rssbox: extras

Simple Thread

The Neoplatonic Programmer and Soul-full Cosmogonesis 1d ago

Having established a foundational thesis for the ethical considerations of the Programmer and Program, then reviewing this thesis through the lens of the Platonic Forms and Philosopher King, we now approach the question with an understanding of... Read

Managing Context Switching 7d ago

There is some debate on the productivity effects of context switching and whether or not it is an overall negative experience. This debate is unrelated to the content of this post. This article makes the assumption that context switching is... Read

Digital Privacy: Benefits & Trade-Offs 14d ago

As soon as you connect to the internet, your privacy is under attack. This isn’t hyperbole. Call it surveillance capitalism or enshittification or just good ol’ fashioned corporate greed—companies want your data, they want as much of it as they can... Read

Quieting the Mental Clutter 21d ago

Is there a weed in your brain that you just can’t pluck out? You know, a persistent problem, that nagging thought, the idea that’s taken root in your mind and won’t let go. It is the kind of problem that wakes you up in the middle of the night, and... Read

Introduction to Production Cost Analysis 29d ago

Effective power system planning isn’t just about planning for the worst scenarios, but is also about economics. Production cost modeling provides a critical tool, allowing planners to simulate power system market operations and quantify the... Read

More...

Learning to Love your Legacy Codebase 36d ago

I was chatting with a friend a few days ago, and we were discussing the news about how a certain high profile legacy system was being rewritten from scratch on a very short schedule. The particulars of the system aren’t important, but as I... Read

Beyond DELETE 43d ago

PostgreSQL is the most popular database among developers for good reason: It’s known for its rock-solid stability, extensibility, ACID compliance, and excellent support for complex queries and concurrent workloads. Whether you’re building a... Read

DISTRIBUTECH 2025 53d ago

This year’s Distributech buzzed with urgency and optimism. It wasn’t just about showcasing new tech; it was about reckoning with the scale of transformation ahead. As someone who served on the planning committee, chaired sessions, and led affinity... Read

Reliable Unstructured Document Content Extraction with Local LLMs 57d ago

Large Language Models (LLMs) are powerful tools for extracting information from text. However, their tendency to “hallucinate” necessitates careful validation, especially when dealing with critical document processing. We recently came across a... Read

FERC Order 2023: Revolutionizing Interconnection and Hosting Capacity Studies 57d ago

The energy landscape in the United States is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by the rapid integration of renewable energy resources and the urgent need to modernize our aging electric grid. At the heart of this transformation is the Federal... Read

Ask a Manager

my boss told me to stop cc’ing him on all my emails … so when DO I cc him? 4h ago

A reader writes: I’m not quite a year out from graduating college. I left my first “professional” job after only eight months (due to a workload that required us working seven days a week, a manager who texted our personal cellphones at all hours... Read

Ask a Manager in the media 5h ago

Here’s some coverage of Ask a Manager in the media recently: I talked to Slate about the death of the work happy hour. I talked to CNBC about how people are feeling about work right now. I talked to CNBC about how people returning to their offices... Read

my boss trusts her interpretation of “non-verbal communication” over people’s direct statements of how they feel 7h ago

A reader writes: My generally good manager recently gave me a dressing-down over a statement I made in a meeting. During the ensuing discussion, it came out that she relies on body language and facial expressions to figure out what people are... Read

is it rude to study during lunch, how to ask HR for additional support, and more 18h ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How to ask HR for additional support without undermining my boss Recently, I raised a concern with my skip-level manager, Crowley, about a colleague (Alastair) making inappropriate comments about... Read

the insufficiently festive cookies, “no visible heads” policy, and other stories of ridiculous micromanagement 1d ago

Last week we talked about ridiculous examples of micromanagement, and here are 16 of my favorite stories you shared. 1. The insufficiently festive cookies My boss decided we all should make cookies and do a cookie swap for Christmas. The cookies... Read

More...

my employee is bad at his job but keeps saying he’s doing great 1d ago

A reader writes: I recently hired a new administrative employee. His job is to answer phones, greet guests, and complete various tasks I assign to him. His customer service skills are strong, but his attention to detail is very weak. I have given a... Read

employees are being cruel to a gross coworker 1d ago

Warning: this is gross. A reader writes: I have a new staff member I manage, Meredith, who the rest of my team is insulting behind her back. One staff member, Pam, came to me in private to let me know the others on the team, especially Angela, are... Read

company says whether they’ll pay is up to them, fielding comments about my office temperature, and more 2d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Company says “the amount and availability of pay” is up to them I’m job-hunting (thanks, DOGE!) and came across this in a job listing: “Note: Pay is not considered compensation until it is earned,... Read

weekend open thread – May 31-June 1, 2025 4d 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. Book recommendation of the week: The Glitch, by Elisabeth Cohen. A tech company CEO... Read

open thread – May 30, 2025 4d 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

new manager is rumored to be dating an employee, I’m terrified of following up with people when they don’t respond, and more 5d ago

It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Incoming new manager is rumored to be dating an employee I have a moral dilemma. I was part of Team A for many years. I was promoted and am now a director for Team B, though I still have close... Read

an opinionated volunteer is demanding too much of our small organization 5d ago

A reader writes: I am the sole full-time employee for a state-owned museum. Aside from a very part-time maintenance man, all work is on me. I am only able to pull off events or large group tours thanks to the labor of some very wonderful... Read

should managing an entry-level staffer be this much work? 5d ago

A reader writes: I work for a consulting firm that deals with a flurry of client demands and ever changing deadlines. I’ve needed extra support for a while, and we recently hired someone to support my portfolio. I was thrilled to get them on board... Read

let’s talk about ridiculous examples of micromanagement 5d ago

Not much is worse in a boss than extreme micromanagement, and here are some ridiculous examples that have been shared here in the past: “Several years ago, I took over a department that had been badly managed by a borderline psychotic micromanager.... Read

my office is infested with mice, my coworker won’t stop contacting me while I’m on maternity leave, and more 6d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My office is infested with mice, and no one will do anything There is an active mouse issue at my work, and I am having trouble finding a way to tell my boss how done I am with this situation.... Read

the inadvertent bike thief, the disappearing hair, and other stories of weird office thefts 6d ago

Last week we talked about office thefts, and here are some of my favorite stories you shared. 1. The bike My coworker and I both biked to work fairly often. One day, my coworker didn’t bike but I did. My coworker left the office before I did and... Read

can I refuse to take on more work until I get a promotion and a raise? 6d ago

A reader writes: I’ve been at my company for five years and enjoy my job. The work is in line with what I want to do long-term, I’m getting great experience, the people I work with are nice, and my boss is easy to work for and has mentored me in... Read

how to change a company culture that has been treating parents and non-parents differently 6d ago

A reader writes: I recently accepted a new job where I will be managing a newly created team. I have been a manager before, but this new job will be a new challenge. The team I am managing has been tasked with leading a culture change in the... Read

spider phobia on work calls, is managing people a miserable job, and more 7d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Dealing with a spider phobia on work calls I work from home 100% of the time. I also am deeply afraid of spiders (as well as most creatures with six or more legs). I normally do not encounter... Read

update: how do I manage someone with poorly controlled ADHD? 7d ago

Remember the letter-writer asking how to manage someone with poorly controlled ADHD? Here’s the update. I found your response very helpful and I’m working my way through all the comments as well. The situation was already resolved by the time this... Read

every generation struggles when they enter the workforce — but is Gen Z different? 7d ago

Whenever a new generation ages into the work world, the sky always seems to be falling, accompanied by much hand-wringing from their elders. We were told millennials were overly entitled participation-trophy-chasers, and Gen X were disaffected... Read

how much deference do good managers want from employees? 7d ago

A reader writes: I’m enjoying my current job, which is a pleasant surprise to me, considering how many awful workplaces are out there. Of course it’s not perfect, but by and large the management seems to be healthy, which is one of the biggest... Read

manager husband is cheating with an employee, asking about potential cuts during a job interview, and more 8d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Manager husband is cheating with a much younger employee A very dear friend of mine has recently learned that her husband/partner of 10 years has been cheating on her. They work together, in... Read

Memorial Day open thread 8d ago

It’s Memorial Day! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on anything you want to talk about. The post Memorial Day open thread appeared first on Ask a Manager. Read

weekend open thread – May 24-25, 2025 11d 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. Book recommendation of the week: The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern, by Lynda Cohen... Read

open thread – May 23, 2025 11d ago

should I say I’m going to quit if my job doesn’t deal with my horrible coworker, 2 bosses in a row couldn’t say why they disliked my work, and more 12d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I tell my job I’m going to quit if they don’t deal with my horrible coworker? I’ve been at this job for over 15 years. My coworker, Sally, has been here for less than three. She has... Read

what should I say when people miss meetings? 12d ago

A reader writes: I’m the president of a small grassroots not-for-profit board and I have plenty of virtual meetings with other board members, volunteers, community partners, and staff for one reason or another. I’m wondering if you have any... Read

where are you now? (a call for updates) 12d ago

It’s mid-year updates season! If you’ve had your question answered here in the past, please email me an update and let us know how your situation turned out. Did you take the advice? Did you not take the advice? What happened? How’s your situation... Read

stolen mugs, pilfered lunches, and missing iPads: let’s discuss office thefts 12d ago

You’d like to think you can trust the people you work around, but in reality office thefts are surprisingly common. From the coworker who stole someone’s spicy food and got sick (and the epic update), to the manager who stole someone’s family... Read

when you can’t give a good recommendation, firing someone right before her honeymoon, and more 13d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Junior staff ask me for recommendations I can’t give without reservations I work with a number of support positions filled mostly by recent grads. Although they support my role, they are part of a... Read

managing a team that resists any change and complains constantly 13d ago

A reader writes: I am the HR person for a small nonprofit which offers many different services to the public. We have one team in particular which has always been difficult to manage and has not really gotten along with any manager they have had.... Read

update: my breastfeeding coworker won’t stop talking about her boobs 13d ago

Remember the letter-writer whose breastfeeding coworker wouldn’t stop talking about her boobs? Here’s the update. It has been about a year since I wrote in. While the talk about breastfeeding specifically decreased about eight months in, my... Read

my manager sucks at his job — should I talk to his boss? 13d ago

A reader writes: I am looking for some advice on how to deal with my manager. I have worked in this organization for about three years, and my manager, Mark, started a few months before me. Out of all of the managers I’ve ever had, he is by far the... Read

manager gets anxious about how I manage my time, telling my boss it would be OK to lay me off, and more 14d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My manager gets anxious about how I manage my time even though I never miss deadlines My supervisor often assigns me projects well in advance of when they’re due. The problem is, she quickly gets... Read

my coworker ignores the parts of his job he doesn’t like — could I do that too? 14d ago

A reader writes: I have a coworker, Fred, who once told me the best work advice an older coworker gave him was “don’t be good at a job you don’t want.” In our three years working together, Fred has really shown he’s taken this advice to heart —... Read

two of my employees won’t speak to each other 14d ago

A reader writes: I’m managing a department of eight people and two of them won’t speak to each other. I’m new to my position and it took me a couple of months to figure out that they weren’t talking. They literally won’t speak to each other. If we... Read

my employee thinks I’m intolerant of neurodiversity 14d ago

A reader writes: A couple of weeks ago, I gave my employee, Rita, negative feedback on her behavior. It wasn’t what she was saying; it was how she was saying it. She was speaking rapidly and in a panicked but unwarranted manner. She was high-strung... Read

candidate lied in their interview, negotiating beyond the top of the salary range, and more 15d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Candidate lied to us in their interview I was recently involved in interviews for a promotion in my department. We interviewed three internal candidates, so we were familiar with each candidate’s... Read

HR panicked my employee by sending a mysterious meeting request right before the weekend 15d ago

A reader writes: We received and validated some complaints about language used by a member of my team — off-color jokes, insensitive comments, etc. I agreed with HR that this did not rise to the level of a formal warning, but we would have a... Read

should I penalize candidates for not sending thank-you notes? 15d ago

A reader writes: I am interviewing for two positions currently. So far I’ve interviewed six people and not one has sent any kind of follow-up or thank-you note. I can tell from the virtual meeting invite that they all have my email address, so... Read

I work with a substitute teacher who has terrible breath 15d ago

A reader writes: I work at a K-12 school in a teacher-leader role. This means I do not have my own classes nor do I have management powers over any staff. Our school hires a substitute teacher to come to the building every day on the chance that... Read

employee is afraid to fly, the office poopfoot, and more 16d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Employee is afraid to fly I work on a small marketing team and have one direct report. A couple of times a year, our team is required to attend industry conferences to staff a booth. These events... Read

weekend open thread – May 17-18, 2025 18d 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. Book recommendation of the week: Dearly Departed, by Elinor Lipman. After the... Read

open thread – May 16, 2025 18d ago

rendezvous with cassidoo

🌈 "Consistent actions produce results more often than serendipitous encounters." - J. Kelly Hoey 2d ago

Helllllooo! Happy Pride Month, and happy June! I hope the end of your May was a good one, and that your June has started strong. Let's boogie. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week CSS Minecraft My website is... Read

🍅 "False expectations take away joy." - Sandra Bullock 9d ago

Hey friends! Happy Memorial Day to those in the States, and happy last-week-of-May to everyone else! I hope you had a good week and get to enjoy a relaxing long weekend. Onwards! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the... Read

🔭 "Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein 16d ago

Hello! It's mid-May, hey hey! I hope you had a good week. I'm in the thick of new baby times still, but slowly coming up for air. Let's read! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Creating Flower Shapes using... Read

🐦 "Birds born in a cage think flying is an illness." - Alejandro Jodorowsky 23d ago

Helllloooo! I hope your week was a good one. Mine was packed with sleepless nights, but good days. And Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms and mom-figures out there! Let's go! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the... Read

🥱 "Be quick, but never hurry." - John Wooden 30d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week! Mine was very tiring with a brand new baby at home, but good. Let's gooo! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week IKEA's web fonts All 420 entries from Gamedev.js Jam 2025... Read

More...

👶 "We all have the duty to do good." - Pope Francis 37d ago

Hey friends! Assuming all has gone well since I hit the "schedule" button on this issue... I just gave birth! Ahh! Baby! But there's still stuff to leeeearn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Creating CSS... Read

🖐️ "All you touch and all you see, is all your life will ever be." - Pink Floyd 44d ago

Hey friends! If you celebrate it, Happy Easter! Or Passover! Or mid-April! Let's learn. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Typography troubles: Balancing lines in Japanese & Korean Lessons Learned from... Read

🥎 "Of all possessions a friend is the most precious." - Herodotus 51d ago

Hola hola! We made it to mid-April, where does the time go?? I hope you had a good week. Let's get learnin'! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Tauri vs. Electron: performance, bundle size, and the real... Read

8️⃣ "You can have a plan, but you have to be flexible." - Jane Krakowski 58d ago

Hey friends! I'm so excited to be in your inbox today! It is this newsletter's EIGHTH year anniversary!! I'm so grateful for all of you here. Let's keep it going (also there are free things and coupons below, keep scrolling)! Was this forwarded to... Read

🛵 "It is never too late to be what you might have been." - George Eliot 65d ago

Hey friends! It's the last issue of March AND next week is the 8th anniversary issue! How about that? Make sure you're ready for some goodies that I can rustle up for ya. Until then, time to read! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe... Read

📟 "This present moment was once the unimaginable future." - Stewart Brand 72d ago

Hey friends! I hope your week was a good one! Mine was productive and I did not sleep enough, but I had some good meals, so those make up for it... right? Onwards! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Grid... Read

⚽ "Take your victories, whatever they may be, cherish them, use them, but don't settle for them." - Mia Hamm 79d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week! It was a fun Pi Day and river dyeing weekend over here in Chicago. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Let the stagger experiments begin The URL is a great... Read

🚏 "If you're going to go for a thing, there's no point unless you're going all the way." - Cynthia Erivo 85d ago

Hola hola! I hope you had a wonderful week! I had a good one seeing friends and family, which is always refreshing. Let's boogie! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Styling the HTML details and summary... Read

🪁 "If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased." - Katharine Hepburn 93d ago

Hey friends! It's March! I hope you ended February well. I kinda fell behind on my reading goals, but I got some more side project work done, so... you win some, you lose some. Vámonos! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links... Read

🪻 "We must choose kind words that lift people up." - Ketanji Brown Jackson 100d ago

Heyo y'all! I hope you had a good week! Make this last week of February count. Or not. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week How to add a directory to your PATH Learning web extensions Deeply... Read

🫑 "The truth is, no one of us can be free until everybody is free." - Maya Angelou 107d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a nice week. Mine was productive, which felt good! Let's learn. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week How I Migrated from WordPress to Astro How to build a copy code snippet button... Read

🦅 "The world is a museum of other people's passion projects." - John Collison 114d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a better week than the Chiefs did at the Super Bowl! That's right, I made a sports reference, because I am soooo cultured. Anyway, let's learn. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the... Read

📮 "If I’m scared, be scared, allow it, release it, move on." - Beyoncé 121d ago

Howdy y'all! Phew, I don't know about you, but this has been a week and I am looking forward to having more chill times. Anyway, let's learn. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Simplify Lazy Loading With... Read

📘 "If you are interested in what you do, that keeps you going." - Stan Lee 128d ago

Hola hola! I can't believe we're already at the end of January! This week felt like it both flew by and was the longest week ever, I don't know about you. Let's go! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Why... Read

🖼️ "No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking." - Voltaire 135d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a nice, drama-free week! Do those exist anymore? Eh. Anyway. Let's boogie. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week The Most Hearted Pens of 2024 FFmpeg By Example GitHub’s updated... Read

📡 "Believe in the power of your own voice." - Al Gore 142d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week! Mine was very full of cleaning and catching up on a bunch of digital chores. Let's go! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Relatively New Things You Should Know about... Read

🌱 "The beginning is the most important part of the work." - Plato 149d ago

HAPPY NEW YEEEARRRRR! I hope you all had a good end to your 2024 and start to your 2025! I've been doing allll the cleaning and also trying to squeeze in some reading here and there. Let's boogie. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe... Read

🌷 "We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles." - Jimmy Carter 156d ago

Hey friends! Wow, 2024, we're wrapping it up! It felt so fast and so slow, all at once. I hope you end the year on a note you're pleased with. Let's do it! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week An Introduction To... Read

🐘 "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt 163d ago

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

💜 "Instead of hate, celebrate." - Prince 170d ago

Hey friends! This month is going WAY TOO FAST and I feel like we're just zooming over to 2025. Gosh. But, at least we can cool things along the way! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Pure CSS Halftone Effect... Read

🫐 "Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important." - T. S. Eliot 177d ago

Hey friends! 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 CSS Wrapped 2024 Existential React... Read

🥗 "How beautiful it is to get up and go do something." - Kurt Vonnegut 184d ago

Hellloooo! Can you believe it's December already? I truly cannot. Time is so weird. Let's kick off the month with a bang! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Measuring Product Impact Without A/B Testing: How... Read

🍗 "If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share." - W. Clement Stone 191d ago

Hey friends! Happy Thanksgiving week, Americans! I hope you have some fun plans. For everyone else, I hope you also have fun plans, even if they don't involve stuffing your face with good food. Shall we dance? Was this forwarded to you? You can... Read

🪸 "You may delay, but time will not." - Benjamin Franklin 198d ago

Hey friends! It feels like this month is going by both super quickly, and very slowly. I hope you're having a good one! Time to read. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Overflow Clip Center the bottom row... Read

🍁 "Stand for something or you will fall for anything." - Rosa Parks 205d ago

Howdy y'all, I hope you're staying safe and healthy with folks you care about this season. This was a really intense week for a lot of people, including myself, and it's times like these where I'm grateful for the little things that make us happy.... Read

Last updated 3h ago