Links for Saturday June 14th 2014

  • There’s no konami code for operations – blog dot lusis
    I think I may just fire this at my boss, then next time he asks why a given bit of work is going to take the time it does. Because this is at once the most technobabble filled bit of writing I've read in a while, and yet serves as a reasonable summary of how complex development has gotten over the last decade or so. "Can you understand this blogpost? No? Then you're not qualified to understand the time estimates you're asking for."

Links for Friday May 23rd 2014

  • On the Future of MetaFilter – Marco.org
    Marco Arment discussing the Google-inflicted problems MetaFilter are having, pretty much nails what I consider a reasonable and sane attitude to Google: "People wonder why I’m so skeptical of Google and careful not to rely on them for too much. This is why: they’re in this unassailable position of absolute monopoly power for such a massive part of web publishing because too many people aren’t so skeptical."

Links for Thursday May 22nd 2014

  • Signs from the near future
    On the one hand, this is interesting because it's about the practical applications of design. On the other, quite a lot of these feel a bit retro-future to me. Which is kind of weird, and an idea I probably want to explore a bit in some form when time permits.
  • On the Future of MetaFilter — Technology Musings — Medium
    Relatedly to one of today's other links here's a write up of what's going on with Metafilter, which basically comes down to "it's business model is built on Google being helpful in a specific way". Which is a flaw in their model, but it's also an interested outside perspective on things changing inside the Google black box.
  • Jeremy Palmer — Google is Breaking the Internet
    This is insane to me. I know I'm on record as not being a Google cheerleader, but this is weird, even for them – their business is built on accurately rating the trustworthiness of links, and yet they're mis-classifying trustworthy links as untrustworthy? This says to me that something is broken internally in Google, and if they don't get if fixed, it's going to be long-term bad for *everyone*. I'd like to see this do the rounds and get outcry about it, not because I believe Google are being Evil here, but because I think they need to be made very aware of the mistake, for everyone's good, including theirs.
  • Read This If All You Know About Hyenas Came From The Lion King
    OK, I now understand why Del is a fan of these creatures. Absolutely fascinating.