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Why the Maximalist Narrative of Just Hodl and Wait Is Unsustainable
10.10.2019
It’s encountered all over the crypto space these days — the idea that the only correct way to “Bitcoin” is to hold and not spend, and to desperately lash out on crypto Twitter at anyone who thinks differently. But what ever happened to Satoshi’s original call for...
For Non-Profits Working With Facebook, Libra Isn’t Such a Crazy Idea
9.10.2019
If their missions aren't served by Libra, Women's World Banking and Mercy Corps say they'll let it be known – loudly
Link Underlines That Animate Into Block Backgrounds
23.9.2019
It's a cool little effect. The default link style has an underline (which is a good idea) and then on :hover you see the underline essentially thicken up turning into almost what it would have looked liked if you used a background-color on the link instead.
Here's an example of the effect on...
Random Notes from a JAMstack Roundtable
23.9.2019
I hosted a JAMstack roundtable discussion at Web Unleashed this past weekend. Just a few random notes from that experience.
I was surprised at first that there really is confusion that the "M" in Jamstack stands for "Markdown" (the language that compiles to HTML) rather than "Markup" (the "M"...
Ghost Buttons with Directional Awareness in CSS
13.9.2019
It would surprise me if you'd never come across a ghost button 👻. You know the ones: they have a transparent background that fills with a solid color on hover. Smashing Magazine has a whole article going into the idea. In this article, we’re going to build a ghost button, but that will...
New Storm Concept Could Strengthen Bitcoin Cash Instant Transactions
3.9.2019
Software developer Awemany has published a potential alternative approach to instant transactions on the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) network called “delta blocks” or Storm. The idea utilizes weak proof-of-work (PoW) for instant confirmations on Bitcoin Cash. The new Storm concept has piqued...
Initiative to Curtail Negative Interest Rates Gains Traction in Germany
24.8.2019
Negative interest rates, a common occurrence in Europe these days, are unpleasant for both banks and clients. And financial institutions have been increasingly transferring the bulk of the burden on to their customers. Some political factions in Germany, however, aren’t happy with the trend...
Lazy load embedded YouTube videos
20.8.2019
This is a very clever idea via Arthur Corenzan. Rather than use the default YouTube embed, which adds a crapload of resources to a page whether the user plays the video or not, use the little tiny placeholder webpage that is just an image you can click that is linked to the YouTube embed.
It still...
The Differing Perspectives on CSS-in-JS
14.8.2019
Some people outright hate the idea of CSS-in-JS. Just that name is offensive. Hard no. Styling doesn't belong in CSS, it belongs in CSS, a thing that already exists and that browsers are optimized to use. Separation of concerns. Anything else is a laughable misstep, a sign of not learning from...
Using Netlify Forms and Netlify Functions to Build an Email Sign-Up Widget
2.8.2019
Building and maintaining your own website is a great idea. Not only do you own your platform, but you get to experiment with web technologies along the way. Recently, I dug into a concept called serverless functions, starting with my own website. I’d like to share the results and what I learned...
Datalist is for suggesting values without enforcing values
26.7.2019
Have you ever had a form that needed to accept a short, arbitrary bit of text? Like a name or whatever. That's exactly what <input type="text"> is for. There are lots of different input types (and modes!), and picking the right one is a great idea.
But this little story is about something...
Zoom, CORS, and the Web
23.7.2019
It's sorta sad by funny that that big Zoom vulnerability thing was ultimately related to web technology and not really the app itself.
There is this idea of custom protocols or "URL schemes." So, like gittower:// or dropbox:// or whatever. A native app can register them, then URLs that hit them...
How I Created a Code Beautifier in Two Days
19.7.2019
I recently drew up a wireframe for a code beautifier. The next day, I decided to turn it into a real tool. The whole project took less than two days to complete.
I'd been thinking about building a new code beautifier for a while. The idea isn't unique, but every time I use someone else's tool,...
Who Are the Real Thieves? Danish Authorities Seize 3 Ferraris in Tax Evasion Crackdown
8.7.2019
Last week Danish authorities seized three Ferraris belonging to a large Copenhagen-based business allegedly seeking to avoid VAT. With the largest bank in Denmark—Danske Bank—also being embroiled in a tax avoidance scandal last year, it seems timely to explore the common libertarian...
Singapore Mulls a New Idea How to Boost Crypto Adoption
8.7.2019
In a recently published e-Tax draft guide, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) proposed the exemption of certain cryptocurrency transactions from GST (goods and services tax).
To be precise, the draft is created with a goal to explain “the GST treatment for transactions involving...
Cuba ‘Studies’ Cryptocurrencies, Expert Floats Cent’l Asia Crypto Idea
4.7.2019
The Cuban government says it is “studying the use” of cryptocurrencies in an effort to boost the country’s flagging economy as American-led sanctions continue to bite.
The United States has ramped up sanctions against Cuba in recent months, with tourism and educational travel bans, as well as...
Toast
3.7.2019
One day, all the sudden, I started hearing jokes about toast. I had no idea what the context was. I assumed some friends just got started telling toast jokes, which isn't rare by any means. But it turns out it was a whole thing. It got me thinking, jeez, if I can't keep up with this stuff when it's...
Nownownow
28.6.2019
Matthias Ott, relaying an idea he heard from Derek Sivers:
Many personal websites, including this one here, have an “about” page. It’s a page that tells you something about the background of a person or about the services provided. But what this page often doesn’t answer – and neither do Twitter...
Render Snarky Comments in Comic Sans
25.6.2019
Hilarious idea by Zach Leatherman. To test if a comment is "snarky" or not, there is an npm package up to the task.
On this site, we generally just delete snarky comments, but I still run a WordPress plugin that allows me to "feature" or "bury" comments. It's old but it still works fine in...
Designing with Motifs
10.6.2019
I love the way Erik Kennedy talks about digital design. Very practical and understandable. Have a listen to a chat with him we had on ShopTalk.
One of his latest blog posts is titled "The #1 Way to Spice Up Your Designs (And Create a More Cohesive Brand)" and it's about something he pegs as more...