If there is one thing that impresses me consistently, it is simplicity done well.
Not that I have anything against things that are complex per se. But in things that are more complicated than they need to be. In fact I love complicated abstractions, I am fascinated by Cricket for instance, which is nothing if not a very complicated set of arbitrary rules that seems completely impenetrable on the first encounter.
But if it wasn’t for that, then the game itself wouldn’t be half as interesting. It’s a great example of a situation where adding layers of complexity actively adds to the value of something.
When I have discussions about how the accounts department of my company works though, or when I look at the shrink-wrapped tomatoes at my supermarket, something dies inside at the complete stupidity of just how complicated this thing has become, for no tangible benefit at all.
A little strongly stated perhaps. but the point remains – do we really have to make four payments back & forth where a conversation & one would do, & everyone would be sorted out & happy much quicker? Do you_really_ think that there is enough wrong with the methods of storing tomatoes that people have been using for the last thousand years that there is any real benefit from the waste you are generating? Not to mention the extra hassle involved in my actually getting at them.
So please, can we just keep things simple?