- A Practical Guide to Varnish — Varnish is the http accelerator used by the discerning devops.
- Ferrofluid Sculptures (New Scientist) — hypnotic video of an iron-based fluid that is moulded by magnetic fields, which I include for no good reason than it is pretty pretty science. (via Courtney Johnston)
- Twisted Highscores List — clever leaderboard for tickets, reviews, commits, and fixes. A fun retro presentation of the information, rather than a determined effort to jolly up the grim task of software development by spraying on a thin coat of gamejuice. (via Jacob Kaplan-Moss)
- Beauty of Maps (YouTube) — BBC’s “Beauty of Maps” tv show is available in full on YouTube. Aspects of visualization and design here, as well as practical cartography. (via Flowing Data)
ENTRIES TAGGED "developers"
The ascendance of App Inventor
David Wolber on why Google App Inventor isn't just for novices.
Google's App Inventor has transformed from a simple entry point for Android programming into an increasingly robust app creation platform. In this interview, "App Inventor" co-author David Wolber discusses the tool's evolution and future applications.
Process kills developer passion
Best practices sound good in isolation, but they can suck the life out of developers.
The software industry is now full of "best practices," and many of them make sense when considered in isolation. But when you lump them all on the backs of developers, you end up with dispirited bureaucrats/bean counters.
Four short links: 8 April 2011
Varnish Guide, Fields Revealed, Dev Leaderboard, and Map Documentary
A writable API competition
Got a great idea for O'Reilly's new API? Make it happen and you might win a prize.
Featured Post: We’re launching a developer contest to see what folks can do with O’Reilly’s new “writeable” API. Find out what you’ll need to get started.
What has Twitter become?
Restricting developers undermines the ecology that made Twitter valuable.
Featured Post: Twitter is missing a fundamental law of innovation: you can’t tell people where (or how) to innovate, and where not to. Innovation just doesn’t work that way.
Civic innovation organizations to watch in 2011
From Code for America to OpenGovernment.org, 2011 could be transformative for open government.
The growth of citizen engagement platforms in 2010 will continue in 2011. Here's a look at four organizations that will play important roles.
Strata Gems: Three key data trends for 2011
Data markets, real-time technology, and the race for developers
To conclude our Strata Gems series, we take a look at the important drivers for the data world in 2011: data markets, real-time data processing, and developers.
Geeks and government converge at the FCC
Gina Trapani talks about the ThinkUp app and the FCC's first Open Developer Day.
What's the potential for geeks to work with government for better outcomes? Gina Trapani talked with O'Reilly Media about the first FCC Developer Day, ThinkUp App and Gov 2.0.
Developer Week in Review
Oracle's not-so-open Java, suing to prevent getting sued, iOS 4.2 approaches, and why you shouldn't taunt the Black Hats.
This week, we look at IBM's decision to ditch Harmony for OpenJDK, more lawsuit madness in the land of telecomm, a new iOS beta from Apple, and what happened when Washington, DC tried to get some free penetration testing.
Women helping women get into tech
Sara Chipps on IT education and how women are navigating the tech world.
Computer science programs have an iffy track record recruiting women into the tech space. Sara Chipps, co-founder of Girl Develop IT, has a new approach: create an inclusive environment where dumb questions are encouraged and practical application is key. In this Q&A, Chipps discusses her project and the pressures women face in the tech world.
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