Cons
Steep learning curve
The main drawback of Obsidian seen by many users is its steep learning curve. While it’s true that there is a bit of a learning curve in Obsidian, I believe that a user’s choices can greatly influence this experience. This can turn the learning curve into an exciting journey of gradual and noticeable improvement in their note-taking skills, or, on the other hand, it may lead to a feeling of being lost in a chaotic open world.
Optimal Organization Dilemma
Note organization is a crucial part of a proper PKM setup. While Obsidian offers essential tools for arranging your notes in any way you prefer, its lack of strict guidance, unlike other PKM systems, might be perceived as a steep learning curve.
Should you choose a hierarchical method, or would it be better to adopt a network approach? If you select the hierarchical method, should you use folders or nested tags? If you opt for the network approach, should you utilize tags or links?
What about storing assets like images and PDF files? Should you keep them all in a single asset folder at the top level, or would it be more effective to create subfolders under the corresponding note?
Essentially, there isn’t a single correct answer since it varies from case to case. Personally, I use a combination and organize differently depending on my Vault types and they continue to evolve over the time.
As you produce more content, you may discover the necessity for various approaches. The most effective organizational method evolves and adjusts in harmony with your content. A rigid structure can lead to friction.
If you’re particularly interested in where to begin, links were the very first feature introduced in Obsidian, soon followed by the Graph view, which allows you to visualize the network organization. Tags are also quite powerful and integrate smoothly with the Graph. Therefore, using one or both is a fantastic starting point.
If they appear unnecessary and confusing to you, starting with familiar folder structures and linking only when clear connections are present is a wonderful approach. This is because Obsidian automatically updates links whenever files are moved within the Vault, allowing you to change your folder organization later on without impacting the links.
Lost in open-world
As a side effect of incredible amount of flexibility Obsidian offers to user though the numerous customization options and thousands of community plugins, users can easily become overwhelmed and feel like being lost in the open-world.
This is one reason why I suggest resisting the temptation of community plugins and instead focusing on what the core app can do for you at the beginning. If something doesn’t feel quite right, explore the top in the class official help document, and many customization options in the core plugins to see if they can solve the issue. Unless there’s a feature that you absolutely need to enhance your workflow, it’s best not to worry about community plugins.
Spending hours and days personalizing the UI and making small adjustments to a system you might not use for note-taking could be a waste of precious time, unless, of course, that’s something you truly enjoy. However, if you want to determine whether the app is right for you, it’s best to integrate it into your actual workflow to spot any potential areas of friction.
No Web App
One of the limitations that could potentially be a deal breaker for some users is that Obsidian does not have a true web app. For instance, my work computer does not permit the installation of any third-party applications, so I am unable to use the native Obsidian app on it.
However, one of the primary use cases of personal knowledge management for me is to create a personal wiki for quick information retrieval, along with references for detailed information when I need them. Even though this is the most discussed and desired feature request in the official Obsidian forum, it isn’t currently on the developer’s roadmap. Given Obsidian’s data privacy principle, it is quite unlikely that this will be implemented in Obsidian anytime soon, if ever.
Publish + Mobile/laptop
In my experience, using Obsidian Publish along with either my mobile device or laptop that has Obsidian installed can largely bridge the gap. For retrieving my knowledge notes, I utilize the Obsidian Publish site. When I need to make edits or add new notes, I switch to my laptop.
Native files workflow
There’s also a new type of workflow that I couldn’t accomplish with most other PKMS I’ve tried. Thanks to Obsidian’s use of native file formats, I can easily edit individual files and email them to myself.
For example, my primary reference sources during work are either PDFs or web articles. I can annotate PDFs using the pre-installed Adobe Acrobat. I can highlight web pages with the Obsidian web clipper and download them as markdown files. Later, I can add these into my Obsidian Vault on my home desktop and complete the rest of the workflow.
No native AI support
Obsidian does not currently offer native support for AI out of the box. For Apple users, the absence of writing tool support stems from limitations in the backend programming platform, Electron. Fortunately, it appears that the Electron team is actively working on this issue.
Conclusion
Who is Obsidian core for?
Obsidian is a fantastic option for anyone who values data privacy and autonomy. It allows you to take and organize notes in your own unique way, all at no cost. While its flexibility can be a great advantage, it may also pose challenges, particularly for new users who might find it a bit confusing.
For this reason, I believe it works best for beginners when they have a clear focus or goal in mind regarding what they want to achieve, rather than just pondering what you can do with Obsidian and how it fits into your needs.
In fact, I initially used Obsidian sporadically for a few months over a year ago. At that time, I didn’t fully grasp how it could enhance my workflow. So, I switched to other, more streamlined, so-called user-friendly PKMS options.
However, when I recently gave Obsidian another chance, everything just clicked for me. This is because, through using other PKMS, I’ve discovered how I want to utilize PKMS, and Obsidian supports that workflow. I just need to connect the right pieces.
For this reason, I also believe Obsidian is an excellent PKM for those who have experience with other PKMS and understand their typical workflow.
Who is not Obsidian core for?
On the contrary, I think Obsidian may not be the best fit for those who
- have only a vague idea or goal, such as improving their note-taking skills.
- cannot begin without thorough planning first.
- get easily distracted by new things, like community plugins.
If you have these traits and struggle to let them go, Obsidian might feel overwhelming or distracting. Rather than improving your workflow, it could end up consuming your time on things that aren’t really essential. After all, the primary purpose of a PKM app is to take notes, and your content creation is what makes it valuable.
If you really need a web app with editing capabilities or an AI-centric personal knowledge management system, then Obsidian might not be the right choice for you.
Final thoughts
Obsidian is an incredible PKM; it definitely holds a special place in the PKM genre. However, if you’re new to PKM like I was a couple of years ago, you might not realize just how amazing this app is. Since it’s free, I believe everyone interested in PKM should give it a try. If you’re just starting out, keep it simple. If it still doesn’t feel right, I suggest exploring other PKMs available on the market. There are many great options out there, but remember that one day you might want to revisit Obsidian because once you see other PKMs, Obsidian could look entirely different to you.
Leave a Reply