## Assertions
a simple website showing where to learn, where to learn, things
the overarching concepts to understand
linking to free resources where people are doing it for the love of the game
like, free and open source and accessible
if we find an older and useful resource, we can help by making it more responsive and moving their website to a modern domain
saying "learn a skill" is too broad and overwhelming
and typing this into a language model makes things too broad
instead, learning where the best places to learn things
and how to go further and research your own applied info
makes the learning journey a bit more human
builds problem-solving ability
offers progressive learning pathways
calming the mind (breathwork, meditation)
local stuff such as recognising local fauna + flora
developing practical, social, technical skills
ultimate aim → help people discover what they're passionate about
ties into quiteasily as repositories for exploration
provides continuity for those moving on from isolating addictions
### Categories
the whole point of these categories is simplicity
almost every skill in the world fits into one of them
which makes the entire project feel less overwhelming
instead of “infinite skills,” you have nine gentle streams
skill streams that cover broad needs
Civic → local animals, plants, local history
Social → conversation, confrontation, events, romance
Practical → cooking, knots, reading, driving, public transit
Spiritual → breathwork, meditation
Creative → drawing, painting, photography, writing
Health → cycling, food, running, sports, weightlifting
Survival → edible plants, signalling, weather, gear
Technical → computers, hardware, programming
Scientific → anthropology, biology, mathematics, psychology, history
these nine streams give shape to the whole library
they make browsing calm
and they give each learner a sense of
“oh, this is all manageable”
which is the real value
each skill = one short markdown file
one or two words
clear
light
easy to browse
easy to add to
easy to understand at a glance
### Obsidian publish as version one
version one is deliberately simple
just text files
organised into folders
published with Obsidian Publish
why obsidian
Obsidian is a note-taking tool built for linking ideas
it uses plain text + Markdown
so everything you write is lightweight, future-proof, and portable
no lock-in, no proprietary formats
just files you own forever
why this matters
for a project about learning
it makes sense to choose a platform that behaves like a second brain
Obsidian grew from the Zettelkasten method
originally a physical system of thousands of notes
connected with references stored in filing cabinets
Obsidian brings that same idea into software
each skill file is its own idea
each idea links naturally to others
and the whole network forms a calm, simple map of knowledge
what obsidian publish does
it takes the Markdown vault and makes it public
in a clean, minimal website
for $8/month
no heavy development
no complex setup
people can read the guides immediately
volunteers can edit the files directly
new skills can be added without changing anything structural
why this is the ideal base layer
because everything is text
we can iterate rapidly
we can keep things fluid while the structure forms
anyone can contribute
it keeps the project honest
no distractions
no inflated interface
just the knowledge
laid out clearly
version one = stability
version two = eventual interactivity
but both rely on the same Markdown core
open collaboration
the vault can be mirrored to GitHub
so people can fork, remix, or build their own local versions
knowledge stays open
contributions stay clean
and the whole system remains transparent and adaptable
this foundation lets everything else grow
when we eventually build our own front-end (groovy design, interactive things, etc.)
it will simply read the same text files
meaning nothing is wasted
and the project evolves without friction
in the future we can move to an Astro site we have built ourselves and such
since everything is just a text file at heart
refining things in text is easier, as to get the template correct first
whole thing can be rather fluid
later, can use the guides we've developed as text to move to something we make
(but still keep them as text files at heart)
### Articles
short, accessible guides
each guide is one simple idea
cooking
physics
knots
photography
reading
the goal is clarity, not completeness
structure
each article follows the same pattern
1. **intro → brief overview**
what the skill is
why people enjoy it
what makes it interesting
what it helps you notice or do in everyday life
(e.g. physics → “the rules that explain how the world behaves”)
2. **overall concepts**
the big ideas behind the skill
kept simple, friendly, and non-technical
cooking → heat, flavour, texture
knots → friction, loops, stability
physics → motion, energy, forces
3. **how to start learning**
a calm, practical on-ramp
try one small thing
build confidence with tiny wins
avoid overwhelm
light guidance on shaping a learning journey
“learn one basic principle, try an example, repeat”
and a reminder that exploration is allowed
4. **useful resources**
best free options first
good videos
open courses or best-in-class resources
for example, languagetransfer.org for languages
clear explanations
and local suggestions when relevant
community courses
libraries
societies
kept short — just the few things that actually help
5. **next steps**
a gentle “if you liked this, you might enjoy…”
or, where to go futher or connect knowledge
branching into related skills
knots → camping, climbing
cooking → nutrition, baking
physics → maths, electronics
this is not a progression ladder
just a way to keep exploring
intent
every article is a small doorway
not a textbook
not a full roadmap
just enough to spark interest, reduce fear, and help people begin
#### Voice contributions
voice notes collected in bulk
voice inbox receives messages
AI processes internally
transcription never shown
output = a clean summary
moderation filters block offensive content
idea
anyone can send a short voice note with a skill, tip, or method
no writing or editing required
AI converts it into a standard entry
we host the models ourselves within datacentres in Australia
we would not keep audio or transcripts, just summaries
raw audio deleted immedaitely after transcription
transcripts deleted immediately after summaries
(removing personal data)
just summaries
safe for long term retenton, we can see which topics are most popular
cuts costs (summaries are just text files)
flow
1. learner sends a voice note
- “how to cook eggs in a rice cooker”
- “a knot that works best for camping”
- “a line that helped me start a conversation”
2. AI transcribes internally
3. summary generated with three parts
- what the skill is
- how to do it
- considerations (time, cost, context)
4. only the clean summary is stored
voice + transcript discarded after processing
5. entry added to the database, tagged to a pathway
benefits
lower barrier → anyone can contribute
each entry arrives in a consistent format
knowledge stays light, simple, useful
local variations surface naturally
content grows continuously without heavy curation
ethos
what you see on learnstuff.today = distilled wisdom
no messy raw transcripts
no overhead for contributors
simple loop: speak → clean entry → live in the library
AI drafts possible, but final curation is human
### Pathways
the pathways page is a small, simple starting point
not a rigid plan
just a gentle way to give people direction
so they don’t feel overwhelmed by endless options
overall flow
0. settling the mind
a few practices to feel calmer, more present
diaphram breathing
quiet noticing exercises
helping people feel grounded before anything else
1. feeling the world around you
simple local skills
spotting plants
walking routes
recognising birds
ways to participate in community gently
saying hello
joining a small activity
sharing something you learned
2. exploring skills at your own pace
practical, social, creative, technical
little wins that build confidence
you try things, see what feels good, and keep what sticks
3. finding what you’re drawn to
the goal is not mastery
it’s to notice what lights you up
and let that pull you in the right direction
structure
each pathway is made of small, optional steps
learn a tiny thing
apply it
see how it feels
move on when you want
people can hop between pathways freely
the point is to help them feel less lost
and give a sense of “oh, I can try this next”
integration
pathways connect naturally into
quiteasily “post-addiction what now?”
how to cook for reasonable diet
calm.college meetups
how to help the hexagons around you
the feeling of one ecosystem of useful projects
### Version two
we don’t know yet
what comes next will be the best version of the thing
not just a directory of skills
but something built on the simple truth
that everything we do is a result of learning
this part is a collaborative process
there are countless ideas about how people learn
so the only way forward is to work together
to create something easy, calm, fair, (less) and good
our aim is simple
to make a beautiful way to learn anything
in a way that feels light, human, and fun
we can’t wait to build it
in the meantime
one thing is certain:
text will always be useful
it is simple, adaptable, and easy to share
any useful text will stay useful for version two
so we build the resource first
and whatever the future looks like
it can grow from there
### Culture and sharing
learnstuff.today is the least-stigmatised public surface
learning small skills is culturally universal
humourous, wholesome, post-ironic content travels farthest
people share what helps them
this becomes the main social media engine of the ecosystem
#### In the Moment
social media sort of has no alternative
we want people when they're in a moment of distraction, to do somehting different
if you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or useless, go learn one small thing today.
#### Social media
the central cultural layer
where most people first encounter peaceful foundation ideas
without knowing there are deeper projects underneath
skill-sharing feels safe, fun, and low-stakes
virality emerges naturally
in the moment
goal
when people feel restless, the instinct becomes
“i’ll check learnstuff.today”
learning framed as the cool, casual default
not serious study
something fun to try with friends
casual references
reasonable.diet → “i learned how to cook from learnstuff.today”
learnstuff.today → “learned this bowline from learnstuff.today”
calm.college → “we tried a conversation game from learnstuff.today”
quiteasily → “after quitting, i picked up sketching on learnstuff.today”
hexagons.world → “we’re learning skills to benefit our community”
everyday hooks
simple, funny, useful skills
knots → “tie this in 10 seconds”
plants → “spot 3 weeds near you”
conversation → “use this line to start talking in class”
drawing → “sketch your water bottle in 2 minutes”
meditation → “5 breaths before your next scroll”
tech → “keyboard shortcut that saves 30 minutes a week”
making it cool
learning as a flex → “check what i can do now”
social proof = friends seeing skills in action
vibe = half-meme, half-practical
status = knowing stuff, not owning stuff
cheap
portable
repeatable
#### Showing People What Might Be
showing that with a couple of small choices, consistently, the world could be completely different (for you)
##### Normal Ideas About Normal Content
normal ideas about normal content
story templates → “today i learned…” with casual flexes
knots, cheap meals, sketches
reels → lo-fi, authentic clips
carousels → “3 things you can learn in 5 minutes”
tag + repost loops between friends
making video explainers
aim as a wholesome surface for social media content
low-effort
low-pressure
high-shareability
people post because it’s useful and fun
##### Weaponised Wholesomeness
Get as many people to learnstuff.today as possible.
This naturally produces:
- shitposts
- weaponised video edits
- abrupt mid-sentence derailments
- jarring transitions
- ironic heart-to-heart moments
- “your life sucks because you don’t know basic skills” bits
- emotionally-manipulative comedic timing
- bizarre, overproduced reels that randomly end with “learnstuff.today.”
Post-ironic self-improvement.
A troll movement that teaches you things.
A cultural hack to push people toward competence.
“confused? start here."
this layer gives peaceful foundation its public voice
wholesome
chaotic
useful
endlessly remixable
equal parts joke and sincerity
and both make the skill stick
##### Expected Platform Censorship
at some point platforms will quietly quieten this very useful movement
sort of like how they do about extremely serious issues
companies, not people, control the algorithms
after all, algorithms shouldn't dictate people.
but we have adaptability around such a thing
our aim is to start an arms race
as a platform's censorship will illustrate the overall problem
public outcry
because there is nothing that could actually justify censorship
mechanisms
.lrnstf (image format)
QR codes hidden inside memes
ASCII art
CAPTCHA proof-of-humanity memes
“find the hidden URL puzzles”
this issue is mitigated by the fact we will release eventual social methods of communicating also
this is an expected phase
not a threat
nor a crisis
just part of the culture
##### Offline
in real life
learning more stuff
sharing stuff with people
classroom mentions → one shout can spark eight to nine people
ambassadors demo in their lives
cook a meal, tie knots, run plant walks
stickers + chalk markings
cheap, informal, persistent
after all, the world is offline, too.