22. January, 2002 - software, hardware, music

I wrote an essay about The Problem with Standards recently. I've been feeling grumpy about standards that weren't very standard for something like the past ten years, and finally got around to venting. As JeffP used to quote: The great thing about standards is there are so many to choose from!
Dave Winer says Userland is finally getting rid of the font tags in their script-generated pages. I was grumping about that over a year ago , but it's still nice to see it finally get fixed. And Sunday Dave said he owed Derek Powazek an apology. Will wonders never cease? [scripting]
The BEER-WARE License - Could it possibly be the best open source license ever? The license says that you're free to use the code. Should you happen to meet the author, you're morally obligated to buy him a beer. (You'll need to scroll down a bit) [some guy]
555 Timer IC Tutorial - a relatively complete tutorial of what makes the 555 work, including some sample circuits. It's a pretty cool chip, even today. But then I still think vacuum tubes are cool. [some guy]
Spin's Greatest 25 Bands of All Time. I don't have a lot to argue with them about. I'd have liked to see the Who on the list. Or the Grateful Dead. Or Skynyrd. But Spin's a little too hip for that sort of thing. Or maybe they were in the next 25. [some guy]