It may be worth keeping a notepad, journal, or even a blog that you can document snippets and things you've learned if you're finding that you're using Google or StackOverflow often to try and solve the same problems.

I personally just keep around a handful of markdown files split up into different categories for things I use every few months, but can never remember the exact command or series of commands to accomplish it.

I've also had a few coworkers and friends who have hosted blogs (some public, some private) for the same purposes.

Documenting them in your own words will also likely help with the knowledge retention so you may even find that you won't need to look it up next time it happens.

Yeah that makes sense. Do you keep these files using a tool or just in organised folders right now? Could you link a public blog for reference? Would love to take a look. I have been taking notes sometimes like yourself but I find it hard to look them up later.

I have a single folders I call "Notes" with a handful of files that make up the arbitrary groupings and I keep a "notes.md" file in project folders for project specific notes I want to keep about.

For example, in the "Notes" folder, "wkhtmltopdf.md" contains some notes around issues I was experiencing in getting wkhtmltopdf setup in a new environment and the steps I took to resolve them. Whereas "general.md" just contains some Docker commands I do infrequently but can never remember the arguments I need each time and don't want to spend the time reading the docs and crafting the command again.

Periodically I'll spot something in my notes I haven't used in many months and I'll just delete them from my notes. Usually this is because I just remember the command/what to do after a while _or_ because it's just never cropped up again.

As for a public blog reference, here's an example of one that has a handful of blog posts with notes and they've used tags for grouping and looking up later on: https://jwigley.com/

Thanks this is useful :)

I think so. I find myself sometimes doing a search, where the top-level link(s) are colored visited, so I must have seen them before.

One of the most common reasons is Python's argparse. I find it easier to consult the documentation when I need it than remember how it works.

Every once in a while the page which gives me the answer is something that I wrote.

Have you tried bookmarking it or keeping notes ? I bookmark stuff which I think would be useful but then I dont remember I have the bookmark of it.

"Every once in a while the page which gives me the answer is something that I wrote" -- Wow.

If it's code, I make notes in the code as to where the answers came from.

If it's build/configuration, I keep a log of the changes I made. Which has proved very handy.

But just because it's in my notes, doesn't mean I remember it. I have to know where to look.

Yeah, I had a friend of mine point to some code I wrote in a StackOverflow comment. I had no memory of writing it.

"I have to know where to look." -> For me personally this is the hard part.

Inscribed on the wall over the entrance of what was the first library building at my undergrad: "The half of knowledge is knowing where to find it".

All the time. StackOverflow questions are there to stay.

Yes

Do you keep notes?

No. I have a good memory of how to find it again.

hehehe, lol , me too