folgezettel is a ongoing list of [[{4.1a} atomic notes]] with alphanumeric IDs: ``` 1.1 Cats meow. 1.1a Cats also purr. 1.2 Dogs bark. 1.2a Dogs howl. 1.2b Dogs growl. 1.2b1 Dogs growl when they feel threatened. ``` when a note is added, it’s contextualized within your broader collection of ideas. rather than an outline, it’s an active index of your train of thought. you can see how your perspective has changed over time, you can see which concepts and ideas you’re thinking about most, and by housing notes in context that makes sense to *you*, duplicate notes are minimized. ## starting folgezettel give your first note the ID `1.1`. this can be literally any note; it doesn’t need to be a “top-level” or generalized idea. if the next note is somehow a continuation of that idea – an expansion, rebuttal, tangent – it should branch off into `1.1a`. if the next note is related thematically, but is a separate idea, topic, or train-of-thought, it might become `1.2`. >[!note]- beware overthinking >whether a note should continue an existing thread or start a new one is subjective and mostly based on vibes. like-items will be near each other even if they branch into different threads, so just pick a spot and make it work. [[{4.1b2b2} no one is going to check your work]]. once you have a note that is entirely unrelated to your existing thread, start a new section by giving the note ID `2.1`: ``` 1. ANIMALS 1.1 Cats meow. 1.1a Cats also purr. 1.2 Dogs bark. 1.2a Dogs howl. 1.2b Dogs growl. 1.2b1 Dogs growl when they feel threatened. 2. STATIONERY 2.1 Tomoe River Paper is produced by Sanzen. 2.1a Tomoe River Paper is usually 52 gsm. 2.2 A-series paper starts at 1m squared. ``` ## practicality of folgezettel opinions are [mixed](https://zettelkasten.de/folgezettel/) on folgezettel, but anecdotally it’s been the most consistent and helpful part of my pkm practice for more than two years. when i reach a stopping point with an atomic note, i browse my [[_index]] to see if there’s an obvious spot for it; if there is, it’s minimal friction to add the ID and link the note. if there is *not* an obvious spot for it, i usually tack it on to the end of a section. sometimes i’ll let several new notes accumulate before adding any IDs. see more in [[{4.1a2a} maintaining folgezettel over time]]. [[doto, bob]] has a [comprehensive article](https://writing.bobdoto.computer/how-to-use-folgezettel-in-your-zettelkasten-everything-you-need-to-know-to-get-started/) on the specifics of folgezettel and answers to common questions.