Every time I think I’m done with the subject of analog versus digital notes, JTR makes another interesting post on the subject. His latest offering says he’s capitulated to the inevitable and is writing his notes digitally. Still, he says, he has a yearning for the physical. He wonders if perhaps he should print it out.
In the comments Jack Baty says he prints out his journal every month. That’s not too interesting but Baty goes much further. He prints out his journal every month and once a year he binds them into a perfect binding booklet.
The result is basically a book. He exports his journal to LaTeX and adds lots of pictures. The result is very nice: a yearly physical journal that he or anyone else can read and enjoy. Baty’s comments includes some pictures if you’re interested.
It’s a nice solution if you feel that you need a physical copy of your notes but I remain unconvinced. I know lots of people, including Sacha Chua, like to have a physical copy of their work but I just don’t see the advantage. The digital copy is right there to read and enjoy and you can also search it and add links to and from it if the need arises.
I love writing my notes in Org and having them available for future reference. If I want to share them, it’s easy to export them to HTML, PDF, or even—ugh—docx. I see no reason for filling up my home with reams of paper that, truth to tell, I will hardly ever read. But they’re great for collecting dust.