the The Ocean in 50 Fascinating Facts By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 05 Feb 2016 18:51:12 +0000 By DiveIn.com This marvelous infographic, created by the scuba magazine DiveIn.com, is a deep-dive into the wonder, mystery and vital importance of our earth’s oceans. 50 fascinating facts about the ocean – Graphic by the team at DIVE.in Full Article Ocean Water Water Everywhere deep ocean Marine Ecosystems Oceans
the The Deepwater Horizon Dirty Blizzard By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Jun 2016 19:26:03 +0000 By Julie Cohen The UC Santa Barbara Current Oceanographer Uta Passow demonstrates that contaminants from Deepwater Horizon lingered for months in subsurface water before sinking to the seafloor Between April 20 and July 15, 2010, millions of barrels of crude … Continue reading → Full Article Water Pollution Deepwater Horizon gulf oil spill
the Unwell: The Public Health Implications of Unregulated Drinking Water By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 06 Nov 2017 21:28:26 +0000 By Nate Seltenrich Environmental Health Perspectives Roughly one in seven U.S. residents relies on a private well for drinking water.1 Unlike the rest of the population served by the nation’s many public water systems,2 these 44.5 million Americans are not … Continue reading → Full Article Drinking Water safe drinking water water wells
the The Mosquito Gap By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 28 Mar 2018 20:51:54 +0000 By Sarah Anderson Other Words How poverty, climate change, and bad policy put poor people at greater risk from pest-borne diseases. OK, I admit it, I’m a freeloader. My neighbors asked if I’d go in on a mosquito control service … Continue reading → Full Article Points of View & Opinions mosquitos poverty zika
the One of Our Last Links to the Wild World is in Danger By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 15 Aug 2018 20:44:19 +0000 By Dan Ritzman OtherWords Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of the world’s last intact ecosystems, but dangerous oil exploration could soon spoil it. I can still remember the first time I saw tracks left behind by seismic testing … Continue reading → Full Article Points of View & Opinions alaska Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling for Oil ecosystem U.S. Congress wildlife
the Harbingers: Florence, Forest Fires, and the Future By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 26 Sep 2018 22:31:26 +0000 By John Atcheson Common Dreams If past is prologue, the media will soon move on, leaving the greatest threat humanity has ever faced virtually uncovered Climate change catastrophe is upon us. We see it in the record-breaking floods from storms … Continue reading → Full Article Points of View & Opinions Climate Change extreme weather events media
the How to Master the Elevator Pitch & Leave a Great First Impression By justcreative.com Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 06:12:24 +0000 Want to master the elevator pitch and leave a great first impression? Use this easy formula to help communicate what you do in a concise pitch! Full Article Business Elevator Pitch
the How to Grow Your Sales and Leads During the Coronavirus Pandemic By justcreative.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 10:16:17 +0000 Try these 10 actionable steps for streamlined, cost-effective marketing during the lockdown. Shed costs and embrace innovation to drive leads and conversions. Full Article Blogging & Content Marketing Guest Articles Content Marketing Marketing
the The Strategic Pyramid – Brand Purpose, Mission, Vision & Values By justcreative.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 01:18:35 +0000 Do you know the difference between a mission and a vision? Or the difference between a purpose and a goal? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Let's clarify! Full Article Branding Brand Strategy
the GoCopy – The Best Adobe InDesign Collaboration Tool By justcreative.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 02:09:37 +0000 GoCopy is the simplest way for copywriters and designers to collaborate better on Adobe InDesign content. Get your copy free! Full Article Graphic Design Adobe GoCopy InDesign
the Is Zero UI The Key Factor For The Future Of Interfaces? By icanbecreative.com Published On :: Tue, 10 Mar 2020 05:54:37 PDT Zero UI is about removing everything that comes between users and their devices, about making the interaction easier, seamless, more direct. Does it sound to you like a concept from a science-fiction... Full Article Technology
the How The Neumorphism / Skeuomorphism UI Trend Is Getting Shape By icanbecreative.com Published On :: Fri, 13 Mar 2020 09:47:53 PDT The new UI trend known as Neumorphism (with Skeuomorphism roots) has gotten a more consistent shape in the last period, is another beautiful approach to design user interfaces that look soft and is... Full Article Design Roud-up
the Profession Of The Future: Why Is Programmer Education Still Relevant? By icanbecreative.com Published On :: Mon, 16 Mar 2020 08:07:37 PDT In 2020, there is no doubt that people and technology will be very close friends in the future. The modern inhabitant of our planet spends about 45% of his time connecting with technology. We are... Full Article Learning
the The Best Way To Improve Your Business Skills By icanbecreative.com Published On :: Mon, 16 Mar 2020 08:40:10 PDT Are you thinking about running a business after getting a degree? This article will help you find the best ways to make your business skills more efficient and useful. The Best Way To Improve Your... Full Article Business
the Which Graphics Editor To Choose For The Novice By icanbecreative.com Published On :: Thu, 19 Mar 2020 09:59:19 PDT Photos and other images are used in different fields, so those who know how to work with high-resolution mockups are in demand as professionals. It is useful to be able to take photos, draw, edit... Full Article Learning
the What Are The Essential Tools For Painting? By icanbecreative.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Mar 2020 12:41:10 PDT Painting a room can be a scary venture. Once you have got chosen on the unused color for the room, you’re prepared to begin. Maler has prepared a list of necessary equipment you may need during... Full Article Learning
the How To Restore Hard Drive From A Time Machine + Other Ways By icanbecreative.com Published On :: Sun, 29 Mar 2020 06:25:37 PDT Have you chosen Mac for its reliable system? They really have a lot of advantages and are of the best quality. Mac users don’t face serious problems with hard drives often. But the reality is such... Full Article Learning
the Why Choosing The Best Web Hosting Is Crucial For Your Business By icanbecreative.com Published On :: Wed, 15 Apr 2020 17:49:11 PDT Not many business owners think about hosting when building a new website for their business. But failing to choose the right web hosting can have a great impact on your website and, of course, your... Full Article Learning
the Loosening the Caregiver's Grip By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Monday, June 11, 2018 - 12:47pm It happens slowly, like that metaphorical frog you’ve heard about. Possessiveness and controlling behavior in TBI caregivers is something that creeps up on you, and I suspect it is common — not because people are trying to be annoying, but because they care so much and want to see that their loved one is treated well in every respect. Full Article
the The Unspoken Shame of Anger in Caregiving By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Monday, December 17, 2018 - 9:10am I didn’t even know who or what I was angry at. Fate? Bad luck? The person who hit my husband with her car? Full Article
the Remix and make music with audio from the Library of Congress By flowingdata.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 19:13:15 +0000 Brian Foo is the current Innovator-in-Residence at the Library of Congress. His latest…Tags: Brian Foo, Library of Congress, music Full Article Apps Brian Foo Library of Congress music
the ✚ Tornado Lines – Useful or Not? (The Process 088) By flowingdata.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 17:30:48 +0000 It looks like a tornado. It's messy. It's circular. It almost looks intentionally confusing. But how bad is it really?Tags: novelty, tornado Full Article The Process novelty tornado
the Why's it so hard to get the cool stuff approved? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 27 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0500 The classic adage is “good design speaks for itself.” Which would mean that if something’s as good of an idea as you think it is, a client will instantly see that it’s good too, right? Here at Viget, we’re always working with new and different clients. Each with their own challenges and sensibilities. But after ten years of client work, I can’t help but notice a pattern emerge when we’re trying to get approval on especially cool, unconventional parts of a design. So let’s break down some of those patterns to hopefully better understand why clients hesitate, and what strategies we’ve been using lately to help get the work we’re excited about approved.Imagine this: the parallax homepage with elements that move around in surprising ways or a unique navigation menu that conceptually reinforces a site’s message. The way the content cards on a page will, like, be literal cards that will shuffle and move around. Basically, any design that feels like an exciting, novel challenge, will need the client to “get it.” And that often turns out to be the biggest challenge of all. There are plenty of practical reasons cool designs get shot down. A client is usually more than one stakeholder, and more than the team of people you’re working with directly. On any project, there’s an amount of telephone you end up playing. Or, there’s always the classic foes: budgets and deadlines. Any idea should fit in those predetermined constraints. But as a project goes along, budgets and deadlines find a way to get tighter than you planned. But innovative designs and interactions can seem especially scary for clients to approve. There’s three fears that often pop up on projects:The fear of change. Maybe the client expected something simple, a light refresh. Something that doesn’t challenge their design expectations or require more time and effort to understand. And on our side, maybe we didn’t sufficiently ease them into our way of thinking and open them up to why we think something bigger and bolder is the right solution for them. Baby steps, y’all. The fear of the unknown. Or, less dramatically, a lack of understanding of the medium. In the past, we have struggled with how to present an interactive, animated design to a client before it’s actually built. Looking at a site that does something conceptually similar as an example can be tough. It’s asking a lot of a client’s imagination to show them a site about boots that has a cool spinning animation and get meaningful feedback about how a spinning animation would work on their site about after-school tutoring. Or maybe we’ve created static designs, then talked around what we envision happening. Again, what seems so clear in our minds as professionals entrenched in this stuff every day can be tough for someone outside the tech world to clearly understand. The fear of losing control. We’re all about learning from past mistakes. So lets say, after dealing with that fear of the unknown on a project, next time you go in the opposite direction. You invest time up front creating something polished. Maybe you even get the developer to build a prototype that moves and looks like the real thing. You’ve taken all the vague mystery out of the process, so a client will be thrilled, right? Surprise, probably not! Most clients are working with you because they want to conquer the noble quest that is their redesign together. When we jump straight to showing something that looks polished, even if it’s not really, it can feel like we jumped ahead without keeping them involved. Like we took away their input. They can also feel demotivated to give good, meaningful feedback on a polished prototype because it looks “done.”So what to do? Lately we have found low-fidelity prototypes to be a great tool for combating these fears and better communicating our ideas. What are low-fidelity prototypes?Low fidelity prototypes are a tool that designers can create quickly to illustrate an idea, without sinking time into making it pixel-perfect. Some recent examples of prototypes we've created include a clickable Figma or Invision prototype put together with Whimsical wireframes: A rough animation created in Principle illustrating less programatic animation: And even creating an animated storyboard in Photoshop: They’re rough enough that there’s no way they could be confused for a final product. But customized so that a client can immediately understand what they’re looking at and what they need to respond to. Low-fidelity prototypes hit a sweet spot that addresses those client fears head on. That fear of change? A lo-fi prototype starts rough and small, so it can ease a client into a dramatic change without overwhelming them. It’s just a first step. It gives them time to react and warm up to something that’ll ultimately be a big change.It also cuts out the fear of the unknown. Seeing something moving around, even if it’s rough, can be so much more clear than talking ourselves in circles about how we think it will move, and hoping the client can imagine it. The feature is no longer an enigma cloaked in mystery and big talk, but something tangible they can point at and ask concrete questions about.And finally, a lo-fi prototype doesn’t threaten a client’s sense of control. Low-fidelity means it’s clearly still a work in progress! It’s just an early step in the creative process, and therefore communicates that we’re still in the middle of that process together. There’s still plenty of room for their ideas and feedback. Lo-fi prototypes: client-tested, internal team-approvedThere are a lot of reasons to love lo-fi prototypes internally, too! They’re quick and easy. We can whip up multiple ideas within a few hours, without sinking the time into getting our hearts set on any one thing. In an agency setting especially, time is limited, so the faster we can get an idea out of our own heads, the better.They’re great to share with developers. Ideally, the whole team is working together simultaneously, collaborating every step of the way. Realistically, a developer often doesn’t have time during a project’s early design phase. Lo-fi prototypes are concrete enough that a developer can quickly tell if building an idea will be within scope. It helps us catch impractical ideas early and helps us all collaborate to create something that’s both cool and feasible. Stay tuned for posts in the near future diving into some of our favorite processes for creating lo-fi prototypes! Full Article Design & Content
the Committed to the wrong branch? -, @{upstream}, and @{-1} to the rescue By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 27 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0500 I get into this situation sometimes. Maybe you do too. I merge feature work into a branch used to collect features, and then continue development but on that branch instead of back on the feature branch git checkout feature # ... bunch of feature commits ... git push git checkout qa-environment git merge --no-ff --no-edit feature git push # deploy qa-environment to the QA remote environment # ... more feature commits ... # oh. I'm not committing in the feature branch like I should be and have to move those commits to the feature branch they belong in and take them out of the throwaway accumulator branch git checkout feature git cherry-pick origin/qa-environment..qa-environment git push git checkout qa-environment git reset --hard origin/qa-environment git merge --no-ff --no-edit feature git checkout feature # ready for more feature commits Maybe you prefer git branch -D qa-environment git checkout qa-environment over git checkout qa-environment git reset --hard origin/qa-environment Either way, that works. But it'd be nicer if we didn't have to type or even remember the branches' names and the remote's name. They are what is keeping this from being a context-independent string of commands you run any time this mistake happens. That's what we're going to solve here.Shorthands for longevityI like to use all possible natively supported shorthands. There are two broad motivations for that.Fingers have a limited number of movements in them. Save as many as possible left late in life.Current research suggests that multitasking has detrimental effects on memory. Development tends to be very heavy on multitasking. Maybe relieving some of the pressure on quick-access short term memory (like knowing all relevant branch names) add up to leave a healthier memory down the line.First up for our scenario: the - shorthand, which refers to the previously checked out branch. There are a few places we can't use it, but it helps a lot: Bash # USING - git checkout feature # hack hack hack git push git checkout qa-environment git merge --no-ff --no-edit - # ???? git push # hack hack hack # whoops git checkout - # now on feature ???? git cherry-pick origin/qa-environment..qa-environment git push git checkout - # now on qa-environment ???? git reset --hard origin/qa-environment git merge --no-ff --no-edit - # ???? git checkout - # ???? # on feature and ready for more feature commits Bash # ORIGINAL git checkout feature # hack hack hack git push git checkout qa-environment git merge --no-ff --no-edit feature git push # hack hack hack # whoops git checkout feature git cherry-pick origin/qa-environment..qa-environment git push git checkout qa-environment git reset --hard origin/qa-environment git merge --no-ff --no-edit feature git checkout feature # ready for more feature commits Switch We cannot use - when cherry-picking a range > git cherry-pick origin/-..- fatal: bad revision 'origin/-..-' > git cherry-pick origin/qa-environment..- fatal: bad revision 'origin/qa-environment..-' and even if we could we'd still have provide the remote's name (here, origin).That shorthand doesn't apply in the later reset --hard command, and we cannot use it in the branch -D && checkout approach either. branch -D does not support the - shorthand and once the branch is deleted checkout can't reach it with -: # assuming that branch-a has an upstream origin/branch-a > git checkout branch-a > git checkout branch-b > git checkout - > git branch -D - error: branch '-' not found. > git branch -D branch-a > git checkout - error: pathspec '-' did not match any file(s) known to git So we have to remember the remote's name (we know it's origin because we are devoting memory space to knowing that this isn't one of those times it's something else), the remote tracking branch's name, the local branch's name, and we're typing those all out. No good! Let's figure out some shorthands.@{-<n>} is hard to say but easy to fall in love withWe can do a little better by using @{-<n>} (you'll also sometimes see it referred to be the older @{-N}). It is a special construct for referring to the nth previously checked out ref. > git checkout branch-a > git checkout branch-b > git rev-parse --abbrev-rev @{-1} # the name of the previously checked out branch branch-a > git checkout branch-c > git rev-parse --abbrev-rev @{-2} # the name of branch checked out before the previously checked out one branch-a Back in our scenario, we're on qa-environment, we switch to feature, and then want to refer to qa-environment. That's @{-1}! So instead of git cherry-pick origin/qa-environment..qa-environment We can do git cherry-pick origin/qa-environment..@{-1} Here's where we are (🎉 marks wins from -, 💥 marks the win from @{-1}) Bash # USING - AND @{-1} git checkout feature # hack hack hack git push git checkout qa-environment git merge --no-ff --no-edit - # ???? git push # hack hack hack # whoops git checkout - # ???? git cherry-pick origin/qa-environment..@{-1} # ???? git push git checkout - # ???? git reset --hard origin/qa-environment git merge --no-ff --no-edit - # ???? git checkout - # ???? # ready for more feature commits Bash # ORIGINAL git checkout feature # hack hack hack git push git checkout qa-environment git merge --no-ff --no-edit feature git push # hack hack hack # whoops git checkout feature git cherry-pick origin/qa-environment..qa-environment git push git checkout qa-environment git reset --hard origin/qa-environment git merge --no-ff --no-edit feature git checkout feature # ready for more feature commits Switch One down, two to go: we're still relying on memory for the remote's name and the remote branch's name and we're still typing both out in full. Can we replace those with generic shorthands?@{-1} is the ref itself, not the ref's name, we can't do > git cherry-pick origin/@{-1}..@{-1} origin/@{-1} fatal: ambiguous argument 'origin/@{-1}': unknown revision or path not in the working tree. Use '--' to separate paths from revisions, like this: 'git <command> [<revision>...] -- [<file>...]' because there is no branch origin/@{-1}. For the same reason, @{-1} does not give us a generalized shorthand for the scenario's later git reset --hard origin/qa-environment command.But good news!Do @{u} @{push} @{upstream} or its shorthand @{u} is the remote branch a that would be pulled from if git pull were run. @{push} is the remote branch that would be pushed to if git push was run. > git checkout branch-a Switched to branch 'branch-a' Your branch is ahead of 'origin/branch-a' by 3 commits. (use "git push" to publish your local commits) > git reset --hard origin/branch-a HEAD is now at <the SHA origin/branch-a is at> we can > git checkout branch-a Switched to branch 'branch-a' Your branch is ahead of 'origin/branch-a' by 3 commits. (use "git push" to publish your local commits) > git reset --hard @{u} # <-- So Cool! HEAD is now at <the SHA origin/branch-a is at> Tacking either onto a branch name will give that branch's @{upstream} or @{push}. For example git checkout branch-a@{u} is the branch branch-a pulls from.In the common workflow where a branch pulls from and pushes to the same branch, @{upstream} and @{push} will be the same, leaving @{u} as preferable for its terseness. @{push} shines in triangular workflows where you pull from one remote and push to another (see the external links below).Going back to our scenario, it means short, portable commands with a minimum human memory footprint. (🎉 marks wins from -, 💥 marks the win from @{-1}, 😎 marks the wins from @{u}.) Bash # USING - AND @{-1} AND @{u} git checkout feature # hack hack hack git push git checkout qa-environment git merge --no-ff --no-edit - # ???? git push # hack hack hack # whoops git checkout - # ???? git cherry-pick @{-1}@{u}..@{-1} # ???????? git push git checkout - # ???? git reset --hard @{u} # ???? git merge --no-ff --no-edit - # ???? git checkout - # ???? # ready for more feature commits Bash # ORIGINAL git checkout feature # hack hack hack git push git checkout qa-environment git merge --no-ff --no-edit feature git push # hack hack hack # whoops git checkout feature git cherry-pick origin/qa-environment..qa-environment git push git checkout qa-environment git reset --hard origin/qa-environment git merge --no-ff --no-edit feature git checkout feature # ready for more feature commits Switch Make the things you repeat the easiest to doBecause these commands are generalized, we can run some series of them once, maybe git checkout - && git reset --hard @{u} && git checkout - or git checkout - && git cherry-pick @{-1}@{u}.. @{-1} && git checkout - && git reset --hard @{u} && git checkout - and then those will be in the shell history just waiting to be retrieved and run again the next time, whether with CtrlR incremental search or history substring searching bound to the up arrow or however your interactive shell is configured. Or make it an alias, or even better an abbreviation if your interactive shell supports them. Save the body wear and tear, give memory a break, and level up in Git.And keep goingThe GitHub blog has a good primer on triangular workflows and how they can polish your process of contributing to external projects.The FreeBSD Wiki has a more in-depth article on triangular workflow process (though it doesn't know about @{push} and @{upstream}).The construct @{-<n>} and the suffixes @{push} and @{upstream} are all part of the gitrevisions spec. Direct links to each:@{-<n>}@{push}@{upstream} Full Article Code Front-end Engineering Back-end Engineering
the Our New Normal, Together By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 20 Mar 2020 09:00:00 -0400 As the world works to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, our thoughts are foremost with those already ill from the virus and those on the frontlines, slowing its spread. The bravery and commitment of healthcare workers everywhere is an inspiration. While Viget’s physical offices are effectively closed, we’re continuing to work with our clients on projects that evolve by the day. Viget has been working with distributed teams to varying degrees for most of our 20-year history, and while we’re comfortable with the tools and best practices that make doing so effective, we realize that some of our clients are learning as they go. We’re here to help. These are unprecedented times, but our business playbook is clear: Take care of each other. We’re in this together. Our People Team is meeting with everyone on our staff to confirm their work-from-home situation. Do they have family or roommates they can rely on in an emergency? How are they feeling physically and mentally? Do they have what they need to be productive? As a team, we’re working extra hard to communicate. Andy hosts and records video calls to answer questions anyone has about the crisis, and our weekly staff meeting schedule will continue. Recognizing that our daily informal group lunches are a vital social glue in our offices, Aubrey has organized a virtual lunch table Hangout, allowing our now fully-distributed team to catch up over video. It ensures we have some laughs and helps keep us feeling connected. Our project teams are well-versed in remote collaboration, but we understand that not all client projects can proceed as planned. We’re doing our best to accommodate evolving schedules while keeping the momentum on as many projects as possible. For all of our clients, we’re making clear that we think long-term. We’re partners through this, and can adapt to help our clients not just weather the storm, but come through it stronger when possible. Some clients have been forced to pause work entirely, while others are busier than ever. Viget has persevered through many downturns -- the dot com crash, 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and a few self-inflicted close-calls. In retrospect, it’s easy to reflect on how these situations made us stronger, but mid-crisis it can be hard to stay positive. The consistent lesson has been that taking care of each other -- co-workers, clients, partners, community peers -- is what gets us through. It motivates our hard work, it focuses our priorities and collaboration, and inspires us to do what needs to be done. I don’t know for certain how this crisis will play out, but I know that all of us at Viget will be doing everything we can to support each other as we go through it together. Full Article News & Culture
the Together We Flourish, Remotely By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 09 Apr 2020 08:00:00 -0400 Like many other companies, Viget is working through the new challenge of suddenly being a fully-distributed company. We don’t know how long it will last or every challenge that will arise because of these unfortunate circumstances, but we know the health and well-being of our people is paramount. As Employee Engagement Manager, I feel inspired by these new challenges, eager to step up, and committed to seeing what good can come of this. Now more than ever, we want to maintain the culture that has sustained us over the last 20 years – a culture that I think is best captured by our mantra, “do great work and be a great teammate.” As everyone is adjusting to new work environments, schedules, and distractions, I am adjusting my approach to employee engagement, and the People Team is looking for new ways to nurture and protect the culture we treasure. The backbone of being a great teammate is knowing each other and caring about each other. For years the People Team has focused on making sure people who work at Viget are known, accepted, and cared about. From onboarding to events to weekly and monthly touchpoints, we invest in coworkers knowing each other. On top of that, we have well-appointed offices where people like to be, and friendships unfold over time. Abruptly becoming fully distributed makes it impossible for some of these connections to happen organically, like they would have around the coffee machine and the lunch tables. These microinteractions between colleagues in the same office, the hellos when you get off the elevator or the “what’d you get up to this weekend” chit chat near the seltzer refrigerator, all add up. We realize more than ever how valuable those moments are, and I know I will feel extra grateful for them when we are all back together.Until that time, we are working to make sure everyone at Viget feels connected, safe, healthy, and most importantly, together, even when we are physically apart. We are keeping up our weekly staff meetings and monthly team lunches, and we just onboarded a new hire last week as thoroughly as ever. There are some other, new ways we’re sparking connections, too. New ways we're sparking connections: Connecting IntentionallyWe are making the most of the tools that we’ve been using for years. New Slack channels have spun up, including #exercise, where folks are sharing how they are making do without a gym, and #igotyou, a place where folks can post where they’ve found supplies in stock as grocery stores are being emptied at an alarming pace.Remote Lunch TablesWe have teammates in three different time zones, on different project teams, and at different stages of life. We’ve created two virtual lunch tables, one at 12PM EST and one at 12PM MST, where folks can join with or without their lunches and with or without their kids, partners, or pets. There are no rules or structure, just an opportunity to chat and see a friendly face as a touchpoint to your day.Last Weekend This MorningCatching up Monday morning is a great way to kick off your week. Historically, I’ve done this from my desk over coffee as I greet folks coming off the elevator (I usually have the privilege of sitting at our front desk). I now do this from my desk, at home, over coffee as folks pop in or out of our Zoom call. One upshot of the new normal is I can “greet” anyone who shows up, not just people who work from my same office. Again, no structure, just a way to start our week, together.Munch MadnessYes, you read that right. Most of the sports world is enjoying an intermission. Since our CEO can’t cheer on his beloved Cavaliers and our VP of Design can’t cheer on his Gators, we’ve created something potentially much better. A definitive snack bracket. There is a minimal time commitment and folks with no sports knowledge can participate. The rules are simple: create and submit your bracket, ranking who you believe will win each snack faceoff. Then as we move through the rounds, vote on your favorite snacks. The competition has already sparked tons of conversation and plenty of snack hot takes. Want to start a munch-off of your own? Check out our bracket as a starting point.Virtual Happy HoursSigning off for the day and shutting down your machine is incredibly important for maintaining a work-life balance. Casually checking in, unwinding, and being able to chat about your day is also important. We have big, beautiful kitchens in each of our offices, along with casual spaces where at the end of any given day you can find a few Vigets catching up before heading home. This is something we don’t want to miss! So we’re setting up weekly happy hours where folks can hop in and say hi to each other face-to-face. We’ve found Zoom to be a great platform so we can see the maximum number of our teammates possible. Like all of our other events, it’s optional. There is also an understanding that your roommate, kid, significant other, or pet might show up on screen (and are welcome!). No one is shamed for multitasking and we encourage our teammates to join as they can. So far we’ve toasted new teammates, played a song or two, and up next we’ll play trivia. At the end of the day, we are all here for one reason: to do great work. Our award-winning work is made possible by the trust we’ve built within our teams. Staying focused and accountable to ourselves and our clients is what drives our motivation to continue to show up and do our best. In our new working environment, it is crucial that we can both stay connected and productive; a lot of teammates are stepping up to support one another. Here are a few ways we are continuing to foster our “do great work” mantra. New ways we're fostering great work: Staying in TouchThe People Team is actively touching base with every employee. Our focus is on their health, productivity, and connection. These 1:1s have given us a baseline for how we can provide the best support for our team, from making sure they're aware of flexible work options to setting them up with the tools they need to be successful. We’ve delivered chairs, monitors, and helped troubleshoot in-home wifi issues. We are committed to making sure every Viget is set up for success.Sharing is CaringWe’re no stranger to remote teams. We have four offices across the U.S. and a handful of full-time remote folks, and we’ve leaned on our inside experts to share their expertise on remote work. Most recently, ourData & Analytics Director, who has been working remotely full time for five years, gave a presentation on best practices for working from home. His top tips for working from home include: Minimize other windows in remote meetings.Set a schedule and avoid midday chores.Take breaks away from the screen.Plan your workday on your shared calendar.Be mindful of Slack and social media as a distraction.Use timers.Keep your work area separate from where you relax.Pretend that you’re still working from work.Experiment and figure out what works for you. Our UX Research Director also stepped up to share her expertise to aid in adjusting to our new working conditions. She led a microclass on remote facilitation where she shared best practices and went over tools that support remote collaboration. Some of the tools she highlighted included Miro, Mural, Whimsical, and Jamboard. During the microclass she demonstrated use of Whimsical’s voting feature, which makes it easy for distributed groups to establish discussion topic priorities.Always PreparedHaving all of our project materials stored in the Cloud in a consistent, predictable way is a cornerstone of our business continuity plan. It is more important than ever for our team to follow the established best practices and ensure that project files are accessible to the full Viget team in the event of unplanned time off. Our VP of Client Services is leading efforts to ensure everyone is aware of and following our established guidelines with tools like Drive, Slack, Github, and Figma. Our priorities are that clients’ needs are met, quality is high, and timelines are honored. As the pandemic unfolds, our approach to employee engagement will evolve. We have more things in the works to build and maintain connections while distributed, including trivia and game nights, book clubs, virtual movie nights, and community service opportunities, just to name a few. No matter what we’re doing or what tool we’re using to connect, we’ll be in it together: doing great work, being great teammates, and looking forward. Full Article News & Culture
the "What is deceptive, especially in the West, is our assumption that repetitive and mindless jobs are..." By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:30:00 -0700 “What is deceptive, especially in the West, is our assumption that repetitive and mindless jobs are dehumanizing. On the other hand, the jobs that require us to use the abilities that are uniquely human, we assume to be humanizing. This is not necessarily true. The determining factor is not so much the nature of our jobs, but for whom they serve. ‘Burnout’ is a result of consuming yourself for something other than yourself. You could be burnt out for an abstract concept, ideal, or even nothing (predicament). You end up burning yourself as fuel for something or someone else. This is what feels dehumanizing. In repetitive physical jobs, you could burn out your body for something other than yourself. In creative jobs, you could burn out your soul. Either way, it would be dehumanizing. Completely mindless jobs and incessantly mindful jobs could both be harmful to us.” - Dsyke Suematsu from his white paper discussed at Why Ad People Burn Out. Full Article Dsyke Suematsu
the "In conceptual art the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work. When an artist uses..." By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:13:00 -0700 “In conceptual art the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work. When an artist uses a conceptual form of art, it means that all of the planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair. The idea becomes a machine that makes the art. This kind of art is not theoretical or illustrative of theories; it is intuitive, it is involved with all types of mental processes and it is purposeless. It is usually free from the dependence on the skill of the artist as a craftsman.” - Artist Sol Lewitt on conceptual art. Full Article
the The webinar software – how it can help you? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 17 Feb 2020 14:02:02 +0000 A lot of business owners who want to be leaders in the online world know that being unique is a key to achieve success. Today, this future success is definitely the webinar tools that are more and more popular worldwide. This article will tell more about it and how does the webinar room work before, […] The post The webinar software – how it can help you? appeared first on Bittbox. Full Article Software Feature Featured webinar software
the The State – Sort of – of HTML5 Audio By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 10 Jun 2011 02:17:34 +0000 The State – Sort of – of HTML5 Audio Scott Schiller discusses the high level of hype around HTML5 and CSS3. The two specs render ”many years of feature hacks redundant by replacing them with native features,” he writes in an insightful blog. Blogging, he says: CSS3’s border-radius, box-shadow, text-shadow and gradients, and HTML5’s <canvas>, Read the rest... Full Article Front Page html5
the The power of intent tag discussed By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:09:59 +0000 Google developer advocate Paul Kinlan has detailed his recent work on a lightweight sharing facility using a very simple intent share protocol. Web Intents began life in 2010. Now, Kinlan and company are looking for feedback. Basically, his intent tag is intended to allow users to more easily mix and match favorite plug-in capabilities, freeing Read the rest... Full Article Android Front Page html5
the Node.js – The objective is absolutely fast I/O By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Sat, 31 Mar 2012 03:03:58 +0000 Node.js employs an event-driven architecture and a non-blocking I/O model, and it provides some blindingly fast performance to some types of data-intensive Web apps. It is about JavaScript on the server side. LinkedIn, Yahoo and eBay are among ardent Node.js users, and none other than Microsoft has discussed end-to-end JavaScript coverage on its Azure cloud. Read the rest... Full Article Front Page Node
the Fat Fractal enters the BaaS fray By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 27 Sep 2012 02:24:34 +0000 What has sometimes been described as mobile middleware has taken a new tack. Now, the idea of Backend as a Service (BaaS) has begun to take off in the mobile application development space. Proponents of BaaS say it helps developers easily build mobile apps, or any other applications connected to a cloud backend. Some of Read the rest... Full Article Front Page Mobile
the Here comes Traversty traversing the DOM By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 02 Nov 2012 01:59:37 +0000 The Traversty DOM utility has as its purpose to allow you to traverse the DOM and manage collections of DOM elements. Proponents admit core Traversty traversal methods are inspired by Prototype’s DOM Traversal toolkit, but now in a multi-element environment that is more like jQuery and less like Prototype’s single element implementation. Full Article Front Page JavaScript
the 10 Exciting Examples of the Beaver Builder Plugin in Use By wphacks.com Published On :: Mon, 03 Feb 2020 08:00:00 +0000 Building a stunning website is a tough job. Even if you have some basic understanding of things like code and […] The post 10 Exciting Examples of the Beaver Builder Plugin in Use appeared first on WPHacks. Full Article Plugins beaver builder plugin web design
the 40 Beautiful WordPress Divi Theme Examples That Will Wow You By wphacks.com Published On :: Tue, 11 Feb 2020 00:43:00 +0000 Are you looking for a new WordPress theme? The Divi Theme, by Elegant Themes, is easily one of the most […] The post 40 Beautiful WordPress Divi Theme Examples That Will Wow You appeared first on WPHacks. Full Article Themes divi theme elegant themes
the 5 Easy Tips for Finding the Perfect WordPress Theme By wphacks.com Published On :: Tue, 11 Feb 2020 08:00:00 +0000 Nothing is more frustrating than spending upwards of $50 on a theme for your WordPress site for it to not […] The post 5 Easy Tips for Finding the Perfect WordPress Theme appeared first on WPHacks. Full Article Beginners Guide web design wordpress theme
the 40 Examples of Sites Using the Total Theme By wphacks.com Published On :: Wed, 04 Mar 2020 08:00:00 +0000 Choosing the ultimate theme for your WordPress site is easier said than done. You need something easy to use, attractive, […] The post 40 Examples of Sites Using the Total Theme appeared first on WPHacks. Full Article Themes total theme wordpress website
the METAL INJECTION LIVECAST #537 - Hootie and the No Fish with JINJER's Tatiana Shmayluk By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 15 Oct 2019 23:57:50 +0000 We have a very special guest, Jinjer vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk called into the show. She talked about the band's upcoming... The post METAL INJECTION LIVECAST #537 - Hootie and the No Fish with JINJER's Tatiana Shmayluk appeared first on Metal Injection. Full Article Metal Injection Livecast
the METAL INJECTION LIVECAST #541 - Thank You For Your Cervix with STRAY FROM THE PATH's Tom Williams By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2019 01:08:04 +0000 On this week's episode, we were joined by Stray From the Path guitarist Tom Williams. We talk about band's recently... The post METAL INJECTION LIVECAST #541 - Thank You For Your Cervix with STRAY FROM THE PATH's Tom Williams appeared first on Metal Injection. Full Article Metal Injection Livecast
the Where We Go From Here: 10 Thoughts on the Immediate Future of the Web By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2019 16:47:20 +0000 I was asked to close out WordCamp Vancouver with a short 20 minute keynote on something interesting. After some thought, I put together a list of 10 trends I see in the web community and where we are headed in the immediate future. 0. The Future Keeps Arriving In my +15 years working on and with the […] The post Where We Go From Here: 10 Thoughts on the Immediate Future of the Web appeared first on MOR10. Full Article My Opinion internet open source web
the Walking Away and the Ethos of Open Source By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 31 Oct 2019 17:42:36 +0000 Every time we contribute to an open source project, in any way, we are answering an important question: Why don’t I walk away and start a new fork? I’ve been working in and with and around open source software for the better part of 15 years, and over that time I’ve seen the rise of […] The post Walking Away and the Ethos of Open Source appeared first on MOR10. Full Article Open Source
the Value Neutrality and the Ethics of Open Source By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 11 Mar 2020 18:32:37 +0000 2019 was the year of the “ethical source” licenses – or ‘open source with a moral clause’ licenses. It was also the year many in the open source movement labeled any attempt at adding moral clauses to open source licenses not only made them not open source licenses, but were a dangerous attack on the […] The post Value Neutrality and the Ethics of Open Source appeared first on MOR10. Full Article Ethics Open Source
the The Internet is an Essential Service By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 24 Apr 2020 17:23:40 +0000 “You can consult canada.ca/coronavirus to get the best updated information about the spread of the virus.” – Justin Trudeau, April 3rd, 2020 A daily mantra rings out from government officials around the world: The call to visit official websites to get the latest information on the COVID-19 pandemic and to access essential services. Yet to many constituents accessing […] The post The Internet is an Essential Service appeared first on MOR10. Full Article Internet My Opinion
the The Best Free Zoom Backgrounds to Make Your Video Conferencing More Fun By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 06 Apr 2020 17:14:51 +0000 If you’re a remote worker, you may have plenty of experience with video conferencing as a way to communicate with clients, team members, or other colleagues. But with millions of additional... Click through to read the rest of the story on the Vandelay Design Blog. Full Article Featured Galleries
the Top Construction Projects in the World By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 18 Oct 2019 15:37:44 +0000 Highlighting some of humanity’s biggest construction achievements is the 10 of the Top Construction Projects in the World informational infographic from 53 Quantum.Human societies have always looked to build the biggest and best monuments to their ingenuity, resources and craftsmanship. From the Empire State Building, to the Eiffel Tower, and the Great Pyramids of Giza to the Great Wall of China, we’ve always looked to build the biggest and best. Mind blowing historic building projects now litter travel-minded folks bucket lists everywhere, and they make up a huge part of the historic tapestry.But it’s 2019 now. We need to talk about the Burj Khalifas and Libyan Irrigation projects of the world. For the first time in history, there are societies wealthy, powerful, and most importantly, cohesive enough to build spectacularly huge projects. By working together with our geographical neighbours, we’ve been able to give the world some truly unbelievable, innovative projects. The International Space Station leaps to mind as a collaboration between nations.With so many stunning projects continually on the go around the planet, we at 53 Quantum thought it’d be an idea to put together a quick infographic of ten of the biggest and best. Of course, there’ll be examples we missed and things we left off, because how do you compare a massive railway restoration and modernisation with a super skyscraper project? Apples and oranges!Nevertheless, here are ten of the world’s most impressive construction projects.Although I like the infographic, this design falls short in a few areas.Where’s the Data Visualization? The biggest missed opportunity in this design is that the data isn’t visualized. You want readers to understand how big or how expensive these projects were, you need a visualization that puts that into context! Nice illustrations, but that isn’t enough. Most of the impact of the size and scale of these projects is lost because it’s buried in the text.A map of the locations would be nice.Is there any logic to the order of these projects in the infographic? Readers will look through the list from top-to-bottom in order. They’re not sorted by cost or on a timeline.Thanks to David for submitting the link! Full Article
the The Chart Guide v4.0 - Interview & Giveaway By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 Nov 2019 19:33:45 +0000 Michiel Dullaert, data visualization expert and trainer from the Netherlands, has updated his Chart Guide poster to version 4! A free PDF is available for download from his website, and introduces a new category, 19 new charts and 4 extra design tips. You can also purchase a full-size printed poster version.As the November 2019 Giveaway, I have a pair of Chart Guide posters, that will be shipped to one lucky winner. That way you get one for yourself, and one you can give to a friend or coworker.Register HERE by November 30, 2019 at 11:59pm CT, and the winner will be randomly chosen on December 1st!This poster shows 84 charts to choose from and includes 16 chart design tips to help you make the Perfect Chart. The poster is available as a big poster or you can download the PDF file for free. Let this ChartGuide poster help you choose and design your Perfect Chart.You can see his complete write-up about the new version HERE. I was able to ask Michiel a few interview questions about developing the posters:Cool Infographics: What’s your background and how did you get into visualizing data?Michiel Dullaert: Years ago I have been working in the boardgame and puzzle industry. Part of my work was discovering new boardgames and puzzles and introduce them to the market. I was working for two different companies, both at the time that a new product of theirs really changed the market. For the boardgame industry I worked for the company that introduced a new type of boardgame (the game of Catan) that made playing boardgames a popular hobby. After that, I worked for a company that created puzzle magazines at the time the Sudoku puzzles was introduced. And here the same happened again, a new type of puzzle that changed the way people would puzzle and talk about puzzles. Both were very nice jobs, with a lot of enthusiastic conversations with customers about new products.In both companies I was working in the product development. I always had a large personal interest in the data behind the products. So it felt logic to do more with data, and I changed careers. I started working for a large company as an analyst. And it was not long that I found out that my colleagues were not interested in my reports. Although the reports contained interesting information it was shown in large tables and busy charts. People seemed to be not interested and if the looked into the numbers, they did not seem to understand them. My work did not seem to matter. The contrast between my previous jobs and the work as an analyst could not have been bigger. At that time I decided I would try to find a way to make people as enthusiastic about data as they were about boardgames and Sudoku puzzles. The first step was reading books on the topic of data visualization. Because I was working in the business intelligence field, the most logic choice were the books of Stephen Few. I bought them all and a whole new world opened for me. When Few was in the Netherlands to give a course I felt very lucky I could join. The workshops inspired me to learn more on this topic. So I bought more books and the next year I joined a class of Alberto Caïro. This gave me multiple perspectives on the same topic. The things I learned were applied to my work, and I was getting more and more responses on my visualizations. People actually started to read and understand them. My manager asked me to explain my choices in visualizations to my colleagues, so they could learn from me. And then I discovered how great it is to teach about data visualisation. I met a couple of UX designers and they inspired me learn more about that topic and to get an UX certification. The knowledge I gained in learning UX helped me in developing my own perspective on good data visualization. And in my workshop I try to inspire others to create such. For these workshops I wanted an overview of charts. Although there were already some great overviews, none of them had the point of view I was teaching in class. So I decided to design my own. That’s how Chart.Guide started. Cool Infographics: Who is the Chart Guide poster intended for?Michiel Dullaert: The website and the posters are intended for everyone who makes charts. For me it does not matter if you are working as a data-journalist or a data scientist, a infographic designer, project manager or a financial analyst. As long as you need help or inspiration when making charts or tables, Chart.Guide can help you. Online in the form of the website and offline in the form of the poster. Because I want to inspire as many people as possible I made the PDF of the poster free to download. I know that the poster is used in business departments, newsrooms and in school classrooms.Cool Infographics: What was your design process for the poster?Michiel Dullaert: The main source for updates to the poster or website, is the conversations I have with people I teach or work with. If they have a need for certain chart types, or make design mistakes, I try to add that topic. DPG Chart Chooser The first poster edition (picture DPG Chart Chooser) was just a collection of charts I created for my students. For each chart a few words on when to use the chart and, more important, it gave advice on what charts were not recommended. On the second edition (the first under the Chart.Guide brand) I added chart design tips. The reason, I saw people choose a good chart but then mess up the design. Last year, I got questions about maps, so I decided to add them on poster edition 4. Rearranging the layout of the Chart Guide The design process starts with insight I get from conversations I am having. Next step is cutting the old poster and rearranging everything. (see picture ChartGuide rearrange) now, will lead to more insights on the poster in the future. Although it make take some time to transform everything to the screen or paper. I still need to find some time to explain on the website why some charts are “not recommended”. Cool Infographics: You asked your followers to help choose the design of the new poster. How did that go?Michiel Dullaert: The poster is made to help people. So it seems to be logic to give them a role in the design process. As a UX designer I like to test my designs before releasing them. Most of these tests are done in class, because I like to observe the users in how they use the new design. The online voting was suggestion of a student. It did give me a lot of useful feedback. Especially when people wrote a lot of text explaining their choice. For future editions I will do the same.Cool Infographics: How can people follow you for updates?Michiel Dullaert: People who have downloaded the PDF will get an email when a new poster is available, or when something interesting is added to the website. For this and more chart related inspiration, they can follow me on Twitter: @Chart_Guide or on facebook: /ChartGuide1.This helpful reference guide is one of over 25 FREE data visualization guides I maintain links to in the Cool Infographics Tools pages. See them all on the DataViz Reference Guides page, and let me know if I’m missing any. Full Article
the What's Inside the White House? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 25 Nov 2019 22:49:12 +0000 Visual explanations are a big part of data visualizations, and this video exploration of What’s Inside the White House? by animator Jared Owen gives viewers a great perspective of where the major rooms are located in context with the rest of the building. I would bet that most people don’t know that the Oval Office isn’t in the main, center building.The White House is full of lots of interesting rooms. A lot of people don't realize that this information is public! Please join me as we take a walk through the different rooms and what they are used for.Found on Core77 Full Article
the Punxsutawney Phil vs. the U.S. National Weather Service By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 03 Feb 2020 16:06:59 +0000 Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions for the coming of Spring on Groundhog Day haven’t been that accurate, and the U.S. National Weather Service is here to prove it with an infographic!Every February 2, a crowd of thousands gathers at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to await a special forecast from a groundhog named Phil. If the 20-pound groundhog emerges and sees his shadow, the United States can expect six more weeks of winter weather according to legend. But, if Phil doesn’t see his shadow, we can expect warmer temperatures and the arrival of an early spring.Even though he’s been forecasting since 1887, Phil’s track record for the entire country isn’t perfect. To determine just how accurate he is, we’ve compared U.S. national temperatures with Phil’s forecasts. On average, Phil has gotten it right 40% of the time over the past 10 years.Using real data wins!For what it’s worth, Phil didn’t see his shadow in 2020, and predicted that Spring would be coming soon! Full Article
the Beards and Face Masks from the CDC By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 03 Mar 2020 16:09:29 +0000 Back in 2017, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published this infographic on the Facial Hairstyles and Filtering Facepiece Respirators to help men understand that beards can make facemasks ineffective. With the daily news about the Coronavirus (Covid-19) bordering on panic, this infographic has resurfaced, and is being widely republished.NOTE: The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from COVID-19.From the CDC FAQ:Does the CDC recommend the use of facemask to prevent COVID-19?CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a healthcare professional recommends it. A facemask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms. This is to protect others from the risk of getting infected. The use of facemasks also is crucial for health workers and other people who are taking care of someone infected with COVID-19 in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).From the original CDC blog post on November 2, 2017:The month of November is full of fun, interesting, and thought-provoking observances. November is National Raisin Bread Month, Historic Bridge Awareness Month, and Inspirational Role Models Month among so much more. November is also the host month to campaigns like No-Shave November and Movember. Campaigns such as these are working hard to raise money for important causes such as cancer research, education, and awareness. These increasingly popular campaigns are a great way to demonstrate your support … unless you need to wear a tight-fitting respirator for your job.Don’t despair! We will not completely ruin your plans to compete for facial hair bragging rights. But we’re going to have to get creative about it…I do love that the CDC is using infographics to spread valuable information in a fun, easy-to-digest way that informs people using visual explanations. They also specifically call out the designer of the beard and moustache vector art they used from ShutterStock, fredrisher Full Article
