@dfay I don’t disagree in principle. I suspect the difference is that I’m not trying to take files from Keynote, Pages, Word etc., and move them back and forth to plain text. I agree, if that was my workflow, that would be a waste of my time.
What I’m doing is a one time conversion of text-based files to plain text. Examples would be Word, Pages, Scrivener, Ulysses, PDF files and selected webpages. I’m transcluding other types of files, e.g., Word, Keynote, images, and the like if and as needed. My objective is to have all of my text-based work in plain text files and out of proprietary formats. I will continue to use apps like Numbers, Excel, Keynote, etc., for what only they can do well. I also have no intention of using Obsidian for my calendar or my project manager.
Once this is done (made relatively easy by DEVONthink’s OCR and conversion features) I believe my workflow will be easier, more flexible, and focused on fewer apps. There are, of course, limits. Unless there is a plug-in I’m not aware of, collaborative work, e.g, revisions, is not something that can be done in plain text. In such cases, I still have to use Google, Office 365, or programs like Craft.
I also think this will save money in the long run. Fewer apps to purchase and/or upgrade and fewer subscriptions.