OBTF stands for “One Big Text File”. Its a style of keeping notes that’s proven effective for many people.

OBTF-2 Screenshot with a welcome message

Basically, just keep writing in a big text file, sometimes adding the date. OBTF-2 is an app for editing that text-file. It’s hyper-focused on reducing friction to keeping good notes. In many ways, it’s defined as much by what it doesn’t do:

OBTF-2 does not:

  • Require a subscription
  • Allow you to choose the font, style, or color
  • Support categories of notes or tagging
  • Sync your notes across devices
  • Support markdown, syntax highlighting, LaTeX, etc

All of these things turn into decisions that need to be made to take a note. They are distractions to the actual thing you’re trying to do. If you need that stuff, that’s fine–– but OBTF-2 is not for you.

What it does, OBTF-2 strives to do well:

  • Reduce friction to keeping notes
  • Display images (like screenshots) alongside text
  • Find things you wrote before
  • Keep your notes readable a long time from now

Download for MacOS (Apple Silicon)

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