Software wish lists are useful

When people ask me how to learn software, I often say that: They're probably overrating books and underrating experimentation; They're probably overrating tutorials and underrating non-tutorial projects. Generative AI is making these even more true. You can experiment with a huge range of possible projects, with all sorts of cheap or free tools and deployment options, and with the help of better and better always-available tutoring in LLM form. I do this when I'm trying to learn new tools: I certainly read about them and about the relevant fundamentals, but actually undertaking projects with them is a central, indispensable part of the learning process. It's getting more and more valuable to have a list of software you want: as tools get better and faster, simply finding a project you care about is likelier to be a limiting factor. Further notes: The ability to see useful, not-yet-existing software is a close cousin of being bug-sighted. Even if you never build or commission the…