With so many tools out there why plain text?
For me the answer is all about flexibility. I know there are many out there that feel the big reason to use plain text is the fact that’s future proof. That is a completely true statement and plain text will be around for a long time, likely until we no longer use computers. It’s one thing that most agree on.
I won’t argue that point, it will be around for awhile. For me, the fact that I can take a text file and create any format out of it. I can manipulate it with a variety of command line tools (I’m a Linux guy). I can search through it with ease – that’s the draw of text.
My tool selection follows that thought. The first tools I look to are those that are open source, followed by those that use plain text. I can’t always find something that falls in the first category but the second, is usually pretty easy.
At the end of the day, your choice of tools is personal. It helps to have some guidelines that you follow when selecting them. For me, plain text is where it’s at.
Do you use plain text?