Toolip

Toolip is a directory of web development tools curated by me.

Year: Nov 2018
Software: Sublime Text 2

Back in 2012 or so, there was a website I frequently visited which had categorized grids of tools, libraries and graphics made by other people, for you to use in projects.
Unfortunately the site went down, so I made my own.

The tools were picked out from a daily routine of going through the following sites:

• Codrops Collective
• Dribbble
• Slashdot/Hackernews

Tangent: Daily routines and passive skill development

In my first years as a software dev, I made the habit of spending 10 minutes a day before stand-ups to glance through relevant sites of curated content.

It played a huge role in enhancing my career, as it:

• Kept me enthusiastic and excited about new technologies and techniques - In a standard office job, you're usually working with the same set of tools forever, so peeking into other ways to do things keeps things interesting
• Gives you ideas to improve the product you're working on
• Improves your eye for what works and what doesn't - This one is a slow, gradual change, but the difference in the end is substantial
• Increases your technological vocabulary, and keeps them updated - Expanding your awareness of what libraries and new methods out there saves you a ton of headache when the time comes to change things around with your work's products. Also everyone will think you're cool.

I made the active effort to avoid those hustling hip websites like ProductHunt, as I find those to just be corporate noise with fake passion for technology.

Disclaimer: I stopped doing this after 4 years. But from this position I can at least recommend that people do it for 4 years.