A Zettelkasten exhibits many characteristics of an information stream:

• It grows continuously over time
• Each note preserves a moment of thinking
• Previous entries remain unchanged
• The system accumulates value through historical preservation
• It enables discovery through browsing and connection-making

However, unlike typical streams, a Zettelkasten also incorporates deliberate organization through its linking structure and numbering system. This makes it a hybrid system that combines the benefits of stream-like accumulation with structured knowledge management.

The stream-like nature of Zettelkasten supports the natural evolution of ideas while its organizational features prevent the chaos that might occur in a pure stream system.

See also:

• 2.14.11.1 for the general concept of information streams
• 2025-01-27_13-40 for how streams enable discovery