internet culture

Why do people construct and then give away free languages? Well, the creation of a good computer language is the work of an apex programmer. To have produced a successful language is acknowledged as a monumental effort, akin to publishing a multivolume history of a war, or fighting in one. The reward is glory.

Changing a language is like fighting... See more

PAUL FORD • Paul Ford: What Is Code? | Bloomberg

Web developer's oath

Before the exercises, let me remind what you promised at the end of the previous part.

Programming is hard, that is why I will use all the possible means to make it easier

I will have my browser developer console open all the time

I progress with small steps

I will write lots of console.log statements to make sure I understand how

Fullstack part2 | Rendering a collection, modules

We’re seeing the progressive unbundling of human agency in memory creation, and I think it’s happening in clear phases.

The first phase started a very long time ago. Cameras, voice recorders, and digital notebooks were primitive tools for documentation. Sure, each of these tools were enhanced by technology. We chose what to capture and the tools... See more

Unbundling memory

If a simplistic description of AI is computers learning to be more human, then the persistence of Hawk Tuah for six months and counting is the inverse: Humans learning how it feels to be a computer—forced to remember, unable to move on, endlessly consuming and regurgitating our past output in slightly different formats—a video here, a podcast... See more

Drew Austin • The Meme Fossil Record

For instance, sometimes we create abstraction layers that allow people to create things on top of them explicitly without having to understand anything beneath them. We call those “platforms.” The expectation is that when we create abstraction layers like that, we should see an explosion of creativity, since now people can focus only on the... See more

Moxie Marlinspike • The Magic of Software; Or, What Makes a Good Engineer Also Makes a Good Engineering Organization

Our search for solutions should begin with the binary thinking that is at the heart of the problem. Psychologists suggest that we can mitigate binary thinking by developing cognitive flexibility — that is, engaging with the complexity and variability of real life by taking into account multiple points of view. This is part of what we call empathy.

Tim Gorichanaz • Finding Heroes In A Messy Digital World | NOEMA

Over the years, I have written a lot about commercial (and domestic) spaces becoming more “logistical.” The degraded customer experience may be worthwhile from a cost-benefit perspective—and we can at least hope to recoup our losses in other domains, such as convenience—but the plight of physical space is real. The less pleasant it is to spend time... See more

Drew Austin • The Amazonification of Public Space

NON NEGOTIABLES

Of the place
Less is more
Vibrant collaboration
No repeat ingredients
Consolidation + speed
Confidence + competence
In + out service
Pursuit of excellence
Details matter
Know your shit!
FOCUS
Service
Time
Not about you
Perfect means perfect
No excuses
Respect tradition
Push boundaries
Clean as you go
Break down boxes
Shirts perfectly pressed
Personal