{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreigqijwo77hqgfywpw4hlzngxbcslzgqdtsxi65keokbnoktlc5ypa",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:ircis5cmp6zyi7m3h45h6rfq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mobzwq7kbo52"
  },
  "path": "/2026/06/15/ptpl-212-how-to-not-lose-your-text-files",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-14T23:30:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://ellanew.com",
  "tags": [
    "I keep my calendar in the todo.txt format",
    "pride comes before disaster, and arrogance before a fall",
    "2025-05-12 PTPL 156 - Oh, You’re Leaving Obsidian? Don’t Forget Insurance in Your New App",
    "2025-06-23 PTPL 162 - 4 Questions You Must Answer Before Embracing a New Tool",
    "Mastodon",
    "https://ellanew.com/feed.rss",
    "sign up",
    "Gumroad",
    "Payhip"
  ],
  "textContent": "## No blame, but still, never again\n\nI keep my calendar in the todo.txt format, in Obsidian, using the Todo.txt Mode plugin to move completed events to a done.md file each day.\n\nThis week I opened that done.md file only to find it completely blank. Gasp! A plain text nightmare!! This was not supposed to even be _able_ to happen. Not in _my_ system!\n\nBut pride comes before disaster, and arrogance before a fall.\n\nYes, I checked the plugin settings. Nothing had changed between the time when it worked, and now. I’m not blaming the plugin — user error is a distinct possibility — though I’ll never trust it to cut and paste between files again.\n\nBeing able to refer to past events helps me with future planning, eg. when MIL last went to the podiatrist, when DH’s hair was cut last. Fortunately I was able to restore the file because I’m pedantic about keeping backups.\n\nThis would have been a lot more annoying if I hadn’t checked the done.md file when I did. Lesson: check your systems often. I have an alarm set for 5pm Fridays to review my backup procedures, making sure everything is working as expected. Takes less than 5 minutes.\n\nPlugins should always be an optional convenience. This experience reminded me that nothing is foolproof. The more layers of complexity in a system, the more chance of something going wrong.\n\nI still don’t know exactly what ate all 700+ lines of that file, but this I do know: it ain’t gonna happen again! I’ll be moving completed tasks and events manually from now on.\n\nOne last backup tip:\n\n  1. Use a clipboard manager\n  2. Develop the habit of pressing `Select-All + Copy` — and use it more often than you think you need to\n\n\n\n* * *\n\nRelated: 2025-05-12 PTPL 156 - Oh, You’re Leaving Obsidian? Don’t Forget Insurance in Your New App\n\nA throwback to this time last year: 2025-06-23 PTPL 162 - 4 Questions You Must Answer Before Embracing a New Tool\n\n* * *\n\nThis post was written on a computer, not by one.\n\n💬 I love to hear from readers! email hello at ellanew dot com or message me on Mastodon. Follow my RSS feed https://ellanew.com/feed.rss, or sign up to receive a weekly plain text themed email.*\n\nIf you’ve found value here, I invite you to share this post with someone you think will appreciate it or make a contribution to my support jar.\n\nYou might also like my plain text and analog resources on Gumroad and Payhip.",
  "title": "PTPL 212 · How to Not Be Like Me and Lose an Entire Plain Text List Overnight"
}