I can't tell you how nice it is to have software in production on a boring stack. It gives you freedom to do other things.
The downside of being happy
Nobody likes to be sad, but it can have a powerful and positive effect.
The World's Most Satisfying Checkbox | !Boring Software
The Art of Game Feel (a.k.a Juice) in Product Design
Open Forks of Boring Apps With Authority - Woodys Rows
The Atmosphere can win by becoming the foundation for software people already need to use because of real-world relationships.
Feeling of Computing
Feeling of Computing is an online community with a welcoming, cooperative, and revolutionary spirit. We are unified in the belief that the computer is tragically less humane than it could be. There’s a world of possibilities that get more beautiful the further away from the norm you go. We’re here to explore this world together, to discuss ideas about theory and practice, and to champion and support our members’ research and development efforts to reimagine the computer.
Ten Steps Towards Happiness - Hintjens.com
Biography | Portfolio | GitHub Books | Videos | Slides | Stories | Wiki Contact
Why We Can't Have Nice Software - Andrew Kelley
The problem with software is that it's too powerful. It creates so much wealth so fast that it's virtually impossible to not distribute it.
A Deceptively Simple Way to Find More Happiness at Work (Published 2019)
You don’t need to change everything about your job to see major benefits. A few changes here and there can be all you need.
I'm addicted to being useful
When I get together with my friends in the industry, I feel a little guilty about how much I love my job. This is a tough time to be a software engineer. The job was less stressful in the late 2010s than it is now, and I sympathize with anyone who is upset about the change. There are a lot of objective reasons to feel bad about work. But despite all that, I’m still having a blast. I enjoy pulling together projects, figuring out difficult bugs, and writing code in general. I like spending time with computers. But what I really love is being useful.
End-user Programming
A vision for empowered computing that reaches back forty years. Our research lab examines why it has been so hard to achieve.
Barefoot Developers
Links about letting non-programmers solve their niche problems with personal vibe-coded software.
MCP Apps
A2UI
Gemini Canvas — write, code, & create in one space with AI
Claude Artifacts
Introducing Patchwork-26
GPT-6 and Intelligent UI for everyone