# You need a capture system ## Why you need a capture system Knowing [[How to choose your sources and inputs]] is only the first step. The next one consists in finding time to read the content you have selected, and to capture the interesting bits. Consider that [[The more you have on your mind, the less headspace you have to think and work]]. Don't count on your memory. It's unreliable. Short-term memory is work memory. It's just good enough to let us function. You need to get as much out of your head as you can. And your capture system should be the best place to do so. [[Ideas are fragile. You need a quick way to capture those. You don't want to have to think about where information needs to go, or where to look for it. Having a capture system removes that friction]]. Actually, capturing information is the first important capability of a [[Personal Knowledge Management System (PKMS)]]. You will rarely, if ever, find time to read a whole book in one go. The same goes for many articles. There are long reads that take time to digest. You need a system to capture what you learn. Each time you learn something new, you should be able to add it to your system, to progressively expand your knowledge base. [[Capturing should be a habit. It shouldn’t take any energy or decisions to save a hard-won idea]] ## Important requirements for a capture system Your system needs to remove friction. **Capturing information should be seamless**. **Your system needs to be able to store large amounts of information, without becoming a mess**. It needs to **remain usable at scale**. Importantly, **you need to trust that system**. **Losing your information is not an option**. You need full as well as incremental backups of your data. Your capture system may be *distributed*. You can use different tools for different types of information. For instance, I use one application for my lists (e.g., groceries, car problems, things to fix in the house, furniture to buy, etc), another one for references and highlights, and one where I regroup everything I have found interesting and learned. In [[Arrêtez d'Oublier ce que vous Lisez (book)]], [[Eliott Meunier]] recommends using specific apps for groceries, tasks, "playlists", and references. He describes those as temporary inboxes. I am personally in favor of using fewer tools, for various reasons: [[In defense of using fewer tools]]. You have to review those inboxes regularly. It doesn't necessarily imply doing something, but it's important to avoid the [[Collector's fallacy]], and content rot. ## Major use cases to consider Here are major use cases that your capture system (whether it is distributed or not) should be able to handle: - **Lists**: groceries, tasks, problems to fix, etc. - **Sources/inputs you want to consume**: what you have decided to consume sooner or later - **Highlights and notes**: everything you have found interesting or learned while consuming sources/inputs, as well as your own thoughts (i.e., insights, ideas, etc) - **References**: references to sources/inputs you have consumed If your capture system is able to handle at least those use cases, scales well and if you can trust it, then you will never forget anything. Never ever. Unless you choose to! Capturing information in a trusted system is also a great way to close [[Open loops]] that drain your mental energy. ## What a capture system looks like See [[What a capture system looks like]] ## Overview of the capture process - Discover interesting content, either through serendipity (e.g., stumble upon a cool article via Twitter/X) or active research - Capture the content in your trusted system if you don't have time to explore now - Review your inboxes when you have time to explore - Select a captured piece of content to consume, and explore its ideas - Capture highlights - Capture your own insights and ideas - Capture the references ## Why capture the references It's useful to keep the references to information you have consumed. For content creators and authors in particular, it's important to be able to cite your sources. All of your claims should be verifiable. It's also about attribution and copyright. Even if you're not an author, you may benefit from being able to go back to your sources. ## What happens with what you capture? Whatever you capture in your knowledge base after consuming content will either become tasks, transform into projects, or [[Atomic notes]] that you can connect with other ones, and leverage over time. The journey from the selection of your inputs and sources, to connected notes represent your captured knowledge is at the center of [[Personal Knowledge Management (PKM)]]. ## Related - [[What a capture system looks like]] - [[Personal Knowledge Management Process]] - [[Personal Knowledge Management System (PKMS)]] - [[Overview of my PKM System]]