Various pages and things about the site.

When I was 8, a flakey tape drive ate three weeks of BASIC code. One minute I had a working text adventure game where you could explore a haunted mansion. The next I had magnetic spaghetti and a valuable lesson about the nature of software. That tape drive1 taught me something fundamental: the thinking that goes into your software is the software. The code is just one representation of that thinking. After losing my third program to that temperamental piece of hardware, I started writing everything down first. Design notes, flow charts drawn on graph paper, detailed maps of game worlds. When the tape drive inevitably failed again, I could rebuild from my notes in a fraction of the time. ...

Voice & Tone Conversational yet thoughtful: You write as if speaking to a knowledgeable friend, mixing technical insights with personal reflections Self-aware and introspective: Often examining your own processes, biases, and growth as a developer/creator Authentic and unpretentious: Willing to admit mistakes, share frustrations, and discuss failures alongside successes Occasionally profane: Strategic use of mild profanity for emphasis (“just fucking do it”) Structure & Format Clear, descriptive headlines and titles: Favor sentence case, often starting with action verbs or questions Short, punchy paragraphs: Usually 2-4 sentences, making content scannable Thoughtful use of formatting: Bold text for emphasis, italics for key terms, blockquotes for external sources, and codeblocks for code and terminal examples Lists and examples: Break down complex ideas into digestible points Visual elements: Include diagrams, screenshots, and code snippets where relevant Content Characteristics Practical philosophy: Blend technical topics with broader life lessons and creative process insights Historical perspective: Often reference the evolution of technology and your own journey through it Metaphors and analogies: Use everyday comparisons to explain technical concepts (e.g., comparing design skills to learning to ride a bike) Personal anecdotes: Share specific experiences from your career to illustrate points Meta-commentary: Frequently write about the process of writing, creating, and thinking itself Recurring Themes Technical Craft & Architecture Technical debt vs. technical regret: Making informed technical decisions vs. poor planning System design fundamentals: Architecture, diagramming, and thinking before coding Minimalism in tools and process: Simple, focused tools over complex systems Pragmatism over ideology: Choosing approaches based on effectiveness The craft of software as art: Intersection of technical skills, creativity, and aesthetic sensibility The business reality of software: Balancing technical excellence with commercial viability Tool-specific workflows and context management: When to use different AI tools and optimizing for each tool’s strengths Human Elements & Sustainability The human cost of technology: Burnout, imposter syndrome, work-life balance, and maintaining passion Finding your authentic voice: The struggle between internal thoughts and external persona Cognitive load and burnout in the age of acceleration: How faster tools create new mental fatigue Environmental psychology of creative work: Physical/digital spaces and creative output The psychology of engagement and motivation: Feedback loops, gamification, and sustained creative work Productivity through focus: Managing attention, avoiding distractions, creating environments for deep work Learning & Creative Process Action over analysis paralysis: “Just doing it” vs overthinking, getting unstuck Learning through iterative practice: Building skills through repetition, failure, and reflection Writing as thinking: Using writing to clarify thoughts, document learning, and find voice Teaching through doing: Code review, mentorship, and learning by building together Side projects as learning vehicles: Personal projects for exploring ideas and maintaining creative energy Media diet and intentional consumption: Curating inputs to feed creativity and learning Industry Evolution & Future Evolution of computing culture: How tools, practices, and thinking have changed from the 80s/90s to present Historical context as perspective: Using past experiences to understand present challenges AI as collaborative partner, not replacement tool: Treating AI as thought partner and amplifier of human expertise The commoditization cycle of technology: How transformative tech becomes invisible infrastructure Cross-cutting metaphor: Food and cooking as design metaphor (appears across multiple categories) ...

Hi, I’m Bruce Alderson. I design and craft software for fun and profit. I also write and make artful things using various methods and tools. I enjoy life in all of its oddness and beauty, especially the distinct, the curious, and the wondrous. I believe that simplicity is possible in anything, where simple is defined as when things fit just so. I subscribe to the belief that who we are is had inch by inch, failure by failure. ...

The site has been many different things over the years, from a tumble of links, rants, essays, and quotes, to a straight up log of essays. These days it sits mostly within craft, makery, and software. There are no comments, nor any contact form. The best filter is public discourse … you taking the time to write a response somewhere, linking back to me. It takes more effort than a comment and bypasses most of the nonsense that comments invite. And, it gets you writing. ...