Tools and Platforms

Platform Studies

The Platform Studies book series has been established to promote the investigation of underlying computing systems and how they enable, constrain, shape and support the creative work that is done on them. The series investigates the foundations of digital media — the computing systems, both hardware and software, that developers and users depend upon for artistic, literary, and gaming development. Books in the series will certainly vary in their approaches, but they will all also share certain features: A focus on a single platform or a closely related family of platforms; Technical rigor and in-depth investigation of how computing technologies work; An awareness of and discussion of how computing platforms exist in a context of culture and society, being developed based on cultural concepts and then contributing to culture in a variety of ways — for instance, by affecting how people perceive computing.

Tools – The Markup

Our tools hold institutions accountable for the way they use technology, pulling back the curtain so readers can see for themselves how technology affects them.

Platform as a Runtime - the Next Step in Platform Engineering

As systems become larger and more complex we need to take the concepts of platform engineering to a higher level – to the code level – by creating platforms and abstractions that will reduce cognitive load, help simplify and accelerate software development, and allow for easy maintenance and upgrades to the platform. Let’s move from “platform” to “Platform as a Runtime”.

Platform - Reform - MNT Research Shop

AGB · Datenschutzerklärung · Widerrufsbelehrung · Versandarten · Zahlungsarten · Impressum

Basic | The Personal Computing Platform

We build products, tools, and standards to make computers more personal.

Unboxing the Toolkit - Toolshed

Perhaps our toolkits can offer new ethical and pedagogical frames, reshaping the contexts for tool use – and informing the worlds we build with them.

Game Platforms | Game Developer

Explore the latest news and expert commentary on Game Platforms, brought to you by the editors of Game Developer

Identity is the Platform

This is the talk I gave at Mindtrek in Tampere, Finland. Slides are available here: http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2009/10/01/identity-is-the-platform/

Tools for better thinking

Collection of thinking tools and frameworks to help you solve problems, make decisions and understand systems.

Designing a multi-sided data platform: findings from the International Data Spaces case

The paper presents the findings from a 3-year single-case study conducted in connection with the International Data Spaces (IDS) initiative. The IDS represents a multi-sided platform (MSP) for secure and trusted data exchange, which is governed by an institutionalized alliance of different stakeholder organizations. The paper delivers insights gained during the early stages of the platform’s lifecycle (i.e. the platform design process). More specifically, it provides answers to three research questions, namely how alliance-driven MSPs come into existence and evolve, how different stakeholder groups use certain governance mechanisms during the platform design process, and how this process is influenced by regulatory instruments. By contrasting the case of an alliance-driven MSP with the more common approach of the keystone-driven MSP, the results of the case study suggest that different evolutionary paths can be pursued during the early stages of an MSP’s lifecycle. Furthermore, the IDS initiative considers trust and data sovereignty more relevant regulatory instruments compared to pricing, for example. Finally, the study advances the body of scientific knowledge with regard to data being a boundary resource on MSPs.

The Rust Platform · Aaron Turon

A programming language is much more than its compiler and standard library. It’s a community. Tools. Documentation. An ecosystem. All of these elements affect how a language feels, its productivity, and its applicability.

Pluralistic: Tools vs uses (16 Mar 2026) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow

When you think of a legal loophole, you probably imagine a drafting error (or perhaps a sneaky insertion) that creates an advantage for a specific person or group of people.

Industry Standard Tools

A community register of the products that became the default in their profession.

Platform Design: Interfaces, Incentives, Emergence & Second-Order Thinking

Platform design isn't just product design at scale. Learn the four concepts that set it apart—with a detailed Lego case study showing how great platforms enable creativity.

The future for platform holders is cooperation, not just competition | Opinion

When an industry changes -- even quite radically -- it can be hard to pinpoint the moment that the shift began. There a…