Local-first software: a manifesto for user-data ownership and collaboration
Positions local device as the primary data source, retaining cloud-enabled real-time sync and collaboration
Defines seven ideals: instant responsiveness, offline access, conflict-free collaboration, long-term data preservation, etc.
Utilizes CRDTs (Conflict-free Replicated Data Types) to merge concurrent offline edits without conflicts
Demonstrated by open-source tools Automerge and Hypermerge and prototypes like Trellis, Pixelpusher, PushPin
Critiques current cloud and sync models (Dropbox, Git, BaaS) for centralization and lock-in risks
Acknowledges challenges in peer-to-peer networking and managing data growth, encouraging further research
Calls for developer platforms like “Firebase for CRDTs” to enable user-owned, collaborative apps
Emphasizes software should respect user ownership and privacy, moving beyond cloud provider dominance
Stop Hiding My Controls: Hidden Interface Controls Are Affecting Usability
Critiques modern UI trends hiding critical functions behind gestures or non-visible controls
Revisits Engelbart and Norman’s HCI principle: emphasizing visible controls (“knowledge in the world”) over memorized commands (“knowledge in the head”)
Highlights practical frustrations in smartphones, cars, and expert software where discoverability is reduced
Attributes hidden controls to pursuit of minimalism, aesthetics, and screen space constraints
Notes mission-critical systems preserve visible, persistent controls for usability and safety
Calls for designers to prioritize discoverability and eliminate hidden controls to reduce cognitive load
Techno-Feudalism and the Rise of AGI: A Future Without Economic Rights?
Argues AGI acts simultaneously as labor and capital owner, concentrating wealth within AGI infrastructure controllers
Warns this convergence risks widespread economic disenfranchisement and erosion of democratic institutions
Proposes renegotiating the social contract away from human labor as economic base toward equitable AGI wealth distribution
Suggests policy interventions: universal AI dividends, progressive taxation, decentralized governance
Includes economic modeling showing productivity shifts from human labor to AGI, concentrating income and capital
Frames controlling intelligence infrastructure as the ultimate source of economic privilege in the future
What ’Project Hail Mary’ teaches us about the Planetscale vs. Neon debate
Uses sci-fi analogy emphasizing tradeoffs between efficiency and scalability in distributed database systems
PlanetScale optimized for low-latency, predictable loads; Neon optimized for scalability under spiky, variable traffic
Neither service is categorically superior—both excel in different use cases and operational goals
Pushes back against divisive social media narratives favoring one provider over the other
Encourages appreciation of nuanced engineering trade-offs inherent in distributed database design
Highlights the absence of “free lunches” in distributed system architectures
macOS Icon History: Liquid Glass and evolving design language
Documents decades-long evolution of macOS system icons culminating in 2025’s “Liquid Glass” redesign
Liquid Glass introduces softer, shinier, more glassy icons with slightly more rounded rectangles
New design enforces strict containment of icon elements within icon boundaries, eliminating extensions beyond edges
Traces changes in key system icons: System Preferences/Settings, Folders, Stickies, Notes, Messages, Calculator, Game Center, Dictionary, App Store, Maps, Podcasts, Photo Booth
Reflects a broader shift toward minimalism, uniformity, and clarity in UI aesthetics
Sparks community debate on balancing icon abstraction and recognizability amid modern design trends
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