Change from proprietary format

Change from proprietary format to Mark-Down

This is for you if you have not used mark-down before. There are many programs that use proprietary formats. Proprietary formats are formats created by a particular company or developer that can only be used with their products. An example of this would be the format of a note in the Evernote app that cannot be opened in other note apps.

Unfortunately, however, there are difficulties and risks associated with using proprietary formats. One of them is that you are trapped in a dependency on a particular company or developer, since you cannot change or export the format without using the corresponding product. Another risk is that the format may eventually be discontinued by the company or developer, which may mean that you can no longer open your notes. The accumulated knowledge is then lost.

One solution to this could be to implement a switching strategy. One possibility would be to create all new notes from now on in an open format like Markdown, in a suitable program. If one then later searches for old notes, one can search for them in the old program and then transfer them to the new program. The advantage here would be that the transfer only happens when it is really necessary and the energy is distributed for it.

Another suggestion for a switch strategy could be to look for tools that can convert the proprietary format to an open format like Markdown. This way, you could export your old notes to a format that is supported by many different applications and you no longer have to feel dependent on a particular company or developer.