Evan Savage

About:

Evan Savage is a lead engineer passionate about technology, learning, and writing, with a rich background in software development.

Website:

www.savageevan.com

Specializations:

Software Developer Tech Lead Lead Developer Lead Engineer

Interests:

Technology Learning Writing Open-source projects

Outgoing Links:

brr Cal Newport Idle Words Joel Spolsky Kent Beck Om Malik Paul Graham Rands in Repose Show more (3)

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2025-12-16 • design public transit trust usability

High-trust systems empower users through thoughtful design, while low-trust systems impose restrictions and foster mistrust, as illustrated by public transit and self-checkout experiences.

2026-01-29 • puzzle game development wordle

Adversarial Wordle redefines the classic game by having the computer select increasingly difficult words based on player feedback, enhancing the challenge of guessing.

2025-08-26 • big tech privacy digital agency digital governance

The author reflects on their journey of moving away from Big Tech platforms, discussing the challenges and benefits of this transition. They emphasize the importance of digital agency and the need for users to have control over th...

2025-04-25 • big tech gdpr compliance google european union donald trump fairphone linkedin framework duckduckgo signal messaging apps discord community f-droid proton data privacy and protection elon musk ublock origin firefox osmocom sponsorblock jitsi organic maps cloud act leechers protonmail usa privacy and civil liberties oversight board privacy badger

The author discusses their decision to move away from Big Tech platforms and apps due to concerns about data privacy and authoritarianism in the US. They provide examples of increased scrutiny at the US border, threats to universi...

2025-03-27 • environment government urban planning scandinavian airlines

The text discusses the environmental consciousness in Denmark, contrasting the country's reputation with the reality of littering and other environmental issues. It also explores the trust in government and the positive effects of...

2025-01-29 •

The text discusses Hanlon's razor and Grey's law, which focus on the recipient of stupidity and incompetence. It highlights the difficulty in distinguishing incompetence from malice in large-scale systems and incentive structures....

2024-12-05 •

The author reflects on the value of inefficiency in modern life, arguing that deliberately cultivated inefficiency can be beneficial in various aspects of life, such as proof of work, strength training, storytelling, slack, and ho...

2024-10-10 •

The author reflects on their preference for slow travel, as opposed to the predominant jet-setter destination-oriented mode of travel. They describe their experience foraging for mushrooms on the island of Bornholm, and how it map...

2024-10-06 •

The text discusses the concept of hype cycles in the tech industry, the phases of hype cycles, and the impact of hype cycles on companies. It also compares the perspectives of engineers and executives on investing in hype cycles.

2024-07-08 •

The text discusses the 11 Paradoxes of Management, LEGO leadership principles, and the concept of apparent opposites being necessary complements of each other. The author also shares their experience in the tech industry and prese...

2024-07-04 •

The Schengen Area, which was created to eliminate internal border checks, has seen a rise in routine border controls within the area. This is due to the Schengen Borders Code, which allows member nations to temporarily reintroduce...

2024-03-22 •

Grigori, Annette, and Tashkar, all working in the oil and gas industry, discover an enormous crystal structure in the Alberta tar sands that seems to be growing and is unlike any material discovered before. They come together to i...

2024-03-01 •

The author discusses his creative pursuits and goals for 2024, including creative writing, electronic music composition, and gardening. He also shares story concepts he's been mulling over, such as a near-future society-spanning v...

2024-03-01 •

The text discusses the Stardew Valley fantasy, the author's personal experience with leaving Facebook to form his own consulting practice, and his struggles with anxiety. He also talks about his goals for 2024 and the importance o...

2024-01-27 •

The text discusses the importance of addressing small annoyances in various areas of life, including physical health, digital product delivery, and non-technical annoyances. It emphasizes the need to take small annoyances seriousl...

2023-11-30 •

The author reflects on the end of a month-long blog-post-a-day experiment, expressing a preference for low-frequency, long-form writing and a desire to explore topics in all their joyful intricacies. The goal of the blog was to wr...

2023-11-29 •

The text discusses the concept of the magic circle in play and game design, and how it applies to various aspects of life, including organizations. It explores the idea of organizations having their own magic circles and how it af...

2023-11-29 •

The author reflects on the significance of snow and the challenges of being a software engineer. He discusses the joy of snow and the challenges of living in a place without it. He also talks about the challenges of being a softwa...

2023-11-28 •

The text discusses the concept of cognitive stopwords, which are words that don't convey any information and are open to interpretation. It gives examples of such words and emphasizes the importance of using clear and meaningful l...

2023-11-27 •

The text provides advice for lead engineers, discussing the role's specifics, responsibilities, and challenges. It emphasizes the importance of communication, logistics, leadership, and time management in the role.