I've never heard anyone suggest you should only hand write. I type most of the time, but use handwriting whenever I need to learn something or absorb a lot of information at once. It's not an effective filing/information retrieval system, it's an effective brain training system.
Exactly. I use digital to keep notes (e.g. meeting minutes) which I need to refer to and lookup regularly.
I use a notebook to write stuff down while studying. I don't always refer back to them. Especially not after I've finished studying the topic but the process ingrains the ideas into my head in a way that typing can't. I also draw diagrams and things to illustrate ideas which further help retention.
Ditto. Some notes are evergreen though. I still have the single page of notes I made during your session on building web apps. Specifically, the dev setup necessary to stand up "Something that will last on the public Internet".
And --- you can't make this s*#% up --- that was twelve years to the day (I just checked); 14 Feb 2012.
As it turns out, that page is still entirely relevant, and I'm still working on it. [Insert :sweat-smile: emoji].
Back to hand writing; Too late in life I realised its value. I spent all my school and college life absolutely hating it --- writing was too hard.
Now I use it when I really need to pay attention to detail. It compels me to slow down and that is how I absorb material better. Further, I realized it is most useful when I am reading / thinking on my own, whereas live classroom note-taking disconnects me from the topic. So now I just listen through live lectures and only jot down keywords at points of confusion and/or insight.
This applies to code too. From time to time, for difficult topics, I will hand-copy code from textbook examples, and also hand-evaluate them on paper before typing the thing into the computer to see if it works. Even if I am following along by typing directly in my Emacs, I always type out any demo / sample code; never copy-pasting. Some of the mechanics remain the same; i.e. slow down, breathe, and pay attention to detail.
Absolutely this "it's an effective brain training system."
Apart from helping with faster memorisation, I have noticed that writing a problem down / solving on paper improves problem solving significantly. I always diagram out the problem & solution on paper whenever i get stuck.
part of the reason for me is that there's less friction to transition from writing to doodling random stuff while thinking about things and going back.
compare writing to typing in a computer, if while typing you start to visualize the concepts/topics and want to do some small doodles while thinking you're kinda out of luck, even if you have a tablet there's still friction and you having to have what's written and what's doodled in separate files.
tablets screen texture still feels less comfortable than plain paper and a ballpoint pen, that why I always have one on my desk.
I almost never return back to my handwritten notes.
I started using a notepad app on my phone a few months ago. I was quite surprised that they supported images and doodling right there in the middle of text. Felt like this could finally compete with pen & paper.
I've never heard anyone suggest you should only hand write. I type most of the time, but use handwriting whenever I need to learn something or absorb a lot of information at once. It's not an effective filing/information retrieval system, it's an effective brain training system.