Philipp Flenker

Performance Metrics for fast web apps. This article handles lots of quirks of JavaScript in a browser. In conclusion, it’s not obvious which metrics should be used, but once you know it, it’s not too difficult:

Measure time starting at event.timeStamp

Measure time ending at performance.now() in a requestAnimationFrame()

Ignore anything that happened while the tab was not focused

Aggregate data using “% of events that are under target”

Visualize multiple thresholds

I normally don’t have the time to read long articles, especially since many texts seem to include a lot of unnecessary fluff or explanations which are not really necessary. I did, however, fully read Typing with pleasure, which explains a lot about typing in general - especially what happens between a single keypress and the finished rendering of the updated character on the screen. It even starts before that, explaining the human system and expectations before going into the technical details.

Three important limits regarding Response Time.

The limits are: 0.1 second keeps the user convinced that the system is reacting instantaniously. 1 second delay still lets the user work without interruption, and 10 second delay makes the user lose attention.

Fascinating thread about the archtitecture of SNES. It details how the SNES could be extended with additional CPUs within the cartridges, and provides screenshot of games which used that feature.

Boris Johnson is using SEO to bury unfavorable articles. In short, Johnson gave an interview where he described himself as a “role model” to make articles about this interview rank higher than an alledged affair with a model.

This is apparently not the first time he tried this: He once gave an interview where he explained how he likes to paint buses to make reports of that interview bury the story behind him and the bus he was using when lobbying against Brexit.

Tanner Christensen on how his weekend project blew up on Apple’s App Store.

On March 14, 2015, while reading the book Creative Confidence, I stumbled on a single sentence that seemed to encapsulate the essence of the book in a powerful way. As a blogger and design-driven individual, I wanted to capture the quote in a captivating way that would allow me to share it quickly online.

[…]

Then, one morning a few days after Snaplight became available in the iPhone and iPad App Store, I noticed a slight uptick in downloads for it. A friend messaged me on Facebook to let me know the app was not only trending, it was being featured on the App Store homepage.

Part of this article reads as an ad for this very app, but for me, the important bit is: Scratch your own itch. Write an app which solves your problem and nothing else, to avoid optimizing it for cases which will never come. And don’t be afraid to ship as soon as you’re done!

My personal stance is: If you have 100 users complaining about your app, then it’s good news - it means that you have 100 users!