Flash technology revolutionized game development from 1996 to 2020, providing an accessible platform that shaped modern gaming through experimentation and creative freedom. The platform enabled developers worldwide to create and share games instantly, fostering a vibrant community and launching countless careers in game development. Flash's legacy lives on through its influence on game design, indie development, and digital creativity.
A firsthand account of Linux's creation and early development by Lars Wirzenius, who witnessed Linus Torvalds' journey from writing a simple multitasking program to creating the Linux kernel in 1991. The kernel evolved from displaying alternating As and Bs on screen to becoming a global powerhouse running on billions of devices, including Mars rovers.
David E. Weisberg chronicles the 80-year evolution of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) through extensive interviews with industry pioneers and detailed company histories. The comprehensive 650-page document covers CAD's development from its 1950s origins through the early 2000s, offering insights into the technology, companies, and individuals who revolutionized engineering design.
A former programmer reflects on the frustrations of modern software development, highlighting challenges like incomplete domain knowledge, complex APIs, and constant technological evolution. The author expresses preference for small, manageable programming projects while suggesting that high-pressure development may be better suited for younger developers.
A comparison between Ruby on Rails and Next.js frameworks highlights how Rails maintains relevance through simplicity and abstraction, while Next.js enables advanced web capabilities at the cost of complexity. The text draws parallels between vinyl records' longevity and web technologies' evolution, emphasizing how fundamental approaches remain valuable despite technological advancement.
A developer reflects on the significant improvements in the Wayland ecosystem over the past three years, highlighting advancements in explicit sync support, commit-timing protocols, and Mesa implementations. The post acknowledges substantial progress in Wayland's functionality and development speed, while noting some remaining challenges in areas like foreign surface embedding and window management.
MP3 format has become freely licensable as its patents expired, yet this milestone passed largely unnoticed due to the shift towards streaming services and cloud-based solutions. The format's diminishing relevance reflects broader changes in technology consumption, where file sizes and formats matter less in an era of high-speed internet and streaming platforms.