Need help with organization/research

[John61CT]

Again, do check out Workflowy, PM me for help if you need it.

If I tried to use paper what I've got in there, I'd need hundreds of file cabinets.

And how would I back it up?

 

[frater secessus]

I keep my notes in docs and spreadsheets on Google Drive. Fully searchable.

 

[Dgorila1]

I have the same problem. Years of articles and dozens of YouTube and websites bookmarked in search of the "perfect" first rv. I just recently decided that I just need to buy any affordable rv and start camping on weekends and doing test runs. This will let me really determine what I really want/ need in my eventual full timer rig.

 

[akrvbob]

My direct answer to your question is to highly recommend EverNote. Setup a "Notebook" for every topic and make your notes in that notebook. BUT, it's critically important that you tag each note in a very logical way. Then you can hit CNTRL Q, enter a tag, and every note with that tag will pop up, easily searched. Or you can just read through the notebook.

It grabs URLs and clips from the net very well.

I'd also suggest using windows utility "Snip" to make jpegs of info you like and save it in notes properly tagged.

But my real suggestion to you is to wait till you find a great deal on a van, build it with a few plastic items and a cot and move in.
after awhile you'll know what you really want and need then you can keep and build the van, or sell the van for more than you paid and get what you want.

 

[John61CT]

I used Evernote for over ten years, long before the cloud features came along, and left when nodes couldn't have multiple parents in the outline.

At that point I had several dozen GB in forty notebooks, and had to MANUALLY copy and paste to get my data out.


The file format is proprietary, no OPML or any other open-standard format export target.

They do this, as in turn IBM, Microsoft and Apple have done/still do, to "lock you in".

Last time I make that mistake.

Workflowy while less bells & whistles, allows for plain text-based OPML bulk export of the outline tree.

 

[Weight]

I'm with Bob on this. However you keep and organize notes; get a sleeping pad, a jug of water, a wash basin, some plastic storage boxes or drawers, a 5 gallon bucket, and go camping in your van. Even if it is in your back yard, you will soon learn what you need, not what some other guy said you need. Once you experienced it you can build permanent stuff. I kind of disagree about selling a used van for more than you paid. That don't usually happen.

 

[Dgorila1]

Like the idea of organizing my websites and info in Excel. Every time I change computers it will make it much easier to keep everything that I've amassed over the years.

 

[John61CT]

Yuck, not the tool fit for that purpose.

But if you like spreadsheets, at least use Google Docs' "Sheets", IMO has to be something accessible from your phone, any OS.