PLAIN TEXT. PAPER, LESS · 151

Why the Openest of Open Formats Isn’t the One for Me

Everything will one day pass, so I’m not going to sweat what I don’t need to

PTPL image by the Author

I write in open formats to avoid app lock-in, but don’t particularly care if they survive me. Here are some thoughts on the topic of longevity vs convenience in the plain text world.

The openest of open formats

Files in an open format can be read on (almost) any device without losing their core function and without requiring proprietary or closed source apps. Text can still be read, links between notes are still be clickable, images can still be viewed as intended on any device.

According to my understanding the only format that really ticks these boxes is HTML, the ubiquitous web language that can do all that and so much more. I regularly remind myself that while some note formats are more open than others, some of those others are open enough for my needs.

There was a thought provoking discussion on Mastodon recently, on what the best format for note making might be.

Karl Voit:

re-evaluate your requirements and switch to a much better long-term alternative, such as Emacs Orgmode & not…