Tag: web/tech

The Old Kingdom

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The old kingdom is a pattern of centralized information, command, and control. Businesses, governments, and even the very fabric of the web (more on this in a moment) are composed of gatekeepers and those seeking access. Our attention and labor has been aggregated, funneled and taxed by those in power for generations. The truth of this pattern is as old as civilization, as old as human culture. We are a society of unwitting drones.

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Communication is Free, Spam Filters Cost Money

The cost of exchanging a message is the time of its composition, and the attention of its recipient(s). Modern mobile devices are capable of sending and receiving information over ad hoc networks, and distributed software is capable of routing the data, therefore the cost of sending and receiving additional messages is near zero (power). The added value of a middle tier which merely bottlenecks connectivity is forced to zero.

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Simons Mall Free WiFi Killed my Gmail Account

It was early in the morning as I walked the perimeter of the mall to avoid the remnants of the tropical storm that rolled through the north east this week. As usual I connected to the free WiFi graciously provided by Simons Mall, but there was one subtle difference. The log in screen had changed requesting my name and email address or cell phone number. Not quite awake I entered my actual email address and connected, completely unaware that I had just unleashed Lovecraftian horrors out of Pandora’s Box.

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Enough with the Dead End Apps

In the tech world there’s a surreal level of hype surrounding mobile and tablet applications. The source of the hype wave comes from users, developers, and even investors. But mobile is just one edge or surface of network applications, and it’s thin valued novelty will quickly wane. It’s frustrating to see the majority of developer creativity and energy going into dead end apps which pander to the lowest common denominator.

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In the Age of Apps Embrace Digital Refunds

The concept of a refund goes far back in the history of bartering. The concept is simple enough, make a trade you’re not satisfied with and you can count on a full or partial refund. Untested or novel products experience greater liquidity when packaged with a reliable refund. There are variations on the refund such as try before you buy, but they offer the same promise.

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Songify delights as a mobile app

Add…

  1. one part nonsense
  2. two parts mobile voice recorder and portable synthesizer
  3. a silly but popular vocal effect
  4. a handful of simple algorithms to sample and partition a recording
  5. one part mini game to blindly time your lyrics to the automated loops
  6. and a team sharp enough to recognize and build a micro business

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