[divan]

Second this. I even have a bookmarklet in the browser that adds text selection or a page automatically to Obsidian. And yet, when it comes to saving something I feel is important, the maximum I can do is just create another note and put the text/link and forget. I feel like I need to find proper place for this note in the folder hierarchy or think how to categorize it ("should it go to the Economics->Behavioral or Sociology?"), and quickly becomes a burden. In the end I feel like heavily underusing it, but perhaps I just don't get the right workflow..

[xmprt]

The best workflow is to consciously underthink it. If you find yourself spending more than 10 seconds thinking of where to put something then you're doing it wrong. Force yourself to go with the first place you were thinking. You'll most likely find it later using search tools.

Sometimes you don't even need to take notes. Just the act of pasting in a link or a snippet from an article you read is enough to reference it in the future.

If you insist on making things clean, then you can use some sort of version control and review all the notes that you've taken once a week and organize them better. The most important thing is to take the note.

[divan]

Right, agree with <10 sec rule. But, again, the main promise of second brain tools is to keep your "second memory" layer organized. Apple Notes are good enough for copypasting links and excerpts you want to make searchable later, right? So I assumed that Obsidian's markdown/hyperlink system should bring some benefits into organization.

[xmprt]

For me, the value is somewhere in between. Priority number one is getting the data into the second brain. Afterwards try to do a little organizing but don't fuss around too much with it because I can always make improvements later (especially if/when I access it for a second time). That's kind of how the real brain works.