Summary
One thing to note about the original Spider tool: I consider it beautiful, but not because it was well-designed and elegant. It was not pretty, and the developer was hesitant to show it to others. But it was a workhorse. It was designed to solve a very specific problem in a very practical, reusable, and flexible way. It was built to be used. Like a beautiful Clydesdale or a well-worn tool, it has a natural beauty.
It is intriguing to see how these tools evolved, were discovered, and then were combined from the first simple Spider tool to a tool that can test a million websites, survive crashes, and keep testing to various depths on the Web. I find it fascinating how a tool used by one person for one reason can explode into a handy tool for many people to use for many purposes.
As tools become more visible, people use them in new ways and the tools evolve. Testing becomes more automated and flexible. A personâs private âmagical boxâ is less exclusive as the tools get more exposure.
It is a beautiful thing when this happens.
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