@ekohilas @gdayitsjack Someone give them a toadstool to sit on...

Ever driven the same car or used the same camera or power drill for 8-10 years and thought: "I wish all these buttons and levers were suddenly in different places and did different things"?

Yeah. Me neither.

This is a toot about operating systems.

⚠️ Everything Open 2026 is NEXT WEEK! ⚠️

Final preparations are underway for Canberra.

A few quick reminders:

🍽️ Check your dashboard: Please ensure your dietary requirements are correct ASAP so we can finalise numbers with our caterers!

💬 Join the chat: Jump into our Matrix room (Everything Open - General Discussion) to meet fellow attendees and plan BOFs. https://matrix.to/#/#everythingopen:matrix.org

See you there! 🐧✨

#EO2026
#EverythingOpen

Just published my latest #cybersecurity newsletter for Australian seniors. This time it's about avoiding scams.

If you know anyone who could benefit from the information (they don't have to be Australian) then please share.

There is a comment button for people to ask questions which I am happy to answer.

https://staysafeonline.substack.com/p/be-vigilant-to-avoid-scams

"We had to remove the president and his wife because he's a criminal the people hate" is quite a line for the US to take right now.

Disappointed to discover that FreeIPA does not mean what I hoped it meant. #Security #NoFreeBeer

https://www.freeipa.org/page/Main_Page

Issue 48 of my newsletter ships later today. It includes a markdownlint tutorial. Subscribe at https://newsletter.bphogan.com/ to get the latest issue in your inbox.

#TILD

If you create epub files one easy way to install ebubcheck is to install ruby and then `gem install epubcheck-ruby`

It installs a script called `epubcheck`.

https://www.w3.org/publishing/epubcheck/about/

Just come across this nice vid that introduces the Diátaxis approach to #TechDocs. I'd always thought it looked cool was but unsure what it meant.

#TechnicalWriting #Docum
entation

https://youtu.be/t4vKPhjcMZg?si=qKVVM2zluXQyOYS5

See also https://diataxis.fr/

Well that came down to the wire! I threw one attempt away in frustration.

Wordle 1,641 6/6

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Just posted my fortnightly "Cyber security for Australian seniors" newsletter.

https://alecthegeek.substack.com/p/ai-and-cyber-security

(but the next one is a month away because it's Christmas.

#CyberSecurity

@n0kovo

We've all been there, are there now, and will be there in the future

Sunday morning trains in #Melbourne are the least frequent in Australia. Long waiting times mean connections are difficult and make public transport less attractive than driving. More trains = less traffic.

@catsalad I actually use more than just the Fedi. On Sundays my wife and I hang out and read books made of paper.

Every so often, for added realism, I'll drop an ad I've cut out from a magazine on top of the page she's reading so she has to swipe it away; sometimes she'll charge me a dollar before I can read further.

#Accessibility

Why we need to design our software, products, and documentation for EVERYONE

https://youtube.com/shorts/a5LzrKtK2Yg

I help Australian seniors with cyber security and see the results of careless UX design every day. It's horrific.

Just had to complete my 1st age verification test under the new AU laws. Biometric based.

Now let's wait for even more of my PII to leak.

Not happy. I would have preferred to use myGov app and Trust Exchange (except it's not working yet) instead of handing more PII to another foreign commercial org.

(Yes, I know I can't trust Gov either, but lesser of two evils?)

https://www.biometricupdate.com/202412/australia-piloting-mygov-app-and-trust-exchange-for-sharing-medical-data

#Privacy #Under16SocialMediaBan

Just posted my fortnightly personal #CyberSecurity newsletter.

As it's December this one is about avoiding Christmas scams

https://alecthegeek.substack.com/p/tis-the-season-to-be-careful

@whitequark People say they want the *resource usage* of an Apollo Guidance Computer. But when you also give them the *user interface* of the Apollo Guidance Computer, they aren't very happy.

WSL stands for Worcestershire Sauce for Linux,

So it seems to me that American First Nations people should start deporting white folks

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/28/elaine-miles-actor-ice-detained-id-fake