Thursday, June 30, 2011

You’re better off without it

Sometimes the hardest things to change or replace are the things that need it most.

When a not-so-good software tool or a habit or an agency or a policy has too much inertia to be fixed, when it’s unbetterable, you’re better off without it. Eliminating it will create a void, fertile territory for something much better to arrive.

via Seth Godin

Monday, June 27, 2011

Writing naked

Clear communication means simple and open. It’s actually easy to write this way but for some reason people, mostly businesses, take the time and effort to complicate their message.

Here are Orwell’s rules, edited:

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. You don’t need cliches.

2. Never use a long word where a short one will do. Avoid long words.

3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

4. Never use the passive where you can use the active. Write in the now.

5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. When in doubt, say it clearly.

6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous. Better to be interesting than to follow these rules.

via Seth Godin

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Swipe

The Nokia N9 may be the first original approach that seems capable of delivering a good experience even in the ballpark of the iPhone. I want to use one of these to see if it is as nice as it looks.

It’s a shame that Nokia is planning to abandon the Meego platform for Windows Phone. Hopefully this thing sells and they change those plans.

via Nokia

This is a great GUI for git. No fancy features but it seems to do the core functionality very well. It’s hard to argue with free. And for anyone who might want this for non-github repos, why aren’t you hosting them with GitHub? Seriously.

via GitHub

Given the current valuations, it would not be difficult for Apple to acquire every phone vendor except for Samsung with cash alone.

Impressive.

via Asymco