Should Notes Be Public by Default?

A tough question—one I’m asking myself right now. I want to reduce the friction of publishing, to make blogging easier. But at the same time, I prefer to keep most of my output private, at least for now. That leads me to believe notes should be private by default. Only when they reach a certain level of maturity should they be made public.

But after exploring other people’s digital gardens, I realize this argument isn’t so clear-cut.

Writing for a Public Audience Changes Everything

Take this note, for example. Knowing it will be public, I’m putting extra effort into forming meaningful, structured sentences. I’m writing for a reader, not just for myself. It’s more work—work I sometimes wonder if I need to do.

At the same time, making my thoughts public allows others to engage with them. Someone could challenge an idea, offer a new perspective, or help refine my understanding. If most of my thoughts remain private, I miss out on this valuable feedback loop.

There’s also the challenge of deciding when a note is good enough to be public. That decision itself creates friction. Ideally, writing—and sharing—should feel effortless. My tools should support that.

Public Notes Could Boost Motivation

When something is open for feedback, it serves as a reminder that I’ve created something worth revisiting. This naturally leads to a kind of spaced repetition—an organic way of reinforcing and refining ideas. That’s a powerful benefit.

But I wonder if, over time, this could turn into another source of pressure. Would it still feel like a tool for learning, or would it become an obligation?

My Take

For now, I’ll keep my notes private by default—not just for privacy reasons but because I’ve seen how overwhelming unfiltered digital gardens can be. When everything is public—journals, half-formed ideas, random inputs—it can feel cluttered for both the writer and the reader. Everything seems unfinished. And while that is the point, I’m not entirely convinced it’s the best approach.

I believe in small bets, and this is one of them. I’ll try to share more read-worthy material here—something closer to a blog, but one that stays in sync with my second brain.