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#technology

September 2026 2 notes

notes 1 min read

Fully Offline is a privilege

There’s a sad irony when someone jettisons from social media, they’re gone from our Online worlds but I’m so happy for them. And I mourn what we don’t get to hear from them. We don’t get to hear about how wonderful they feel, how beautiful their skin is now, and how they restored their mental health. We don’t know if they make more money or less money. We don’t get further inspiration from them to leave the Online. But being able to observe the Offline from the Online might ruin the magic and mystery hidden there. It’s a door hidden in an old wardrobe that you have to pass through to fully understand.

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ideas updated 2 min read

Another tentative title and focus for my next zine

AI summary

Doug is considering a new zine, tentatively titled Field Notes on Ambient Surveillance, which explores how surveillance has become normalised in everyday life. The zine would examine the ways in which seemingly benign technologies, such as read receipts and location histories, contribute to a culture of ambient surveillance. Doug believes this topic offers fertile ground for a zine, as it highlights the ordinary, yet pervasive, nature of observation in modern society.

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August 2026 1 note

ideas updated 2 min read

A tentative title and focus for my next zine

AI summary

Doug is planning his next zine, CW-PUB-002: Interfaces of Refusal, which will explore the design language of refusal in technology, including errors such as 404 and Access Denied. He aims to highlight how machines can hinder our goals and how we often passively accept these refusals. The zine will be the second in a three-part series, following on from CW-PUB-001: Field Notes on Productive Friction.

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July 2026 4 notes

notes 3 min read

Major updates from Bonfire

AI summary

Doug received updates from Ivan Minutillo about Bonfire, including a redesigned homepage and a case study with Jacobin.de. The Bonfire team has expanded its offerings to include decision-making tools, such as polls and consensus processes, emphasising the political nature of technology choices.

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notes updated 1 min read

UK digital skills standards: updated! (still rubbish)

AI summary

Doug notes that the UK government has published updated essential digital skills standards for 2026, outlining the key digital abilities individuals should possess. The source is available on GOV.UK.

notes updated 4 min read

What we mean by 'literacy' changes over time

AI summary

Doug critiques Rose Horowitch's The Atlantic article, arguing that it oversimplifies the 'end of reading' narrative. He contends that the piece ignores broader societal factors, such as Big Tech and capitalism, and instead blames individuals for changing reading habits. Doug also highlights the author's moralistic stance and lack of substantial evidence, quoting David Hume's is-ought problem to illustrate the logical fallacy.

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ideas updated 1 min read

Adding creativity to artworks

AI summary

Doug discusses a creative example of a user, known as [@honear], who has added a smaller monochrome e-ink display to their colour e-ink canvas to mimic a museum display, providing information about the artwork being shown. This setup allows for a 'museum at home' experience, with a new artwork and accompanying information displayed twice a day. The user's integration pulls artwork from public-domain museums and generates summaries using AI when necessary.

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June 2026 4 notes

notes updated 1 min read

I wouldn't call myself a 'true believer'

I'm not sure my responses to this series of 29 questions warrant the tag 'true believer' but I haven't looked into the methodology of this 'AI Compass'.

Essentially my position is that AI is more consequential and useful than things like Blockchain, that it should be better regulated, and that it allows most people to do things they weren't able to do before.

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reflections updated 2 min read

I've been feeling a bit like this recently

One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.

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notes updated 1 min read

Attention and colonisation in the age of social media

AI summary

Bo Burnham discusses how corporations colonize our minds by capitalizing on every free second through social media and technology. The note reflects on the intense and insightful nature of his commentary on self-esteem and the effects of phones on kids and society.

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notes 4 min read

The airpod bubble

AI summary

Headphones like AirPods create a personal "bubble" that can be comforting but also isolating, reducing spontaneous social interactions and increasing loneliness. Research indicates heavy headphone use makes people feel lonelier and less likely to engage in meaningful conversations, while also causing listeners to perceive audio content as more intimate and persuasive.

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May 2026 1 note

notes updated 3 min read

There's a Douglas Adams quotation for every occasion

AI summary

This note is a curated collection of Douglas Adams quotations from his books, including The Salmon of Doubt, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. The quotes are grouped by source and cover topics such as technology, human nature, bureaucracy, and philosophy. The title suggests the author finds Adams' wit and wisdom applicable to many situations.

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