Why Plain Text Is Still One of the Best Technologies We Have
3 hours ago
- Plain text is one of the computer file formats likely to remain readable for fifty years due to its simplicity and wide understanding.
- It stores character codes without formatting, allowing it to be used across different systems and applications without dependency.
- Plain text is fundamental in computing for source code, configuration files, logs, and web technologies like HTML and JSON.
- It is compatible with many tools (e.g., grep, sed) and enables easy inspection, search, and backup without specialized software.
- Markdown enhances plain text with formatting while keeping the source usable and independent of processors.
- Text files age well compared to proprietary formats, with manageable compatibility issues like encoding and line endings.
- Plain text offers user ownership, easy backup, and version control without reliance on specific companies or services.
- It is not suitable for all data (e.g., images, complex spreadsheets) but excels as a durable, simple representation.
- The reliability and longevity of plain text make it a boring but valuable technology that avoids obsolescence.