I haven’t read Daring Fireball the whole ten years, but certainly as long as I can remember.

And I’ve always remembered it being honest, sometimes harsh (but fair), and real. An individual who’s got nothing to lose by always giving it to you straight.

Someone who expects excellence, accountability, and open/honest truths from businesses and their leaders.

And, of course, it doesn’t hurt to have some extremely keen insight into technology, market trends, and seeing through corporate nomenclature (aka bullshit).

Saying John Gruber is “one of the brightest minds in technology today” is definitely an understatement.

He is a definitive force in influencing technology users to expect something better than what we have been naively tricked into thinking is acceptable for so long.

Beneath the surface

And yet, it’s more than just technology that drives John. It’s the pursuit of transparency, humanity, and respect throughout all of society.

It’s about standing by what you believe, no matter the critics, haters, or naysayers.

It’s a deeper appreciation of the finest details in all forms of creativity and expression.

Influence on me

I see a little of Daring Fireball in my own site, at least with adopting certain writing conventions and blogging styles, and especially with being a writer first and blogger second (I’m pretty sure John would scoff at the word “blog”).

I may not always have the exact same perspective and sense of the big picture, and I definitely don’t have the same audience or time to dedicate to my site, but I like to think I have a purpose when it comes to writing, and the first step of being successful at anything is having a purpose.