I'm of the belief that designers should avoid leaving comments on a Dribbble shot such as "Nice!" or "Cool." For one, they serve no practical purpose other than boosting the recipient's ego. For two, there's the Like button that provides the same effect, with less clutter.

I think that, assuming designers want to help each other out, they should leave constructive feedback, either positive or negative. Simply highlighting what you like or didn't like about a shot will allow the recipient of the feedback to better themself. Moreover, it promotes the opportunity of discussion among designers, which is always beneficial.

Unfortunately, Dribbble doesn't enforce this kind of mentality. The only way it would work out is if individual Dribbble users state that as their "policy", just like Louie Mantia used to do. Perhaps the Dribbble community should embrace this modus operandi.

Disclaimer: I'm not a designer, but I follow many designers and I regularly browse Dribbble to gain a better appreciation of good design.

That is the question.

Sick of all these flat design articles. Use a gradient or don't, no one cares, just test with users and make your app great. Done.
—Mike Rundle, @flyosity

The impetus for this blog post was Mike's tweet and others alike. Fear not: this is not an article about skeuomorphism versus flat design. However, people shouldn't object to the discussion thereof. In fact, we should strive to discuss any given problem ad infinitum.

Let's consider the alternative: that people recognize a problem and analyze it superficially, if at all. I don't know about you, but any reality where discussion is stifled is in my eyes a dystopian one. Readers might interject and call for some intermediate, in which case who do you decide has the right of discussion. Isn't freedom of speech a basic human right we fought for and should now all enjoy and cherish?

Another possible refutation is the use of my own argument, that is not to stifle discussion, against myself. In other words, Mike and others are expressing their opinions, a manifestation of their freedom of speech. Granted, it is not my place to dictate what they should tweet or not. Still, I argue that it is in our best collective interest that we avoid suppressing discussion.

My argument is strengthened further by the simple fact that you don't have to read the article in question. There's not a single soul on the Internet that is forcing you to read whatsoever. If you believe that a topic has been exhausted and nothing else can be added to the discussion, you can cease perusing articles related to that subject. Nevertheless, we should not prevent opinions from being voiced, regardless of the matter at hand and the extent of the discussion hitherto.

1) Form a group of 3 DJs.
2) Release a first single.
3) Remix that single and release 8 variations of it as an EP.
4) Rinse. Repeat.
5) Release debut album with both previously released singles and remixed songs.
6) More singles.
7) Announce that the group is disbanding.
8) But the break-up isn't so bad as to prevent One Last Tour.
9) Release one last album compiling everything released Until Now
10) $$$

Granted, some of the singles were amazing.

Update: This plan makes you money and have fun (make sure you unmute).

For months now, I've been looking for a way of managing my task list. I've tried several options out there: The Hit List, Clear, Cheddar, Checkmark, 2Do, Things, Omnifocus, Apple's own Reminders and probably others I'm now forgetting. Each have their own drawbacks, ranging from being too simple to being too cluttered, and the occasional aesthetic disaster that I refuse to use.

Then, while listening to an episode of the Mac Power Users podcast, I heard Dan Benjamin describe his approach: he writes his tasks down, and at the end of each day, he rewrites whatever he didn't get to as tasks for the next day. This modus operandi not only reminds you daily of what you have to do, but you also end up feeling bad for repeatedly deferring certain tasks, effectively motivating you to complete them. This contrasts with any kind of todo app, in which you maintain a list of some kind. If you want to be reminded of tasks, you can set up alerts, but they soon become second nature and you eventually start ignoring them. I know this from firsthand experience.

This prompted me to try out an old school approach at maintaining my task list. I'll be using a pocket-sized agenda and I'll employ Dan's tactic. I feel that it will be more motivating to get things done if I'm constantly reminded what I need to do and what I'm not doing. I'll still use my iCloud calendar for scheduled events ¹.

Moreover, I can foresee additional benefits of carrying a notebook. Notably, it will allow for a quick means of capturing information. Sure, I have my iPhone for that ², but the speed and reliability of pen & paper remains unparalleled.

After some research, I'll procure myself a small weekly planner and a proper pen. I've only heard good things about the Fisher Space Pen, namely the ability to write at unusual angles like on a wall. Not to mention, the compact size of the Bullet model seems ideal for a pocket pen. This combo hopefully will minimize my knack of proscratinating.

It has come to my attention that the extremities of a seemingly linear continuum, that of political beliefs commonly referred to as the left and the right, form a loop to some degree. Of course, I'm not equating pure communism to pure capitalism. Actually, I'm thinking of the closed-mindedness associated with strong-willed individuals from the far right and the far left.

Extreme conservatives are often considered closed-minded due to their devout following of some dogma and their general resistance to change. Any departure from said dogma represents a serious transgression. On the other hand, liberals are often labelled as being more open-minded. However, some of my very liberal acquaintances and friends consider themselves open-minded to the point of arrogance, where they effectively become close-minded.

In the way they "discuss", they give off this feeling that they know better. Worse even, they sometimes achieve a level of condescension which conveys the impression that they think of themselves as being more evolved, more advanced. Admittedly, it thus becomes very difficult for me to even consider what they say, given that they seem to perceive me as retarded in one way or another ¹.

I would caution against such an attitude. Adopting a patronizing tone in conversations will inevitably tarnish your reputation as a rational person. If you assume that progressive policies are better in all cases, you should settle on a more nuanced mindset. Especially, if you don't have enough information, don't pretend you know better. Perhaps you're right, but don't propagate an unfounded opinion.