5 ms·

To be really creative, you need to stop reading Hacker News frantically and go out and explore nature, other people and your own thoughts.

fenomas 12y ago
Ah, the fabled Outernet. I've heard a lot about it.
- onion2k 12y ago
  There's nothing on Snopes, but I'm pretty sure that "outside" is a myth.
- plug 12y ago
  Also known as the World Wide. You can surf out there too apparently.
Toenex 12y ago
Yes, but what framework should I use for that? ;)
- marcelftw 12y ago
  outsite.js
- RaceAap 12y ago
  You could think of using the NERF framework :P NERF: Nature Enabled Room Framework
- JustSomeNobody 12y ago
  I understand you're joking, but for those who read your comment and aren't sure, if "what framework should I use" is the first thing that pops in your head, you're doing it awfully wrong.
  - Toenex 12y ago
    Absolutely. Every hacker knows its all about libraries these days. (sorry I'll stop now)
- freedombeer 12y ago
  yesnomaybe.js
- Shengbo 12y ago
  You can just join billions of other players in the F2P Massively Multiplayer Offline game called "Outside". More info here: http://www.reddit.com/r/outside http://www.reddit.com/r/outside
  - totalrobe 12y ago
    You are playing a dangerous game if you think it's F2P
    - doyoulikeworms 12y ago
      Well, you can definitely pay to win, but most people have more time than money so we just grind for gear.
    - jamesoneill 12y ago
      Tell me about it. I started that game a while back and at first I was having fun in the starting area right outside my house but soon I exhausted most of what there was to do there. I decided to try visiting one of the more populated areas but it seemed like the game was designed so that getting there without use of a vehicle would take a ridiculously long time. The game developers wanted me to pay cash for their "public transport" system which was crowded and not all that reliable so soon I was hooked and had spent a even more of my money on a vehicle of my own. As it turns out even that requires "fuel" and "maintenance".
      - slaman 12y ago
        I just play the internet minigame. It's cheap and pretty in-depth.
    - bonobo3000 12y ago
      Typical freemium model. They reel you in with F2P and as soon as you're hooked onto food and oxygen and all that you find out it takes in app purchases to have any fun.
smcl 12y ago
This is the simple take home for me. Same goes for the "N books/things all developers should read/know (about X)". You'd drive yourself daft reading all of them, and probably miss other opportunities in the meantime. HN is an interesting distraction which can sometimes inspire but can all too easily become a drag.
collyw 12y ago
Actually I used to work as a rafting guide. Didn't earn a lot of money, but I had a lot of free time (in nature), and met a lot of people. I notice that I had way more ideas then than I do now that I have settled into a 9-6 lifestyle. Sometimes that creativity starts coming back when I am on holiday for a while. I think a "normal" office job / lifestyle is very stifling to creativity.
- stdbrouw 12y ago
  Might be true, but it's easy to misjudge this: in your 9-6 you have lots of time to process any interesting ideas that come your way and then move on to the next thing, whereas while you were a rafting guide you probably chewed on the same ideas for longer and at odd times, making them appear more salient and profound.
  - Disruptive_Dave 12y ago
    I think many of us mistake "creativity" for "having great ideas appear in our minds". That's only a part of it, and "rafting guide" is a great environment for that part. The next part - filtering and workshopping those ideas - probably works best in a more traditional work environment with some constraints and teammates.
    - thatusertwo 12y ago
      I understand what you are saying, but in my traditional work environment (day job) I have to wait till I get home to do anything with an idea.
  - collyw 12y ago
    Why would that be misjudging it? I would say that is part of the creative process.
- goodJobWalrus 12y ago
  I counter your anecdotal with this anecdotal: Einstein and Bukowski were plenty creative while working in an office.
vans 12y ago
So true ! Always looking for how to be happy/productive/creative and so on instead of being happy/productive/creative !
kosma 12y ago
We don’t know where we get our ideas from. What we do know is that we do not get them from our laptops. – John Cleese

fenomas 12y ago

Ah, the fabled Outernet. I've heard a lot about it.

onion2k 12y ago
There's nothing on Snopes, but I'm pretty sure that "outside" is a myth.
plug 12y ago
Also known as the World Wide. You can surf out there too apparently.

Toenex 12y ago

Yes, but what framework should I use for that? ;)

marcelftw 12y ago
outsite.js
RaceAap 12y ago
You could think of using the NERF framework :P NERF: Nature Enabled Room Framework
JustSomeNobody 12y ago
I understand you're joking, but for those who read your comment and aren't sure, if "what framework should I use" is the first thing that pops in your head, you're doing it awfully wrong.
- Toenex 12y ago
  Absolutely. Every hacker knows its all about libraries these days. (sorry I'll stop now)
freedombeer 12y ago
yesnomaybe.js
Shengbo 12y ago
You can just join billions of other players in the F2P Massively Multiplayer Offline game called "Outside". More info here: http://www.reddit.com/r/outside http://www.reddit.com/r/outside
- totalrobe 12y ago
  You are playing a dangerous game if you think it's F2P
  - doyoulikeworms 12y ago
    Well, you can definitely pay to win, but most people have more time than money so we just grind for gear.
  - jamesoneill 12y ago
    Tell me about it. I started that game a while back and at first I was having fun in the starting area right outside my house but soon I exhausted most of what there was to do there. I decided to try visiting one of the more populated areas but it seemed like the game was designed so that getting there without use of a vehicle would take a ridiculously long time. The game developers wanted me to pay cash for their "public transport" system which was crowded and not all that reliable so soon I was hooked and had spent a even more of my money on a vehicle of my own. As it turns out even that requires "fuel" and "maintenance".
    - slaman 12y ago
      I just play the internet minigame. It's cheap and pretty in-depth.
  - bonobo3000 12y ago
    Typical freemium model. They reel you in with F2P and as soon as you're hooked onto food and oxygen and all that you find out it takes in app purchases to have any fun.

smcl 12y ago

This is the simple take home for me. Same goes for the "N books/things all developers should read/know (about X)". You'd drive yourself daft reading all of them, and probably miss other opportunities in the meantime. HN is an interesting distraction which can sometimes inspire but can all too easily become a drag.

collyw 12y ago

Actually I used to work as a rafting guide. Didn't earn a lot of money, but I had a lot of free time (in nature), and met a lot of people. I notice that I had way more ideas then than I do now that I have settled into a 9-6 lifestyle. Sometimes that creativity starts coming back when I am on holiday for a while. I think a "normal" office job / lifestyle is very stifling to creativity.

stdbrouw 12y ago
Might be true, but it's easy to misjudge this: in your 9-6 you have lots of time to process any interesting ideas that come your way and then move on to the next thing, whereas while you were a rafting guide you probably chewed on the same ideas for longer and at odd times, making them appear more salient and profound.
- Disruptive_Dave 12y ago
  I think many of us mistake "creativity" for "having great ideas appear in our minds". That's only a part of it, and "rafting guide" is a great environment for that part. The next part - filtering and workshopping those ideas - probably works best in a more traditional work environment with some constraints and teammates.
  - thatusertwo 12y ago
    I understand what you are saying, but in my traditional work environment (day job) I have to wait till I get home to do anything with an idea.
- collyw 12y ago
  Why would that be misjudging it? I would say that is part of the creative process.
goodJobWalrus 12y ago
I counter your anecdotal with this anecdotal: Einstein and Bukowski were plenty creative while working in an office.

vans 12y ago

So true ! Always looking for how to be happy/productive/creative and so on instead of being happy/productive/creative !

kosma 12y ago

We don’t know where we get our ideas from. What we do know is that we do not get them from our laptops. – John Cleese