“A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want.” — Madonna
Source: Bit of News for 20160303
#Hackathon Be Gone—the problems with hackathons
I’ve never done a hackathon, and after reading this (and other) articles criticizing them, I’m less interested. This one quote in particular stood out to me:
“Hackathons are now advertised as events that can generate industry disruptors like Uber. That’s like claiming you’ll be healthy if you run a 5K.”
Source: Hackathon Be Gone
The Unbearable Asymmetry of Bullshit | Quillette
The author of this piece elegantly illuminates a serious issue with the scientific publishing system. What can be done to stop such ill-intentioned windbags‽
It’s a lose-lose situation. Ignore you, and you win by default. Engage you, and you win like the pig in the proverb who enjoys hanging out in the mud.
As the programmer Alberto Brandolini is reputed to have said: “The amount of energy necessary to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it.”
A love letter to jQuery · MadebyMike
You made things consistent, how they should be, often without me even realising you were doing it. The web was a scary place and you brought order to it. You gave me confidence.
Love this ❤
Web developers will understand.
What if Uber worked with Police? One Star by @magpiekilljoy | Motherboard
Excellent near-future speculative sci-fi from author Margaret Killjoy. What if Uber colluded with the police?
I got into the passenger seat. There wasn’t a driver seat. But after two turns, something felt wrong: the self-driving Taxy was heading the wrong direction.
Source: One Star | Motherboard
Cool and creepy: Graphing when your Facebook friends are awake
The tool that this writer created is totally cool and totally creepy. I love it because it’s sort of a conundrum, and the writing is also hilarious:
You know those green dots on the sidebar on Facebook that tell you who’s online? How do they get there? Also there are times next to people who are offline. What are those about? I was wondering the same things, and so one day I decided to 360 noscope hack Facebook by right clicking and selecting “Inspect Element”.
I have seen the future of media, and it’s in China | Fusion
Having used the new Quartz app mentioned in this article, I can see how this could become a more prominent model for journalism in the near future. I suppose if it were to make the jump to English-language apps, it’d be WhatsApp, Snapchat, or maybe even Facebook Messenger. Interesting times for media companies, for sure!
Updates from public accounts can appear right below the message from your mom, and above a group chat with your high school friends.
Source: I have seen the future of media, and it’s in China | Fusion
This ancient Zulu negotiation tactic called “indaba” got 195 countries to work together
Just learned an interesting negotiation strategy was used during the UN Climate Change Summit: indaba
When stating your opinion, you’re not allowed to repeat what you have said. Instead, you must state a “bottom line” that you absolutely refuse to cross. While letting others know your “bottom line”, you’re also asked to come up with solutions that works for everyone.
Source: This ancient Zulu negotiation tactic got 195 countries to work together
Nipplegate Revisited: Why America Owes Janet Jackson a Huge Apology
Today is the perfect time to reflect on this important bit of history, wonder why it happened the way it did, and look for opportunities to improve.
In 9/16th of a second, a career was ruined and a country’s worst facets were revealed.
Source: Nipplegate Revisited: Why America Owes Janet Jackson a Huge Apology
Apple’s declining software quality – Sudophilosophical
Apple can do this. It’s not too late. But for sake of all us poor users, and Apple’s tired system administrators and overworked programmers, I hope they started 6 months ago.
Source: Apple’s declining software quality – Sudophilosophical