I’m anal retentive. I like things to be neat and orderly. I like a clean house, which is why I try to go in my kids’ rooms as little as possible. When I was young I was really bad. Other people’s non-anal attitudes would drive me a little crazy, which in turn would drive me even more crazy for being driven crazy by it to begin with.

I’m actually better than I used to be, though, and I’m not so bad that I can’t handle a little disorder. My wife is decidedly not anal retentive, for instance. I try my best to not inflict my internal torture on her. So it is rare that I find other people’s habits driving me nuts these days.

Lately, though, there has been one habit that drives me nuts. It’s the tendency to use phrases like, “my friend” or “friend of the show.” I absolutely hate this and makes me want to throw my iPad or iPhone out a window every time I encounter it.

It has become common place among too many authors to refer to people they know as “my friend” before telling you about him. On a recent podcast, for instance, the speaker was talking about Fred Wilson, a well-known venture capitalist in New York. The speaker went out of his way to mention that he knew Fred, even though it had absolutely nothing to do with his point. Who cares, I screamed at my iPhone? Are you really so insecure that you need to tell the world you know this man?

In some cases, like when you are specifically promoting something of theirs, it is important to mention it. I usually do this in a footnote. From my perspective, this is full disclosure. But when you are quoting a person or relaying something that that person said or otherwise referencing that person for a thousand other reasons, it really should be omitted. It just comes across as egotistical.

I read a lot and often store up posts that I don’t have much to comment on personally but are excellent articles worth a read. I have more right now stored than I care to mention. This selection is business and technically-oriented. Here’s a few for the weekend:

• Fear of Flying by Dave McClure. I’ve never been much afraid to fail but it’s still good to be reminded every once in a while, to look in the mirror and ask oneself whether that’s still true.
• Unprofessionalism by Allen Pike. When we released powerOne version 4 we received a lot of negative feedback from staunch customers over the design. (We got a lot of positive feedback, too.) Some people were very respectful, saying they didn’t like it and even explaining why, which helped a ton as we developed version 4.1 (now in review). Some were very visceral, even calling for us to be fired. It’s easy to forget that there are people on the other end of that email, people doing the best they can, people who sometimes do the right thing and sometimes make mistakes. (via Daring Fireball)
• Christmas Gifts and the Meaning of Design by Ben Thompson. Ben looks at his favorite gift of all time, what it means from a design perspective, and how we can utilize that in our own products and services.
• On Delegation by John Cook. I came to the conclusion years ago that, when building a company, we should first hire for the things we are not good at or don’t want to do but need to be done. I also came to the conclusion that we know to fire someone when they are making extra work for me. John has a wonderful run-down on some decision points.
• Software Development in 2014 by Tim Bray. Exceptional, tight list of the state of software development in 2014.
• Understanding the Underbelly of Online Marketing by Mark Suster. One of the great business thinkers of our time, Mark dives into the seedy world of online marketing. Important to understand, even if you choose to say no.
• Wearability Is Not Enough by Michael Mace. Michael, a great thinker on technology topics, focuses on wearable computing and why he is a skeptic. I haven’t worn a watch since high school. Can’t imagine doing it now.
• Why Bitcoin Matters by Marc Andreessen. I’ve been trying to understand bitcoin for a while. Thanks to Marc, I do now. Very important read.