(…) making the brain available: that is to say, to entertain it, to relax it, to prepare it between two messages.
The Numbness Economy.
Here’s what dies in that exchange. Boredom. The condition that used to force you to pick up a book, call a friend, make something. Now it’s an error state. A problem to fix. Scroll until it stops.
The Rise of Sanityware.
A cursory look at the past and it becomes clear that the original architectural promise was that the software acted on your behalf. It was an "I ask, you give" relationship which has turned into a "I ask, you interpret the meaning, you nudge, you optimize retention, you sprinkle adverts and you incentivize me to interact before giving me something back." (…) Sanityware strips away the hostile architecture of the modern software to reveal the utility buried underneath.
Relevant: Alternative front-ends.
artpoint.eu
I am delighted that art point still exists! I came across the store in Vienna’s seventh district by chance (I am still living under a stone) and immediately recognized Lena Kvadrat’s signature style; fondly remembered the fashion show I was proudly wearing one of her designs as a non-model entity. ’Twas the best of the times, no InstaMetagram, not sure there are any photographs, just these memories that can’t wait.
“I Started Identifying Corporate Devices in My Software.”
On the whole, this has been a very pleasant experience for me as a maintainer.
Why there’s no European Google? – And why it is a good thing!
Via lobste.rs:
You are not even trying. When you try alternative such as Comaps, you discover that there are many many ways in which Google Maps sucks: ever tried planning bikepacking trips or walking treks with Google Maps? Ever used Google Maps in a forest? It sucks. Every solutions shines in a given context. Saying "but Google Maps is superior" is simply false. The fact that most people, including those in tech, cannot see it is a huge problem.
How to Think About Asia in 2026.
Asia is no longer primarily an arena – it is an actor (or a set of actors) capable to effect change not just in Asia, but around the world.
Naaaa![^1].
Build a better mousetrap. Have an enviable marriage. Start a country. No one is born with it, everyone can learn it, and it’s never too late.
[^1]: Not another article about AI.
“An AI Agent Published a Hit Piece on Me.”
An AI agent of unknown ownership autonomously wrote and published a personalized hit piece about me after I rejected its code, attempting to damage my reputation and shame me into accepting its changes into a mainstream python library. This represents a first-of-its-kind case study of misaligned AI behavior in the wild, and raises serious concerns about currently deployed AI agents executing blackmail threats.
buntesAT ist eine Monatszeitschrift, die in Österreich produziert wird. Schwerpunkt der Zeitschrift ist die Sichtbarmachung von unterrepräsentierten Menschen, Themen und Meinungen im Land.
