Everyday things are collecting and transmitting data. This was one of the promises of the Internet of Things. A humble member of the IoT, the smart garbage can is becoming a ubiquitous street appliance. So what exactly is this thing?
Coping is short posts on Fridays about coping methods for doing creative and focused things in an unfocused world. In Coping 5, a little bit of recursion as I explain why the very text you're reading is a form of coping.
Public sector bodies can be very dependent on private sector software and technology providers, spending public money in ways that don't always put public values first. Some governments are beginning to demonstrate that there are other options.
Bookpile is short posts on Fridays about what I’m reading now and what I’m liking about it. This week, it’s The New Patriarchs of Digital Capitalism by Ben Little and Alison Winch.
The feeling that it's mandatory to achieve significance, originality, or novelty can be paralyzing. Where does the impetus come from, and can we escape the trap of significance?
Coping is short posts on Fridays about coping methods for doing creative and focused things in an unfocused world. In Coping 4, why I've made Wednesdays sacrosanct.
Automation does not, by its nature, need to be bad. Can we disentangle ourselves from automation that disrespects user rights and makes heavy use of computation? I make the argument for the importance and value of "stupid smart things."
Bookpile is short posts on Fridays about what I’m reading now and what I’m liking about it. This week, it’s The Garden of Forking Paths, a very small collection of stories by Jorge Luis Borges.
The brief story of how I came to love the topic of metrology, the study of measurement. Why are such basics as centimetres or kilograms really things of wonder?
This week, I'm breaking from the norm. Instead of an essay, a piece of short fiction about exoskeletons, logistics centres, and darts. It's called "At The Hare."
Coping is short posts on Fridays about coping methods for doing creative and focused things in an unfocused world. In Coping 3, the importance of noticing.
The move towards European digital sovereignty needs careful thought before duplicating existing technology ecosystems. Now is the time to imagine a more open, independent, and intentional computing future.
meta
A brief explanation of the choice to not capitalize my name, where it came from, and what it means to be a common noun instead of a proper noun.
F/LOSS
It's back to basics with an essay about Free/Libre and Open Source Software, and why I think it matters – especially for people who don’t yet know it well. What is it, and why should you care about and for F/LOSS?
bookpile
Bookpile is short posts on Fridays about what I’m reading now and what I’m liking about it. This week, it’s Standards and their Stories, a collection edited by Martha Lampland and Susan Leigh Star.
art
In 2018, I mentioned the Ubiquitous Monster Game in a project about 5G/Internet of Things for public good. Ubiquitous Monsters were the worst-case case. Here, I go into more depth on the Ubiquitous Monster Game itself, and what it can teach us.
coping
Coping is short posts on Fridays about coping methods for doing creative and focused things in an unfocused world. In Coping 2, braindumps.
ELSA
What is an AI-cology, why does it matter, and what is it good for? AI-cologies are a way of thinking about, locating, and questioning the ecologies around and in a particular AI-involving system. This essay takes the example of one specific camera to explain how AI-cologies are constructed.
coping
Coping is short posts on intermittent Fridays about coping methods for doing creative and focused things in an unfocused world. They are often not at all novel, but I want to highlight them because, for me at least, they work well. In the first Coping, rage-making.
nature
What does it mean to think about the planet’s inhabitants, beyond the humans? Is thinking about them enough, or do we need to find ways to consult them?
bookpile
Bookpile is short posts on Fridays about what I’m reading now and what I’m liking about it. In this week's Bookpile, Ursula M. Franklin's The Real World of Technology.
ELSA
There’s a concept called “ELSA” that I talk about a lot. As you might guess, ELSA is an acronym. It stands for “Ethical, Legal, and Social Aspects.” Used in the study of emerging scientific and technological developments, it brings people with expertise in ELS aspects to the table.
bookpile
Bookpile is short posts on Fridays about what I’m reading now and what I’m liking about it. In the first Bookpile, Cory Doctorow’s Enshittification.
art
In 2014, I made an installation about digital enclosure, bringing visitors into a world of subversive online activism. A group called the True Equalizers were agitating to build new networks, not overseen by the all-powerful internet overlords who controlled the flows of socialization and access.