Is the Obsidian graph useless?

According to Obsidian, the graph view is a core plugin that lets you visualize the relationships between the notes in your vault.

Online there is a love/hate relationship with the Obsidian graph view. Some people see the sharing of these graphs as a useless flex (see here and here). Meanwhile, any forum where Obsidian users lurk is filled with pictures of these these weird brain-shaped dot graphs.

But in this feature useful? Is it more than just “productivity porn?” (HT to Merlin Mann for that phrase.)

I ❤️ love ❤️ the relational graph in Obsidian. I always keep it visible in the side pane and I check it regularly. Visually, I find it...interesting. I like seeing how the nodes and shapes develop and change over time, and what areas of my "second brain" are growing. It adds a visual element to note taking and work that I personally enjoy.

I also find it fascinating to see other peoples' graphs. Mostly because no two graphs look the same and they all take on such different shapes and structures.

In terms of utility beyond the visuals, I have found some use for the graph. It is helpful for identifying notes around the perimeter that connect to nothing (orphans); I often revisit those notes; sometimes I find something interesting I forgot about, sometimes it just helps me clean up stray notes for which I no longer have a use. It also helps to see which tags or notes have a lot (or few) of connections.

But I don't think a feature like this has to be extremely useful. It is cool, and somewhat unique to Obsidian in how it was implemented. And yeah, sometimes it's just a little bit of a flex. Sometimes it is just fun to have something that is neat, regardless of whether it has an actual purpose.

Here's my flex: