Weeknotes 11: Factory Original Eyeball

• I’ve really enjoyed reading folks saying exactly what I’ve been thinking about the state of React lately. Both Cassidy and Tom capture more eloquently than I could how strange it is to watch our tool flourish internally while completely stagnating to the outside world.

• In case my priors aren’t sufficiently clear, there’s a reason this site doesn’t have a spec of React on it, but I still spend more time in that universe than anywhere else, especially for my day job, and I certainly respect what it’s capable of. I just wish I didn’t have to handwave bugs away waiting for the elusive 18.3 drop.

• In other "mad at technology" news: Thank you to Apple Vision Pro™ for making it once more time for me to selfishly root against all things 3-D / VR / AR / XR / face computers.

• My particular physiological affliction has made all of these technologies at worst completely inaccessible and at best just boring. I spent quite a bit of time with a Meta Quest 2, and the overall effect was just like having a heavy TV on my face.

• There was already very little risk I was going to drop four grand on an Apple Vision Pro, but it helped that it 1. doesn’t support my prescription 2. is extremely unlikely to know what to do with the one eye that’s not factory original equipment and 3. would require me to buy a whole extra screen that I wouldn’t use.

• In case it’s unclear: I don’t expect everything to be for me! Google Glass was kind of cool (even more so if it hadn’t shipped with a camera) and accidentally sat on the side of my face that worked for me (yes, I have one, which lives in my little museum of ancient technology alongside the Palm VII and a third-generation iPod that might still be my favorite consumer electronics object). I don’t begrudge anybody enjoying a cool fun time, but I can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief every time we all move on without embracing this.