Like I said above, I was unsure which bids were still systems on (this was not with a regular partner), but I do agree that 3♥ is definitely more informative than 3♣ if it's still on.
This just occurred to me, sort of based on sign language:
Would it be satisfactory to also print off an alphabet, to solve those rare cases when a full explanation just isn't possible using only the pre-written notes (even if the notes are individual words, pointed at in succession ...
I did exactly this in the last GNTs, and it worked quite well. We were definitely not 100% silent, but I don't actually think we whispered questions and answers any more than we would have under normal conditions.
Setting a policy and then enforcing it with no exceptions is not at all consistent with other bridge events, though. When a player cannot walk well and they'd be unable to participate in a movement, we allow them to be stationary. When a player cannot see well, we provide ...
Sleeping each night is a choice. Sure, eventually your body will force you to sleep, but we can all survive at least one night without it. And yet as you do it, I'm sure you don't think about the choice you're making when you go to sleep ...
Are there any policies currently in place for players with, say, Parkinson's, who cannot write legibly behind screens? I have seen assistants handling cards for others, but that would not solve the problem of conveying explanations in silence.
Similar to what Doug found about FF writing twice, at https://youtu.be/rXQZSzHoZP4?t=3552, he writes, places his scorecard on the playing table, looks at his hand, and only then decides that he would rather have the scorecard placed on the side table!