It's wierd, I read long articles like this, and think "This is more readable than modern webpages" even though it's a HUGE article. Is it possible people aren't writing as well as in 1993?

I'm guilty too - I used to write 20,000 word web-based articles in 1997 which my friends read without saying "It's too long!". Now I can barely write a blog entry (although I can write long emails).

It's because people are so goddamn awful at design.

There's so much bullshit in the average design calculated to leech a few more clicks out of people. Archive trees on the side, tag clouds, lots and lots of numbers calculating I-don't-give-a-fuck, share buttons. People stick colors and borders where colors and borders have no reason being. On top of that, people have no clue how to make readable typography. None. I'm shocked at how many people go along with ugly text without once learning to make it attractive. Good designers, too, that just never thought to look at making their text fit into their page.

When you have ugly layouts, people won't tolerate reading as much, and you learn that your "best" writing is much shorter. There're some exceptions. I don't think it's surprising that the best longform writers I know all have very attractive-looking longform designs. Certainly that's what I put effort into this week, designing my new portfolio.

See also, Merlin Mann's "noise-to-noise" ratio: http://www.flickr.com/photos/merlin/sets/72157622077100537/d...

Thank you for the link! That's a brilliant set.

I sometimes feel autistic online, because I don't understand how people come up with the need to clutter the way they do. When I design, I start feeling cramped if I've got more than seven distinct stylistic elements. My portfolio includes a header and a footer, and looking at it a a part of me still feels like that's too much to have on a web site.

A clean page with no distractions or links always snaps me into "reading" mode. It's why I like Instapaper and Readable so much.

The author was a professional journalist.

This is absolutely brilliant writing. Great use of dialogue, 'showing' rather than 'telling', painting good pictures of the various characters involved (Burt, 'jolly' director),etc.

That makes me sad. It's a significant piece of computing history that should be preserved.

If, for nothing else, to prevent future computer makers from using cast magnesium in their cases.

Interestingly they say that they posted the pictures to Flickr which appears to be Picasa after all.

That's awesome. Next time I go camping I'll bring some flint and a bit of NeXT Cube.

Ah, yes. Magnesium. Also means NeXT cubes are great for starting a thermite bomb.

Makes me want to burn an iPhone.

Unfortunately, the iPhone isn't made from cast magnesium. It wouldn't burn nearly as well.