Matthew Lang avatar

Matthew Lang

Family guy and web developer

The Concentration of Power in Journalism

A great post about how the concentration of power in journalism now lies with technology providers and social media platforms.

Social media and platform companies took over what publishers couldn’t have built even if they wanted to. Now the news is filtered through algorithms and platforms which are opaque and unpredictable. The news business is embracing this trend, and digital native entrants like BuzzFeed, Vox and Fusion have built their presence on the premise that they are working within this system, not against it.

— Facebook is eating the world by Columbia Journalism Review

Reviewed: On Writing Well

I finally finished William Zinsser's On Writing Well last night.

Cover of On Writing Well

I've been making slow progress through it due to the fact I read it last thing at night and only managed a few pages at a time.

I've been chewing through a number of books on writing ever since I read Stephen King's book, On Writing. Educating myself on writing is just as important as my continual learning of software development, which is why I spend the time I do reading books like this.

I didn't take as many notes as I probably should have done, but I've queued the book up again on my reading list so that I do take notes on it the second time around. The main reason I enjoyed the book is that it doesn't focus on non-fiction writing.

I was glad to see there was even a section on writing about science and technology including this gem of advice:

Describing how a process works is valuable for two reasons. It forces you to make sure you know how it works. Then it forces you to take the reader through the same sequence of ideas and deductions that made the process clear to you.

— On Writing Well by William Zinsser

I recommend this book for anyone interested in improving their writing regardless of the form it takes. This book won't make you a successful published author but it will make look at your writing in a more critical way and that's not a bad thing if you want to improve.

I love the possibilities that “rails new” brings. So many things we can build.

Ulysses for iPhone

Ulysses is now out for the iPhone. Having used it on my MacBook for a couple of weeks, I might still be swayed by the shininess of a new tool, although it is one of the best writing tools I've used.

I'm still on the fence about using my phone for writing though, but if it writing on your iPhone is your thing, it may be worth checking out.

I call Ulysses a writing environment, though not really a publishing environment (more on that in a bit), because you're surrounded with a rich set of writing tools. Put another way, it's one of the very few apps that feels relatively complete. That doesn't mean it isn't finished or there's nothing left to fix or add. It's more that Ulysses leaves me with the fewest questions, frustrations, and frictions of any writing app I've used.

— Review: Ulysses 2.5 for iPad and, now, iPhone by MacStories

To watch a demo of a reporting server tool being used to embed a report I have to sign in to the website to watch the video. Why?

I like the idea of the Freewrite, but I would never buy one. It creates a sense of being a distraction free writing tool, but you could still check your phone, which is probably with you 99% of the time anyway.

There is a simpler solution.

It doesn't require you to carry a clunky box or even a dedicated bag. It doesn't depend on any electrical power supply. It's completely disconnected from the Internet and it doesn't require you to press any buttons.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the pen and notebook.

ISVs that invoke insane levels of protection on the demoing of their products are closing the door on potential customers everyday.

Are ISVs like this so paranoid about their product that they have to restrict access to videos that demo the features of their product?