to find “morning,” “evening,” or other subsections without scrolling.

What’s the difference between linking to a page and linking to a specific part of a page?

Page-level linking connects to the note as a whole (e.g., using double brackets to link to a page name). Block-level linking goes further: it can link to a specific bullet point or section within a note, so clicking the link returns readers to the exact referenced area. Heading links also jump to a specific section identified by headings.

How does graph view support sense-making across many notes?

Graph view displays a network of notes as nodes and links as connections. Filters can show only existing pages or hide non-existent ones, which helps keep the visualization meaningful as the vault grows. The transcript demonstrates that pages like “reflections” connect to other notes such as daily entries and other linked pages.

How do backlinks and multi-pane editing change day-to-day navigation?

The backlinks pane lists where the current note is referenced, letting users jump back to those notes quickly. Multi-pane editing allows multiple notes to stay open at once; users can click control on a note to open it alongside another, then rearrange panes to compare and draft more efficiently.

Review Questions

What are the implications of storing notes as local Markdown files for portability and long-term access?
Describe how wiki-style links and renaming interact—what happens to existing links when a page title changes?
Give one example of when block-level linking would be more useful than page-level linking.

Key Points

1
Obsidian stores notes as plain Markdown files inside a user-created vault on the local machine, enabling portability and avoiding proprietary lock-in.
2
Daily Notes can automatically generate dated entries, reducing friction for journaling and recurring capture.
3
Outline view turns heading structure into an index, allowing instant navigation within long notes.
4
Wiki-style links (double brackets) can create pages on demand and support automatic link updates after renaming.
5
Block-level linking enables precise references to a specific bullet or section, not just the top of a page.
6
Graph view visualizes how notes connect, with filters to manage existing versus non-existent linked pages.
7
Backlinks and multi-pane editing support fast retrieval and side-by-side drafting across multiple notes.

Highlights

Obsidian’s core promise is local, plain-text Markdown storage—notes remain portable even if the app is removed.

Daily Notes auto-creates dated pages, turning journaling into a low-effort daily habit.

Block-level linking can send readers to an exact bullet point, enabling precise referencing inside notes.

Graph view turns a web of links into a navigable map, especially helpful as the vault grows.

Backlinks provide instant “where else is this referenced?” navigation without manual searching.