Weren't they originally designed for shorthand? And you wrote in two columns? For me, the middle line would be a distraction too. However, I like the pseudo Cornell notes in my Circa notebooks. ;-)

-Jon

I have a couple around the house... I use them for lists mainly. :)

The middle line on mine are quite subtle so if I write over it - its not distracting.

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Steno pads and legal pads are just about the only types of notebooks available in the office supply cabinet where I work. If you want anything else, you would probably have to bring them in yourself. Luckily, I had just read the post on this site about the advantages of keeping an analog work journal. I like the idea of keeping a chronological list of actions and what I've learned with a index that starts at the back and works its way toward the front.

All that being said, I just ignore the line down the middle for the time being. I can't think of any good use for it, it isn't that noticeable, so I just don't do anything with it.

One additional note: my current job is a consulting gig, and I have to do time-sheets for the consulting company and the client. I keep track of time in/time out and lunch breaks in my notebook, and it also leaves me a little less than half the page, so that is a good place to make note of the major tasks I want to accomplish the following week.

-Kenny

My high school DIY planner was with a Steno pad. I put the date at the top of each page. I'm sure I used each side of the line for different things, but I just don't remember. I'd guess one side for plans/appointments and the other for assignments. I do remember, in 10th grade I'd filled out all the dates for the rest of the year and someone stole the pages. Not the whole notebook, just the dated pages. At the time, I thought they took them for their own used, now that I think about it (27 years later) I think they might of done it to mess me up (I was anti-popular at the time). Thankfully, both my life, the people I'm around, and my planners have improved immensely.

BTW, I remember using a little spiral-bound memo book in elementary school. Now they make the kids at my son's elementary school buy an offical school planner. I had to make my own which only goes to prove I've always been a planner nut. I've never remembered anything if I didn't write it down.

LisaPT
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My DH uses steno pads for quick notes. He uses them in two ways. Either he disregards the cetral line, or he uses both sides of the line with say the quote on the right and the provenance of the quote on the left, for example. He can"t live without them. I made a steno template for him to use in his circa notebooks HERE.

"It's better to be a pirate than to join the Navy." -- Steve Jobs

I use one at work ... On the left column, I write the client's name or maybe a subject and then on the right I write the action for that client/subject. Then if a client called in or I was asked about a certain action, I could look quickly through the left column and find my notes... It works for me!

happy day, nay nay

I used to use steno pads for everything! I used the line for columns so I had more room - a lot of my jottings were short things (to do lists, shopping lists, etc.). They are so cheap that it was easier for me to just use them until they were gone. If I had ideas or thoughts during the day, I would just start a new page and my daily plans for the next day would go on the next page.

On a daily basis, I would start a new page at the beginning of the day and make a schedule on the left and a to do on the right. That worked well, but I lacked a place for tracking projects and such, which is why I eventually moved to a classic planner.

Also, I would only use one side of the page at a time. When I got to the back of the book, I would flip it and use the backs. If I had something outstanding, I would move it forward. Also, I would cross completed stuff out with a permanent marker, or cross out a whole page, so I could easily see what still needed to be dealt with.

When I worked, I used the steno pads a lot for to do lists and notes about phone calls or voicemail messages.

Hope that helps!

I just used them as notepads. They were reasonably handy for that. I generally wrote on both sides, flipping it over and writing on the back side, so that the pages stayed in chronological order. But, I like to tear pages out and clip them with the meeting handouts or put into a folder for that topic or project. And in doing so, I had to deal with the torn off edges from the spiral binding (I tended to just tear them off rather than cutting them) which I trimmed off with a scissors, so I switched to using 5x8 perf pads for note taking. I used to carry around a Levenger folio for 5x8 notepads. After discovering Circa, I use Circa notebooks instead.

But, like in Kenny's case, our office supply cabinet has the steno pads and letter size pads, plus bound Record books and small memo pads. So, I'm on my own making Circa notebooks.

Still, a steno pad is a useful tool.

Walter

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"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." Albert Einstein and Buckaroo Banzai

I discoverd them at work as well and I love them. I am a student, so I use them for notes mainly. I use them for lists. I use them for translations. I use them for assignments/agendas (although I prefer my moleskin). But by far the best usage is as a budget. I work it out for the month. Then I keep track of all my and my boyfriend's expenses. He has one side, I have the other and they are coded into categories. Plus I can keep it in my purse. We never worry about where the money went or how we are going to pay rent anymore.

PS. The guy next to me in class keeps his notes in a stenopad too.