Newsletter #2021-01
Here we are in a new year, I hope the it’s been treating you well!
Between a holiday and laptop repairs, I haven’t had the time to send out my newsletter. But it’s ready now, so dig in!
Read
How Web Apps Work: Client Development and Deployment
Even though I frequently work with JavaScript, I’ve struggled to understand the variety of module formats I’ve seen in use. This summary was a great help for me, and there’s a lot of useful coverage on general web development in this series as well!
A Few Things I’ve Learned About Email Marketing
Even though I’m not quite up to email marketing myself, it’s interesting to read about others who use email to share and sell their work.
A Byzantine Failure in the Real World
This newsletter’s post-mortem comes from Cloudflare, with degraded performance resulting from a minor incident in a distributed system.
Watch
JAMES JAMERSON /// Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
This bassline visualisation from the motown classic highlights a number of subtle music details – it follows the flow of the vocal lines, as well as the build/release of tension throughout the song!
Half-Life - Sense of Smell AI
Half-Life features a treasure trove of systems that enable complex AI behaviour, radical for a game released over two decades ago!
Kamasi Washington - Malcolm’s Theme - 2/23/2016 - Paste Studios
Miles Mosley’s string bass represents an entire rhythm section, and makes the session for me!
GoGo Penguin: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
Amongst all the jazz trios, GoGo Penguin’s sound is a distinct treat.
Listen
Lost For A While - Red Vox
I loved Red Vox’ Realign earlier this year, and I think these bonus tracks are great as well!
The Democratization of Tech with Tim Banks
There’s a lot to consider around activism for tech workers and companies, and this episode was one I found particularly thought-provoking. Both host Corey and his guest Tim raise a number of points to consider.