Be more like Buckethead. Do what you love, even if other people find it strange. Those same people might also find it beautiful.
Yes, many artists wear costumes on stage, but Buckethead, or Brian Carroll, clearly sees the world differently even when he's not performing. He's a soft-spoken, shy, reportedly very sweet man who sometimes gives interviews through hand puppets. He writes songs about robots and Michael Jordan and his love for his parents. He hands out toys and does nunchuck demonstrations on stage. He's said his greatest goal is to build a theme park, but he's also afraid to call others on the phone to talk business. All the while, he's one of the world's most skilled, creative, prolific, and underappreciated electric guitarists.
Here's one of his most well-known songs, “Soothsayer”. A lot of the songs on Colma are fantastic, and I'm currently enjoying “Padmasana”, which I forgot about until now. I also like the soundscape album Bucketheadland (remember how he wants to build a theme park?), but it's hard to find online, and that link may not work for long.
Be more like Buckethead. Be more brave in doing what you love.
“People don't want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter inch hole!”
—Theodore Levitt
I read this today in the 2013 edition of The Design of Everyday Things, and oh goodness, is it true. For the vast majority of people, software is a means to an end. How easily we geeks forget that. The world is not like us.
My mother doesn't want to use Facebook. She wants to connect with relatives. She certainly doesn't want to remember her password, complete multi-factor authentication challenges, create a profile, change her settings, add people as friends, upload images, check her notifications… She wants to connect with relatives. What we techy types call “fun,” what we enjoy perfecting and tinkering with, my mom calls “garbage that gets in the way of what I actually want to do.”
No one wants to use your software. Well, no one but the geeks like us, and even we don't want to tinker with everything. Most people most of the time just want to get things done.
How different would software look if we remembered that?
On the password front, I'm certainly not suggesting we sacrifice digital security for user experience—being hacked isn't a great experience, anyway—but let's use something better, like passkeys. They're just as secure, if not more secure, and they're practically invisible. People hardly even notice themselves using them. That's a good thing.
“Irritability is not bad temper. Nor is bad temper irritability. Bad temper carries the heart into it. The bad tempered man really does delight to vex and torture. Irritability flames and is gone. But both ruin happiness.”
Carlin had a way with words. This is a great observation, and it's about much more than driving. Whether we're talking about politics, religion, work, hobbies, or anything else, it's easy to criticize those who don't behave exactly as we do, with exactly the same level of enthusiasm. It's easy to excuse our imperfections by making them out to be the bad guys.
Again, this is not simply partisan. He was a villain ten years ago, and he's a villain today.
Yes, he's been philanthropic, and he's pledged to donate 99% of his Facebook shares to charity. That is genuinely amazing, and it deserves genuine praise. To be sure, it's a hell of a lot more money than I'll ever donate to charity. Still, what does it matter if he destroys the world in the process? Will his philanthropy even begin to clean up the mess he's created? Surely not. He's done far more than $200 billion worth of harm to society. Try putting a dollar amount on political extremism, a problem his company has massively exacerbated.
Mark Zuckerberg is a villain, and like all villains, he thinks he's doing good for the world. He's not.
Lina Khan's departure as chair of the FTC is a huge loss. I don't intend for that to sound the least bit partisan. She is so intelligent, so well spoken, and has such a deep understanding of the complex issues in the tech industry today. During her time at the FTC, the agency went after tech monopolies, data brokers, deceptive advertising, surprise fees, resort fees, fake reviews, enshittification, and so much other bullshit. So much could be done if only she were to remain in her role, and we desperately need it. I truly hope she leads the organization again very soon.
Those who struggle with computers should play Myst. The unusual computer game, one of my favorites, is something of a boot camp in situational awareness. Don't know what you're doing? Great! You're on the right track.
The game drops the player onto an island with little explanation. No checklist is provided. No advice is broadcasted. Even the objective is unexplained. Only through exploration and experimentation do the story and plan begin to form. You're on your own, and yet, somehow, you figure it out.
Not sure how to print a document or sign up for a new service? Look for clues. Keep an eye out for anything that seems related. Press buttons and see what happens. Progress one step at a time, and don't be afraid to retreat from dead ends. Somehow, you'll get there, and you'll learn a great deal along the way. Made a mistake? Those can be undone. Rest assured, you won't be trapped in a book for all eternity.