It’s Not A Redesign If You Don’t Cut Features

A content website that has been live for any length of time will contain feature bloat: editorial modules, revenue features, social doo-dads and third party widgets etc. If you talk to the right stakeholder, EVERY feature on a website is “vital” but how many really are? Removing features can dramatically improve site engagement metrics by […]

Old Records Young Kids Should Hear

I was listening to Jonathan Schwartz while making lunch in the kitchen this afternoon as I often do on a Sunday and he suggested that in order to insure that the cannon of 20th century song is passed into the 20th century and beyond, it is best for children to be exposed to this great […]

Loving the Ghanaian Blues

A dear friend shares my passion for good music played by real musicians. She has recently pointed my ears toward a rich vein of African funk and soul that has filled my brutal winter commutes with joy. Ghana Special – Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds & Ghanaian Blues | Soundway Records. Grab this stuff. It is special.

Hum This One Along With Me If You Know It

I love old sheet music. I love the artwork and the odd long-forgotten sentiments. Sometimes you find a timeless classic that still completely resonates but more often you find yourself laughing and trying to figure out what on earth is going on.  In another life I would be Jean Cunningham, Paramount Theatre music librarian.

Indonesian Funk

This rare 70’s Indonesian stuff is crunchy. Don’t waste it on workplace listening. These are bintang jams. Source: The Lo-Fi Legacy Of Indonesia : NPR.

On Having a Super Power Skill

There is no question that this is a great time to be able to code but what of the Super Power skill thing? What does it feel like to have a “super power” skill? Do you know it if you have one? Is it something that becomes part of your overall mojo like a Superhero’s […]

WordPress 3.1 is Awesome

Yes WordPress 3.1 is out. I have upgraded to 3.1 on every WordPress install I run including the 100% wp popdust. We have been using the 3.1 RC versions on our dev boxes for weeks so this transition has gone smoothly. While the admin bar and new internal linking feature are getting a lot of […]

Speeding up Email and Ditching buttons

This is where a email needs to evolve – both on the UI/UX side and the etiquette aide. The fact of the matter is, younger people dislike and do not use email as much …and for good reason. It feels like a slower form of digital communication. If it feels slower it is slower. Emails […]

User Driven Development

I like faking functionality and shipping quickly to gauge real world uptake prior to development. This is not always feasible but if it is, it has a lot of upside. Developers do not like to carefully build out features that are possibly going to get killed.  They often resolve this dissonence in two ways: 1. […]

Great Introductory Video on Scalability from Harvard Computer Science

The next time there is a substitute teacher on duty at your workplace, pull down the shades and gather all of the junior engineers and non-technical managers around for a great introductory video on Scalability from Harvard Computer Science. The core topics discussed in this video need to be well understood by anyone claiming to […]

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