Linked List: June 20, 2013

Thursday, 20 June 2013

Comprehensive post-mortem by my colleague Dave Wiskus on the design of Vesper 1.0, replete with copious screenshots and animatics, documenting the entire process and the thinking behind many of our decisions.

Introducing Aaron’s Law, a Desperately Needed Reform of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act ★

Zoe Lofgren and Ron Wyden:

Vagueness is the core flaw of the CFAA. As written, the CFAA makes it a federal crime to access a computer without authorization or in a way that exceeds authorization. Confused by that? You’re not alone. Congress never clearly described what this really means. As a result, prosecutors can take the view that a person who violates a website’s terms of service or employer agreement should face jail time.

So lying about one’s age on Facebook, or checking personal email on a work computer, could violate this felony statute. This flaw in the CFAA allows the government to imprison Americans for a violation of a non-negotiable, private agreement that is dictated by a corporation. Millions of Americans — whether they are of a digitally native or dial-up generation — routinely submit to legal terms and agreements every day when they use the Internet. Few have the time or the ability to read and completely understand lengthy legal agreements.

David Remnick on James Gandolfini ★

David Remnick:

“The Sopranos” remains the best television series since the beginning of the medium, dramatically terrifying, comically richer than “The Honeymooners,” a series that began with a premise, a milieu, and a cast that, unlike “Mad Men,” never exhausted itself. Gandolfini was not the creator of “The Sopranos” — David Chase was the author of this novel in every way — nor was he a solo act, like Alec Guinness in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and “Smiley’s People.” Chase populated his series with actors, like Edie Falco, and amateur actors, who gave the cast a Fellini-esque variety and depth. But Gandolfini was the focal point of “The Sopranos,” the incendiary, sybaritic neurotic who must play the Godfather at home and at the Bada Bing but knows that everything — his family, his racket, his way of life — is collapsing all around him.

With Markdown, Even the Blind Can Write ★

Steven Aquino, who is legally blind:

Given Markdown’s nature, I came to the realization that it, however unintentionally, is in fact a wonderful accessibility tool, because it reduces eye strain while writing. The simplicity of Markdown’s syntax makes it possible to not have to look at the screen every time I want to italicize a word or insert a link. My eyes are more sensitive than most people’s insofar that I can stare at a screen only so long before fatigue and pain sets in. The less time I have to look at the screen, the better my eyes feel. Thus, what makes using Markdown so great is that I don’t have to waste time trying to locate buttons or menu options. I just glance down at my keyboard to ensure I’m pressing the right keys.

This made my day.

Map of Mobile Devices Using Twitter ★

MapBox:

More than 280 million Tweets posted from mobile phones reveal geographic usage patterns in unprecedented detail.

Rather amazing. Zoom in on Philadelphia or any other big city, and you see just what you’d expect: a red/green breakdown along socio-economic lines.

Also: Mountain View seems pretty red.

L.A. School District Awards Apple $30 Million Contract for iPads ★

Howard Blume and Teresa Watanabe, reporting for The Los Angeles Times:

A Microsoft representative urged the board to try more than one product and not to rely on one platform. Doing so could cut off the district from future price reductions and innovations, said Robyn Hines, senior director of state government affairs for Microsoft.

Read that again. A Microsoft representative urging people not to rely on one platform.

Times really have changed.