ongoing by Tim Bray · Murder at Adolf’s Cottage
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ongoing by Tim Bray · Murder at Adolf’s Cottage
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Gift Wrapping Reason - Why Do We Wrap Presents?
Carrier argued that gift wrap transforms something impersonal into something personal—ritually turning an anonymous commodity into an idiosyncratic gift. In today’s terms, for example, the iPhone anyone can buy becomes, when wrapped, the iPhone I got for you. Carrier pointed out that this is why homemade gifts, such as a jar of jam, don’t require full wrapping. A simple bow around the top will do.
Designing away the cookie disclaimer by Sebastian Greger
So interesting to read things like this at the same time as enjoying The Circle by Dave Eggers.
Plus, a really good reminder to get my head around why I am tracking things and what to do about that.
Lifetime achievement award for the man who invented the webcam
So interesting to see this, not only as a piece of history but also as a personal reminder.
Back when the web was young and shiny, an otherwise extremely intelligent BBC television producer, a friend at the time, asked my help in understanding the promise of the new shinyness, especially in visual terms. I told him about the famous coffee pot web cam (and maybe, also, about the link to the Coke machine).
"Isn't that great," I said, "that you can see whether there's coffee in the pot without having to leave your computer."
"But you could just get up and look."
"Well yes, but the coffee pot could be anywhere in the world."
"What's the point of that? You can't go and get a cup of coffee there."
"True. But it doesn't have to be a coffee pot. It could be, oh, anything."
"I just don't see the point."
Of couse he went on to produce a highly acclaimed series, and much else besides.