need to rethink 'usability'
'growing number of attacks'
He's right!
Don't be creepy!
'you become mere product'
space efficiency ≠ readability*
on shady developers...
'beautifully unified distraction'
the missing option...
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daily pointers
AORTAL - the anti-portal,
here's today's daily pointers:
05/17/12
B.O.O.T.J.I.L
intertwingled
Phantasmaphile
(RSS)
[daily pointers archive]
Some rights reserved.
need to rethink 'usability'
Mobile Site vs. Full Site (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox)vs.
Nielsen is wrong on mobile | Opinion | .net magazine (heavy advertising)
He's right!
Privacy is not an OptionSoftware developers need to look at privacy the same way we've learned to look at security: it's not an add-on or a feature that customers have to turn on, it's something built-in that shouldn't be turned off.
[inessential.com]
Don't be creepy!
Coyote Tracks, regarding Google Wants to Serve Ads Based On Your Phone's Background Noise:I'm beginning to think that what Google really needs is a Vice President of Reality Checking. He or she would be a senior-level executive who would be sent summaries of all new initiatives and would be empowered to shut them down on the basis of "Christ, that's creepy! What the hell is wrong with you?"
the missing option...
A Modest Proposal: Google, Take My MoneyI just wish you'd take alternative forms of payment besides my eyeballs and my personal information.
Related:
disconnect.me: Paying with our data
'open admission' of bribery?
Investigate Chris Dodd and the MPAA for bribery after he publicly admited to bribing politicans to pass legislation.'defending an open Internet'
Combating Online Piracy while Protecting an Open and Innovative Internet | The White House'weirdly unsocial' networks
The Social Graph is Neither[Valhalla Island]Social networks exist to sell you crap. The icky feeling you get when your friend starts to talk to you about Amway, or when you spot someone passing out business cards at a birthday party, is the entire driving force behind a site like Facebook.
Firefox 7 kills 'window.resizeTo()'
Among my most useful bookmarklets are those I use to resize my main browser window. With Firefox 7, they no longer work. Some config changes made them work again, but only temporarily. This does not necessarily benefit the user. In some cases, it interrupts one's workflow.
Others have noticed the problem as well:
- Resizing windows in firefox with javascript does not work after updating to 7.0, why?
- javascript:self.resizeTo stopped working
- Javascript's 'window.resizeTo' isn't working
I don't like it when a site attempts to resize my window and never revisit such sites. But as a user, I want the freedom to quickly resize my own window to various specific sizes as needed and this change in Firefox 7 stops me from doing so – not a good decision in my opinion.
'power over vulnerable people'
"Real Names" Policies Are an Abuse of Power
Related:
Google [former] CEO Eric Schmidt regarding real names on G+
Gimme a break!
Android vs. iPhone: Battle of the Mobile Operating SystemsYes. I'm skeptical as to the accuracy of some of the stereotypes presented. /jenett
'some other purpose'
Why I'd never work for Google, Twitter, or FacebookGoogle+ isn't about sharing cat pictures, it's about serving ads. Twitter's massive network of 140-character bits of information isn't about connecting people across the globe or to view current trends in worldwide thinking, it's about serving ads. Facebook isn't about entertaining yourself with games or sharing interesting links, it's about serving ads.
'making text readable'
Contrast Rebellion - to hell with low-contrast fonts!
Related:
Down with the Contrast Rebellion
'Free Wiki World Map'
OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap is a free editable map of the whole world. It is made by people like you.
OpenStreetMap allows you to view, edit and use geographical data in a collaborative way from anywhere on Earth.
Related:
We Need to Stop Google’s Exploitation of Open Communities
'too many bad songs'
An Open Letter to Jon Bon Jovi On What’s Really "Killing The Music Business" (heavy ads)innovation vs. annoyance
Advertising is damaging the Internet experienceNow I am not saying that advertising is all bad, most of these blogs and websites depend on it to remain publishing. However as the average user learns to automatically and involuntarily tune out the distractions, advertisers keep coming up with new innovative methods of annoyance.
a little thought provocation
Minimalism is not a viable intellectual strategySomething to think about - can minimalism be a good long-term strategy?Minimalism cannot be a long-term strategy, but it makes an excellent short-term tactic.
Related:
Minimalism Is A Viable Long Term Intellectual Strategy
Ageism by Google?
Teach Parents TechMom and Dad aren't necessarily as dumb as implied in this odd (and somewhat offensive) marketing approach by Google – in many cases, they're the more tech-savvy ones in the family – a little out of touch, in my humble opinion!Every December, millions of tech-savvy young people descend on their homes only to arrive to a long list of tech support issues that their parents need help with. A few of us at Google thought there had to be a better way that would save us all a few hours each December...
'There is only passion.'
There is no talentIt's so easy to give up; it might almost seem like the whole world is against you. Well, forget about the rest of the world. There is no such thing as talent, and in the end you will end up as skilled as your "talented" heros.
Simply by following your passion.
'decide not to participate'
free of advertisingEvery nook of our lives is filled with advertising these days. It’s so pervasive that we have come to accept it as a fact of life, and it cannot help but have an effect on our minds...
'a world with fewer options'
In the Grip of the Internet MonopolistsDo away with Google? Break up Facebook? We can't imagine life without them—and that's the problem
on the 'personal brand' concept
The Case Against Personal Blogging[Practical Opacity]This past decade, personal blogging became about building a personal brand. It meant putting yourself out there for future employers or clients.
unauthorized data sharing
Facebook's Instant Personalization: An Analysis of Fundamental Privacy Flawsa more beautiful web?
Beauty of the WebAs amazing as the web is, its potential is immeasurably greater. Internet Explorer 9 was designed to let that potential shine through. Click below to see how developers and designers are creating a more beautiful web using HTML5 and advancements in Internet Explorer 9.
They also state, "A focus on HTML5 and modern standards enables the same markup across browsers." A little late to the party and a seemingly Windows-centric vision of 'standards' (proprietary, as in the past), in my humble opinion. I should note that both Apple (Safari) and Google (Chrome) also seem to have self-centered visions of the web (and standards) lately, each as if HTML5 was their own baby.
Note: This is not an endorsement,
marketing tactics vs. web standards
Apple's HTML5 Showcase Isn't HTML5, Blocks Other Browsers(see Apple - HTML5)
It seems like Apple is using the same sneaky marketing tactics as Microsoft does with its HTML5 demos page - which doesn't really use any HTML5 either. This similarity is hardly surprising considering both companies are pushing a non-Free patent-encumbered codec for HTML5 video.