Alan Kay - GoKawiil

Essay disputes claim that Silicon Valley's military-tech pivot reveals its 'true' nature

A commentary responds to a New York Times op-ed by Sharon Weinberger, tied to her book 'Valley of Death,' which argues Silicon Valley's countercultural, idealistic image was always a myth and its current embrace of defense contracts and authoritarian-friendly politics is simply market adaptation, not a shift in values. The author counters with a personal anecdote from a 2015 Founders Fund retreat, contrasting computing pioneer Alan Kay's idealistic legacy with venture capitalist Peter Thiel's dismissiveness toward him, suggesting the two cultures have long coexisted rather than one being a false front for the other.

wired.com · 2026-09-25

UX Designer and Game Theorist Raph Koster Explore Video Game Design Lessons

A UX designer describes an eight-week collaboration with Raph Koster, author of 'A Theory of Fun,' to study how video game design principles could inform app UX beyond traditional gamification tactics like achievements. The piece explores the initial tension between game design's use of 'juicy' visual feedback and tension-building mechanics versus UX design's typical goal of minimalism and simplicity.

jenson.org · 2026-09-20

Essay argues AI's core barrier is discoverability, not capability

A new essay contends that the main obstacle to wider AI adoption isn't the technology's power but users' inability to know what to ask for. It compares this to Alan Kay's ant-in-the-canyon metaphor: skilled users see a full landscape of possible automations, while everyday users face a blank prompt with no sense of what's achievable.

mhacevedo.com · 2026-09-09