Spending Time in ResEdit
I was listening to The Talk Show’s recent episode - Apple at 50. Somehow the Johns (Gruber and Siracusa) end up spending a long time discussing their time using ResEdit, and at one point Gruber mentions how the lack of Internet meant spending inordinate amount of time just goofing around with all the tools available on the computer.
This is exactly my experience from the early years of using a computer. In my case, I was a Windows user back then. I used to spend time in system tools like the disk defragmenter, partitioner, task manager, registry, etc. for no more reason than to tinker with. When I had to code or write, I would spend enough time in the editors to understand the nuances of the software such as Word, Notepad++, etc. You would start to see patterns eventually and so many transferable tricks and skills. It made you a much more productive computer user overall.
With internet, there came the wave of easy distractions that most people spent more time online in forums or social networks than with the local tools. It’s a bit sad when I see recent computer users not know how to use common keyboard shortcuts or tricks. For example, I frequently see folks switching to a mouse for basic text navigation. These kind of micro-delays add up.
I think the ultimate luxury today is to be bored periodically that one explores more of and deeper into what they do regularly. Make time for boredom.