The things I use

Every now and then I get "nerd sniped". Something (a link, an idea, anything) comes out of left-field and instantly becomes an obsession. Take, for example, Universal Paperclips. I stumbled on that link who-knows-where, and BAM! Three days' productivity lost, just like that.

Thankfully the most recent example is more benign. Wes Bos' uses.tech site is a catalogue of tech bloggers' "uses" pages. I saw that, and had to drop everything to make my own: tomhazledine.com/uses

What is a "uses" page?

In short, a "uses" page is a list of the things you use. Beyond that, it's really up to you. I've chosen to list the hardware I own and use on a regular basis. I covers the basics like computers and laptops, but also other useful things. I have a section for video- and audio-related tech (which I use for podcasting and my occasional coding videos), and also a section that covers my art and design tools (ranging from fancy sketchbooks to The World's Best Pencil^[1]).

Future plans

I think having (and maintaining) a Uses page is a valuable thing. I love reading about the tools other professionals use, so hopefully someone else (maybe you!) will find value in my list.

So far I've only scratched the surface (I really love things, it turns out) and there are already plenty of omissions. The tools I use day-to-day fall in and out of favour periodically, so regular updates will be required. And I haven't even started to list the software I use!

I will revisit my Uses page as often as I can, and will actively seek-out the Uses pages of others. You should make one of your own, and then Tweet the link to me. I'd love to see it!

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1. It's almost embarrassing how much I love this pencil. The feature set, the weight of it, the finger-feel of the exquisite knurling. Everything about it is perfect. ↩︎