Ask HN: How do you keep web pages for further reference? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How do you keep web pages for further reference?

4 pointstduberne4 comments

Lately, I started being much more systematic in how I keep track of what I read [1]. With it came the need to keep a reference to the source. While it is easy for scientific papers (just download the pdf), I struggle with web-based content (blog posts and podcasts, mostly). Keeping the URL is easy but not future proof. Printing to pdf kinda works for blog posts, but you loose links. Saving the html seems messy, and could still break if links to external content (stylesheets, scripts, images) break.

I am surely not the only one to hit this wall. I am curious to hear how others solved this.

[1] I use the Zettelkasten method, discovered recently through HN

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I keep the URL as the original source so I know where I originally found it. Then I extract some unusual phrases and keep them verbatim so I go search later if the original goes missing.

Sometimes I then curl the original, and sometimes I "lynx -dump" it so I can have the original plain text.

You say:

> I use the Zettelkasten method ...

This means different things to different people. Many people read about the Zettelkasten and think it's basically a collection of "index cards", each with a single thought on it. As such it would be no different from a wiki with lots and lots of small pages. My understanding is that a Zettelkasten is much, much more than that. My understanding is still evolving, and I'd love to hear more about what you actually do.

Have you written it up? Would you do so and post a link? And email me in case I don't see it?

I did not know about the lynx -dump option, that definitely sounds like something to look at!

Regarding the Zettelkasten, I started a few months ago and am still in the process of finding the optimal workflow. I indeed implemented it using a wiki software (vimwiki), using the Zettelkasten principles to guide how to grow it. I actually think principles are necessary for a successful wiki, I do not see many differences between saying "I keep my notes in a wiki" and "I keep my thoughts on paper", given the flexibility it offers. I have a few thoughts I plan to write down in a blog post (or post series), in particular on how it articulates with GTD, but I have no idea when I will have time. No problem contacting you when it is ready, I could find you online.

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...oh, wait

I was simply going to downvote and move on, but I stopped and wondered, so I thought I'd ask:

What positive thing do you think your comment adds to this conversation?

It may be that I missed something, and I'd welcome the opportunity to see your thinking here.

TIA

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