If you can't articulate the link in a complete sentence…
When building connections between notes, test each link by asking whether you can articulate the relationship in a complete sentence—if you cannot, delete the link rather than inflating density metrics artificially.
When This Fires
- During any linking session in your knowledge system
- When reviewing existing links for quality
- After creating a batch of links and wanting to verify quality
- When graph search results feel noisy — too many vaguely related results
Common Failure Mode
Creating links because notes share vocabulary: both mention "feedback," so they must be related. But one note is about performance feedback and the other about feedback loops in systems. The vocabulary overlap created a link that encodes zero relational knowledge — and will produce false matches during search.
The Protocol
For every link you create: (1) Attempt to articulate: "Note A [verb] Note B because [reason]." (2) If you can write a complete, specific sentence → keep the link. Add the sentence as the link's label or annotation. (3) If you can't → the relationship is vague. Delete the link. (4) During periodic link audits: review existing links with the same test. Links you can't articulate have degraded in value since creation — the relationship you vaguely sensed has been forgotten, which means the link now serves no purpose.