this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2025
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the extensions mostly
Good point, the thing is... if you do have MarkDown in a directory, as suggested here, then your CLI tools become your extensions. One can start with git and voila, version tracked. One can used a Web server e.g. Apache or nginx, and voila, accessible anywhere on the network, possibly on the Internet (via e.g. Grok or TailScale). That also includes any programming language, e.g. invoking a Python script on said files. Might not sound like much but it's a LOT.
So... I'd argue maybe not necessarily extensions themselves but the curation of extensions, namely their discoverability because they are all in one neat spot, with comments from users, etc whereas CLI commands are... all over.
Edit: I'd be curious about how many downvoters in this case have been using such solutions and for how long. FWIW I've been actively using and maintaining my PIM since 2008.
To answer your other question, actively using and maintaining my PIM since 2009.
That assumes the person using obsidian is a software dev or a sysadmin. Most users aren’t going to want the extra hassle, or they might be unable to do these things.
IMHO note taking systems are precisely about empowerment. The whole point is to learn... so even if they are not a dev or sysadmin, they can try and scaffold their knowledge, initially typing commands they don't understand, copy/pasting from the Web, then discover they can write their own, add that knowledge to their system, etc. I'd argue for most people that might be at least as valuable as their own content.
TL;DR: let's not infantilize fictional users. Having the option to do more, for those who do want to, is extremely valuable.
Source: I've seen nurses with no IT training installing drivers in the CLI for their WiFi card, no help from me. IT is cool but it's nothing magical either, people CAN learn if they want to.
You only have to consider the plugin developers. Most of them would have the technical ability to do what you mention, but they prefer to use Obsidian instead. Clearly there's a reason for that.
How can you tell? I imagine you have stats on how many plugin developers exist and are active but I don't know how you can know how many people rely on a file system with CLI tools approach.
One of the benefits of Obsidian is that it stores its data in a format where you CAN use cli tools and python etc. That's one of the reasons I'm using it myself.