Chromebooks force digital simplicity

It's easy to get wrapped up downloading various applications for a variety of functions. As I would read about what other apps bloggers were using as part of their workflows, I became curious and felt compelled to give them a "test drive," too.

What I didn't anticipate was how complicated all these different applications would make what was intended to be a simple publishing process. At one point, I realized I was using four different applications to create a single blog post for The Content Matrix.

Pre-Chromebook, here is what my blog post system looked like:

I used...

• Evernote to save ideas and clip relevant things I found on the web.
• Byword to create the post.
• Mars Blog Edit to set up and format the post.
• And the Wordpress web-based content management tool to preview, verify, and make any last minute HTML changes.

That's ridiculous! Sometimes you don't realize the layers of complexity you create for yourself until you take a step back.

The Chromebook has pushed me to adopt digital simplicity, especially in the areas of writing and publishing blog posts.

Today, I use Google Docs exclusively to write, style, and set up every blog post. When I'm ready to post, I simply copy and paste the final version into Wordpress. That's it!

The only complicated part about blogging should be finding the next topic and doing any necessary research to write on the topic. The tools needed to write and publish the post should be simple. That's how it was intended to be from the beginning.

I love Google Docs for creating blog post content because...

• It auto-saves my work.
• It works offline.
• I can easily organize every document based on my preferences.
• I can add hyperlinks and notes to myself.
• It's clean and uncomplicated which keeps me focused on content creation.
• If necessary, I can share it quickly to collaborate or get feedback.

The Chromebook single-handedly simplified how I create and publish blog posts.

Perhaps the greatest contribution of the Chromebook won't just be a great laptop experience. It may—in fact—become the catalyst that ushers in an "era of digital simplicity" that gets people refocused on the impact of our work rather than managing the complexity of the tools we use to accomplish the work.

How has the Chromebook forced you to simplify your digital habits?