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Computers Are Not Designed for Productivity

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Re: Computers Are Not Designed for Productivity

#51

Post by clusterfoo »

GuiA wrote: post #5

I have a Linux laptop on which I run a tiling window manager (in my case, Xmonad), and nothing else. No system tray, no quick launch bar, nothing. (if you're not familiar with tiling window managers, they're window managers in which windows are arranged automatically to a) fully occupy the screen and b) never overlap. They're extremely customizable, but typically you'll have a vertical half of your screen with a main…

Same, I've had co-workers laugh at my crazy key bindings, but by comparison, whenever I have to code on my Mac (which I've not customized, or someone else's computer, I wonder how I ever managed to get anything done without a highly customized environment.

I use i3 (tiling manager - I find it the easiest to config) and vim, and similar key bindings across both.

I get how it can seem like a lot of trouble for some people, but it's so worth it when you can edit code and move around your environment at basically the speed of thought.

Some would argue that typing / windows-switching speed is not the bottleneck in development, but for me it's not about performance (I'm a rather bad typist), but about reducing mental overhead and minimizing "mental disrupts". One-second distractions of reaching for my mouse, then moving the pointer to the task bar, etc... just add up to a lot of overhead (try reading a dense article while taking one-second breaks to look away from the page after every sentence. Comprehension plummets).

Re: Computers Are Not Designed for Productivity

#52

Post by threatofrain »

I would argue that computers are extremely productive, but that they are also multi-functional, and that it would be very sad to remove all the other interesting functionality from a computer until you had the ultimate focus machine.

I do resonate with the idea that some people have a bad interaction with current computers. Just like some people may have biologies that will interact badly, despite a general array of interventions or strategies, in the face of easily accessible drugs like alcohol and cigarettes.

But it would be a shame to remove bars and liquor just because some people cannot control themselves. Some humans will always be led off the summit due to their unseated spirits, but let us not flatten mountains for their sake.

Hopefully there will be an elegant software solution that satisfies everyone ("Google / Siri, focus mode on!"; "Okay, I have suspended distractions until I see evidence that your job is done."), but until then, computers are designed as an open invitation to another world, but maybe you only wanted spreadsheets.

Re: Computers Are Not Designed for Productivity

#53

Post by presumeaway »

_xnmw wrote: post #24
GuiA wrote: post #5

I have a Linux laptop on which I run a tiling window manager (in my case, Xmonad), and nothing else. No system tray, no quick launch bar, nothing. (if you're not familiar with tiling window managers, they're window managers in which windows are arranged automatically to a) fully occupy the screen and b) never overlap. They're extremely customizable, but typically you'll have a vertical half of your screen with a main…

Anyone have any suggestions for how to get a similar setup on OSX?

Divvy has worked quite well for me.

Spectacle and ShiftIt are two alternatives I later heard about, but haven't yet tried, so please let me know if you try them out and find a clear advantage to either (besides price).

Re: Computers Are Not Designed for Productivity

#54

Post by threatofrain »

_xnmw wrote: post #17

I've come to similar realizations during my programming career, and realized the value of simple mindfulness in all tasks, especially while communicating to those around you. I've found simple mindfulness to be like a superpower in our age of constant notifications and hundreds of tabs. I even try to force myself to be mindful while checking my email by dealing with a single email at a time (thanks to Mailbox app), a…

I don't think the problem is OS design. Across his armful of assorted arguments, the poster made an argument that tiling managers suck, as well as some other things. That aside, I don't think it's the OS that is the problem, but rather that the computer is a gateway to many possibilities.

Your OS, and the apps on your computer, can be designed with focus and cognitive ease in mind, but it does not change the fact that a few actions away is a Stargate to another world. So, aside from a few grab-bag complaints (though legitimate) about operating systems, programmers and designers have little more to do. Apps are only going to get better designed, and minimalism and cleanliness have come to characterize modern app design.

Re: Computers Are Not Designed for Productivity

#55

Post by im2w1l »

threatofrain wrote: post #54
_xnmw wrote: post #17

I've come to similar realizations during my programming career, and realized the value of simple mindfulness in all tasks, especially while communicating to those around you. I've found simple mindfulness to be like a superpower in our age of constant notifications and hundreds of tabs. I even try to force myself to be mindful while checking my email by dealing with a single email at a time (thanks to Mailbox app), a…

I don't think the problem is OS design. Across his armful of assorted arguments, the poster made an argument that tiling managers suck, as well as some other things. That aside, I don't think it's the OS that is the problem, but rather that the computer is a gateway to many possibilities. Your OS, and the apps on your computer, can be designed with focus and cognitive ease in mind, but it does not change the fact tha…

Reading your comment I couldn't help but notice the juxtaposition of

>I don't think the problem is OS design.

>a few actions away is a Stargate to another world.

Maybe we should design the OS so that "the stargate" is a whole lot of actions away.

Re: Computers Are Not Designed for Productivity

#56

Post by a3n »

GuiA wrote: post #5

I have a Linux laptop on which I run a tiling window manager (in my case, Xmonad), and nothing else. No system tray, no quick launch bar, nothing. (if you're not familiar with tiling window managers, they're window managers in which windows are arranged automatically to a) fully occupy the screen and b) never overlap. They're extremely customizable, but typically you'll have a vertical half of your screen with a main…

I confess tiling envy. I try them out every year or two, but I generally abandon them because I can't get comfort functions to work, especially managing power, sleeping, hibernation and the lid, and key management. These things generally/often come with the more mainstream window managers, so I've never had to figure them out (and don't seem to be able to with twms).

I remember looking for solutions to power for awesome (which is otherwise awesome) and finding chains of solutions depending on debian releases, including gaps.

I'll try again come spring, I'm sure.

Re: Computers Are Not Designed for Productivity

#57

Post by organsnyder »

im2w1l wrote: post #55
threatofrain wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think the problem is OS design. Across his armful of assorted arguments, the poster made an argument that tiling managers suck, as well as some other things. That aside, I don't think it's the OS that is the problem, but rather that the computer is a gateway to many possibilities. Your OS, and the apps on your computer, can be designed with focus and cognitive ease in mind, but it does not change the fact tha…

Reading your comment I couldn't help but notice the juxtaposition of >I don't think the problem is OS design. >a few actions away is a Stargate to another world. Maybe we should design the OS so that "the stargate" is a whole lot of actions away.

The problem is, I often need to access that "stargate" in the course of doing actual work (looking up documentation, Googling error messages, etc.).

Re: Computers Are Not Designed for Productivity

#58

Post by dman »

_xnmw wrote: post #24
GuiA wrote: post #5

I have a Linux laptop on which I run a tiling window manager (in my case, Xmonad), and nothing else. No system tray, no quick launch bar, nothing. (if you're not familiar with tiling window managers, they're window managers in which windows are arranged automatically to a) fully occupy the screen and b) never overlap. They're extremely customizable, but typically you'll have a vertical half of your screen with a main…

Anyone have any suggestions for how to get a similar setup on OSX?

Run Linux/*BSD in parallels/vmware.

Re: Computers Are Not Designed for Productivity

#59

Post by a3n »

a3n wrote: post #56
GuiA wrote: post #5

I have a Linux laptop on which I run a tiling window manager (in my case, Xmonad), and nothing else. No system tray, no quick launch bar, nothing. (if you're not familiar with tiling window managers, they're window managers in which windows are arranged automatically to a) fully occupy the screen and b) never overlap. They're extremely customizable, but typically you'll have a vertical half of your screen with a main…

I confess tiling envy. I try them out every year or two, but I generally abandon them because I can't get comfort functions to work, especially managing power, sleeping, hibernation and the lid, and key management. These things generally/often come with the more mainstream window managers, so I've never had to figure them out (and don't seem to be able to with twms). I remember looking for solutions to power for awes…

Dammit. Now I can feel the growing excitement of trying a twm again. And it's not even 2015 yet.

Re: Computers Are Not Designed for Productivity

#60

Post by goblin89 »

Animats wrote: post #9

The author may be on to something with the line "A popup notification that runs without concern for what the user is doing is hostile behavior. Notice how there's no API in any OS for "is now a good time to interrupt the user?". Maybe there should be." Notifications could be deferred while the user is actively typing. When the user goes idle, deferred notifications can be displayed. This becomes more important as mor…

> A popup notification that runs without concern for what the user is doing is hostile behavior. Notice how there's no API in any OS for "is now a good time to interrupt the user?". Maybe there should be.

This isn’t correct, actually. There is the Do Not Disturb mode in OS X that disables any non-essential notifications and alerts. It can be toggled manually for one day, or according to user-set daily start and end times.

Of course, even though the API exists, apps use it differently and somewhat inconsistently: for example, Apple’s native FaceTime will not distract you in DND mode, but Skype will if someone calls you.

Point being, there is an example of such API that tells any app that asks whether is now a good time to interrupt the user. (Not to argue that actually inferring what you do and avoiding distracting and stealing focus in the middle of typing, as in your example, would take it to another level.)

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