Plain text. It’s the digital equivalent of a hammer—simple, reliable, everywhere. Marcin Wichary captured this in a recent post on his Unsung blog : “Plain text has been around for decades and it’s here to stay.” Developers embed it in code comments. Designers sketch UIs with it. Even AI prompts start there. And as tools grow more powerful, plain text’s constraints feel less like limits, more like lifelines. Consider the tools reviving its heyday. Mockdown works in any browser, even mobile—no install needed. Wiretext handles web and desktop diagramming. Monodraw, a Mac staple, turns keystrokes into flowcharts and layouts. These apps echo 1970s text-user interfaces like Turbo Vision, but with mouse support, trackpads, and web speed. Wichary notes the appeal: users who want “intentionally limited visual choices,” perfect for low-stakes sketches dropped straight into source code. Portability seals the deal. Open a .txt file anywhere. No proprietary software crashes your flow.…