F/LOSS
Seeing yourself in software
Software choices are about both capacity and self-perception. When we decide on a certain tool, it is not just a choice about accomplishing a task, but also about using tools that resonate with who we think we are.
technology
AI
When all the air gets sucked out of the room
The last five years have done a lot, in terms of "AI" and its impact on the world. The things I love on the internet are being hollowed out by the effects of scrapers and hyperscale data centres. Education is struggling with a race to the bottom, academic publishing is in the same boat. Now what?
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.
work
Food, capital, and work
Super-charged capitalism creates an environment where individuals feel the need to cram more day into their day. We still need to live, but time pressure presses down on our ability to do it without help. Enter solutions like the meal replacement drink.
bookpile
Bookpile 8: From here to there
Bookpile is short posts on Fridays about what I’m reading now and what I’m liking about it. This week, it’s the catalogue which accompanied Canada's 2003 entry at the Venice Biennale, Jana Sterbak's dog-based video work, From Here to There.
representation
The map and the territory
As more data is collected, stored, and computed, there's a gold rush on for applications of real-world data in both trivial and critical fields. Whether it's accuracy of delivery robots or facial recognition, we must remember not to heed our own maps at the expense of the territories they represent.
infrastructure
Reading “The Ethnography of Infrastructure”
The first in a periodic series called "Reading," today's text covers a seminal academic article you might like, but find long and dense. I break down Susan Leigh Star's 1999 article, "The Ethnography of Infrastructure" and explain why it matters.
automation
Friday bonus: Slide decks
Today's Friday bonus describes how I've (partially out of spite) automated my process for making slide decks. All with good, old-fashioned, artisan Linux tools.
technology
Software is political
Software use and purchasing decisions are often seen as purely technical or functional. This hides the reality that software is loaded with politics. It's essential to attend to the politics of software when making choices about its use.
work
Understanding work (part 2)
In part two of "Understanding work," a brief trip into productivity; the Luddites were onto something; and half the world now works in the tertiary sector. What happens when the quest for higher productivity comes for the service jobs? (Spoiler: it already has.)
work
Understanding work (part 1)
Work is a constant topic, with autonomy and human dignity under fire from increased use of automation, data collection, and casualization. Let's pause for a second and look at what work is, and at some of the core principles behind our view of work.
cities
Anatomy of a smart garbage can
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?