I am not a frontend engineer. Claiming that would be a disservice to all the people who write code to move pixels to perfection. However, I’ve worked closely with them and had to troubleshoot applications they wrote under the pressure of a live million per second request environment. Recently, I’ve been involved in a project…
The Wooden Walls of Athens; the effect of perceived security
In 492 BC the Persian empire marched against the Greek world. Weeks before the first drop of blood would stain the Greek land, Athenians took the road to Delphi, to consult Pythia about the upcoming battles. Athena cannot appease Olympian Zeus With her pleading words and shrewd mêtis, Yet I speak this word, firm as adamant. Though…
Exposure
Let’s define exposure as I perceive it in my mental model. Exposure refers to the experience of encountering various phenomena or situations, which may range from favorable to unfavorable, or positive to negative. These experiences can be comfortable or uncomfortable, often suggesting a potential outcome, though whether that outcome will be good or bad remains…
Social compass
There are 30 social media platforms with more than 100.000.000 active users as of February 2nd, 2022 (when this post is originally written). Their features overlap and occasionally make each other technically redundant. Redundancy is a good thing when you’re worried about the availability of a system. Montesquieu used the phrase “trias politica” to describe…
Social media operate similar to brothels
I don’t want to waste my time. Become another casualty of society. I’ll never fall in line. Become another victim of your conformity and back down. – Fat Lip, Sum 41 The subtitle of this post is a song from 2001. I was two years old. Have you ever been in a brothel? I haven’t.…
Consumption politics
It’s common for people to think they can make a difference by making ethical choices as consumers. The concept is inherently flawed and highlights the limitations of ethical consumerism in creating meaningful societal change. Political action requires more than conscious consumer choices or fueling cancel culture. The notion of ethical consumerism is rooted in the…
Hands-off volunteerism
People are comforting their moral and ethical consciences while being misguided by big corporations and personalities whose only goal is to increase engagement. They are naturally inclined to help, but this tendency often collides with inherent laziness, resulting in the illusion of effortless volunteerism. Wildfires, terrorism, earthquakes, hurricanes, and nuclear accidents are common, often impacting…
The undressing of the king
For the last two decades, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Alibaba have been amassing the world’s computing power. Now, they own 67% of it. If we are to build knock-off humans, where do we go from here? Humans are striving to replicate humanity—some through biological methods, others through the fusion of software and hardware. Both approaches…
The model of free exit
Companies are a source of binding standards. Until they become malleable to public discourse, these standards will remain arbitrary and anti-democratic because they go unchecked. Indeed, this form of government remains “private” in the sense that those affected by its decisions – namely the employees – cannot question the legitimacy of those decisions and are…
The three games
Within the next 50 years, or perhaps sooner, we may automate love, outsource wisdom, and even substitute nature. When that happens, what role will remain for you? Assuming no existential risks, these developments seem inevitable. So, which “game” are you playing? Humanity engages in three overarching “games”— Love, Capital, and Nature. Each has its own…