Eric Mann

  • Ethics in Software Development

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    Where do we, as software developers, draw the line with releasing new software? Do we build software with the common good in mind and ignore the potential consequences of releasing such tools to the world? Do we hold back potentially groundbreaking achievements because they could be misused by the wrong hands?

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  • Can I Count on You?

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    Anyone who knows me can tell you that trust is a big deal for me. I have left jobs because of a lack of trust. I’ve quit organizations because of a lack of trust. I’ve killed friendships because of a lack of trust. If I can trust you – really trust you – then things…

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  • How I Started in Web Development

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    Every now and again, someone asks me how I got started in web development. They want to know what classes I took in college. What my degree is in. Who I studied under. It’s not a big secret, so I’ll tell you.

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  • Dwell Not on What Lies Ahead

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    Often, we look forward at those ahead to help build a personal definition of greatness – and then we chase after that with all our might. This is not a bad thing. It is when our definition of greatness becomes tied to achieving that target – which is often a moving target – that our…

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  • Defining Your Audience

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    I’ve written at length on how to identify your perfect customer, regardless of your business’ focus, but finding a “perfect customer” for a blog is quite a bit harder. This blog is now over 6 years old, and I still don’t really know who my audience is.

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  • WordPress Core Proposal: SUDO

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    Logging in to your WordPress site as an administrator when your plan is just to write is a bad idea. The admin user should be for administration and you should use an editor-level user for writing. But this dual-login workflow can be needlessly complicated on many sites. Instead, I propose we introduce a SUDO mode…

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  • Hyper-Individualism is Dangerous

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    It’s a bit funny how so many people will think the exact same way at the same time assuming they’re unique. It’s a bit depressing how so many people think being unique – in a consumer context – is a good thing.

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  • Does “The Fold” Still Matter

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    Does “the fold” still matter, or is this an outdated concept left over from the days of print media? In many ways, the answer is “no” because the web is a very different place than print. But in some ways, the answer is also a resounding “yes!”

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  • Photon and HTTPS – Making It Work

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    Jetpack’s Photon service doesn’t like it when image assets are served over SSL. I took some time to dig in to the issue and coded a quick workaround to enable Photon on a site locked down to serve all assets over SSL.

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