
In a remote corner of our world, there is a cavern.
Inside this cavern is a winding stone staircase that plunges deep towards the core of our beloved planet. At the bottom of this staircase is a door leading to a small chamber.
On the walls of this chamber, ancient philosophy, creeds, and secrets are lovingly chiseled in a long-dead language.
Today, I wish to share one of the most treasured sections of this wall.
West Wall, Section 3, Paragraph 2
aZiÿ oðphorÐtošy et preœišigωon¿ n∩mþñ∩ts biζe rœuiæd flañΠel Ρöò troÙŠers.
This loosely translates to:
To better encourage the proliferation of wisdom and efficiency, henceforth, all citizens shall not put out more effort than is required to complete a given task.
I’ve chosen to share this section, I call it The Lazy Law, because of its relevance to modern computing. Compliance with The Lazy Law distinguishes average computer users from exceptional ones. Here are a few basic mistakes average user’s make:
- Repeatedly running three commands when one will do.
- Requiring yourself to manually execute a task on a regular basis.
- Typing and clicking more than is necessary.
If you regularly repeat a series of commands, write a script! This way you need only execute the script. It saves on typing and clicking and keeps you from repeating yourself.
If you find yourself executing a command, script, or other task regularly, make it a cronjob! The computer is there to make your life easier, use it!
And, if you do a lot of typing or clicking to carry out a task you do often, find a way to simplify the task! Make shortcuts, write scripts, find a simpler terminal command.
LAZY, LAZY, LAZY! BE LAZY! This wise proclamation from days of yore is more applicable today than ever before, and, more importantly, is easier to follow than ever before.
DISCLAIMER: There is no chamber at the bottom of a staircase in a cave. I made that up. Sorry to disappoint you.