Internet Todo List for Enthusiastic Thinkers, S1E16

It’s often said, in many ways, that all things have a beginning and end. Even shows like Saturday Night Live, that run for decades, have noticably different incarnations. The Simpsons is a notable exception.

A lot of things that I deeply love, like Born to Run and Pet Sounds took dozens of months to come to fruition. That is not my kind of effort, though I’m thankful Bruce Springsteen and Brian Wilson sustained their perfectionism long enough to finish those albums.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Band was recorded in about twenty-one weeks. That’s my kind of schedule. And this newsletter is not going to be a Simpsons or Born to Run sort of thing; it will have an end and it won’t be an ongoing expression of perfectionism. I am entertaining the idea of putting a bow on this newsletter at twenty-one weeks.

I’m making all these comparisons because I like the notion of breaking up effort by albums, seasons, films, something like that. The continuous grind of putting out software or doing something week-in, week-out is just that: a grind. The great thing about a season or an album is it leads to something: a finale, a physical artifact, etc.

I’m saying I’d like to put a bow on this because I want to make something final. An artifact for this endeavor, something that pulls it all together. I’ve just started thinking about this, about how a collection of links and thoughts becomes a coherent thing.

Further, I want to try all new experiments. At the very least, I’m eager to name something again, so the next thing will have a new name, even if the spirit is the same. Second, I want to try and maybe fail at new things: medium, interval, and form. When I started this, I give it a cute number scheme that calls out to how TV seasons and episodes are numbered. The next season of this endeavor will have a different name and possibly a different angle, but I think it will feel familiar to those of you reading today. It’s about the kind of quality conversation that happens between interesting people over tasty beverages.

This newsletter has been a series of very rewarding experiments. Could I write something, roughly on a deadline, every week, and not hate it? Yes! Would other people read it? Yes! Would I learn and get new ideas from the process? Yes!

The next few weeks will return to the typical links-and-commentary format. Then probably, a big finale. And then, the season is over and the next thing starts.

Thanks for being part of this fun little expedition; I'm looking forward to seeing how it ends!