Threehand or "3!" is a simple shorthand system for taking
plaintext notes very quickly. It uses common keyboard symbols to
write down complex ideas in a short and portable form. It is
cross platform, works in any application, and is designed to be
figure-out-able by any one.
HOW IT WORKS.
Every Threehand word can be one, two, or
three symbols long.
The meaning of a word builds up step by step from left to right
across three distinct slots.
SLOT ONE: THE FOUNDATION (THE SUBJECT REALM)
The first symbol in any word represents the core topic or root
category.
@ means agent (a person, an individual, human
entity, or self).
# means earth (physical matter, solid objects,
hardware, or space).
! means idea (a thought, information, concept,
data, or software).
% means resource (a value, currency, assets,
energy, or tools).
/ means void (an empty space, placeholder,
boundary, or systemic context).
SLOT TWO: THE DYNAMIC (THE ACTION OR STATE)
The second symbol shows how the first subject is behaving,
moving, or changing.
* means action (force, execution, doing, or making
something).
~ means flow (change, transition, processing, time
passing, or fluid state).
= means equanimity (balance, stability, calm,
equality, or sustained state).
? means inquiry (the unknown, a question, chaos,
potential, or hidden data).
SLOT THREE: THE VECTOR (THE DIRECTION OR SCALE)
The third symbol explains the final direction, orientation, or
extra degree of energy.
+ means ascent (going up, increasing, improvement,
high degree, or wise states).
- means descent (going down, decreasing,
reduction, or grounded states).
> means exterior (forward, future, outward,
giving, or moving toward extension).
< means interior (backward, past, inward,
receiving, or reflecting).
HOW WORDS GROW FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
One-symbol words present the purest form of a realm.
example: @ is a person.
Two-symbol words add an action or condition to the realm.
example: @* means a person working.
Three-symbol words give the highest detail by directing
the action. example: @*+ means a person excelling or
reaching peak performance.
CONNECTING CONCEPTS TOGETHER (LOGICAL OPERATORS)
You can link different Threehand words to show clear causal
relationships between them.
-> means therefore or leads to (shows
causation, consequences, or progress).
? placed at the very start of a phrase block means
if or an established condition.
/? means otherwise or else (used if the
initial prerequisite condition fails).
// means a separator (acts like a comma, hard
pause, or clause boundary on a line).
SENTENCES
Sentences always follow a strict structural flow of
subject-verb-object (svo).
Example: the note @* # means the person (subject) does
work (verb) on a physical object or space (object).
NUMBERS, NAMES AND JARGON.
Numbers and quantities are integrated directly as
standard digits like 5 or 125.
Dates must always use the standard format of
year-month-day like yyyy-mm-dd.
Times use 24-hour notation without any colons or symbols
in between like 1430.
Names and entities are written using capitalized initials
like BM.
Highly technical or domain-specific jargon go inside
square brackets directly after the symbol codes for clarity. For
example (DHCP) or [anycast].
THREEHAND GLOSSARY
Practically any word can be expressed using Threehand. This glossary
lists common English words and their Threehand version.
@ :
agent / person / individual / self / human element