A digital garden of notes, ideas, and reflections from Doug Belshaw.
AI summary
The author manually copies project hours from Toggl into Proton Sheets, then uses a formula to convert the time format (e.g., 30:45:00) into decimal hours (e.g., 30.75) for further analysis. The note provides the formula for reference, noting this workaround is needed because the spreadsheet cannot natively handle Toggl's raw time output.
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The author dislikes LinkedIn for its performative nature, Microsoft ownership, and AI-generated content, but acknowledges its utility for staying connected. They are currently not active on their blogs or other social media.
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AI summary
The note describes a concept for future apps that build themselves by drawing on universal 'skills' and allowing users to refine functionality through questions. It envisions composable, context-aware interfaces shaped by user preferences, accessibility-first voice conversations, and a value proposition canvas process.
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Friction is presented as a valuable design principle that creates meaningful experiences by prompting reflection, responsibility, and connection. The note argues that intentionally designing friction into life can help people move forward with awareness and purpose, rather than seeking ease and speed.
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The note argues that measuring developer productivity through output volume—lines of code, commits, or AI-generated tokens—confuses activity with value. True productivity involves solving the right problems effectively, not generating more code. Metrics that fail to assess problem-solving quality measure only engagement with the tool, not
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The author is interested in e-ink screens for writing, particularly to reduce glare due to light sensitivity, and wishes for a laptop that can switch between regular and e-ink displays. They cite a programmer's experience using the Onyx BOOX Mira Pro Color e-ink monitor as a primary display.
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The note argues that the US resembles a failed state due to the arbitrariness and uncertainty caused by an unpredictable narcissist leader. The author would prefer to go to China than the US and declined a respected invitation to a US-based conference for this reason.
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The note compares Cormac McCarthy's novel and the Coen brothers' film adaptation of No Country for Old Men, noting that while they share the same events and dialogue, the book emphasizes Sheriff Bell's reflective narration and randomness, while the film focuses more on the suspenseful hunt and alters Carla Jean's death scene to imply cause and effect.
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The note explains that after trying other tools like Obsidian and Forestry.md, the author created Substrate, a digital garden that pulls in Are.na bookmarks and organizes notes into stages: Rough, Working, and Settled. The name derives from the biological concept of substrate, the surface on which organisms live, as a more fitting metaphor than "digital garden."
…You've reached the deepest layer: the oldest notes in the garden.