I keep a running list of tools I actually use, as opposed to tools I’ve downloaded, tried once, and forgotten. This is the current version of that list. It changes, but slowly.

Writing

A plain text editor is still my starting point for almost everything. The specific one matters less than the habit. I’ve tried the fancy ones and always come back to something minimal. Fewer features means fewer decisions means more writing.

For longer pieces I’ve been using a Markdown-based editor that renders a preview alongside the text. Nothing revolutionary, but the split view keeps me honest about how things will actually look.

Research and reading

An RSS reader I’ve been using for years. I know RSS is supposed to be dead but it remains the best way I’ve found to read things I actually chose to read rather than things an algorithm decided I should see. Highly recommend having a deliberate reading list.

A read-later app for things I find but don’t have time to read immediately. The key is actually going back and reading them, which I’m about 60% successful at.

Command line

A fuzzy finder for navigating directories and file contents. Once you have it, the idea of not having it seems absurd. Fast, keyboard-driven, works everywhere.

A simple note-taking script I wrote myself that stores everything in plain text files organized by date. Not sophisticated, but it’s mine and it does exactly what I need.

This site

Neocities for hosting — static files, no build step, easy to update. The simplicity is the point. If maintaining the site feels like a chore, I won’t do it. So far it doesn’t.