Tekka store: tools

One of the interesting things about planning Tekka, our new magazine about enjoying new media and beautiful software, is asking ourselves, what do Web people need?

One thing we need today, more than ever, is access to tools -- the old rubric of the Stewart Brand's Whole Earth Catalog. This means knowing what tool fits what job: do I want my office network today to be wired or wireless? This means knowing about new tools -- including new theories and new technologies.

And it means a willingness to roll up your sleeves and do the work.

We're going to hunt down some of the best tools, sort them out, and help you get them into your own work. Sometimes, these will be software tools. Sometimes, the tools will be methodologies, or design styles, or events. Sometimes, the tools will be books.

It's time to wake up from the childish dream of the One True Tool. Fine work requires a varied set of tools, in software as well as carpentry.