The things that have forever constituted civilization – respect for learning whether one had it or not, wide reading, careful use of language, manners, such notions as “lady” and “gentleman” – these are held in contempt.
John Gruber at Daring Fireball:
This video encapsulates everything wrong with Microsoft. […] Imagine if they instead spent the effort that went into this movie on making something, you know, real, that you could actually go out and buy and use today.
I just hope the future isn’t filled with so many white walls.
Plain Text Bookmarks
Brent Simmons at inessential.com:
I’ve not yet found a bookmarking service that I love, but this new Kippt could be it. It’s attractive and simple — and, best of all, has no social aspect.
Last year I gave up saving my bookmarks in a web browser. I realized it had just become the place where links go to die. I’d save things of interest, but hardly ever reference them again. If I switched browsers I’d either start from scratch or end up transferring dozens (hundreds?) of unused links. I needed one, permanent place to store my bookmarks. I also wanted to include notes, clearly displayed next to each link, which provide order and relevance.
Bookmarking services, especially Pinboard, seemed like the way to go. But I ended up settling on a different solution: plain text.
I keep plain text notes in Notational Velocity, on every conceivable topic that I have any interest in. For each topic I keep any links, comments, or ideas that I may later find useful.
This makes my ‘bookmarks’:
- simple
- comprehensive
- creative
- ubiquitous (see simplenote)
- permanent
That last one is the most important to me. Whatever appeal there may be to the latest bookmarking service, I’m not willing to bet it will still be around in 20 years. I guarantee my plain text files will still be here, though I’m not taking bets on what hardware or software I’ll be using to maintain them.
That’s some tree.
(Source: dearphotograph.com)
Turns out you change the temperature in your house 1500 times a year. 1500! Our thermostat learns what temperatures you like so it can program itself.
I’ve never been excited about a thermostat. That’s the power of good design.
(Source: daringfireball.net)
Just in case you needed another reason to stop using Flash.
(Source: daringfireball.net)
It just keeps getting better.
(Source: kottke.org)
Ask For Help!
Whether you see it as the golden rule, or being the change you wish to see in the world, sometimes you have to do the thing you’d most like to see others doing.
If you wish more people would ask your advice and seek your help, maybe it’s time to give that gift to others and ask for their help instead.
What Is The Best Way To Use Twitter?
If you find yourself asking questions such as: What is the best way to use Twitter? How can I get more followers on Twitter? How can I get better results for my business on Twitter? …then you are asking the wrong questions!
In today’s video I talk about the single, correct question you should be asking about Twitter or any other tool you’re using.
Getting Things Done: One Habit To Rule Them All
It’s easy to become discouraged when thinking about all the new habits you’d like to form. Knowing that it can take many weeks to solidify even a single new habit, you quickly realize how long it will take to form several at once.
I’ve found that a great alternative is to focus on forming, mastering, and maintaining just one habit. By finding your own way to implement the Getting Things Done methods, you can, by default, accomplish all of the rest without having to focus on forming many habits at once.
UPDATE: It’s even crazier than I thought. The last time I looked at the book Getting Things Done on Amazon, it was selling for about nine dollars. Right now it’s only $6.49! If you don’t own this book, it’s crazy not to buy a copy at that price!
