this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2023
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With so much note taking apps nowadays, I can't understand why does anyone still write notes with pen and paper. You need to bring the notepad, book or that paper to retrieve that information, and most of the time you don't have it in hand. While my phone almost always reachable and you carry when you go out. For those still like to do handwriting, there's many app does that and they can even convert it to text notes.

So, if you still write notes with pen and paper, why?

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[–] d3Xt3r@lemmy.nz 2 points 2 years ago

No.

Surprised no one here answered with just a "no". I can't remember the last time I even held a pen for signing something, even my last job contract and rental agreement etc were all digital.

AMA, all you pen and pencil people.

[–] techwizrd@programming.dev 2 points 2 years ago

I enjoy writing with fountain pens, and I've got to justify the numerous pens and inks I have. I also find it helps me with recall and focus. So I take notes by hand most of the time.

[–] u202307011927@feddit.de 2 points 2 years ago

Aesthetics mostly, but also it feels more tangible when expressing myself physically, not digitally. Like, I can better recognize what I wrote, because there were more senses involved in writing than there are with typing

[–] jhoward@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 years ago

Yes, but I use a rocket book to easily digitize these days. Tried a remarkable, but didn't quite like the process once many pages were involved (slow to flip through pages).

I also keep quite a few notes on the computer and phone via self hosted Joplin. Which is awesome too.

[–] DagingAnalog@lemmy.my.id 2 points 2 years ago

Yes, for recipe.

[–] lemmy0@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 years ago
[–] NENathaniel@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 years ago

Nah, tablet and stylus

[–] redxef@feddit.de 2 points 2 years ago

Yes, mostly university and work though. I don't have a tablet and the drawing tablet is at home most of the time. Pen and paper just gives more flexibility than text. Though I instantly scan them and upload them to my paperless instance.

[–] inspxtr@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

a mixed of digital + pen/paper notes. The latter especially when I need to sketch out ideas, diagrams, equations and a bunch of arrows between them.

[–] hitagi@ani.social 2 points 2 years ago

Yes! Pen and paper is much more flexible compared to writing-software. It's easy to draw around or write on the margins when needed. I've tried writing with a stylus but I find it harder to use. I usually use this for class and if I have to jot down something quickly.

The only thing I don't put on paper is my todo list. Software manages that so much better than pen and paper. I also don't print out reading material anymore as it gets expensive and very bulky. I use xournalpp for annotation instead.

[–] thorbot@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago
[–] lauha@lemmy.one 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Speak for yourself.

Pros of pen and paper: always in my pocket, very fast to open up and read and write notes. Never runs out of battery. Readable even in brightest sunlight.

Cons of phone: must remember to take it with you or search your apartment to find where you place it and hope you have remembered to charge it during past couple of days. Additionally you have to unlock it and flick through the menus to find the note app. Additionally additionally you have to remember to take a charger where ever you go.

[–] lvxferre@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Cons of phone: must remember to take it with you or search your apartment to find where you place it and hope you have remembered to charge it during past couple of days.

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who leaves the phone at home, or forgets to charge it. 90% of my time using the internet it's from an actual computer.

[–] argv_minus_one@beehaw.org 1 points 2 years ago

No. Handwriting is slow and makes my hand sore. Keyboards are way more comfortable.

[–] Karmmah@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

I did take all my notes for university on pen and paper because I don't have a laptop with a touchscreen and pen. But I was never quite happy, since I would lose some notes or not find something specific that I knew I wrote down somewhere. This semester I tried using Obsidian and I and it has been great so far. I am now able to search my notes by text and I can back them up somewhere safe. When I'm not on my laptop I take quick notes on my phone but the important ones will then later be transferred to Obsidian.

[–] kowcop@aussie.zone 1 points 2 years ago

I don’t think I have touched a pen for much other than signing my name since Covid hit

[–] pensivepangolin@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

I’ll one up ya!

I am a pen and paper guy…for initial notes.

If I deem a certain note or set of notes is worth keeping long term, then I recreate them in Joplin. All about the extra work.

yep, still doing it

[–] tallwookie@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

generally no, but sometimes yes - mostly jotting down phone numbers, or if one of my many different passwords change until I can memorize it, (ie: at work), etc

other than that, the only time pen touches paper is when I write a check.

[–] PlexSheep@feddit.de 1 points 2 years ago

Haha no. I make all my notes in markdown, or if I have to write something Math fast like in university lectures, with xournal++.

If it has to be a proper document: LaTeX or real fancy Markdown.

I only sometimes do kanji writing practice (I'm learning japanese), and for that, I'm using paper. Xournal++ would work just as well through.

[–] Rayspekt@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

If you have to write equations and drawings, pen and paper is still better for me. I'll scan it to onenote afterwards.

[–] j4k3@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Often times I keep a notepad beside me. It is my preferred way to store ridiculous length passwords for stuff I care about. I'm usually on a laptop and I may switch it up and use another device to look up stuff. I don't mix my workstation with socials or shopping. Those three activities are all done on different devices, with different networks. So I don't care too much about what can be scaped from here. I don't see value in a small amount of convenience exchanged for connecting my devices, I'd rather just jot down a note and look up the item when I need it.

[–] Nioxic@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

what do you mean "still"?

i never did. i have an ugly hand writing and writing a lot, hurts my fingers. not sure why - i guess i have weird hands.

i also suck at going back at looking at the notes - so i write stuff down, in obsidian. i can add photos, drawing, sketches, links, audio bites, videos etc.

[–] Tubulous@beehaw.org 1 points 2 years ago

Depends on the situation, but yes, I still keep notes with a mechanical pencil and an A5 spiral graphing paper notebook. I do use an electronic notebook (Joplin) for some things, especially if what I am working on will end up in a document or if I need to include screenshots, links, or other embedded items, but for general notes, paper. And, there are places I go that do not allow technology, so having the smaller notepad has come in very handy.

So rarely that one time when I had to write something short on a guestbook, for a second or two, I didn't remember how.

[–] TheyHaveNoName@beehaw.org 1 points 2 years ago

When I need to learn something and think it over I use pen and paper. If it’s noting stuff down to read later or record somewhere, then it’s digital.

[–] viking@infosec.pub 1 points 2 years ago

No, but I'm using the reMarkable 2 instead as a designated digital notepad, so you would probably argue I still have to carry stuff around.

As to why - I can write fast than I type (in meetings etc.) without losing focus.

[–] MJBrune@beehaw.org 1 points 2 years ago

I don't write notes most of the time. If I do I'm in a meeting and just use vscode or whatever task management system (jira, trello, etc) we have.

[–] AnonStoleMyPants@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 years ago (2 children)

95% digital. Work journal is in Tiddlywiki and that's basically it. Todo lists I do tend to do with pen & paper.

I like pen and paper but searching is always such a fucking hassle and my hand writing is garbo. If I know I don't need to actually find anything later then it's great (doodling and thinking about something). I guess I could do pen and paper and layer save into digital but meh.

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