Software I’m thankful for (2021) (crawshaw.io)

Article summary

The article expresses gratitude for various software and technologies that have made a significant impact on the author's life and career, including Unix-ish APIs, goroutines, Tailscale, SQLite, JSON, WireGuard, and others. These tools have provided stability, simplicity, and efficiency in the author's work. The author acknowledges the importance of these technologies and the efforts of their creators. The article concludes by appreciating the public web, search engines, and other tools that have made a difference in the author's life.

Main themes

• gratitude for software and technology
• interdependence and holism
• simplicity and efficiency
• recognition of others' contributions
• philosophical and cultural perspectives
• tool preferences and experiences
• online experience and ad blocking
• narratives of success and individualism

What commenters say

• Steve Jobs' email to himself highlights the importance of recognizing the contributions of others to our success.
• The inclusion of 'Sent from my iPad' at the end of Steve Jobs' email can be seen as a subtle nod to his own impact on the world, but also as a potential humblebrag.
• The concept of interdependence and holism is reflected in various philosophical and cultural traditions, including Buddhism and Ubuntu.
• The narrative of the 'self-made man' is absurd and ignores the contributions of others to individual success.
• Some commenters appreciate the simplicity and efficiency of certain tools, such as Cygwin and Vim, while others prefer newer alternatives like WSL2.
• The use of certain tools, such as Pi-hole, can significantly improve one's online experience by blocking ads and reducing clutter.
• The importance of gratitude and recognition of the efforts of others is a recurring theme in the comments.
• Different perspectives on the significance and impact of various technologies and tools are presented in the comments, reflecting the diversity of opinions and experiences.