2020 June Update.

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New posts #

I've started contributing to a new book about Functional Programming in JS so had less time to write on the blog.

Books I've read #

• Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much by Sendhil Mullainathan, Eldar Shafir. I'm thinking about writing a review, but I've fallen into scarcity trap myself — with time. Hard to say when will it happen if ever. I recommend the book or my notes on scarcity trap episode: Does scarcity of time cause burnout?
• Nine Lies About Work. Have you ever felt unconvinced about the goal-setting rituals at work or felt that all this focus on feedback doesn't help you get more stuff done. There's a lot more with backed up by science.

Elsewhere on the Web #

• Temporary Media

  • Common Sense with Dan Carlin. 319 - A Recipe for Caesar. I got some many new ideas out of this episode. I highly recommend it. Especially if you're from the US, but you will notice similarities everywhere.
  • The American Press Is Destroying Itself.

• Current situation

  • I recommend looking at things from the perspective of Veil of ignorance.
  • For inspiration what a social change can look like: Radically Normal: How Gay Rights Activists Changed The Minds Of Their Opponents
  • But, remember to think critically ase well: The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt.

• Apple threatens HEY with shakedown tactics

• The Return of the 90s Web

Another issue created by social media is the prevalence of "algorithmic feeds". We decided that the constant stream of input for our eyeballs should never end, so we built these complex systems to generate new content for us based on our interests.

But these are giant black boxes, and nobody really knows what signals go into them. Throw advertising, "fake news" and a couple of trolls into the mix, and you get the mess we all know now.

That's why many people crave a more controlled reading experience on their own terms. Chronological, personal, relevant - a bespoke magazine of trusted sources. A curated feed.

One way to achieve something like that is through plain ol' boring RSS.

• List of Text-only* websites

I'm listening to #

• We Appreciate Power by Grimes and HANA

Until next time,
Krzysztof Kula