4 ms·

One important reason I value speed in software is that it leaves me less time to get distracted. If I'm expecting something to take a few seconds, often that's

One important reason I value speed in software is that it leaves me less time to get distracted. If I'm expecting something to take a few seconds, often that's enough wait time to prompt me to check my phone or reddit or something. Best case scenario I've just turned a 3 second delay in to a 10 second delay. Worst case and frequent scenario because I'm ADHD as fuck is that I get lost browsing. An area where I think speed is neglected is when people are thinking about what to build. Something I see mentioned occasionally by people here, on reddit, and by friends: They'd like to work on a side project but don't have any ideas for something useful to build. Just take something thats otherwise already useful but slow and make it not slow! These days you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a web app that doesn't need to be a web app, or desktop app built as a web app. There's no shortage of options.

jerrre 7y ago
I very much agree with your first part, and slow software make me physically uncomfortable sometimes. But I think you overestimate your last point. Can you name examples of software that could (partly) be recreated faster as a side project?
- luigi23 7y ago
  Not an OP, but two things have recently come to me: 1. Calendar view with hours/minutes on macOS. You have current date on top, or Calendar app. I want to have shortcut to access this app/view, without leaving full screen mode. 2. Scratchpad on status bar for macOS. Evernote has it, but I don't use this app anymore. Just simple scratchpad, same as calendar view, accessible via shortcut, without leaving fullscreen. I often build an app in Xcode and want to note sth to myself, but making comments on Xcode would mess up building process. And I don't want to leave fullscreen mode to go to Notes app - slow, distracting and I have to create new note in correct folder.
jccalhoun 7y ago
I totally relate. I am a college prof and most of my grading is online. I have noticed myself procrastinating while grading because after grading each paper it takes a few seconds for the web page to load the next student's assignment. In those 20 seconds or so I will switch tabs and get distracted. So grading that should take less than an hour ends up taking 3-4 hours.

jerrre 7y ago

I very much agree with your first part, and slow software make me physically uncomfortable sometimes. But I think you overestimate your last point. Can you name examples of software that could (partly) be recreated faster as a side project?

luigi23 7y ago
Not an OP, but two things have recently come to me: 1. Calendar view with hours/minutes on macOS. You have current date on top, or Calendar app. I want to have shortcut to access this app/view, without leaving full screen mode. 2. Scratchpad on status bar for macOS. Evernote has it, but I don't use this app anymore. Just simple scratchpad, same as calendar view, accessible via shortcut, without leaving fullscreen. I often build an app in Xcode and want to note sth to myself, but making comments on Xcode would mess up building process. And I don't want to leave fullscreen mode to go to Notes app - slow, distracting and I have to create new note in correct folder.

jccalhoun 7y ago

I totally relate. I am a college prof and most of my grading is online. I have noticed myself procrastinating while grading because after grading each paper it takes a few seconds for the web page to load the next student's assignment. In those 20 seconds or so I will switch tabs and get distracted. So grading that should take less than an hour ends up taking 3-4 hours.