December 2009
81 posts
“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience and compassion. These...”
– Lao Tzu (via mnmal)
“Walking on water and developing software from a specification are easy if both...”
– Edward V. Berard (via mnmal)
“When you talk to anybody who’s used a computer for any period of time, the...”
– David Heinemeier Hansson, Less is better (via mnmal)
“This requirement of simplicity is rooted in my belief that choices are...”
– Rands (via merlin)
“In our minds, the only way, for us at least, to arrive at usable software is to...”
– David Heinemeier Hansson, Less is better (via mnmal)
“Keep your code as simple as possible.
You’d think that twice as much code would...”
– From Getting Real, by 37signals (via mnmal)
“The best way to graduate from beginner is to get in way over your head. Nothing...”
– via Signal vs Noise (via minma)
Causes of clutter – not buying quality items |... →
mnmal:
Over 15 years, i have purchased 4 different hammers – each one nicer than the last.
and now there are four hammers cluttering up my workspace… actually, there were four hammers cluttering up my workspace.
solution – take pride in my purchases. if i really need to purchase an item, then i need to purchase an item that will last. if i had begun my hammer collection with a high-quality...
“Think in less. Always be looking to eliminate applications, files, folders and...”
– David Turnbull, minimalist Mac (via mnmal)
“… in going ultralight we had unexpectedly discovered the benefits of minimalism...”
– Schaefer, Go small or go home: In praise of minimalism (via minma)
“Trust comes, in part, from simplicity. When something is simple, it’s possible...”
– Alex Payne on Computing Simplicity, Minimalism, and Trust (via mnmal)
“No amount of genius can overcome a preoccupation with detail.”
– Marion Levy (via mnmal)
Miiinimal →
mnmal:
A fantastic site about minimalism in things.
Web design trends for 2010 →
mnmal:
Minimalism is here to stay
“Subtlety is powerful. There are times when I’m so subtle people don’t even know...”
– Jason Fried (via mnmal)
Reinventing tabs for the browser →
(via mnmal)
“Dressing casually doesn’t make you unprofessional. The only time I wear a suit...”
– Jason Fried (via mnmal)
“I only use three applications on my computer: Safari, Mail and Peggle Deluxe.”
– Jason Fried (via Friedisms) (via mnmal)
“Mac OS X: It just works. Darwin BSD underneath, mostly luxury on top. The upside...”
– Tom Henderson, Great and Disappointing Operating Systems of the Decade
(note: I posted this because I couldn’t stop laughing when I read the “The downside is that it isn’t a business plan for computer consultants and virus removers” part. it is so true!) (via mnmal)
“The first thing you will need to get started with Emacs is a beard.”
– Wilhelm Bierbaum (via merlin)
“Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself.”
– (via mnmal)
“Programming is about expression, which is about intent, which is about meaning....”
– Kevlin Henney (via mnmal)
“If debugging is the process of removing bugs, then programming must be the...”
– Edsger W. Dijkstra (via mnmal)
The Worse is Better philosophy of engineering →
mnmal:
Worse is better, also called the New Jersey style, was conceived by Richard P. Gabriel to describe the dynamics of software acceptance, but it has broader application. The idea is that quality does not necessarily increase with functionality. There is a point where less functionality (“worse”) is a preferable option (“better”) in terms of practicality and usability. Software that is...
The Case Against Everything Buckets | Alex Payne →
mnmal:
The Mac software ecosystem faces a plague. A plague of Everything Buckets. Indulge me.
If you search for “productivity” or “organization” software for the Mac, you’ll find variations on a particular type of application. These applications claim to be “your outboard brain” or “your digital filing cabinet” or similar. They go by many...
“It’s one that is stripped of the unnecessary, to make room for that which gives...”
– Leo Babauta, The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life (via mnmal)
“If you cannot grok the overall structure of a program while taking a shower, you...”
– Richard Pattis (via mnmal)
“The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity”
– Douglas Horton (via mnmal)
“The things you own end up owning you.”
– Tyler Durden, Fight Club (via mnmal)
Organize your wallet | Lifehacker →
mnmal:
Remove everything you don’t need. First I got myself a Slimmy wallet, which is barebones but super-thin. Then I ditched all the photos, biz cards, extra credit cards, change, and all the other crap I didn’t need but carried around anyway. All that’s inside is bills (arranged by currency and all folded in the same direction, of course), a credit card, my ATM card, and driver’s license....
“Men have become the tools of their tools.”
– Henry David Thoreau (via minimalmac)
“If you make something that matters, it will speak for itself. Don’t put that on...”
– Alex Payne (via merlin)
“If your UI even vaguely resembles an airplane cockpit, you’re doing it wrong.”
– John Gruber (via mnmal)
“Make a list of your application’s current functionality. Then remove the bottom...”
– Jason Fried (via this) (via mnmal)
Keyboard Maestro →
mnmal:
With Keyboard Maestro you can design a custom action sequence with your own shortcuts and use them at any time, you can navigate through running applications and open windows with Program Switcher, and you can work with an unlimited number of clipboards - all by pressing simple keystrokes.
Nice. Worth trying.
I still prefer Quicksilver.
“There is always a possibility that there is a simpler way to do something.Even...”
– Edward De Bono (via mnmal)
“Minimalist web design relies on subtraction and the preservation of empty space.”
– Tokujin Yoshioka (via mnmal)
“Your desk is your ship—keep it neat and tidy. The only things on my desk are my...”
– Jason Fried (via mnmal)
“When I get stuck on something I usually take a walk in the woods. Trees are...”
– Jason Fried (via mnmal)
“You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump...”
– George Lucas (via i-peach-feng-shui) (via minimalmac)
“Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability.”
– Edsger W.Dijkstra (via mnmal)
Pastebot: A Copy and Paste Playground – Shawn... →
minimalmac:
Shawn hits it out of the park with this review of Pastebot, the new clipboard manager for the iPhone (that is nothing short of amazing). I even learned a few new things about it by reading this. Fantastic work on all sides.