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Category: technology

On Systems

On Systems

One of the amazing things about our human mind is that it enables the capacity of abstract thought. As software developers, we are taught to program computer systems. Doing so, we are learning to disembody ourselves from the physical everyday world of our lives and speak the language of bits and bytes, 0s and 1s. We use our capacity for abstract thought to put ourselves into a world where statements Read the article >>
Privacy: People tell Google their deepest darkest secrets?

Privacy: People tell Google their deepest darkest secrets?

I''m endlessly fascinated with how much people trust Google and other web services with their personal information. Given that the vast majority of google users don''t opt-out of the recording of their web history, and that the Justice department in the USA has subpoenaed millions of search results from Americans, I find the following Google search autocomplete endlessly fascinating. In each Read the article >>
Zen OS X: 5 easy steps to eliminate distractions on your Mac

Zen OS X: 5 easy steps to eliminate distractions on your Mac

I''ve been putting a lot of thought lately into simplifying my workspace to allow greater focus whatever task is current. Here are 5 easy wins I''ve made on my laptop (MBP 15" running Snow Leopard) in the past month to eliminate distractions and increase focus. 1. Cleanup the Desktop. There are two main things I''ve found really helpful to eliminate distractions on my desktop: Archive every Read the article >>
Make your Site”s Usage Data Visceral & Ambient

Make your Site”s Usage Data Visceral & Ambient

I love data. I love trying to compare it with more qualitative analyses of my product. I love finding trends in it. But I hate spreadsheets. I need to consume data viscerally. In traditional retail, visitors to a store are in the same physical space as the employees, allowing collection of more ambient data about store ''usage'', e.g. foot patterns, visitor reactions, etc. Not so on the web. Read the article >>
Navigate the developer/businessperson language-barrier

Navigate the developer/businessperson language-barrier

One of the most challenging, and conversely, rewarding areas of software development is managing the relationship between you and your business partners. As a developer, you speak the language of systems. You walk in the specific and precise languages of database, of code, of specifications. Your primary currencies are exact specifications and knowledge. Your job is to translate requirements into Read the article >>
An Email Bill of Rights for WebServices Users

An Email Bill of Rights for WebServices Users

The are a few email faux paux''s I see which regularly find their way into my inbox. Chief among them is the block of fine print below: Please do not reply to this email. Replies to this email will not be responded to or read. To contact us, jump through hoop x, y, or z. Let me get this straight: You expect me to read your email, but you will not read mine if I reply? Morever, you expect me to hunt Read the article >>
Recommended Tool: RescueTime Time Management Software

Recommended Tool: RescueTime Time Management Software

I love tools that help me be more productive or more self aware (especially where Time Management is concerned). What it is. (from Rescuetime.com): Personal time management software. Get the focus you need to get things done! Features. (also from Rescuetime.com): - Automagical app & site tracking (with no data entry!) - Beautiful time & attention reports for managers only - goals, alerts, Read the article >>
Follow your vision. Follow your analytics

Follow your vision. Follow your analytics

Jeff Widman, an old friend from Techstars ''08 writes about his analytics vision: If you heavily rely on analytics, you might miss breakthroughs because you‚Äôre so stuck on gradually evolving‚Ķ how do you balance learning from feedback loops and simply taking a leap with your gut? My 2 cents: If you''re tracking the right metrics, and view those analytics as the validation part of Read the article >>
Be a digital boyscout: What my laptop backpack looks like

Be a digital boyscout: What my laptop backpack looks like

One of the biggest distinctions between my previous corporate job and my role in a startup has been the lack of support and gear immediately available to me in the later. To compensate, I must be carry a hefty laptop backpack with lots of goodies. I carry around a good deal of gear with me in my travel bag. Here''s my gear list: Macbook Pro   DVI & VGA Adapters (for presentations)     Extra Read the article >>
Build for Scalability, but beware of Premature Optimization

Build for Scalability, but beware of Premature Optimization

-- This post is part of a series of ongoing tips on lessons learned & experiences I''ve had as the lead developer of the online dating startup, at Ignighter.com. Though these tips are focused primary at consumer startups, they ring true elsewhere too. For a full list of these tips, see 10 things I''d wish I''d known as a lead developer at Techstars. -- I spend a lot of time worrying about Read the article >>