Allen Pike @apike@mastodon.social

We’re still experimenting with the ideal format for how to title our guides at Steamclock, but one nice thing about this structure is that you can read them one by one, suffixed with “LIKE A BOSS”

How to Write Docs People Read: One reason people might not be reading your team’s docs.

https://allenpike.com/2021/how-to-write-docs-people-read

Ep. 47: They're Terrible Pets
https://funfact.fm/episodes/47

Arik gets paradoxical, Allen goes deeper on runways, Arik considers raccoons, and Allen struggles with Instagram.

As of right now, the @gethumi@twitter.com site immediately presents all visitors with an unclosable modal popup that prevents you from doing anything other than booking a demo. If your A/B test goal was “More visitors see the Book Demo form,” then please come up and collect your prize

*reading*
5yo: Is this the tooth book?
me: You’re asking... if there are teeth in this book?
5yo: NO dad. Is it the tooth book in the series?
me: Uh...

...OH. Yes, it’s the 2th book.

I’m not sure how Aerosmith knew way back then that in the future, computers would typically display “CD ROM” on the display whenever users did VR via a CD ROM

I linked it in the post, but the music video for Amazing really was something. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSmOvYzSeaQ

Amazing Atelic Activities: On goals, things worth doing, and the difference between them.

https://allenpike.com/2021/amazing-atelic-activities

Shout out to all the dreamers today going around turning all their thermostats down to minimum, vainly hoping the thermostat will, like, try harder or something. “No thermostat, I’m SERIOUS”

Hot take

This “Frequently Asked Things” collection from r/whatisthisthing is great. Familiarize yourself with this list of common but unusual things, and you’ll be an expert thing-identifier. https://www.reddit.com/r/WITT_FAT/top/?t=all

“Inside” is a mix of dark and funny, dumb and thoughtful, theatre and documentary, too soon and at just the right time.

If you’re not yet sure if you’re up for 87 minutes of what is in some ways “2020: The Film”, this sequence will give you a taste: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1BneeJTDcU

If you’re curious which current cars make the cutoffs for 200g and 225g, there’s a full list here: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/nrcan/files/oee/pdf/transportation/tools/fuelratings/2020%20Fuel%20Consumption%20Guide.pdf. Many base model cars are fine, but the “step up” engine puts them over. Many smaller gas SUVs and wagons are actually under 200g: RAV4, CR-V, etc.

This proposal by City of Vancouver staff to add a pollution charge on street parking, intended to fund other climate efforts, seems pretty great. It exempts all existing cars, and when people buy a car they can buy used, economy, hybrid, or electric; or pay the charge.

What a great showcase for a community’s ingenuity, and the creativity that constraints can inspire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKBs9l8jS6Q

Ep. 46: To Milk a Pig
https://funfact.fm/episodes/46

Allen teaches Arik how to land a plane, Arik recaps the legal battle of the century, and we consider some alternative milk.

4yo: Dad, what are fleas?
Me: Well, they’re tiny bugs that like to live on animals and can make them itchy.
4yo: Oh. (Thinks.) Why would a sheep have golden fleas?

Boorish patriotic chanting briefly ensues; followed quickly by apologies and plans to share vaccines with developing countries

I admire the @usefathom@twitter.com analytics business. They took a profitable niche of a saturated market by:

1. Noting a change (GDPR)
2. Building a simple, high quality product
3. Focusing on customers
4. Iterating

Now they’re supporting 2 people full time and growing. Plus: cats!

It has come to my attention that many of my readers are not familiar with the term “’tocks”. My editor felt enough people would be familiar with this abbreviation of “buttocks.” They were wrong, and have been sacked.

As reparation, please accept these fine ‘tocks