A Simple Business Model ∞

Matt at 37 Signals:

When you choose that path, you get clarity. Everything is simpler. It’s simpler to explain your product. It’s simpler for people to understand. It’s simpler to change it. It’s simpler to maintain it. It’s simpler to start using it. The ingredients are simpler. The packaging is simpler. Supporting it is simpler. The manual is simpler. Figuring out your message is simpler. And most importantly, succeeding is simpler.

How to Achieve Painless Registration ∞

Summed up: quick and simple is best.

I might add that if you’re not trying to build your own self-hosted customer base, using a well-known point of sale like eBay, Amazon, or iTunes, or a highly-used, 3rd-party checkout option like PayPal or Google will create much less friction than a home-brewed option. Granted, your per-item profit margin may decrease, but so would tech support and website maintenance. Not to mention, with less friction sales are likely to increase enough to make up for that lost profit margin. (Via Marco.)

The Document Escalation Path ∞

The right tool for the right job.

Lost Landscapes of San Francisco ∞

Ever wonder what it was like to drive down the street of San Francisco in 1905? Well now you can know.

(Via Justin Blanton.)

“Creating Controversy for its own Sake (and How Humility is a Rare Bird Indeed on the Web These Days)” ∞

A must-read article by the beloved Joshua Blankenship on humility and integrity.

The Tacky Techie Conundrum ∞

Seth Godin:

The best new media (like blogs and possibly twitter) open doors to people who didn’t used to have a voice. The worst ones (like blogs and possibly twitter) merely create new venues for scams and senseless yelling.

Feltron’s CNN Report ∞

Speaking of good information design, check out this examination of CNN.com’s entire history of daily web stats (13 years worth!).

What Makes Good Information Design ∞

Is it interesting, easy, beautiful, and true?

Also, Chris Bowler’s Monday’s Top 5: Hidden Prefs ∞

Numbers 1, 2, and 5 for me.

Chris Bowler’s New Office Setup ∞

Gotta love guys that geek out over building a new cave.

“The Greatest Story on Earth Deserves the Greatest Stage on Earth” ∞

Sean Sperte’s deck from a talk at Northwest University about his Church, the Internet, and web standards.

✚ A Public Service Announcement ∞

Lately I haven’t been doing much writing (online) or reading (online). But today I opened up Fever for the first time in a few weeks and with my fresh cup of coffee spacebared through quite a few interesting things, and some very link-worthy ones.

If you too have not been reading (online) lately, I’ll be curating some worth-while stuff for you today from my reading this morning.