Great software is part of you

What I think about great software, is software that you can't live without, that you use often, that does not interrupt your work with cryptic messages.  It is clear, concise, and forms a part of your digital life.  You use it to get things done.  It can be any type of application, written in any language.  It is fast, responsive, and consumes little resources on the machine that it is running on.  It provides clear feedback on what to do, should you do something illegal.  In short, great software is like an extension of you, it is like a human, almost like a really really helpful friend.

So how do you build great software?  Well start thinking about how you want your ideal friend to be.  Then design it like a friend.  Build it to respond like a friend, like how you would want to be treated.  People using machines want to be treated like a human, and machines should be human like when in use by a human.

First post

This blog will contain entries on writing successful software.  What makes software great?  How do you make money running a one man show?  How do you price software?  How do you write software that requires little maintenance?  These are some of the questions that I will answer and more, in the coming days and months.