Several people wrote me privately to ask how I take notes to write my posts covering speakers at our orchid society meetings. It would be great if other people also took notes at their meetings and posted them here. Think of all the information made available!
I use a free app called
Rdex on my Android phone. It also has Windows, Linux and Java versions. Apple users need to use the Java version; the page referenced above tells how to install it. I have never used it on an Apple device.
Rdex is an electronic cardfile. An Rdex file can have multiple cards. I keep the data file in my Dropbox so I can access it from my phone and my desktop. Each of the lines here is a different card in this stack. I also use this file to record my business mileage, a recipe I want to make so I know what ingredients to buy, a reminder to pick up medicine for my dog Miracle (he came with that name) and other things.
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I take the notes during the meeting. I write down highlights. I remember a lot of what was said but don't write it down - yet.
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When I get home I open the file in Rdex on my desktop.
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I copy the material from the card to clipboard on my desktop, then paste it into a text file where I keep my notes from previous meetings.
I then expand on everything I took down, while it is very fresh in my memory. I write down everything I remember. I E-mail the speaker if there are things I don't recall completely.
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I use the Windows accessory program Notepad.exe, which is hidden in newer versions of Windows. I made a program item for Notepad.exe for my Start page. Notepad keeps data as plain text rather than formatted text as in a word processor.
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To make a program shortcut for notepad on your computer, just right-click where you want to make the shortcut. Then select New then New shortcut. In the box write Notepad.exe and OK. There it is.
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You may need to teach Windows that you want to open a plain text file with Notepad. It usually wants you to use a word processor, which is much slower to use. The easiest way is to save your file with Notepad. Most of the time Windows will then open .TXT files with Notepad.
Then I copy what I wrote from the notepad file to clipboard, and paste it into the message entry box on Orchid Board.