GitHub issues is almost the best notebook in the world

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Using GitHub Issues as a Notebook / PM System

  • Many agree Issues work surprisingly well for notes and project management: labels, search, checklists, links to specific comments, and cross-linking between issues.
  • People report using Issues to manage non-code projects (weddings, moving house, general life tasks) with success.
  • Some see it as “almost the best bug tracker / ticketing system,” especially combined with monorepos and labels for org-wide visibility.

Limitations, Missing Features, and Search Quality

  • Critiques of GitHub Issues as a “best” system:
    • No dedicated editable summary separate from the comment thread.
    • No per-issue access controls for handling sensitive/PII-heavy tickets.
    • No “private notes” or draft comments attached to an issue.
  • Search is widely called mediocre: exact-phrase requirements, poor tolerance for typos, and limitations like not searching by branch.
  • Outages, 2FA loss, and rate limits are cited as risks for relying on it as a primary notebook.

Markdown, Git, and Note-App Alternatives

  • A large contingent keeps returning to “a folder of markdown files in a git repo,” often edited with Obsidian, Neovim, VS Code, or org-mode/org-roam.
  • Debate over “extra steps”: DIY sync (Git, WebDAV, Syncthing, OneDrive, iCloud) vs paid Obsidian sync/web; some value control and cost savings, others prefer turnkey solutions.
  • Strong pushback against expensive subscriptions (e.g., $100/year Noteplan); others happily pay, arguing quality apps need funding.
  • Apple Notes draws both praise (durable sync, scans, ease of capture) and criticism (export pain, weaker formatting history/metadata).

Privacy, Centralization, and Trust in GitHub/Microsoft

  • Some assume private repos and corporate contracts make GitHub safe and unlikely to train on private data; others are deeply skeptical and demand verifiable guarantees.
  • Concerns about centralized dependence on a US cloud provider, including geopolitical scenarios where access could be cut.
  • Suggestions: use Forgejo/Codeberg, git-bug/git-issue, or wikis to avoid vendor lock-in and enable offline use.

UX vs. “Everything Must Be Markdown”

  • One view: developers overvalue Markdown and diffability; UX, rich media, and annotation (e.g., OneNote-style) matter more.
  • Counterview: Markdown’s ecosystem, portability, diffing, regex-parsability, and LLM-friendliness make it increasingly valuable for long-term notes.

AI and Automation Around Issues

  • Some already use LLMs to summarize long issue threads or envision plugins that auto-maintain top-level summaries.
  • GitHub’s API is highlighted as a key reason to trust Issues for notes: it enables automated backups and exports, partly mitigating enshittification fears.