From c37ff020358d4a63d55b37e3528972201d78e7fa Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: tommy Date: Mon, 5 Aug 2024 16:29:47 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Add data/distractions.md --- data/distractions.md | 89 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 89 insertions(+) create mode 100644 data/distractions.md diff --git a/data/distractions.md b/data/distractions.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c61ca1d --- /dev/null +++ b/data/distractions.md @@ -0,0 +1,89 @@ +This is a post about workflow and what I think about distractions +in modern computing. + +As I write this piece it is on a small screen, the background is +solarized light and I see plain text. There are no push +notifications, I see no tempting elements to click. My mind is +generally all about the issue at hand. I have a top-notch Macbook +Pro right beside me, but still I am here on this Lenovo x395 that +represents a something else. + +While I in some ways envy the worry-free computing our growing +generation encounter, I also feel compassion for the conventional +computing they will never be exposed to in the way that I have +been. Like my generation never experienced the transition from +transistors to modern CPUs in the 70-80s and can with few +exceptions understand it, most of the upcoming generation will +never experience "slow computing". The reason I think this is in +some ways a shame is that slow computing leaves space to think. +About why you interact with the system, what to do and how and +when to do it. + +Combined with people indoctrinated on Microsoft Office, modern +computing have left workers as robots with their primary mission +to answer emails and managing calendar appointments. In some ways +the art of communicating with each other and interacting without a +digital reference has become lost. Freedom of defining your +digital workspace should not and cannot be different to the +freedom of organising your physical space. + +Modern computing comes with bells and whistles, and I think that +companies seeking cost-efficient and standardised computing +environments are to blame. I think pragmatism is to blame for +those environments. I also think "the cloud" is an attempt at +creating a walled garden. Bureacracy are also to blame. An attempt +at cost-effiency where the end-user is under-estimated and the +systems dumbed down. We have built a digital world that imprints +the use of products, generic in themselves, with little to no +options for automation besides what the author meant for. All +depending on a few global companies. + +When I open my laptop lid, I log in and see a terminal, or crashed +screen as some likes to describe it. It is like a blank canvas +with no outputs, just waiting for a command about what I would +like to do next. At this point I might navigate to a blog +directory and open a document with my text editor of choice: emacs +[1]. When done writing this post I will add it to git, my text +versioning system. After this I do whatever I please with the text +file. I might push it to my central blog repository where a static +HTML file generates on a public area or I may pipe it to some +other program. This is the Unix philosophy [2]. + +After writing this post I may choose to check my mailbox for new +messages that I am expecting. My electronic mail system runs +decentralised and works for me, and me only. The reason for it is +that I like to control my own data. I do not want my letters read +by others, neither prying commercial or government eyes. For this +I use neomutt, notmuch and muchsync. + +Occasionally I like to communicate remotely with others, and for +this purpose I use Riot, based on the distributed Matrix-protocol. + +Even though much is best formulated in words, The Multitasking +Mind by Salvucci and Taatgen, and Edward Tufte thaught me about +the power of visualisation and automation [3,4]. This is also why +I program in Python and Nim, and sometimes design illustrations to +get my message across. + +I may have been an avid macOS user once, but in the future I will +seek to come as close as possible to using my computing platform +as a tool, rather than to become a tool for those who seek to +profit on others in cyberspace. I know it won't be easy because +computing also has a social component, and that is the real +challenge. + +I will leave you with a link to Make Time [5] which have in some +ways helped my journey. + + + +[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtieBc3KptU + +[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_philosophy + +[3] The Multitasking Mind, Tufte and Taatgen, 2010, ISBN: +9780199733569 + +[4] https://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/ + +[5] https://maketime.blog/articles/