The Death of the Forum
Forums are curious creatures. You visit them every week, even if you don't realize it; even if you were born well after 2000. Forums are the mycelium of the internet; the bedrock of our knowledge on technology. Without them, many would be alone with problems in their phones, computers, and apps. In this article, I remember the early days of forums, reflect on their disappearance, and argue for their return to prominence.
URLs are Surprisingly Hard
Have you ever wondered what happens when you type in "google.com" into your browser's address bar? It is actually a piece of genuinely amazing engineering. In this article, I talk about URLs, and why the simple translation between you and your computer is a great example for something that a few lines of "if" and "else" statements can do, but not ChatGPT.
Is Calling Sociology Analytical Redundant?
Recently, some comments reminded me of the constant battle over whether or not we need a field for analytical sociology specifically. I use this opportunity to again revisit the definition of analytical sociology and I propose arguments for either position. In the end, it's about what sociologists do, not how we classify them.
The Red Scare: On the Impact of the U.S. Presidential Election 2024
Last week came as a shock to many more liberally oriented people across both sides of the Atlantic. After thinking for a week about what the victory of Trump may mean for the U.S. and the world, I have formed a few thoughts. Unlike many of the opinion pieces I have seen in the past week, I try to maintain an aura of faith and instill hope in these dark times.
Is Generative AI Actually Useful?
Yes. Generative AI has plenty of good uses. And by now, setting it up locally with models you control and output that remains confidential is easier than ever. In this article, I share some use-cases I have found to be particularly useful, and some caveats I discovered along the way.
Understanding Backpropagation A Bit Better
I work with neural networks on a daily basis. But one thing has always escaped my understanding: how backpropagation actually works. By coding an SGNS network from scratch, I forced myself to implement a backpropagation mechanism all by myself. This helped me understand this crucial part of neural networks. In this article, I show you what I learned, and hopefully you, too, will understand the backpropagation algorithm better.
PhalfwayD
A few days ago, I finally hit a milestone on my journey to a PhD: My mid-term examination, the final point at which major changes to a dissertation can still me made. In this article, I want to offer some reflections on this event, and how it has changed my view on the entire journey.
The Best New Apple OS Feature is the Most Boring One
Apple just released new versions for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. The updates promise a ton of new features, albeit many are geoblocked in the European Union. However, the best new feature of the new OS versions is probably the one you imagine to be the least exciting.
Understanding Files and Folders: A Primer
In the past years, educators have noticed that younger generations began having difficulties understanding the traditional file-centric model of computers. In this article, I provide a primer in what the file-centric model is and how it works, targeted at people who grew up learning only the app-centric model of smartphones.
Panic? Thoughts on the U.S. Presidential Debate
Last Thursday, the presidential candidates for the 2024 U.S. election met for their first public debate in Atlanta. The reactions to the debate were clear: It was a disaster for Biden. While I tend to agree, I think that the debate debacle rather points to a deeper crisis of the Democratic Party: A lack of vision, charismatic leaders, and a hostile environment to do politics in.