---
title: "Andy Matuschak's Notes"
created: 2025-10-15
visibility: public
status: live
tags: [note-taking, knowledge-management, digital-gardens]
aliases: ["Andy Matuschaks Notes"]
updated: 2025-10-17
summary: "Andy Matuschak's note-taking system pioneered the concept of evergreen notes with sliding pane interfaces and dense linking."
---

Andy Matuschak's public note system at <a href="https://notes.andymatuschak.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">notes.andymatuschak.org</a> pioneered [[Evergreen Notes]] with sliding panes. Most note-taking optimizes for capture. His system optimizes for thinking. He inspired [[My Working Notes]].

The core innovation is notes that compound over time. Each note is atomic, concept-oriented, densely linked. See [[Evergreen Notes]]. Not an archive. A thinking environment that evolves with you.

Sliding panes solve context loss. Click a link in traditional hypertext, you lose where you came from. Sliding panes keep your exploration path visible. Multiple notes side-by-side let you see connections between ideas without losing the thread.

The interface shapes the thinking. Linear documents force linear thought. Networked interfaces enable [[Associative linking over hierarchies]]. This is why [[Commune]]'s sliding pane interface matters. Not just aesthetics. Cognitive architecture.

Built in public at <a href="https://notes.andymatuschak.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">notes.andymatuschak.org</a>. The system influenced dozens of wikis and [[Build in Public]] implementations. The principles extend beyond notes to any system for knowledge work.