• 4 Posts
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Joined 2 years ago
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Cake day: June 2nd, 2023

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  • Seafile is great…with caveats that seem to bother people away from it:

    1. Files are stored as git-like chunks on the server

    2. Features behind a paywall for more than 3 users (Pro vs Comminity versions)

    3. Documentation can be very confusing at times

    Item 1 can be mitigated by utilizing tools like Rclone to mount the files on the server, reassembling the chunks, then back up and unmount when done. Item 2 isn’t a deal breaker for me.

    It is super fast and reliable in my experience. I specify wanted the selective sync because my stupid MacBook has a tiny SSD, but I still wanted access to files from other device libraries.


  • I’ve tried 'em all. And I am always on the lookout for new apps that can do what I want. So far, Obsidian is the best.

    • Joplin: adds meta data to your text files making it nearly impossible to find anything outside of Joplin unless you export

    • Logseq: the closest substitute to Obsidian. The android app is almost unusable in my testing. And it’s an outlined based note app, so it requires a different mindset

    • Silverbullet: such a neat project. The PWA runs great on every device I’ve tried it on. That said, I find it hard to navigate and will require more learning to take full advantage of its features

    • Nextcloud Notes: decent if you already have an instance running. Not worth it just for Notes though. It’s very spartan, feature-wise

    • Quillpad: the closest Google Keep alternative I’ve found so far. Does require Nextcloud insurance to sync though. At least currently.

    • Acreom: very cool project. Similar to Obsidian and Logseq. Local first…unless you’re on mobile, then you are required to have an account and use their sync.

    • Notesnook: has great features but does not store the notes on plain text (due to encryption), which is a deal breaker for my use case

    • Memos: very easy to selfhost. Think of it like a personal twitter feed. Stores entries in a db file, so it’s out for me

    I tested others, and many didnt last long enough in my testing to even be worth writing about. I find Obsidian’s folder hierarchy easier to fit around how my brain works. And the plain text files in folders, maintaining the hierarchy, is a killer feature for me. Lots of folks self host a sync solution. And I want to but am currently paying for their basic sync plan of $5/mo.


  • Yeah, it’s not perfect. I’ve noticed that when making a task list/checkbox note that you can’t delete the line. Sure you can go and edit the contents of that line, but even if you delete all text, the line with a checkbox remains. Kind of annoying, particularly when I accidentally create another checkbox and have nothing to put in it. it’s just an empty line and checkbox sitting there mocking me. You can still mark it complete of course, but it kinda makes my eye twitch. :)






  • Just to throw my own experience in the mix. I tried the AIO and standard versions of Nextcloud and found them to be flakey and slow. But I felt compelled to keep trying. That’s when I found NextcloudPi. I’ve installed it on a Pi4 running from an external SSD and it’s been rock solid. I believe that version is no longer in development though and I primarily use it as a sync platform for various apps rather than using the web apps directly.

    And just to be contrary, have you looked at Seafile? It’s stupid fast and stable but some features are hidden behind a paywall if you have more than 3 users (community vs pro). Their documentation is poor, and the data is stored in Git-lik chunks on the server. All of which can be a deal breaker for some. The external storage feature works, but for a newb like me, it was a bear to get running.