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teodorlu committed May 5, 2024
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90 changes: 90 additions & 0 deletions weeknotes-2024/index.html
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Expand Up @@ -383,6 +383,21 @@ <h1 class="title">Weeknotes 2024</h1>
<li><a href="#how-far-can-you-go" id="toc-how-far-can-you-go">How far
can you go?</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="#another" id="toc-another">ANOTHER</a>
<ul>
<li><a
href="#distraction-over-engineering-or-curiosity-can-one-tell-the-difference"
id="toc-distraction-over-engineering-or-curiosity-can-one-tell-the-difference">Distraction,
over-engineering or curiosity, can one tell the difference?</a></li>
<li><a href="#privacy-is-required-for-safe-exploration"
id="toc-privacy-is-required-for-safe-exploration">Privacy is required
for safe exploration</a></li>
<li><a
href="#making-new-things-from-scratch-versus-leaning-on-things-others-have-made"
id="toc-making-new-things-from-scratch-versus-leaning-on-things-others-have-made">Making
new things from scratch versus leaning on things others have
made</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
</nav>
<p><a href="..">..</a></p>
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1188,5 +1203,80 @@ <h3 id="how-far-can-you-go">How far can you go?</h3>
<p>(note: this is a less ambitious version of what <a
href="../bret-victor/">Bret Victor</a> already is doing with <a
href="../dynamicland/">Dynamicland</a>)</p>
<h2 id="another">ANOTHER</h2>
<h3
id="distraction-over-engineering-or-curiosity-can-one-tell-the-difference">Distraction,
over-engineering or curiosity, can one tell the difference?</h3>
<p>This is going to be yet another “writing about the practice of
writing” pieces. I’m having a bit of a hard time getting into the habit
of writing weeknotes. But I’ve decided to be consistent over great, so
I’m putting aside half an hour for writing weeknotes, starting at
2024-05-05 11:18.</p>
<p>I quickly realized that in order to write weeknotes I can be proud
of, I need to get better at taking notes during the week. Otherwise,
I’ve forgotten all the things I <em>wanted</em> to bring up in
weeknotes.</p>
<p>So, I should use samsung notes, right? Something simple? Or perhaps
something more advanced, like <a href="../roam-research/">Roam
Research</a>, since that’s a note taking app I enjoy using?</p>
<p>Nope. I have to make something from scratch. I enjoy having agency
over the tools I use. That lets me optimize for my global workflow.
Also, I just really enjoy being able to design systems, not just use
systems others have made.</p>
<p>So I made an app. You can try it at <a
href="https://weeknotes-notes.apps.garden/">https://weeknotes-notes.apps.garden/</a>.
Just beware everything is public, the page lists all weeknotes ever
written (from you, me, and anyone else). The source is public too, <a
href="https://github.com/teodorlu/weeknotes-notes">https://github.com/teodorlu/weeknotes-notes</a>.</p>
<h3 id="privacy-is-required-for-safe-exploration">Privacy is required
for safe exploration</h3>
<p>So I wrote my own weeknotes app, assuming privacy is irrelevant. I
quickly realized that this assumption was wrong. Privacy is relevant! I
want to keep my own stuff private. Or share the thing with just a few
trusted friends.</p>
<p>Then, we can create a small world where we interact with rules
different from the rest of the Internet. (<a href="../bret-victor/">Bret
Victor</a> gives an interesting perspective on “research as the creation
of microworlds” in <a
href="../boostrapping-research-and-dynamicland-dec-2019/">Bootstrapping
Research &amp; Dynamicland, Dec 2019</a>).</p>
<p>So, I think a next step I want is something I can use with a few
trusted friends.</p>
<h3
id="making-new-things-from-scratch-versus-leaning-on-things-others-have-made">Making
new things from scratch versus leaning on things others have made</h3>
<p>Let’s say you want to make your own little microworld. Should you
start from zero? Or should you base your stuff on things other people
have made?</p>
<p>Here’s my take:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Beware of inheriting too many assumptions</strong>. If you
start out using a hyper-specialized tool, you might end up doing the
same things that others commonly do with that tool. If you start out
with <em>Create React App</em>, you might end up creating a React app,
then designing the rest of your system to work with that app.</li>
<li><strong>See how far you can get with zero dependencies</strong>. If
you’re wring an HTTP API with Go, you don’t really need dependencies.
That leaves you in control of the whole thing. If you use vanilla
Javascript with zero dependencies, you don’t have a build step, and your
code can be used from anywhere. Trying the path of zero dependencies
route lets you know how far you can get on your own. That act builds
courage and confidence in your own skills, and respect for the tools you
may end up using.</li>
<li>Then <strong>learn from how others choose to approach
problems</strong>. I made a tiny app for taking notes for writing
weeknotes (<a
href="https://weeknotes-notes.apps.garden/">https://weeknotes-notes.apps.garden/</a>,
<a
href="https://github.com/teodorlu/weeknotes-notes">https://github.com/teodorlu/weeknotes-notes</a>).
It has zero CSS, no login, and no database. The note storage is a folder
on disk. I now want to try using a database, and using a system for
login. Because I know <em>why</em> I want those tools. I’m not
collecting tools that look shiny, I see how far I get with my current
toolbox first, and <em>only then</em> move on to more advanced tools
others have made.</li>
</ul>
<p>In other words, I think you should do both. Try making it from
scratch. And try using tools others have made.</p>
</body>
</html>
61 changes: 61 additions & 0 deletions weeknotes-2024/index.org
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Expand Up @@ -766,3 +766,64 @@ Let's deploy the live application with live data.
I think this could work with mob-programming and TCR; then automatically deploy to production.

(note: this is a less ambitious version of what [[id:00f83e62-617d-48d4-be92-e9dab6e473ec][Bret Victor]] already is doing with [[id:0961baac-ed2c-4613-9506-2e2f4564f5f6][Dynamicland]])
* ANOTHER
** Distraction, over-engineering or curiosity, can one tell the difference?
This is going to be yet another "writing about the practice of writing" pieces.
I'm having a bit of a hard time getting into the habit of writing weeknotes.
But I've decided to be consistent over great, so I'm putting aside half an hour for writing weeknotes, starting at 2024-05-05 11:18.

I quickly realized that in order to write weeknotes I can be proud of, I need to get better at taking notes during the week.
Otherwise, I've forgotten all the things I /wanted/ to bring up in weeknotes.

So, I should use samsung notes, right?
Something simple?
Or perhaps something more advanced, like [[id:ea364f64-1662-411d-a52e-5aa552ce45e4][Roam Research]], since that's a note taking app I enjoy using?

Nope.
I have to make something from scratch.
I enjoy having agency over the tools I use.
That lets me optimize for my global workflow.
Also, I just really enjoy being able to design systems, not just use systems others have made.

So I made an app.
You can try it at https://weeknotes-notes.apps.garden/.
Just beware everything is public, the page lists all weeknotes ever written (from you, me, and anyone else).
The source is public too, https://github.com/teodorlu/weeknotes-notes.
** Privacy is required for safe exploration
So I wrote my own weeknotes app, assuming privacy is irrelevant.
I quickly realized that this assumption was wrong.
Privacy is relevant!
I want to keep my own stuff private.
Or share the thing with just a few trusted friends.

Then, we can create a small world where we interact with rules different from the rest of the Internet.
([[id:00f83e62-617d-48d4-be92-e9dab6e473ec][Bret Victor]] gives an interesting perspective on "research as the creation of microworlds" in [[id:dc085ab8-5e71-45f8-b5d6-71d178179cd7][Bootstrapping Research & Dynamicland, Dec 2019]]).

So, I think a next step I want is something I can use with a few trusted friends.
** Making new things from scratch versus leaning on things others have made
Let's say you want to make your own little microworld.
Should you start from zero?
Or should you base your stuff on things other people have made?

Here's my take:

- *Beware of inheriting too many assumptions*.
If you start out using a hyper-specialized tool, you might end up doing the same things that others commonly do with that tool.
If you start out with /Create React App/, you might end up creating a React app, then designing the rest of your system to work with that app.
- *See how far you can get with zero dependencies*.
If you're wring an HTTP API with Go, you don't really need dependencies.
That leaves you in control of the whole thing.
If you use vanilla Javascript with zero dependencies, you don't have a build step, and your code can be used from anywhere.
Trying the path of zero dependencies route lets you know how far you can get on your own.
That act builds courage and confidence in your own skills, and respect for the tools you may end up using.
- Then *learn from how others choose to approach problems*.
I made a tiny app for taking notes for writing weeknotes (https://weeknotes-notes.apps.garden/, https://github.com/teodorlu/weeknotes-notes).
It has zero CSS, no login, and no database.
The note storage is a folder on disk.
I now want to try using a database, and using a system for login.
Because I know /why/ I want those tools.
I'm not collecting tools that look shiny, I see how far I get with my current toolbox first, and /only then/ move on to more advanced tools others have made.

In other words, I think you should do both.
Try making it from scratch.
And try using tools others have made.

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