

Burning a NeXT Cube - e1ven
http://simson.net/hacks/cubefire.html

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zandorg
It's wierd, I read long articles like this, and think "This is more readable
than modern webpages" even though it's a HUGE article. Is it possible people
aren't writing as well as in 1993?

I'm guilty too - I used to write 20,000 word web-based articles in 1997 which
my friends read without saying "It's too long!". Now I can barely write a blog
entry (although I can write long emails).

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unalone
It's because people are so goddamn awful at design.

There's so much _bullshit_ in the average design calculated to leech a few
more clicks out of people. Archive trees on the side, tag clouds, lots and
lots of numbers calculating I-don't-give-a-fuck, share buttons. People stick
colors and borders where colors and borders have no reason being. On top of
that, people have no clue how to make readable typography. None. I'm shocked
at how many people go along with ugly text without once learning to make it
attractive. Good designers, too, that just never thought to look at making
their text fit into their page.

When you have ugly layouts, people won't tolerate reading as much, and you
learn that your "best" writing is much shorter. There're some exceptions. I
don't think it's surprising that the best longform writers I know all have
very attractive-looking longform designs. Certainly that's what I put effort
into this week, designing my new portfolio.

~~~
pronoiac
See also, Merlin Mann's "noise-to-noise" ratio:
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/merlin/sets/72157622077100537/d...](http://www.flickr.com/photos/merlin/sets/72157622077100537/detail/)

~~~
unalone
Thank you for the link! That's a brilliant set.

I sometimes feel autistic online, because I don't understand how people come
up with the need to clutter the way they do. When I design, I start feeling
cramped if I've got more than seven distinct stylistic elements. My portfolio
includes a header and a footer, and looking at it a a part of me still feels
like that's too much to have on a web site.

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rbanffy
That makes me sad. It's a significant piece of computing history that should
be preserved.

If, for nothing else, to prevent future computer makers from using cast
magnesium in their cases.

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sriramk
This is absolutely brilliant writing. Great use of dialogue, 'showing' rather
than 'telling', painting good pictures of the various characters involved
(Burt, 'jolly' director),etc.

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HendrikR
Interestingly they say that they posted the pictures to Flickr which appears
to be Picasa after all.

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cvg
That's awesome. Next time I go camping I'll bring some flint and a bit of NeXT
Cube.

~~~
tesseract
[http://www.amazon.com/Coghlans-7870-Magnesium-Fire-
Starter/d...](http://www.amazon.com/Coghlans-7870-Magnesium-Fire-
Starter/dp/B0000CE2D8/)

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VonGuard
Ah, yes. Magnesium. Also means NeXT cubes are great for starting a thermite
bomb.

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Tichy
Makes me want to burn an iPhone.

~~~
nym
Unfortunately, the iPhone isn't made from cast magnesium. It wouldn't burn
nearly as well.

