The author explains their extensive use of Org Mode, an Emacs extension, as a powerful, all-encompassing tool beyond simple note-taking. They highlight its flexibility for managing writing projects, from initial brainstorming and outlining to drafting, editing, and publishing. Org Mode's structured format, using plain text and simple markup, facilitates easy reorganization, version control with Git, and export to various formats like HTML and PDF. The author demonstrates how features like tags, links, and the ability to embed code and results directly into documents make it ideal for technical writing, literate programming, and project management, ultimately creating a unified system for knowledge creation and organization.
The author argues that Knuth's vision of literate programming, where code is written for humans within a narrative explaining its logic, hasn't achieved mainstream adoption because it fundamentally misunderstands the nature of programming. Rather than a linear, top-down process suitable for narrative explanation, programming is inherently exploratory and iterative, involving frequent refactoring and restructuring. Literate programming tools force a rigid structure onto this fluid process, making it cumbersome and ultimately counterproductive. The author proposes "exploratory programming" as a more realistic approach, emphasizing tools that facilitate quick exploration, refactoring, and visualization of code relationships, allowing understanding to emerge organically from the code itself.
Hacker News users discuss the merits and flaws of Knuth's literate programming style. Some argue that his approach, while elegant, prioritizes code as literature over practicality, making it difficult to navigate and modify, particularly in larger projects. Others counter that the core concept of intertwining code and explanation remains valuable, but modern tooling like Jupyter notebooks and embedded documentation offer better solutions. The thread also explores alternative approaches like docstrings and the use of comments to generate documentation, emphasizing the importance of clear and concise explanations within the codebase itself. Several commenters highlight the benefits of separating documentation from code for maintainability and flexibility, suggesting that the ideal approach depends on the project's scale and complexity. The original post is criticized for misrepresenting Knuth's views and focusing too heavily on superficial aspects like tool choice rather than the underlying philosophy.
Summary of Comments ( 30 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43157672
Hacker News users generally praised the article for its clear explanation of Org Mode's benefits and the author's workflow. Several commenters shared their own experiences and tips for using Org Mode, highlighting its versatility for tasks beyond writing, such as project management and note-taking. Some discussed the learning curve associated with Org Mode, acknowledging its initial complexity but emphasizing the long-term payoff. A few users mentioned alternative tools, but the overall sentiment leaned towards appreciating Org Mode's powerful features and extensibility. The discussion also touched upon the advantages of plain text and the philosophical appeal of owning your data.
The Hacker News post titled "Why and How I use "Org Mode" for my writing and more" (linking to an article on evalapply.org) generated a moderate discussion with several insightful comments.
Many commenters echoed the author's sentiments about Org Mode's power and flexibility. One user praised its plain text nature, emphasizing the longevity and portability of such files, contrasting it with proprietary formats that can become obsolete. This commenter also appreciated the ability to export to various formats, highlighting its utility for different publishing needs.
Another commenter delved into specific Org Mode features they found beneficial, such as the agenda view for task management and the ability to embed source code blocks with execution capabilities. They noted that these features combine to create a powerful environment for reproducible research. This aligns with a separate comment highlighting Org Mode's utility for academic work, especially in technical fields where literate programming is valuable.
A few commenters discussed the learning curve associated with Org Mode. While acknowledging its initial complexity, they argued that the investment is worthwhile due to the long-term productivity gains. One user described it as a "steep but rewarding climb," suggesting that while it takes effort to master, the payoff is substantial.
The discussion also touched upon alternative tools and workflows. Some users mentioned other note-taking applications, comparing their features and limitations with Org Mode. One comment specifically mentioned using Markdown for simpler writing tasks but reserving Org Mode for more complex projects requiring sophisticated organization and features like embedded code blocks.
A couple of commenters expressed their long-standing appreciation for Org Mode, having used it for several years. They shared anecdotes about how it has become integral to their daily workflow and how it has helped them manage complex projects.
Finally, one commenter requested information about resources for learning Org Mode, demonstrating the continued interest in adopting and mastering this tool. This led to another user sharing a link to a helpful tutorial, contributing to the community-driven support surrounding Org Mode.