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layers-of-abstraction-for-me-not-for-thee.md

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title subtitle date tags
Layers of abstraction for me, not for thee
Qualitatively different layers
2024-06-18
design-affordances
installing-software
law-of-diminishing-returns
software-dev
simple-suboptimal-solutions
shell
tmux
time-management
the-medium-is-the-message

Consider the problem of "how do I run more than 1 terminal at a time". At this moment, I have at least 5 different ways I can effectively solve this issue:

  • I can, from a different physical computer, SSH in to a new session.
  • I can, from the same physical computer, switch to a different tty session with ... C-S-F2 through 6 or something. (Rare, but sometimes it comes in really handy.)
  • I can, in the same user session, open 2 separate windows of a terminal emulator.
  • I can, in the same terminal emulator, open a new tab.
  • I can, in the same emulated terminal, run tmux and open a new pane.

There are yet more exotic options like Serial over LAN that I'm only theoretically aware of.

Respectfully, I feel a bit spoiled for choice in this domain - but this definitely doesn't follow the Rule of Four, and if I was a new entrant to the world of terminals, I would feel a bit overwhelmed by it all. Having options is great, but I don't know much about the constraints driving all of these options to exist.

To say nothing of if I was a casual user, with no real interest in going pro at all. I do my own taxes, but I definitely don't want to invest a bunch of time right now into learning all the secret little nooks and crannies a professional accountant can hook into to make their work lives go more smoothly even as they save me much more money than I ever could myself.

This is one reason face-to-face interaction with someone who is both good at their job, and good with people, is so pleasant. You can sense the avalanche of choices they know they could employ while talking with you, and their restraint in not stepping out of the way and letting it bury you. I still have fond memories of the day my accountant friend heard my plight about moving countries, of passport issues, for half an hour, and simply asked me, "Have you heard of the FEIE?"