Obsidian
Obsidian is a note-taking app where you link ideas together in a personal knowledge graph. The writing and connecting is all done by you. No AI, no algorithmic organization, no engagement tricks.
Why this score
The core activity is writing and linking notes, which requires sustained attention and original thinking.
No notifications, no social features, no engagement mechanics. Everything is stored locally by default.
The breakdown
- Attention Capture1.0
Mechanics designed to keep you in the app right now — infinite scroll, autoplay, variable rewards, and reactive swipe-tap loops.
- Habit Formation1.0
Mechanics designed to bring you back — streak coercion, default push notifications, and re-engagement of dormant users.
- Social Pressure1.0
How much the experience exploits social psychology — public metrics, profile curation, and status comparison against others.
- Time Theft1.0
Mechanics that steal more time than you intended to give — no stopping cues, short units, and 'just one more' loops.
- Cognitive Erosion1.0
Mechanics that replace your independent thinking, memory, or judgment — creating dependency on the tool to function.
- Cognitive Nourishment8.0
Whether the app actively strengthens your ability to think for yourself. Shown on the label, but it does not affect the score.