Link: shinya kimura|chabott engineering via www.chabottengineering.com

A javascript library that catches typos for common email domains to improve accuracy of signup emails.

Link: Andrew Berls | Reducing bad signup emails with mailcheck.js via andrewberls.com

1. Asking questions
2. Solving problems
3. Tackling projects
4. Finding passion
5. Independence
6. Being happy on their own
7. Compassion
8. Tolerance
9. Dealing with change

Link: DailyGood: 9 Essential Skills Kids Should Learn, by Leo Babauta via www.dailygood.org

JS library useful for adding a “human touch” to data.

Examples:

• intcomma (4500000 = 4,500,000)
• intword (1000000 = 1.0 million)
• naturalDay (15 April 2012 16:25:30 = Today)
• ordinal (3 = 3rd)
• filesizeformat (1234567890 = 1.15 Gb)
• linebreaks
• linebreaksbr
• pluralize (1, y, ies = y)
• truncatechars (hello world, 10 = hello w…)
• truncatewords (Playing with truncate words, 3 = Playing with truncate …)

Link: milanvrekic/JS-humanize via github.com

Looks like a very useful (and free!) tool:

Run a free website speed test from multiple locations around the globe using real browsers (IE and Chrome) and at real consumer connection speeds. You can run simple tests or perform advanced testing including multi-step transactions, video capture, content blocking and much more. Your results will provide rich diagnostic information including resource loading waterfall charts, Page Speed optimization checks and suggestions for improvements.

Link: WebPagetest – Website Performance and Optimization Test via www.webpagetest.org

@igrigorik shows how to measure an app’s speed using google analytics:

_gaq.push(['_setSiteSpeedSampleRate', 100]);

Then look at Google Analytics > Content > Site Speed.

Link: Make the web Fast(er), one Rails app at a time via www.igvita.com

James Edward Gray 2 gave a presentation about hidden skills of Rails. Here are the ones I found most interesting:

1. Run from a single file
2. Remind you of things via “rake notes”
3. Sandbox the console via “rails console –sandbox” (reverts all changes on exit)
4. Run helper methods in the console via “helper.number_to_currency(100)”
5. Use non-webrick servers in development via “rails s thin” (this is shorter than “bundle exec thin start”!)
6. Show you the DB’s migration status via “rake db:migrate:status” to see which migrations have run.
7. Pluck fields from the DB: “User.pluck(:email)” instead of “User.select(:email).map(&:email)”
8. Count DB records in groups via “Event.group(:trigger).count” => { “edit” => 3, “view” => 10 }
9. Override associations via “belongs_to :owner; def owner=(new_owner); self.previous_owner = owner; super; end”
10. Use limitless strings in PostgreSQL (via Josh Susser)
11. Use a different database for each user.
12. Merge nested hashes via Hash#deep_merge
13. Remove specific keys from a hash via “params.except(:controller, :action)”

Link: 10 Things You Didn’t Know Rails Could do // Speaker Deck via speakerdeck.com

A collection of meta queries for monitoring postgres.

Link: Linux How – To’s: Monitor PostgreSQL with Queries via linuxhow-tos.blogspot.ca

Abstract:

The relationship between money and happiness is surprisingly weak, which may stem in part from the way people spend it. Drawing on empirical research, we propose eight principles designed to help consumers get more happiness for their money. Specifically, we suggest that consumers should

1. buy more experiences and fewer material goods;
2. use their money to benefit others rather than themselves;
3. buy many small pleasures rather than fewer large ones;
4. eschew extended warranties and other forms of overpriced insurance;
5. delay consumption;
6. consider how peripheral features of their purchases may affect their day-to-day lives;
7. beware of comparison shopping; and
8. pay close attention to the happiness of others.

Link: If money doesn’t make you happy, then you probably aren’t spending it right via www.wjh.harvard.edu

1. The people in charge have all the answers.
2. Learning ends when you leave the classroom.
3. The best and brightest follow the rules.
4. What the books say is always true.
5. There is a very clear, single path to success.
6. Behaving yourself is as important as getting good marks.
7. Standardized tests measure your value.
8. Days off are always more fun than sitting in the classroom.
9. The purpose of your education is your future career.

Link: Nine Dangerous Things You Were Taught In School – Forbes via www.forbes.com