Ask HN: What do you use to jot down random thoughts and ideas at any time/place? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What do you use to jot down random thoughts and ideas at any time/place?

17 pointsRazengan29 comments

Preferably a cross platform app.

Back when I lived on only one computer at a time, I used Microsoft OneNote. It worked real well until I realized the pitfalls of proprietary software and formats, and sure enough, I was bitten by them when I found I couldn't access any of my old notes files on the Mac version.

My next favorite was Ulysses [0] because of its drawer/shoebox UI and the plaintext Markdown format, but since they moved to a dumb (IMO) subscription model, the deprecated paid version has been mysteriously or coincidentally becoming too buggy for me on newer macOS versions.

I'm looking for something that basically just puts a pretty interface around a folder hierarchy of plaintext (and possibly image/sound) files, and is compatible with any cloud storage providers (iCloud Drive, Dropbox etc.) so that macOS-only will be enough if it saves in regular plaintext, but ideally it would also have iOS [+Android/Windows] versions.

I'm currently looking at Quiver [1], and would like to see what HN uses.

[0] https://ulyssesapp.com

[1] http://happenapps.com/#quiver

I use and develop Standard Notes :) Simple and private. https://standardnotes.org

I didn't notice until after I'd posted that you already mentioned SN here. :)

Love it. Thank you for your work. Please don't stop.

Thank you!

I use my own app I made for this exact purpose, BulletNotes. You can use the hosted service I provide [0], or you can host your own easily with the directions linked on the GitHub page [1].

The main way I use it for fast entry is I have an IFTTT integration setup to take any incoming text messages, and store them as a note in my Inbox that I can sort later.

Then I have my Pebble watch setup to have a one button press voice to SMS to my IFTTT number. So I just raise my wrist, hold the 'up' button, say my note, and send it. Done.

If voice to text won't work, I can send a normal text, an email, run a terminal command, use my Alfred workflow, send a chat to the Telegram bot, or even make a voice phone call.

[0] https://bulletnotes.io/ [1] https://github.com/NickBusey/BulletNotes

Same, I built my own as well (https://notational.co) inspired by Notational Velocity (http://notational.net/).

I use the Notes app on iOS. It's decidedly lacking in a lot of features that other richer apps have, BUT, it is the only thing that is constantly there, whenever I need it. It's followed me around for years on all my devices, and I can search through it rather easily.

For me, for the sort of quick/random thought logging, quick accessibility trumps features any day.

Notes is my backup/"scratchpad" as well, but it's impractical for me for the following reasons:

— Too easy to accidentally edit notes. I've occasionally destroyed some notes by "butt dialing" when I forgot to turn off the phone and put it in my pocket, which caused them to be replaced by random text. To avoid that I have to password-protect and hide important notes, which is inconvenient if I don't necessarily need privacy on them.

— Cannot view creation date, afaik, only modification.

– If I ever cannot (or don't want to) use the Notes app then I can't access my notes.

— Cannot add audio or link to arbitrary files on local storage. Can't link to other notes.

I usually dump them into Google Keep and then forget about them.

I dump them into Google Keep and set a reminder for that particular note.

For journaling, I use a markdown file in a private git repo. I can access it on MacBook easily enough but use mosh app on my iPad to login to a private server.

I try to organize my entries pretty well, so they are easy to search. However, there is no folder hierarchy. No links or images.

I was using Pages for my journal, it was good solution if you are in Apple’s ecosystem. But I like automatic builtin back in git’s workflow. Sometimes, I take notes in Pages for a few days, then move them over to markdown file. This is slowly becoming my preferred workflow as it allows me to review my previous notes instead of just continue to add at the end of the file.

And when I jotting down random ideas, I prefer pen and paper. Stuff like things to do, random ideas for projects, etc. If I store them electronically, I will never look at them again.

> If I store them electronically, I will never look at them again.

That seems to be an actual problem for everyone, isn't it?

Maybe a notes app could try solving it by doing the Facebook-like thing where it occasionally shows you a random note from the past. :)

Or suggesting similar past notes when you write a new one that matches them. e.g., if I'm writing down an idea I've had for a role-playing game, the app suggests past notes with RPG in them.

That is interesting UX issue to resolve.

For me, a physical note occupies space on my desk but rarely ever gets in the way. I can look at it if I want but it is not annoying like notifications in cell phone or pop ups in desktop apps. This includes both, sticky notes and notepad.

Also another part of using pen and paper is drawing capabilities. Sometimes I have ideas that will take too long to describe in words, but one crappy flowchart grabs everything about the idea.

And delete function in real world is so hard to replicate in electronic devices. When you are done with a physical note, crumbling the paper and tossing in trash is so satisfying.

With all that said, all my physical notes are temporary. They are either to do lists which get done in next few days or ideas that get transferred to more permanent place such as journal or blog post.

If I have a small spiral pad, I use that otherwise I will use Google Keep and later translate it to paper

I use a pen and paper. Moleskin notebook and a Coptic multiliner 0.5. I also bought a pen loupe to keep the pen with the notebook . The multi liner drys so fast that I can never get a smudge.

For electronic notes I use the notes app from Apple.

Used Quiver for a while but it didn't support mobile editing for a while so I switched to Bear.

http://www.bear-writer.com/

I love Bear. It's just the right amount of organization without getting in your way.

I use Trello. I have an android app to jolt down ideas on the go. or macOS app to do the same while working in office. Trello syncs across devices which is awesome. My basic idea (one liner) goes as the card title. and description of the card have the implementation details (which i write down when i am at leisure, probably using macOS version)

I use Apple Notes. I have no problems with it seamlessly syncing nearly what seems like real time with my desktop and mobile iOS devices.

I use Apple notes as well for its simple UI and limited options (which I find a plus).

I jot a lot of notes though, and still prefer revising on pen and paper so I wrote an Apple script that prints all notes in a given date range and I then review/consolidate them.

I try to do it once a week, and it works pretty well.

I use my personal journaling/habit-tracking app, https://github.com/ioddly/meditations , so I can keep everything private. When I'm out and about, I'll store them on Google Keep and transfer them manually when I get home.

Consider using Bear or Zoho Notebook. Both of them available for iOS and macOS (Zoho also has a web app), has very quick sync and clutter-free UI (Bear has more, advanced formatting features also). Zoho Notebook is free, Bear is $2/month.

I use Apple Notes but would prefer a different interface/app. I have yet to find an alternative with solid support for tables, though. Tables are the only reason I moved to Apple Notes from SimpleNote (which I otherwise really liked)

My fountain pen (Faber Castell with an italics nib) and a Lechtturm 1917 notebook (A4+, squared).

Faber castell mechanical pencil, lechtturm 1917 A5 notebook, and my own bastardisation of bullet journalling which is functional and simple (like the original idea) without the washy tape and page wasting pictures.

Personal experience is you can't beat pencil and paper. No need to charge, login, sync etc. If it has to be on a computer plain text files for me, though I like me some markdown.

TextEdit or org-mode, then forget I made them or even don't save them

Simplenote for general ideas

Trello card for actual tasks

I send myself an email

Standard Notes.

evernote, email, vi

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