The default course is: as soon as you’re doing a job well, you get encouraged to switch to a different job. This new job will likely be similar to what you’ve
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Yesterday evening I was laying by the fire and reading a book. It was my first evening off in a while; I had shut down my computer before heading for dinner, and I
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Everything is connected. It’s a truism because it’s true. To move a physical thing, everything touching it must move also … and then the neighbours of the neighbours must make way … and
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Thinking you’re a genius can be quite a handicap. People who believe they’re geniuses tend to be obnoxious to be around — especially if their belief is unfounded, which it often is.
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A caveat before we get started: this essay will hopefully apply to people at least vaguely like me; it may not apply to people from different cultural backgrounds.
These days swearing seems almost
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I like to get things done fast.
I’ve gradually learned, however, that trying to get things done fast can be self-defeating. There’s a balance. If I work too fast, I make
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First presented to friends and family on New Year's Eve, 2022
When I was young, people would often tell me how lucky I was. I agreed with them, but wasn’t
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How is it that people can be irritating, without doing anything? Much of the day I have spent being irritated at people for the most ridiculous reasons: the sounds people make — slurping, breathing
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My brother expects everyone to be nice. I expect everyone is out to get me. Surprising no one, it seems like everyone my brother meets is nice, and everyone I meet is out
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There aren’t many good ways to monetize a blog. Ads degrade the reader’s experience; membership paywalls restrict reach; sponsorships restrict freedom. Affiliate links have the potential to be a non-destructive monetization
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It’s unlikely, but it’s possible. That’s the beautiful thing about writing on the internet.
I have no idea who you are. You might be the Queen of Denmark. You might
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We all have data that we need to store, and then find. Regardless of type, data tends to build up. Eventually, we need some system for organizing it into sensible categories.
It turns
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[Members only post] I rarely comment on the internet, even though I often have things I want to say, and would like to contribute to the communities I lurk in.
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Or, “How to stop clicking on clickbait headlines like this one, and actually get some work done instead.”
I have used many tricks over the years to keep control over the fraught combination
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For some people, making a note is simple: pencil, paper, done! For others, it isn’t:
Which notebook? (Tick-a-tick-a-tick-a)
At the front or the back? (Tick-a-tick-a-tick-a)
Pencil or pen?? (Tick-a-tick-a-tick-a)
Which pen? (Tick-a-tick-a-tick-a)
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I have a new opinion: I don’t need to have an opinion.
Having an educated opinion on a topic is a big investment. Many topics aren’t worth that investment. Not because
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I once got a blogpost on frontpage of HackerNews. Therefore, I am kind of a leading expert on how to get blogposts on frontpage of HackerNews. In this post I will humbly share
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