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Hermit: a font for programmers, by a programmer

pcaro.es

161–170 of 195 posts

Re: Hermit: a font for programmers, by a programmer

#161
post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Respect. All that said, this font looks pretty good to me as a programmer, (12 point version, at least), and I'm going to try it out when it's available. I've been looking for a good font to use in emacs on OS X and have never found one that I liked. (On Linux, my preference is 9x15.)

If you like the X11 Fixed fonts, check out http://monkey.org/~marius/beautiful-fixed-width-fonts-for-os... , which provides 6x13, 7x14, 9x15 and 10x20 in OS X dfont format.

http://www.twoevils.org/html/files.html has 6x13 in TrueType format, which I'm using for Windows console and Sublime Text.

Re: Hermit: a font for programmers, by a programmer

#162
post #57

> a font for programmers, by a programmer > Every glyph was carefully planned and calculated, according to defined principles and rules. For this reason, Hermit is coherent and regular. I hate to say this, but a font by a programmer makes as much sense as a database library by a font designer. Good font design is not about calculations or following principled rules; it's about what looks good to the eye, and it takes…

"a bridge for pedestrians, by a pedestrian". While I applaud his effort, this is why wonderful movies aren't musically scored by the director or writer - they may know what they want, but that doesn't give them the ability to create it. Like medicine "created by a school teacher".

There are directors who have scored one or many of their own films, such as John Carpenter, Robert Rodriguez, and Clint Eastwood. It's true that excepting the ones who have a strong music background director-composers usually produce somewhat simpler and critically not-acclaimed scores but they also often end up working well. Look at the Halloween theme; it's a very simple melody but it somehow captured the mood of the film and people's imaginations.

I agree with your general point though, a collaboration between the "user" and "expert" will generally produce something superior; but sometimes there can even be a little bit of a liability having the other party around.

The school teacher thing is a poor example though - that's just marketing trying to make an appeal to authority. Something like if a teacher had designed a desk or chair would be better because their job gives them insight into that as opposed to say, a mail carrier.

Re: Hermit: a font for programmers, by a programmer

#163
post #59
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you explain to a font ignoramus like me what is wrong with it?

I worked at a printing company a long time ago (although in IT not as a graphics artist), and its a slightly rewarmed serif font thats about 200 years old and designed for newspaper levels of contrast (thats what it was used for two centuries ago). If you're going to stick with serifs try something like Georgia which is also a warmed over serif font, but somewhat More warmed over than Courier New. If you want a pleas…

We're talking about programming fonts here, though. Serifs have been proven easier to read than sans-serif fonts in usability studies. Also, there are multiple advantages to using monospaced fonts in programming applications.

Re: Hermit: a font for programmers, by a programmer

#164

It's hard for me to imagine ever finding anything better than Ubuntu Mono, but for those who haven't found a love of their font-life, now might be a helpful time to relink to the one slant article I ever saw: http://www.slant.co/topics/67/~what-are-the-best-programming...

ubuntu mono doesn't seem to scale well, at least on my tests in notepad++ on windows. Once I get to 12 point it starts acting like it's bolded. Source Code Pro and Consolas don't seem to have this problem. I've always used Consolas since it's been out, but after seeing Source Code Pro, that does seem easier to read.

Ubuntu Mono renders superbly in Ubuntu, but I agree with you that it doesn't render particularly well on Windows; when on Windows, I sadly go back to DejaVu Sans Mono.

Re: Hermit: a font for programmers, by a programmer

#168
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I appreciate your positive attitude toward expanding one's skillset, and I agree that he should remove "I am not a designer". But I believe the creator when he says that he is not a designer, and I don't think it would be appropriate for us to say that he is a designer at this point. I like cooking, and I can make some tasty meals, but I am not a chef. I like drawing things in my notebook here and there, but I am not…

I get what you're saying, but disagree. "Chef" kind of already means "professional cook" and "contractor" is kind of a legal term when it comes to construction, but if you draw in your notebook, you're definitely an artist. You may not be a good one! And you may not be professional. But who cares? This is why we have qualifiers: "I'm an award-winning chef." "I'm a world-renowned artist." "I'm a professional designer.…

I too wish people would attempt casual acts of creativity and be more proud of the creative act itself. But they can do that without being "a(n) ______" after their first and possibly only attempt.

I'm not saying that there needs to be an objective standard of quality or number of hours put into an endeavour - even a terrible fisherman is still a fisherman if s/he practices it. But I wouldn't go fishing once and declare myself a fisherman if I had no followup experience. If I were to say "I'm a fisherman" in conversation, I think it would demonstrate a lack of common understanding about what that sentence implies, or duplicity at worst (trying to curry favour from a fishing enthusiast boss, for example).

I get what you're saying and I know you're coming from a positive place. I just think that it runs counter to the common interpretation of "a(n) _____", and I'd rather preserve that interpretation because it's useful.

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