Crimping as nihilism
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Posted by Andy Brice
Feb 1, 2025 at 04:30 PM
Stephen Zeoli wrote:
>Thanks, Andy. Seems like that writer got a “Word a Day” calendar for Christmas!
I’m guessing social studies graduate. Which reminds me of this hilarious incident:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokal_affair
>As most of us here know, delving into different productivity tools is
>FUN. Building fun in our lives is one form of productivity, so I refute
>the notion that playing with these apps is a “nihilist kluge.”
They definitely set up some false dichotomies (I can do big words as well!).
—
Andy Brice
https://www.hyperplan.com
https://www.easydatatransform.com
https://www.successfulsoftware.net
Posted by Andy Brice
Feb 1, 2025 at 04:36 PM
MacSE wrote:
>I feel seen! That’s exactly me - spending more time organizing my
>productivity tools than actually being productive. I’ve become quite
>skilled at meticulously setting up systems but somehow manage to produce
>very little in the end.
Slightly daunted by the scale of work ahead of me, and luxuriating in the current stability of my products, I’m currently procrastinating by tidying my office. But I’m sure I will get my mojo back soon.
I think we all have periods of low productivity. But long term productivity is more important.
—
Andy Brice
https://www.hyperplan.com
https://www.easydatatransform.com
https://www.successfulsoftware.net
Posted by Cyganet
Feb 1, 2025 at 05:12 PM
Do people actually find new software on Product Hunt? I am both a gamer and a crimper and don’t use the site myself. I find new games on Steam or Discord, and new software here or on reddit.
Going by this article, Product Hunt appears to be a site for people to generate hype for investors. So any analysis based on it isn’t about usage but promotion to financiers. It’s about as insightful about usage as articles in The Financial Times are about games, i.e. not.
Posted by Andy Brice
Feb 2, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Cyganet wrote:
>Do people actually find new software on Product Hunt?
I think it is more for people interested in startups, both creating their own startup or investing in other people’s. But I could be wrong.
—
Andy Brice
https://www.hyperplan.com
https://www.easydatatransform.com
https://www.successfulsoftware.net
Posted by MadaboutDana
Feb 3, 2025 at 09:49 AM
After musing further on this alarming article (wow, what a lot of detailed breakdowns!), I must disagree with the author’s simplistic conclusion.
One of the main reasons I think we all CRIMP is because we’re fascinated by the flow of thoughts/ideas/information and how to apply them in practice.
Part of this definitely has to do with FUN. But another part has to do with a general curiosity about the nature of human-machine interaction, including
- the user experience (UX)
- how best to manage knowledge (especially when the sheer quantity of information becomes difficult to grasp (überschauen))
- how best to prioritise actions arising from knowledge and/or day-to-day activities (and whether these things should be done together or separately)
- and a whole lot of other aspects!
That this can involve us in endless “messing about” is inarguable. But to label this “nihilism” is peculiarly limiting. The usual term is “procrastination”, a problem that has afflicted human minds since forever. A procrastinator is not someone who will necessarily achieve Great Things in life, but they may well come up with interesting insights that serve those who are endeavouring to achieve Great Things.
So not really anything to do with nihilism – pessimism, perhaps, or a lack of confidence in one’s own abilities, but not nihilism (although Flaubert was an interesting example of an author who felt compelled to write thousands of words despite the fact he clearly loathed humanity and was fundamentally a nihilist; but then again, his elegance and occasional wit – sorry, I confess I loathe the man and all his works – have inspired countless authors since. As has Friedrich Nietzsche…).