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hackersofny:

“There’s this analogy I use a lot when talking about code to beginners: web applications are just like restaurants. You have the front of the restaurant and you have the kitchen, so that’s like the front-end and the back-end. Data and databases — you can think of that as the fridge or your pantry. So what happens when someone orders food is they make a request, it goes to the kitchen, they get the food from the pantry, it goes through the kitchen again, and back out to the front. That may not be the most efficient thing to do if you just want water. You’re not going to want it in the pantry, you’re going to want it near the front where everyone is. That’s similar to what cacheing is when you’re talking about web applications. Instead of going all the way to the database through the back-end, what you end up doing is you have things sitting very close to the front." 

Jon Chan is a web developer at Stack Exchange and founder of Bento, a guided tour through the best free web development tutorials, including videos, interactive classes, and reading material. He’s also a quasi-celebrity in Poland. 

Source: hackersofny

https://blog.rememberlenny.com/2014/07/08/hackersofny-theres-this-analogy-i-use-a-lot/

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hackersofny:

“There’s this analogy I use a lot when talking about code to beginners: web applications are just like restaurants. You have the front of the restaurant and you have the kitchen, so that’s like the front-end and the back-end. Data and databases — you can think of that as the fridge or your pantry. So what happens when someone orders food is they make a request, it goes to the kitchen, they get the food from the pantry, it goes through the kitchen again, and back out to the front. That may not be the most efficient thing to do if you just want water. You’re not going to want it in the pantry, you’re going to want it near the front where everyone is. That’s similar to what cacheing is when you’re talking about web applications. Instead of going all the way to the database through the back-end, what you end up doing is you have things sitting very close to the front." 

Jon Chan is a web developer at Stack Exchange and founder of Bento, a guided tour through the best free web development tutorials, including videos, interactive classes, and reading material. He’s also a quasi-celebrity in Poland. 

Source: hackersofny

https://blog.rememberlenny.com/2014/07/08/hackersofny-theres-this-analogy-i-use-a-lot-2/

Using subreddits for user research

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I have been using Reddit.com’s subreddits to get feedback about my ideas. I tried to go through Google Adsense to set up a campaign, but realized I dont like the way they promise a ‘segment’. I also looked at Facebook, but I am afraid I misunderstand my potential constituents.

On Reddit, people collect in topic oriented sub-groups. The sub-groups are a collection of people who share links about a single topic. As a result of this, you can safely assume the preferences of the group. These are called subreddits.

The subreddits are great for experimenting with ideas. The total number of subreddit followers is public knowledge. At any one moment, the subreddits also show how many people are logged in. As a result, you can easily gain insight on how many people your links are reaching.

I have been experimenting with asking the graffiti oriented subreddits about my idea. Initially, I was targeting the /r/graffiti subreddit because it was the biggest. I have tried to use surveys to collect feedback and email addresses, but never got more than 10 responses.

Today, I decided to target the /r/streetart subreddit. I used the format of post title as a question and post description with instructions. The instructions say “upvote” if you agree with the question. This format is giving me a healthy balance of up and down votes.

/r/streetart is a significantly smaller group, but I am getting much more user feedback. /r/graffiti is approximately 55,000 subscribers and /r/streetart is about 17,000. I believe this is because I am competing less for visible real estate. I also believe this may be because people who like /r/streetart may be more receptive to my question.

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Funny enough, I was just talking about that this morning! There was something on KROQ about Taylor Swift and how she thought it was wrong when artists gave away their music for free download because “it’s art, and art is valuable, and things of value have to be paid for.” I brought up that street artists don’t get paid, does that mean they’re not real artists? /s
But honestly, I would. Street art is one of my favorite kinds of art.

Response to [Ask /r/streetart] Would you donate money to street artists if there was a way?

https://blog.rememberlenny.com/2014/07/08/funny-enough-i-was-just-talking-about-that-this/

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These guys have worked out how to measure the “beauty” of specific locations within cities and then designed an algorithm that automatically chooses a route between two locations in a way that maximises the beauty along it. “The goal of this work is to automatically suggest routes that are not only short but also emotionally pleasant,” they say.

http://www.technologyreview.com/view/528836/forget-the-shortest-route-across-a-city-new-algorithm-finds-the-most-beautiful/

This service looks at mapping and directions and seeks to find the most beautiful route. The first day of @orbital, Gary mentioned the shift in techniology’s value. He said we are no longer shooting to be the most dependable, but rather strive to provide the highest quality. This is a great example of a tried and true product that can have it’s user experience significantly improved.

https://blog.rememberlenny.com/2014/07/08/these-guys-have-worked-out-how-to-measure-the/