i cannot get over how good this piece of writing by @neauoire is. this is (i think) the first time i've been brought to tears while reading about technology
Centuries ago, the principle of Ockham's razor changed our world by showing simpler answers to be preferable and more often true. In Life Is Simple, scientist Johnjoe McFadden traces centuries of discoveries, taking us from a geocentric cosmos to quantum mechanics and DNA, arguing that simplicity has revealed profound answers to the greatest mysteries.
I love the simplicity of the agave, where symmetry and elegance intertwine. Agave are found all throught the more arid climates of the Southwest. Can you imagine this as an oversized art piece on your wall?
several good bits here, I note this as one key for me
I know Wirth was horrified by the repulsive syntax choices of today's dominant languages; he could never accept that a = b should mean something different from b = a, or that a = a + 1 should even be considered meaningful. The folly of straying away from conventions of mathematics carefully refined over several centuries (for example by distorting "=" to mean assignment and resorting to a special symbol for equality, rather than the obviously better reverse) depressed him. I remain convinced that the community will eventually come back to its senses and start treating language design seriously again.
Just received notice that the Simplicity Institute has just published a new book, called Paradise Lost? The Climate Crisis and the Human Condition. This book was authored by Emeritus Professor Paul Hoggett. A short article introducing the themes of this book has just been published on the Post Carbon Institute's website, Resilience, available here. At the link you'll find places to access the book both in ebook and paperback. It is available as an ebook on a 'pay what you can' basis (including for free, just edit the price as you see fit). Paradise Lost? is also available in paperback via most major online distributors. Again, see the link here to access the article and access/purchase options. Congratulations to Paul for this fine contribution to the literature that grapples with one of the defining issues of our time.
I think what it REALLY asks is "do flashy, NEEDLESS aspects of websites need to be there?" My answer has always been an emphatic NO (unless you just want them to be, for artistic purposes?)
Sure, it can look nice, or cool. But personally, when I go to a website (there are exceptions, YouTube etc) all I (generally) want is INFORMATION. Quickly. Without video or animated crap loading. I know this is NOT the state of the modern web.
I think what it REALLY asks is "do flashy, NEEDLESS aspects of websites need to be there?" My answer has always been an emphatic NO (unless you just want them to be, for artistic purposes?)
When I GO to a website (there are exceptions - YouTube) ALL I (generally) want is information. Quickly. Without video or animated crap loading. I know this is NOT the state of the modern web.
I think what it REALLY asks is "do flashy, NEEDLESS aspects of websites need to be there?" My answer has always been an emphatic NO. I made simple HTML websites in the 90s and then stopped when everyone wanted all Flash or cut up Photoshop sites. And now, both of those types of sites are gone.
When I GO to a website (there are exceptions - YouTube) ALL I (generally) want is information. Quickly. Without video or animated crap loading. I know this is NOT the state of the modern web.
In a world often characterized by constant hustle and the pursuit of perfection, I prefer a refreshing perspective— an ode to the beauty of simplicity and imperfection, celebrating the inherent beauty found in the imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete aspects of life and finding beauty in the natural cycle of growth and decay.
Have a nice day! and enjoy the moments.
The older I am the less I am impressed by a lot of stuff. Maybe that's why I became interested in the wabi-sabi style and a simpler way of life. In the context of a simple life, Wabi-Sabi encourages us to savour the moment, find contentment in the ordinary and focus on what truly matters. This fall I am discovering the profound beauty of autumn leaves and I did not expect that it would be an almost poetic journey.