**Hi, I'm [R. Scott Jones](https://rscottjones.com), and welcome to my public notes.** My goal here is to share personal notes that might be helpful for others, even if they're incomplete or "in-progress" thoughts—a [[Digital garden]] of sorts. This is an experimental site and is structured a bit differently than what you're used to. You can find more structured posts on my primary website, [rscottjones.com](https://rscottjones.com). Originally, these notes were hosted on ideasnotebook.com and served as an experimental home for a concept I call [[§ 0 - Return on Adventure|Return on Adventure]] (ROA). ## Major topics Since then, I've decided to expand what I post publicly. While most of these notes still revolve around [[§ 0 - Return on Adventure|Return on Adventure]], I've decided to publish a wider variety of topics as well. These include ideas that I want to share, but also personal insights, notes on other topics of interest, and my current thinking on things I'm curious to investigate or develop further. I see this as a semi-permanent public home for my thinking around various topics, supplemented at times by more traditional posts on [my website](https://rscottjones.com). ==Please note that some of these notes are rough, raw, incomplete, or simply empty stubs that point to drafts I haven't uploaded yet. Again, these are personal notes that I'm making public, so many are not in a finished form.== Some larger topical areas I've already posted center around: - [[§ Strategies for Aging MOC|Aging]] - [[More ideas|General life lessons]] - [[Product reviews]] - [[§ 0 - Return on Adventure|Return on Adventure]] - [[Questing MOC|Questing]] ## Navigating these notes Instead of traditional blog posts, this network of linked notes[^1] (sometimes called a "digital garden") allows you to explore various topics in an unconventional and somewhat experimental way. While non-linear and non-chronological, this site uses bi-directional links, so you can see which pages refer to the one you are currently reading and easily move between component ideas. For instance, since ROA is an [[ROA is an a la carte menu|"a la carte" menu]] of ideas, strategies, and systems, this format allows you to investigate the parts that resonate with you without getting bogged down in what would otherwise be an *incredibly lengthy* blog post. Think of it as a "choose your own adventure" guide into the concept of ROA—as well as the other topics covered here. ==I suggest that you [[§ 0 - Return on Adventure|start here]],== but you can also explore notes using the menu on the left, or by clicking on any other links you see. There is no table of contents or hierarchical menu to follow, though you'll find a few [[Map of Content|Maps of Content]] that help organize notes into broader concepts. You can also navigate using the interactive graph (if you're not reading this on a phone). I try to include [[§ Recently added|a listing of recent updates]], though I often forget to update it. ## A work in progress This format[^2] is also an experiment in "incremental writing," which allows me to continue to build upon these ideas even after publishing. None of these notes is ever truly "finished," as much as it's often "good enough" to get me thinking or acting in a particular direction. The same can be said for the notes you're reading here. They'll be constantly tweaked, upgraded, and perhaps entirely rewritten. This allows me to publish extremely quickly—I don't need to fret over anything being perfect, prep post images, decide where in the blog archives I want it to be found, adjust any settings, or other such considerations. Here I can simply get an idea on paper and publish with a click. So if a note seems confusing or under-explained or even missing, it’s probably because it's something I'm still developing. After all, [[Writing is thinking]]. Some call this approach learning in public, or [[Working with the garage door up]]. ## Tell me what you think I'd *love* to hear what you think about these concepts. Send an email to [email protected] or get in touch with me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/rscottjones) or [mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@rscottjones) with your feedback. I'd be thrilled to hear from you. [^1]: The inspiration for these notes comes from [Andy Matuschak's evergreen notes](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/About_these_notes) and [Anne-Laure Le Cunff's digital garden](https://www.mentalnodes.com/a-gardening-guide-for-your-mind). Maggie Appleton's piece on the history of the [digital garden](https://maggieappleton.com/garden-history) idea explains much more. [^2]: You can read more about [[Why these notes|why I chose this format]] and what influenced me to do it. --- *Updated June 28, 2023*