File Over App: A Philosophy for Digital Longevity
I recently spoke to a reader on the blog during unoffice hours , and we got into a discussion about Notion. While I agree that Notion’s UI is sleek and feature-rich, I had my concerns. I used Notion for a while in early 2021 but eventually switched to Obsidian. This isn’t a promotion for Obsidian—nor am I affiliated—but I made the switch because I wanted a tool that’s local-first, fast, and lets me export files that can outlast any app.
Obsidian, like Notion, uses Markdown for note-taking, but Obsidian stores everything as plain text files on my device. I believe in the long-term value of open, accessible file formats like Markdown, HTML, and plain text. Just as plain text has outlived many technologies, these formats will likely outlive me. Being tied to an app creates potential issues in the long run.
When I think about note-taking, I believe we should take a long-term view. An undergrad today might want to refer back to their notes in their 30s or 40s. In this context, preferring files over apps makes sense. This idea isn’t new; it resonates with something Steph Ango , the CEO of Obsidian, said:
