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Ask: Do you still find any benefits in using handwriting?

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Re: Ask: Do you still find any benefits in using handwriting?

#21

Post by Amanjeev »

Warning: All of below is anecdotal and non-scientific.

I think the benefits depend on what you are trying to achieve. I do some amateur poetry in two languages - English and Hindi+Urdu. In both cases, I have found that I lose my chain of thought if I am typing on computers (tried ipad, iphone also) than writing on a paper. The stream of thought is just much more fluid and connections are easier to capture while writing on paper. It could be that I wrote more as a child/teen than typed. There is something about mistakes on paper, you crossing them out by running a line through them. You do not lose what you wrote, but you know thats not what you wanted. So, it affirms where you want to go as well as what you do not want to write. I think the ability to edit and remove what was previously written makes me lose the chain of thoughts in this case and I have to start afresh.

I have also seen that when I write letters to people in the family and friends, I am generally more content in what I have written, even if something is scribbled or there are mistakes in it. Of course, that is personal and thus the value for me and the people who I send them to (well, I can hope).

Lastly, I write all my task list (esp. the big ones). I do not type them, not on my phone, not on my computer. A quick shopping list is a different thing but the goal-list is something on a paper for me or it never feels concrete.

Re: Ask: Do you still find any benefits in using handwriting?

#22

Post by leni536 »

Sure, for quick sketches and formulas. Also I use pen and paper for collaboration a lot. I would love to replace pen and paper to something digital, but it would still be handwriting. Is there any good touch interface where I can input subscript and superscript heavy formulas (like tensor algebra)? The touch interfaces and styluses that I tried were quite poor for this kind of precision, I didn't try any recent one though.

Re: Ask: Do you still find any benefits in using handwriting?

#23

Post by Glide »

One of the best things I did for myself is to buy a copy of Write Now and improve my handwriting.

I can't think of a faster way of combining drawings and thoughts than paper and pencil.

Now I just need to teach myself shorthand to minimize the speed difference between typing and handwriting.

Re: Ask: Do you still find any benefits in using handwriting?

#24

Post by hrabago »

For solving complex problems, yes.

On my own personal projects, I get very limited time. For these, I go straight to the keyboard and put in as many characters as I can.

However, every now and then I come across something beyond simple. Going in without a well designed plan ends up costing me time. Here, I take out my notebook and start sketching diagrams. I've tried this with various digital alternatives, but analog still works best for me.

Re: Ask: Do you still find any benefits in using handwriting?

#25

Post by piqufoh »

Meetings! I always make sure I have a pen/pencil and notebook/piece of paper when I show up for an in-person meeting.

Maybe it's just me, but if I'm trying to explain an idea to someone and they're busy tapping away at their keyboard it really bugs me. Are they making notes on what I'm saying? Or are they checking in on HN? Ditto for the rare occasion when I'm in a dull meeting with a laptop - it's really difficult for me not to browse my inbox should a message show up, and then I think about a reply, and then I'm lost...

I find physical handwritten notes in a meeting is less distracting for both the speaker and the listener.

Re: Ask: Do you still find any benefits in using handwriting?

#26

Post by gregjwild »

All the time.

The days of long-form writing are definitely over, but I think noting things down will remain a constant for many years to come.

For me, I find it helps me think more abstractly and plan my thoughts better, because it's just more fluid to scribble ideas down.

Re: Ask: Do you still find any benefits in using handwriting?

#27

Post by strictnein »

I keep a small notepad and pen next to my keyboard. I write notes on it, but I rarely review them. The act of simply writing notes helps me remember them.

On a related note, BIC is actually doing PSA style radio ads and has a campaign website to "save handwriting": http://bicfightforyourwrite.com/

Re: Ask: Do you still find any benefits in using handwriting?

#28

Post by japhyr »

I think much more clearly when writing on paper than when typing at a keyboard. I can get into a mindset, and the pen and paper don't ever distract from my frame of mind. If I try to think through something at the keyboard, I often drift and my attention ends up on the machine itself.

I have no idea if this is by nature of the medium, or because I grew up in the 70's and 80's without consistent computer access until I was in my early teens. I also lived in a tent for a year, and wrote in a journal every night; I think that has influenced my writing mindset significantly.

So, if I'm very clear about what I want to write, I can use a keyboard. But if I'm still sorting through some ideas I'll grab a pen and paper. I even draft important emails with a pen and paper. Usually drafting a quick sketch or outline is enough, and I do the wordsmithing at the keyboard. Whenever I'm at a loss for words, though, I push the computer aside and sit quietly with a pen and paper for a little bit.

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