Dark Patterns are Bad for Everyone
This has been going on since the beginning, and it’s the thing that makes me get all bent out of shape sometimes. Ofttimes. OK, most of the times. The promise of technology is the opportunity to leverage the good. This is its dark twin, the other edge of the blade—the leveraging of the bad.
Charging a Percentage for Financial Transactions is Archaic and Greedy
If I sell a $10 product and a $1000 product as a digital download and the cost to deliver it is identical for each, why then does the banking system (and many sales platforms) think it’s reasonable to charge a percentage of my selling price? They did nothing more for me for the $1000 product […]
Removing Post & Comment Dates is a Terrible Idea
I recently read a post on Elegant Themes (aff link) that suggests you should remove the dates from your blog comments and “…Keep Your Discussion Fresh.” They proceed to show you multiple ways to remove dates from posts and comments. Don’t do it. Dates on blog posts are critical for signaling relevance and context to your […]
Time to Seriously Reconsider the Pop-Up Opt-In
I think one of the most infuriating things on the modern Internet is this increasing tendency to throw a pop-up in your face demanding I subscribe to a newsletter before I can get three words into reading an article or viewing a video. I clicked a link because I was promised an answer to the […]
Yes, Gazelle is Great for Selling Your Used Gadgets
Many have asked about Gazelle and whether they’re a good option for selling your used tech. The answer is absolutely yes. I’ve sold almost all my iPhones and one of my Android tablets on Gazelle and they’ve been stellar every time. They ship you a free box with free return shipping, you put the phone […]
Grammar, Usage and Style – After Deadline Blog
This is a great resource for keeping up with grammar, usage and style. I like it for its real-world examples of common mistakes and awkward usage. It’s a great way to spend five or ten minutes every day enhancing your craft. After Deadline examines questions of grammar, usage and style encountered by writers and editors of The […]
The World’s First Full HD 360° Camera
This looks like a great idea! And the Kickstarter that originally kicked it off was funded and they now have the product for sale. It’s $499 as of this post. Check the site for more info at www.360.tv I’m seriously hmmm-ing about this one.
PopClip for Mac Will Save You Tons of Time
I recently started using a new paid system add-on called Pop Clip which saves me tons of time as I work in every application. A little menu appears whenever you select text and gives you access to your top desired actions to perform on that selected text. You just set it up and off you go. […]
Faster is Not Better, It’s Just Crappier
I was reading a post today by a man selling a new book on using your mind and developing super awareness. There’s an irony headed your way. Can you tell? As I read each paragraph, all was well. I was learning about various ways I could improve my mind and increase productivity. I learned that […]
Boilerplate Instructions, Bane of Modern Software
I bought a new theme to install for a client this week. Normally, installing a theme is simple. Select theme, upload, install, done. Unless the theme maker has decided to deviate from the standard protocols that we all know and love and which we have been happily following for years. At that point all bets are off. […]