Using plain text files

This post is in response to Ellane’s invitation to answer eight questions about using plain text files.

When did you start using plain text?

During my time at university when I started using LaTeX to write my Phd thesis.

Why did you start using plain text?

Writing math in anything but TeX/LaTeX is a pain and in doing it I started to appreciate distinguishing between content and formatting for an end result.

Ever since I enjoyed using markup languages.

What do you use plain text for?

I use plain text for notes and journaling in orgmode and I keep my personal knowledge base in markdown.

Additionally I use nb for storing bookmarks which creates a local plain text copy of the web pages.

What keeps you using plain text?

Primarily the simplicity of it. It makes it so much easier to deal with text be it using version control or simply comparing versions of text.

Also I really like the universal compatibility and ubiquity of plain text. I can still access all the plain text files but lost data over the years in binary formats. I decided to really go back to plain text after using OneNote for a few years and losing a large amount of data due to corrupted files.

Do you use any markup or formatting languages? If so, which ones and why?

I mostly use orgmode but for “historical reasons” also markdown. Orgmode is conjunction with Emacs gives me so much power and options.

While I agree with most of Karl Voit’s Markdown Is a Disaster: Why and What to Do Instead I have started my personal knowledge base in Markdown and it would be a waste of time to convert it to Orgmode. This has also advantages for mobile access since there are more decent Markdown apps even though I really like and use native graphical Emacs on Android.

Another formatting language I use is Todo.txt for managing my private todo list.

What are your favourite plain text tools or applications?

A per above Emacs ;) But nb is also a really clever and useful piece of software.

Another important tool for me is Pandoc. It allows me to draft documents in Orgmode with all its advantages but still share it with others. While I’m not a big fan of creating Powerpoint slides it’s so much more pleasant drafting them in Orgmode and then convert with Pandoc.

Is there one tool you can’t do without?

If that tool existed it would contradict the whole idea of content being producible and consumable everywhere and might also impact the plain text files being future-proof. I deliberately want to be able to use plain text with whatever I have at hand. I even write simple orgmode files in Notepad if I have to work in an environment where I cannot install Emacs.

A corollary to this is to be conscious which features of a software I use. For example when I moved back from Logseq to Emacs I realized how much proprietary extensions of Markdown or Orgmode it uses. That makes migration almost as difficult as migrating from binary formats like Evernote or OneNote.

Is there anything you can’t do with plain text?

Beside the usual suspects such as dealing with audio, video and pictures I don’t use plain text for calendar and neither as a spreadsheet.