Dave Caolo

The step-by-step process. Here’s what I found most interesting: They spiral area is sticky (for catching food), while the structural, vertical lines are not (for travel along the web). Amazing.

[Via 37signals]

Beautiful compact design by Fevzi Karaman. I’d buy one.

[Via Unclutterer]

As I read Wired Magazine’s interview with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson of 37signals, as well as their response, I was struck by a line written by Wired writer Andrew Park:

“Complexity is a necessary byproduct of the modern age.” Wow, that’s completely wrong.

This idea comes from the erroneous notion that the tools of technology are complicated, and using them effectively even more so.

Plastic “In” and “Out” boxes gave way to file cabinets, then microfilm, then automation, databases and eventually, the bane of human existence, enterprise software! Business is big, fast and important; only complicated, intricate software can possibly aid the business world.

Wrong. All we’re talking about here is people. People talking to people. That’s it. Those people use tools, and there’s nothing they can’t do, from negotiating a billion-dollar deal to designing a better mouse trap, with the simplest tools of all – a piece of paper and a pen.

A blank sheet of paper is pure potential; Nothing is more flexible. David and Jason understand this, and that’s why their products – especially Backpack, Basecamp and Writeboards – look like a fresh sheet of paper. Write something down, move it around, cross things off, invite others to add their own scribblings. Any of their products are just as effective as software that costs thousands of dollars per installation. More so, even, because people will actually want to use them.

I’m not IBM or Coca-Cola, but I manage my entire life as a father, IT director, independent tech consultant, technology writer and husband in Backpack. Soup to nuts. I’ve tried a slew of other products and none of them did what I want more successfully than Backpack.

The word “technology” simply refers to machinery and equipment developed for a specific purpose. Some tools of technology are complicated, like atom smashers and the space shuttle. Most aren’t, like hammers and potato peelers. Somehow, “technology” became synonymous with “computer”, and computers are highly complex and mystical machines that only the most intelligent among us can operate, right? Wrong.

The tools we use to communicate and manage our lives aren’t restricted to an elite coven of über-nerds or business people.

Or, at least, they shouldn’t be.

Dear Microsoft,

When you write “Mac’s” with the apostrophe, that’s possessive, as in “The Mac’s keyboard.” Omit the apostrophe and it’s plural, as in “Microsoft’s most portable wireless notebook mouse connects seamlessly to Macs using Bluetooth.”

I mean, seriously. This concludes 4th grade grammar class.

Thanks.

[Via Luke Gedeon]

Due to an unfortunate combination of dock orientation, the status indicator and my own maturity, the Twitterrific icon appears to be pooping. Tee-hee.

Update: Dave Simon suggests that it should be an egg, as it’s white and coming out of a bird. Let’s go with that.

I despise camping. The first time I went, there was a Biblical rain storm (much of it inside my tent) and bears ate all of the food…on the first night.

That first trip was the good one.

However, this could persuade me. Fourteen US parks that offer free Wi-Fi. At least I can tweet how much camping sucks.

[Via Big Noob]

None of my wishes for iPhone firmware 1.1.4 were fulfilled with today’s release. Apple simply listed “bug fixes” as the changes in this update.

I’ve added firmware 1.1.4 to my “Apple’s January and February Updates” post.  That’s eight consecutive Tuesday updates from Apple; 24 since January 2008.

Apple released new MacBooks and new MacBook Pros today. I’ve updated my “Apple’s January and February Updates” post accordingly.

The MacBook Pros now have a Multi-Touch option. Remember that the Multi-Touch functionality is software-based, meaning that Apple could, theoretically, make this available as a software update to current MacBook Pro owners. But don’t count on it – they do want to sell new ones, after all.

Also noteworthy: A 200GB 7200rpm drive is a build-to-order option on MacBook Pro.

Finally, the Apple Remote is no longer included in the box. You must spend an extra $19 to get one. So that sucks.

Earlier today, I wrote a simple post at TUAW about Brian Tanaka’s new eBook, “Take Control of Permissions in Leopard,” which began like this:

“Despite John Gruber’s longstanding assertion* that ‘Repair Disk Permissions is voodoo,’ Brian Tanaka has published ‘Take Control of Permissions in Leopard‘ for the Take Control series of eBooks.”

Now, when I wrote that line, I knew full well that the Daring Fireball article I referenced didn’t dismiss Repair Permissions as useless trickery. I read the article in full when it was first published, and understood what John was saying. It came to mind when I was writing up Brian’s eBook because it has a fun title (not many articles about the Mac reference voodoo), it’s pertinent in that it’s about repairing permissions in Mac OS X and it’s a good article that deserves the attention of those who may have missed it the first time around.

Reader Floggy jumped down my virtual throat with his comment:

“It’s mischaracterization by implication. Gruber isn’t saying permission repairing in and of itself is voodoo. What he says is:

‘If you are not experiencing any symptoms that would indicate permission-related problems, there is no reason to run Repair Permissions. Repair Permissions is not a periodic maintenance task or a preventive measure.’

THIS is ‘longstanding assertion’ Gruber is referring to; periodic permission repairing as a panacea, not a fix to specific permission issues.

The cheeky phrasing in the TUAW post makes it sound like Gruber is against repairing permissions PERIOD, which is bollocks.”

Then John himself echoed Floggy’s concerns on Daring Fireball:

“My stance on ‘Repairing Permissions’ is not complicated. If you have a permissions-related problem (or suspect one) it might solve it. It is not something you should worry about if you’re not having any problems. There is no good reason to run it periodically, nor any reason to run it before or after software installations or upgrades. If it were a good idea, Apple would configure Mac OS X to do it for you. It’s like taking antibiotics — a good idea if you have an infection, but a bad idea to take every day ‘just for good measure’. (My thanks to ‘Floggy‘, whoever you are, for making the same point in the comments on TUAW.)”

Jeeze-a-loo. All I did was point out a good article for the reasons stated above by quoting the author directly. Any misinterpretation or misrepresentation of John’s stance on repairing permissions was unintentional.

Seriously, people. It was a single link in a 113-word post about an eBook. Let’s all just relax, M’kay?

*For the record, I originally wrote this line as “assertion.” The “longstanding assertion” was added in editing.

I’m a list maker. I’m also a Crotchety Jerk, which means I spend a lot of time writing Crotchety Jerk Lists, like

1. Threats to shout at the neighbor kids who won’t get off my lawn
2. Why 1989 was better
3. People who annoy me and why, sorted by severity of annoyance, frequency of annoyance and overall sense of loathing
4. Why television commercials suck

That last one is a biggie. When they aren’t treating me like I were a 4-year-0ld, they’re promoting despicable and even dangerous messages.

The worst offenders right now are Visa’s “Workflow” ads.

Here we see a bustling cafeteria. Dozens of customers swish briskly through the store, placing orders and making purchases. The employees fulfill their requests with the efficiency of a police-escorted Britney Spears motorcade. Each transaction ends with a swipe of a Visa card. This is clockwork commerce.

Finally, a guy pulls some cash from his wallet and the whole system crashes. Customers bump into each other, food falls onto the floor and everyone glares at the offender. At last this miscreant completes his transaction, exits the store in shame and the system resumes.

What’s the message here?

1. If you fail to use a credit card, people will despise you
2. Cash disrupts the flow of commerce
3. Credit card debt keeps the economy going
4. Quick and easy spending is desirable

Despicable. But don’t take my word for it. Here’s what Dave Ramsey says about credit card debt:

“There is NO positive side to credit card use. You will spend more if you use credit cards...When you pay cash, you can “feel” the money leaving you. This is not true with credit cards. Flipping a credit card up on a counter registers nothing emotionally. If you use credit cards instead of cash you will spend 12-18% more. This is money you could have saved.”

But this post is about the ad itself. Use a credit card or you’ll be despised and actually disrupt the economic process. It’s irresponsible, dangerous and represents a real low in advertising. Well done, Visa.