it was silly to write all of this down but i created this blog today and i’m still editing the layout, so i want more words to work with.

create a few distinct sounds, for example:

• cup/table tap
• cup/table scrape
• ball/table tap
• ball/table scrape
• cup/ball tap

these examples are unambiguous and easy to perform rapidly by someone keeping the cup in one hand & ball in the other. i’ll refer to each performed sound as a “bit” from here on out.

for n bits, you have (number of sounds)^n options. with the examples above that’s 5^n, which is plenty.

so what’s important to convey?

the shapes are curvy and strange, so it’s easier to share a limited reference table of basic + advanced shapes instead of deriving each part of the bear from scratch. three bits could cover 125 shapes, which is ample for bear and bear-like drawings.

A few months ago I was nominated for a dubious “Developer 30 Under 30” award. I attended the first reception to speak with the organizers about representation in tech, and the impact these lists have on how we (individually and collectively) identify who moves into STEM. I wanted to ensure they took this seriously; specifically, that they wouldn’t promote a toxic status quo. Then this happened: There was a lot of internal discussion about “fairness”, etc. Most was disappointing and unsurprising; some was encouraging. The list got re-ordered, for whatever that’s worth. But if there was any lingering doubt in your mind about industry awards, they are 100% made up and unrepresentative of…