2020
Looking for a new magazine? I wrote about three favourites of mine. 🤓
Autumn comes when the ospreys leave. 🍂
Working like this might actually tempt me back into a proper job.
Probably not, mind. But it could.
Once you know an AI is grading your work — you can game it.
The next decade is just going to be a long series of disasters as people try to use AI where they really shouldn’t, isn’t it?
On social media pile-ons
Moreover, I’ve learned not to join in with Twitter pile-ons, or insult or mock people I disagree with. This is partly because I have no wish to add to the febrile atmosphere that permeates social media at the moment, and which I think is poisoning so much of our public debate. It’s also because the moment that you insult or belittle someone, the opportunity for progress in the discussion is lost because they’re not going to be open to anything else you say. Why should they?
Written four years ago. Still insightful. Still true.
This “shed” is basically pornography for writers.
The absolute genius of “Black Lives Matter” as a phrase is that its very existence provokes evidence of its need, as people react negatively to what should be a simple statement of fact.
My procrastination is weird. For example, I’ve nearly finished what will become issue 2 of Coffee & Complexity — but I’ve barely started issue 1.
🤦🏼♂️
I’m doing my best to keep the bird feeders topped up today. The sudden cold snap means they’ll be looking for food more urgently - and some of them will be preparing to migrate.
Some interesting thoughts on the future of newsletters.
I certainly think many newsletters resemble blogs - but many are nothing like them, too.
I’m glad people are starting to talk about this. The coffee cup and plastic bag situation has reversed years of work, and that’s before you get to plastic disposable masks:
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall: The pandemic plastic crisis? It’s horrendous