Date: 2023-06-02
There's a saying attributed to Albert Einstein, likely apocryphal but still good: "make things as simple as possible, but no simpler".
This matters, because in recent years there's been a push towards minimalism in computing. Tiling window managers, with no chrome to speak of, and no creature comforts. Distraction-free text editors, that turn your computer into a glorified typewriter. Apps that use a folder full of Markdown files as input, whether to organize notes, build a website or make a book out of them.
I've been called a minimalist too, and for good reason. I make thousand-line apps. Thirty-line stylesheets. Web pages measured in kilobytes. Command-line interfaces wherever it makes sense. Abstract art and short, surreal prose.
But not out of any love for minimalism. Actually my word for it is self-defense.
We do too much with computers, see. We lie to ourselves that fancy tools help, but that's like saying you can build the Empire State Building out of wood if you invent a better hammer first. Doesn't work that way. Teamwork helps, but it still can't change the laws of physics.
And we have to keep doing stuff. To keep striving for a better world. But you're not helping anyone if what you build crashes and burns. Or if you crash and burn. Got to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. And often that means toning down those lofty ambitions. Not everyone is meant to create the next big thing. Those are few and far apart, for a reason.
The small internet also has its share of minimalist takes. Simplified protocols. Websites with no styles. Made as small as possible and so on. These approaches can be very restrictive on purpose. Some people even prefer that.
But I'll take the (small) web over arbitrary limits any time. Because it lets me embed an image when there's something to see. Add Javascript when interaction is warranted. Styles to make my sites pretty. Beauty matters. We're not machines.
Likewise, I use static site generators. Even made a few of my own. But there's still a place for blogging apps like HTMLy or FlatPress. Wiki engines like OddMuse. Why would I reject them? It's all plain text at the bottom after all, whether we're talking Markdown, BBCode or whatever.
That's where it all starts: at the bottom. Can't build anything that lasts without a solid foundation. And sometimes that foundation has to be massive. You know, like Perl, PHP... or a modern browser engine.
People use the word "minimal" in different ways. To me it means putting into your creation all it needs, no more... and no less. That last part is important.
Or if you like: making websites like in 1999 is minimal. Frills are in the eye of the beholder. Making them bare-bones is for bragging rights, or to prove a point.
I have nothing to prove. And that's a good mantra to recite when in doubt.
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