The Setup

The other day I got a pointer from Hacker News to an interview with Russ Cox on The Setup. Russ is always interesting and I really enjoyed the interview. Then I made the mistake of clicking on the Archives link and discovered many, many more. It's an excellent black hole for any spare (or not so spare) cycles that you may have. I've already wasted half a day on it.

Each interview asks 4 questions

1. Who are you and what do you do?
2. What hardware are you using?
3. What software are you using?
4. What would be your dream setup?

That doesn't sound too promising but it turns out that those questions generate some pretty interesting interviews. I find it fascinating to hear what tools and hardware people are using and why. After you read a few of the interviews, the contrasts between the answers become another interesting aspect.

Many of the interviewees are software engineers as you would expect but there are all sorts of people represented: artists, photographers, scientists, writers, designers, and many others.

It's definitely worth a look but be warned: it can be addicting.