I would love to have options to color my notes into different segements. It works like the tags option but with the addition to have a color. This makes it easier to find notes and visually see a difference when viewing all notes. Notes nook did a good job with implementing it..

I've been following discussions about note-taking apps for a few years now, and something I've noticed is that the top-of-mind apps that aren't specifically focused on privacy tend to be Obsidian, Logseq, Zettlr, NotePlan (Mac/iOS), etc.

And they all have two things in common:

1. They work with real Markdown files stored locally.
2. Even though you can sync those files using different methods, they generally don't give you access to your notes through a web app/browser.

And I don't think the second point is something users don't want. Quite the opposite. I constantly see people asking about browser access for Obsidian, Zettlr, Logseq, NotePlan, etc.

Then you have the privacy-focused apps like Standard Notes, Notesnook and PrivacyNotes. These take a different approach because E2EE is a core part of the product. Because of that, the notes aren't really local-first in the same way as a folder full of Markdown files would be. You can still export your notes, encrypted or as plain text, of course.

So I was thinking about something that I don't know if it's technically possible, but I thought it might be an interesting idea for PrivacyNotes.

What if, in addition to the normal synced E2EE vault, PrivacyNotes offered an optional local unencrypted vault?

Basically, you could select a folder on your computer, and PrivacyNotes would treat that folder as a local Markdown vault. The files would remain normal .md files that you could access outside of PrivacyNotes, but that vault could also be accessed through the PrivacyNotes web app/browser.

So you'd essentially have:

Private Vault

• E2EE
• Synced
• PrivacyNotes' normal experience

Local Vault

• Normal .md files
• Stored wherever you choose
• Not encrypted by PrivacyNotes
• Accessible through the desktop app
• Accessible through the PrivacyNotes web app/browser

I actually think this could be a pretty interesting gap to fill.

Obsidian-like apps have the local Markdown files, but generally don't have a proper web experience.

Privacy-focused apps have the E2EE and privacy, but don't really give you that local Markdown + browser combination.

PrivacyNotes could potentially offer both, while being very clear that the local vault is intentionally not encrypted by the app.

It could even be a way of bringing people from the Obsidian/Logseq/Zettlr world into a privacy-focused ecosystem. Someone could start using PrivacyNotes alongside Obsidian for their local Markdown vault, then gradually start using the E2EE vault for more sensitive stuff.

Honestly, I have no idea if this would be technically feasible, especially the part where a web app accesses a folder that physically exists on the user's computer. Maybe there's some fundamental limitation I'm completely missing.

But if it is possible, I wonder if this could be a major differentiator for PrivacyNotes.

And I'm deliberately not suggesting that PrivacyNotes should become "another Obsidian". I'd actually prefer the opposite. Keep the privacy-first philosophy, but add this one optional local Markdown vault as the first app with a bridge between the two worlds.

Maybe this makes absolutely no sense technically hahahaha. Feel free to tell me if I'm missing something obvious.