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  • What you do is who you are.

    Ben Horowitz, of Andreessen Horowitz (software is eating the world), wrote a new book. It is titled “What you do is who you are.“, and will, following the announcement, discuss corporate cultural standards and how they changed over the years, of course with a particular focus on the tech industry. It’s a hot candidate for this winters reading list.

  • Mozilla unveils YouTube recommendation horror stories

    Somehow, a fun read. Still problematic, and somewhat scary, at the scale YouTube relies on recommendations.

    YouTube Horror Stories
    YouTube Horror Stories

    Mozilla gathered 28 user-submitted stories, detailing incidents where YouTube’s recommendation served videos featuring racism, conspiracies, and violence.

    Source: Mozilla unveils 28 horror stories about YouTube’s recommendation algorithm

  • Python 3.8.0 is now available

    Here is what’s new.

    Source: Python Insider: Python 3.8.0 is now available

  • Facebook Video engagement.

    Facebook would pay $40 million to resolve claims how the company falsely reported Video usage numbers. Given the industry faced incredible growth of the video market over the past decade, companies shifted their strategy, agencies invested, campaigns were created for that single purpose alone. In the context of how the business grew, these alleged numbers are neglegible.

    “The average viewership metrics were not inflated by only 60%-80%; they were inflated by some 150 to 900%,”

    via hollywoodreporter.com.

    It is, however, not the first time Facebook was caught reporting incorrect numbers.

    via link.

  • Thoma Bravo to buy Sophos

    Thoma Bravo to buy Sophos

    Sophos Logo
    Sophos Logo

    Both company announce the plans for the acquisition today. The private equity company Thoma Bravo plans to buy the UK-based cyber-security giant Sophos for $7.40 per share, for a total value of $3.9 billion, at a 37% market premium.

  • Safari in iOS sends data to Tencent

    Engadget reports, that with iOS 13 Apple started checking website details against fraudulent behavior with Tencent. While Apple already uses “Google Safe Browsing” to improve security, this behavior has been difficult before. With the latest developments in Hong Kong and China, this approach is – at a minimum – questionable and overshadows trustworthiness of Apple hardware. Engadget comments accordingly:

    You might not have to worry outside of China, but it’s still a concern.

    Source: Safari in iOS sends some Safe Browsing data to Tencent

  • Responsibility vs. Accountability

    According to Anthony Murphy, it’s the road to failure. And I couldn’t agree more, despite the framing. My personal experience showed things in the end always find a way. However, the separation between Responsibility and Accountability leads to lots of friction, debates and, in case somebody with accountability has to be identified, finger-pointing.

    First of all, the article is entirely right, responsibility is not something that is assigned, it is something individual contributors take. Colleagues, that lead the way and take responsibility for their decisions. Those that make sure task are picked up and delivered.

    And then there is accountability. Something that that can only be assumed for something that already happened before. All too often, there are much more candidates to volunteer for accountability, because it is misunderstood for leadership (or a management position), alongside with the willingness to spend days and weeks in non-customer value creating, internal debates how RACI Matrices (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) Matrices need to be defined and filled.

    Only when responsibilities from the same matrix fail to deliver, accountability is a perfect model to seek problems with other actors in the matrix, preferably those responsible.

    To put customer goals in first place, the agile manifesto has a simple answer and puts the team in charge.

    via Product Coalition.

  • Social Media Suchtmechanismen

    Dass Likes und Shares und Herzchen eine Belohnung für das Unterbewusst darstellen hat man mittlerweile schon häufiger gehört. Man kann sogar lernen, wie man Produkte designen kann, um solches Verhalten zu triggern. Im Ergebnis davon steigern Produkt-Owner die Metrik “Customer Engagement” um den Preis, dass Jugendliche wie Abhängige vor Ihren Mobiltelefonen hängen um mehr Herzchen oder Schlumpfbeeren zu bekommen.

    Arte strahlt gerade eine Miniserie darüber aus, wie diese Silicon Valley Apps süchtig machendes Verhalten für Ihre Zwecke nutzen und zufällige, kleine Belohnungen an Ihre Benutzer ausgeben. Die Serie nennt sich Dopamin, und ist damit nach dem Hormon benannt, das dafür sorgt, dass wir immer mehr wollen. Die 8 Folgen widmen sich 8 verschiedenen Apps und sind jeweils 8 Minuten lang:

    via T3n

  • The most advanced MySQL raytracer on the market right now.

    Raytracing with MySQL

    WTF of the day. The most advanced MySQL raytracer on the market right now. A raytracer, written in a single SELECT statment, that MySQL is able to process into an image. Pure Demoscene spirit here, whatever it is, make it run an animation or raytrace some spheres, something beautiful it was not meant to produce in first place.

    via BoingBoing.

  • SAP Sets Course with Next-Generation Leadership Team

    This morning, SAP’s Bill McDermott announced he would be stepping down as CEO of the company. Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein would follow as co-CEOs, with a handover period until end of this year. Jennifer and Christian are the youngest CEOs and will certainly drive forward the companies transformation. This is the official announcement:

    Bill McDermott, Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein
    Bill McDermott, Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein

    Bill McDermott is stepping down as CEO of SAP. SAP Executive Board Members Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein have been appointed co-CEOs. Read the news.

    Source: SAP Sets Course with Next-Generation Leadership Team | SAP News