commit 072265bbd72031a9dacecb5bda8cbbcdefe648f6
parent 4c357968f95f594f48570232da8b3cc6f2c9fa5a
Author: Jake Bauer <jbauer@paritybit.ca>
Date: Sat, 13 May 2023 23:13:09 -0400
blog: remove 'meh' posts and update todo app post
Diffstat:
5 files changed, 66 insertions(+), 252 deletions(-)
diff --git a/content/blog/are-todo-applications-a-waste-of-time.md b/content/blog/are-todo-applications-a-waste-of-time.md
@@ -7,64 +7,70 @@ Summary: A few days ago I saw a video talking about how TODO applications are a
**Author:** [%author] | **Published:** [%date]
-A few days ago, the following video by Derek Taylor popped up on my feed and got
-me thinking about TODO applications: [Are TODO Applications Hindering Your
-Productivity?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcxZj2qh4Kw) ([invidio.us
-link](https://invidio.us/watch?v=BcxZj2qh4Kw)). Some points that he mentioned
-resonated with me, though I think he is slightly wrong in his conclusion.
-
-He basically said: TODO applications hinder your productivity because you spend
-more time organizing your tasks instead of just doing them, they trick you into
-thinking you're getting things done when, in reality, you're just giving
-yourself little boosts of dopamine by checking off trivial things, and it sets
-you up for failure since humans typically over-estimate how much can be done in
-a day. On the whole, I agree with what he says, but I don't think TODO
-applications are useless or hinder your productivity and there are ways, when
-applied correctly, that they can be helpful.
-
-I have seen in other people and experienced myself the draw to get organized
-before beginning a task and then spending more time coming up with or setting up
-this "perfect" organization system that will prepare me to accomplish tasks
-effectively than actually doing the task itself. However, this hypothetical
-"perfect" system I was creating was really just a way to procrastinate on the
-task at hand by making myself feel like I was being productive. In reality, if
-I just wrote down a list of things to do and got working, the task would have
-been done a lot sooner.
-
-I have also experienced the urge to write down every little thing I need to do
-in a day and religiously check it off as, essentially, a way to feel productive.
-This I have a less strong opinion about because it can be a big help on days
-where motivation levels are low and distractions are high. I've found completing
-small tasks and getting those boosts of dopamine to be a good way to kick-start
-my brain into tackling the larger tasks of the day. It's like starting a car
-engine on a cold day: turn the engine over a few times and eventually it'll
-spring to life and become self-sustaining. The problem here arises when one
-stops at just doing the small tasks, is "satisfied" by those tiny boosts of
-dopamine, and doesn't do anything else from there. At that point, the TODO list
-ceases to be useful and just becomes a source of anxiety and a way to put off
-the bigger tasks.
-
-Overestimation is a big human problem. We frequently overestimate how much we
-can accomplish in an hour, let alone a day. This frequently leads to situations
-where we expect to get a lot done so we create a huge list of things to do and
-then feel bad when we couldn't accomplish what we thought we could. This isn't a
-problem with TODO lists; it's a trapping that one has to be aware of and avoid
-when planning their days or getting organized.
-
-Essentially, TODO lists or TODO applications are not the problem here, it's
-people using them as a procrastinative and as a way to feel productive instead
-of actually doing the things that need to be done which is the problem. In
-reality, a well-curated, disorganized, simple checklist can be as or more
-effective than a well-organized, pretty TODO system that has had a lot of
-thought and work put into it. TODO lists and applications aren't useless, they
-just enable productivity anti-patterns and one has to be aware of those
-anti-patterns to make effective use of TODO lists and applications.
-
-Don't let the illusion of productivity that TODO lists and applications invite
-become a procrastinative outlet or a substitute for doing the actual tasks.
-
-_**Note**: Procrastinative isn't a real word. Except it is now cause I just made
-it up:_
+A few days ago, the following video by Derek Taylor popped up on my feed
+and got me thinking about TODO applications: [Are TODO Applications
+Hindering Your
+Productivity?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcxZj2qh4Kw). Some points
+that he mentioned resonated with me, though I think he is slightly wrong
+in his conclusion.
+
+He basically said: TODO applications hinder your productivity because
+you spend more time organizing your tasks instead of just doing them,
+they trick you into thinking you're getting things done when, in
+reality, you're just giving yourself little boosts of dopamine by
+checking off trivial things, and it sets you up for failure since humans
+typically over-estimate how much can be done in a day. On the whole,
+I agree with what he says, but I don't think TODO applications are
+useless or hinder your productivity and there are ways, when applied
+correctly, that they can be helpful.
+
+I have seen in other people and experienced myself the draw to get
+organized before beginning a task and then spending more time coming up
+with or setting up this "perfect" organization system that will prepare
+me to accomplish tasks effectively than actually doing the task itself.
+However, this hypothetical "perfect" system I was creating was really
+just a way to procrastinate on the task at hand by making myself feel
+like I was being productive. In reality, if I just wrote down a list of
+things to do and got working, the task would have been done a lot
+sooner.
+
+I have also experienced the urge to write down every little thing I need
+to do in a day and religiously check it off as, essentially, a way to
+feel productive. This I have a less strong opinion about because it can
+be a big help on days where motivation levels are low and distractions
+are high. I've found completing small tasks and getting those boosts of
+dopamine to be a good way to kick-start my brain into tackling the
+larger tasks of the day. It's like starting a car engine on a cold day:
+turn the engine over a few times and eventually it'll spring to life and
+become self-sustaining. The problem here arises when one stops at just
+doing the small tasks, is "satisfied" by those tiny boosts of dopamine,
+and doesn't do anything else from there. At that point, the TODO list
+ceases to be useful and just becomes a source of anxiety and a way to
+put off the bigger tasks.
+
+Overestimation is a common problem. We frequently overestimate how much
+we can accomplish in an hour, let alone a day. This frequently leads to
+situations where we expect to get a lot done so we create a huge list of
+things to do and then feel bad when we couldn't accomplish what we
+thought we could. This isn't a problem with TODO lists; it's a trapping
+that one has to be aware of and avoid when planning their days or
+getting organized.
+
+Essentially, TODO lists or TODO applications are not the problem here,
+it's people using them as a procrastinative and as a way to feel
+productive instead of actually doing the things that need to be done
+which is the problem. In reality, a well-curated, disorganized, simple
+checklist can be as or more effective than a well-organized, pretty TODO
+system that has had a lot of thought and work put into it. TODO lists
+and applications aren't useless, they just enable productivity
+anti-patterns and one has to be aware of those anti-patterns to make
+effective use of TODO lists and applications.
+
+Don't let the illusion of productivity that TODO lists and applications
+invite become a procrastinative outlet or a substitute for doing the
+actual tasks.
+
+_**Note**: Procrastinative isn't a real word. But maybe it could be:_
<div class="note">
**Procrastinative**, n. or adj. /prəˈkrastənatɪv/
@@ -83,6 +89,6 @@ it up:_
* "I'm feeling very procrastinative today."
</div>
-_This is my sixty-third post for the #100DaysToOffload challenge. You can learn
-more about this challenge over at
+_This is my sixty-third post for the #100DaysToOffload challenge. You
+can learn more about this challenge over at
[https://100daystooffload.com](https://100daystooffload.com)._
diff --git a/content/blog/china.md b/content/blog/china.md
@@ -1,87 +0,0 @@
-Title: China
-Author: Jake Bauer
-Date: 2019-11-23
-Summary: Although I too would prefer to keep politics and world affairs out of my blog as well, I am in complete agreement in that it would also betray my personal beliefs and principles to remain publicly silent about what is taking place in China and in Hong Kong right now.
-
-# [%title]
-
-**Author:** [%author] | **Published:** [%date]
-
-I have just finished reading [Drew DeVault's most recent blog
-post](https://drewdevault.com/2019/11/20/China.html) in which he writes about
-China.
-
-Although I too would prefer to keep politics and world affairs out of my blog, I
-am in complete agreement with him in that it would also betray my personal
-beliefs and principles to remain publicly silent about what is taking place in
-China and in Hong Kong right now.
-
-I strongly recommend that anyone who is reading this should read the blog post
-linked above in its entirety. Every word is important.
-
-I have already been boycotting Chinese products and the companies that have
-given in to China's ridiculous demands (e.g. Apple, Blizzard, Gap Inc., etc.) as
-much as I possibly can and I have encouraged my friend groups to do so as well.
-I have also written a letter to my member of Parliament (I encourage you to
-write physical letters as they are at least slightly harder to ignore than an
-email).
-
-I know it's not easy to boycott, especially if you are in the market for
-electronics, but I believe that it is our moral imperative to do as much as we
-possibly can to protest the actions of the Chinese government and to show our
-support for the citizens of Hong Kong in their fight for the same freedoms and
-democracy that we in the West take for granted.
-
-The excuse, "Boycotting/Writing to my representative/speaking up is useless, I
-am just one person.", is an old and tired one that people use so they can put
-the issues of the day at the back of their minds and keep living life as if
-thousands of people fighting for their freedom aren't being slaughtered like
-dogs. Don't be the kind of person who stands by and watches as this happens.
-
-If you're wondering, "What else can I do?", here are some links:
-
-[Band in China](https://caffeine-overload.github.io/bandinchina/) – A list of
-what can be done to support Hong Kong.
-
-[Company
-Blacklist](https://caffeine-overload.github.io/bandinchina/#blacklist)
-– A list of companies you should boycott for spinelessly complying with the
-demands of China.
-
-[Company Whitelist](https://caffeine-overload.github.io/bandinchina/#whitelist)
-– A list of companies that have stood up to China. These are companies/people
-you should support but some you should still keep a close eye on such as Epic
-Games who are partially owned by the Chinese company Tencent.
-
-If you have already written to your representative, boycotted companies, and
-spread the word about China's despicable actions then I sincerely thank you for
-being a good person and standing up for what you believe in. I also encourage
-you to take a look at some of the other protests that have been happening around
-the world in places like Spain, Lebanon, and Bolivia. Some similar to Hong Kong,
-others about things like climate change and income inequality. [Here is an
-article by the BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-50123743).
-
-To close out this post, I want to share one of my favourite quotes/poems:
-
-<pre><code>First they came for the Communists
-And I did not speak out
-Because I was not a Communist
-
-Then they came for the Socialists
-And I did not speak out
-Because I was not a Socialist
-
-Then they came for the trade unionists
-And I did not speak out
-Because I was not a trade unionist
-
-Then they came for the Jews
-And I did not speak out
-Because I was not a Jew
-
-Then they came for me
-And there was no one left
-To speak out for me
-
--- Martin Niemöller, 1946
-</code></pre>
diff --git a/content/blog/index.md b/content/blog/index.md
@@ -132,9 +132,6 @@ year old—may not match my current views or practices.
[Paying for Software](/blog/paying-for-software)<br>
<span class="date">May 25, 2020</span>
-[Two of the Most Valuable Lessons I've Learned](/blog/two-of-the-most-valuable-lessons-ive-learned)<br>
-<span class="date">May 23, 2020</span>
-
[Self-Hosting Email](/blog/self-hosting-email)<br>
<span class="date">May 16, 2020</span>
@@ -156,9 +153,6 @@ year old—may not match my current views or practices.
[The Diefenbunker Museum](/blog/the-diefenbunker-museum)<br>
<span class="date">May 03, 2020</span>
-[The Disappearance of <em>One</em>](/blog/the-disappearance-of-one)<br>
-<span class="date">May 02, 2020</span>
-
[Why I Blog and #100DaysToOffload](/blog/why-i-blog)<br>
<span class="date">April 25, 2020</span>
@@ -174,8 +168,5 @@ year old—may not match my current views or practices.
[The Difficulty of Educating People About Online Privacy](/blog/difficulty-of-privacy-education)<br>
<span class="date">December 20, 2019</span>
-[China](/blog/china)<br>
-<span class="date">November 23, 2019</span>
-
[Why I Switched Back to Firefox from Qutebrowser](/blog/qutebrowser-to-firefox)<br>
<span class="date">June 20, 2019</span>
diff --git a/content/blog/the-disappearance-of-one.md b/content/blog/the-disappearance-of-one.md
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-Title: The Disappearance of _One_
-Author: Jake Bauer
-Date: 2020-05-02
-Summary: One is a word that used to be quite popular in formal speech but has since fallen to the wayside in favour of the less specific and more casual you. This is not a good change for English.
-
-# [%title]
-
-**Author:** [%author] | **Published:** [%date]
-
-_One_ is a word that used to be quite popular but has since fallen to the
-wayside in favour of the less specific and more casual _you_. _One_ is a
-gender-neutral, indefinite pronoun that is used to refer to the general concept
-of _a person_. For example, one would say, "One goes down to the shop," instead
-of, "You go down to the shop," when they mean, "In general, a person goes down to
-the shop," as opposed to specifically, "_You_ go down to the shop."
-
-There is great value to be found in the use of this word. Without it, the lines
-of meaning become blurred regarding whether an author is referring to you, the
-reader, or just speaking generally. Usually, this can be easily inferred from
-context, but I have seen misunderstandings caused by the use of the word _you_
-in the place of the word _one_ where someone thought another person was
-commenting on their actions when, in reality, the other person was speaking
-generally. These misunderstandings could be easily avoided by using _one_
-instead of the less-specific _you_.
-
-It's a shame that this word is falling out of general use and has become
-relegated to more formal writing and speaking. As hopeless as it may be to fight
-against the unrelenting force of language evolution, it's a valuable word that I
-will try to keep using where appropriate because I don't want to see its meaning
-lost.
-
-If you want to learn more about the usage of _one_, see <a
-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_(pronoun)">Wikipedia: One_(pronoun)</a>.
-
-_This is my eighth post for the #100DaysToOffload challenge. You can learn more
-about this challenge over at
-[https://100daystooffload.com](https://100daystooffload.com)._
diff --git a/content/blog/two-of-the-most-valuable-lessons-ive-learned.md b/content/blog/two-of-the-most-valuable-lessons-ive-learned.md
@@ -1,59 +0,0 @@
-Title: Two of the Most Valuable Lessons I've Learned
-Author: Jake Bauer
-Date: 2020-05-23
-Summary: Inspired by Criag Maloney's recent book release, I discuss two of the most valuable lessons I've learned.
-
-# [%title]
-
-**Author:** [%author] | **Published:** [%date]
-
-This post is inspired by Craig Maloney's recently released book _[The Mediocre
-Programmer](http://themediocreprogrammer.com/)_. I haven't yet read the book,
-but I read [the
-synopsis](http://themediocreprogrammer.com/what-is-the-mediocre-programmer.html)
-and it got me thinking about these two lessons which I've learned since becoming
-a massive computer nerd:
-
-1. Given enough dedication, time, and effort, one can learn, become skilled at,
- and eventually master any skill they wish.
-
-2. Impostor syndrome can be a good thing; learn to recognize and embrace it.
-
-I feel that both of the above lessons go hand-in-hand; one realization naturally
-leads to the other. The first lesson is something I struggled with early on
-during my time as a university student and something I constantly have to keep
-in mind whenever I encounter a new technology, programming language, or concept.
-It's impossible for someone to be good at something with only a few hours of
-study and practice yet this seems to be an expectation many of us have, myself
-included. We shouldn't feel bad about our lack of skill with something new after
-only being briefly exposed to it.
-
-Learning this lesson was one of the best things to happen to me because it made
-me realize that, although something may seem overwhelming at first, if I break
-it down into bits and take my time practicing and learning, I will be able to
-learn and eventually get good at it. Many things stopped feeling overwhelming
-after I learned this and if I encounter something new, I know it's all just a
-matter of putting in the time and practise before I learn it.
-
-Regarding the second lesson, for those who don't know, [Impostor
-syndrome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome) is a syndrome in
-which one feels like they are not really as knowledgeable or skilled as their
-peers. It typically manifests itself as the feeling that they are faking their
-credentials or level of skill and tricking others into thinking they are smarter
-or better at something than they actually are. It's a common condition among
-many in the tech industry where there is an unimaginable breadth of concepts,
-skills, and technologies one is expected to learn.
-
-Although I won't say I have been afflicted by this syndrome to its fullest
-extent, I have definitely experienced thoughts similar to those that are common
-in someone with Impostor Syndrome. I have, however, come to realize that these
-feelings can be used to positive effect with the realization that when I'm
-feeling this way, it means that I've surrounded myself with people smarter and
-more experienced than I, which I can take as an opportunity to learn and improve
-my skills. I've turned the feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt into feeling
-that, although I may be an amateur or completely inexperienced with something, I
-can take this opportunity to better myself.
-
-_This is my twenty-seventh post for the #100DaysToOffload challenge. You can
-learn more about this challenge over at
-[https://100daystooffload.com](https://100daystooffload.com)._
