technology
On inevitability in technical systems
It's easy to fall into the trap of believing that certain choices, tools, or systems are inevitable and can't be changed. This doesn't need to be the case, and shouldn't be.
standards
definitions
Categories
I like doing the boring work, and the work that underlies the shiny things. Often, what’s needed but not top-of-mind is the ability to understand and critique the underlying structures we seldom think to challenge. In that spirit, I want to talk about categories.
standards
Companion to “The Replacement of geography by standards and what to do about it”
What is the relationship between standards and global flows of movement? This essay explains the replacement of geography by standards, bringing work I did in 2014 up to date, and laying out why you should care.
standards
My love affair with measurement
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?
technology
At The Hare
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."
meta
Friday bonus: On not capitalizing my name
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.
bookpile
Bookpile 3: Standards and their Stories
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.