---
title: "Computer Use"
date: "2026-04-12T17:03:56.000Z"
draft: false
---

# Weird(?) Ways I Use My Machine

## Desktop Zero

I don't put files or folders on my desktop or generally aspire not to.
This is a soft limitation but I usually hold to it pretty well.

It seems akin to a messy desk.
My desk is sometimes messy also but I'm not happy about it when it is.

## Launching over searching

Some people have a lot of tabs and windows open at once.
I aim to have as few as possible.
My goal is do be able to open anything I am looking for from a zero state and I optimize for this.
This means leaning on launch tools like Alfred, shell aliases, and bookmark managers.

I usually have an automatic stale tab closer extension running in my browser.
When I used IDEs I constantly was running "Close All" frequently, opening the files I cared about when I needed them.

It almost always easier for me to just open a new tab or window of something than find the one that is already open, so I don't even try to find it.

I also use my [keyboard as a launcher](/til/goku/simultaneous-layers) to make this easier.
I also don't use macOS Spaces.
I summon whatever window I want via hotkeys and Alfred.

## Dock hidden, on the left

I mostly work on a laptop and screen real estate can be at a premium.
Because of this, I always hide my dock.
If you don't do this, you lose that slice of screen to application icons.
Since I take a launch first approach, I almost never look at the dock anyway.
I put it on the left because my external display extends my screen to the right and it feels the most out of my way.

## Clean Dock

While we're dicussing the Dock, mine has minimal applications visible my default.
You won't find me using a computer with Number, Pages, etc. all visible, unused, in the Dock.