Jeremy Friesen on Hard Mode

Jeremy writes a thoughtful post in response to the idea of Hard Mode. It's about simplicity, Emacs, and related thoughts around status.

In a thoughtful response to several related posts about "Hard Mode", Jeremy dips into a few interesting areas. One of which is the potential of simplicity as honeypot.

So, I look to simplicity with caution, especially in regards to the breadth of computering. Something offered to me as a simple approach may be a tar pit. Perhaps luring me in. Or perhaps for which I am the bait.

He's not wrong. There are always trade-offs. I love the term"Bespoke Beast". 😃

Joan's original post focused on complexity as an indicator of status, and that simplicity is a sign of unseriousness. It resonated with me because I sometimes lean on the fact that I've already done the hard work, and that the way I do things is more complex and therefore more serious. Admitting to myself that it made me feel superior was a little painful.

Outside of the tech elite circle pointed out in Joan's article, the question of Hard Mode looks different. For example, Jeremy has a workflow around Emacs (and by extension, Hard Mode) that works for him. It fits all his requirements, and he enjoys it. I would never suggest that it has anything to do with status seeking.

I don't use Emacs because it's hard. I use Emacs because it's amazing and there's nothing else like it. It's fun! However, it also happens to be the king of Hard Mode, and admittedly, I've never minded being known as "that old dude who still uses Emacs, for crying out loud!" 😄

My current retreat into Easy Mode is about removing unnecessary complexity. The "unnecessary" part is fluid, but right now I'm being pretty strict about it. I'm testing myself to see what I'll do once there aren't as many knobs to fiddle with. I'll either become bored and bring Hard Mode back, or I'll find interesting new things to do with that time. Everything is an experiment.