Study
This is where I write, about my reading and more, where I cultivate ideas. Rather than a neat list of articles, think of this as a scattered collection of notes. This is public thinking via the best medium: writing.
You might also be interested in my newsletter or my research into the history of educational computing in Ontario.
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Justifying the status quo
If its context changes, a decision is no longer valid (2018)
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Misquoting Virgil
Why context matters (2018)
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Growing up
What learning looks like (2018)
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“He was how old??”
Analysing historical data about Members of Parliament (2018)
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How we work
A manifesto for a good organization (2018)
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Digesting ideas
Some things you don’t understand from the get-go (2018)
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On Mark Zuckerberg’s “personal challenge”
Some things you can’t, and shouldn’t, solve alone (2018)
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Notes on The Prince
Some Machiavellian lessons on life (2017)
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The Canadian Digital Service’s first show and tell
A summary and some recommendations (2017)
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The mind as a muscle
Exercising it hurts just as much (2017)
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Readability troubles on Canada.ca
Two small ideas for improvement (2017)
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Walking routes
A list of (roughly described) routes that I enjoy (2017)
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Therapeutic things
Reminders of what I find relaxing (2017)
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No more (accidental) noise
Taking a social media break (2017)
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Earthworming
Ursula M. Franklin’s advice for social change (2017)
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Nature’s musical tastes
Wendell Berry observes nature’s “patient ear” (2017)
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Ursula M. Franklin suggests some readings
Selections from The Real World of Technology’s bibliography (2017)
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Work isn’t the whole thing
Two notes from Frank Chimero on keeping life in perspective (2017)
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Manguel’s tribute to dissatisfaction
Putting into words the role of an essay (2017)
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Documenting drafts: Hit and Miss #2
A peek behind the scenes of my editing process (2017)
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Sunday mornings
Establishing rituals (2017)
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Reading with a pen
Observations from years of writing in my books (2017)
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Learning to code by failing safely
Thoughts on my talk at WordCamp Ottawa 2017 (2017)
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Transparency theatre
Saying the thing is not doing the thing (2017)
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“I wouldn’t” by John Vance Cheney
A perfect summertime poem (2017)
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Quantifying reading
What Goodreads can teach us about databases and shared understanding (2017)
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On things left unfinished
Manguel reminds us that a book is never truly read (2017)
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Tracey Lauriault on data at Ottawa Civic Tech
Living in an age of data, we must critique the technology spread throughout our lives (2017)
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Paying for news
Dave Winer offers an interesting proposal to pay for news from multiple outlets (2017)
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Stop reading, start writing
Bayard pushes us to understand ourselves by seeing reading as the impetus for writing (2017)
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Zinsser’s thesis
Saying a true thing again and again (2017)
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Wafting Westminster
Frustration with the House reform process (2017)
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Why not design school
Michael Bierut answers the question I receive most often (2017)
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Named colours
The folly of subjective references (2017)
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Doing the real work
The illusion of work, versus the act itself (2016)
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Stop hiding links
We should celebrate the fundamental building block of the web (2016)
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Designated typist
Anne Lamott on letting your subject talk (2016)
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The Cherkewski View
A personal website manifesto (2016)