June 2013
7 posts
May 2013
4 posts
when you say something nice, be prepared to be met with a rainbow of defenses. but remember it’s a rainbow.
— zefrank (@zefrank)
NYC Cyclist Explains Why "Frightening Pedestrians" Is Important →
gothamist.com
One NYC cyclist argues that bikers need to put the fear in pedestrians.
To make the streets safer for bikers, I don’t think the answer is to terrorize pedestrians. However, I agree that many pedestrians are definitely completely oblivious to cyclists — especially walking out from between cars into bike lanes (would you stroll onto a road with cars without looking?) Pedestrians should be aware of where bike lanes are to avoid those collisions.
I haven’t come this close to hitting anyone, but I know the feeling of someone suddenly appearing right in front of you. It’s both terrifying and frustrating.
NYC’s bike share program should bring biking a little closer to front of mind, but being safe is also about being a defensive biker. I try to have a good sense of the roads I ride to minimize surprises or potential danger.
As someone who walks, bikes and has driven in New York City, this tension continues to amaze me. We should all collectively agree that there are ways to share the roads to make it safer and convenient for everyone. We share this city, and shouldn’t try to decide who the streets are for.
Not everyone’s a bad driver, an irresponsible biker, or asshole commuter. Most of us are just trying to get somewhere and trying not to get hurt on the way. The more cognizant the population is about how to navigate the streets, the better it is for all of us.
NYC is a busy place, and it’s a losing battle to fight the momentum of change.
April 2013
4 posts
Media Change
We are more and more likely to turn to the advice of trusted friends in deciding “what to read, watch or listen to” rather than rely on impersonal and arguably more fallible media kingdoms whose power can give a megaphone to someone like, say, Judith Miller.
That’s why Twitter is fun: you’re hearing from a source.
Is there a point, in other words, when large news organizations, whether a national newspaper like the Times or the Journal, or a network like CNN, become synonymous with corporate sclerosis, as well as unsustainable, in the face of more nimble (and potentially more profitable) competitors?
The bigger you are, the further you get from the beat.
“All diagrams are destined for the garbage.”
—A shorthand for designing UI flows by Ryan of 37signals
“Ultimately though, the world spins on inspiration, not art forms competing against each other.”
—Communication And The Artist | Liisten by Tyler Hayes
“For technologists, it’s all about leveling the playing field, and the art world is a very structured, hierarchical system,” he said. “There is a conflict there, and it’s probably a good bit of the reason why technology entrepreneurs struggle with the art world.”
—Art and Techology - a Clash of Cultures - NYTimes.com
March 2013
4 posts
“What exactly are we storing away in the boxes we cart from place to place? Much of what Americans consume doesn’t even find its way into boxes or storage spaces, but winds up in the garbage.”
—Living With Less. A Lot Less. - NYTimes.com
“But if you told us you were bad, if you told us you were insecure, if you shared your hopes, dreams and desires, and didn’t just give us opacities, then you might have a chance.”
—Lefsetz Letter » Blog Archive » Getting Lucky
“The example of the Nest thermostat invisibly ‘learning’ your habits to control your home temperature is a good one. But the Nest has a highly visible interface that reassures you as to its status, tells you when it is learning, and a large dial for adjusting temperature. Beautiful, legible microinteractions. A Nest without these visual and direct manipulation interfaces would be useless, uncanny and frustrating. Nest wants UI.”
—No to NoUI – Timo Arnall
“If you try to hide it, then you’re playing a game of GOTCHA, and you look bad.”
—http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/index.php/archives/2013/03/12/the-mila-kunis-interview/
February 2013
4 posts
Twitter releases a subtle improvement to the user experience
I wonder if they can calculate how many clicks this will save? From the Twitter blog:
Links: Click a URL in a Tweet to go directly to that website from any timeline and get to content highlighted on Twitter faster. (Previously, when you tapped any part of a Tweet, it would first expand and then a second click was required to get to the website.)
There are some other nice improvements in this release. More details in the full blog post.
