About Simple Tools

• Learning how a computer works is easier when using simple software, because it functions are simpler and therefore easier to understand.

• Understanding the system better gives you more control over your computing. Instead of relying on what programmers has set as default you can individualize your system more than with complex software.

• “Complexity is the worst enemy of security” security expert Bruce Schneier once said. Therefore it is important to reduce complexity. Simple software offers less attack vectors than complex programs. So, using simple software makes you less vulnerable.

• Using simple software needs not as much resources as complex software. Therefore you can use a computer for a longer time period. Using a simple operating system with simple programs is no problem on a 10 year old (or even older) computer. This means, simple software is a direct contribution in the fight against climate change - and it is good for your wallet

The tools listed here should be

• free software (open source software)
• Privacy respecting
• simple in design (i.e. not complex), see also How we measure
• lightweight (i.e. no bloatware), see also How we measure
• easy to learn and simple to use
• non-elitist
• still maintained

In general from + to +++++

• +++++ extremely lightweight
• ++++ very lightweight
• +++ somewhat lightweight
• ++ still usable, but with a tendency to bloat
• + bloatware

• +++++ extremely simple (e.g. one small file of code)
• ++++ very simple (a small number of files with modular code)
• +++ somewhat simple (a mid-sized project, but manageable and reasonable modularized or consists of several small tools)
• ++ Not so simple anymore (big project, but manageable for a small team)
• + Complex (a project with high complexity, not manageable or understandable by a single person or a small team)

• +++++ Very easy to use by novice users
• ++++ Easy to use by novice users after reading documentation
• +++ Easy to use by users with basic knowledge and after reading documentation
• ++ Usable for experienced users after reading documentation
• + Only usable by experts or after extensive study of the documentation or after a training course