Small tools, long lives

This is a sample entry for the notebook.

Some tools earn a permanent place in our routines without asking for much attention. They open quickly, behave predictably, and leave our work in a format we can use somewhere else.

The value of being ordinary

A plain text file is a good example. It is easy to copy, search, compare, and preserve. Its lack of ceremony makes it useful.

const useful = ideas.filter(idea => idea.worthKeeping);

Code examples should be readable, copyable, and contained within the article on a narrow screen.

Staying understandable

A small system has room to be understood. That makes changes easier and failures less mysterious. It also makes it possible to come back after months away and still recognize how things work.