M-x remember like it's 2008
===========================
A guide to getting started with remember.el.
Introduction
------------
Most Emacs users adore org mode.
Org mode --a brilliant system build up on Emacs-- leverages the
simplicity of plain text, creating a powerful tool to manage projects,
and organize tasks and notes. It supports outline editing, hyperlinks,
todo lists and task management, agendas, scheduling, deadlines,
document formatting, publishing, and much more.
Blinded by the white light of its brilliance, the devotees of Emacs
sometimes tend to forget that there's more. Below follows an
invitation to open your mind and look at one of the vintage diamonds
of Emacs.
Standing on the shoulders of giants
-----------------------------------
Building on the work of others, whether in science or in the
development of open source software, often brings about unexpected and
rewarding results.
Org mode didn't come out of nowhere.
Org mode started out of frustration with Emacs outline mode.
Org mode's highly regarded capture system is an expansion of John
Wiegley's remember.el.
Emacs is Emacs
--------------
Emacs has gained many features over the last 40 years, yet few have
been deleted.
This fantastic operating system, often known as "the editor", is loaded
with plenty of goodies from the good old days, each and every one
ready to be used. All it requires is a willing user.
One of those golden goodies from the good old days is nothing less
than John Wiegley's remember.el.
M-x remember
------------
Go ahead, don't be afraid, and try it. Dive down the rabbit hole, and
just issue the command:
M-x remember
A new buffer opens, where you can type your heart out.
Let your hands fly over the mechanical keyboard and fill the room with
those oh-so assuring clickety-clik sounds. Enter a note, stating
Something Very Important, which you must not forget. Pay some extra
attention to your first line, this becomes the headline of your note.
When done, just enter:
C-c C-c
Familiar, isn't it? As said, org capture is based upon this.
This closes the buffer and saves your note, stating Something Very
Important, which you must not forget.
M-x remember-notes
------------------
Now that you have set your first step down into the rabbit hole, use
the momentum of your courageous mood. Continue your quest and boldly
navigate the next phase.
Issue the command:
M-x remember-notes
This opens the file holding the remember-notes and displays the
contents in the buffer `*notes*'.
You may now admire the result.
The file shows a time stamp together with the title, originally the
first line of your note. Below that your note follows, stating
Something Very Important, which you must not forget.
Perfection? Almost.
Having recovered from the shock and awe from recognizing your very own
work of art, looking through the tears you see that the powers that be
have faltered in their mysterious ways, and mistakenly chosen a wrong
and awful format for the date and time.
But --Emacs being Emacs-- you have the power to correct that!
Simply add this to your Emacs init file:
(setopt remember-time-format "%A %d %B %Y %H:%M")
Re-evaluate the init file, or restart Emacs, whatever you prefer, and
add another note. Just do the `M-x remember'-thing again, followed by
that darn `M-x remember-notes' command.
And see that everything is good.
Wait, there is more
-------------------
The humble remember.el is dazzling your mind. We know. But still there
is more.
Having entered the realm beyond the rabbit hole, you feel invincible
and nothing can hold you back. Even the guns of ESR or the belly of
RMS won't stop you now.
* Open a file, using the fantastic operating system, often known as
"the editor". Any file will do. Yes, even your boring '~/.profile'
is fine.
Really, it is. Trust us.
* Mark a region in this file.
* Be brave, take a deep breath, and issue the following command:
C-u M-x remember
Your mind is about to explode.
With your battle cry still reverberating through the room you look at
the screen, and assess what just happened:
* A new buffer opened, ready to receive your new note.
* The region that you just so naively marked, is now verbatim copied
into this buffer. And you didn't have to type anything!
* Below this automagical appearing text, a line has been added,
showing the name of the file, including its full path, from where
you so bravely did the C-u M-x remember-thing. It seems to act as a
future reference, something called "context".
And all that happened just like magic, not needing any work from you.
Great, isn't it?
Let your reflexes go wild, hit that so deeply in your fingers engraved
C-c C-c key combo, to save this moment of pure bliss.
Simple, fast and reliable
-------------------------
You have witnessed -and first-handedly experienced- the many blessings
of the good old vintage `remember.el'. Your own powerful dragon, lying
dormant ready to serve, patiently waiting for your call.
It's simple, fast and reliable.
Nobody can touch you now, you're no remember-virgin anymore.
Probably by now you reach that point where you start thinking about
changing the file name from `notes' to `notes.org', and putting a
header on top of it, and, ...
*Stop right there*
Of course --Emacs being Emacs-- you can customize this lovely remember
mode beyond the point where your fingers start to bleed.
But that is not The Way.
Choose your tools wisely
------------------------
If you want a massively customized, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier
sized system to take notes and manage todos, org mode is still there
for you. It's good, it's solid, and offers an intelligent system
that's wonderful, powerful and does everthing you can think of, and
much more.
However, when it comes to a super efficient, fast and easy way to make
a note, only to read back at tea time this afternoon and immediately
forget all about it, nothing beats remember.el. It's the least
obtrusive, with minimal disruption of your workflow. It doesn't force
you to choose between e.g, a note, a todo or a journal entry. It's
fast. It's simple.
Both have their place. It's just a matter of when to choose what.
When your note is just something you only need to refer to once or
twice, and doesn't have to be refiled, scheduled, archived, published
and what not, use remember.el.
Use it, play with it. Figure out how it can benefit you. And how you
can do honor to this so wonderful, almost forgotten and disregarded
diamond from the past.
Perhaps use it as a journal? Use it to keep track of your progress for
the next scrum meeting? Or wake it only for some scratch notes,
leaving the *scratch* buffer for elisp stuff? Wait - maybe you too can
stand on the shoulders of giants, and come up with the next super idea
to make use of this little gem.
Think about your system. Review your use cases and start from there.
Just do it
----------
Let the kind spirit of Marie Kondo guide you to the Good Way, always
follow The Path, always looking in the mirror, honestly confronting
yourself with The Question:
"Does this Emacs mode sparks joy?"
Be the Atreyu in Emacs land.
Open your heart to the life-changing magic of remember.el.
