Started reading: The New Censorship by Ayala Panievsky 📚

My notes from a fascinating but worrying talk between Emily Maitlis and my colleague Dr Ayala Panievsky about how populist politicians manipulate media to shift the conversation in their direction – and what journalists can do about it.

Worrying stuff, but with some hope.

Two women are engaged in conversation at a seated event, with books titled The New Censorship on a table between them.

24 years ago, I started blogging.

That’s nearly a quarter of a century.

It will be one of the defining activities of my life. And I'’d never have predicted that back in 2001.

Another rat ogre done and dusted, yesyes.

Basing time.

#warhammer

A detailed miniature figure of a fearsome, armored rat-like creature wielding a futuristic weapon stands on a painted base.A detailed miniature model of a mechanical, rat-like creature with intricate steampunk elements and a green cloak is mounted on a circular base.A detailed model of a mutant creature with mechanical elements and a large weapon stands in a dynamic pose against a blurred background.

IT BEGINS

A collection of small evergreen trees is arranged outdoors near a brick building, with various potted plants and gardening supplies in the background.

Weekend treat.

A plate containing poached eggs, sausages, bacon, and a toasted bagel.

It was a rainy Hallowe’en in old London Town last night.

2001: the year blogging changed the world – but it would be decades before we realised how much.

And I’m no longer as sure as I was that it was a good thing.

Meanwhile, my eldest is raiding my badge collection from the 70s/80s.

A collection of vintage pins and badges featuring various designs and logos is displayed on a wooden surface.

Doing some half-term Hallowe’en crafts…

A painted wooden cauldron with a grinning face and a wooden pumpkin are displayed on a table with paint supplies.

Emily Maitlis is somewhere in this scrum…

A group of people is gathered in an auditorium, engaging in conversations and taking photos.

Packed house for this discussion between Emily Maitlis and Dr Ayala Panievsky, despite a long day of teaching/learning…

A large lecture hall is filled with people attending a talk between Emily Maitlis and Ayala Panievsky, with a screen displaying the title “Journalism under attack”.

Listening to Emily Maitlis interviewing my colleague Ayala Panievsky about her new book The New Censorship.

Two people are sitting at a table with books titled The New Censorship, engaging in a discussion while someone takes a photo.

This morning I feel like a hoopy frood who really knows where his towel is.

It won’t last.

I thought we had autumnal mist forming outside the swimming pool, but as soon as I went outside, the smell told me it was someone burning something. And it’s still two weeks from bonfire night!

A pathway curves around a lush forested area with trees displaying autumn foliage under a cloudy sky.A cloudy sky looms over a landscape filled with trees, some showing hints of autumn foliage.

Bright, cold autumn morning.

Sunlit green leaves are in the foreground with a tall pine cone-shaped object and a car in the background.

Ten years ago this would have been very exciting to me: Movable Type 9 Released.

But then they started charging $499 for a licence, and MT and I were done. But I have a lot of nostalgia for it. It was MT that really made me fall in love with blogging.

That feeling when you realise that your Reddit account is older than many of your students…

A Reddit notification celebrates Cake Day for user u/adders, marking their 19th anniversary on the platform with cake and party emojis.

As a long-term enjoyer of titles based on classic UK tv shows, @paulrobertlloyd’s latest travel post made me smile:

Last of the Summer Shine.

John Naughton being as brilliant as ever about the AI economic bubble:

⛓️ Is the AI bubble history repeating itself? Ask a chatbot

Make no mistake: the technology is going to be transformative, but we are in a bubble of over-hyped expectations and (crucially) valuations.