Whalespeak

There’s an interesting article in Vanity Fair about the lack of cultural change in the last 20 years compared to the previous century. I wouldn’t say that it has stopped, but it definitely feels like it has slowed down. It’s hard to be sure though; these are things that are not easily measured. There is […]

It’s not difficult as a web developer to see the appeal of Facebook integration. It removes a whole bunch of problems around storing passwords and account creation and makes them someone else’s problem. Because, let’s face it, good developers are lazy; a good type of lazy where we trust that someone else has thought about […]

Gamification is a way of making things fun and it’s a way to encourage good behaviour but “good” isn’t baked in. There’s no morality inherent in the use of gamification, it’s just about guiding behaviour. Good or bad or indifferent, the designer wants to provoke you into doing something. This is why I feel wary […]

Like many people I was sad to hear about the death of Steve Jobs. And that’s understandable, it’s sad when people die, especially at a relatively young age. But it affected me much more than I had anticipated. It’s so strange and I want to better understand why I feel this way. A criticism I […]

When Apple first brought out the iPad it was much cheaper than the pundits predicted. That has presented a real challenge to their competitors to produce a comparable product for the same cost or cheaper. With the HP Touchpad selling well now that it is being sold off from most outlets at a very reduced […]

No one is going to tell you what your biggest problem is. If you stink, no one wants to be the one to tell you to take a shower. If your fly’s open, no one wants to be the one to tell you to zip up. And when you have some strongly held but deeply […]