Here's a clear example of why Apple is better for the user than Microsoft: they publish online (html and PDF download) a freely available, coherent, and insightful developer/design style-guide called "OSX Human Interface Guidelines". Is it any wonder why users claim to /enjoy/ their Mac's and why Windows software often winds up looking like this ( Read more... )

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Been about 6 days since my last post -- What's been going on? Well I've been spending my free time ramping up my Java/JSP proficiency as I've been reviewing the job opps for ColdFusion and PHP and they aren't all that great (at least here in the Chicago area, which is where I'm going to be for probably another six-months or more) and Java is just ( Read more... )

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I was just thinking about the fact that all of the major search engines are essentially gigantic closed proprietary systems. Even Google, which talks about major points of its algorithm, basically operates as a big black box. Sure there are thousands of books and articles and opinions out there on the subject of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), ( Read more... )

IT Conversations.comThis is an awesome resource. It's a growing collection of interviews and discussions on a wide range of IT topics in MP3 format (they also Podcast -- w00t!) I just finished listening to Google's VP of Engineering talking about the hard problems of large database indices and query systems as well as a panel on the Semantic Web ( Read more... )

This apparently came out a while ago, but I only recently saw this, what with all the buzz recently among the semantic web and metadata evangelism going on with the del.icio.us/flickr/43things crowd etc. I thought I would post a link this thought-provoking Flash cartoon from the future.

EPIC 2014 (Flash contains voice-over audio you'll want to ( Read more... )

We all know about Digital Rights Management technology-- the embedding of code to restrict the free use of media files like video or audio files etc. Well, carrying this idea out of the nobody-seems-to-care-so-much realm of computerland into the you-really-better-start-to-figure-out-where-to-stop-with-the-rights-management-bulls*** territory of ( Read more... )

Dear Republicans who support George Bush,

I honestly want to know why you think George Bush is good for you. Is it that he is making the world safer for you and your children? Is it that he is bringing freedom to lands under tyranny? Is it that he respects people of all religions and brings a faithful perspective to his duties in the Whitehouse ( Read more... )

Robot Co-op "Speaks Out". Not terribly insightful or descriptive but at least they said something.
See more progress on: find out what the amazon.com 43things.com connection is really all about