# Progressive Summarization: A Practical Technique for Designing Discoverable Notes
URL:: https://fortelabs.co/blog/progressive-summarization-a-practical-technique-for-designing-discoverable-notes
Author:: Tiago Forte
## Highlights
> What is difficult is not transferring content from place to place, but *transferring it through time*. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4trws04rcwf5sfq7zvh1f4x))
> I want to suggest an alternative to all the approaches above: what you read is good and useful and very important, *you’re just reading it at the wrong time*. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4trwvc2h1r0zfe3mdahfgz4))
> This is the job of a “second brain” — an external, integrated digital repository for the things you learn and the resources from which they come. It is a storage and retrieval system, packaging bits of knowledge into discrete packets that can be forwarded to various points in time to be reviewed, utilized, or deleted. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4trx54gkw5kvr58dgqe7g64))
> The four top-level categories of P.A.R.A. — Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives — are designed to facilitate this process of forwarding knowledge through time. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4trxn7cbdpjr5cnrm8nqjps))
> • By placing a note in a project folder, you are essentially scheduling it for review on the **short time horizon** of an individual project
> • Notes in area folders are scheduled for **less frequent review**, whenever you evaluate that area of your work or life
> • Notes in resource folders stand ready for review **if and when you decide to take action** on that topic
> • And notes in archive folders are in **“cold storage,”** available if needed but not scheduled for review at any particular time ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4tryh8aqaddw7ymj7m7kyq3))
> Note that we have re-created the tickler file, except instead of strict time-based horizons (daily, weekly, monthly, annually), they are scheduled *contingently* — if X happens, when Y arrives, if I want to do Z, etc. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4trybbqgj6mme91wsv6dztf))
> Notebook-first is better than tagging-first, in my opinion, mostly because it stays out of the way. It doesn’t try to automate and encroach upon the deeply intuitive act of making connections and seeing patterns. P.A.R.A. on its own is a notebook-first system. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4trzfvdw3dfn9n7tabje1h7))
> But if we stopped there, it would still be woefully inadequate for an economy based on creative output. As the tagging enthusiasts correctly point out, notebooks and folders actually suppress the serendipity and randomness that is at the heart of a creative lifestyle. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4trzw2s9pf4mkcgwy0yc8ch))
> I propose we make the ***design of individual notes*** the primary factor, instead of tags or notebooks. This has many advantages: ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4ts025bed4h38ta17vez9cf))
> With a note-first approach, your notes become like individual **atoms** — each with its own unique properties, but ready to be assembled into **elements, molecules, and compounds** that are far more powerful. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4ts07rkw5m5r3gr66dhsnw8))
> Designing discoverable notes ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4ts0a8hysazvzvyshhcx4nz))
> Progressive Summarization focuses therefore on rebalancing the equation. It is a method for *opportunistic compression* — summarizing and condensing a piece of information in small spurts, spread across time, in the course of other work, and only doing as much or as little as the information deserves. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4ts237bmf8fc135xt9jwgmf))
> Progressive Summarization works in “layers” of summarization. Layer 0 is the original, full-length source text. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4ts2c8h91mrv68mvke6ft4m))
>  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4ts3b94bqwwaggg1xpn4ns9))
---
Title: Progressive Summarization: A Practical Technique for Designing Discoverable Notes
Author: Tiago Forte
Tags: readwise, articles
date: 2024-01-30
---
# Progressive Summarization: A Practical Technique for Designing Discoverable Notes
URL:: https://fortelabs.co/blog/progressive-summarization-a-practical-technique-for-designing-discoverable-notes
Author:: Tiago Forte
## AI-Generated Summary
Modern digital tools make it easy to “capture” information from a wide variety of sources. We know how to snap a picture, type out some notes, record a
## Highlights
> What is difficult is not transferring content from place to place, but *transferring it through time*. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4trws04rcwf5sfq7zvh1f4x))
> I want to suggest an alternative to all the approaches above: what you read is good and useful and very important, *you’re just reading it at the wrong time*. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4trwvc2h1r0zfe3mdahfgz4))
> This is the job of a “second brain” — an external, integrated digital repository for the things you learn and the resources from which they come. It is a storage and retrieval system, packaging bits of knowledge into discrete packets that can be forwarded to various points in time to be reviewed, utilized, or deleted. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4trx54gkw5kvr58dgqe7g64))
> The four top-level categories of P.A.R.A. — Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives — are designed to facilitate this process of forwarding knowledge through time. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4trxn7cbdpjr5cnrm8nqjps))
> • By placing a note in a project folder, you are essentially scheduling it for review on the **short time horizon** of an individual project
> • Notes in area folders are scheduled for **less frequent review**, whenever you evaluate that area of your work or life
> • Notes in resource folders stand ready for review **if and when you decide to take action** on that topic
> • And notes in archive folders are in **“cold storage,”** available if needed but not scheduled for review at any particular time ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4tryh8aqaddw7ymj7m7kyq3))
> Note that we have re-created the tickler file, except instead of strict time-based horizons (daily, weekly, monthly, annually), they are scheduled *contingently* — if X happens, when Y arrives, if I want to do Z, etc. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4trybbqgj6mme91wsv6dztf))
> Notebook-first is better than tagging-first, in my opinion, mostly because it stays out of the way. It doesn’t try to automate and encroach upon the deeply intuitive act of making connections and seeing patterns. P.A.R.A. on its own is a notebook-first system. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4trzfvdw3dfn9n7tabje1h7))
> But if we stopped there, it would still be woefully inadequate for an economy based on creative output. As the tagging enthusiasts correctly point out, notebooks and folders actually suppress the serendipity and randomness that is at the heart of a creative lifestyle. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4trzw2s9pf4mkcgwy0yc8ch))
> I propose we make the ***design of individual notes*** the primary factor, instead of tags or notebooks. This has many advantages: ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4ts025bed4h38ta17vez9cf))
> With a note-first approach, your notes become like individual **atoms** — each with its own unique properties, but ready to be assembled into **elements, molecules, and compounds** that are far more powerful. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4ts07rkw5m5r3gr66dhsnw8))
> Designing discoverable notes ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4ts0a8hysazvzvyshhcx4nz))
> Progressive Summarization focuses therefore on rebalancing the equation. It is a method for *opportunistic compression* — summarizing and condensing a piece of information in small spurts, spread across time, in the course of other work, and only doing as much or as little as the information deserves. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4ts237bmf8fc135xt9jwgmf))
> Progressive Summarization works in “layers” of summarization. Layer 0 is the original, full-length source text. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4ts2c8h91mrv68mvke6ft4m))
>  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01g4ts3b94bqwwaggg1xpn4ns9))