Ask HN: How many programmers out there keep a paper notebook for their projects?

I use a Hipster PDA.

Step 1: get 3"x5" (~8cm x 12cm) index cards. They can be ruled, gridded, blank, colored, whatever. Step 2: Get a binder clip. Step 3: Clip the cards together.

It's pretty easy to get index card storage bins, and it's convenient to take around a little stack in your pocket. If you have a lot of cards, a rubber band works almost better than a clip, but it works better with fewer cards. There's a lot of templates you can print onto cards, but I usually just use gridded / blank cards for code ideas. An added bonus is, you can rearrange cards with different functions to help structure out code ideas. Or you can print out code, cut out relevant bits, and glue them onto cards.

I tend to manage task lists/todos, mind mapping, and pseudo-code on cards. Very handy on long bus rides.

Your grandfather probably came from a shop where engineers were encouraged or required to write everything down as they discovered problems and worked on solutions. Those notes became critically important when the patent applications were started. Some larger companies even provided nice leather-bound blank books for the engineers to use and keep on their shelves for later reference.

Capturing ideas and visualizing your problems is something they don't teach you in IT school. Over my career I've leaned that an on-hand notebook is way more useful than carrying a laptop around. I can sketch out ideas, graph out signals, and do dozens of other things quickly and silently. It's a lot less intrusive in meetings. Plus, you can doodle.

I've used everything from pocket steno books to college spiral notebooks. Moleskines are nice, but way too expensive.

My current go-to notebook is a college notebook I picked up in Germany for a couple of Euro. It's the right size (not a toy steno book and not a massive 8x10 binder). Side-spiral bound is critical, you can fold it open on a desk without taking up twice the space. Grid paper is killer for mapping out things out. A nice touch is the microperfed edges.

Looks like they're on Amazon but in packs of 5. Still, not a bad deal:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Landre-100050630-Wood-Free-Perforat...

I take A4 paper from the printer, cut it in half (making A5), and clip it together with a large bull-clip at the top left.

Discard pieces of paper when done, or file them (or scan/photo) when need to retain. Can discard in groups, creating small folders, clipped together with other bull-clips.

A never-ending, revolving notebook.

I use paper a lot, but no notebook. What I find disturbing with them is the mixing of different projects stuff. Also I prefer to have a lot of space for drawing.

That's why I use blank gridded A4 paper sheet. Then I put together project related notes. If a project starts to be big enough, it will naturally lead to a pack of papers that I can carry along. Otherwise the project can kind of fade away be laying around or being mixed with other sheets.

I mainly draw application architecture and app screens. I also tend to note in natural language problem related to those. So this is design notes. For technical notes about deployment for example, I use One Note.

that looks really nice, I have a this one https://www.amazon.com/Engineering-Computation-Letter-Sheets... but I wish it were spiral bound.

Do you know if there are any US suppliers for yours?