Going Out With A Bang!

This Week on Function: Why Are Outdated Voting Machines Still Running U.S. Elections? #

The 2018 midterm elections have wrapped up here in the U.S., and issues with voting machines are back in the news cycle. It's not a hanging chad situation like the 2000 presidential election recount in Florida, but malfunctions, outdated tech, and talk of interference from foreign powers has tanked voter confidence. With the 2020 U.S. presidential campaign season about to kickoff, how do you rock the vote when you're not even sure it's being properly counted? And how do you put trust in a voting system that's full of weak links?

On Function this week, we're looking at voting machines and election security. Anil talks with Verified Voting data consultant Matt Bernhard about the history of voting machines and the broad social implications of technology and privacy. We also talk to Maurice Turner, a former poll worker and senior technologist at the Center for Democracy and Technology, who gives practical advice for individual voters who are worried about the trustworthiness of their local precincts.

Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to Function on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you find your favorite shows.

Glitch x Thimble Announcement #

Earlier this week, Mozilla announced that they are sunsetting Thimble, their browser-based educational code editor. Fret not, because we've partnered with Thimble to bring the great community projects built there over to Glitch.

Check out our announcement on how you can migrate your work over in just a few clicks, and sign up for our introductory webinars in January and February 2019. If you have any questions, just drop us a line in our support forum.

Twitter Archive Deleter #

Twitter has made a tremendous impact on the Web, but if you've been on there for any recent amount of time, you know that it can become way too easy to tweet any and every thought that comes into your head. Not only that, your archive of tweets is ripe for the picking for any other Twitter user to amplify and completely blow out of context.

Start the year on a fresh slate with this app from Glitch user Ryan Giglio (@ryangiglio) and delete your entire Twitter archive. To get started, just remix the app and follow the directions in the README. Don't forget to download your tweet archive first (that is, if you'd like to hold on to it for nostalgia's sake).

Exploji #

Speaking of going out with a bang, London-based engineer and Glitch user Rowan Manning (@rowanmanning) created an app that turns regular boring emoji into exploding emoji -- Spice up those conversations in your Slack team and add a little to your chat room. (And unlike most exploding things, you can try this at home.)

Magic Sketchpad #

Unlock your inner Picasso this holiday season with this really fun drawing app from Google engineer and Glitch user Monica Dinculescu (@notwaldorf). Magic Sketchpad uses machine learning to complete a doodle you create based on a specific category you select, such as dolphin or cat. Try drawing multiple categories on the same page and let the app do the rest.

Sine-Us Waves #

Python contributor, educator, and Glitch user Carl Friedrich Bolz-Tereick (@cfbolz) highlights a great educational use for Glitch. In Porting Jürgen LIT Fischer's "sinus" from Fortran, Carl talks about Fischer's computer artwork, walks through the process of converting it to JavaScript, and then concludes with an interactive version of one of Fischer's pieces. If learning to code is on your list of new year's resolutions, then Carl's app is a great template to follow as you begin your coding journey.

Looky What We Made #

2018 has been a banner year on Glitch, and what better way to close things out than with a celebration of color and creativity?

is a free, 76-page book showcasing some of the 1 million projects created by the Glitch community this year. Get inspired by projects from over 75 creators, as well as artwork from a dozen guest illustrators from all over the world. Download the book today!

Featured Illustrator of the Week: María Ramos #

We're so fortunate to have the work of Madrid-based illustrator María Ramos for our final roundup of 2018. With flat, monoline drawings and a primary color palette, María's work reminds the viewer of a simpler time. View more of María's work on her website and on Instagram!

As the year comes to a close, all of here at Glitch want to wish you a safe and happy holiday season. Spend some time on Glitch discovering all that the community has to offer, and if you get inspired, then hop in and create something of your own. See you in 2019!