rssbox: extras

Simple Thread

Buttons are the workhorse of the modern web app. Today, I wanted to cover a series of trips, tricks, gotchas, and useful approaches to make working with buttons easier and more accessible for the people who use the things we build. The screen... Read

Favorite Books of 2025 17d ago

Books read, not necessarily published, in 2025 The Simple Thread team has had an incredible year of building, research, and community — and through it all, our reading list has grown right alongside us! This year’s favorites span from cozy sci-fi... Read

Mapping the Gap 24d ago

This work was originally presented during the technical paper sessions at the CIGRE Grid of the Future Symposium in Denver. It was an action packed conference, with experts discussing state-of-the-art innovations across generation, transmission,... Read

EOY Reflecting on 2025 24d ago

As 2025 comes to a close, it is incredible to look back on just how far we have come. What began fifteen years ago as a small idea shared by two developers has grown into a 70+ person team shaping the future of energy, software, and digital... Read

The Fantastic Machine – Part 4 – Distribution 37d ago

See the entire The Fantastic Machine series → “The last mile is always the longest.” —Unknown Welcome back to your training. Up to this point you’ve seen where power is born in massive generation stations and mastered the transmission system, the... Read

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Getting Back to Basics 38d ago

I admit “Basic” and “Machine Learning” are two phrases that do not belong together in the same sentence. However, with much of today’s attention focused on generative artificial intelligence (GAI) systems like Large Language Models (LLMs), it is... Read

A Very Simple Thread Thanksgiving 2025 44d ago

As the days grow shorter and the air starts to bite, we find ourselves once again approaching Thanksgiving – my favorite holiday! This year marks the seventh installment of one of our favorite Simple Thread traditions: sharing beloved Thanksgiving... Read

The Fantastic Machine – Part 3 – Transmission 48d ago

See the entire The Fantastic Machine series → “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” —Aristotle Alright, welcome back to the control room. In your last training module, you saw where the power is born in massive generation stations and... Read

I Love You, Redis, But I’m Leaving You for SolidQueue 50d ago

Rails 8, the latest release of the popular web application framework based on Ruby, excised Redis from its standard technology stack. Redis is no longer required to queue jobs, cache partials and data, and send real-time messages. Instead, Rails’s... Read

The Strategic Side of Design 58d ago

When most people think about designers, they tend to picture pixels and flows rather than high-level strategy and planning. While crafting the user interface is a big part of what designers do, design has always been about more than visuals.... Read

Ask a Manager

my boss says you should always move personal appointments for work 10h ago

A reader writes: My job is 99% remote with some on-site event expectations. On-site events are typically mandatory, which is fine with me. I recently asked for events to be either predictable (e.g., first Friday in August) or to have lots of... Read

new employee keeps tagging the company in negative social media posts 11h ago

A reader writes: My company recently hired a new employee who has been a problem. We were hesitant to hire her to begin with — she didn’t have glowing recommendations and she’s got a patchy work history, but she has experience in the one thing we... Read

should I talk to my boss about my coworker’s oversharing about mental health? 13h ago

A reader writes: I am in a front-line commercial role at a tech start-up. I am responsible for bringing in new business, and this story pertains to my colleague Zayne, who manages a lot of the back-end, integrations side of things. Zayne is... Read

I can’t get answers about a special project, candidate with risqué photos online, and more 24h ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Internship offered me a special project but now I can’t get any answers about it I’m a college student who recently finished a remote internship at a prominent company in a fairly niche field (the... Read

I accepted my company’s counteroffer, and now they’re going back on our agreement 1d ago

A reader writes: I have seen you and other people say that you shouldn’t usually accept a counteroffer. I wish I had listened to you, but I didn’t. The backstory is I have worked at my company for almost a decade, and for the first several years I... Read

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my coworker is using AI to do her work (badly) 1d ago

A reader writes: I am a senior project manager in a nonprofit. Over the summer, I been working on a series of focus groups and was assigned Lola as an intern. Our office aims to provide meaningful training to our interns, as nearly 80% of them are... Read

my coworker always has his toddlers on his lap on work calls 2d ago

A reader writes: This is hard for me to write. I’m a woman in my late forties with two grown children. I remember how stressful it was a decade ago, when my kids were little, to keep them out of earshot during conference calls on the rare days I... Read

bringing alcohol to the home of a recovering alcoholic, a candidate’s obnoxious Facebook comments, and more 2d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Bringing alcohol to the home of a recovering alcoholic My coworker is a recovering alcoholic; he doesn’t discuss it but never drinks, occasionally refers to “when I was drinking,” and once was... Read

head of HR is waging a pressure campaign to make me adopt a puppy 2d ago

A reader writes: A few weeks ago, our HR manager, Cara, brought in a photo of her dog’s adorable litter of puppies and everybody appropriately ooh’d and ahh’d all over them. Now that the puppies are old enough to be adopted, she’s started to put... Read

updates: the volunteer holding a website hostage, the vegan breakfasts, and more 2d ago

Here are four updates from past letter-writers. 1. An abusive volunteer is holding our website hostage I am no longer a mere VP — I have been elected president! A short summary of my previous letters: I’m on the board of a small organization and... Read

my company wants us to harass overworked employees into taking less sick leave 3d ago

A reader writes: My department just called all us middle managers into a session to discuss our sickness “issue.” Some context: We live in a country where permanent employees of any level at any company all get unlimited sick days at full pay for a... Read

coworker cheated in Jeopardy, a sumo wrestler calendar at work, and more 3d ago

Update season is over and now we’re back to regular content! To kick us off, it’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Coworker cheated in our virtual Jeopardy tournament A couple years ago, just for fun, a coworker started a virtual... Read

weekend open thread – January 3-4, 2026 5d ago

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. The post weekend open thread – January 3-4, 2026 appeared first on Ask a Manager. Read

open thread – January 2, 2026 6d ago

It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on any work-related questions that you want to talk about (that includes school). If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best... Read

my boss told his wife we had an affair but we didn’t, coworker won’t return my laptop, and more 6d ago

I’m on vacation. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. I worked for a married couple and the husband told his wife we had an affair — but we didn’t I quit my retail management job... Read

breaking up with my boyfriend when I work for his parents, awkward elevator encounter with the CEO, and more 7d ago

I’m on vacation. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. I want to break up with my boyfriend — but I work for his parents I just graduated from college last spring with a degree in... Read

update: the federal employee wondering whether to stick it out or leave 7d ago

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the federal employee wondering whether to stick it out or leave (#3 at the link)? Here’s... Read

update: when your ex is a coworker — and a silly one 7d ago

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here’s an update from a letter-writer way back in 2009 whose coworker was a not-very-well-behaved ex... Read

update: I took a job with less responsibility — and my coworkers treat me like I have no experience 8d ago

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer who took a job with less responsibility and her coworkers were treating... Read

my boss commented on my work with a puke emoji, our “unpaid intern” is paid $42,000/year, and more 8d ago

I’m on vacation. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. My boss commented on my work with a puke emoji I work in a PR agency and we are planning a webinar for our most important... Read

updates: the non-vegan gifts, the get-together of laid-off coworkers, and more 8d ago

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are four updates from past letter-writers. 1. My vegan coworker is upset about getting... Read

updates: interviewing while visibly pregnant, LinkedIn exaggeration, and more 8d ago

update: can I suggest that my employee rethink her career path? 9d ago

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer wondering whether to suggest that their employee rethink her career path?... Read

daughter’s manager complained to me about her work, boss jokes about me having work “suitors,” and more 9d ago

I’m on vacation. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. My daughter’s managers complained to me about her work My daughter is 19 but lives at home. She has had a full-time job at a... Read

update: I’m worried that my boss and HR are laying a paper trail to fire me 9d ago

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer who was worried that their boss and HR were laying a paper trail to fire... Read

updates: the cancelled promotion, the difficult friend, and more 9d ago

update: my boss and I share an office with a volatile jerk 10d ago

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer whose boss (Ned) and she shared an office with a volatile jerk (Peter)?... Read

I didn’t show up for an interview I didn’t know about, coworker showed up at my house when I wasn’t there, and more 10d ago

I’m on vacation. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. Employer is angry that I didn’t show up for an interview I didn’t know about There is a job I really want. I applied and... Read

weekend open thread – December 27-28, 2025 12d ago

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. The post weekend open thread – December 27-28, 2025 appeared first on Ask a Manager. Read

open thread – December 26, 2025 13d ago

my ex works at my new job, I’ve fired my new employee before, and more 13d ago

I’m on vacation. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. My ex works at my new job I recently got a new job (medical field) that I was very excited for. The thing is that even after... Read

the best office holiday party date story of all time 14d ago

A couple of years ago, someone shared what I consider to be the best holiday date story of all time, and it must be shared here again. Enjoy: When I was fresh out of college, a dude in my social circle invited me to his fancy work Christmas party.... Read

the identity of the hometown hero is revealed 14d ago

A reader writes: I was the original poster who wrote about the hometown hero American Idol contestant. Every time it has been posted, lots of people guess who it was or hope it was their favorite. And I have kind of wanted to let everyone believe... Read

update: how do I adjust to returning to the office after working from home for 5 years? 14d ago

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer who asked how to adjust to returning to the office after working from... Read

update: my manager posted a “wall of shame” of people who didn’t volunteer to work more 15d ago

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer whose manager posted a “wall of shame” of people who didn’t volunteer to... Read

my employee wants to know where I am at all times, wedding drama, and more 15d ago

I’m on vacation. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. My employee wants to know where I am at all times I started a new management role three months ago and am managing a small... Read

updates: the accidentally linked nudes, taking religious holidays as flex days, and more 15d ago

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are three updates from past letter-writers. 1. My coworker accidentally linked her nudes to our... Read

update: employees are being cruel to a gross coworker 15d ago

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer whose employees were being cruel to a gross coworker? Here’s the update.... Read

update: my new employee feels excluded on a well-meaning but cliquey team 15d ago

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer whose new employee felt excluded on a well-meaning but cliquey team?... Read

why haven’t I heard back after my interview? 15d ago

It’s probably the most frustrating part of job searching: you have an interview that seemed to go great, you nailed every question and felt rapport with you interviewer, they seemed impressed and said they’d be in touch soon, and then … silence. Do... Read

update: my new boss told me not to take all my PTO each year 16d ago

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer whose new boss told them not to take all their PTO each year? Here’s the... Read

my manager set up a secret email address using my name, asking a coworker to swap pants, and more 16d ago

I’m on vacation. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. My manager set up a secret email address using my name I work at a community college. All regular employees at the college... Read

updates: the suspicious text, the person who won’t retire, and more 16d ago

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are four updates from past letter-writers. There will be more posts than usual this week, so... Read

update: our board volunteer makes everyone’s jobs harder 16d ago

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer who was the chair of a board and had one board volunteer making... Read

update: our CEO is demanding we return to the office but people don’t want to — and I’m a manager stuck in the middle 16d ago

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. There will be more posts than usual this week, so keep checking back throughout the day. Remember... Read

rendezvous with cassidoo

🎆 "Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, 'It will be happier.'" - Alfred Lord Tennyson 3d ago

HAPPY 2026! Whew! I hope you had a great time kicking off the new year. Let's get started! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Directional CSS with scroll-state(scrolled) !important and CSS Custom Properties... Read

🎊 "The beginning is the word and the end is silence. And in between are all the stories." - Kate Atkinson 10d ago

Oh my word, we MADE IT to the end of the year! This is my last issue of 2025, and I'll be seeing y'all in 2026! I hope you have a wonderful end to your year, and kick off the new one with a bang. Let's wrap things up! Was this forwarded to you? You... Read

🎄 "You only get one life, so you might as well feel all the feelings." - Greta Gerwig 17d ago

Ho ho ho! I hope you had a good week! Mine was so, so busy, and I'm really excited to chill with my family and friends for Christmas this week. Until then, let's boogie! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week The... Read

📙 "Try to create things that are an extension of yourself." - Rob Reiner 24d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week! Mine was so busy, I'm still recovering from how fast time flew. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Discover Dialog CSS Wrapped 2025 Goodbye to CFE.dev... Read

🦦 "Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going." - Sam Levenson 31d ago

Helllllooo! I hope you had a good week! I celebrated my birthday with family and friends and it was a really great time. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Controlling dialogs and popovers with... Read

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❄️ "We all have our down days, but it's not hard to smile and say, 'Thank you.'" - Yvette Nicole Brown 38d ago

Hey friends! November FLEW by for me, it was so busy! But, it was also good to be cozy with my fam for Thanksgiving. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Top layer troubles: popover vs. dialog How... Read

🦃 "A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline." - Grace Hopper 45d ago

Howdy! I hope your week went smoothly! Mine was wildly packed at work, and I'm so happy to be going into a holiday week. Let's boogie. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week How to Create 3D Images in CSS with the... Read

🤭 "Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own." - Carol Burnett 52d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week! Mine was fairly busy at work, but all good things. My kiddos are finally not sick for the first time in a minute, and I'm VERY grateful! Anyway, let's learn. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe... Read

🚒 "If you're not failing, you're not trying." - Reshma Saujani 59d ago

Helllloooo! I don't know about your neck of the woods, but it is SNOWING here in Chicago as I write this. It feels early, but I'm embracing it and playing Christmas music. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links... Read

🎀 "Your voice matters. Your stories are worth telling." - EJAE 66d ago

Hey friends! Happy November! I hope you had a good week. I enjoyed being with the family and making silly CSS jokes. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week The killer feature of Web Components The... Read

🫟 "With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts." - Eleanor Roosevelt 73d ago

Hola hola! I hope you're doing well, my friends. I had a good week of being (almost fully) offline, in prep for going back to work from maternity leave (!) and closing out October. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe... Read

🦈 "Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay." - Simone de Beauvoir 80d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week. I tried pilates for the first time and am very sore... which is a good thing? Anyway, let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week A complete guide to HTTP caching... Read

🤓 "The best relationships develop out of friendships." - Diane Keaton 87d ago

Hey friends! This week felt surprisingly fast for me. I think because my maternity leave ends soon (!), time feels unnecessarily quick, which is very rude. Anyway, let's boogie! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the... Read

🚢 "The invention of the ship was also the invention of the shipwreck." - Paul Virilio 94d ago

Howdy y'all, I hope your October kicked off well! I admit the news kind of got me down this week, but my daughter was a flower girl in a wedding this weekend, so I'm happy to end it on a high note! Let's learn. Was this forwarded to you? You can... Read

🏡 "I recommend the freedom that comes from asking: Compared to what?" - Gloria Steinem 101d ago

Hey friends! We're going to be waking up this week because September is ending! But until then, let's kick back with some content. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week The Best CSS Unit Might Be a Combination... Read

🪖 "The love that you withhold is the pain that you carry." - Ralph Waldo Emerson 108d ago

Hey friends! I hope your had a good week! Mine flew by, and I had a great time. I'll tell ya more about it below! Let's gooo. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week All 197 entries submitted to js13kGames 2025... Read

👂 "There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people." - Vincent Van Gogh 115d ago

Hellllooo! I hope your week was a good one. Mine was tiring (what else is new?) but I had a good time with family and friends. Let's boogie. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week 100+ new CSS features from the... Read

🦺 "Life's too short to be a pushover." - Kelly Clarkson 122d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week. Mine was busy, but we got to see some family and friends, so that made it worth it! Let's learn. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Functional custom elements the easy... Read

🎟️ "Inspiration is applying what you’ve received." - Derek Sivers 129d ago

Hey friends! August is done, we're through! Finished! Now that September is here, I'll be napping and you can wake me up when September ends. Ha. But anyway, let's learn. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the... Read

🦩 "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement." - Helen Keller 136d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week! Mine was full of cleaning and getting excited for fall weather in Chicago. Onwards! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Introduction to AT Protocol MCSS: A modern... Read

☔️ "It’s important to have something to walk towards." - Mike Monteiro 143d ago

Hey friends! I'm sleepily writing to you hoping that your week was a good one! Mine was tiring, but not all bad. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week ForesightJS A Nice Vanilla App Architecture... Read

🎽 "New sentences have appeared on earth, not written by human beings." - Patricia Lockwood 150d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week! Mine was tiring, but overall good. My toddler has finally (!) started taking an interest in LEGO bricks so I am having a blast playing with her these days. Anyway, onwards! Was this forwarded to you? You can... Read

⛈️ "You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too." - Denzel Washington 157d ago

Hey friends! Happy August! I hope your week went smoothly. It's been a loud one here in Chicago with the Lollapalooza music festival going on, but it's been nice otherwise! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the... Read

📼 "Simplicity is the glory of expression" - Walt Whitman 164d ago

Hey friends! I can't believe it's the last week of July already. I hope you're staying cool and building things you like. Onwards! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week So many ranges, so little time: A... Read

🐼 "Better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times." - Asian Proverb 171d ago

Howdy y'all! I hope you had a good week. Mine was fun celebrating birthdays of family and friends, and messing around with some side projects. Let's boogie. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Designing Scroll... Read

🪻 "First we build the tools, then they build us." - Marshall McLuhan 178d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week! Mine was pretty full of non-internet work around the house and with the family, which felt good and needed. Anyway, back to jamming with console cowboys in cyberspace! Was this forwarded to you? You can... Read

🫐 "A genius is the one most like himself." - Thelonious Monk 185d ago

Hey y'all, I hope your week was a good one, and you had a somewhat light work week with the U.S. holiday. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week The Backrooms: CSS Edition Writing Code Was Never The... Read

🪲 "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." - E.E. Cummings 192d ago

Hey friends! We made it to the end of June! I hope you're staying cool in this hot hot weather (and if it's not wildly warm where you are... you are blessed). Let's boogie. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the... Read

🦊 "This life is hard without assistance from others." - RuPaul 199d ago

Hey friends! It's a new week! I hope yours was a good one and you got enough sleep. And if you didn't... welcome to sleepytown, the water's fine! Anyway, let's boogie. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the... Read

👑 "To be afraid is to behave as if the truth were not true." - Bayard Rustin 206d ago

Hey friends! I hope your week was a good one. I felt like it went very slowly, but I got to see some friends and family, which was nice. And Happy Father's Day to all of the dads and dad-figures out there! Let's go! Was this forwarded to you? You... Read

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