Articles

Print is deadDE
Getting YouTube audio in your Podcast app of choiceEN
On owning softwareEN
WIRLW - CW52 | what I read last weekEN
WIRLW - CW51 | what I read last weekEN
WIRLW - CW50 | what I read last weekEN
WIRLW - CW49 | what I read last weekEN
WIRLW - CW48 | what I read last weekEN
WIRLW - CW45 | what I read last weekEN
WIRLW - CW44 | what I read last weekEN

Die Pointe schreibt sich auch fast von selbst. Ein Trauerspiel in zwei Akten.

SZ Kiosk Finder

https://www.mykiosk.com/ außer Dienst


Update 2025-09-02: I haven't used this myself in a while, but I learned today huffduff-video was decommissioned.

~~Today, I discovered a YouTube video that primarily featured someone discussing a topic—essentially a podcast. However, the recording wasn't available in podcast format. Instead of using youtube-dl to copy the audio file to my device, I searched for a simpler method. Surprisingly, I found an incredibly straightforward solution that made me wonder why I hadn't come across it earlier.~~

~~First, you need to sign up for Huffduffer. Next, take the URL of the YouTube video to huffduff-video. Once the download and conversion at huffduff-video are complete, it automatically redirects you to Huffduffer. The final step involves obtaining the RSS feed URL from Huffduffer (e.g., https://huffduffer.com/<username>/rss) and adding it to your preferred Podcast app.~~

~~That's it. :)~~

~~Bonus: If you have any other audio files publicly available on the internet, you can also add those to Huffduffer and listen to them in your Podcast app without having to deal with local files.~~


SaaS vs. On-Prem

The Evolving Landscape of Software: A Critical Look at On-Prem vs. SaaS

In an era where technology continually reshapes how we interact with software, the debate between On-Premises (On-Prem) and Software as a Service (SaaS) models remains more relevant than ever. Avdi Grimm's article on software ownership (On “owning” software - avdi.codes) that I read some days ago provides a compelling perspective on this topic. However, it's crucial to explore the other side of the coin. In this post, we'll dive into the core arguments presented by Grimm and offer a different viewpoint, shaped by firsthand experiences in the software industry.

Read more


Nothing, because I still needed this week to recover, reflect and take care of other things.


Nothing, because Covid put me out of business.


Normally I only include material written in English in my weekly edition. Nevertheless I found an article so interesting/important to share that I decided to prefix articles in German in the future so that readers not interested can skip them easily.


For different reasons I struggled this week to use the desired amount of time for meaningful reading. That's why this week's WIRLW only contains two links.

  • Using Paper for Everyday Tasks - Xe Iaso
    In the end I guess notes on paper beat every other system of information/task keeping. Admittedly information exchange with other (digital) system isn't very convenient. On the other hand paper simply works. Any time, any place. So next time when somebody is looking for a tool for personal organization they should perhaps consider paper.

  • Why you should have your own website
    Basically everybody should a personal website and be it just for having some kind of digital business card. The most common excuses are debunked by this text. So just go for it!


  • Staying warm: What does an unheated room do to your body? - BBC News
    That's an interesting finding. I wasn't aware before that the temperature also affects how capable one's brain is.

    "Science tells us that 18 degrees is the tipping point... the body is now working to defend that core temperature," Prof Bailey shouts over the droning fans.

    Especially that the body already starts doing that already below 18 degrees.

  • The IndieWeb for Everyone | Max Böck
    Now that the blue bird seems to be going down or at least is turning into burning trash can, it seems to be more important than ever that people are aware of the fact that it might be a good idea to own your content. But a higher independence comes together with a high barrier of adaption. I guess we as folks working in the IT industry need to be more aware of the fact that things which are obvious for us and not even remotely understandable to people outside our "bubble".

  • How to communicate effectively as a developer
    I guess most of the recommendation can also be applied to different professions.

    Taking writing seriously at work or in your organization and putting in the effort to delight the reader will, over time, compound into a massive body of quality writing that benefits everyone. It is a literal win-win-win

    During my half-year self-reflection I also realized that I need to be more concise when asking questions, especially providing the right context. The things you write and send to others are always for them and not for you. Keep that in mind when writing the next piece of information.

  • The Microwave Economy - David Perell
    I found this one especially interesting for two reasons.

    1. The historical background of the word 'solitude'.
    2. Somehow the key message resonates very good with the book "Four Thousand Weeks" by Oliver Burkeman.

      “The effect of convenience isn’t just that a given activity starts to feel less valuable, but that we stop engaging in certain valuable activities altogether, in favour of more convenient ones.”

      — Oliver Burkeman, Four Thousand Weeks

    It's also one of the things I realized this year while reading the book. Not everything has to be just convenient. With convenience we often loose the ability to see the value in certain things. More or less the exact same reasoning David Perell uses in his essay.


Because of going on vacation this will be last WIRLW for the next two weeks. A new issue of it will be published in CW48.


  • Reconfiguring Your Life To Amplify Sources Of Value - YouTube
    An interesting prediction Cal Newport makes here. I'm curious to see whether these will actually come true in the next few years. Personally, I don't think the probability is low.

  • The SAFe Delusion – Information for decision-makers considering the SAFe framework
    From my point of view we have an inflation of frameworks in the IT industry. Be it programming, project management or other frameworks. Don't get my wrong it's very useful to have an orientation when you start to conquer a new domain. On the other hand I've seen to many people literally just sticking with the book. Any deviation is not tolerated in these cases even though it would be beneficial for the business outcome. Therefore I really like the approach of having the right information at hand to then make an informed decision on choosing a framework.

  • Things your manager might not know
    Managing up often has a bad connotation. But from my point of view there is nothing wrong in providing your manager the right information an the right time. This article explains when and how one can do that especially to improve the overall outcome of your team.

  • xahteiwi.eu – Scaling the flat organization
    A flat hierarchy is appealing to many. It provides a feeling of equality. But looking at organizational costs of such a structure it becomes quite obvious that it won't scale well above a certain threshold. Proven with the help of some simple math.