matthewn
Joined 17 years ago
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1,022
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86
Member since
Feb 25
Recent submissions
Comment · 5 months ago
Comment · 9 months ago
Comment · 1 year ago
For more on this -- and how Sears had everything it needed (and more) to be what Amazon became -- see this comment from a 2007 MetaFilter thread: https://www.metafilter.com/62394/The-Record-Industrys-Declin...
Comment · 1 year ago
In an alternate timeline, HyperCard was not allowed to wither and die, but instead continued to mature, embraced the web, and inspired an entire genre of software-creating software. In this timeline, people shape their computing experiences as easily as one might sculpt a piece of clay, creating personal apps that make perfect sense to them and fit like a glove; computing devices actually become (for everyone, not just programmers) the "bicycle for the mind" that Steve Jobs spoke of. I think this is the timeline that Atkinson envisioned, and I wish I lived in it. We've lost a true visionary. Memory eternal!
Comment · 2 years ago
Any link to there from here will only get you JWZ's take on HN.
Comment · 2 years ago
I would say that HTML/Javascript is not a "tool" in the same sense that HyperCard was.
HyperCard's real strength was that it allowed mere users (not programmers) to create their own apps (or "stacks", in the HyperCard parlance) through pointing and clicking, plus an English-like scripting language (HyperTalk).
We have largely abandoned the idea that users should be able to create their own apps, so there is no popular, modern analogue to HyperCard, though some people keep trying. For instance, LiveCode is a commercial product that is directly inspired by HyperCard. And CardStock is an open source HyperCard clone that swaps out something English-like for Python as the underlying scripting language.
Comment · 2 years ago
If you install the django-extensions package and use runserver_plus instead of runserver, when you hit an exception you get a live REPL in your browser where you can poke around and inspect at will. It's not CL-level power, but it's mighty useful.
Comment · 2 years ago
Odd title for a piece that is mostly an elegy for the mouse.
Comment · 3 years ago
Bandcamp had 118 employees total. That doesn't smell bloated to me.
(Source: https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/bandcamp-layoffs-oakland...)
Comment · 3 years ago
I use Espanso for this; it has worked well on Wayland for some time.
Comment · 3 years ago
Terribly sad news. Thank you, Bram, for the finest software tool I've ever wielded.
Comment · 3 years ago
Similar argument from this lengthy but enjoyable essay: https://stopa.io/post/265
Comment · 3 years ago
Huge HyperCard fan here, this is a very happy discovery indeed! It captures the spirit of HyperCard -- stacks, images/sounds, etc. -- but the icing on the cake is that Python replaces HyperTalk and the entire Python ecosystem is at your disposal. That's incredible. I'm salivating.
The built-in Reference Guide is fantastic, too. Will definitely be keeping an eye on this project.
Comment · 3 years ago
Would LOVE to see memepool resurrected!
Comment · 3 years ago
As others have said, Will Vincent's books are excellent. I also like Mastering Django a great deal; it is extremely comprehensive: https://masteringdjango.com/
It's actually the keyboard that surprises me the most: I think it's really good (and I consider myself a bit of a keyboard snob). I've never had any issue like the author describes, of having to strike keys just-so.