Welcome to the first issue of Notes On Notes!

I‘m excited to get started. So let‘s get to it:

Derek Sivers: Write Plain Text Files

Derek Sivers is advocating for the use of plaintext as opposed to proprietary formats since it‘s probably the most future proof, platform independent and flexible format to write notes in. The idea is not new, but the post seemed to have resonated with people.

Personally, I did like the counterpoint CJ Chilvers offered:

CJ Chilvers: Is plain text best?

CJ Chilvers says: The format doesn‘t really matter. you probably will be able to move from one format to the next. What matters is what you do with your notes: „What matters is how you transform the text into useful stuff for you and others. Even then, it will be forgotten quickly.”

I will add that having your notes in a platform agnostic format has its advantages even in the relatively short amount of time that anybody cares about your notes (including yourself).

Matthew Guay: Notes apps are where ideas go to die. And that‘s good.

Matthew Guay interrogates that last point with his post: How much do we as the note writers in the end care about our notes? Is it the notes that matter or rather the process of taking them? A note is a way to let things that seem of value go so that we may do other things instead.

Notes let us forget and remember, simultaneously. No more loss aversion; we can have our ideas and forget them, too. We can cut and trim and still keep our darlings.

We need to feel safe that our memories were not in vain, that they’ll be there if we want them again. Only then can we let go.

If this is the true value of the note taking practice, then we could also just delete the oldest of our notes regularly, he suggests.

I wouldn‘t go so far, but I found this an interesting and thought provoking piece.

Final Thought

That‘s it for the first issue of Notes On Notes. I hope you liked it. If you came by something I should check out for the newsletter: Please let me know. I would also love feedback! Did you like this new thing? What could have been done differently? Is it too long? I‘m looking forward to hear from you!

-Martin