ginatrapani · Storify

Deploy the Funny

ginatrapani — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 04:23:58 GMT

Storified by · Tue, Jan 15 2013 20:23:58

You have no idea how easy it is to change the world. All it takes is you to note how you already are, and iterate. I AM SERIOUS.
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 18:35:13

i promised aaron that i would deploy the funny to help save the world, and i sense i may be being A BIT SINCERE right now.
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 18:36:53

but my friend just died and I just saw Tim Berners-Lee and Cory Doctorow and my daughter and my partner and my ex-wife and my friends crying
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 18:37:44

but trust me, i am white and male and well-educated and have a mighty beard of authority. if you think you are powerless, i will share mine
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 18:39:28

but right now we need you. we lost someone, and it's your turn to take his place. you don't need to do anything much but keep living for me.
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 18:41:31

i should get a blog. a self-hosted blog. made out of freedom.
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 18:42:59

and countless lolcat kittens somewhere i guess
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 18:38:47

oh did the telcos worry about us running servers on our phones? Did they NAT us, brothers and sisters? Will we STUN them with our services?
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 18:52:24

it's lucky that 25% of ALL phones have wifi in them, isn't it? Because when you OPEN YOUR WIFI, all your friends can get around the telcos
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 18:53:18

think! You could scan in that public domain book you love on your phone, then upload it to your server, and share it on your wifi!
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 18:54:16

Do you know how great scanning software is on phones now? Do you have a favourite? Could you copy it, and write a better one? DO IT. DOOO IT
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 18:55:30

Which reminds me. You know Steve Jobs lost that look and feel suit in the 80s? You know what the finests form of flattery is?
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 18:56:05

You know how there's all that software that you love because it's beautiful, more beautiful than RMS could imagine in the 80s? Steal. It.
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 18:56:47

I don't mean pirate it. I mean rebuild it, step by step. Make it free and we'll have gmail and google maps and whatever is good about itunes
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 18:58:02

isn't that re-inventing the wheel, you say? Well sure, but now it's OUR WHEEL. And we're GOING TO DRIVE INTO OUR FUTURE WITH IT
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 18:58:43

And we're going to make it even more beautiful, because we're never going to drive it into the ditch or screw up.
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 18:59:42

And when we inevitably do, someone else will take it for us. And it won't be Steve Ballmer, it'll be some 13 year old kid from nowhere
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 19:00:20

she'll take your shonky ripped off software somewhere you'll never believe + she'll live forever AND SHE'LL SHARE IT WITH YOUR KIDS FOR FREE
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 19:01:25

MAKE SOME GODDAMN COPIES PEOPLE. CIVILISATION DOESN'T BACKUP ITSELF.
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 19:02:21

I am writing this on an airplane from a funeral. An airplane! A funeral! MORE INTERNETS ON AIRPLANES. LESS FUNERALS ON INTERNETS.
— Danny O'B · Tue, Jan 15 2013 19:03:57

On Permitting Apps to Tweet on Your Behalf

ginatrapani — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:00:09 GMT

Twitter apps shouldn't ask for posting permissions unless it's necessary and clear why; otherwise they lose users.

Storified by · Thu, Apr 26 2012 15:00:09

Was going to comment on a TechHive․com article, but their login-via-Twitter rights include “can post tweets on your behalf”. Sayonara.
— Eric A. Meyer · Thu, Apr 26 2012 14:13:23

.@meyerweb Been in that boat. I wish there was a way with Twitter OAuth to "upgrade" to post rights in-flow w/ option to decline.
— Gina Trapani · Thu, Apr 26 2012 14:17:53

@ginatrapani @meyerweb That's a high expectation for a Twitter app. I'd imagine most developers want to provide an option to Tweet.
— Scott Aikin · Thu, Apr 26 2012 14:22:58

@Hawkee @meyerweb If an app doesn't explain/convince me that it needs posting rights for a good reason I'm comfortable with, I decline.
— Gina Trapani · Thu, Apr 26 2012 14:25:29

@ginatrapani Exactly. And grabbing that permission “just in case” is a privacy breach headline waiting to happen. +@Hawkee
— Eric A. Meyer · Thu, Apr 26 2012 14:33:52

@meyerweb @ginatrapani I may just remove it then. The tweet functionality I offer rarely gets used anyway. That's a very valid concern.
— Scott Aikin · Thu, Apr 26 2012 14:41:20

Two Lessons from Xeni's First Chemotherapy Session

ginatrapani — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:12:46 GMT

Storified by · Thu, Jan 12 2012 09:12:46

Going in for chemo #1, a kind admin met me at the door. "Anthem is trying to deny you, looking for a pre-existing condition." I had none.
— Xeni Jardin · Thu, Jan 12 2012 08:58:38

The only previously existing condition I have for breast cancer is having breasts, I told her. Perfect, proudly flawless health before.
— Xeni Jardin · Thu, Jan 12 2012 08:59:33

If the chemo, radiation, surgery, or cancer itself doesn't kill you, a friend said, the insurance company warfare and uncovered costs will.
— Xeni Jardin · Thu, Jan 12 2012 09:00:25

This revelation came as I was walking in the door for the first chemo infusion, mind you. Two lessons I'd like to share with the world:
— Xeni Jardin · Thu, Jan 12 2012 09:01:19

1)Insurance cos are scheming, heartless shitbags. 2)Even if you’re in perfect health, as I was, get regular mammos earlier than recommended.
— Xeni Jardin · Thu, Jan 12 2012 09:02:59

Black & White or Gray

ginatrapani — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:32:50 GMT

MG Siegler vs Joshua Topolsky on the biggest problem facing tech journalism today: too many opinions, or not enough of them.

Storified by · Mon, Jan 09 2012 22:32:50

Test-driving Storify here. All this happened over a month ago, which is a year in tech journalism time. But this narrative seemed like a good use case for this app, which I quite like. Enjoy.

MG Siegler's review of the Galaxy Nexus asserts that the iPhone is better, in part because it's simply more polished:

An iPhone Lover’s Take On The Galaxy Nexus

You have to hand it to Google. They know that I prefer Apple products and have been generally critical of many Google moves in the past c...

John Gruber echoes this sentiment. He says you either see it or you don't:

Daring Fireball Linked List: MG Siegler's Take on the Galaxy Nexus

Unfortunately, the system still lacks much of the fine polish that iOS users enjoy. The majority of Android users will probably think suc...

Josh Topolsky tweets that this is bull:

.@daringfireball @parislemon What a load of horseshit. All due respect, but horseshit.
— Joshua Topolsky · Wed, Dec 14 2011 19:52:23

Then Topolsky fleshes out his argument in a blog post, which argues that MG's assertion and Gruber's framing is elitism/classism, and that's bad for tech journalism:

Horseshit

Posted by Joshua Topolsky on December 15, 2011 02:08 pm Last night I tweeted at John Gruber and MG Siegler: "What a load of horseshit. Al...

MG counters with the argument that Josh's unwillingness to hold a strong opinion one way or another is bad for tech journalism:

"Horseshit"

Wow. Josh Topolsky is mad. And that by itself is fine — he’s clearly passionate about technology, which is great. What’s not ...

While I appreciate a strong, well-informed opinion, I tend to distrust tech writers who consistently say that one particular product is the One True Best Thing. Everyone has different needs. There's an especially notable gap between the needs of tech writers and their readers.

Marco Arment, on how he's stopped trying to convince everyone that the stuff he prefers is best for everyone:

Whatever works for you – Marco.org

November 28, 2011 • ∞ • In my earlier 20s when I knew everything, I was a much bigger evangelist for my technology choices. I'm accused o...