Chazona Baum

6 years of thinking I can make a better portfolio.
1 year of actually building it.

My new portfolio is LIVE 🚀
Please, don't break anything!
👉 bruno-simon.com

AI optimism is a class privilege I think I have an idea why we're so extremely divided on AI: it's because we have an intuitive sense of who it stands to benefit, and who stands to pay the costs. I think whether you see reason for op...

I have a lot of thoughts on AI.

I've been working on this post for a couple of months now. It's very personal, characteristically lengthy, and sure to be at least somewhat controversial. Take it (or don't) as you will.

joshcollinsworth.com/blog/sloptim...

I know you don’t want them to want AI, but… - Anil Dash A blog about making culture. Since 1999.

@anildash.com wrote about perspectives on AI from those outside the tech community, and his post mirrors what I've been observing: www.anildash.com/2025/11/14/w...

And I think meeting this perspective means those who would demand better should do what we can to build and champion "good" AI.

Longer-term, I would like to see more sustainable, smaller and local models stand a chance in this space. And I think this app gives an example of how those could be used for human-supportive goals instead of exploitation and anti-labor practices.

AI is antithetical to learning—it is used to reduce friction and that very friction is something you need in order to learn and grow.

So while I could see implementing OCR to allow for searching handwritten notes, it will never generate notes or summaries for you.

It leverages LLMs for things they can be good at: recommendation engines, classification, while incorporating traditional automation to validate resources.

It explicitly DOES NOT generate learning materials or embed them—you're linked offsite to official creator sources.

Free plan (1 plan/month) available, and for a very limited time you can get 40% off Pro with 2025THANKS.

So there's opportunity to try it out with low/no risk.

Upskill faster with ViaProto Get a complete, personalized learning path in a couple of minutes. Everything you need to master any skill, curated and organized for you.

Soft-launched an app to help learn almost anything: viapro.to

Optionally add what skills you already have to customize your paths, enter the topic you'd like to learn, and it will prepare a comprehensive learning path of videos, books, articles, full courses, etc. ordered in a sensible way.

Master the Skill of Debugging CSS An ebook with lots of tips and techniques on how to debug CSS the right way with easy and studied methods.

📘 Debugging CSS book is $19.99. Get your copy and level up your CSS debugging skills, or tell a friend about it.

debuggingcss.com

Online on a weekend? You can grab access to my web components course for $25 today and tomorrow. Big ol’ discount. Use the code OCT25-26.

(And as usual, if you need further accommodation, just use the email form and we’ll work it out.)

scottjehl.com/learn/webcom...

When I worked on social features for online games, my favorite test for whether we were taking player safety into account was the "Ex-boyfriend Test", as in:

If I was your ex-boyfriend, how would I use this feature to make your life miserable?

This is an *excellent* piece about how systemic accessibility failures happen and what we can all do to stop them from happening as often, to which I would add:

GitHub - KenneyNL/Adobe-Alternatives: A list of alternatives for Adobe software A list of alternatives for Adobe software. Contribute to KenneyNL/Adobe-Alternatives development by creating an account on GitHub.

Often when our list of Adobe alternatives is shared people comment that it's okay to pirate Adobe software. It's not, because that still supports Adobe through usage and staying in their ecosystem. Instead, do look into alternatives!

github.com/KenneyNL/Ado...

If you help people make decisions—design, technology, policy, etc.—and you want to make it more likely those decisions are based on clear goals and evidence (and maybe even ethics!), I have a public workshop coming up this week on 9/24.

www.eventbrite.com/e/lets-do-de...

I don’t want instructions in video form. Write it out so I can skim to the info I need and be on my way.

Design emails people love to get. Beginners and experts use Flodesk to grow their business. Design emails and forms that look great on any device. Try it free.

In today’s tea newsletter, I talk about how fascism is like a disease. Specifically, it’s like scurvy.

I also talk about a beautiful tea from Nepal that almost didn’t exist.

For people outside the industry, it may not be common knowledge, but one of the most famous bits of technical writing of all time, was Joel Spolsky saying that you should *never* rewrite an entire code base — 25 years ago. www.joelonsoftware.com/2000/04/06/t...

I stumbled across this essay as I was falling asleep last night, and left myself multiple emphatic reminders to remember to circle back to it today.

"The joy we're about to lose...we'll become overseers rather than creators, managers rather than builders."

annievella.com/posts/the-so...

I'm looking for video games that include and share the experience of menopause. Any suggestions? Shares welcome.

Holy smokes, I am absolutely in love with this.

it’s true (thread)

Revisiting Fluid Type YouTube video by Winging It

I watched the recording of the conversation that followed from that post.
There is so much to think about, so much to balance, between making a style work and honoring user preferences.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=py41...

I’m the Canadian who was detained by Ice for two weeks. It felt like I had been kidnapped I was stuck in a freezing cell without explanation despite eventually having lawyers and media attention. Yet, compared with others, I was lucky

You have to read this www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Refresh. — ethanmarcotte.com In 2023, I wrote a book. Several months later, my publisher closed its doors. And now? We’re back, and better than ever.

🦊

I am downright delighted to announce that my latest book, YOU DESERVE A TECH UNION, has a brand new look. I really love it, and I hope you do too.

Here’s a look at what’s changed and—maybe more importantly—what’s stayed the same:

ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/refres...

#YDATUbook #books #unions #1u

I’d love to see so much more ultra high density living. This is an amazing start but there’s so much untapped potential.

Imagine a place with child care, groceries, offices, shopping, and affordable housing, … All in the same building.

Every person on Bluesky should know:
* Every post on Bluesky is PUBLIC forever
* Every post on Bluesky is archived by ICE, NSA, and many other agencies
* Even if you delete a post, it’s already been captured
* Judges don’t care if you were “kidding” or being ironic

www.404media.co/the-200-site...

Psychological safety is NOT about lack of disagreement.

Psychological safety REQUIRES:

* disagreement and debate
* setting standards for behavior and performance, and enforcing them
* telling people things they don't want to hear
* courage, from the bottom up
* humility, from the top down

So many of the tech industry's problems stem from the belief that it is solely logical/rational/detached and the wrong place for those who are creative or empathetic.

Illegal dumping grounds off the New Jersey turnpike across from Manhattan in the 1970s

Smog rolling on over Manhattan in the 1970s

This is what many cities in the U.S. looked like before the EPA.

Why the heck would anyone celebrate deregulating it?

There are two political movements in America right now An invitation to join the one that's smaller (but that won't be for long)

I am, as I often am, grateful for a Garrett Bucks newsletter entry. thewhitepages.net/p/there-are-...