Nostr notes by Ernie Smith

I once called Ted Turner the Steve Jobs of television, which ...

2026-05-06T15:46:48Z

I once called Ted Turner the Steve Jobs of television, which makes me all the sadder about his passing. He was from the era of billionaires that were weird in a good way.

Nostr event nevent1qqsf352z4jwshpah8hphssj4zxa8r5jnu2j0qvzy7p2rn5ua8vg60gczyp32xqtqzdsxtaz5grhn4tnys58uc8kg2st3tr3x74fh254pza9r7a42pgv

2026-04-20T23:41:03Z

Anyone do the Mullvad add-on for Tailscale? Is it worth it?

What makes one decide to make a parody movie trailer for, of all ...

2026-04-08T04:27:33Z

What makes one decide to make a parody movie trailer for, of all things, the GNU Image Manipulation Program? I asked the puppeteer behind Pork Johnson, the star of the semi-viral GIMP clip.

https://tedium.co/2026/04/07/pork-johnson-gimp-parody-interview/

new Tedium (npub1tq6…hvnc)

In an age when cheap RAM is not a guaranteed thing, should we ...

2026-03-28T15:58:58Z

In an age when cheap RAM is not a guaranteed thing, should we still be buying mini-PCs to run self-hosted stacks?

I dove into a ton of tools and tested on a mini PC whose RAM is fortunately soldered (no take-backs). My thoughts here:

https://tedium.co/2026/03/28/self-hosting-platform-tools-guide/

new Tedium (npub1tq6…hvnc)

The timing is symbolic. ...

2026-03-27T16:29:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…ju6h
_________________________

The timing is symbolic.

https://tedium.co/2026/03/27/apple-mac-pro-discontinued-anniversary/

Damn it’s over guys. The dream of Apple selling a $20,000 piece ...

2026-03-26T21:24:16Z

Damn it’s over guys. The dream of Apple selling a $20,000 piece of hardware is dead.

Does this mean that the M2 Ultra Mac Pro is a low-end Mac?

https://9to5mac.com/2026/03/26/apple-discontinues-the-mac-pro/

Yeah, that’s what people want from Windows 11. Another bar to ...

2026-01-30T16:36:58Z

Yeah, that’s what people want from Windows 11. Another bar to go with the first bar. Give ’em a MacOS/MATE hybrid. That’ll win over the normies.

https://www.theverge.com/news/870663/microsoft-windows-11-top-menu-bar-powertoy-experiment

RIP Stewart Cheifet. Anyone who covers tech owes a mountain of ...

2025-12-31T20:22:08Z

RIP Stewart Cheifet.

Anyone who covers tech owes a mountain of ink to that guy. He was the trailblazer in a way that few others were.

To be clear there would likely be some work to it but Affinity is ...

2025-11-26T19:08:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…mxmc
_________________________

To be clear there would likely be some work to it but Affinity is one of the better-running pro apps that can run on WINE.

Apparently Affinity is seriously considering making a legit Linux ...

2025-11-26T19:06:31Z

Apparently Affinity is seriously considering making a legit Linux version. Huge. https://techcentral.co.za/affinity-for-linux-canvas-next-big-move-could-reshape-the-desktop-software-market/

The HEVC organization is raising its licensing fees by four cents ...

2025-11-21T14:45:47Z

The HEVC organization is raising its licensing fees by four cents per unit, so HP and Dell responded by disabling HEVC hardware support in its business laptops—tanking the ability for these laptops to do anything with video.

Straight-up: This is a scandal.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/11/hp-and-dell-disable-hevc-support-built-into-their-laptops-cpus/

Also: I do not believe this is intended by the authors, but if ...

2025-10-31T02:22:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…uqdg
_________________________

Also: I do not believe this is intended by the authors, but if you use Wine, it is possible to use these tools in Linux without having to log in. It removes the check, as far as I can tell.

This guide gets you started: https://affinity.liz.pet

I should note that this also works with the v3 download.

v1: macOS: Designer: ...

2025-10-31T02:21:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…hdul
_________________________

v1: macOS:
Designer: https://store.serif.com/en-us/update/macos/designer/1/
Photo: https://store.serif.com/en-us/update/macos/photo/1/
Publisher: https://store.serif.com/en-us/update/macos/publisher/1/

v2: macOS:
Designer: https://store.serif.com/en-us/update/macos/designer/2/
Photo: https://store.serif.com/en-us/update/macos/photo/2/
Publisher: https://store.serif.com/en-us/update/macos/publisher/2/

I’m seeing some sky-is-falling posts about Affinity and ...

2025-10-31T02:19:55Z

I’m seeing some sky-is-falling posts about Affinity and download links. It is still possible to download v1 and v2 without logging in. Here are the links for Windows:

v1: Windows:
Designer: https://store.serif.com/en-us/update/windows/designer/1/
Photo: https://store.serif.com/en-us/update/windows/photo/1/
Publisher: https://store.serif.com/en-us/update/windows/publisher/1/

v2: Windows:
Designer: https://store.serif.com/en-us/update/windows/designer/2/
Photo: https://store.serif.com/en-us/update/windows/photo/2/
Publisher: https://store.serif.com/en-us/update/windows/publisher/2/

Ever wonder why old computers have thick plates of metal inside ...

2025-10-20T15:55:37Z

Ever wonder why old computers have thick plates of metal inside of them? You can credit/blame the FCC—and indirectly, the CB radio fad—for that.

https://tedium.co/2025/10/20/computers-fcc-rf-interference-history/

new Tedium (npub1tq6…hvnc)

So, I just wrote a 3,000 word piece about a great electronics ...

2025-10-02T19:25:26Z

So, I just wrote a 3,000 word piece about a great electronics what-if. What if we didn’t get transistors? What if we just kept using vacuum tubes? Would we be where we are today?

That thought experiment led me to the story of the subminiature vacuum tube.

https://tedium.co/2025/10/02/subminiature-tubes-transistors-raytheon-history/

new Tedium (npub1tq6…hvnc)

Watching a video about NixOS and only now realizing that ...

2025-09-29T01:57:04Z

Watching a video about NixOS and only now realizing that there's been a gun on the desk this whole time.

I know Linux drama is serious but it's not that serious, Mutahar.

[@mos_8502](https://studio8502.ca/@mos_8502 ) saw you got kicked ...

2025-09-14T22:59:02Z

[@mos_8502](https://studio8502.ca/@mos_8502 ) saw you got kicked off the blue site. Hope you're holding up

you may have a better chance with Netscape, just saying!

2025-08-15T18:26:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…f65c
_________________________

you may have a better chance with Netscape, just saying!

Kind of impressed that nobody seems to be talking about the ...

2025-08-12T03:27:43Z

Kind of impressed that nobody seems to be talking about the Subway sandwich thing over here. That may be the most insane viral video I’ve seen in quite some time.

the story has some real messy elements to it. I remember thinking ...

2025-08-09T19:19:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…r95c
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the story has some real messy elements to it. I remember thinking when covering this story that Thomas Grundner was a genius, why had I never heard of him? When I landed on the information about his legal issues, it sadly started to make sense.

I had a similar experience with Free-Nets growing up.

Who's still rolling on POTS?

2025-08-09T00:46:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…xh8a
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Who's still rolling on POTS?

So apparently we are within the last 60 days of dial-up AOL being ...

2025-08-09T00:46:07Z

So apparently we are within the last 60 days of dial-up AOL being a thing.

https://help.aol.com/articles/dial-up-internet-to-be-discontinued

ht Dr. Matt Lee (1800www.com) (npub18jp…8yq3)

Online ads. You hate them, they track you, yet they’re still ...

2025-08-08T01:26:21Z

Online ads. You hate them, they track you, yet they’re still with us. What’s their deal?

A new book out this week, targeted at Google’s dominant, monopolistic role in adtech, proves surprisingly revealing. My review:

https://tedium.co/2025/08/07/ari-paparo-yield-google-antitrust-review/

new Tedium (npub1tq6…hvnc)

OK, genuinely think this is a good development in the Linux ...

2025-08-03T19:50:14Z

OK, genuinely think this is a good development in the Linux world. PixiEditor started as a pixel editor but seems to be aiming for “pleasing FOSS alternative to Photoshop that also supports Linux.”

The node-based workflow for adding filters is genuinely interesting, too.

https://pixieditor.net/blog/2025/07/30/20-release/

Yes, you can add custom search engines to your browser. That URL ...

2025-06-19T03:52:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…gduh
_________________________

Yes, you can add custom search engines to your browser. That URL is the code you would need to put into Chrome or Vivaldi. Here’s how I do it in Vivaldi.

My post from last year explains the process: https://tedium.co/2024/05/17/google-web-search-make-default/

It’s an easy tweak if you’re on chrome—you can add it to ...

2025-06-19T03:46:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…g8rl
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It’s an easy tweak if you’re on chrome—you can add it to the browser yourself. The basic format looks like this. You can add this yourself. Safari doesn’t support this though, sadly.

There is a search.xml on the site for autodetection, but it doesn’t seem to be kicking in on Firefox yet.

Just learned there was a new Google udm code discovered. So you ...

2025-06-19T03:02:37Z

Just learned there was a new Google udm code discovered. So you know what I had to do.

https://udm56.com/

Still kicking in on the DNS front, but it’s already up.

Spencer Gifts later sold a variant that actually made the useless ...

2025-06-18T15:50:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…8u55
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Spencer Gifts later sold a variant that actually made the useless device useful—it turned the device into a bank that grabbed your quarters and stored them.

Not bad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqeG5gHD_98

(It makes sense Spencer Gifts sold it, by the way. My Amazon ...

2025-06-18T15:48:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…68v8
_________________________

(It makes sense Spencer Gifts sold it, by the way. My Amazon search for a useless machine also brought up fake poo, which is a pretty good signifier of the kind of crowds this device runs with.)

This exact device, with no changes, was sold by Captain Company ...

2025-06-18T15:46:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…0ss3
_________________________

This exact device, with no changes, was sold by Captain Company in an issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland in 1962, surrounded by dozens of similar gimmicks.

Whoa, I can only imagine how that discussion went.

2025-06-18T15:46:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…2585
_________________________

Whoa, I can only imagine how that discussion went.

Who was first? The answer appears to be Spencer Gifts, the famed ...

2025-06-18T15:44:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…j5l3
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Who was first? The answer appears to be Spencer Gifts, the famed mall chain that started as a mail-order goods store. I found an example, sold as a “Little Black Box” in a 1959 issue of Flower and Garden Magazine.

Back to the Useless Machine. The simplicity of its design is such ...

2025-06-18T15:42:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…6zsr
_________________________

Back to the Useless Machine. The simplicity of its design is such that you can find these devices pretty much anywhere online. Amazon sells hundreds of these. https://amzn.to/4lfBWX2

Clarke was absolutely the right person to write about this. One ...

2025-06-18T15:40:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…0e0v
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Clarke was absolutely the right person to write about this. One sample passage:

The piece is notable because it highlights the climate that ...

2025-06-18T15:38:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…0930
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The piece is notable because it highlights the climate that created it. Also mentioned in the piece is Shannon’s electronic mouse, and the maze he created for it.

If you want to read the passage in full context, “Voice Across ...

2025-06-18T15:36:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…n5l5
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If you want to read the passage in full context, “Voice Across the Sea” is on the Internet Archive, in a chapter titled The Dream Factory: https://archive.org/details/voiceacrosssea0000arth/page/148/mode/2up

This machine likely would have gone unnoticed, if not for Arthur ...

2025-06-18T15:34:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…4h4l
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This machine likely would have gone unnoticed, if not for Arthur C. Clarke, who did a tour of Bell Labs’ various inventions. He found this particular one epic. His immortal words, as published in Harper’s Magazine in 1958:

Minsky developed the idea; Shannon, who had access to a machine ...

2025-06-18T15:32:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…lqc8
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Minsky developed the idea; Shannon, who had access to a machine shop, turned it into an actual device. His collected papers make clear this was a regular activity for him.

But to be clear, while Minsky developed the concept, he was doing ...

2025-06-18T15:31:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…fuxg
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But to be clear, while Minsky developed the concept, he was doing so in close association with a kindred spirit, Shannon. They called this unusual device the “Ultimate Machine”—though the name didn’t stick.

Sounds like a pretty great internship. During that same oral ...

2025-06-18T15:28:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…t7y9
_________________________

Sounds like a pretty great internship. During that same oral history, he described the exact process of developing the machine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8kU3oZwVJA

While there, Minsky developed a variety of machines—facilitated ...

2025-06-18T15:26:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…at55
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While there, Minsky developed a variety of machines—facilitated by a budding relationship with Shannon. “We hit it off because both Shannon and I were addicted to making interesting new mechanical devices,” Minsky said in an oral history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujtDHXnMQI4

Minsky, a Princeton grad student who worked at Bell Labs during ...

2025-06-18T15:24:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…xk8j
_________________________

Minsky, a Princeton grad student who worked at Bell Labs during the summer of 1952, would later go on to found MIT’s AI labs.

Shannon didn’t invent the Useless Machine, as it came to be ...

2025-06-18T15:22:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…a8vw
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Shannon didn’t invent the Useless Machine, as it came to be called, but it was built from one of his first interactions with a fellow AI legend, Marvin Minsky.

Shannon was a fun guy. Despite being a bigwig at Bell Labs, he ...

2025-06-18T15:20:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…3sdy
_________________________

Shannon was a fun guy. Despite being a bigwig at Bell Labs, he would often ride a unicycle through the office. He also was famed for juggling.

In the years before the device’s invention, Shannon became ...

2025-06-18T15:19:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…h05r
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In the years before the device’s invention, Shannon became known for his interest in chess-playing machines, even writing an article for Scientific American about them in 1950.

https://www.paradise.caltech.edu/ist4/lectures/shannonchess1950.pdf

Claude is a very unusual name in 2025, which makes the branding ...

2025-06-18T15:18:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…efyp
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Claude is a very unusual name in 2025, which makes the branding stand out. But there’s a reason for it. See, it’s named for Claude Shannon, a legend in the field of information theory.

So, as you may or may not be aware, one of the most popular AI ...

2025-06-18T15:16:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…0ea9
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So, as you may or may not be aware, one of the most popular AI models is Anthropic’s Claude. If you’re into LLMs, it’s generally considered one of the best models for coding.

This one was very difficult for me, in part because it has been ...

2025-06-18T15:15:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…ys5j
_________________________

This one was very difficult for me, in part because it has been written about heavily in the modern day. This may not have been the best question for this format—but I made it work.

(As a reminder, sources may be included in the alt-text of images for space and flow reasons.)

Hi all, back at my @npub1tq6…hvnc commissioned search thing. I ...

2025-06-18T15:13:09Z

Hi all, back at my Tedium (npub1tq6…hvnc) commissioned search thing. I ran into some serious writer’s block with this one, but worked my way through it. This one comes from Olivier Mével of the company multiplé. (thread)

In the weeks since I wrote my Fast Company profile of Sahil ...

2025-06-06T14:43:45Z

In the weeks since I wrote my Fast Company profile of Sahil Lavingia (and he revealed he lost his role for that interview) there have been lots of interviews of him. The most interesting comes from ProPublica (npub1qmg…s6k5), which actually explained how Lavingia’s prompt-based analysis tools worked (and didn’t work):

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-doge-veterans-affairs-ai-contracts-health-care

That’s amazing, thank you for sharing. Jokes aside, I was a ...

2025-06-03T03:22:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…tslh
_________________________

That’s amazing, thank you for sharing. Jokes aside, I was a huge fan growing up. They’ve always fascinated me.

Tell us Moe

2025-06-03T03:05:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…73tx
_________________________

Tell us Moe

USB-C is great. But it has a problem. Everyone knows what that ...

2025-06-03T03:01:11Z

USB-C is great. But it has a problem. Everyone knows what that problem is. Microsoft wants to fix it.

Good luck with that.

https://tedium.co/2025/06/02/usbc-microsoft-standards/

new Tedium (npub1tq6…hvnc)

After the fact, the console hit the surplus market. It reappeared ...

2025-05-18T17:20:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…r83w
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After the fact, the console hit the surplus market. It reappeared in 1980 in an issue of 73 Magazine, where it was being sold by the reseller Digital Research: Parts.

Note the address: Richardson, Texas, not Dallas.

https://archive.org/details/73-magazine-1980-09/page/172/mode/2up

Later, it appeared in a 1982 Dennis the Menace comic book, as a ...

2025-05-18T17:19:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…ly7s
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Later, it appeared in a 1982 Dennis the Menace comic book, as a Youth Opportunity Sales Club prize. (I should do an issue about these companies.)

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Very_Best_Of_Dennis_The_Menace/ZT0FEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=”video+volley”&pg=PT14&printsec=frontcover

Beyond department stores, this device also sold at the grocery ...

2025-05-18T17:19:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…qylc
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Beyond department stores, this device also sold at the grocery store chain Skaggs Albertsons in the Fort Worth area around 1976—which highlights that it was not a white-labeled device.

JCPenney had just two white-labeled consoles, and they looked ...

2025-05-18T17:18:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…en6d
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JCPenney had just two white-labeled consoles, and they looked nothing like the Video-Volley—a device that, to my eye, looks like an early Atari floppy drive.

https://20thcenturyvideogames.com/index.php?action=listas&tipo=2

During that era, JCPenney’s competitor Sears had gone all-in on ...

2025-05-18T17:18:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…4t9w
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During that era, JCPenney’s competitor Sears had gone all-in on Pong. It sold 18 white-labeled Pong consoles under different names in the U.S. and Canada between 1976 and 1978, per an online database.

That $19.88 price highlights the device’s fast-declining ...

2025-05-18T17:18:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…vwy3
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That $19.88 price highlights the device’s fast-declining commercial ambitions. Here’s how much it cost just a year prior.

A quick search of Newspapers.com shows that the console was ...

2025-05-18T17:17:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…9yje
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A quick search of Newspapers.com shows that the console was heavily promoted in JCPenney newspaper ads around the 1976 and 1977 Christmas seasons, especially in Texas. Here’s a sample:

For those curious, RadioHamGuy was even nice enough to take an ...

2025-05-18T17:17:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…cmfh
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For those curious, RadioHamGuy was even nice enough to take an up-close shot of the manual, which I’ll share here for Video-Volley owners.

So, where did it come from? Helpfully, the device lists its ...

2025-05-18T17:17:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…nlv6
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So, where did it come from? Helpfully, the device lists its address right on the back: Dallas, Texas.

Here’s one from another video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcfD-CYNid8

First off, it is important to note that there were many, many ...

2025-05-18T17:16:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…apc4
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First off, it is important to note that there were many, many Pong consoles throughout the 1970s. Wikipedia, lists 997 consoles produced in the first generation. The Video-Volley was one of them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_first_generation_home_video_game_consoles

I feel awkward linking this without suggesting you read the ...

2025-05-18T17:16:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…wad2
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I feel awkward linking this without suggesting you read the Hackaday article, so here it is:

https://hackaday.com/2025/05/11/tearing-down-a-forgotten-video-game/

This is essentially a cheap custom board with some cheap ...

2025-05-18T17:15:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…k0aj
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This is essentially a cheap custom board with some cheap manufacturing junk attached. Not a bad video, but if you’re starting a search like this, I recommend going online and seeing what pops up.

The main chip the device uses is the MM57105N, made by National ...

2025-05-18T17:15:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…x96l
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The main chip the device uses is the MM57105N, made by National Semiconductor. Ever hear of NES on a chip? As the video mentions, this is Pong on a chip!

The board itself is downright minimalist.

Not a ton of information in the James Channel video—it is ...

2025-05-18T17:15:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…tcwt
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Not a ton of information in the James Channel video—it is essentially an analysis of the device itself, not much else to it. He got it working. He took it apart. He didn’t find very much, besides an address, a logo, and some chipsets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi-0FPcjCl8

My general rule when writing articles is that I try to avoid ...

2025-05-18T17:14:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…53hg
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My general rule when writing articles is that I try to avoid rehashing stuff posted by other folks recently, but given the lack of info, I’ll take a stab.

(Quick programming note on this: Some links may appear in the alt-text for space and to keep the thread readable.)

OK, time for another commissioned search! This one, from ...

2025-05-18T17:14:23Z

OK, time for another commissioned search! This one, from Jon Henshaw (npub19lc…l9lh), asks about the Video-Volley, a device recently featured on hackaday (npub135m…490p) and a semi-viral YouTube video. (thread)

Paul Simon writes songs in this kind of format a lot if it helps.

2025-05-04T03:28:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…rlnf
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Paul Simon writes songs in this kind of format a lot if it helps.

There are songs that have elements of this but aren't neat ...

2025-05-04T03:25:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…0fqm
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There are songs that have elements of this but aren't neat fits. The first two verses of “Lightning Crashes” do this, but the third refers to the characters in the first.

The Offspring’s “The Kids Aren't Alright” has standalone vignettes but not in individual verses.

Alanis Morrissette’s “Ironic” and Jewel’s “Who Will Save Your Soul” roughly fit the format but they fit more than one story in each verse.

Sorry, should have explained better: Each of these songs have ...

2025-05-04T03:15:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…t70r
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Sorry, should have explained better: Each of these songs have three verses with standalone stories brought together by the chorus. The stories live on their own and don't refer to one another.

Another one that comes to mind is “She Don't Use Jelly,” or “Walk On the Wild Side.”

I'm thinking about an idea for a piece and wanted to see if ...

2025-05-03T23:05:08Z

I'm thinking about an idea for a piece and wanted to see if anyone knew of any “episodic songs” along the lines of “Waterfalls” by TLC, “What It's Like” by Everlast, and “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” by Crash Test Dummies.

I feel like this lyrical format was specifically built for MTV. Want to test the theory.

A friend from high school recently learned that they are losing ...

2025-04-08T00:39:26Z

A friend from high school recently learned that they are losing easy access to epilepsy medication they need.

If you have a moment and feel compelled to speak out in support of epilepsy patients, please check out this link & send a message to your reps.

https://epilepsyallianceamerica.org/take-action-cdc-epilepsy-program-is-in-jeopardy/

So, the other day, Gumroad announced it was going “open ...

2025-04-06T17:56:57Z

So, the other day, Gumroad announced it was going “open source,” which got a lot of attention.

That same day, Wired wrote a story about Gumroad’s founder, and his association with #DOGE, that perhaps didn’t have the same impact.

Let’s fix that.

https://tedium.co/2025/04/06/gumroad-open-source-doge-drama/

new Tedium (npub1tq6…hvnc)

I updated this post because honestly I’m furious. Clearly ...

2025-04-05T19:16:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…pq6e
_________________________

I updated this post because honestly I’m furious. Clearly Gumroad released this when they did because they knew a Wired story was coming out and it gave them PR cover.

A little more on the licensing thing: https://danb.me/blog/gumroad-is-not-open-source/

So Gumroad just went open-source. (I will note it is not a ...

2025-04-04T15:08:26Z

So Gumroad just went open-source. (I will note it is not a straight open-source license—it is limited to folks who make less than $1M in revenue—but that is still a pretty cool thing to have in the self-hosting arsenal!)

https://github.com/antiwork/gumroad

EDIT: Don’t use Gumroad, its founder is working with DOGE: https://www.wired.com/story/doge-department-of-veterans-affairs-ai/

OK, next reader request. This one, from Nate C., talks about ...

2025-04-01T13:17:29Z

OK, next reader request. This one, from Nate C., talks about politics at a higher level:

Y’all have been a great part of my workflow, and the best part ...

2025-03-24T23:38:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…rtke
_________________________

Y’all have been a great part of my workflow, and the best part is you keep getting better. Thanks for creating such a great tool!

Yep, there are a lot of good options. The problem is workflow. If ...

2025-03-24T15:18:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…uva7
_________________________

Yep, there are a lot of good options. The problem is workflow.

If you want to support FOSS, introduce it in new product categories. I have doing wireframes and such in Penpot :penpot: (npub1rfc…7tmz), for example, and sharing those with clients for feedback.

As I say every time this comes up: We live in a society, and if ...

2025-03-24T15:06:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…c8z2
_________________________

As I say every time this comes up: We live in a society, and if your client is using Illustrator and InDesign, so are you.

I personally moved to Krita for my Photoshop-style Tedium work a while ago. I keep these around because I have clients.

For what it’s worth: I am personally really struggling with ...

2025-03-24T15:01:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…exvw
_________________________

For what it’s worth: I am personally really struggling with whether I should renew. I have a long history with Adobe, and cut my teeth with InDesign. I am worried about getting sucked into client work where I need Illustrator or InDesign, and I don’t have it.

Also, I am a Linux user now, and Adobe has done nothing to support that platform. I may switch to Affinity.

But for folks in my position I hope pointing out this deal helps.

Heads-up for creatives on a budget: Amazon is selling a one-year ...

2025-03-24T14:59:10Z

Heads-up for creatives on a budget: Amazon is selling a one-year subscription to Creative Cloud for $495. Buying an annual plan directly from Adobe is $650, and over $700 on a 12-month paid plan.

It’s also easy to cancel when the year’s up, unlike with Adobe.

https://amzn.to/4kVEz0J (affiliate link, FYI)

The state of California is warning 23andMe customers to delete ...

2025-03-23T00:38:21Z

The state of California is warning 23andMe customers to delete their data because odds are good that the company is going to go bankrupt.

If I were you I would prioritize doing this.

https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-urgently-issues-consumer-alert-23andme-customers

Nostr event nevent1qqsrhjh8emvjdvraqy6eklkxzhhj3vkdwhp5red8pqmtk7fgqxep2eszyp32xqtqzdsxtaz5grhn4tnys58uc8kg2st3tr3x74fh254pza9r7m20qhy

2025-03-17T18:34:05Z

I now own the domain unsolicited.pizza. What should I do with it?

Word that udm14 might be at risk of getting an infusion of AI ...

2025-03-14T17:44:49Z

Word that udm14 might be at risk of getting an infusion of AI frustrates me to no end. And if you just want Google to give you the basics, you should be frustrated, too.

https://tedium.co/2025/03/14/udm14-search-hack-google-ai-testing/

new Tedium (npub1tq6…hvnc)

Nostr event nevent1qqsf8ayxxdurrapx9udv3urqgpe682a42w9lz4hhts56us6avs244tgzyp32xqtqzdsxtaz5grhn4tnys58uc8kg2st3tr3x74fh254pza9r74dex9r

2025-03-10T14:36:40Z

Oh good, the battery in my magic trackpad is bulging.

Marcan steps away from Asahi. What a damn heartbreaking thing ...

2025-02-13T15:58:34Z

Marcan steps away from Asahi. What a damn heartbreaking thing this is. Even if you think his approach to handling people sucks, he was willing to do some important work that nobody else was willing to touch, and his technical knowledge was unparalleled.

https://marcan.st/2025/02/resigning-as-asahi-linux-project-lead/

For today’s @npub1tq6…hvnc , I wrote a lot of words about ...

2025-02-03T15:57:52Z

For today’s Tedium (npub1tq6…hvnc) , I wrote a lot of words about Manila folders and Manila envelopes. In the process, I somehow criss-crossed into the histories of toilet paper, rope, MacBooks, and file cabinets.

It’s not a “vanilla folder,” and “Manila” is not a color.

https://tedium.co/2025/02/03/manila-folder-envelope-history/

A reader of my build-a-webmail-client rant shared this tool with ...

2025-01-26T01:58:34Z

A reader of my build-a-webmail-client rant shared this tool with me:

https://simpl.fyi

It is a browser extension from a Google Inbox co-founder that makes Gmail more like Google Inbox. It’s pretty nice and makes my work feel a little silly.

It’s also cheap ($3/month or $24/year).

Who wants to see sunlight in action? Here's the Jack Smith ...

2025-01-14T05:48:52Z

Who wants to see sunlight in action?

Here's the Jack Smith report:

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25486132-report-of-special-counsel-smith-volume-1-january-2025/

At its heart this is the real issue, the reason why WP Engine was ...

2025-01-10T02:20:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…zrr3
_________________________

At its heart this is the real issue, the reason why WP Engine was able to eat Automattic’s lunch: Automattic didn't actually sell the core WordPress experience to its customers, and that allowed a well-funded competitor to beat them at their own game.

Automattic decides to stop investing in WordPress more than it ...

2025-01-10T02:00:59Z

Automattic decides to stop investing in WordPress more than it has to.

Because of course

https://automattic.com/2025/01/09/aligning-automattics-sponsored-contributions-to-wordpress/

Early hiccups aside I think you may enjoy going more static like ...

2025-01-02T04:15:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…2sq6
_________________________

Early hiccups aside I think you may enjoy going more static like this long-term. The site doesn’t have that 300ms php delay that I couldn’t seem to shake with Craft.

Did this end up fixing this for you?

2025-01-01T17:57:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…6kjm
_________________________

Did this end up fixing this for you?

I more explicitly called out the content types. Clear your cache ...

2025-01-01T12:20:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…7lzk
_________________________

I more explicitly called out the content types. Clear your cache and give it a shot.

Sorry about the issues. I was having this problem with my RSS feed and then every other file type started having the issue, too.

I was running into some really weird nginx issues last night, ...

2025-01-01T12:10:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…n6uw
_________________________

I was running into some really weird nginx issues last night, I'll take a look real quick

OK, our last year-end piece appears on a new site. It gives a ...

2025-01-01T04:53:28Z

OK, our last year-end piece appears on a new site.

It gives a shout to a husband-and-wife team who called out a real problem with the way Google works—and helped create an outsized impact, while fighting for the little guys on the open internet.

Love everything about it.

https://tedium.co/2024/12/31/best-blog-post-2024-housefresh-parasite-seo/

new Tedium (npub1tq6…hvnc)

this is not true. I have exported playlists from Spotify into ...

2024-12-22T13:45:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…3qwd
_________________________

this is not true. I have exported playlists from Spotify into Qobuz before and while there were a couple of tracks that weren't there, the playlist worked just fine.