Nostr notes by Stephen Farrugia

mastodon, my favourite little internet cockroach is always here ...

2026-04-16T14:37:23Z

mastodon, my favourite little internet cockroach is always here waiting

AI bros don't realise they are conceptually reinventing the ...

2026-04-08T12:05:42Z

AI bros don't realise they are conceptually reinventing the design prototyping process

thanks for telling me information I already knew. I hope ...

2026-04-06T13:37:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…s025
_________________________

thanks for telling me information I already knew. I hope that's not what you meant by me publishing my ignorance!

it should be celebrated that an account which posts ai generated ...

2026-04-06T13:15:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…xu5g
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it should be celebrated that an account which posts ai generated harry potter videos is butthurt about engagement on mastodon

"The Mastodon team is finally getting some traction" is ...

2026-04-06T12:34:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…fvhy
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"The Mastodon team is finally getting some traction" is an important phrase to consider.

Mastodon has traction. It is an internet cockroach that will out last any other current social network.

But that kind of traction is not recognised in this context because this is not a good faith post made by a serious person

RE: https://social.coop/@scottjenson/116352522288234148 shameful ...

2026-04-06T12:31:18Z

RE: https://social.coop/@scottjenson/116352522288234148

shameful junk

this is commercial UX posturing 101 that amounts to the complaint that generative AI positivity does not get engagement on mastodon.

"community", "inclusivity", "bring more voices", "marginalised communities"

the problem?

Mastodon lacks an algorithmic feed that boosts AI positivity posts
nostr:note17rfujumh4v4ww9jfqn2lehtvg4qmk7qnawk6xum200xew3p2ftaq0w2uc0

we should have seen the front-end community's acceptance of ...

2026-03-30T21:05:15Z

we should have seen the front-end community's acceptance of tailwind as a warning sign

Nostr event nevent1qqstpz4r822gtyyqw7dwh0dvqv6dpyxyxa4v78y8dg9wgp2p2gtwd9gzyryj02kw8z68mtnluyrasmhtt72vhtf2lu0n6qn6fpjrvgv5r05jqa0728y

2026-03-29T10:58:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…8msm
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#silentsunday

Never before has “I work in the tech industry” sounded so ...

2026-03-18T17:34:24Z

Never before has “I work in the tech industry” sounded so much like “I work in the tobacco industry”

Cory Doctorow's ultimate crooked point is that you're ...

2026-02-20T18:45:20Z

Cory Doctorow's ultimate crooked point is that you're fucked if you don't embrace AI. Local models, whatever. He compares technologies that have been proven valuable with a product that is being predicted to be valuable.

It's a variation of the assumption that everyone who hates AI hasn't *tried* it. If only they would give it a chance, they'd not be left behind.

Either way I don't get callbacks!

2026-02-17T15:51:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…99va
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Either way I don't get callbacks!

It's very common in my experience for job application forms ...

2026-02-17T15:40:32Z

It's very common in my experience for job application forms to ask you something like "how do you use AI in your workflow?" as a convoluted hard-pass filter

Nostr event nevent1qqsgdndr53nqd6uk4y4f5agwttpzkk8q7jc08pmm58yuav2g5r7fscczyryj02kw8z68mtnluyrasmhtt72vhtf2lu0n6qn6fpjrvgv5r05jqyde6ja

2026-02-08T14:00:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…4d3t
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#silentsunday

RE: https://mastodon.social/@firefoxwebdevs/116006718073303488 ...

2026-02-07T21:40:59Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@firefoxwebdevs/116006718073303488

best not find yourself saying "people have different definitions of opt-in"

quoting
note1plw…hpl5

here's the help page, so you can judge for yourself https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-ai-controls. We mostly refrain from using "opt-in" because people have different definitions of opt-in, e.g. some have said it's only opt-in if it's in a separate binary.

I asked for UI that shows downloaded models, but there wasn't time for that in 148. I'll keep asking for it 😀

in case it's not clear, Mozilla could have pleased everyone ...

2026-02-03T18:35:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…7fj3
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in case it's not clear, Mozilla could have pleased *everyone* by making all this stuff into browser extensions. They've been hammered with feedback about this but have not addressed it.

RE: https://mastodon.social/@firefoxwebdevs/116002119945073671 ...

2026-02-03T15:47:17Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@firefoxwebdevs/116002119945073671

For all us Web Developers there is the WebExtensions API detailed here (https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions) on the Mozilla Developer Network made by Mozilla, but for Mozilla we have this "AI Controls" mess, the most incredible display of "what is consent...really?"

quoting
note1gfs…sumq

AI Controls (formally 'kill switch') are landing in today's Firefox Nightly, and will land with Firefox 148 later this month.

For the full details, see the Firefox blog https://blog.mozilla.org/en/firefox/ai-controls/

mozilla used tailwind to build a website to talk about all the ...

2026-01-27T21:50:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…cqgp
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mozilla used tailwind to build a website to talk about all the wonderful things they've done for the web

Nostr event nevent1qqsglmwpf7u5n6fqvfy7kxxachl7hpm5wuv9nch3rysrjglky4wxqrszyryj02kw8z68mtnluyrasmhtt72vhtf2lu0n6qn6fpjrvgv5r05jq84kune

2026-01-11T08:38:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…rv38
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#silentsunday

Nostr event nevent1qqsyyq69d50qw2ytk5zk04204jz8ddqmhry85tg969utfpuravjg4sgzyryj02kw8z68mtnluyrasmhtt72vhtf2lu0n6qn6fpjrvgv5r05jq2gxxg0

2026-01-07T18:18:47Z

Incredible

https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@duke_of_germany/115853330852766984

it would be compelling if the future of Firefox was to be the ...

2026-01-06T18:18:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…3exz
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it would be compelling if the future of Firefox was to be the fastest, most secure, most efficient browser engine with the best add-on ecosystem.

It would also be compelling to hear someone from Mozilla talk about their design effort to improve add-on adoption rather than forcing add-on-level-functionality into the core product

It would also be compelling if a team at Mozilla were dedicated ...

2026-01-06T18:13:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…hsx2
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It would also be compelling if a team at Mozilla were dedicated to building the best browser translation add-on on the market, for all browsers. To promote the power of add-ons and, at the same time, the Mozilla brand.

it would be compelling to hear someone at Mozilla recognise that ...

2026-01-06T18:11:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…xydg
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it would be compelling to hear someone at Mozilla recognise that you don't have this "kill switch" yet but you're already facing the problem of what to kill.

It would also be compelling to hear someone at Mozilla recognise that there is a browser and there are browser extensions and that "translation" has nothing to do with the operating system of a web browser.

Nostr event nevent1qqsyna83xz77lcyd8zad4kkp5t68lf2fcf4s3kqqkppmmjuvcnufg3gzyryj02kw8z68mtnluyrasmhtt72vhtf2lu0n6qn6fpjrvgv5r05jqpz77y2

2026-01-04T11:53:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…0d00
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#silentsunday

Nostr event nevent1qqsq4efg2569tg3696yepks3k56mkevfq25daqeke8pclfl26dx6gfqzyryj02kw8z68mtnluyrasmhtt72vhtf2lu0n6qn6fpjrvgv5r05jqn3znzz

2026-01-04T09:49:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…76yw
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#silentsunday

reminds me of this ...

2025-12-26T18:33:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…kdx6
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reminds me of this https://hci.social/@fasterandworse/112050632621162982
nostr:note12lacgu7fkm3faxtdscd9n50l63205uw45cqz4yu22l5mrs9v657sd4ehqx

His example of normalising AI is in response to internal ...

2025-12-25T18:33:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…93dp
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His example of normalising AI is in response to internal employees resisting it. Rather than accepting their "no", he prefers to believe that they are not capable of making their own judgement and need to learn to accept AI instead.

Mozilla's new CMO, John Solomon, talking about his mission to ...

2025-12-24T17:02:08Z

Mozilla's new CMO, John Solomon, talking about his mission to "normalise" AI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTbjEqsWLKQ&t=920s

RE: https://hci.social/@fasterandworse/115731120513478963 ...

2025-12-16T20:45:06Z

RE: https://hci.social/@fasterandworse/115731120513478963

Firefox's killer feature is that it's not chromium. That's the pull. Nothing to do with tab grouping or UI design.

When your userbase is made of people who don't want bullshit, you are taking a risk with every new feature, especially the ultimate bullshit feature of AI

quoting
note19qk…g9ej

> Enzor-DeMeo spent 2025 racing to make Firefox a more compelling product, adding things like tab groups, while also trying to figure out how the browser should integrate with AI.

It's a web browser! It doesn't have to be compelling! It's for accessing compelling stuff!

https://www.theverge.com/tech/845216/mozilla-ceo-anthony-enzor-demeo

archive: https://archive.is/VCWZI

> Enzor-DeMeo spent 2025 racing to make Firefox a more ...

2025-12-16T20:25:55Z

> Enzor-DeMeo spent 2025 racing to make Firefox a more compelling product, adding things like tab groups, while also trying to figure out how the browser should integrate with AI.

It's a web browser! It doesn't have to be compelling! It's for accessing compelling stuff!

https://www.theverge.com/tech/845216/mozilla-ceo-anthony-enzor-demeo

archive: https://archive.is/VCWZI

Nostr event nevent1qqswqppvcaxg6lwp9ryja9aslqxf4t364vancuk5078m26tpl36lljczyryj02kw8z68mtnluyrasmhtt72vhtf2lu0n6qn6fpjrvgv5r05jqx6fluy

2025-12-14T20:18:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…q9du
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#silentsunday

The World Is Not A Desktop - Mark Weiser ...

2025-12-14T14:05:11Z

The World Is Not A Desktop - Mark Weiser

https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/174800.174801

AI assistant bots can be replaced by a single button that says ...

2025-12-10T11:15:38Z

AI assistant bots can be replaced by a single button that says "cancel my contract"

they should make the usb port proprietary

2025-12-05T16:44:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…keqt
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they should make the usb port proprietary

Nostr event nevent1qqs26qvcc899ad67gz2y7u8r443dcxm2608kq7qchk2t6d7856q05mqzyryj02kw8z68mtnluyrasmhtt72vhtf2lu0n6qn6fpjrvgv5r05jqg08ls6

2025-11-30T15:31:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…hjk6
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#silentsunday

Nostr event nevent1qqsyy2ue838pkdht8rfza7g4yc0a9gv64fgtnztw44l8n9esj94hakqzyryj02kw8z68mtnluyrasmhtt72vhtf2lu0n6qn6fpjrvgv5r05jqkwvsnw

2025-11-30T15:28:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…mte5
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#silentsunday

I feel like the "it's good for building prototypes" ...

2025-11-12T17:00:46Z

I feel like the "it's good for building prototypes" vibe coding excuse ignores the way that building a prototype also helps build a strategy for how to code the real thing. As in, a prototype isn't just to validate the idea, it also helps validate the best course of production.

"I think it's a mail plane" "how can you ...

2025-10-28T16:50:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…4989
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"I think it's a mail plane"

"how can you tell?"

Nostr event nevent1qqst7d79y8y9suw72x5wk9v0x2k0m65m9c4ypfwvsvfrsppckzednxszyryj02kw8z68mtnluyrasmhtt72vhtf2lu0n6qn6fpjrvgv5r05jq8mq2wn

2025-10-26T12:52:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…sd9k
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#silentsunday

Nostr event nevent1qqspq4qfjfuvy6prwy6c50hcpff33g0sk9a06lxdr5cxwwgjpgchxlczyryj02kw8z68mtnluyrasmhtt72vhtf2lu0n6qn6fpjrvgv5r05jqsy09k9

2025-10-26T11:54:22Z

#silentsunday

the reason I zoned out in the climactic fight scenes of Tron: ...

2025-10-15T11:43:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…ew08
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the reason I zoned out in the climactic fight scenes of Tron: Ares is because I don't care who wins in a fight between two CEOs and one of their products.

No amount of Nine Inch Nails UX design can cover the emptiness of that conflict

now, I'm trying not to be a cynic but this trope doesn't ...

2025-10-15T11:43:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…vqzw
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now, I'm trying not to be a cynic but this trope doesn't end well in real life. The goodie CEO tends to be taking the longer route to the position of the baddie CEO

Or they're concealing the fact they are already in the same position as the baddie CEO

the baddie ceo has found their market and is openly developing ...

2025-10-15T11:43:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…trsu
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the baddie ceo has found their market and is openly developing the product for the military.

the goodie ceo speaks in *beliefs* and potential.

when the baddie ceo is making the choice to kill his rival to get ...

2025-10-15T11:42:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…h7gy
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when the baddie ceo is making the choice to kill his rival to get the [plot device] he says he'll make "a trillion dollars"

the goodie ceo says “we believe the beauty of AI is not the ability to build smarter weapons, but to uplift humanity, feed the hungry, cure the sick, educate the world”

Tron: Ares and Jurassic World: Rebirth do the thing where the ...

2025-10-15T11:42:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…lec9
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Tron: Ares and Jurassic World: Rebirth do the thing where the capitalist is a baddie because they are *very openly doing it for the money* and the goodie is the one that *claims* they are doing it to save lives etc

there are 3 ways to look at the antagonist/protagonist narrative ...

2025-10-15T11:42:30Z

there are 3 ways to look at the antagonist/protagonist narrative of Tron:Ares

1. CEO vs rival CEO
2. CEO vs their own product
3. CEO vs rival CEO and their own product

can confirm I'm having the same issues. Losing interactivity ...

2025-10-15T10:54:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…kgvw
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can confirm I'm having the same issues. Losing interactivity in tabs, have to restart

laravel guy also cheering on dhh

2025-10-01T12:17:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…rkm5
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laravel guy also cheering on dhh

Software as a Service permits anti-design because it has none of ...

2025-09-24T20:49:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…jx0u
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Software as a Service permits anti-design because it has none of the attributes that make good products earn the space they take up in the world.

It takes up no space in a store, in your home, and on your computer.

7/x

The most toxic use cases also tend to be the most lucrative. ...

2025-09-24T20:49:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…9cra
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The most toxic use cases also tend to be the most lucrative.

Anti-design comes into play as the design of socially acceptable purposes that distract from the product being used in mass surveillance or as a military death optimisation device.

6/x

The making of a purposeless product on the consensus that it will ...

2025-09-24T20:48:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…pwsq
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The making of a purposeless product on the consensus that it will be a cool and powerful mechanism creates a purpose vacuum.

This attracts individuals who champion the product with their own niche use case.

The maker will never optimise the product for the niche use cases of individuals.

5/x

A "use case" is a designed speculation that tests the ...

2025-09-24T20:48:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…nuj9
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A "use case" is a designed speculation that tests the boundaries of plausibility in defining a purpose that the product would most certainly satisfy

4/x

The Product/Market Fit concept is a formalised, unironic, ...

2025-09-24T20:48:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…yj0u
_________________________

The Product/Market Fit concept is a formalised, unironic, interpretation of anti-design in that it promotes the act of building a thing and then speculating how it could be useful for people with money

3/x

Anti-design is the design of use cases that appear to justify the ...

2025-09-24T20:48:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…ztxf
_________________________

Anti-design is the design of use cases that appear to justify the existence of a product that was not designed to satisfy a purpose OR the design of use cases to distract from the lucrative use cases that are not good for PR

2/x

Dispatch #31: Anti-Design Design to compensate for a lack of ...

2025-09-24T20:47:51Z

Dispatch #31: Anti-Design

Design to compensate for a lack of design

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3eLYxVYjV4

Audio: https://pnc.st/s/faster-and-worse/1190f134/anti-design

1/x

This is what @npub1fdr…lvhs 's "Enshittification" ...

2025-08-22T16:31:16Z

This is what Cory Doctorow (npub1fdr…lvhs) 's "Enshittification" looks like, but when it comes to enterprise SaaS the starting point can be wildly different because the people who *have* to use it are not the ones who choose it or pay for it.

This is the captive user experience of enterprise SaaS products.

I've been actively looking for a new career direction where I ...

2025-08-18T14:28:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…xdcs
_________________________

I've been actively looking for a new career direction where I can best put my skills and experience to use.

The growing onset of LLM and generative AI products being forced into the process of designing and building web products has deteriorated my joy of making things in this space.

Hi everyone, I unexpectedly lost the contract with my main client ...

2025-08-18T12:35:24Z

Hi everyone,

I unexpectedly lost the contract with my main client today and would appreciate some help.

If you know of front end dev work, planning/strategy, or if you know me, anything where my skills may be useful.

I have 26+ years of experience in web products, strategising, designing, and building UIs for them.

Any leads, short term, part time, etc would be helpful.

I'm based in Amsterdam and 100% equipped for remote work.

Boost welcome!

Thanks so much

#jobs #FediHire #getfedihired

the thing about LLM coders who say "of course you're ...

2025-07-20T18:35:41Z

the thing about LLM coders who say "of course you're supposed to check the code first" is that they don't want to do that and probably don't do it and if they do check it they'll do it less over time until they don't do it at all

Open question: Do you have a tech industry recruiter in ...

2025-07-07T12:48:56Z

Open question: Do you have a tech industry recruiter in Amsterdam, or possibly EU-based specialising in remote, that you can recommend?

I'm trying to find more personable recruiters who have the patience to deal with a middle-aged frontender trying to find a career path.

Boosts appreciated

tell your nearest big ai-critical account to make sure to call ...

2025-06-25T19:13:54Z

tell your nearest big ai-critical account to make sure to call them "products" instead of "tools" or "technologies" please

Creators of LLMs benefit from the general purposeness of their ...

2025-06-12T20:14:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…k38c
_________________________

Creators of LLMs benefit from the general purposeness of their products because we have no constraints on what it means for them to *work*

They can always escape accountability because a "use case" is an abstract concept that the products will never be optimised for.

Because a calculator is a device made for a specific purpose, our ...

2025-06-12T20:11:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…8qxf
_________________________

Because a calculator is a device made for a specific purpose, our trust in it would be immediately corrupted if it were to give an incorrect answer. It would be useless.

If you take away the specific purpose you also take away the criteria to determine if something works or not.

Dispatch #26: General Purpose is an Accountability Loophole If ...

2025-06-12T20:07:04Z

Dispatch #26: General Purpose is an Accountability Loophole

If they don't say what it's for, we can't say if it works.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zs6BXdesaw

Podcast: https://pnc.st/s/faster-and-worse/e884f2ff/general-purpose-is-an-accountability-loophole

and just about every booster counters criticism with ...

2025-06-11T09:16:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…guw6
_________________________

and just about every booster counters criticism with "they'll get better" but ignores the circumstances required to continue that trajectory

If a coder keeps their job but has to supervise LLM code agents, ...

2025-06-05T16:49:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…dndv
_________________________

If a coder keeps their job but has to supervise LLM code agents, they depend on the LLMs remaining at a level that requires supervision.

If the LLMs remain at a level that requires supervision, is it a coding job or purgatory?

If you reject the idea that AI won't take your coding job ...

2025-06-05T16:28:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…cvd6
_________________________

If you reject the idea that AI won't take your coding job (because you adapt) it's important to contemplate the trajectory your job will take in that case.

I am indeed someone who likes making stuff with code. I've ...

2025-06-05T16:26:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…ljyp
_________________________

I am indeed someone who likes making stuff with code. I've always avoided automations for the sake of automations.

It's not because I enjoy doing things slowly, it's because I enjoy *doing* things.

The LLM coding takes flying around the net amount to variations ...

2025-06-05T16:12:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…fkg0
_________________________

The LLM coding takes flying around the net amount to variations of "you're using it wrong", "it's fine if a human is in the loop", and "who gives a shit?"

They resemble forward thinking opinions but sound more like a new comfort zone than flexibility for what might come next

Dispatch #25: Trajectories of Coding with AI Things don't ...

2025-06-05T16:10:31Z

Dispatch #25: Trajectories of Coding with AI

Things don't look good if you like making stuff with code.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQxqF4KKZHU

Podcast: https://pnc.st/s/faster-and-worse/80b5c1ba/trajectories-of-coding-with-ai

I can relate to this incredibly well, but something tells me that ...

2025-06-03T14:15:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…nl5h
_________________________

I can relate to this incredibly well, but something tells me that it's more common than it seems

@npub1a80…vkfq made a video version of her great article from ...

2025-05-30T12:39:51Z

⭑ salma (npub1a80…vkfq) made a video version of her great article from yesterday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UerHVpQpixo

What a maddening reason to kill a product. ...

2025-05-28T04:56:50Z

What a maddening reason to kill a product.

https://archive.is/V8lFd

Managers, I get it. I get the perspective that makes you like ...

2025-05-26T12:39:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…07uu
_________________________

Managers, I get it. I get the perspective that makes you like LLMs.

But developers and designers. People who, supposedly, like *making* things. Don't you see the trajectory?

it's weird and funny to read posts from people praising llm ...

2025-05-26T11:30:37Z

it's weird and funny to read posts from people praising llm coding tools, but to hear it first hand from someone you know is surreal and ominous

Nostr event nevent1qqsvqze0se3mp3mes9tqewvr9r9skjzg6qrvn6qe2006rhtc0pp08ugzyryj02kw8z68mtnluyrasmhtt72vhtf2lu0n6qn6fpjrvgv5r05jqe3e5yt

2025-05-22T19:31:49Z

gross.

this is real and I warn you the video is worse ...

2025-05-21T17:41:12Z

this is real and I warn you the video is worse https://openai.com/sam-and-jony/

Any company that doesn't assert the purpose of their product ...

2025-05-21T14:45:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…njsm
_________________________

Any company that doesn't assert the purpose of their product as concretely as Literature and Latte does for Scrivener should be expected to turn that product against its users in the future.

I'm being a bit more reflective lately. In this one I use ...

2025-05-21T13:06:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…ejjq
_________________________

I'm being a bit more reflective lately.

In this one I use google search as an example of how projecting our own understanding of a product's purpose leaves us struggling to understand why the product evolves in really annoying and unusable directions.

Dispatch #23: Projecting Purpose When we define our own purpose ...

2025-05-21T11:54:44Z

Dispatch #23: Projecting Purpose

When we define our own purpose for their product

Podcast episode: https://pnc.st/s/faster-and-worse/572a10f9/projecting-purpose

Video dispatch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SdG8a5HcCs

If you enjoy it please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, or writing a review

I posted this on twitter ~3y ago and it struck a chord. Still ...

2025-05-03T08:19:55Z

I posted this on twitter ~3y ago and it struck a chord.

Still relevant?

When all the tech products try to be general purpose enough to ...

2025-04-17T07:39:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…wpg0
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When all the tech products try to be general purpose enough to satisfy business *and* personal needs, the business needs will inevitably be dominant because that's where the big money is. The result is the workification of everything.

Dispatch #21: Everything Is Work Now Tech products have a ...

2025-04-17T07:39:08Z

Dispatch #21: Everything Is Work Now

Tech products have a work/life balance problem

Podcast episode: https://pnc.st/s/faster-and-worse/7cdb9dc1/everything-is-work-now

Video dispatch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_os9Pp3AYW4

If you enjoy it please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, or writing a review

should be on the FAQ accordion of all the open source graphics ...

2025-04-06T14:07:34Z

should be on the FAQ accordion of all the open source graphics apps

Q: “Is this shitty like gimp?”

A: “no”

"gaslight testing" when you put a controversial feature ...

2025-03-30T06:46:42Z

"gaslight testing"

when you put a controversial feature out there for a small random batch of users to see if it elicits absurd sounding complaints that others dismiss as being a user problem

The gist: Tech products are never removing difficulty in tasks, ...

2025-03-19T19:42:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…n8na
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The gist: Tech products are never *removing* difficulty in tasks, they are always *moving* it and changing its form.

The idea that a tech product like generative AI can *remove* the need for effort is a kind of magical thinking that needs to die.
2/4

Video Dispatch #20: Kill Magic Thinking Bulls**t isn't ...

2025-03-19T19:42:25Z

Video Dispatch #20: Kill Magic Thinking

Bulls**t isn't created or destroyed, it just takes on different forms

Podcast episode: https://pnc.st/s/faster-and-worse/968a91dd/kill-magic-thinking

Video dispatch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLHmtYWzHz8

If you enjoy it please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, or writing a review
1/4

If you're looking for a bite-sized podcast about tech product ...

2025-03-14T16:42:35Z

If you're looking for a bite-sized podcast about tech product design (mostly critical but sometimes not) here's mine https://pnc.st/s/faster-and-worse

the back of the camera looks like a frustrating "which one do ...

2025-03-14T12:24:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…eggr
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the back of the camera looks like a frustrating "which one do I press" every time you need to do something

To defend generative AI as being a "tool" is to ...

2025-03-12T16:50:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…ky67
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To defend generative AI as being a "tool" is to misrepresent useful tools which are made for particular purposes as if they were found objects, incidentally useful in some situations.

Like a butter knife as a screwdriver in a pinch, it's taking the adequate instead of the optimal.
3/4

The gist: Generative AI products are so painfully general purpose ...

2025-03-12T16:50:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…g3nf
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The gist: Generative AI products are so painfully general purpose that people say "it's a tool, like a hammer".

When people find purpose for themselves in these products they fill the gap for the makers who don't know, or don't want to admit, what the thing is for.
2/4

Video Dispatch #18: Finding Purpose is the Fool's Errand If ...

2025-03-12T16:50:26Z

Video Dispatch #18: Finding Purpose is the Fool's Errand

If they don't say what it's for, don't help them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5MQb-uNf2U
1/4

A product capable of servicing a niche purpose is not the same ...

2025-03-10T17:05:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…gw78
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A product *capable* of servicing a niche purpose is not the same as a product designed to specifically satisfy that niche purpose.

Only the latter will be developed with continual effort to further satisfy the purpose as effectively as possible.
4/6

When a general purpose product uses an edge case as the subject ...

2025-03-10T17:05:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…45c5
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When a general purpose product uses an edge case as the subject of its marketing it ignores the other aspects of the product which, for that niche purpose, will be on a spectrum from irrelevance to interference.
3/6

The gist: In the production of a tech product an "edge ...

2025-03-10T17:05:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…9lfk
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The gist: In the production of a tech product an "edge case" is seen as a hindrance to delivering on the core purpose of the product.

For marketing an "edge case" can be seen as an opportunity to exploit a purpose that the product was not designed for and will never be optimised to satisfy.
2/6

Video Dispatch #17: Edge-case Marketing Products that are ...

2025-03-10T17:05:17Z

Video Dispatch #17: Edge-case Marketing

Products that are marketed with purposes they can't be optimised for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzUNy90ghWw
1/6

I have a question for a thing I'm working on: When you find ...

2025-03-07T08:08:43Z

I have a question for a thing I'm working on:

When you find yourself having to say "don't get me wrong, I love tech", what are the tech products that you love(d) that come to mind?

(retoot if you can)

Nostr event nevent1qqstfyt2kgynelhlhuhcgt7j04jqr6n05858vukp5n455kxkpv5txjqzyryj02kw8z68mtnluyrasmhtt72vhtf2lu0n6qn6fpjrvgv5r05jqp7rflf

2025-02-21T19:40:40Z

inaccuracy should be the ultimate embarrassment in computing

cheesecake or pavlova, one of the two

2025-02-19T19:21:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…0qp7
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cheesecake or pavlova, one of the two

Nostr event nevent1qqs02sz2y99772gyyfg3csfpp9qng8zdghml7wz4cq7r7edztuwxzgszyryj02kw8z68mtnluyrasmhtt72vhtf2lu0n6qn6fpjrvgv5r05jqy62yfg

2025-02-19T19:20:44Z

If I make it to 20 episodes I'm gonna celebrate with cake

The gist: Computation and digital automation fucks with our ...

2025-02-19T15:56:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…f4k0
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The gist: Computation and digital automation fucks with our ability to tell the difference between inconvenient effort and effort that is contributing to an outcome in subtle ways.
1/8