{"total_rows":15,"offset":0,"rows":[ {"id":"Gullible-on-the-ceiling","key":"2010-01-27T10:57:52.591Z","value":{"_id":"Gullible-on-the-ceiling","_rev":"2-8ec0055098a9218252899ae33263ba74","type":"post","format":"markdown","author":"tlevine","body":"\"Gullible\n\nIt says \"Gullible\" on the ceiling.","title":"Gullible on the ceiling","show":true,"tags":["type","risley"],"created_at":"2010-01-27T10:57:52.591Z"}}, {"id":"Christmas-gifts","key":"2011-01-05T01:20:52.817Z","value":{"_id":"Christmas-gifts","_rev":"3-2f6bf7be98bab1020ff5e4c78c1aec01","type":"post","format":"markdown","author":"tlevine","body":"How many gifts did my true love give to me on all twelve nights of Christmas?\n\nAfter seeing Information is Beautiful\u2019s recent information animation, I decided that I\u2019d make [my own](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZDvXPIDa0).\n\nI used R to [generate a PDF](http://gitorious.org/tlevine/12daysplot/blobs/master/12daysslideshow.R) and then did a screencast of the PDF with ffmpeg to make a video with the appropriate timings.","title":"Christmas Gifts","show":true,"tags":["visual-display"],"created_at":"2011-01-05T01:20:52.817Z"}}, {"id":"Why-is-this-reading-room-used-so-little","key":"2011-01-09T21:31:16.367Z","value":{"_id":"Why-is-this-reading-room-used-so-little","_rev":"5-7fc3cc97f167f3d44ab87a6e81db0ab9","type":"post","format":"markdown","show":true,"author":"tlevine","body":"Tal Gluck and I conducted a post-occupancy evaluation for the Arthur H. Dean Reading Room of Uris Library. The Room and the Library have been important parts of Cornell\u2019s history. However, of late, they has become less frequently used than other libraries, and this Evaluation was undertaken in an attempt to identify some of the factors.\n\nWe began with a preliminary site analysis, in which we broke the site down by function and user group, and then we compared the library to other similar libraries. We then performed initial data collection which consisted of informal interviews with members of different user groups as well as an unstructured observation of the space. We continued with a review of some pertinent literature on the topic and identified major environmental dimensions of concern to the Room.\n\nBased on our preliminary study and literature review, we performed a more structured observation of the space under the lens of the new knowledge. Building off of the library comparison in the first section, we also composed a questionnaire and distributed it to users in four different libraries on the Cornell Campus: Uris, Olin, Catherwood and Mann.\n\nBased on the information we gathered through these different techniques, we identified key environmental qualities that may be contributing to the decreased use of the Dean Room. These environmental qualities can be used to inform the alteration of the Dean Room to make it suit users better and increase its use.\n\nRead our paper [here](http://chainsaw.iriscouch.com/blog/Why-is-this-reading-room-used-so-little/2010_deanroom_poe.pdf).","title":"Why is this reading room used so little?","tags":["ergonomics"],"created_at":"2011-01-09T21:31:16.367Z","_attachments":{"2010_deanroom_poe.pdf":{"content_type":"application/pdf","revpos":2,"digest":"md5-MUjNL1FKYZ3nAe3bZDTgAg==","length":1496797,"stub":true}}}}, {"id":"pb-dq","key":"2011-07-21T10:55:43.815Z","value":{"_id":"pb-dq","_rev":"3-646a85b44fc173f0f7034b96bbaaec33","type":"post","format":"markdown","author":"tlevine","body":"\"pb\n\nThe letters p, b, d and q are easily confused when one is setting type. This is one proposed origin of the phrase \"Mind your p's and q's.\" This mural demonstrates the phenomenon and also points out that p and b are not necessarily exact mirror images of q and d, respectively.","title":"pb dq","show":true,"tags":["type"],"created_at":"2011-07-21T10:55:43.815Z"}}, {"id":"Javascript-Network-Time-Protocol","key":"2011-09-05T00:00:00.824Z","value":{"_id":"Javascript-Network-Time-Protocol","_rev":"2-d818b27d7ca90a4081bc7b0eec613589","type":"post","format":"markdown","author":"tlevine","body":"In order to [synchronize music across computers](http://pap.io), I made something reminiscent of [network time protocol for the browser](http://pap.io/ntp.js.html).","title":"Javascript Network Time Protocol","show":true,"tags":["web"],"created_at":"2011-09-05T00:00:00.824Z"}}, {"id":"Risley-Toilets","key":"2011-11-13T10:44:26.240Z","value":{"_id":"Risley-Toilets","_rev":"5-9373944c3fc2171de4e93a72f28d0a07","type":"post","format":"markdown","author":"tlevine","body":"During my third year of university, controversy arose in my dorm regarding the bathrooms. Some residents claimed that the bathrooms were filthy and that specific residents were at fault, while others claimed that the bathrooms were perfectly clean. What was really going on?\n\nRather than joining the circular argument that my dormmates were having, I answered these questions with science. I systematically studied the bathrooms and the residents through observations, interviews and questionnaires. I related my results to theories of environmental psychology in order to develop practical recommendations. [Here is the result](http://chainsaw.iriscouch.com/blog/Risley-Toilets/risley_toilets.pdf). This is my concept of fun.","title":"Risley Toilets","show":true,"tags":["risley","toilets"],"created_at":"2011-11-13T10:44:26.240Z","_attachments":{"risley_toilets.pdf":{"content_type":"application/pdf","revpos":2,"digest":"md5-wNOfU+Ty57UI5V6hZ7UZ1Q==","length":723153,"stub":true}}}}, {"id":"BetterCoach","key":"2011-12-21T09:49:34.100Z","value":{"_id":"BetterCoach","_rev":"8-1322dd1542c410d811eb181061c05eb8","type":"post","format":"markdown","author":"tlevine","body":"The [Coach](http://coachusa.com) [bus](http://coachcanada.ca)\n[schedule-finder](http://shortlinebus.com) is hard-to-use,\nso I made a [better one](http://bettercoa.ch).\n\nBut the official schedule-finder is actually sort of cool,\nat least for its time.\n\n\n## Original finder\nThe Coach site's way of changing one drop-down menu option when you change another\nis simple and robust. And it probably made a lot more sense if you were using dial-up.\n\nIt works like this.\nIt's one little section of the main Coach website.\nYou first select the state from where you're starting your trip.\nThen it presents you the cities in that state. Then you select one,\nand it shows you the states you can go to. And so on.\n\nGetting feedback like this before having completed the form is\npretty common these days with asynchronous JavaScript.\nI suspect that the Coach site was built before people knew how to do that.\nSo they did something slightly different.\n\nFirst, they wrap the whole schedule-finder in an iframe.\nThis way, they can reload the schedule-finder without reloading\nthe rest of the Coach homepage.\n\nThe four drop-down menus are inside this iframe.\nInstead of asynchronously contacting the server on each\nchange of the form, they submit the form each time;\nthere are four form elements (Actually more, but those are unnecessary.)\ninside the iframe, and javascript automatically\nsubmits each individual form when you change its drop-down menu.\nThis is actually quite similar to how we do form validation\ntoday, except that it's synchronous.\n\nIt's quite slow, but that's mainly because of something in the backend,\nlike maybe an over-loaded, poorly configured server\nmaking inefficient database queries.\nAside from that, it's seems slow because it's synchronous.\n\nBut consider what it would have been like on dial-up.\nMaking multiple connections and having a slow server\nwould be less significant because of how long each transfer\nwould take. By dividing up the list and putting it in an iframe,\nthey allow you to stay on the home page, reloading just a small part.\nThe real savings in time is errors; if they didn't have this sort of validation,\nthey would have to send two lists of 360 stations each every time you\nselected a route that didn't exist. By doing it as they did, they\nprevent errors and thus prevent this slow sending of station lists.\n\n## Problems with the original finder\nAs cool as I think the original finder is, I still think it sucks.\nThe main annoyance is that it's slow. Secondarily, the page could\nbe less visually noisy. I only ever go to the website to check\nschedules, and the other things probably just distract me.\n\nWhile working on BetterCoach, I also noticed that the\nofficial schedule-finder requires Javascript.\nTo say it fancy-like, it does not degrade gracefully.\nThey could have done without Javascript by adding appropriate buttons.","title":"BetterCoach","tags":["scraping"],"created_at":"2011-12-21T09:49:34.100Z","show":true}}, {"id":"YouTube-view-counts","key":"2011-12-27T09:46:22.771Z","value":{"_id":"YouTube-view-counts","_rev":"5-28a395317e0e7bd7ea72d47ddd841425","type":"post","format":"markdown","author":"tlevine","body":"Some viewers of [Rap News X]:(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-rxe9Ayb8c) expressed concerns that YouTube was not counting views of the video in order to prevent it from going viral.\n\nrylenenger2213 said\n> The counter has been stuck at 108,403 for multiple days. Someone doesn't\ufeff want this video to get labelled as \"viral\". Why? See for yourself! SHARE THIS VIDEO. No oppression, no suppression! Like this comment so it stays at the top so other people can be warned about the views being blocked!\n\ngnu11111 said\n> Strange how the view counter seems stuck at 108.403 for two days now. Even I watched the video like 10\ufeff times since then.\n\nSo now I'm [scraping](https://scraperwiki.com/scrapers/youtube_view_counts/) the view counts.","title":"YouTube view counts","tags":["scraping"],"created_at":"2011-12-27T09:46:22.771Z","show":true,"_attachments":{"screenshot.png":{"content_type":"image/png","revpos":2,"digest":"md5-3J0wS/qb11z4YOMbWu+CZw==","length":1271106,"stub":true}}}}, {"id":"Ergonomics-research-interests","key":"2011-12-29T07:43:26.483Z","value":{"_id":"Ergonomics-research-interests","_rev":"2-dba091379afd03541f971187f2957006","type":"post","format":"markdown","author":"tlevine","body":"I am interested in the process by which people decide on the configuration of their computer work areas and in how the resulting configurations relate to risk of musculoskeletal injury.\n\nI view the configuration of a work area as a mediator of many musculoskeletal risk relationships, and isolating such a mediator would tell us a few cool things.\n\n1. A more detailed model of a pathway to musculoskeletal injury\n2. (In)validation of existing studies that make simplifying assumptions about workstation configuration\n3. Ability to use workstation configuration as an easier, quick and inexpensive way of estimating musculoskeletal risk","title":"Ergonomics research interests","show":true,"tags":["ergonomics"],"created_at":"2011-12-29T07:43:26.483Z"}}, {"id":"What-should-I-write-about","key":"2011-12-29T07:48:37.082Z","value":{"_id":"What-should-I-write-about","_rev":"2-d77a5b25480e0a3d219f7fa5102843cf","type":"post","format":"markdown","author":"tlevine","body":"I talk about lots of ergonomicsy things with people, and I've been meaning to post them here. But I haven't yet, and there are a lot of things to choose from.\n\nIf there's a particular thing you think I should post sooner rather than later, do tell me. Like if there was a particular conversation that was particularly interesting, tell me so I can summarize the interesting bits in a blog post. Or if there's a particular \"ergonomics\" question you have, ask.","title":"What should I write about?","show":true,"tags":["ergonomics"],"created_at":"2011-12-29T07:48:37.082Z"}}, {"id":"Definitions-of-ergonomics","key":"2011-12-29T08:03:06.060Z","value":{"_id":"Definitions-of-ergonomics","_rev":"8-8c596a9fe317d1809815af96fa731b7c","type":"post","format":"markdown","author":"tlevine","body":"\"Ergonomics\" is a very silly word. The International Ergonomics Association [says](http://iea.cc/01_what/What%20is%20Ergonomics.html)\n\n> Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of the interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theoretical principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well being and overall system performance.\n> \n> Practitioners of ergonomics, ergonomists, contribute to the planning, design and evaluation of tasks, jobs, products, organizations, environments and systems in order to make them compatible with the needs, abilities and limitations of people.\n\nMore concisely, they consider it the **science** (and the application of that science) that studies **human systems** to make them more **productive** and **better for people**. I suppose that's helpful for distinguishing it from \"design\" (whatever that is) but it's otherwise quite vague.\n\nBut **I see ergonomics** more as the acknowledgement that the scientific study of interactions between people and things can reveal much complexity.","title":"Definitions of \"ergonomics\"","show":true,"tags":["ergonomics"],"created_at":"2011-12-29T08:03:06.060Z"}}, {"id":"Protesting-NDAA","key":"2012-01-04T02:50:03.501Z","value":{"_id":"Protesting-NDAA","_rev":"1-a9036ee9b4e2dece77e34ecd58d5294c","type":"post","format":"markdown","show":true,"author":"tlevine","body":"Some people [censored](http://americancensorship.org/) their websites in protest of SOPA. What would be equivalent for [NDAA](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Defense_Authorization_Act_for_Fiscal_Year_2012)?\n\nA simple thing is to show up late to every in-person meeting you have and then explain that you showed up late in protest.\n\nBut a more proper equivalent to disappear without telling anyone where you are going and to leave behind a note explaining your protest.","title":"Protesting NDAA","tags":["sopa","ndaa","freedom"],"created_at":"2012-01-04T02:50:03.501Z"}}, {"id":"Best-practices-for-elevator-up-down-button-design","key":"2012-02-09T23:49:15.647Z","value":{"_id":"Best-practices-for-elevator-up-down-button-design","_rev":"4-d4bad39866affaa78cf065e70db20b3d","type":"post","format":"markdown","show":true,"author":"tlevine","body":"\"Elevator\n\nEvelyn Varney, Sarah Levine and I investigated elevator call buttons on the seven principles of universal design with a special focus on visibility/identifiabiity.\nWe took measurements, photographed and documented about 40 different elevator call buttons in exisitng buildings on the Cornell campus. We wanted to see what was available at our local level in terms of elevator button environments and how they compared with each other, to ADA requirements and to other \"found\" designs outside of the Cornell campus.\n\nNext, we sorted the Cornell campus documented elevator call button arrangements into worst and better practices, focusing on visiblility and identifiability, yet still within the universal design framework. Then, we investigated inspirational elevator button designs found on the internet and did a literature review on elevator button research. Using all of the information collected, we compiled specifications of \u201cbest\u201d practices for elevator design.\n\n\"Worst\", \"better\" and \"best\" practices for elevator button design were applied to two user scenarios, Kara, a blind Cornell University student and Joel, an aging Cornell University alumnus. Visual mockups of the \"best\" practices for elevator button design were created to illustrate guideline specifications for future elevator button design.\n\nHere are our [paper](http://chainsaw.iriscouch.com/blog/Best-practices-for-elevator-up-down-button-design/elevatorbuttons.pdf) and [presentation slides](http://chainsaw.iriscouch.com/blog/Best-practices-for-elevator-up-down-button-design/elevatorbuttons-presentation_slides.pdf)","title":"Best practices for elevator up/down button design","tags":["ergonomics","elevators","universal design"],"created_at":"2012-02-09T23:49:15.647Z","_attachments":{"elevatorbuttons-presentation_slides.pdf":{"content_type":"application/pdf","revpos":3,"digest":"md5-Xg9F3+l1vLKuwukYovo5FA==","length":2821314,"stub":true},"elevatorbuttons.pdf":{"content_type":"application/pdf","revpos":2,"digest":"md5-5p7IYyD2UcdJfACFvdTvzw==","length":4524194,"stub":true}}}}, {"id":"Scraping-projects","key":"2012-02-11T22:23:45.434Z","value":{"_id":"Scraping-projects","_rev":"4-729b718636eeb246cf0040b5918d028f","type":"post","format":"markdown","show":true,"author":"tlevine","body":"Here are some libraries I want to write.\n\n* Factor scraperwiki.sqlite out of scraperlibs.\n* Factor the SQLite web API out of ScraperWiki.\n* Compile my various microlibraries into a standard package.\n* Finish the file/database-backed list class.\n\nHere are some scrapers that I want to write and document (and even write tutorials about).\n\n* Write a browser plugin to navigate the [Deleware corporations](https://delecorp.delaware.gov/eCorp/LoginAnnualReportsCLF) site and post to a Couch. Get a bunch of people to run the plugin, selecting random subsets of the site. Pull the pages into a central database, parse them, test for reliability, release and analyze.\n\nHere are some analyses that I want to conduct and document.\n\n* [NYC lobbyist contracts](https://scraperwiki.com/scrapers/nyc_lobbyist_directory_browser/)\n* The local (6 train) just arrived. Should I take it or wait for the express (4, 5)?\n* Deleware corporations","title":"Earthmoving projects","tags":["scraping"],"created_at":"2012-02-11T22:23:45.434Z"}}, {"id":"Big-data-projects","key":"2012-02-15T03:07:50.629Z","value":{"_id":"Big-data-projects","_rev":"3-0d5494a2f28280ad60e4a6c0f53a37ec","type":"post","format":"markdown","show":true,"author":"tlevine","body":"## Claim all images.\nSomeone pointed out at maybe that Free Culture Alliance meeting that one could count the number of possible high-definition video stills. (It would take you a while.)\n\nBut it's doable with non-HD--video.\n\nThere are fewer than 20 million different 320x240 8-bit images (320x240x256). I can generate all of them and combine them into 228-hour ((256x320x240/24)/3600) video.\n\nThat's still a bit long, so maybe I do black-and-white; that would reduce it to 28 hours.\n\nOr maybe I do all favicons; that would be 22 minutes ((128x16x16/24)/60\n).\n\nAnyway, I combine the images into to a video and claim copyright on all of the frames of the generated video.\n\n## New York Lobbyists\nAs mentioned [here](http://chainsaw.iriscouch.com/blog/_design/sofa/_list/post/post-page?startkey=%5B%22Scraping-projects%22%5D)\n\n## Stop, question frisk\nThat phone application that I'm discussing with Michael","title":"Big data projects","tags":["big data"],"created_at":"2012-02-15T03:07:50.629Z"}} ]}