Life hack: Difference between revisions
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The term '''life hack''' refers to productivity tricks that [[programmers]] devise and employ to cut through [[information overload]] and organize their data. |
The term '''life hack''' refers to productivity tricks that [[programmers]] devise and employ to cut through [[information overload]] and organize their data. |
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In more recent times, the same phrase has expanded to any sort of trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method to increase productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life. Or, in other words, anything that solves an everyday problem in a clever or non-obvious way might be called a life hack.<ref>[http://student.education2020.com/activities/vocab.aspx?keystr=120180&order=04020405&stbl=2420641] - Education 2020, vocabulary term '''"life hack"''', definition: ''"A clever, novel, or unexpected productivity or organizational solution."''<br />Usage: ''"Merlin's clever use of [[sticky notes]] to keep his desk organized was a lifed hack."'' </ref> |
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The original definition of the term ''life hack'' referred to [[quick-and-dirty]] [[shell scripts]] and other [[command line]] utilities that filtered, [[munge]]d and processed data streams like [[email]] and [[RSS feeds]].<ref name="ob_int"/><ref name="cd_notes">{{cite web|url=http://www.craphound.com/lifehacksetcon04.txt |title=Cory Doctorow's notes from Danny O'Brien's first Life Hacks presentation |date= |accessdate=2010-03-11}}</ref> Examples of these types of life hacks might include utilities to synchronize files, track tasks, remind yourself of events or filter email. |
The original definition of the term ''life hack'' referred to [[quick-and-dirty]] [[shell scripts]] and other [[command line]] utilities that filtered, [[munge]]d and processed data streams like [[email]] and [[RSS feeds]].<ref name="ob_int"/><ref name="cd_notes">{{cite web|url=http://www.craphound.com/lifehacksetcon04.txt |title=Cory Doctorow's notes from Danny O'Brien's first Life Hacks presentation |date= |accessdate=2010-03-11}}</ref> Examples of these types of life hacks might include utilities to synchronize files, track tasks, remind yourself of events or filter email. |
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The term became popularized in the [[blogosphere]] and is primarily used by [[geeks]] who suffer from information overload or those with a playful curiosity in the ways they can accelerate their workflow, in ways other than programming. |
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"Life" refers to an individual's productivity, personal organization, work processes or any area the [[hacker ethic]] can be applied to solve a problem. The terms ''[[hacker (computer security)|hack, hacking]]'', and ''[[hacker (computing)|hacker]]'' have a long history of ambiguity in the [[computing]] and geek communities, particularly within the [[free and open source software]] crowds. |
"Life" refers to an individual's productivity, personal organization, work processes or any area the [[hacker ethic]] can be applied to solve a problem. The terms ''[[hacker (computer security)|hack, hacking]]'', and ''[[hacker (computing)|hacker]]'' have a long history of ambiguity in the [[computing]] and geek communities, particularly within the [[free and open source software]] crowds. |
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Revision as of 17:12, 14 January 2011
The term life hack refers to productivity tricks that programmers devise and employ to cut through information overload and organize their data. In more recent times, the same phrase has expanded to any sort of trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method to increase productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life. Or, in other words, anything that solves an everyday problem in a clever or non-obvious way might be called a life hack.[1]
The original definition of the term life hack referred to quick-and-dirty shell scripts and other command line utilities that filtered, munged and processed data streams like email and RSS feeds.[2][3] Examples of these types of life hacks might include utilities to synchronize files, track tasks, remind yourself of events or filter email.
The term became popularized in the blogosphere and is primarily used by geeks who suffer from information overload or those with a playful curiosity in the ways they can accelerate their workflow, in ways other than programming.
"Life" refers to an individual's productivity, personal organization, work processes or any area the hacker ethic can be applied to solve a problem. The terms hack, hacking, and hacker have a long history of ambiguity in the computing and geek communities, particularly within the free and open source software crowds.
Popularization
British technology journalist Danny O'Brien coined the term life hack after polling a group of productive geeks on the details of their work processes.[4] O'Brien discovered a pattern among these super-productive programmers: that they devised and used "embarrassing" scripts and shortcuts to get their work done.[2]
O'Brien summarized his research in a presentation called Life Hacks: Tech Secrets of Overprolific Alpha Geeks at the O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference in San Diego, California in February 2004.[5] After his presentation, use of the term life hack spread in the tech and blogging community.
For a brief period of time after the conference, O'Brien worked on developing a web site devoted to life hacks which never launched.[2][6] In September of 2004, Merlin Mann launched 43folders.com, a topical blog dedicated to productivity tricks and life hacks, on which Mann invented the Hipster PDA.
Blog network Gawker Media launched a blog dedicated to life hacks, Lifehacker.com, in January of 2005. Independent blogger Leon Ho launched Lifehack.org in May of 2005.[7] Eventually O'Brien redirected lifehacks.com to 43folders.com. O'Brien and Mann co-write a column entitled "Life Hacks" for O'Reilly's Make magazine which debuted in February of 2005. O'Brien and Mann also co-presented a session called "Life Hacks Live" at the 2005 O'Reilly Emerging Technology conference.[8] In 2006, Kelly Sutton founded the website HackCollege, a lifehacking site for four-year university students.[9]
In recent years the term lifehacking has been associated also as an answer to information overload. Authors like Gina Trapani and Jim Stolze have been describing tips how you can prevent your inbox from overflowing. Also Merlin Mann introduced the "inbox-zero method".[10]
The American Dialect Society voted lifehack (one word) as the runner-up for "most useful word of 2005" behind podcast.[11]
See also
References
- ^ [1] - Education 2020, vocabulary term "life hack", definition: "A clever, novel, or unexpected productivity or organizational solution."
Usage: "Merlin's clever use of sticky notes to keep his desk organized was a lifed hack." - ^ a b c "Interview: father of "life hacks" Danny O'Brien". Lifehacker.com. 2005-03-17. Retrieved 2010-03-11.
- ^ "Cory Doctorow's notes from Danny O'Brien's first Life Hacks presentation". Retrieved 2010-03-11.
- ^ Caplan, Jeremy (2007-06-21). "Hacking Toward Happiness". TIME. Retrieved 2010-03-11.
- ^ "O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference 2004". Conferences.oreillynet.com. 1999-02-22. Retrieved 2010-03-11.
- ^ Life Hacks - pre-Alpha
- ^ "Working". washingtonpost.com. 2007-05-18. Retrieved 2010-03-11.
- ^ "O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference 2005". Conferences.oreillynet.com. 1999-02-22. Retrieved 2010-03-11.
- ^ Reimold, Dan (2010-09-08). "How College Students Became Mini-Media Moguls in School". PBS Media Shift. Retrieved 2010-09-11.
- ^ "What is inbox zero?". Inboxzero.com. Retrieved 2010-03-11.
- ^ "Words_of_the_Year_2005.pdf" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-03-11.