Simon Elvery

Telling stories for ABC News  | Organising Hacks/Hackers Brisbane 

website: https://elvery.net/
alt: sw'as — still practising (npub1ajk…9nmf)

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npub12waa50ydfrm442c63e6udvtamrtufvfk88ml7r5e0fmhrh5j94xqq7tkuw

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[email protected]

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nprofile1qqs98w768jx53a664vdguawxk97a347ykymrnallp6vh5am3m6fz6nqprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0d4hhxarj9ecxjmntqy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnwdaehgu3wdejhgqgcwaehxw309aex2mrp0yh8xmn0wf6zuum0vd5kzmqwq640l

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npub12waa50ydfrm442c63e6udvtamrtufvfk88ml7r5e0fmhrh5j94xqq7tkuw

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Last Notes

2026-08-07 06:02:52 CEST

Anyone #SelfHosting a Postgres DB server from a residential internet connection? How could/should I set that up? #HomeLab

2026-07-04 09:21:50 CEST

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exactly!

2026-07-04 01:50:28 CEST

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I don't upgrade until the .1 release — let everyone else find the bugs.

2026-06-24 10:56:49 CEST

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does it have one? Probably

2026-06-23 12:15:40 CEST

New car, who dis?
(Anyone with an #EV3 want to tell me what settings I should play with first?) #ev

2026-06-23 00:47:59 CEST

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Don't be silly, reporters aren't that predicta ...
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/116/796/193/325/055/536/original/f562635258c6deef.png

2026-06-22 07:50:35 CEST

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Do you know if there's a coverage map that goes beyond repeater locations? I'd be tempted to put a repeater on some property just outside Toowoomba, but have my doubts if it'd actually find any other nodes given its location in a valley. Alternatively, next time I'm there, what's the easiest way to find out if existing nodes cover it? [Disclaimer: I know very little about mesh(core|tastic) but think I get the basic idea.]

2026-06-19 01:41:43 CEST

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Oh 100% — he actually writes a script! 📝 Barry's analysis is pretty on point and I've enjoyed the roughing up he (and Gary) gave to The Rest is Politics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti0o4RhOtjQ

2026-06-18 14:10:36 CEST

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Would need to change my name to Harry or Larry just to be on trend. https://www.youtube.com/@barryseconomics

2026-06-18 07:33:43 CEST

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lol. It’s not the long form that I don’t like. I’ll happily watch a long vid. Just the repetitive and meandering way of making his point.

2026-06-18 07:03:47 CEST

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God I wish he would write tighter scripts (or maybe just write a script at all?) I reckon each 40min video has like three important points. Some of the time is laying necessary groundwork to get to the points, but mostly in an extremely repetitive way.

2026-06-18 06:59:01 CEST

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I've long been wary of Incogni — this is very interesting indeed.

2026-06-15 06:59:08 CEST

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unless there's a loft up there, I'd suggest it's a slightly more sensible name than loft hatch

2026-06-11 07:41:19 CEST

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Pretty disappointed in myself for using 'friend' here when 'hotshot' was there for the taking.
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/116/729/870/853/666/129/original/b965aaee6761013c.png

2026-06-11 05:37:37 CEST

Pop quiz PR friend. What do you reckon the phrase 'fash-tech founder' brings to mind in these modern times?
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/116/729/384/483/393/884/original/e1afe5e80c8cbc16.png

2026-06-08 08:02:54 CEST

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don't we just do it on a different day?

2026-06-07 07:05:37 CEST

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a little more than beginner with solid advice on how to organise projects. Especially for woodworking and 3d printing.

2026-06-07 06:07:35 CEST

It seems like nobody is creating good tutorials for #FreeCAD. Am I missing anything?

2026-06-05 01:47:48 CEST

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hope it’s not an outdoor affair. This wind is hectic!

2026-05-29 12:20:52 CEST

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had similar thoughts earlier. So many of the arguments are underhanded. https://elvery.net/links/1736487487

2026-05-28 23:38:37 CEST

RE: https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/116654336067966682
LLMs don’t *believe* anything! When will this credulity end?
#note1nnm…yduh

2026-05-14 04:51:48 CEST

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You comin' to town any time soon? Lets catch up

2026-05-13 07:04:57 CEST

No serious person could write this line without understanding it's both meaningless and deceptive. There is no such thing as confirmation of data destruction under these circumstances and the claim here is an attempt to provide reassurance to those affected where honesty about the limits of their knowledge would have been better. #Instructure #Canvas
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/116/565/520/898/185/837/original/e03ca1ae1d3f5db2.png

2026-05-11 02:29:39 CEST

Hello #parents — I imagine most of you have received some kind of communication from your kids' schools about the #Instructure / #Canvas data breach. I'm collecting examples of how schools have communicated the issue to parents and students (and *if* they've communicated directly to students).
Shoot me an email if you have anything you could share: [email protected]

2026-05-10 10:07:55 CEST

Just finished rewatching Attack of the Clones. It is a very average movie.

2026-05-10 08:37:50 CEST

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I think it’s about habit formation. People intuitively understand that forming a new habit to routinely check a site for new content (and therefore get best value for their money) will be hard. But their email habit already exists and isn’t going anywhere (and is usually mandated in one way or another). Even if they don’t read all ten emails they feel like it’s there waiting and won’t be forgotten.

2026-04-29 23:08:17 CEST

Unfortunately, my preferred headline “Prices are up, huh?” was taken from us all by the editors. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-30/inflation-tracker-see-how-prices-have-changed/106585314

2026-04-29 09:17:35 CEST

RE: https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGreens/116484093078627749
Spectacular self own. Not seen one like that in a while.
#note16l7…ddls

2026-04-24 06:19:27 CEST

Why do all the school management systems send notifications about updates but not the actual update to parents? I do not want to click through to your stupid portal.

2026-04-23 09:47:25 CEST

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I know journalists who wouldn't admit to this, however the job is not defined by the journalist but by the organisation that employs them. I often wish it were different.

2026-04-21 00:30:37 CEST

ICYMI — Woolworths has had an almost identical pricing strategy to Coles and is also being taken to court by ACCC https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-21/woolworths-accc-court-case-grocery-pricing-discounts/106561584

2026-04-16 02:23:07 CEST

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I watched that last night. Quite good

2026-04-09 12:57:36 CEST

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The commander is just north of 50 ... I got some time. ;-)

2026-04-09 12:43:14 CEST

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Thinking about it more, I think it's entirely possible the whole transition is so discombobulating that it fairly effectively 'resets' the brain. Feels to me like it'd be a much 'sharper' experience than the transition into microgravity.

2026-04-09 06:10:41 CEST

Must be easy to forget that things won't just stay in mid-air when you get back from space. I could definitely see myself just letting go of some important equipment expecting my other hand to find it where I left it moments before rather than it having crashed violently to the ground. #ArtemisII

2026-04-02 10:53:23 CEST

If you're looking for a recap of the #ArtemisII launch to show your curious 8 yo, NASA, it seems, does not have you covered. All recap vids are not made equal. This is the best one I've found https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lbfmRH9ngA

2026-03-25 06:27:15 CET

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Got in the car for a school run and triplej sparked to life: 🎶 I need a dolla dolla, dolla is what I need, ay ay 👌

2026-03-25 01:01:13 CET

✊

2026-03-23 08:00:07 CET

It's always going to be jarring to hear the guy earning a million a year say things like "I understand that in the current climate higher pay would help many individuals, but ..."
That context can't be made irrelevant.

2026-03-16 04:45:30 CET

> 24 hours to `pg_dump` a 110GB Postgres database. Is that normal?

2026-03-16 03:19:01 CET

Remember carefully weighing up how to spend your music money by listening to an album on the communal headphones in a physical music store? I kinda wish we could still do that.

2026-03-14 00:20:13 CET

Hmm this video on the MacBook Neo looks interesting and like it’s going to be about how repairable it is. It’s Saturday morning, guess I’ll give it a watch.
*play*
(YouTube voice) “Apple just DESTROYED the laptop industr
*close tab*
That’s a nope. I am kind of interested in its repairability though.

2026-03-13 05:18:32 CET

I’m working with fibre cement sheeting again. It is THE WORST. Terrible stuff to work with.

2026-03-07 22:47:12 CET

I tallied some things related to a promise to “stop wars”. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-08/donald-trump-iran-military-actions-australia-response/106411630

2026-03-05 05:17:55 CET

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We were just having a discussion this morning about how Australian regulators (across the board) are increasingly seen as not doing their jobs properly and that we should think about how to cover that. Suggestions welcome.

2026-03-05 02:43:10 CET

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I like your preemptive 'this isn't confidential' notes. I have some scepticism about their efficacy, but watching keenly.

2026-03-03 09:37:59 CET

I have a pretty decent #LunarEclipse viewing window hey.
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/116/164/334/578/357/023/original/1da30b95e6f55fc6.jpeg

2026-02-26 22:51:31 CET

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I'm somewhat wary of self hosting a password vault, but do self host a lot of other stuff so this option is intriguing. Especially for the price. Had any issues with it?

2026-02-25 22:37:32 CET

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I need something my mum can use without having to call me, so 'a little fiddly' is a bit of a worry, tbh. But 1Password is a little fiddly too if you expect it too. Not really looking forward to running new training sessions.
@npub1duj…nvwz @npub1m0e…mqsy @npub1v6y…dyzw

2026-02-25 22:23:26 CET

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I think BitWarden is the only real contender given requirements (ssh key management & family sharing).

2026-02-25 11:40:34 CET

Oof at 20% price bump for @npub1ak3…t4td — a subscription I thought was already pretty expensive. Gonna have to look at alternatives.

2026-02-23 10:08:37 CET

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how many of the apparent 400k are watching 3D podcasts in a headset? This is not the future I want

2026-02-21 10:15:53 CET

If MusicBrainz IDs are actually UUIDs why can't I just search for an ID and have it return whatever entity type it relates to?

2026-02-02 07:16:46 CET

After too many years relying on streaming services I'm starting to rebuild an owned-media library. Starting with the box of DVDs I still have in storage for some reason? What should I add next?
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/115/999/572/276/952/319/original/6545d1bbcf4e4ae1.png

2026-01-29 00:26:30 CET

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I've heard mixed reviews on the recommendations. That was my initial impression too, but I've found as I've used it the recommendations are getting better? Or maybe you're saying 'discovery' as distinct from 'recommendations'?

2026-01-29 00:17:03 CET

I've been thinking for a while about switching away from Spotify. I'm trialing Apple Music. Recently somehow, the Spotify app keeps opening of its own accord on my computer. I've tried to track down why and cannot. Nothing has made me more willing to piss off my family by switching music streaming services.

2026-01-22 02:15:19 CET

The computers are pissing me off again! Considering implementing a three-strikes policy.

2026-01-19 05:36:56 CET

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The disappointment is frequent.

2026-01-19 05:34:42 CET

Does your flesh cleve easily from your seed? — a question I ask every peach.

2026-01-19 03:03:03 CET

I really want to like the Orion browser, but for now it's still too buggy to be a daily driver. Next test drive: Vivaldi. My only misgiving is that it's Chromium based, I really want other browser engines to continue existing.

2026-01-18 23:57:05 CET

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Yeah, this is certainly a good point. It's easy to get greedy in the details. But I do have a tendency to remain very annoyed at things that annoy me — a fate I like to avoid where possible.

2026-01-18 23:50:26 CET

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And the Countryman is a sweet 55mm shorter than our garage (but maybe 20k or so more than we want to spend).

2026-01-18 23:01:19 CET

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I can see the safety reasoning, but if you're changing them every drive your life is real different to mine. :-)

2026-01-18 23:00:19 CET

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Does it reset a bunch of settings on each start like @npub13cg…ck4q reports for the MG4? https://bne.social/@james/115917898461852175

2026-01-18 22:57:48 CET

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That's exactly what everyone will do — there's essentially no point in having the settings.

2026-01-18 22:38:41 CET

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that actually sounds super annoying.

2026-01-18 08:51:59 CET

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This is a specs only shortlist — if you have written a review of any of these models, I'd love to read it.

2026-01-18 08:50:36 CET

Half a day's research and I think I've narrowed it down to these options. Any others I should be considering with similar specs/vibes? #EV
MG MGS5 EV Essence 62
Kia EV3 Air - Long Range
Kia EV3 Air - Standard Range
BYD Atto 3 Premium

2026-01-18 02:41:40 CET

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It's a family car — 5 seats + luggage capacity. Hard limit on length (weird I know, but our garage is tiny) of 4500mm. Capable of light weight towing. Wireless Apple car play. Still getting across other important factors.

2026-01-18 02:05:50 CET

@npub13cg…ck4q I have a question about your MG review: what are the settings that reset each drive? And is getting them back how you want simply a matter of selecting a profile or something, and if so, how many taps to achieve that?

2026-01-18 01:04:32 CET

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Because I'm making a spreadsheet and it always feels like there should be a better option than that.

2026-01-18 01:04:01 CET

Has anyone built a useful 'these are my criteria, show me the options that match' website for electric cars available in Australia?

2026-01-14 21:50:17 CET

What could the answer possibly be!?!
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/115/895/423/197/293/255/original/4009492ae318d2d1.jpeg

2026-01-13 09:53:20 CET

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p.s. did you know you can follow @npub1ajk…9nmf?

2026-01-13 09:52:07 CET

Think I'm going to yolo some updates to elvery.net tonight instead of tidying my desk.

2026-01-10 11:36:49 CET

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Okay, so I need a new font for my website because I cannot abide these incorrect quotation marks.
I'd like one that's got an open license — this is a free hobby website that I make no money from, I can't justify the kind of cost a commercial font would set me back. And one that I can host myself — I'm not going to help big tech surveil my visitors if I can help it.
I've considered EB Garamond, but I don't like it as much as Sorts Mill Goudy. Any suggestions? #typography

2026-01-10 09:47:01 CET

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Wait, is it the *font* that's rendering straight quotes that way?
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/115/869/929/931/162/865/original/30a5974a3ea06801.png

2026-01-09 03:02:19 CET

I cannot figure out where these incorrect curly "smart" quotes are coming from 😫
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/115/862/676/305/361/476/original/130d16984203ed46.png

2026-01-07 06:59:04 CET

After running out of space on my home server several months ago, necessitating near total decommissioning to bring breath life back into it, I'm slowly bringing things back online. Posts and links shared on elvery.net are once again being federated via @npub1ajk…9nmf

2026-01-06 23:34:12 CET

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You are making me feel pretty good about my procrastination on making any serious attempt at setting up home assistant.

2026-01-06 12:31:40 CET

I like to use a 'linear calendar' (there must be a more canonical name for this format) to plan out my year on paper. There are a few ready-made PDFs floating around, but I was unsatisfied with them all so I made my own. Customise and print it here: https://elvery.net/linear-calendar-generator/
I recommend printing at A3 if you have the tools.

2026-01-02 00:02:10 CET

@npub1m0e…mqsy — for months I've been trying, on and off, to figure out what the recurring monthly payment to BYRD DESIGNS on my credit card statement is. I have finally figured it out. Not sure if this is possible, but it'd be good if the transaction description included OpenCollective and/or bne.social.

2026-01-01 05:15:49 CET

I have an appliance that is tripping the safety switch. I'd like to fix it but testing if my fix has worked currently involves (potentially) tripping the main circuit breaker. I tried buying a plug-in RCD but now both that *and* the main safety switch trip.
What device do I need to isolate things from the main circuit so I can work on this thing safely and without repeatedly tripping the whole house? #electronics

2025-12-27 04:08:30 CET

What a fucking waste of a test match

2025-12-26 00:38:54 CET

RE: https://bne.social/@phocks/115782773039811928
Because they don’t play by the rules and will disembowel you.
#note1g07…t6wx

2025-12-24 21:44:41 CET

Merry Christmas 🎅

2025-12-20 03:01:18 CET

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I think I'm just going to have to drop a table or two and hope previous backups are usable (this, regrettably, isn't a given).

2025-12-20 03:00:05 CET

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Ideally I'd back up the latest data, but it'll take a while and tmux isn't having it:
```
$ tmux
couldn't create directory /tmp/tmux-1000 (No space left on device)
```

2025-12-20 02:55:51 CET

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Okay, progress. After a reboot I can stop the docker container and a few of my other containers came back up. I can now use Portainer, for one.

2025-12-20 02:53:01 CET

I have thoroughly filled the system drive on a home server. It's mostly filled with a Postgres database running in a Docker container. It's so thoroughly filled Docker doesn't even let me stop the Postgres container.
What to do?

2025-12-19 07:02:54 CET

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I bloody love this. Which printer did you get?

2025-12-18 02:47:12 CET

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Looks like a Tawny Frogmouth. Fun fact: not an owl. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawny_frogmouth

2025-12-10 07:59:45 CET

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this screens are on some busses now too. Much better info for riders.

2025-12-04 02:05:26 CET

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yeah, if that’s what I was doing at the time I’d probably not have questioned it. It’d be nice to have more info.

2025-12-04 01:47:21 CET

Hi @npub1zq5…dlp2 — do you have any documentation on why Orion wants this permission?
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/115/658/538/329/534/355/original/45994eb5d957117c.png

2025-12-03 05:17:37 CET

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salads can be pretty great. I hope your word salad is great.

2025-12-02 10:47:06 CET

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I’m not surprised it sold out. Should have been paying attention because of course he’s here for the Ashes. Would have gone

2025-11-28 07:44:05 CET

The best team in Australian digital journalism is looking for a newbie*. Come work with us! https://careers.abc.net.au/en/job/505140/digital-journalist-story-lab
* Not necessarily an actual newbie — some experience would help, but you should apply regardless!

2025-11-28 04:45:52 CET

because getting air conditioning installed immediately isn't an option i've decided to construct a makeshift wind tunnel to work from for the rest of the day

2025-11-27 12:05:15 CET

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yeah, I makes sense to use a third party. I think it’s a positive step, if only because if they start frustrating tools that grab playlists from them while supporting grabbing them from other services it’d be a very bad look.