Linkide

Linkide is a term used in discussions of knowledge representation to denote a modular unit that couples a core idea with a network of related ideas. In this sense, a linkide acts as a node within a larger knowledge graph or idea map. The concept is often used in collaborative brainstorming, educational platforms, and organizational memory systems to capture how ideas are interconnected rather than isolated.

A typical linkide contains several fields: a unique identifier, a concise label or title, a descriptive note, and metadata such as creation date and author. It also includes one or more outgoing connections to other linkides, with optional relation labels (for example, "leads to", "contrasts with", "expands upon"). The structure supports multiple relationships per pair and can be serialized in standard formats such as JSON.

Purpose and use: For example, during ideation sessions, participants create linkides to represent ideas and their links, gradually assembling a network that reveals dependencies, themes, or gaps. In knowledge management, linkides facilitate search by allowing queries to traverse linked ideas rather than isolated keywords.

Relation to other concepts: Linkides are related to concept maps, mind maps, and knowledge graph nodes. Unlike flat notes, they emphasize explicit connections. In some implementations, a linkide resembles a card in a card-based system, but with richer linking semantics that support traversals and annotation.

The term is a portmanteau of "link" and "idea" and has appeared in online discussions since the early 2010s to describe linked-idea records. It is not widely standardized, and different projects may define its fields and relations differently.