Woa! Putting my moderator’s ‘hat’ on, can we all take a step back. I’ve moderated a succession of Tinderbox support fora as a volunteer (i.e. not paid staff) since c.2004 and it’s true, we very rarely show people the door (spammers are a different issue) and the last time was likely back on the 2000s—so far back I don’t remember.
Here, we prefer to try and help people but note the community does not want:
- zero-sum arguments ‘(I like X, Tinderbox should be like X’)
- opinion-shopping. A point well made stands on its own merits. There is no ‘vote’.
- credentialism. All users are users, and as such have an equal voice. Expertise is useful but only in context.
- ill-tempered debate.
Sure, we all fail at the last point from time to time but over the years I’d like to think that over the years Tinderbox fora have been friendly and engaged and above all, delivered help to those that need it.
We try to solve actual problems relating to Tinderbox. App A vs. app B comparisons are generally pointless as they are based on opinion and not true comparison; opinion is rarely actionable. However, knowledge and links to other apps with different/complimentary features can be useful†.
I’m sorry if we fellow users lack Chinese language/script expertise, but this is a user-to-user forum and we can only bring to bear the experiences we have, and can only represent the experience of those who chose to contribute here. Rest assured, not all Tinderbox users work in English only nor are they all native English speakers. We have users from across the world and whilst Arabic and Cyrillic script have turned up as topics, Chinese isn’t (yet) an area of deep expertise.
Anyway to move ahead and help us help can @montaus, I will send them details via PM of the missing information that is needed to give help.
On a general but contingent note, this scenario started with the unfortunate standard trope of “Tinderbox is not as good as app X”. OK, but this assumes that people here know about app X, or have used it or even have an interest in it. The assertion is meaningless apart from being personal opinion. We also have the comparison of different tools for different purposes. The problem that gives is that irrespective of the qualities of the apps in question they are designed differently to do different things. The closest Tinderbox and Obsidian come is both can be used for note-taking. But in feature set and design intent they are very different.
The problem comes in starting with a a UI or feature and then saying “I like this in app X, all other apps should be like app X”. This contains two fallacies: a) that all people (want to) work the same way, b) that the design of different apps even allows such convergency.
I’m afraid I’ve never heard of Typora so have no idea for what it is intended so can’t comment on it. The fact I’ve never heard of it isn’t a negative, but it explains why I can’t compare its features.
A goodly number of Tinderbox users do use DEVONthink, because it is actually designed as an ‘everything bucket’ (that’s a generally used term and is not used rudely), e.g. lots of different source formats and varying file sizes. Tinderbox is designed for textual work—annotation, analysis and writing—but in small notes which can be aggregated for long-form display. So, users put large sources such as Wikipedia essays in DEVONthink and link to them or, as you do, consult the references from within that app. This lays bare another fallacy in the TfT (Tools for Thought) area, that one app is best for everything. I think anyone long in the TfT game will know otherwise, though they will still have favourite tool(s), they will have more than one actively used in their TfT work. Mine are listed below, others will have a different set. For instance, I don’t travel much to don’t have to bridge the phone/Mac OS divide, not do I work in multiple languages, etc.
†. For example, in my knowledge work. Primary apps (in daily use): Tinderbox, Bookends, DEVONthink Pro, BBEdit, TextExpander, TextSniper, Monosnap. Secondary use: Graphic Converter, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, Excel (not by choice), Dash, Easy Data Transform, Flying Logic, HookMark, Marked 2, Tot, Script Debugger, Unicode Checker, Transmit, Skim, Author & Reader, textstudio (and more besides including command line tools). As to other TfT: I’ve tried Roam and Obsidian out but not found a use for them—not worse, they may be the fit for others but just not useful to me [sic] nor particularly novel. Not all apps fit all users.
… now, let normal service resume…
But, I do accept lots of people really like Markdown! No, really! (and I’m using it to type this message)
