no config files
This is kind of the big “but” of my downsides of tech convenience post. In it, I talk very positively about trying stuff out, breaking stuff, fixing it and customizing. I do that and I need the option to do that. Whenever I get anything - a device, software, account, the first thing I do is go to the settings and customize. But most of the time now, only to a degree.
Listen, I really tried. Regularly, I would see some esoteric keyboard shortcut list and settings, a highly customized DE and custom colors or whatever that people swear up and down made everything 200% faster, fed their entire family, mowed their lawn and tucked them in at night. And I tried some stuff out. I even heavily got into Linux ricing for a while. But I can’t do it all, not all the time, not long term.
Aside from light/dark mode, sizing, privacy settings and plug-ins, I just live with the defaults 90% of the time right now. I prefer not to be mentally tied to some special shortcuts or dotfile or whatever. I don’t wanna worry if I ever exported it, backed it up, and if it has my latest changes, or that after each update something in my design or settings will break. I want to feel completely free in just wiping everything at a whim without having to spend 10 hours getting things back to how it was.
Does it take that long for a single config file? No. But I mean, usually it escalates, right? You start with your IDE and then you might rice your Linux and heavily customize your Vesktop/Vencord and aesthetic Spotify launcher, and browser config, then you change it here and there, overhaul it again ... even worse if you are influenced by what others put out! Gotta be careful that you even give yourself the time to get used to whatever you’re currently trying out before moving on to the next shiny thing.
I just don’t wanna feel like I rely too much on something I deem essential but that isn’t there by default or easily reinstated. And I get lazy - even if it is easy to get it back via backed up files, at some point I skip it because I start to think hmm, maybe the defaults aren’t so bad, and I’ll probably reinstate it just for it to be undone again. I just boot my freshly wiped or updated default laptop or default software and I can just do what I wanna do. I’m not reduced to an unproductive mess if it doesn’t have my keyboard shortcuts.
But of course, sometimes I get an idea in my head and I want to see how far I can push it. That’s what inspired my other post. I don’t like to feel confined to the defaults! But I’m also not confined to my configs. That’s the beauty of being able to make devices and software work for you, not the other way around.
Published 22 Dec, 2024