Mind the Beginner

Time flies when you’re having fun. It seems only yesterday I was writing the last weekly update. Well, here are the numbers again. I’ve heard from various sources that they appreciate these updates and are looking forqard to them every week. The end date of the challenge is slowly coming closer though and the person who has my domain still hasn’t shown any signs of life.

Average number of pageviews over this week: 141, a steady increase as every week. What more to say, I’m happy.

Number of subscribers to my RSS feed: 51, awesome! For the first time since this blogs conception has the number of subscribers gotten out the the forties and into the fifties. A huge morale boost I can tell you. And I was already happy.

Where the traffic is coming from: The only single source that I can identify is stumble. Through using the shortened url’s generated by su.pr my blog gets stumbled more. And because of this I would like to ask you a favor:

Dear readers,

If you visit this blog through twitter (As in, you use the short url’s I supply there to see the latest blogpost) you will not only see my blog but a stumble toolbar at the same time. Please, please hit the “thumbs up” or “I like this” button on the bar, it’s in the top left corner. If you’re the first to do so you’ll have to write a short review. Doing so will help get more and more traffic this way. so more people can enjoy this blog and join the community.
I’d really appreciate it you guys (and girls), please help this blog grow.

Thanks!

What I have done this week to get my blog bigger and what I learned: The biggest change this week is actually a present I got. A new header for my blog showed up in my mailbox and is now proudly being used. Thanks again! Finally my niche is easily recognizable on the front page. I’m a total noob when it comes to photoshop so I couldn’t have made one myself. (Both my desktop and laptop can’t even run PS, they’re both old.)

Something else I’ve done to improve my writing is get a model M keyboard. This blogpost actually is the first one I’ve written on this keyboard and I must say, it’s a deafening joy to type on this plastic monolith. To bad I can’t plug it into my laptop.

Well, that was the update again this week. I hope you’re all enjoying this blog and the updates as much as I am. Thanks for visiting and do come back every few days or so to read the latest blogposts. Have a nice weekend everyone. I can already tell you what the next blogpost will be, it might not be for everyone but I’ve had the request to describe what “Lifestyle design” is. So on Monday I’ll going to give a few definitions I use a lot here and explain them. After all, you have the power to influence what I write about. Thanks for the question and keep them coming.

How often do you see a commercial claiming a “new and improved” formula, or just something stating it’s “new” or “the latest”. Almost every month they design a new toothbrush that’s supposed to be an improvement over the old one. I still use a simple average toothbrush and it does what it’s supposed to.

The best example I can think of right now in this struggle to convince the consumer to leave the old is Gillette. You know, that company that produces safety razors. Something like a decade ago they designed the mach 3 and it’s still selling (a quick Google search told me they actually introduced it in 1998). Somehow I get the feeling Gillette wants to get rid of that model. Not only are they offering you a discount on a newer model if you hand in your mach 3 but they even compare it to their latest model in TV ads. Claims like “12 more patents applied” and “even smoother shave”. The only problem is that the mach 3 just is the “perfect” razor to most shavers. I myself use one and it does what it’s supposed to without costing to much in replacement blades. I see no need to replace my mach 3 a all.

Another great example, be it less known is a certain type of keyboard: The IBM Model M. These fossils (dating back to the eighties) have buckling springs under each key making them very loud. A problem in most public area’s but a minor issue at home. These keyboards however are so incredibly over-engineered that most of them still are in operation and are claimed by a lot of frequent typists to be the bests keyboards out there. No other keyboard has lasted this long. It’s even the only keyboard I know of that actually has a dedicated website and fan-base.

Of course I had to know what the big deal was about these M’s so I set out looking for one. They sell for tens of dollars over eBay but can occasionally be had for just a few bucks if the seller doesn’t know what it is. Exactly that happened to me yesterday. I found one in a second hand store for just 1 euro. It has taken me months to find one (They aren’t as common here in The Netherlands as in the States) but finally I got it and I immediately felt what the big (and heavy) deal was about these.

Now most people would call me crazy, why in God’s green earth would I want to be typing on a noisy keyboard that’s old enough to vote. One word:

“Quality”

There are some things out there that are just so damn good that newer and “improved” models just can’t compete with it. Sometimes research and development is done and reached the end of the line. The Mach 3 is one of them, and so is the Model M. These two items are at the pinnacle of design. Granted the model M doesn’t have fancy multimedia buttons or even windows buttons but it’s design is so successful that Das keyboard is making black versions of them, with USB connector (M’s have a PS/2), USB hub and the buckling springs and selling them for $129! Yes, a new buckling spring keyboard will cost you serious money. An old one just one euro. A keyboard is made for typing, do you really need an LCD screen on it? And if you’re playing a game (first person shooters in particular) looking down at your keys is suicide.

A Mach 3 will give you a close shave, do it quick and do it good enough. Does it really need more blades? A grille in front of the blades to protect you? Vibrations to get a closer shave? an Aloe Vera strip to sooth the skin? An indicator strip to tell you when you need to replace the blade. Probably designed so you need to replace the blade every week!

What’s my point here you might ask?

I’m taking a stand against consumerism here. I don’t need all the latest things mass-media tells me I need to be happy nor will anyone notice that I can shave a micron closer to my skin. It’s about awareness that new isn’t always an improvement, an upgrade can actually be a downgrade. And with a model M a downgrade is an upgrade.

It’s about being content with what you have and not letting “them” tell you what you have is no longer good enough.

And I feel like a pig in mud, for just one euro!