topherchris is an internet enthusiast

ied:

IED Episode 16: Hi-O

Vacations, clam juice, biglinked, domains on eBay, the ultimate list of death metal bands, the no-fly list, flying first class, firing an assistant for his amateur antics, and the expensive toilet paper.

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David Malouf, quoted by Salman Rushdie and rudely edited by me, who adds:

“He warns, particularly, of the dangers of speaking about work in progress. When writing, one is best advised to keep one’s mouth shut, so that words flow out, instead, through one’s fingers.”

mills added good stuff, particularly:

I think the above quote explains it: artists, and indeed people inclined to action, know that talk drains us of motivational energy, weakens our will. Talk of ideas makes us feel as though the ideas have been implemented; talk of musical composition processes substitutes for composition; talk of writing uses up the words we need for the writing, diminishing the inspiration we need.

I’ve found that the same concept applies to launching websites.

Although there could be another factor here in addition to what’s been said above. Receiving negative feedback (or no feedback at all, which is the same as negative feedback), can kill an idea for me that I was intensely excited about only minutes earlier. Now, you might think, “well, that’s good. You saved time by not implementing a bad idea. People’s opinions of an idea that you’ve expressed but not fully put into useable production is important,” but I think that’s total bullshit.

It’s not that I don’t care about the opinions of prospective users. I care about it a little too much, perhaps. But showing a flat PNG file in place of a working website seems a bit like dancing about architecture. Really though, if I’m excited about something, I want to see it finished. I’d rather learn it was a stupid idea after I’ve gotten it completely out of my system by making it.

Next site.