Pondering why, in the internet era, it has become so common for big tech companies to treat their power users like dirt. (Yes, this is about Google Reader.)
Beyond Outsourcing: The New Threats Facing Local Journalism
Local newspapers have already faced issues with outsourcing and an array of cuts for years. But the threat is changing—and you should know what it looks like.
Early Digital News: Newspapers' Many Online Experiments
Newspapers said they wanted to protect the print product, but they were raring to go when it came to experimental online news approaches in the early '80s.
BBS Graphics History: Pretty Awesome, Until the Web Showed Up
Most people remember bulletin board systems as having chunky text-based graphics. One developer tried fixing that, but RIPscrip ran head-first into the web.
FrontPage tried to solve an important problem in the early-internet era—the idea of making web design accessible to mere mortals—but the code wasn't so hot.
Search Engine Etiquette: Never, Ever Ask for a Backlink
Businesses want to show up on the front page of a specific search term, and they’re willing to annoy you to get a backlink from you. Please never do this.
Test Pattern History: How Color Bars Became a TV Staple
The history of color bars, the most common television test pattern out there, and what they actually do. (Also, Netflix has some weird test programming.)
Why Apple Ditched PowerPC, and What it Says About Apple Ditching Intel
Looking back at Apple’s transition from PowerPC to Intel CPUs, and considering why Intel now finds itself in the same position PowerPC did 15 years ago.
Will the In-Flight Entertainment System Survive COVID-19?
The in-flight entertainment system was once a novel idea that kept passengers enthralled. Now in the COVID-19 era, it’s both outdated and a serious germ hazard.