Every month we post a collection of interesting articles, blog posts and links from the world of technology, software – or anything else that catches our eye!

This month’s tidbits, compiled by Jon, cover a range of topics. From User Interactions to User Engagement, thinking outside the box and more.

Things I learned by pretending to be blind for a week
http://blog.silktide.com/2013/01/things-learned-pretending-to-be-blind-for-a-week/
The article looks at how it is for a blind person to use the internet and how browsers respond to tools such as screen readers, a real “eye opener”!

You’d Be Surprised By What Really Motivates Users
http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/07/youd-be-surprised-what-really-motivates-users/
User psychology, what motivates a user to participate / buy into a site or community. Some good examples of good and bad ideas and possible surprises to what really motivates.

Your Boss Won’t Appreciate TDD: Try BDD
http://www.toptal.com/freelance/your-boss-won-t-appreciate-tdd-try-bdd
Testing. It often gets left to the last minute, then cut because you’re out of time, over-budget, or whatever else, this article covers why your boss won’t like TDD and why BDD might be more palatable to them.

A primer on OWIN cookie authentication middleware for the ASP.NET developer
http://brockallen.com/2013/10/24/a-primer-on-owin-cookie-authentication-middleware-for-the-asp-net-developer/
A good introduction / explanation of ASP.NET OWIN and its use with the new Identity structure.

Float Labels with CSS
http://css-tricks.com/float-labels-css/
A really neat trick for adding placeholder text that stays there when a user is entering information into that field. There are various JS examples, but this one is pure CSS.

The Smartest $23.07 Ole Ever Spent
http://willhardison.com/random/ole/
Lovely little article about thinking outside the box.