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A comment on How To Take Exceptional Notes and Be Productive with Paper. Parent comment

Re:How To Take Exceptional Notes and Be Productive with Paper by derekp7 on Wednesday September 18, 2013 @03:34PM (#6407509)
The "major signal" is that you take your writing serious enough to invest in proper tools. Not a big deal in itself, but every subtle signal tells others that you are solid, and down to business. If you are worried about seeming too pretentious, if someone makes a comment about your pen, just casually mention that they are making a comeback, or something about it not being expensive. For example, some of the lower end Parker ones (Jotter, Frontier, Urban) are around the $20 mark.

Other things that send signals, include the way you dress (don't have to wear a tux everywhere you go, but wear clothes that fit, and have a sturdy look to them). Also it is helpful to work on your speaking skills, so that you speak with inflection and purpose. For example, listen to the difference between a radio host, and call in listeners.

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Re:How To Take Exceptional Notes and Be Productive with Paper by ryanobjc on Wednesday September 18, 2013 @03:57PM (#6407670)
Yes exactly this. Social signals matter.

To go a bit more meta, the question is, who are you? Who do you want to be? Who do you want people to perceive you as?

Using a fountain pen hits all the highlights to these questions.

Besides, it's just plain old COOL to be using a writing technology that is over 200 years old. The quality pens feel amazing, and encourage additional note taking for me.

Another advantage to paper notes: They arent searchable. Yup you heard me, NOT SEARCHABLE. Oh wait, you say, I want to search my notes... so I put everything in email. Then I get fired. And my boss owns my private notes. Oops.

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Re:How To Take Exceptional Notes and Be Productive with Paper by noja on Thursday September 19, 2013 @05:14AM (#6410631)
It's definitely not "cool" to use a fountain pen.
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Re:How To Take Exceptional Notes and Be Productive with Paper by normloman on Monday September 23, 2013 @10:40AM (#6431250)
"Because it makes me look cool" is not a good reason to switch pens.
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