I wrote recently about how Google Services are often disorganized and non-intuitive.
Archives for May 2014
The Difference Between Cross-frame and Cross-site Scripting
from securestate.blogspot.com There’s a lot of confusion around Cross-frame Scripting. I’ve seen a number of online resources that describe it as just another type of Cross-site scripting, which only makes sense if you also misunderstand Cross-site scripting.
This is Why Google+ Failed
Many thought Google+ was going to curbstomp Facebook. I took one look at the interface and knew it had limited life. Google just doesn’t get how to build a compelling interface for most of its products. Here’s a great example: Hangouts.
Scott Adams’ Writing Style
Here is a great example of Scott Adams’ writing style. [ http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/cause_of_death_wtf/ ] It’s humorous, obviously, but what hits me the most is its simplicity, clarity, and rhythm.
Aspiring to be a Quality Thinker When Everything’s Been Said
I think occasionally about the value that my writing offers the world. Common questions include, Hasn’t this probably been said somewhere else? Even for original thoughts, what value does an incremental improvement really bring? How much value is there in summarizing wisdom, with a “next steps” component added on?
The Effectiveness of Writing Styles
I think a lot about writing. I’m fascinated by those who do it well, and I wanted to take a moment to capture a few of them here.
The Honesty of Multiple Truths
One of the most common objections I hear to my position on free will is that it’s intellectually dishonest. I’m told that it’s hypocrisy to believe that we are ultimately not free while behaving sometimes as if we are. This is not true. Or at least if it is, we’re all hypocrites.
Oracle Spam
I’ve never wanted so much to become a postgres user. Step 1. Submit your e-mail address (you must review and confirm on the next page): Oh, so you’re giving me work now? Let’s be clear about the order of operations here: You send me an email I don’t want I click the unsubscribe link You ask me for…
How the U.S. Military Manufactures Consent Using Movies
Have you noticed the number of movies over the last five years that are overwhelmingly pro-military? They all kind of feel the same. Maybe it’s the Navy taking out aliens in the ocean, or the Air Force sparring with Iron Man, or the Army in Godzilla. But the feel is nearly identical.
Why I Dislike Google Services
People often ask me why I’m so down on Android, and I’ve got a great example for you. I use a Google service called Pagespeed, which is basically their CDN for speeding up websites. It’s quite excellent, like many Google services. The problem is in how it’s managed. For years I’ve been using one particular portal, shown below.
Using Vim to Blog with WordPress
A number of static blogging solutions have emerged over the last few years, and while they’ve been attractive I’ve not yet moved off of WordPress. Perhaps it’s just inertia, but it’s served me well for almost a decade so I’m going to stay loyal to it—at least for now. Vim as the editor One of the things that…
Latency Matters
I recently tried to move my Linode to Fremont, CA from Atlanta (where it is now). Turns out, latency matters. A lot.
My Thoughts on Net Neutrality
The confusion with Net Neutrality comes from seeing it differently than healthcare or education. In all three cases, we have things that most people in their kinder moods would agree should be both universal and of high quality.
Archaic United Wi-fi
I go to Houston a lot for business, so most of my frequent flyer miles are with United. Most of the time I wish I were on Delta instead, as virtually everything about their airline seems better. But I’ve got Stockholm Syndrome at this point. I want to see United catch up.
Minorities Aren’t Reading
The reading scores among 17-year-olds, however, remained relatively unchanged since the 1970s.About 46 percent of white children are considered “proficient” in reading, compared with 18 percent of black children and 20 percent of Hispanic kids. ~ Reuters
Measuring the Quality of a Culture
I think a lot about the various influences that interact to create the future of humanity. Culture is one of the most powerful of these, as it determines how we view others, how we raise our children, and what we value in our lives. I believe it to be both possible and necessary to understand what affects various…
My Problems With the PEL Free Will Episode
Image from 16rounds.com For those not familiar, PEL (The Partially Examined Life) is a philosophy podcast by a bunch of guys who were at one time set on doing philosophy for a living, but then thought better of it. They’re basically at the Ph.D level in philosophy, but don’t actually have their Ph.Ds in philosophy and work in…
The Problem With Superman’s Powers
Superman is my favorite superhero. Always has been. But lately—especially after seeing Man of Steel—I’ve had a major problem with the overall concept. In a word, the problem is radiation.
Anatomy of the Corporate Soldier
I’ve been frustrated lately with our education system. It’s not a new idea, but it seems increasingly obvious that our high schools and universities are becoming corporate employee farms instead of learning institutions.
Android Still Doesn’t Get It
I was at Best Buy recently, and wanted to check out the latest Galaxy S5 from Samsung. The hardware seemed pretty legit. Screen looked great. So I decided to check out the Internet. This is on a demo phone in the middle of Best Buy, you understand.
Is Putin a Fascist?
A number of people have been saying for a while that Putin is trying to rebuild the USSR. Or at least, “Mother Russia”, whatever that means. I agree with that. It seems obvious. But I’ve been saying something else—that his sway is more like Hitler’s than anyone else’s. I’m no expert on World War II, but what I…
Many Racists Are Also Not Racist
There’s a problem with calling someone racist. The problem is that it assumes a person either is or isn’t, like a 1 or a 0, which doesn’t map to reality. What’s more likely is that someone who holds deeply anti-racist views, is also somewhat racist. Both are true at the same time. It’s two different people, basically, and…