Dispatches From The Internets


Inclusion is Innovation

Having worked in the D&I space within Microsoft for a few years now, it’s great to see the things we’ve been discussing internally making it out into the world.

It all goes hand-in-hand:

  1. Screen in for diverse perspectives during the interview process.
  2. Foster inclusive teams that value and promote people for not only their productive capacity, but also their unique experiences & perspectives.
  3. Empower everyone to influence product/service design.
  4. Release products that serve everyone because those products were created by people who share lived experiences with everyone.



Científicos del CSIC desarrollan un perro robótico capaz de

I have mixed emotions about this move to repurpose the utterly terrifying Boston Dynamics robots as service robots, but there are some upsides too.

  • Pro: No waste to clean up & dispose of
  • Pro: Can be used by people with allergies
  • Pro: Has no mouth, will never bite
  • Pro: People are less likely to try to pet/distract your service robot
  • Pro: Can likely be trained (or sensor-enabled) to recognize more objects and scenarios than a dog can (or at least the specific breeds we employ as service animals)
  • Pro: Would be of service for someone’s lifetime (and beyond) if maintained properly
  • Pro: Knowledge & personality (if there is one) can be migrated to a new robot if the current one breaks
  • Questionable: Potentially less costly to own, assuming power & maintenance is less than the US$1000-2000/yr it costs to own the average dog
  • Con: Far more expensive upfront
  • Con: Unlikely to be a companion in nearly the same way (though robots with personality is something folks are working on)
  • Con: Not warm or furry

303 Creative LLC v. Elenis is Incredibly Problematic

Pop art style illustration of a white woman holding her hand up to say stop.

Before I get into this, let me start with this preface: I am not a legal expert by any means. I never even watched Law & Order. That said, I am keenly interested in the law and how it relates to bias and discrimination, particularly if that intersects with technology, especially the web. Which brings me to the subject at hand: 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis. I tweeted about this case, which is currently before the Supreme Court of the United States, the other day, but felt like I owed it a lengthier—and perhaps more enduring—discussion. So here goes…





Do you really understand CSS radial-gradients?

This is an amazingly deep dive into the world of radial gradients in CSS. It includes a ton of practical examples and a thorough dissection of the syntax and what you can do with them.

🤯