Having worked on the web for 20+ years, I thought I had a good understanding of web history.
Who created the web, HyperText Markup Language (HTML), and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
How web standards came about.
But when it comes to the hyperlink—what most people call a link—it turns out I didn’t know much about its background. Continue reading TED Talk: How the Hyperlink Changed Everything [Video]
The progress bar.
A common element on websites and applications.
You’ve seen all kinds of progress bars, from animated clocks to a vertical bar that fills up slowly from left to right.
And sometimes it feels like watching the progress bar is waiting for a pot of water to boil. Continue reading How the Progress Bar Keeps You Sane [TED Video]
The Dixon Ticonderoga.
I can still see the bright yellow Dixon Ticonderoga pencil with the perfect sharp tip sitting on my third grade desk as I waited for my teacher to hand out math tests.
My pencil always had to have a sharp tip.
Which meant I spent a fair amount of time sharpening it at the pencil sharpener, much to my teacher Mrs. Simpson’s frustration.
Before she could pass the tests out to my row, I picked up my pencil, twirled it around with my fingers, switched it to my left hand, and started tapping it on the palm of my right hand.
And that’s when it happened. Continue reading TED Talk: Why the Pencil is Perfect [Video]