September, 2008


24
Sep 08

one of my favorite software design blogs

Cultured Code on their design for Things Touch.

I really like reading the Cultured Code blog about Things.app. It’s probably my very favorite application on OSX (after Firefox, naturally), and after Firefox & Mail, I probably spend more time using Things and managing my various to do items than anything else.

update: oops, their blog is actually here. The other link is a bit of a special case. Both are great.


23
Sep 08

my friend bryan

I’m just incredibly lucky to have a friend like Bryan. So proud of him.


19
Sep 08

Meme(me)

From Lori:

1. Take a picture of yourself right now.
2. Don’t change your clothes, don’t fix your hair…just take a picture.
3. Post that picture with NO editing.
4. Post these instructions with your picture.


19
Sep 08

The Future of the Internet (and How to Stop It), by Jonathan Zittrain

Read this a few months ago, but haven’t posted, which is a little weird, considering how much it’s affected the way I think about the Internet. Anyway, the quick summary is that this is an incredibly important book, with an extremely important concept in it: generativity. It’s the idea that systems that are open, have standard interfaces, and are not controlled by single parties (or small groups of them) are generative — they tend to result in high degrees of innovation. Further, that the Internet is a very special case where it’s open in the right ways, on the right levels, with the right interfaces — and it’s been unprecedented in delivering innovation & user-centered designs to normal people. And, more than that, that there are some signals in the world that we’re heading in bad directions — we tend to gravitate towards closed, tethered systems — like the iPhone, Tivo or Kindle (all of which I myself own and use).

I’ve got lots more thought about this & technology life cycles, but the bottom line on JZ’s book is that everyone who’s trying to work on the Web and build something great should read it.


19
Sep 08

Supreme Courtship, by Christopher Buckley

I always like Buckley’s books, all the way back to Thank You for Smoking. Lots of funny current culture & political stuff in his books; stuff that seems ridiculous, but is, sadly, not all that far off from truth. This is another fun one about a president picking a TV judge to sit on the Supreme Court. Would be super funny if the real-life situation weren’t such a mess.

But a fun, quick read — recommended. (But you should read Thank You for Smoking first, if you havent!)