45 karma · joined October 14, 2010
Ways to Connect: On Interface and Product Design, Ryan Singer
Something on color theory
Design language books (Bauhaus, etc)
The entire Google design team has quite a few open resources: https://material.io/design/ and https://design.google
Everyone here that has done any C/C++ or Ruby development would probably agree that if you're looking for number smashing, Ruby is just not cutting it unless you're into rockin' C extensions and getting what you want... for now.
Ruby, within a few years, will probably have some VM action, whether the JVM with JRuby or Rubinius wins out, who cares.
In any case, in like 5 or 6 years when we all have 50/100 core machines, Ruby's gonna be just fine for almost everything. Maybe by then we will be done arguing and just agree that Ruby is the nicest language to look at and develop in, even if it has subpar performance. Because if you're arguing something different, you've probably never gone from Ruby to C or Java or even Python... just so you all know, it blows.
As far as the root objects are concerned, I've always been a fan of that part of Rails. Not to say that it cannot be easily gotten rid of with something like this (for ActiveResource)...
ActiveResource::Base.include_root_in_json = false
Or, like in my example app, with this (for ActiveModelSerializers)...
https://github.com/rails-api/active_model_serializers#1-disa...
Though, I understand the pain of coming from a server-side MVC architecture, I found it refreshing that Ember.js takes the "desktop" MVC approach. Our web apps are now living on the client, acting like desktop apps. Most people struggle with this reverse at first, but can conceptually catch on if shown the way. I think what really needs to happen is a good screencast or two walking through these concepts. I'm interested in putting something together and will when I have the time.
Oh well!
I suppose I'm the only one to know that this software is driven by a service which, in time, will most definitely improve exponentially with use.
There are places for expression and "Free Speech"... maybe sitting next to the 13 year old or grandmother (or any other paying customer) who's flying for the first time in his/her life wearing some silly t-shirt about bombs and anti-government banter isn't the right place for it.