Firehose

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Fediverse Bluesky

Was eating dinner and various cables and USBs kept getting stuck to the magnet in my hand.

Such a first-world cyborg problem.

(I’ve just realised this honestly sounds like some sort of satire and not an actual experience I had.)

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Fediverse Bluesky

I think the main reason I prefer e-readers to paper books (beyond my love for e-ink as a technology) is the fact that I can bring up the definition and etymology of a word.

Of course, not having to prop open the book I’m reading while lying semi-comatose is another benefit.

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New post published:
Improving Early Kindles

I will never let it rest.

A guide wrapper about how to bring old Kindles, such as the Kindle Keyboard, as well as the Kindle 4, and Kindle 5 up to speed a bit to be usable in the modern era. Covering screensaver hacks, improved font handling, and more comprehensive customisablity with KOReader.

https://vale.rocks/posts/improving-early-kindles

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Fediverse Bluesky

I kinda miss the days when sites would get complete redesigns pretty much annually. It kept the web feeling fresh and cutting edge.

I suppose it was simpler to do everything over when all it took was a bit of hacking away with HTML and CSS.

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Fediverse Bluesky

Google has a secret ‘Forums’ tab that exclusively returns results from forums and discussion boards. You just need to append the query “udm=18” to the URL.

e.g https://www.google.com/search?q=JPEG+XL&udm=18

Further, and as you’re likely aware, you can use “utm=14” for a simpler set of results devoid of cruft such as knowledge panels and AI slop. It is reminiscent of the Google of old.

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New post published:
An Inventory of Lexical Loves

A wonderous wealth of words.

A collection of my favourite words (as defined by their extreme specificity, enjoyment to say, and overall zaniness) presented with definitions and in some cases their etymologies and my justification for inclusion. Including quality terms including defenestration, vellichor, contronym, bloviate, and schlock.

https://vale.rocks/posts/an-inventory-of-lexical-loves

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New post published:
The Flow State

The hypnotic trance of productivity.

A description and look at the productive trance that is the flow state (AKA zen state). An attempt at capturing in words the essence of complete cognitive immersion and the enthralling rush it brings.

https://vale.rocks/posts/the-flow-state

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Fediverse Bluesky

Friendly reminder you can chuck document.designMode = "on"; in your browser console, and it’ll let you directly edit the text of the current page.

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Fediverse Bluesky

I was thinking about the other future today. The one where Microsoft didn’t get done for having a monopoly, and we all searched the web using Bing via Internet Explorer.

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Fediverse Bluesky LinkedIn

I misinput a value in one of my recent articles, so it stated the post was revised in February rather than January.

Out of the thousands of viewers, only one person caught it and pointed this out to me.

It is so important to get fresh eyes on things and to seek feedback.

Remember: For every person who reports an issue, there are likely dozens or hundreds (or even thousands) who noticed but stayed quiet.

https://pointersgonewild.com/2019/11/02/they-might-never-tell-you-its-broken/

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LinkedIn

Bad AI-generated images are a guaranteed way to cheapen your content and drive away users. Creating high-quality visual content is essential for engaging your audience. Take the time to make something good, or don’t bother at all. Quality matters.

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Fediverse Bluesky

In the same vein as “Is it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all?” I propose:

Is it better to make something and have it scraped for an AI or to have never made anything at all?

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Fediverse Bluesky

My links page has been going really well!

  • My analytics show consistent visits, which indicates to me that people are coming back to check out more cool sites.
  • I’ve been enjoying exploring all my bookmarks and archives to add to it.
  • People are checking out cool, unique websites.

https://vale.rocks/links

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LinkedIn

😀 🤪 🤩

I had a great time building the website for Revolt’s Mutant Remix emoji pack! The project was all about blending creativity with functionality to showcase these fun and quirky emojis. It’s great fun capturing that energy in a site!

I designed and developed the site using my static site generator, Adduce, creating a simple, accessible layout that captures the playful spirit of the pack. It was a fun challenge to bring the emojis to life online!

Check out the website here: https://mutant.revolt.chat