It pains me to say, but it's probably too little, too late. Logseq remained a buggy mess, is now on an unmaintained (thus insecure) version of electron.
And now after several years of complete stagnation, the supposed improvement is a database format to fix their technical issues, so I can no longer keep all my data as markdown files? At a time when half the edits are done by Claude and tracked with jujustu, this is just not useful for me.
All I wanted was the original vision, but with less bugs and more quality of life features.
Yeah I felt the same about the decision when they decided to move to database structure. If it had this structure from the start it could've built up an ecosystem like Obsidian's but now it's hard to justify going for it.
Even if it was something people wanted, and it wasn't clear that it was even before the advent of CC, abandoning the mainline product for years was a terrible move.
Hopefully they at least got something out of it for themselves from that VC money.
I love the concept of logseq, but the userbase is just too small and in turn the speed of change is too slow. .
Over the last few weeks, with the help of Claude Code I've finally been able to dive into Obsidian and build out the second brain I've always wanted. With the power to auto-sort small thoughts jotted down on my phone with minimal interruption and some automated maintenance & sorting.
CC has really reduced the friction to getting started with Obsidian that's held me back for years.
How are you using Obsidian (and the LLM part if you want to expand on that) to build a second brain? I’m using Obsidian but more as a replacement for Apple Notes because it supports Markdown. My vault is just a collection of notes somewhat organized into relevant folders. I know there’s a lot of functionality I’m not utilizing.
I'm just in the toying and evaluation phase with Obsidian and so far I like it, but I'd like to understand why an AI is needed or even useful to begin with it? So far I just see a powerful text editor, what did you benefit from with AI use?
I still use Logseq and conceptually it’s still a great method for building a second brain. It fits the way my brain works.
But it has been dormant for years and early attempts at syncing didn’t work well. I paid to support the sync effort but we saw nothing for years. That’s a painfully long time.
I agree, I truly love logseq as it fits the way my brain works in a way the few other tools seem to be able to replicate. Unfortunately my notes being in plain text is a non-negotiable for me. This will probably be the push I need to transition over fully to org-roam. My logseq files are already stored in org format anyway.
Sadly, these are my thoughts as well. I've got so much already in logseq though, and I really like the model. Right now I'm thinking I'll just stay on version one as long as possible. Not being able to use Claude or codex anymore to write or update pages is a real deal breaker for me.
Does anyone know of a fork a version one that plans to continue?
Some people have placed their LogSeq DB inside a Obsidian Vault and .. moved on.
While I like using .md files, I can understand the perspective of needing database level syncing.
I haven't kept up with it, not sure why the existing Logseq didn't quietly start using a database internally, and also output .md files too to have both worlds.
Syncing text files can, does and most often will break given enough complexity and multi-device usage, especially with the most basic use case of using a daily note on multiple locations at the same time.
I wanted to use Logseq to replace NotePlan's workflow on Linux, but it's nowhere close that. What's worse, I was barely able to setup something remotely close with Obsidian.
Funny because a couple weeks ago a colleague showed me his Obsidian based note taking for work, and I decided to start trying that and Logseq out, side to side, learning their ins and outs as replacement of Keep for Android note taking.
So far I liked them both, Logseq is quirkier but I can live with quirky in FOSS. Confusingly enough though, now a new rework is announced and switching away from Markdown... One improvement I want from Keep is to have notes synced to my Linux PC and grep over them, so this news make the decision easier I guess.
After Logseq moved to an app focus and abandoned the "edit anywhere" convenience of being browser-based, I lost interest. I liked the original Logseq/Roam/Athens model, and I couldn't find anything similar elsewhere, so I just wrote my own. Markdown, git for versions, remote backup, themes (using the Tinted Themes repository of base16 themes), optionally encrypted notes. Lives in a browser, editable from anything with a browser and an Internet connection. Absolute note-taking heaven (for me). No more fooling with sync solutions or not being able to install an app on certain devices.
I'm sorry to have said goodbye to what used to be a great community project, but they've been following the classic enshittification model, albeit slowly, for a while now.
I've been using Logseq DB (this new version, as a nightly, for a year) and it's a really great concept, way better than anything I tried for notes and organisation. You can apply tags to blocks, which make them a kind of thing (a project, an author, a quote, a thought). It is very fast, and easy to learn.
I switched to it from Apple Notes + Obsidian (I've used logseq MD in the distant past). I have to say though that there are still some rough edges in the current developments and many concepts are still half-baked (Assets, Library).
I still use it because with it, I take more notes and retrieve them better, which is really convenient. The barrier to jotting something down is very low. I think the dev have really hit a sweet spot so I hope they can polish this application as it should be.
I do version control by exporting the .edn (a serialized file that contains all nodes) and using git.
All of that is very alpha (to be honest, I don't understand them releasing a beta now). You need to hang in the discord from time to time to make sure you do not miss a thing. I think my note app being open-source is pretty important to me that I still deal with that.
Though because of this tagging thing, it seems very "AI-ready" in the sense that queries are naturals as some block have an identity.
An example: I have a tag called job-application which has a status (like a checked box) for applied, in-process, awaiting-input, discarded, ... and I have a tag for the pages that corresponds with my research projects, with status (published, chased, forgotten, ...) and some information (GitHub, collaborators, ...).
there are views that summarize this (all projects, all jobs application)
When I mention a person in my journal, it's very easy to see how my last meeting with them went and all.
I don't use sync, I've been told it works really well.
EDIT: I forgot to say you can enable a markdown-mirror and have one way sync (DB->MD) which is very convenient for agent, or if you like markdown.
I originally came from Roam and was really happy to find an offline alternative in Logseq. I've since moved to Obsidian, though.
Obsidian works well, but I still feel like my brain works best with the outliner-style workflow that Roam and Logseq offer.
I have heard of https://outl.app/ but when I tried it out, it still seemed in a very early stage (and heavily vibe-coded, which I also don't enjoy).
That's what I started with originally, but it's not offline and stores all data on their servers.
Something like Workflowy but offline or self-hosted would be brilliant.
Am I missing something? I get 100 bullets per month unless I subscribe? There are so many alternatives that are free. I'm using Capacities right now which seems way more feature rich and I haven't hit any limits on the free plan.
It's not exactly like logseq but I really like SilverBullet (https://silverbullet.md/). It's self-hostable and really hackable (plugins, dynamic categorization via embedding custom queries, etc.). Browsers are the first class platform. I really dislike how logseq/Obsidian etc. try to push you towards local fat clients or web clients that only use browser local storage. I _want_ everything stored on a central server so I can just pick up on any device without having to sync.
You might want to try this new logseq though, if the devs have not burned all your goodwill. You can use it with a markdown mirror (it's a feature under settings) so you keep you same notes in markdown as well.
It's open-source, really well designed, local, you can even self-host sync...
But: the devs make questionable decisions that makes the development roadmap quite bumpy. It should ease up.
I really dislike this style of development: abandon the current version and start a perpetual beta that you're expected to use as your daily driver, as that's the only version that's also getting updated and QoL improvements. If you stay on the older version, expect breaking changes when/if they release a non-beta version, and have bugs unfixed. Or expect bugs/breaking changes if you use the perpetual beta and perhaps some of the previous bugs fixed (see: finamp, linksheet, and lawnchair, as a few examples). Applications that follow this development model are hard to recommend.
Despite enjoying logseq a lot it has stagnated for so long (and the mobile app is atrocious) that I ended up moving to obsidian. It was frustrating to see "new" versions get updates, bug fixes, and QoL improvements that I couldn't use unless I was willing to run an unstable build (plus they didn't update the mobile app during the beta, so it felt half-baked anyway). Even now, it's still a beta. Its such a shame.
It pains me to say, but it's probably too little, too late. Logseq remained a buggy mess, is now on an unmaintained (thus insecure) version of electron.
And now after several years of complete stagnation, the supposed improvement is a database format to fix their technical issues, so I can no longer keep all my data as markdown files? At a time when half the edits are done by Claude and tracked with jujustu, this is just not useful for me.
All I wanted was the original vision, but with less bugs and more quality of life features.
Yeah I felt the same about the decision when they decided to move to database structure. If it had this structure from the start it could've built up an ecosystem like Obsidian's but now it's hard to justify going for it.
Even if it was something people wanted, and it wasn't clear that it was even before the advent of CC, abandoning the mainline product for years was a terrible move.
Hopefully they at least got something out of it for themselves from that VC money.
I love the concept of logseq, but the userbase is just too small and in turn the speed of change is too slow. .
Over the last few weeks, with the help of Claude Code I've finally been able to dive into Obsidian and build out the second brain I've always wanted. With the power to auto-sort small thoughts jotted down on my phone with minimal interruption and some automated maintenance & sorting.
CC has really reduced the friction to getting started with Obsidian that's held me back for years.
How are you using Obsidian (and the LLM part if you want to expand on that) to build a second brain? I’m using Obsidian but more as a replacement for Apple Notes because it supports Markdown. My vault is just a collection of notes somewhat organized into relevant folders. I know there’s a lot of functionality I’m not utilizing.
I'm just in the toying and evaluation phase with Obsidian and so far I like it, but I'd like to understand why an AI is needed or even useful to begin with it? So far I just see a powerful text editor, what did you benefit from with AI use?
I still use Logseq and conceptually it’s still a great method for building a second brain. It fits the way my brain works.
But it has been dormant for years and early attempts at syncing didn’t work well. I paid to support the sync effort but we saw nothing for years. That’s a painfully long time.
I agree, I truly love logseq as it fits the way my brain works in a way the few other tools seem to be able to replicate. Unfortunately my notes being in plain text is a non-negotiable for me. This will probably be the push I need to transition over fully to org-roam. My logseq files are already stored in org format anyway.
I'm somewhat willing to entertain the possibility of using FUSE to access my files again as such (as files), but man, what a downgrade!
It also means the file based syncing I use is not going to work anymore, which... On the other hand... Is maybe right out for me.
Sadly, these are my thoughts as well. I've got so much already in logseq though, and I really like the model. Right now I'm thinking I'll just stay on version one as long as possible. Not being able to use Claude or codex anymore to write or update pages is a real deal breaker for me.
Does anyone know of a fork a version one that plans to continue?
Some people have placed their LogSeq DB inside a Obsidian Vault and .. moved on.
While I like using .md files, I can understand the perspective of needing database level syncing.
I haven't kept up with it, not sure why the existing Logseq didn't quietly start using a database internally, and also output .md files too to have both worlds.
Syncing text files can, does and most often will break given enough complexity and multi-device usage, especially with the most basic use case of using a daily note on multiple locations at the same time.
I wanted to use Logseq to replace NotePlan's workflow on Linux, but it's nowhere close that. What's worse, I was barely able to setup something remotely close with Obsidian.
I became so old waiting for usable non-lazy loading for long form notes that I ended up using Emacs for everything
Funny because a couple weeks ago a colleague showed me his Obsidian based note taking for work, and I decided to start trying that and Logseq out, side to side, learning their ins and outs as replacement of Keep for Android note taking.
So far I liked them both, Logseq is quirkier but I can live with quirky in FOSS. Confusingly enough though, now a new rework is announced and switching away from Markdown... One improvement I want from Keep is to have notes synced to my Linux PC and grep over them, so this news make the decision easier I guess.
After Logseq moved to an app focus and abandoned the "edit anywhere" convenience of being browser-based, I lost interest. I liked the original Logseq/Roam/Athens model, and I couldn't find anything similar elsewhere, so I just wrote my own. Markdown, git for versions, remote backup, themes (using the Tinted Themes repository of base16 themes), optionally encrypted notes. Lives in a browser, editable from anything with a browser and an Internet connection. Absolute note-taking heaven (for me). No more fooling with sync solutions or not being able to install an app on certain devices.
I'm sorry to have said goodbye to what used to be a great community project, but they've been following the classic enshittification model, albeit slowly, for a while now.
I've been using Logseq DB (this new version, as a nightly, for a year) and it's a really great concept, way better than anything I tried for notes and organisation. You can apply tags to blocks, which make them a kind of thing (a project, an author, a quote, a thought). It is very fast, and easy to learn.
I switched to it from Apple Notes + Obsidian (I've used logseq MD in the distant past). I have to say though that there are still some rough edges in the current developments and many concepts are still half-baked (Assets, Library).
I still use it because with it, I take more notes and retrieve them better, which is really convenient. The barrier to jotting something down is very low. I think the dev have really hit a sweet spot so I hope they can polish this application as it should be.
I'm curious, do you do version control, sync, or work with AI agents? If so, how does that work (for you)?
there is a CLI that gets installed when you install logseq, I just past the documentation (https://github.com/logseq/logseq/blob/master/docs/cli/logseq...) and codex knows what to do. Then I can summarize my journals over months and all.
I do version control by exporting the .edn (a serialized file that contains all nodes) and using git.
All of that is very alpha (to be honest, I don't understand them releasing a beta now). You need to hang in the discord from time to time to make sure you do not miss a thing. I think my note app being open-source is pretty important to me that I still deal with that.
Though because of this tagging thing, it seems very "AI-ready" in the sense that queries are naturals as some block have an identity.
An example: I have a tag called job-application which has a status (like a checked box) for applied, in-process, awaiting-input, discarded, ... and I have a tag for the pages that corresponds with my research projects, with status (published, chased, forgotten, ...) and some information (GitHub, collaborators, ...).
there are views that summarize this (all projects, all jobs application)
When I mention a person in my journal, it's very easy to see how my last meeting with them went and all.
I don't use sync, I've been told it works really well.
EDIT: I forgot to say you can enable a markdown-mirror and have one way sync (DB->MD) which is very convenient for agent, or if you like markdown.
Any good outliner alternatives out there?
I originally came from Roam and was really happy to find an offline alternative in Logseq. I've since moved to Obsidian, though. Obsidian works well, but I still feel like my brain works best with the outliner-style workflow that Roam and Logseq offer.
I have heard of https://outl.app/ but when I tried it out, it still seemed in a very early stage (and heavily vibe-coded, which I also don't enjoy).
Workflowy.
That's what I started with originally, but it's not offline and stores all data on their servers. Something like Workflowy but offline or self-hosted would be brilliant.
Maybe someone can put Claude Fable on it
I created a version for personal use a month ago.
https://github.com/SharifIsmail/tendril
Feel free to give it a try. Agents can also directly interact with it.
Same, was trying this again today. I like the parity of web and TUI.
Workflowy is awesome.
Am I missing something? I get 100 bullets per month unless I subscribe? There are so many alternatives that are free. I'm using Capacities right now which seems way more feature rich and I haven't hit any limits on the free plan.
It's not exactly like logseq but I really like SilverBullet (https://silverbullet.md/). It's self-hostable and really hackable (plugins, dynamic categorization via embedding custom queries, etc.). Browsers are the first class platform. I really dislike how logseq/Obsidian etc. try to push you towards local fat clients or web clients that only use browser local storage. I _want_ everything stored on a central server so I can just pick up on any device without having to sync.
You might want to try this new logseq though, if the devs have not burned all your goodwill. You can use it with a markdown mirror (it's a feature under settings) so you keep you same notes in markdown as well.
It's open-source, really well designed, local, you can even self-host sync...
But: the devs make questionable decisions that makes the development roadmap quite bumpy. It should ease up.
bike, if you are on macos https://www.hogbaysoftware.com/bike/
I really dislike this style of development: abandon the current version and start a perpetual beta that you're expected to use as your daily driver, as that's the only version that's also getting updated and QoL improvements. If you stay on the older version, expect breaking changes when/if they release a non-beta version, and have bugs unfixed. Or expect bugs/breaking changes if you use the perpetual beta and perhaps some of the previous bugs fixed (see: finamp, linksheet, and lawnchair, as a few examples). Applications that follow this development model are hard to recommend.
Despite enjoying logseq a lot it has stagnated for so long (and the mobile app is atrocious) that I ended up moving to obsidian. It was frustrating to see "new" versions get updates, bug fixes, and QoL improvements that I couldn't use unless I was willing to run an unstable build (plus they didn't update the mobile app during the beta, so it felt half-baked anyway). Even now, it's still a beta. Its such a shame.
Well. Time to look for a new editor again. Ain't no way I'm giving up my dumb file syncing that works for decades.
Maybe this time I'll find one with a sane extension system, so it isn't open-season for malware.
The writing is on the wall for PKMSs the moment LLMs are powerful enough to drive agentic workflows.
I am still on a very old version of logseq. Why update?
No mention of a migration guide from V1 to V2, even in the "Big Update" post? What the heck