10 Tips on How to Write Less Badly

I have seen a lot of very talented people fail because they couldn’t, or didn’t, write. And some much less talented people (I see one in the mirror every morning) have done OK because they learned how to write. —Michael C. Munger, Chronicle Here’s a tip that does a good job explaining a concept I’m…

Banner Fail — Failblog.org

see more Epic Fails Similar:Make your case stronger – argue against yourselfAcademic argument depends on being able …AcademiaAncient Sea Rise Tale Told Accurately for 10,000 Years”It’s quite gobsmacking to think that a …CultureIn journalism, nuances such as "sources tell us…" "reportedly…" "it appears…" "confi…I don’t click on headlines that use word…CultureMy son just handed me…

Turnitin.com technical support email?

A great usability strategy, keeping their website so free of clutter like the email address for technical support. Gotta save that valuable screen real estate for the links to the big PDF manuals that haven’t been updated since the upgrade. tiisupport@turnitin.com Once again, that email is technical support for turnitin.com. Just in case you want…

iTunes Sending Receipts to Wrong Email

My university set me up with a trial Mobile Me account, and on the set-up day when I created my iTunes account, I was told to type in the Mobile Me address, so I did.  I never used the service, though my receipts for iTunes purchases showed up there.  A year later when the service…

The Chariot

Similar:Playing God (#StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch, Season 2, Episode 17) Dax mentors a too-eager-to-plea… Rewatching ST:DS9 In a nice long …AmusingDetails from the author's life are not the magic ticket to "correct" interpretations in li…Students who are new to college literatu…AcademiaThe Curtains Were Blue: In Which I Fix Another Meme. Above is my response to a…

What is it like to learn programming with Scratch?

Let my students tell you. Similar:Time article with clickbaity headline: Web users annoyed by marketing tricksThis Time magazine article is a good one…Cyberculture35% of my site visitors right now are using mobile devicesThis year I have seen an uptick in the p…CybercultureThat's what's been bothering me since yesterday's #AirPod reveal. #manamanaNumber of times one of…

Are standardized tests biased against students who don't give a sh*t?

Beware… Salty language. In The Know: Are Tests Biased Against Students Who Don’t Give A Shit? Similar:Short Reports: How To Write Routine Technical DocumentsI don’t get to teach technical writing m…BusinessChildren struggle to hold pencils due to too much tech, doctors sayWhen I was in middle school, I developed…CultureWhat can you do with an English…

10 Vintage Apple Ads That Time Forgot [VIDEOS]

Awful, awful Apple TV ads. Similar:Practicing with materials and geometry. The lamps and chair require hundreds of times as m… AestheticsPipe Trouble’s government woes highlight gaming illiteracyInteresting discussion of a political ho…CultureMaybe I'll start a cover band, cleaning up hip-hop songs…Maybe I’ll start a cover band, cleaning …CultureRehearsing 'Fiddler on the Roof' is like trying…

Scratch Stats

Scratch is a kid-friendly programming sandbox, designed by MIT in order to introduce kids to computer science concepts. I’ve been using it with my own children for a couple years, and am currently using it as a gentle introduction to development, for an upper-level class designed for the “New Media Journalism” program. Similar:Let Me Explain…

The Poynter Institute's Seminars

 I’m teaching a “New Media Projects” course, which aims to explore the connections between communication with words (linear, narrative) and communication with programming (interactive, procedural). Out in the wider world, The Poynter Institute hosted this session this week. I’m glad to see the profession moving beyond digital cameras and blogging. Programming for Journalists / Journalism…