The idea of using vi to manage a wiki for your notes may seem unconventional, but when you're using vi in your daily work, it makes a lot of sense.
As a software developer, it’s just easier to write my notes in the same tool I use to code. I want my notes to be only an editor command away, available wherever I am, and managed the same way I handle my code. That's why I created a vi-based setup for my personal knowledge base. In a nutshell: I use the vi plugin Vimwiki[1] to manage my wiki locally on my laptop, I use Git to version it (and keep a central, updated version), and I use GitLab for online editing (for example, on my mobile device).
Why it makes sense to use a wiki for note-keeping
I've tried many different tools to keep track of notes, write down fleeting thoughts, and structure tasks I shouldn’t forget. These include offline notebooks (yes, that involves paper), special note-keeping software, and mind-mapping software.
All these solutions have positives, but none fit all of my needs. For example, mind maps[2] are a great way to visualize what’s in your mind (hence the name), but the tools I tried provided poor searching functionality. (The same thing is true for paper notes.) Also, it’s often hard to read mind maps after time passes, so they don’t work very well for long-term note keeping.
One day while setting up a DokuWiki[3] for a collaboration project, I found that the wiki structure fits most of my requirements. With a wiki, you can create notes (like you would in any text editor) and create links between your notes. If a