How to use Verbatim
Verbatim is a tool used on Mac/Windows that makes card cutting/file organization easier. We went over how to install and use Verbatim.
Get it here: https://paperlessdebate.com
If you’re on mac, it might not download at first because it’s from an “unidentified developer.” If this happens, go to Settings -> Privacy & Security, scroll down, and click the Open Anyway button.
It’s also recommended to go to the function keys tab and turn on "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys.” This makes cutting cards much easier.
Here are a few functions in Verbatim that are useful for organization in order from largest to smallest:
A pocket is the highest level of organization within this system, allowing you to categorize different subsets of information. Within each Pocket, you can create titles to structure content effectively. These titles appear in the sidebar, providing a clear way to navigate through different sections. For example, in an Econ DA file, you can use a pocket and title it “Econ DA".”
Hats also serve as a way to group blocks of content under a specific category. While a Pocket defines a broad collection, Hats help break it down into meaningful sections. If you want to section off uniqueness for the Econ DA, a hat is useful for it.
Blocks also help break down information. Each block represents a distinct section within a document. For the Econ DA, if there were different versions of an argument you wanted to read, you would use blocks for those.
Tags are another crucial organizational tool. By tagging individual blocks or cards, you can quickly locate and filter relevant information without searching through large amounts of content. If you want to include specific uniqueness cards, you can use the uniqueness hat function, and specific cards under that using tag.
For citations, the system uses a Cite function. While not visible in the sidebar, this format ensures proper attribution of sources. The standard citation format follows:
Author Last Name, Year — [Full Name, Date, Qualifications, Publication, Full Date of Publication, Page #, URL]
Additionally, you can insert your own citation notes to indicate when you’ve modified or cut a card for reference.
To enhance efficiency while handling text, several key tools are available:
Pasting Without Formatting – Pressing F2 (if function keys are toggled as standard) pastes text without formatting. This prevents unwanted styling issues, ensuring that copied text remains clean and consistent.
Underline & Highlight – Emphasizing key points can be done through underlining and highlighting, making important information stand out.
Shrink Function – This tool minimizes all non-underlined text, allowing you to focus only on the most essential parts of the content.
Condense Function – Condensing reduces the overall length of text while retaining its meaning. This is especially useful when summarizing large sections of information for quicker reference.
Other functions:
Invisibility mode: only shows highlighted text on cards. When enabled, only highlighted text will be visible on cards. This is useful for when reading fast because it filters out shrunk and unnecessary underlined text when you’re reading the card.
Tilde: used to quickly copy and paste docs. Click “choose” and select a document. Then, simply press tilde on a card from another doc. Instead of just manually trying to select and paste cards, tilde helps you immediately paste cards in one click.
Timer: helps manage time efficiently which preferable to opening several tabs to time yourself.
Emphasis — bolds text and if enabled, also boxes important words.
How to use Dropbox:
Dropbox is just like google drive or onedrive, but it’s more efficient and easier for file sharing.
When disclosing, you should only send the 1NC. Don’t send analytics (arguments that aren’t cards) or overviews. Disclose the cards and the cards only.
If you’re on a team: Never leak or send a team file in the dropbox that you didn’t cut to people who go to other schools/not in the dropbox. It’s unfair to people on the team and gives other schools a huge advantage. If caught, you may be removed from the dropbox.
Ultimately, file organization is up to you. The more you play around and work with Verbatim, the better you’ll get at using Verbatim functions.
