Hello (cruel) World

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Conversion Optimization from O’Reilly. I didn’t really have any set expectations when reading this title. As a professional developer I continually strive to fill gaps in my knowledge and conversion optimization was (read: is no longer) something I didn’t know much if anything about. At less than 300 pages the book is a pretty quick read, but is packed full of useful information, lessons learned from real world conversion optimization and plenty of case studies. I read the book over the course of a weekend and highly recommend it for anyone involved in ecommerce or lead generation websites – from developers and designers all the way to marketing and business folk. There is a health balance of descriptive and prescriptive guidance and I feel like I learned a lot while thoroughly enjoying the read. Overview As the name suggests, Conversion Optimization by Khalid Saleh, Ayat Shukairy deals specifically with converting site visits into reve...

Summary As a developer I tend to (subconsciously) consider web interface design as a soft art that takes a back seat to the science of computer programming. I’ve long needed to brush up on my design skills and was excited to review O’Reilly’s series - Scott & Neil's Designing Web Interfaces Master Class. I was hopeful of an in-depth overview of web interface design with plenty of battle-hardened nuggets of wisdom. The presenters were sufficiently credentialed to offer such nuggets of wisdom and to me, the best part of this course was Bill Scott’s insight into designs from his time at Yahoo! and especially his current company Netflix extremely interesting. While I enjoyed this course and gained some knowledge in the process, I’m not sure that I – a UX rookie – learned enough for this series to live up to its master class title. I certainly don’t feel like I gained mastery of the subject matter in the process. Pedantic, I know, but those were my expectations based on the titl...

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Event Processing in Action from Manning. I started this reviewing kick a little while back with Manning’s Continuous Integration title and, enjoying the experience, decided to continue with additional reviews for the foreseeable future. To get the most out of the experience I’ve decided that wherever possible I should review titles that do not directly relate to the things I work on as part of my day job in order to broaden my horizons a little. The most recent title in my repertoire is Manning’s Event Processing in Action by Opher Etzion and Peter Niblett . Background Let me start by saying that, other than a rudimentary understanding of the base concepts, I began reading the title with a sum-total of zero knowledge of formalized event processing. I currently work in the healthcare industry and can see many practical applications of such a formal approach – from medical equipment monitoring patient health to reception of third party lab ...

Today I’ll take a break from the world of programming to discuss my purchase, use, and immediate sale of the Notion Ink Adam – the latest pretender to the iPad throne. I’ve been waiting for this device since CES 2010 and, after a number of hiccups, it is finally here. If you’re looking for something with a few more curly braces, please come back tomorrow. Otherwise read on for my early opinions. Introduction Before I get started with the device I’m going to give my two cents on the company and the preorder process. If you don’t want to read this (or if you feel like starting a flame war which I really don’t want to get into) feel free to skip the next two sections. My goal isn’t to defame Notion Ink in any way. You wouldn’t marry someone without meeting the in-laws. The manufacturer is to the in-laws as the gadget is to the bride…if you stand under me… The Company Let me start by saying that I am impressed by what Notion Ink has achieved. For a small startup to achieve s...