We tend to prefer analog tools over digital ones. That's partly because even the most popular digital tools don't tend to last (how many online services that fell out of common use can you think of?) and partly because analog tools just work better for our brain.
We don't see non-digital tools talked about much in plural spaces anymore, though, especially after SimplyPlural started existing. I thought I'd share what we use in case it helps someone else figure out their own setup.
With the recent announcement about SimplyPlural winding down, a lot of people are looking to move their information elsewhere.
Different people will have different priorities when deciding where to put their system documentation. It's okay if you want to keep using online services to track your system if that's what works for you! (Please keep backups, though- I promise that losing all of your documentation when a service goes down is a bigger loss of time than keeping a local copy of it all.)
If you'd rather not shuffle your information from online service to online service in the future, then there are a lot of different ways to track who's in your system that don't depend on someone else's computer being kept on. We personally find art-based methods to be the most helpful for our group, but you might find that other methods work better for you. Try out a few different options and see what sticks!
Paranoia, anxiety, hypervigilance, and all the other words for "my nervous system is convinced that Doom Is Approaching" can make it harder to use any tools, including analog ones. Finding ways around the fear of people reading our paper notes has helped a lot with feeling safe enough to use these tools.
On pocket journals: we prefer A7 journals for this, as they're small enough to actually fit in our pockets. A6 can work if you have extremely large pockets or keep your journal in a bag instead.
Cheap, buy-in-bulk mini composition books are perfect for this, though we've fallen in love with the Midori MD series (like the stationary nerds we are)- that said, there really is no choice that's perfect for everyone. You might prefer top-bound memo books, sticky note pads, or printer paper cut to size and stapled together. Use what works best for your group.
On constructed scripts ("conscripts"): these are not a second language. They're more like an alternative writing system or alphabet for an existing language.
For those who are interested in learning an existing conscript, omniglot.com has a ton of them. There's probably one in your native language that you can make use of. Pick something that's easy to remember and use if you go this route- keep it practical! Our conscript of choice has a key that can be quickly written out with nothing more than 3 tic-tac-toe grids.
Practice is key with conscripts. We spent a while writing in only our conscript of choice to make sure that we would all remember it. We can write near-fluently in it now, though we're still working on improving our reading speed.
On decoy pages: the goal here is making the journal look too mundane to be worth reading. If you work and are allowed to take notes, then work notes might be an excellent choice for the first few pages of a journal. Shopping lists, TODOs, and similarly mundane things also work well.
Alternatively, you could say "I don't care if someone reads this, but I need to get past my own tendency to self-censor" and do what we did with our more private journal: write everything that you absolutely do not want other people to see on the very first page. Nothing else you could write in the rest of the journal would be more exposing than that, so why hold back?
On journal tampering signs: none of these are going to be perfect. If it's windy, then that hair could be blown out of place. Someone might move the journal without opening it because they need the table space. Elastic slides around on its own. A pen set diagonally across the journal can roll around too.
We use multiple tricks in hopes of having as many cues as possible to inform us- if the majority of our tampering signs are set off, then we might have cause to think the journal was opened and potentially read by someone. We'd strongly suggest doing the same. One sign on its own is unreliable; five signs might say something together.
It's not a perfect system (especially given that someone could do their best to leave the journal exactly as they found it), but it's good enough to calm the paranoia so that we can use these tools.
Implementing a New Software? Don't Forget About These 5 Things.
Implementing a New Software? Don’t Forget About These 5 Things.
New software programs and apps can make life wonderful for organizations. In addition to just rolling out the new system with the software company, there are other items to keep in mind.
People
Even with the greatest software, the human element still exists. Users and Admins alike will experience tremendous change through the new system! System champions must be ready with FAQs, training, and…
