[drpixie]

I'm with CleverLikeAnOx on this. I known it goes against the prevailing HN ethos, but more-features-more-monetisation does not necessarily produce the best product. (In fact, I don't think it will ever produce the best product.)

Think of those tools that you've really enjoyed using - perhaps the mid-range HP calculators, or a great fountain pen or knife, or even a spanner that just fits perfectly. These are all tools that have been designed with a clear idea of their purpose, and their design has focused on that purpose.

A great chef's knife doesn't incorporate a bottle-opener - that could be added but it would be a less usable knife.

Memorable products have long life-spans. Users treasure their fountain pen, often for life. I'm still disappointed at the loss of my HP11C. But who is going to mourn a programming language or front-end that drops out of favour because it's grown unusably big and cumbersome as the designers increase scope. When it comes to their next project, users will consider something cleaner, something that does all but only what they need.

[trenchgun]

> I known it goes against the prevailing HN ethos, but more-features-more-monetisation does not necessarily produce the best product.

What? Minimalism is very much favoured in HN. Unix-philosophy: do one thing well