Stuff That “Just Works”

[Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes] or: The Search For a Practical Issue Tracking Solution I’m currently evaluating numerous issue tracking systems.  I’ve already found one that I intend using myself (FogBugz) because it “just works” (and it’s free for 1-2 users, which will do for me at least until I manage to figure out how to clone myself.  Twice). I like stuff that “just works”.  I’ll often overlook other shortcomings of pretty much anything that does what it does well and delivers some benefit without getting in my way. On the other hand, you could show me the most capable, feature endowed “Be-All and End-All”, but if the user experience of it is painful, unintuitive or causes me hassle in any unreasonable way shape or form, then I’ll quickly pass.

Settling in to a new Blog

[Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes] I’ve tried numerous aborted attempts to kick off a blog in the past.  The usual pattern is feverish enthusiasm at the outset, finding tools, creating an identity, tweaking artwork, an initial post or two etc etc, which rapidly diminishes into disinterest as I find that the hassle of setting up the blog site itself wasn’t actually all just setting up and that some of that hassle continues on in the blog ownership experience. This time I’m confident that things will be different, and here’s why…