A new importer allows to connect PDF annotations on a map.

The demo file created is here (but of course the pdf-open links don’t work because they point to my copies).

Here is the transcript and description of what you see in the video.

With the Zotero plugin “ZotFile”, I can “Extract Annotations”

Tools > Add-ons shows the ZotFile plugin. It was obtained from zotero.org/download/ > Browse Plugins, and the downloaded .xpi file was installed via (click the small, drop-down wheel in the top right corner of the plugins page) -> Install Add-on From File”.
(You might see that I also installed another plugin called Mdnotes and can be used for Obsidian but their map is too crowded for me.)

Rightclick on a title then shows the option: Manage Attachments > Extract Annotations.

Rightclick on a collection (in My Library) > Create Report from Collection…
File > Save… saves to Zotero Report.html

Condensr.de can now import from this report.

Fire up Condensr > Insert > Launch the Import Wizard > (scroll down) > Zotero > Next
Browse to Zotero Report.html > Select

The imported annotation entries show up, connected with a pale line to the dark icon representing the containing publication.

They are not yet nicely arranged, so drag the icons or lines to see the gestalt of a publication’s unit.

Now I look into my latest read, and connect my notes.

It is AlDahdouh’s piece about Connectivist Learning Experiences, and my first highlighted phrase is about Clara & Barbera’s Criticism of connectivism .

I connect the annotation’s icon to the referenced criticism paper, and click the first annotation under this.

There are hyperlinks zotero://open-pdf…

I try to click on such a link but I forgot to switch to Hyperlinks On via the Advanced menu.

Now the link works, opening Zotero, and from there the Zotero copy of my PDF file where I saved my highlightings and comments.

I point to the HTML source code where the link is zotero://… rather than https://… and this no magic but it is stipulated upon Zotero installation.

Now I can add Post-Its BETWEEN the publications

(To appreciate this you might need to try it out within our own contexts.)

In Clara’s cristicism, the highlighted passage “Connectivism does not address the paradox.” reminds me of Biesta’s “how one can recognize what one is looking for if one doesn’t know it.”

I select the term “learning paradox”, rightclick > copy, the rightclick on the map background > Advanced > Paste here.

To make it like a post-it, I color it yellow (rightclick > change color), and “stick” it to the previous icon with a connector line (ALT + drag).

Then I “stick” that “post-it” to another item.

A similar connection is between “connectivism offers hardly any scope for explaining concept development” and my own mention of the “conceptual level” of connectivism. So I connect these items by another yellow icon.

I had noted that the criticism was rebutted by a blog post, so I link the annotation icon to the blog post icon, and in turn, that blog post item to the book item containing it.

Finally, I draw a connection between AlDahdouh’s “role of teacher” and my own thought about this in a recent post

Note that currently, this function is only available in the Java distributions .jar, not yet in the .msi or .dmg files.