Joey deVilla
joeydevilla.com · Personal blog · on HN since 2008
Joey deVilla is a Toronto-based developer and tech evangelist who blogs on programming, humor, tech culture, and miscellaneous topics.
What HN saysHN links it for older posts such as his PowerPoint breakup-style piece and the metric system list, which commenters cite in passing.
30HN people shared it
16linked it in comments
18stories submitted
132story points
3 years agolast shared
2008people per year2026
Most-shared posts
- 103 44193 people · first shared 2015
- 2An unexpected application of the P vs. NP problem (2003)2 people · 19 points · first shared 2009 · 2 comments on HN
- 3Countries that dont use the metric system2 people · first shared 2015
- 4Branford Marsalis’ Take on Students Today1 people · 37 points · first shared 2009 · 19 comments on HN
- 5The Scene at Lehman Brothers London on Friday1 people · 35 points · first shared 2008 · 14 comments on HN
- 6The illiteracy-promoting interior design abomination called “backwards books”1 people · 10 points · first shared 2018 · 7 comments on HN
- 7Fast Food Apple Pies and Why Netbooks Suck1 people · 8 points · first shared 2009 · 2 comments on HN
- 8How to Mine Bitcoins for Fun and (Probably Very Little) Profit1 people · 6 points · first shared 2013 · discussion on HN
- 9Dean Chambers: UnSkewed Polls’ Smarty-Smart Manly-Man Data Guy was Wrongy-Wrong1 people · 3 points · first shared 2012 · discussion on HN
- 10Unspace’s Office May Have Burned Down, But Unspace is Still Burning Bright1 people · 2 points · first shared 2013 · discussion on HN
- 11Uhura aka Gene Roddenberry standing up for what he believed in1 people · 2 points · first shared 2011 · discussion on HN
- 12Unfortunate Infographic of the Day1 people · 2 points · first shared 2011 · discussion on HN
- 13How Fanboys See Operating Systems (2009)1 people · 2 points · first shared 2014 · discussion on HN
- 14“why the lucky stiff” on Why You Should Create1 people · 1 points · first shared 2012 · discussion on HN
- 15FOX News’ Democratizing Effect1 people · 1 points · first shared 2009 · discussion on HN
What HN people wrote when they linked it
floxy · 2023-11-03
I wonder what the historical reason is for having the camera lens at a corner, instead of at the center of the phone/tablet. Is this some fashion thing that everyone decided to copy? I can't imagine there is a technical reason, but I'm open to hear thoughts on this. Maybe originally battery shapes / sizes made a corner camera easier? And now everyone just follows the trend? Onions in the varnish style?
Is the "me" box on Face Time at a different corner than the camera lens?
https://www.joeydevilla.com/2001/12/03/4419/
miniatureape · 2022-01-25
I think the point of the fence is to move the impulse from yourself (If I can't see the reason there must not be one) to the greater context (Someone had a reason for this at some point, let me see if I can try to understand).
Related to Chesterton's fence is Levi's Onion:
https://www.joeydevilla.com/2001/12/03/4419/
Which is sort of a Chesterton's fence situation where someone took those required steps.
jwalton · 2023-12-04
You might enjoy this: https://www.joeydevilla.com/2004/07/30/the-breakup-style-of-powerpoint…
ChrisMarshallNY · 2021-05-21
Thanks! Well done.
As noted below, most of this is “common sense,” but there’s a saying:
“Common sense. So rare, it’s a God damn superpower.”
https://www.joeydevilla.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/common_sense_go…
arendtio · 2019-05-24
Nice summary!
I just wish he wouldn't have used pounds for comparison... I mean there are 3 countries left on this planet that don't use the metric system officially. Even the scientists in the US use it. Reminds me of http://www.joeydevilla.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/king-h…
But given how he managed to simplify such a complex technology to an easy-to-read article I don't really want to criticize him for using the wrong unit system.
sandebert · 2017-10-22
Congratulations on launching. But you might want to clarify that this is for a very small subset of countries in the world, so the rest of us don't waste our time with it?
http://www.joeydevilla.com/2008/08/13/countries-that-dont-use-the-metr…
mabbo · 2017-08-11
The man is guilty of the ultimate corporate crime: making his employer look bad. As one person I know put it,
> If you write a document that becomes such a public relations nightmare that it requires the CEO to cut short a family vacation to deal with the mess, update your resume.
(http://www.joeydevilla.com/2017/08/08/one-pragmatic-lesson-you-should-…
walrus01 · 2016-12-15
> Delay
> Misunderstand
see also: https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2016/06/1944_cia_sabota.html
https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/2012-featu…
http://www.joeydevilla.com/2015/10/15/how-to-sabotage-your-workplace-w…
"general interference with procedures"
geon · 2015-02-24
I have read the same story about a piece of ham in a pot. There's also The Onion In The Varnish: http://www.joeydevilla.com/2001/12/03/4419/
xxxyy · 2015-02-08
Don't mean to offend anyone, but there are more issues with units in the US ;)
[0] http://www.joeydevilla.com/2008/08/13/countries-that-dont-use-the-metr…
manyxcxi · 2013-11-21
Found the problem... just needed to reset The Internet.
http://www.joeydevilla.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/south-…
silencio · 2013-05-13
http://www.joeydevilla.com/2012/07/05/whoa-meridas-real/
I think the above costume was pretty tastefully "sparkled" up. If you want more, you could add the tiara from the movie or a more jeweled belt. Not even the Queen, mother of Merida and trying to shove the princess ideal down her throat, was _that_ dressed up for even the main event of the movie. I don't think this is any plainer or boring looking compared to some of the other Disney Princesses.
Also, not everything has to appeal to your niece or other girls or else we're telling them it's bad to be feminine. There's still a target audience for the Merida from the movie and it doesn't step on the toes of those that want a sparkly Princess.
Mongoose · 2012-06-07
Zipkin -> Harpoon -> whale-killing
http://www.joeydevilla.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/mind-b…
tkahn6 · 2010-07-30
Everything turns out ok though:
http://www.joeydevilla.com/2008/01/09/calvin-and-hobbes-off-the-ritali…
tlrobinson · 2008-11-12
In my search for better pictures, I came across this... http://www.joeydevilla.com/2008/05/29/geek-gang-signs/