By John Gruber
WorkOS launches auth.md — an open protocol for agent registration.
Linked List: March 25, 2009
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
- Schott’s Vocab ★
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“A miscellany of modern words and phrases” — new weblog at The New York Times by Ben Schott.
- The Other Side of the MacHeist Argument ★
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Marco Arment:
I’m not interested in arguing the specifics of the MacHeist deal with developers. I’m sure that nobody will argue the core of it: these applications are being sold at a steep discount.
My point is whether it’s a good idea, as conscientious consumers, to accept such steep discounts on the products that we use and love.
My argument is that it’s not.
Along similar lines, with stronger language, Simone Manganelli:
If you’re buying MacHeist, you’re a cheap fucking bastard, and it makes me queasy that so many in the Mac community would buy into such a thing.
That there aren’t a lot of dollars to go around for each $39 sale is obvious, though. The controversy isn’t over the deal, but over whether this sort of promotion is a good business strategy.
- OmniGraphSketcher ★
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New $30 graphing program from the Omni Group; includes terrific drawing tools and looks like a great alternative to the graphics features in Excel and Numbers (which are heavily skewed toward the dopey features where pretty “3D” charts are derived from two-dimensional data). Watch the demo movie and prepare to be impressed.
- Regarding Video DSLRs ★
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Stu Maschwitz:
Saying that photographers need to learn video because their cameras now feature video is like saying that you need to start a rock band because you bought an iMac that ships with Garage Band.
- Why Does Apple Wait So Long to Announce the Dates for WWDC? ★
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Two or three months’ notice is cutting it way too close for some people, especially those who need to formally request time off from work. Last year they announced the dates on March 13.
- Student Paints 60-Foot Willy on Roof of Parents’ House ★
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I love how he’s described as “cheeky”.
- Regarding MacHeist ★
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I’m unsure why there seems to be lingering controversy regarding the new MacHeist bundle. My issue with the first MacHeist bundle two years ago was that developers were only offered low flat fees, rather than percentage cuts, and more broadly that they didn’t know what they were getting into when they agreed to participate. Clearly this is no longer the case. Gus Mueller, critic of the terms of the original bundle, is participating in this year’s, and he puts it plainly:
So why is Flying Meat participating in MacHeist this time around, when I blasted it a couple of years ago? Well, it’s pretty simple. The folks at MacHeist fixed the payment terms after MacHeist 1, and developers are getting a much better deal now. Tada.
Update: Whether it’s a good business strategy on the part of developers to participate in bundles like this, I don’t know. My hunch is no, but clearly that depends on just how big a slice of the pie one can negotiate — MacHeist has turned into a pretty damn big pie. What I’m saying is that anyone who participates now surely knows exactly what they’re getting into.
- ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ Trailer ★
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So very much looking forward to this. (Via Colin Devroe.)
- ‘Win at Checkers’, by Millard Hopper ★
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With regard to my newfound checkers hobby, I don’t yet have any trouble beating my five-year-old son, but the computer is killing me. Here’s the book I bought to learn proper strategy. It was written in 1941 by world champion Millard Hopper, and it’s both a good read and delightfully typeset. Tell me “Millard Hopper” isn’t the perfect name for a world-champion checkers player from the 1940s.
- John Carmack on the iPhone Port of Wolfenstein 3D Classic ★
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The story behind the development of Id’s first game title for iPhone, Wolfenstein 3D. (Via Andy Baio.)