Atomic Notes
Why each note should hold exactly one idea.
An atomic note is a note that holds exactly one idea, expressible in a few paragraphs at most. The atom is the smallest unit that can be reused intact in another context.
The discipline of writing atomic notes is what gives a wiki long-term legs. See Zettelkasten for the historical method that put this idea on the map.
Cues for splitting
If you can write a new title for a section of a note that doesn’t repeat the parent title, the section probably wants to be its own note. Linking is cheaper than scrolling — and the inbound link will surface in the parent’s backlinks panel automatically.
Cues against splitting
Don’t split for the sake of splitting. A two-paragraph note with no neighbours is information, but a two-paragraph note that’s part of a network of five is knowledge. Aim for the latter; let the former hibernate until something else points to it.
See also Backlinks for the mechanism that makes the network legible.