Word Processing = Writing

I think we’ve let a term slip through our collective defences against nonsense and foolishness. Programs like Microsoft Word and WordPerfect are referred to as “word processors”.

Word processing? Think about it. It’s the dumb term. An editor or writing application maybe. Have you ever told someone, “I’m not listening to you, I’m sentence parsing.”

 

The Beauty of the Default

When those of us who live on our computers setup a new one – there is usually process of redecoration and customization. This process usually takes a few days, with a few little issues hanging around for a week or two. We install of our applications, we customize window and color settings, we set our desktop background color or image.

While I do all of these things, to varying degrees, I have a love for the default settings and strive to use them, and improve them, whenever possible. There is something to be said for keeping things are they are by default, regardless of the customization options.

First of all, it is easier – if you use the default settings, things are already setup for you! It also makes working between various computers easier.

Default settings are more important than any customization options that may live behind them. For example, the Mozilla web browser had tab-browsing functionality for years and I never touched it – when I did, I always changed the settings to open tabs in the background, and to open tabs with Ctrl+click. However, I could never remember if I had set these options since I had last installed or upgraded (something that happened quite frequently, since I was following the development of Mozilla).

Then, when the Firebird web browser came along, tab-browsing had both of these options enabled by default. All of the sudden I can’t live without tab-browsing. There were no new settings – only a seemingly subtle change in which settings were chosen by default.

I’ve been encouraged to see that open-source software developers seem to be gaining an appreciation for the importance of good defaults. While open-source developement has often been criticized for bogging applications down with too many options (and this has certainly been a problem), I’ve seen a great respect to simplicity in configuration options, and the importance of good default settings by the managers of the Gnome project, Nautilus, Gaim, and Mozilla Firebird.

Long live good defaults!

 

I Hate Graphic Designers

I hate graphic designers. I do not hate graphic artists, just graphic designers. This may strike some as odd, as I very much enjoy my job as creative director at a web development firm and a significant part of my job involves graphic design. I can assure you there is no conflict. If anything, this distain renders me better able to do my job.

What I hate about graphic designers is the attitude that artistic freedom should exempt them from criticism from laypeople. Bah! Artistic freedom can only take you so far when you are designing menus for the local pub. If you need to express yourself, write a song or paint on your own time, don’t try to squeeze it into a 2×3″ yellow-pages ad for a client.

Graphic design is a fine and noble craft. Please remove your head from your ass — you are embarassing the rest of us.

 

Christmas music that doesn’t suck

I hate Christmas (music). I had intented to put together an Acts of Volition Radio session of Christmas music that doesn’t suck, but I could only turn up a few songs and didn’t quite have time.

So, for those with the means to find the music on their own, here is a quick list of Christmas music that doesn’t suck:

  • The First Noel by The Crash Test Dummies
    This comes from an entire disc of Christmas songs. Though I have only heard this one track, there is a possiblity that the other tracks also do not suck.

  • Christmastime by the Smashing Pumkins
    This song, from the A Very Special Christmas compilation from 1997, is one of the only modern Christmas songs I’ve heard that captures that elusive “Christmas carol” sound, yet manages to not suck.

I’m told there is also a good Barenaked Ladies / Sarah McLachlan Christmas single from a year or two ago – but I am unable to confirm it’s suck/doesn’t-suck status. Also, Jon Hicks points to The Darkest Night of the Year by Over the Rhine. It too doesn’t suck.

Hope your Christmas doesn’t suck. Look for a new session of Acts of Volition Radio in the days after Christmas.