I vigorously encourage you to use Beeminder for tracking, maintaining, and modifying habits.
Several people have recently asked me to explain why I like this service so much. This page is my evolving answer.
So, why Beeminder?
Design
The core feature of Beeminder is the "bee sting." The service charges you money if you fail to meet a certain rate of progress toward a goal.
For instance, if I declare to Beeminder that I will meditate 5 minutes per day, and I fail to perform meditation at that rate, Beeminder will "derail" me, charge me a small amount of money, and -- after a weeklong grace period -- rearm the sting.
I'm running my Micropub implementation against the official test suite at micropub.rocks. Despite the fact that I haven't implemented the entire specification (much less the extensions), my version already passes about a third of the test suite -- and a couple of the failed tests gave enough feedback to code fixes on the spot. Full steam ahead!
Tests for creating posts via Micropub (other tests not shown.)
I've spent the last couple weeks developing version 2 of this website as a Python Flask-based web application. This has required learning more about server administration, as well as putting into use the web-app development skills I've been chipping away at all year.
I'm happy to report that the new version of this site will be going live next week, with Micropub support implemented. Your end user experience should not change at all (but please report any broken links!) Improvements to navigation, content discovery, subscription, tags, and syndication are forthcoming.
My main motivation for this upgrade was to lower my self-imposed barrier to public writing and interaction.
My friend Matt and I just discovered that Android's (default) text-messaging app can now send voice messages.
Voice messaging (on WeChat) was everywhere when I lived in China, and I've missed it as an option for texting in the States. I suppose the demand for voice messaging is filled here by Snapchat, whatever Facebook does, and voice iMessages for the Apple ecosystem. I don't use those, so I have been a text-only plebeian -- until now!
I think I'll be using voice messages a lot, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. My words, in my voice, represent me more closely than writing can. I'm glad to find a way to move some of my normal communication away from pure text.
Lately, I've been working to change this website from a pile of (generated) HTML files into a proper server-backed dynamic site. There's not much to show off, but I'm implementing a Micropub server and learning a lot more about Flask (the web-app framework.)
As I write up explanations and annotations for my poems, I find myself wanting to use lines and shapes to pick out particular areas of each work.
Here's a rudimentary prototype, drawing heavily on the LeaderLine library. Try clicking or hovering one of the bracketed sections.
I'm a fake poem, sure to spin
A top around its bottom
I am a fine explanation! And I am his lovable pal.
I'm not currently planning to turn my annotations into sidenotes or marginalia, but I'll certainly draw inspiration from the numerous attempts at that style of web design. I'll also be investigating annotation platforms like Hypothesis, which may have something to offer.
A late-night snippet imitating the chorus of Weezer's "Pork and Beans." For Hayley ("Bloo") to sing to Seth.
I've a PhD that I must pursue
There's neuroscience knowledge to accrue
With calves athletic and a belly lean
At times my swagger's known to cause a scene
Although I'm picky 'bout my repertoire
I'll practice strumming tunes that you adore
One look in our mirror and you know it's true:
I'm awful fond of being Bloo with you
(Hayley: AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. I’m not sure what the tune is (hint pls!!!) but I’m smiling ear to ear anyway <3 Me: It's 'Pork and Beans.' Hayley: OH FUCK YEAH)
I'm hanging in there. I've felt flooded, but I have little room to say anything. Given the [degree or kind] to which you [publicly self-model], it's difficult to see how well you are doing from over here, but I hope you are safe and well as well.
I am indeed safe and well: interviewing for jobs; learning to run my own servers to host this site and add more IndieWeb tools; writing poems. I have several drafts to type up today.
I hope you are well. I was delighted, really actually delighted, to see that you are now collecting Chinese phrases on the "中国语录" page. I want to help you improve and expand this page's classification scheme and its contents. I've begun taking notes and will use the tiddler editor to add them when I can (unless there's a better way.)
Since I don't know how often you read my website, I thought I'd bring my website to you.
Linguary: further thinking and design toward the "linguist's working environment" application I mused about in my last letter to you.
