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# Knowledge Bundle for danthornton.net

An OKF v0.1 bundle generated from danthornton.net by the OKF for WordPress plugin.

# Concepts

* [10 Albums which changed my life…](10-albums-changed-life.md) - Get tagged on Facebook to write about 10 albums which changed my life, and end up with 1200 words on a blog about my selection
* [2019 – Back to Reading and Blogging](2019-back-to-reading-and-blogging.md) - Having made some good progress in various parts of my life, everything came to a bit of a halt at the end of 2018. Now it's finally time to get going again
* [30 Days of Vapes and Hijinks](30-days-of-vapes-and-hijinks.md) - In 30 days of vapes and hijinks, I've coped with stress, nights out and other challenges without being tempted by cigarettes. And saved £100s.
* [4 Months of Vaping](4-months-vaping.md) - Adding up the financial and health benefits of 4 months of vaping. So far it's hundreds of pounds, feeling fitter and not smelling of tobacco
* [50 Vapes of Days](50-vapes-days.md) - There are a variety of different studies and opinions which try to define how long it takes to form a new habit. From 21 days to 66 or 90, the answer varies. Probably because people do. So I don’t know how long you’ve stuck with something before it became a natural habit. But I’d be interested to find out. Certainly I’ve found that writing regularly about progress has been helpful, as I’m not someone who finds updating a spreadsheet on daily ‘quantified self metrics’ particularly enjoyable. But weekly updates on here remind me to keep going – even if I might […]
* [6 Weeks of Vaping](6-weeks-vaping.md) - Just a quick check in to keep tracking my vaping progress. Today is the 6 week mark, or 42 days since I last smoked a cigarette. Which is: 630 cigarettes not smoked. Roughly £315 of cigarettes not bought. Cost of vaping: Initial set up £92. Liquids and coils: £52. Total: £144. Saving: £171. Health cost of smoking averaged at 10 minutes of lifespan means 6,300 minutes more. Or 105 hours. Or 4.4 days. Likely at a higher level of health. And despite my resistance to mid-life Lycra, I’ve started exercising again. Just the 20+ press-ups and squats per day, but it’s […]
* [60 Days of Vaping](60-days-vaping.md) - Another update as I’ve now hit the two month mark since smoking my last cigarette. For the last 60 days, I’ve been happily vaping and I’m not even tempted when standing next to someone smoking tobacco. Which is nice. I’m still mainly on 12mg liquid, but have been starting to experiment with 6mg during the day, and it’s slowly becoming normal. At some point I’ll need to just make the switch permanently… 60 Days of Vaping Totals: 900 cigarettes not smoked. £450 of cigarettes not bought. Total cost of vaping so far: Kit £92. Liquids and coils £100.50. Total £192.50. Savings: […]
* [78 Days of Vape](78-days-vape.md) - Bit of an odd number, but I haven’t updated on my vaping/exercise progress in a while. Mainly because I took time away from work and the internet while my son visited. So my push up and squat routine continued, but supplemented by visits to the countryside, and massive ice cream desserts. So it’s 18 more days since my last cigarette. And it’s now 2 days since switching permanently to 6mg nicotine eliquid from 12mg. I’d mixed the two a bit to try and wean myself down in preparation. And then used the wrong strength liquid for a day out with my […]
* [8 Months With Vaping, Not Smoking](8-months-vaping-not-smoking.md) - It’s just about 8 months since I switched from smoking to vaping. I changed to stop my health declining, to avoid harming those around me, and to be able to lose the smell of old tobacco whereever I went after two decades of Marlboro abuse. Last time I updated was just after my 40th birthday. Since then a few things have changed. I’ve moved house to be closer to my son, which meant packing up everything I owned and renting a property for the first time in years. It’s also meaned relocating my business, and starting to build up a new […]
* [A great time for gaming. Unless your Xbox is dead.](a-great-time-for-gaming-unless-your-xbox-is-dead.md) - So Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is out, the sequel to one of my favourite first person shooters on the Xbox. When I got the first Bad Company game I spent ages trying to convince my friends to come over and join me from Call of Duty to little success, but now, due to exposure to Battlefield: 1943 via Xbox Live Arcade, they've all jumped on the Bad Company bus. And if that wasn't enough, the Stimulus Pack arrives tomorrow for Call of Duty, meaning that there's going to be a huge return to the game even from those splitters who went […]
* [A new era of bad neighbour disputes](a-new-era-of-bad-neighbour-disputes.md) - Life will change as neighbours end up arguing over radio frequencies for wifi and autonomous robot lawnmowers...
* [A particularly scary TED video about our drone future](a-particularly-scary-ted-video-about-our-drone-future.md) - Drone warfare is a reality, but the coming risks of autonomous and anonymous drones are tackled by author Daniel Suarez to chilling effect
* [A rare trip through Norfolk](a-rare-trip-through-norfolk.md) - One of the ironies of self-employment is that when you have the time to enjoy yourself, it’s normally because you’re not earning enough. And when things are going well for your income, you’re too busy to do anything else. It’s a constant balancing act which I still haven’t mastered, especially when other business commitments, side projects and hobbies can fill my time without leaving one or two rooms of the house. But what started as a short drive to a nearby record shop turned into a rare trip through Norfolk to the coast. My co-pilot and navigator seemed remarkably keen to […]
* [A Social Media Filter Bubble Is OK Right Now…](a-social-media-filter-bubble-is-ok-right-now.md) - It goes against my normal opinions, but during a global pandemic that is challenging for all of us, a social media filter bubble is OK right now
* [A Year of Vaping – Not Smoking. Savings Made, Lessons Learned](a-year-of-vaping-not-smoking-savings-made-lessons-learned.md) - The total savings, benefits and lessons learned from a year of vaping. And not smoking cigarettes since the first day I switched!
* [About Me](about-me.md) - Hello. I’m Dan. And I’m much better at writing about other people and their businesses, or about videogames and motorcycles than I am about writing about myself, which is why I’ll have to switch to the third person in a moment… Dan Thornton Bio: Dan Thornton has worked in digital content and marketing for more than a decade, and has worked with some of the UK’s largest media companies, and some of the most interesting small businesses. After finishing a degree and experimenting with building his first websites using a 486PC and a dial-up modem, he began working for Emap (Now […]
* [Absolutely essential viewing: The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz](absolutely-essential-viewing-internets-boy-story-aaron-swartz.md) - The documentary 'The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz' is simply essential viewing
* [The abundant opportunities of technology](abundant-opportunities-technology.md) - My optimistic view of technology has been boosted by a Wired article on Bitcoins and the homeless...
* [An interesting aspect of aging creativity….](an-interesting-aspect-of-aging-creativity.md) - Given all the focus on creativity and entrepreneurship by those under the age of 30, here’s something interesting for those of us getting older… As some people age and begin to lose cognitive abilities, they start to express previously hidden artistic talents. It’s not all good news, as the article from The Atlantic suggests that it tends to be linked to issues like dementia. But it does mean that we should be exploring what people might be gaining as they grow older, more than what they are losing – and with family members with dementia, that’s a valuable thing in my […]
* [An Open Business book worth pre-ordering…](an-open-business-book-worth-pre-ordering.md) - Well worth pre-ordering The 10 Principles of Open Business by David Cushman and Jamie Burke if you want to change your business.
* [An Unexpected Gift…](an-unexpected-gift.md) - Just a quick post to say a public thank you to Tia at WhoAteMyCrayons. Not just for an unexpected present that arrived in the post yesterday, but also for being an awesome designer who I’m pleased to be able to work with on occasional projects and wholeheartedly recommend for others. And also for her amazing efforts with Digital People in Peterborough. But anyway, ignoring my terrible photography, here’s what I received… Anything that helps me plan more effectively and become more organised is always appreciated. Especially when it’s personalised, as an extra incentive to use it. Considering the common ‘January Blues’, […]
* [And now Typepad is shutting down](and-now-typepad-is-shutting-down.md) - A number of classic Web 2.0 services have disappeared over recent months and years. And now Typepad is shutting down on Sep 30, 2025
* [Appearing on Econsultancy – thanks Google…](appearing-econsultancy-thanks-google.md) - Just a quick one to share how proud I am to have been asked to comment on Google’s recent keyword and search algorithm changes not once, but twice, for the Econsultancy site. Econsultancy, Sep 2013: ‘Google’s new ‘Hummingbird’ search algorithm: the experts’ view’ Econsultancy, Sep 2013: Google’s keyword data apocalypse: the experts’ view Both are great articles as they bring a number of very insightful people together from the search and marketing worlds.  
* [Apple’s new Mac Pro Cinema Trailer](apples-new-mac-pro-cinema-trailer.md) - I've always been anti-Apple as a user, but I've always admired their talent for cool products and communications. The new Mac Pro Trailer continues that
* [Are Vloggers Growing Up and Facing the Creative Economy?](are-vloggers-growing-up-and-facing-the-creative-economy.md) - A response to 'Get Rich of Die Vlogging' from someone who has made a living from creating work online for years without becoming a famous millionaire
* [Awesome books in the Amazon Spring Sale](awesome-books-in-the-amazon-spring-sale.md) - 7 great books which cover fiction, marketing, business, technology and more. Legendary authors, great writing, interesting topics. Get all 7 for under £10
* [Awesome Star Wars / A-Team mash-up](awesome-star-wars-a-team-mash-up.md) - Found via http://thepiratesdilemma.com/we-invented-the-remix/amazing
* [Back to the Furure?](back-to-the-furure.md) - Typos happen in print and on the web. Always worth a chuckle, and should always be a learning experience for those involved, not a disciplinary one…
* [Bauer Media acquires Absolute Radio – thoughts from an ex-employee of both](bauer-media-acquires-absolute-radio-thoughts-from-an-ex-employee-of-both.md) - Plenty has been written about the scale and numbers of the Absolute Radio acquisition by Bauer Media, but what about company culture and innovation?
* [Been reading: The Leopard by Jo Nesbo](been-reading-the-leopard-by-jo-nesbo.md) - It’s been funny seeing the huge popularity of Scandinavian crime novels follow by own introduction to the genre by a Swedish ex-girlfriend. Spending more than a decade together meant that I had a reasonable insight into Swedish culture when I was introduced to the original Wallander series and films. That was followed by going back to the original source, the Martin Beck novels by Per Wahllo and Maj Sjowall. And also expanding my reading to other Scandinavian countries. I’ve obviously head of Jo Nesbo, but only got around to reading my first Harry Hole novel when The Leopard: A Harry Hole […]
* [Been watching: Jonah Hex](been-watching-jonah-hex.md) - I’ve been a fan of films and comics since I can remember, and in recent years I honestly thought the days of terrible comic book films was over. I was wrong. Jonah Hex manages to be truly terrible. It’s badly paced, repeats the dramatic reason for seeking vengeance as if the viewer has amnesia, and manages to waste the talents of both John Malkovitch and Michael Fassbender. On top of that, two Western films with John Brolin came out in 2010, and the other was the fine Coen brothers remake of True Grit. Even someone like me, that thought Green Lantern […]
* [Big Success for Peterborough STEM Fest 2016](big-success-peterborough-stem-fest-2016.md) - It's just over a week since the first Peterborough STEM Fest 2016, and I'm still getting over how good it was.
* [Birthday Books 2020](birthday-books-2020.md) - It's been an oddly subdued celebration, but my birthday books 2020 give me a couple of great science fiction novels to enjoy...
* [Bitten by the bugs – mostly mosquitos](bitten-bugs-mostly-mosquitos.md) - Testing two treatments for mosquito bites. One is an anti-inflammatory, while the other involves making a donation to an anti-malaria charity
* [Blog post picked up by the Peterborough Telegraph](blog-post-picked-up-by-the-peterborough-telegraph.md) - Quite nice to be asked by the local Peterborough Telegraph if they could publish a recent blog post on TheWayoftheWeb, ‘Why your business must own its content‘, on their Peterborough Today website. Also nice to be quoted in a good article on Search Engine Watch asking how much SEO Reporting is too much?
* [Books I Read In 2019](books-i-read-in-2019.md) - A rundown of the 15 Books I Read In 2019 - including sci fi, physics, economics and psychology and some creative inspiration
* [Brilliant inspirational speech by Tim Minchin…](brilliant-inspirational-speech-tim-minchin.md) - Really good advice here…
* [Business Poison by Jonathan MacDonald](business-poison-jonathan-macdonald.md) - Review of the new book 'Business Poison' by Jonathan MacDonald - essential reading for intrapreneurs, business owners and managers
* [Buzzfeed use one of my photos (With permission…)](buzzfeed-use-one-photos-permission.md) - Quite nice to see a picture I took earlier this year end on on the Buzzfeed site. Their listicle compiles 18 magazine and print layout disasters from 2013. And the contribution I made was from a local paper earlier this year, which I blogged about here. It’s always interesting to see the coverage you can get by making a £20 or so investment in a domain name and some basic hosting…
* [Capturing audio won’t help personal lives](capturing-audio-wont-help-personal-lives.md) - A new wristband wearable for capturing audio brings to mind potential problems with privacy and human nature, as highlighted in Makers by Cory Doctorow
* [Cars in Electric Dreams…](cars-in-electric-dreams.md) - I love the progress of technology, but can't help feeling sad when I envisage the future of the internal combustion engine
* [Cat Herding](cat-herding.md) - It's what I see myself doing a lot as well…
* [Celebrating crap photos and difficult books](celebrating-crap-photos-and-difficult-books.md) - It’s a little over 6 months since I tried to explain learning photography in an age of generative AI. And in that time I’ve taken some photos which are reasonably decent. And some that utterly terrible. But that’s not a bad thing. If you look closely at the photo below, you may just about notice a small robin despite the overwhelming presence of a bush and fence dominating the picture. It’s objectively not a very good photo, despite being one of the better ones I took at the time. And I’m fine with that. Despite the fact I could have prompted […]
* [Changing My Habits and Finding Which Methods Worked](changing-my-habits.md) - Results of my personal attempt at changing my habits, using willpower, public validation and a mobile app on three different goals I wanted to achieve
* [Congrats to the Peterborough STEM Festival Team](congrats-to-the-peterborough-stem-festival-team.md) - Sharing some congratulations for the Peterborough STEM Festival team after they were awarded a Pride in Peterborough award for Volunteer / Voluntary Group
* [Connecting with family at Chatham Historic Dockyard](connecting-family-chatham-historic-dockyard.md) - I made my first visit to Chatham Historic Dockyard on Sunday. Having grown up in the area, the dockyard originally closed when I was a child, and it’s taken my son reaching the same age to provide the catalyst for not only me to visit, but also to get my dad along, as a former employee there. Partly it was fascinating to not only see the displays, the two ships in dry dock, and particularly to go on board HM Submarine Ocelot, but also to talk to my dad about what it was like when he was working there – including […]
* [Contact](contact.md) - If you’re a real human being who’d like to get in touch, please do. Please don’t get in touch if you’re a: Recruiter Spammer Agency wishing to offer me a free audit to get me to #1 on the Google With the greatest respect, I reserve the right to share and republish the messages of anyone disregarding the above.  If you’re interested in sending me something to review or test, that’s great. As a matter of course, all links arising from any commercial arrangement or review process will be disclosed as such and no-followed.
* [Cookie Policy](cookie-policy.md) - Cookie Policy This is the Cookie Policy for DanThornton.net. What Are Cookies? Most websites use cookies, which are tiny files downloaded to your computer, to allow the website to function and improve your experience. This page describes what information they gather, how it’s usedt and why it’s needed to store these cookies. We’ll also share how you can prevent these cookies from being stored, however, this may downgrade or ‘break’ certain elements of the site’s functionality. For more general information on cookies see the Wikipedia article on HTTP Cookies. How Do We Use Cookies? We use cookies for a variety of […]
* [This is cool – Robotic Jumper Making Loom](cool-robotic-jumper-making-loom.md) - Not only is a robotic loom which can make jumpers in an hour pretty cool, but the price for something like this is starting to make sense
* [Cool video explains the beginning of the universe. A bit…](cool-video-explains-the-beginning-of-the-universe-a-bit.md) - Cool animated 3-minute video from a CERN physicist explains the beginning of the universe. For beginners. Proving once more, Youtube ain't just cat videos
* [Could technology end vegetarianism?](could-technology-end-vegetarianism.md) - I’m not actually sure ‘vegetarianism’ is a word, but on the bright side, according to Wiktionary, the collective noun for a group of meat-avoiders is apparently ‘a sprig of vegetarians’, which is quite cool. Either way, I was intrigued by coverage earlier this week of Modern Meadow, which in shorthand summary will use 3D Printing to create a meat product. And I’d heard about food database companies like Foodpairing, but what caught my eye in this GigaOm report was the news that only is there a company making a plant-based meat substitute, but that it’s already on sale! That’s right, apparently […]
* [Couldn’t use Flickr, even if I wanted to…](couldnt-use-flickr-even-wanted.md) - Yahoo seem to be actively stopping me from using their products with non-existent security codes that never arrive
* [Crawling out from under an email avalanche](crawling-out-from-under-an-email-avalanche.md) - During a period of poor health, my inboxes all became overwhelmingly full, but I'm finally crawling out from under an email avalanche
* [Crowdsourcing and copyright](crowdsourcing-copyright.md) - There’s an interesting app called Film Crew which I happened to see mentioned online, which allows anyone with a smartphone to be involved in shooting films and videos by following shared instructions. It’s made by Koburn, an interesting company which allows businesses etc to gather phone footage to be made into videos by their professional editors. The app also allows you to organise your own film crew from friends and family, and then share it online or order it on DVD. There’s a lot of talk for brands about empowering engagement, brand influencers, and premium marketing content, and it does seem […]
* [David Cameron on Twitter](david-cameron-on-twitter.md) - Just a classic (Disclosure is that I work for Absolute Radio, and spent enough time posting this elsewhere that I forgot to include it here!)
* [David Heinemeier Hansson on your life’s work](david-heinemeier-hansson-on-your-lifes-work.md) - I’d be happy if 37signals is the last place I work…. Committing myself to this long-term focus has led to a peaceful work atmosphere and an incredible clarity of purpose. If this is the last job I’ll ever have, I damn well better make sure that I like it. I won’t just tough things out. If you’re not committed to your life’s work in a company and with people you could endure for decades, are you making progress on it? David Heinemeier Hansson from a post about work at 37Signals. Since working for myself, I’ve noticed a similar process going on, […]
* [Dealing with router issues](dealing-with-router-issues.md) - An inconvenient reminder of how much I rely on the internet for life, as much as work. Trust internet outages to occur at the start of a Bank Holiday....
* [Dear Flickr…](dear-flickr.md) - Flickr is still great, particularly the amazing 'Recent Photos'. But why does it seem Creative Commons licensing has languished when it's so useful?
* [The Digital Generation Gap in 3 sentences…](digital-generation-gap-3-sentences.md) - How planning a cinema trip perfectly illustrates the digital divide between my parents, my son and me. And sums it up in 3 sentences.
* [DPiP is back on April 10th, 2014](dpip-back-april-10th-2014.md) - Digital People in Peterborough returns with an important event on Thursday, April 10th, 2014.
* [End of the Silk Road](end-of-the-silk-road.md) - Thoughts on Silk Road and the life sentence for Ross Ulbricht
* [Ephemeral media is here to not stay](ephemeral-media-stay.md) - Snapchat and other ephermal media networks are not only big, but also serve a valuable service to teens and young adults in a permanently online world...
* [Everything is Derek Siver’s fault…](everything-is-derek-sivers-fault.md) - Really nice post by Derek Sivers about how empowering it is to take responsibility for what happens, and admit it’s all your fault. Yes, the word “responsibility” is more accurate, but it’s such a serious 6-syllable word, whereas “everything’s my fault” is a fun rule-of-thumb, and gets me singing Nirvana’s “All Apologies”. Try it on. Stand up, open the window, look out at the world and shout, “Everything is my fault!” Think of every bad thing that happened to you, and say it again.  
* [The Facebook Dilemma summed up in two headlines](facebook-dilemma-summed-two-headlines.md) - Two articles published within 24 hours of each other show the dilemma facing Facebook, and every user of its services
* [Fascinating 15 Minute Wired Documentary on Shenzhen](fascinating-15-minute-wired-documentary-shenzhen.md) - A great 15 minutes Wired Future Cities Documentary on Shenzhen, described as the Silicon Valley of Hardware
* [Fascinating Read About Target Markets in Videogames](fascinating-read-about-target-markets-in-videogames.md) - There’s an interesting article by Sergey Galyonkin on Medium titled, Your Target Audience Doesn’t Exist, and looking at how PC gaming data from Steam shows that there’s a ‘World of Warcraft’ audience, rather than one for MMORPGs, and a ‘DOTA 2’ audience rather than one for MOBA gaming. So the result is that certain games create a specific market, but when companies and marketers plan releases, they assume there’s a general market for MMORPGs, MOBAs, First-Person Shooters etc, and that they just need to capture a percentage of it. Which doesn’t actually exist. In addition to the data Sergey provides on […]
* [Fathers Day 2020 In Lockdown](fathers-day-2020-in-lockdown.md) - Catching up on my reading and other entertainment, vaping, 3 years of non-smoking, and celebrating Fathers Day 2020 in Lockdown
* [Fenceless farming and flexible technology](fenceless-farming-and-flexible-technology.md) - I was fascinated by this article on The Atlantic website about virtual ‘fences’ and how they could change farming. By using a combination of GPS and deterrents, livestock could be moved around a territory to the best places for natural resources in real-time, which opens up a lot of possibilities for areas which were cost-prohibitive, as well as increased collaboration by groups of livestock owners, for example. It’s well worth taking a look – I tend to find I get more inspired by seeing how technology is being used in non-marketing applications, and then applying that to my own areas of […]
* [Ferris Bueller’s tip for digital businesses](ferri-buellers-tip-for-digital-businesses.md) - The question isn’t “what are we going to do,” the question is “what aren’t we going to do?” It’s all about focus. Sadly I still can’t afford a Ferrari 250GT Spyder California. Then again, neither could the makers of the film, as for understandable reasons a kit car was used for everything except the still garage shots. Not really surprising when a real one was bought at auction by presenter/DJ Chris Evans for just under $11 million, making it the most expensive car ever sold at auction.
* [Films of the past week](films-of-the-past-week.md) - This week I've watched Searching for Sugar Man, Bad Teachers, Brothers Grimm and The Expendables 2
* [First problems since joining GiffGaff](first-problems-since-joining-giffgaff.md) - At the start of November, I signed up to UK virtual mobile operator GiffGaff, as I’d just got a new unlocked HTC and wanted to finally see what the community-supported network was all about. Everything has been fine until today, when I can see and connect to the O2 network it runs on, and receive text messages, but not send anything or access any data. I’d have normally assumed it was lack of credit, aside from the fact the package I chose specifically came with free texts and free data. So it’s my first experience of their community support model – […]
* [For musicians](for-musicians.md) - I have a fair number of talented musicians as friends. Quite often I’ve seen them posting some of the popular image memes around people not paying for music anymore, despite paying for a cup of coffee. I explain that I don’t buy CDs much any more, aside from the occasional secondhand bargain. But I do pay directly to a variety of artists for their work, even if I can already access it via Spotify or I’ve already downloaded it, and I’m increasingly buying gig tickets, merchandise and other items. This TED talk by Amanda Palmer has just been posted, and I […]
* [Friendships and social media](friendships-and-social-media.md) - I’ve just spent a  great day with a friend I hadn’t seen in 20 years, thanks to re-connecting on Facebook. A few years ago, the same thing happened when someone I knew in America appeared online, and I’d lost his contact information a decade earlier. That wouldn’t have happened when I was a teenager, or at least would have been a far rarer occurrence. Especially when it comes to staying connected with friends in other countries and continents. That’s the good side of social media which stands out. The flip side is the fact it potentially enables obsessive stalking, social engineering […]
* [From Co-founder To Director At DPiP CiC In Just 15 Years](from-co-founder-to-director-at-dpip-cic-in-just-15-years.md) - I’m pleased to share that after a vote at the recent AGM, I’m now officially a Director at Digital People in Peterborough CiC (Community Interest Company) just 15 years after I originally suggested some internet nerds might want to meet up and hang out. Things have changed a lot since then. Back in October 2010 it was an informal meeting in the pub. Now it’s a CiC with three existing Directors organising Peterborough STEM Festival and multiple related events throughout the year, along with our monthly DPiP meetups. Other local groups have come and gone, funding has become more challenging, and […]
* [Gear](gear.md) - I’d originally listed out the hardware and software I use in case anyone was interested, but realised how dry that was. So instead I’ve interviewed myself in the style of The Setup. Except for my gaming collection, which I’m assuming is of more interest to those who favour lists. What hardware do you use? PC: Chillblast Fusion Scimitar Custom Specs. Monitor: 27″ Asus VP278H Full HD Gaming Monitor, MSI Optix G32CQ4 Curved Gaming Monitor, and an vertical Dell monitor. Keyboard: Razer Ornata V2 Mouse: Trust GXT960 gaming mouse Mousepad: Titanwolf XX Speed Gaming Mouse Pad Headset: Roccat Kave XTD My first […]
* [Good article on our robotic future](good-article-on-our-robotic-future.md) - Really nice article on Wired about the implications of our robotic future by Kevin Kelly, discussing how we need to be looking at working with robots performing most work currently done by humans. We need to let robots take over. They will do jobs we have been doing, and do them much better than we can. They will do jobs we can’t do at all. They will do jobs we never imagined even needed to be done. And they will help us discover new jobs for ourselves, new tasks that expand who we are. They will let us focus on becoming […]
* [The Great eVape – One Week On](great-evape-one-week.md) - Despite the fact I’ll soon run out of terrible puns, I figured it might be worth a quick update on my vaping exploits after the first week. Since sharing on social media that I’d swapped from cigarettes, an ever-increasing number of friends have revealed they’ve been vaping for a while. And the advice and encouragement doesn’t hurt when it comes to switching from tobacco, and then reducing the nicotine levels.   Vaping Week One: The first result has been financial. My starter including liquids cost me £70 (you can get a cheaper deal online, but I wanted to ask questions etc […]
* [Great night out at #DPiP](great-night-out-at-dpip.md) - Last night involved lots of good food and conversation as the second annual ‘Digital People in Peterborough Pre-Christmas Curry Night’ took place at the Banyan Tree restaurant in town. Ably organised by Jonathan, we had a good turn out of 18 people who braved the cold weather to enjoy some nice food, drinks and general chat about working online, mobile phone technology, which pub to go to after the meal, and which animal tail you’d pick to have! It was great to spend some time with familiar faces and some new attendees… It’s also the first time we’ve really used Google+ […]
* [Great TED talk by Rory Sutherland](great-ted-talk-by-rory-sutherland.md) - Really interesting to have a reminder of how you can look at things quite differently.
* [It’s Great When You Vape, Yeah](great-vape-yeah.md) - So I’ve just gone past 3 weeks since my last cigarette. And I’m still surprised at how easy it’s been. When I’m low on nicotine, my foolish brain still occasionally reverts to thinking about tobacco, but it’s only around half the time. And it goes as soon as I’ve spend a few moments vaping – which is slowly becoming what my lizard brain associates with my addiction. The plan is to continue on 12mg vape liquid until I associate any cravings with vaping rather than smoking. At which point I’m going to switch down to 6mg during the day, which means […]
* [Has Bloomberg killed its long articles with video?](has-bloomberg-killed-its-long-articles-with-video.md) - Bloomberg seems to have embedded a live video stream in an ever-present toolbar, making it a constant distraction for its own articles
* [Have you taken the WordPress 2013 Survey?](have-you-taken-the-wordpress-2013-survey.md) - Take the WordPress 2013 now, plus details of how to watch the live stream of WordCamp 2013, on July 26-27, 2013 in San Francisco
* [The highs and lows of bootstrapping a business](highs-lows-bootstrapping-business.md) - Bootstrapping a business from nothing sounds fantastic. But it's easy to get caught up in the romantic ideal and not prepare for the bad times
* [Hurry up, Google Glass](hurry-google-glass.md) - As I'm getting older and wearing glasses becomes inevitable, Google Glass is starting to get more tempting
* [I didn’t realise there was an autopost to Tumblr option…](i-didnt-realise-there-was-an-autopost-to-tumblr-option.md) - This might mean that both sites get updated more often, just as using Diigo to save bookmarks has autoposted across to Delicious, and revitalised my interest in both services.
* [Why it’s important to do what you love…](important-love.md) - The benefit of being able to do the things you love - Neil deGrasse Tyson and Gaiman
* [Imposter Syndrome Can Be Really Weird](imposter-syndrome-can-be-really-weird.md) - Imposter Syndrome can be really weird, occurring even when you've got plenty of experience in a task or profession
* [Improving my computer habits](improving-computer-habits.md) - It's never to late to make improvements, even after decades of using computers
* [Inspiration to Keep Pushing](inspiration-keep-pushing.md) - A lesson in life inspired by a video of Tony Hawk achieving a 900 degree skateboarding trick at the age of 48. And overcoming several failures on the way
* [Interesting article on a year without the internet…](interesting-article-on-a-year-without-the-internet.md) - Just been reading Paul Miller's account of spending 12 months without any internet access. Worth checking out
* [Interesting insights from James Dyson](interesting-insights-from-james-dyson.md) - Wired has a quick interview with James Dyson on their website. A few things stood out for me, beyond the design ideas that it’s about taking things away, and the current impetus is to make things more efficient and effective to reduce energy consumption etc… He started his company 20 years ago, at the age of 45. I seem to be collecting examples of people launching ideas and products in later life as I get older, to disprove the fact that all entrepreneurs, inventors and digital natives are 20 years old. He spends a bit of time justifying patents – I […]
* [Internet services I have loved and lost…](internet-services-i-have-loved-and-lost.md) - In 20 years of using the internet, there are less than a handful of services I truly miss. Find out which ones, and why?
* [Investing in my home workspace…](investing-in-my-home-workspace.md) - I've started making some affordable and cost-effective upgrades to start investing in my home workspace, and here are the results so far...
* [Investing In Some Home Office And Sim Racing Upgrades](investing-in-some-home-office-and-sim-racing-upgrades.md) - Time to improve my work and leisure time by investing in some home office and sim racing upgrades
* [Is Amazon killing Lovefilm?](is-amazon-killing-lovefilm.md) - Lovefilm will no longer offer videogame rentals. Sound business move? Future-proofing? Or a sign of Amazon influence?
* [Is it goodbye to Ello, another niche network gone?](is-it-goodbye-to-ello-another-niche-network-gone.md) - After almost 10 years, it seems another smaller social service might be closing. Is it goodbye to Ello, another niche network gone?
* [Is Mobile Dead?](is-mobile-dead.md) - The latest mobile handset figures predict a slowdown to under 10% for new sales. Presumably this means mobile is as dead as tablets and desktop PCs?
* [It’s Time For Peterborough STEM Festival 2018](its-time-for-peterborough-stem-festival-2018.md) - October is always a big month for me. It was the month that I originally started working for myself full-time, eight years ago. And by the end of the month, I’d realised that there didn’t seem to be a local network for people working in digital, particularly those working alone at home. So I happened to contact web developer Jonathan Frascella, and that led to the first Digital People in Peteborough meetup. Almost a decade later, and DPiP has continued to grow. The monthly meetup has expanded to 700+members and a non-profit company to support it. A few years ago, the […]
* [The Joy of Exploding Kittens](joy-exploding-kittens.md) - Sharing the Joy of Exploding Kittens after Christmas, and also testing some new affiliate and publishing plugins. But mostly about a fun family card game.
* [The joy of typos…](joy-typos.md) - A recent typo that made me chuckle. Might be the start of a series if I remember to share more, and don't make any mistakes myself...
* [Just realised that I can autpost to Tumblr…](just-realised-that-i-can-autpost-to-tumblr.md) - Autoposting to both Posterous and Tumblr means a benefit for content uploads for both sites – in the same way that Diigo has revived my interest in using Delicious.And it's inspired my latest post on www.140char.com.
* [Just testing something…](just-testing-something.md) - Just a quick test to see if something works… Here goes!
* [Last call for Movember donations…](last-call-movember-donations.md) - Last call for Movember donations
* [Learning for leisure…](learning-for-leisure.md) - I’ve planned to brush up on various skills and things I’ve wanted to learn for ages, and one of the joys of the joys of the internet is that there’s almost always a guide somewhere…
* [Lessons from Call of Duty…](lessons-from-call-of-duty.md) - I’ve just posted on FPSPrestige about my achievement in reaching Prestige Level 15 in Call of Duty Black Ops. If you’re not a gamer, or a Call of Duty fan, it means that essentially I worked my way from Level 1 to 50, unlocking perks, guns and weapon attachments. And I did that 15 times in a row. It also means in the past 2 years, I’ve spent almost 17 days actually in Call of Duty matches.   Whether or not you can identify, or you’re shaking your head at the idea of me wasting time on a videogame, there are […]
* [Linked consequences…](linked-consequences.md) - There's a commercial property boom in India due to the rise of eCommerce
* [Literal genius](literal-genius.md) - I'll admit that the singing is a little painful in some parts, but the idea and fit of the lyrics is brilliant… There needs to be an ongoing series…
* [Why I love cars and motorcycles…](love-cars-motorcycles.md) - Just replied to a question on Facebook, and wanted to share the reasons I gave for loving cars and motorcycles here. Partly because I increasingly want to make sure I’m storing more content on my own properties rather than a social network owned, controlled and generating revenue for someone else. And partly as a spur to remind me to expand on it sometime in the future. Q: People who are interested in cars. Why? Because they embody the potential freedom of being able to travel anywhere as long as you have some money for petrol, rather than being stuck where you […]
* [Made some changes…](made-some-changes.md) - It's easy to read about how to improve your life and just drift along doing the same old things expecting change to magically happen. Time to stop it!
* [Magic in everyday technology…](magic-in-everyday-technology.md) - There's something about the effortless and almost instant delivery of books to my Kindle that still strikes me as magical...
* [What Maplin and Toys R Us Need to Do](maplin-toys-r-us-need.md) - It's a pretty tough time for physical retail shops and businesses in the UK, between business rates, Brexit, and the weather. But the current problems for Toys R Us and Maplin fit with predictions I made 10+ years ago, and also have pretty clear potential solutions
* [Metronidazole And Vaping – Check Your Medicines](metronidazole-and-vaping-check-your-medicines.md) - A reminder to check for interactions between any prescription medication and vape eqliquids, after I discovered a potential risk when combining Metronidazole and Vaping. The antibiotic may interact with propylene glycol, with potentially serious side effects, and medical professionals aren't all vaping experts
* [Modern tablets are rubbish (for me…)](modern-tablets-rubbish.md) - I love almost every form of technology. And yet I hate tablets, and everything they stand for...
* [More June reading with Gibson and Stross](more-june-reading-with-gibson-and-stross.md) - Sharing my book reading list for June - Two novels, one non-fiction book and a collection of short stories.
* [Motorcycle inspiration… Identifying new market opportunities](motorcycle-inspirationidentifying-new-market-opprtunities.md) - Some motorcycle based inspiration with a new company aiming at a part of the market no-one seems to have identified for many years.
* [Movie truth is better than fiction…](movie-truth-is-better-than-fiction.md) - 3 films; Ironclad, Company of Man and The Challenger. One violent fairytale based on reality, one bland journey into unemployment, and one fascinating tale
* [Music to work to…](music-work.md) - Working in a home office has a number of benefits, including a relatively short commute of about 30 seconds in the morning. It also means I can be more flexible with my hours, which is a great advantage, although it means I’m often typing away alone. Being an only child and spending lots of time reading, writing and playing with computers means that solitude is a fairly natural state for me, but it’s also meant I’ve invested some time in working out the best soundtracks to have as background noise. I’ve got reasonably varied tastes from classic soul to punk and […]
* [My 5 all-time favourite graphic novels (this week)](my-5-all-time-favourite-graphic-novels-this-week.md) - My all-time list of graphic novels changes regularly, but here's what I'd pick right now as the ones that changed my life.
* [My favourite Cory Doctorow books…](my-favourite-cory-doctorow-books.md) - Someone recently asked me to recommend some books I’ve been reading, and when it comes to Cory Doctorow, I’ve probably re-read my favourites several times now. So rather than just sharing my personal picks in a private email, I figured I’d share them publicly. They’re all available as free downloads from his Craphound.com site, but whether you grab a PDF version or a Kindle file format, if you enjoy them, I’d urge you to buy a copy for friends or family, or to consider buying a copy which can be matched to a library or school which would like a copy. […]
* [My First Blog Post](my-first-blog-post.md) - Hello
* [My Longest and Most Favourite Email Chain](my-longest-and-most-favourite-email-chain.md) - How I've ended up in my longest and most favourite email chain in more than two decades online and it's reminded me of a few things
* [We all need to re-read The Long Tail again…](need-re-read-long-tail.md) - Can anyone explain the references to The Long Tail suggesting obscure products would sell more? That isn't in the book I read...
* [Who Needs A Mobile Telephone Anyway?](needs-mobile-telephone-anyway.md) - Last week, I needed to buy a new mobile phone. For a while, I’ve persisted with a slightly futile attempt to separate work and family communications by using two phones. And the aging HTC I relied on for personal calls finally gave up the ghost after several years of good service. The fact that most apps were no longer working didn’t really bother me. Aside from Twitter and Facebook, I occasionally remembered to check in to places with Swarm, used Google Maps, and occasionally got frustrated with the fact Instagram had stopped working ages ago. But I still liked the idea […]
* [Nice interview with Joss Whedon on getting things done…](nice-interview-with-joss-whedon-on-getting-things-done.md) - Nice interview with Joss Whedon on getting things done...
* [Nice post by Marco Arment on RSS, Interoperability and Social Networks](nice-post-by-marco-arment-on-rss-interoperability-and-social-networks.md) - Building on a post by Marco Arment, the question for me is not whether we should continue to strive for an open internet, but whether it can ever succeed?
* [Nice programme about videogames…](nice-programme-about-videogames.md) - Slightly pretentious in a BBC arts type programme – but also a good look at videogames in Britain. Particularly good on the open-ended landmarks – Elite, GTA etc. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00phmrs/Games_Britannia_Joystick_Generation/
* [Nice Seth Godin talk from World Maker Faire](nice-seth-godin-talk-world-maker-faire.md) - Nice Seth Godin talk from the 2012 World Maker Faire as a reminder about making things rather than replicating the work of others
* [No Wonder Spotify Needs More Data…](no-wonder-spotify-needs-more-data.md) - So Spotify has been experiencing a backlash after updating the terms and conditions of their service to access more user data. As always, the outcry will be short-lived unless the small percentage of paying users like myself actually stop a meaningful number of subscriptions. But it’s made me look again at the ‘Discover Weekly’ playlist that is automatically generated for me and it’s no wonder Spotify needs more data. 30 songs. And 11 or 12 of them I can immediately spot are artists I already have in playlists. 2 or 3 are songs I already have in playlists. And from the […]
* [Nokia and their vision for Augmented Reality](nokia-and-their-vision-for-augmented-reality.md) - Interesting to see how Augmented Reality could become more integrated as something useful, rather than the novelty element – not sure Nokia are quite there yet.
* [Now Google Is Shutting Down Keen After Almost Four Years](now-google-is-shutting-down-keen-after-almost-four-years.md) - Another experimental sharing site is ending, as now Google is shutting down Keen in March 2024 after four years
* [How one thing can lead to something totally different…](one-thing-can-lead-something-totally-different.md) - Interesting to see how a company called OpenSignal began measuring Android mobile phone battery performance, and after collecting data for 6 months, happened to realise that the same data correlated strongly to outside air temperature, leading to their development of an app called WeatherSignal for crowdsourcing the weather. You can read more on their site, and I picked up on the story via a weekly email sent out by Roo Reynolds, which always contains a mixture of interesting, odd, and Lego based articles.
* [Overheard on the Tube](overheard-on-the-tube.md) - 'Well, obviously we'd prefer to do it in daylight' I suspect this could turn into a series….
* [Patagonia ad shows a company taking a stand…](patagonia-ad-shows-company-taking-stand.md) - There’s lots of debates about corporate social responsibility, mission statements, and building a business around beliefs etc. But this advert by Patagonia is pretty clear. It’s increasingly clear that a company either has an obvious purpose beyond simply existing, or it will forever have to compete on attributes (price, convenience etc) that will be increasingly harder and less profitable due to competition. The first supermarket had it relatively easy and profitable for a while. Now the margins are slim and there are rivals everywhere, from the low-end to the high.  But it’s much harder to compete with a company that has […]
* [Peterborough STEM Festival Is Back on October 7th, 2023](peterborough-stem-festival-is-back-on-october-7th-2023.md) - The free annual family event returns, as Peterborough STEM Festival is back on October 7th, 2023 at the Kingsgate Conference Centre
* [Photos of a walk from Upnor to Hoo along the River Medway](photos-of-a-walk-from-upnor-to-hoo-along-the-river-medway.md) - Various photos taken on a walk along the side of the River Medway, from Lower Upnor along to Hoo.
* [Pioneering sites closed on day of Apple event](pioneering-sites-closed-on-day-of-apple-event.md) - Two pioneering sites, Friendfeed and GigaOm announce closure and ceasing operations on the same day Apple unveils new toys
* [Planning to escape…](planning-to-escape.md) - A reminder to myself on escaping anxiety with a quote from Stoic Marcus Aurelius
* [Playing to an empty room on the internet](playing-to-an-empty-room-on-the-internet.md) - There’s an article from Guitar World many years ago which has stayed with me all this time. It asked whether readers would be as dedicated to practising, if any chance of playing to a live audience was taken away. At the time, I practised guitar daily, and could never imagine that would change. But over the years there have been times when I’ve gone weeks or months between picking up an instrument. Part of it was due to work and life commitments, but a larger part was the fact I haven’t been in a band for years. I’ve never been a […]
* [Post for admin purposes only](post-for-admin-purposes-only.md) - PYT5ZAAWH297
* [Previous employers coming together?](previous-employers-coming-together.md) - I couldn’t help thinking it was slightly ironic that Bauer Media has emerged as the frontrunner to buy Absolute Radio, according to recent reports in The Guardian. After all I spent 8.5 years working for Emap, and then for Bauer Media following the acquisition of the consumer magazines and websites by the German publishers. And then I left to join my former boss Chris Lawson at Absolute Radio in 2009, not long after the new brand had launched. I can only presume that the Bauers will be contacting me sometime soon with an offer for TheWayoftheWeb. Anything I write about any […]
* [Privacy Policy](privacy-policy.md) - This website is owned and operated by Dan Thornton at danthornton.net. We are committed to safeguarding the privacy and maintaining the trust and confidence of our clients and visitors to our website. In particular, we want you to know that we are not in the business of selling, renting or trading email lists with other companies and businesses for marketing purposes. This policy sets out how we will treat your personal information. What information do we collect? We may collect, store and use the following kinds of personal information: Information about your computer and about your visits to and use of […]
* [Privacy protection in your denim jeans?](privacy-protection-denim-jeans.md) - Do you need to buy the first denim jeans with RFID-blocking pockets to prevent identity theft and credit card fraud when you're out and about?
* [Promoting Peterborough STEM Festival 2025 With Slime](promoting-peterborough-stem-festival-2025-with-slime.md) - I spent a few enjoyable hours volunteering and promoting Peterborough STEM Festival 2025 with slime at an ARU Family Day
* [Public transport.](public-transport.md) - Yesterday morning a broken train stopped everything on the Victoria Line, followed by the Picadilly Line jamming up.Yesterday evening, the departure display board was broken at Kings Cross.This morning the signals have failed all the way to Kings Cross and we're facing 'extensive' delays… *sigh*
* [Quick Changes Improving My Health And Stress Levels](quick-changes-improving-my-health-and-stress-levels.md) - A collection of some of the quick changes improving my health and stress levels in case they could benefit anyone else.
* [Raising a glass to old projects….](raising-a-glass-to-old-projects.md) - Saying a fond goodbye to some of the ideas I've launched in the last few years, as they're no longer sustainable for various reasons...
* [Have Read, Am Reading, Will Read](read-reading-will-read.md) - A run down of books I'm reading and recommend at the moment, on film, videogames, psychology & marketing and more
* [Reading Differently Into Lockdown](reading-differently-into-lockdown.md) - Reading differently into lockdown has made me appreciate the serendipity of charity shop finds or surprise gifts. And let me enjoy 2 great books.
* [Returning to public speaking with a presentation at DPiP](returning-to-public-speaking-with-a-presentation-at-dpip.md) - After a few years being cautious about social gatherings, this month I've been returning to public speaking with a presentation at DPiP
* [RIP #58](rip-58.md) - The motorcycling world lost an extremely talented and charismatic racer today when 24-year-old Marco Simoncelli died following a tragic accident at the Sepang round of the MotoGP championship. Having watched Senna recently, I wrote about the weird feeling of seeing the events again after watching them live so many years ago. But in that situation, it was the culmination of a documentary which followed the career of one of the greatest drivers in history. Whereas most media channels have pulled any replays of the events today, as you’d expect, Youtube is full of clips of the frankly horrific accident, which involved […]
* [Robots under threat from child bullies](robots-under-threat-from-child-bullies.md) - The biggest threat to robots introduced in everyday life comes from children intent on bullying them
* [Could RSS be poised for a ‘comeback’?](rss-poised-comeback.md) - Could our familiarity with social networks, and their attempts at filtering our requested information, lead to a consumer resurgence for RSS?
* [Sadface as ThisIsMyJam closes](sadface-as-thisismyjam-closes.md) - I'm used to services coming and going, but I'm particularly sad that ThisIsMyJam is converting to an online archive shortly. It offered something different.
* [The selfish business gene](selfish-business-gene.md) - The idea that nothing actually 'wants' to evolve is as true of business as it is of organisms.
* [Senna](senna.md) - I watched Senna tonight – the first DVD I’ve bought in a while, and certainly the first I can remember buying on release day for a long, long time. Watching the final seconds of onboard footage brought a lump to my throat, a feeling in the pit of my stomache and transported me back to being 17 and sat in the living room of the family house, watching the race live with my father. It also brought home the fact that whereas the loss of Steve Jobs or Princess Diana etc were tragic events, the live nature of it made it […]
* [Snow problem….](snow-problem.md) - With snow having hit the UK, I updated Facebook earlier with the following: Looks like my Facebook friends are split 50-50 between: a) People celebrating they can’t get into work/school and get a day at home due to snow. b) People complaining about how lazy people are and rubbish England is because schools are closed and people claim they can’t get into work today. A mass snowball fight should settle it. Of course, group A won’t turn up, and Group B will be too busy working. It’s quite funny seeing various updates from other people who run their businesses from home. […]
* [So true…](so-true.md) - Martin Belam, on making changes to community sections such as commenting systems: My own take is that opposition or love of nested or threaded comments is a religious issue — akin to top-posting/bottom-posting in emails. Not only are you fully committed to your preference, you simply can’t see any justification for doing it the other way. I totally agree. And not only can you not see the justification for the alternative, it’s also impossible to isolate why one approach just ‘feels right’ to you, and not the other. Although potentially your tastes can change over time, subconsciously influenced by what you […]
* [So what am I doing here?](so-what-am-i-doing-here.md) - I'm trying to work out exactly what I'm going to post here (and by corollary of autoposting, on Tumblr as well). I'm keeping my main blogs at www.thewayoftheweb.net (digital marketing, publishing, media, journalism), and www.140char.com (microblogging) going, and won't be replacing them with Posterous quite yet, so I'm left with a choice. Either I start using this as a personal lifestreaming diary, as I once thought about doing with a Blogger blog, before I realised I'm not quite interesting enough to be able to post regularly.Or I post up anything quirky and interesting that I fancy sharing – things like Youtube […]
* [Some graphic reading…](some-graphic-reading.md) - Some recommended graphic novels - Preacher and Transmetropolitan - which are forming some of my summer reading this year...
* [Some inspiration](some-inspiration.md) - What better way to inspire myself on a Monday afternoon:
* [Some work I’m proud of…](some-work-im-proud-of.md) - I’m still getting used to the idea of separating out my personal blogging from the more strictly work-related stuff which will stay on TheWayoftheWeb. But I still reserve the right to share specific bits of work here if I’m proud of them, like this blog post I published yesterday on behalf of my open source eCommerce client, Jigoshop. So far the feedback has been positive on what was essentially the announcement of a price increase – but one which came with a fairly decent explanation of the reasons for it, and what it means for the business now and in the […]
* [Speaking of classics…](speaking-of-classics.md) - This has to be one of the best reasons for Youtube – no matter how much Google has paid and might have lost since buying it!
* [State of Digital’s Future of Search Google Hangout](state-digitals-future-search-google-hangout.md) - Sharing the State of Digital hangout on 'What is the Future of Search' - I was happy to be one of the invited guests
* [Stepping away from ‘big’ social](stepping-away-from-big-social.md) - I'm not running for the exit, but I'm increasingly stepping away from 'big' social as a way to achieve meaningful things in life and work
* [Stoic – or just lazy….](stoic-or-just-lazy.md) - I’ve been reading a bit of Stoic philosophy recently, partly inspired by reading about it and the relevance to entrepreneurs, by people like Tim Ferris. (I’ve also finally ordered Tim’s latest book, The 4-Hour Chef, and as it was on sale as a Kindle edition, picked up Tao Te Ching to find out more about Taoism). One Stoic quote now sits in front of my desk “Today I escaped from anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, in my own perceptions—not outside.” But it’s also handy for re-framing my laziness. For instance, one piece of Stoic advice […]
* [Stop complaining about Yahoo buying Tumblr, when the answer is simple…](stop-complaining-about-yahoo-buying-tumblr-when-the-answer-is-simple.md) - Why are people still afraid of quick and simple self-hosting? If you put your content on someone's business platform, don't expect any say in what they do
* [Stuff I have written recently](stuff-i-have-written-recently.md) - http://thewayoftheweb.net/2009/07/is-any-magazine-company-leading-the-way-digitally/ http://www.thewayoftheweb.net/new-cloud-based-backupmy-net-includes-twitter/ http://www.thewayoftheweb.net/find-great-quotes-and-wisdom-with-iwise/ar.com/2009/07/find-great-quotes-and-wisdom-with-iwise/ Media people on Twitter – an interview with me from April
* [Sub £300 food 3D Printer looks interesting…](sub-300-food-3d-printer-looks-interesting.md) - The Candy Kickstarter project aims to deliver a sub-£300 confectionery 3D printer for backers and marks a new mainstream consumer push for 3D printing
* [Support the Campaign to Repeal Section 40](support-campaign-repeal-section-40.md) - How do you feel about having your world shaped entirely by the wealthy in a fake news, post truth world? Because Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act makes that very possible – even beyond what we’ve seen in 2016. Put simply, any small newspaper or multi-author website/blog can write something true, and prove it in court, but in the process be completely bankrupted by having to pay the costs run up by the person who has sued them. That also includes campaigning groups. So basically, it won’t matter if you know about wrongdoing or corruption by any wealthy individual. […]
* [Support your local independent blog?](support-your-local-independent-blog.md) - Will we see small and medium-sized websites needing the same kind of support campaign as local High Street shops?
* [Supporting the First Peterborough STEM Festival](supporting-first-peterborough-stem-festival.md) - Peterborough holds a few special memories for me. As a cathedral city, it’s not known as a particularly exciting or glamorous location, but it’s a site of rich historical value. It’s also where I moved to become a full time journalist for a publication I’d always dreamed about working for. Having gone on to start a family in East Anglia, it’s also the place where I first began working for myself. And after a short period of solitude, it’s where I suggested one or two freelancers I knew came down the pub to chat about work and technology. And that became […]
* [Supporting new British film ‘Meet Pursuit Delange’](supporting-new-british-film-meet-pursuit-delange.md) - Back when I was employed at Motorcycle News, I happened to have a conversation with a nice chap who had produced some kind of amazing mix of live action and graphic novel. The fact that it also had bikes in it basically combined three of the biggest loves of my life – comics, movies and motorcycles. It’s no wonder I was interested in finding out more. The man behind the project, Howard Webster, is one of those people who seems to go from one fascinating project to the next, so I’m glad we kept in touch. And his latest work is […]
* [Taking an RSS Holiday…](taking-an-rss-holiday.md) - Rather than rushing to a Google Reader replacement, I decided to take some time away from almost 300 feeds to see what I valued about RSS readers
* [Taking Some Positives From 2020](taking-some-positives-from-2020.md) - It's been a tough year for most people, but I'm taking some positives from 2020 which helped me get through it, and for the future
* [Tastebuds.fm shuts down today](tastebuds-fm-shuts-down-today.md) - Another decades-old website fades out of existence as Tastebuds.fm shuts down today 15 years after launching
* [Technology and Christmas…](technology-and-christmas.md) - Besides wishing everyone a Happy Holidays, I’ve been thinking about how technology has changed Christmas since I was a lad…   The pile of presents looks much less impressive with technology constantly getting smaller. It’s very hard to wrap an app or digital download. There’s no excuse that ‘there’s none left in the shops’ thanks to online stock checkers. Christmas TV isn’t exciting at all when you can watch anything at any time. Work may have stopped but emails don’t. Especially Christmas messages from every service you’ve ever used. The need to Instagram every present being unwrapped, and pets in novelty […]
* [Technology, regulations and innovations](technology-regulations-innovations.md) - The increased regulation of private and commercial drone use could see innovation and advances take place overseas in future
* [Technology underpins and connects everything](technology-underpins-and-connects-everything.md) - Technology now underpins and connects everything. Geeky as I am, I can't help wondering why all our problems aren't solved now then?
* [Testing](testing.md) - Testing – please ignore
* [Testing out Posterous for the first time…](testing-out-posterous-for-the-first-time.md) - Intrigued to see whether I can manage blogging by email!
* [The beauty of Tales from the Loop](the-beauty-of-tales-from-the-loop.md) - It's more of a live action interpretation of the art of Simon Stalenhag than a typical scifi TV series. But the beauty of Tales from the Loop has me hooked
* [The eternal dilemma of the slightly geeky](the-eternal-dilemma-of-the-slightly-geeky.md) - I have some work to do, but that should be done fairly early. Then there's the eternal dilemma – work on my own sites,spend time with the family, or play Xbox… More specifically, play Call of Duty 2: Modern Warfare. It's been a long time since a game has kept me hooked so much – even despite the problem of people cheating, lobbies failing, and the fact that anyone with a connection in a decent civilised country has a huge advantage over players in the rural UK, where dial-up and outside lavatories are still talked about with fond memories. And it's […]
* [The Glorious Return Of Peterborough STEM Festival 2024](the-glorious-return-of-peterborough-stem-festival-2024.md) - After an enforced break due to global health, the glorious return of Peterborough STEM Festival 2024 has reinvigorated everyone involved...
* [The Maths of AI Content Don’t Add Up](the-maths-of-ai-content-dont-add-up.md) - Our new future of automated creation is going to cause more unforeseen issues, as the maths of AI content don't add up
* [The new Kindle Paperwhite looks good…](the-new-kindle-paperwhite-looks-good.md) - The new Kindle Paperwhite seems like a good investment, especially given the longevity of Kindle devices and because it's still a dedicated E-reader
* [The quote above my desk…](the-quote-above-my-desk.md) - Today, I escaped from anxiety. Or no, I discarded it because it was within me, in my own perceptions – not outside Marcus Aurelius It’s a handy reminder when things might seem overwhelming, and the temptation is towards anxiety and paralysis.
* [The real problem with Google closing Reader](the-real-problem-with-google-closing-reader.md) - Google's decision to close Reader has significant implications - particularly as it's likely to make us all a little bit dumber...
* [The rise of the ‘fake hacked’ Twitter accounts….](the-rise-of-the-fake-hacked-twitter-accounts.md) - Hacked Twitter accounts, even when faked as a publicity stunt, always attract more followers. But is that a true measure of success?
* [The security paradox…](the-security-paradox.md) - Why is it that it’s seemingly easier to hack someone’s account than it is to legitimately recover a dormant online email account?
* [The Tao of Blogging?](the-tao-of-blogging.md) - "When one is not expressing himself, he is not free". The Tao of Blogging as inspired by Bruce Lee.
* [The tragedy and cost of copyright prosecution](the-tragedy-and-cost-of-copyright-prosecution.md) - I didn’t know Aaron Swartz personally, but in addition to encountering and benefiting from his work on a variety of projects, I’d been following his court case due to my interest in copyright and piracy. The news of his suicide has made me sad in two ways. One is the sadness I feel for anyone that feels taking their own life at the age of 26 is a solution. The second is the sadness over how his case, and others like it are being handled. Copyright was originally created not to enrich creators, but to benefit the public good. Encouraging innovation […]
* [The Vast of Night…](the-vast-of-night.md) - Continuing my habit of sharing things that I think will be appreciated, Liz and I watched The Vast of Night via Amazon Prime as a Friday evening movie. And we both really enjoyed it. It’s a debut for director Andrew Patterson and it lovingly recreates the Twilight Zone and 1950s-era B movies. But it’s a straight sci-fi film, not a parody or bland homage. A local radio DJ and young switchboard operator end up investigating a mysterious audio frequency. And I won’t say more than that, but the cinematography and period details work brilliantly to capture the time and place in […]
* [The weird normalcy of virtual friends](the-weird-normalcy-of-virtual-friends.md) - Having virtual friends is no longer strange. What's really weird is how quickly it's become an accepted part of everyday life.
* [Things I’m slowly learning](things-im-slowly-learning.md) - Some quick lessons that I want to make sure I can easily remind myself about in the future.   I used to think I needed a cigarette and caffeine to function in the morning: Now I’ve learned that even a couple of minutes exercise has a better effect – although I haven’t ditched smoking and sugary cola quite yet.   I used to think I just needed that one brilliant idea to come along: Now I know that the journey to one brilliant idea is paved with lots of ideas every day, and working through each one to end up finding […]
* [Things trying to stop me from blogging…](things-trying-to-stop-me-from-blogging.md) - Besides being thankful that work occasionally makes it hard to find time to write – because otherwise I might struggle to have the money to pay rent or eat, there are other things which eat into my creative time… So here are 3 of the current offenders: Songpop: I’ve always been a music geek. I even confess to being a music snob all too often in the past. So the free Android version of the classic ‘Name That Tune’ is horribly addictive, as I get to compete against players around the world in ultimately pointless competitions to see who can correctly […]
* [Thinking about: Lego Meditation, Habit forming, and transfer windows…](thinking-about-lego-meditation-habit-forming-and-transfer-windows.md) - Time to start dumping out some of the things I’m thinking about and working on here, rather than letting them rattle around my head until they find a means to escape unfulfilled…   Lego meditation: Like many people, I’ve been critical of the fact it’s hard to actually find unbranded Lego bricks at reasonable prices. The sets in high street shops are overwhelmingly outnumbered by more expensive licensed kits, and often feature specialisation which means it’s hard to actually build anything else without buying so many kits you’ll bankrupt yourself. They’re hidden in sections on the Lego website under names like […]
* [This Is My Jam…](this-is-my-jam.md) - In an age of overwhelming frictionless sharing of what we watch, listen to, read and do, I’ve been really enjoying ThisIsMyJam.com, which allows you to pick one single song on a weekly basis to share. It means picking the one most important piece of music, rather than just sharing everything. Much more curated, and also more interesting to browse the choices of others. So I figured I’d share my choices here as well, starting from today. And although I’m normally happy to wax lyrical about anything to do with music and entertainment, for these choices the songs can probably speak for […]
* [This is my jam: ‘Blue’ by First Aid Kit](this-is-my-jam-blue-by-first-aid-kit.md) - Folky Swedish songwriters to coincide with the first sunny weather promising the hint of Spring on the way…
* [This is my jam… Eddie Vedder – Sleeping by Myself](this-is-my-jam-eddie-vedder-sleeping-by-myself.md) -   As a bonus, here’s Eddie Vedder singing ‘Comfortably Number’ with Roger Waters:  
* [This Is My Jam: Pearl Jam ‘State of Love and Trust’](this-is-my-jam-pearl-jam-state-of-love-and-trust.md) - A favourite song of mine for about 15 years+, it always fires me up and inspires me…  
* [This week I am mostly listening to…](this-week-i-am-mostly-listening-to.md) - The problem of lost headphones has limited my podcast listening, but now they've been residscovered, in addition to the wonderful content put out by my employers, I shall mostly be listening to the latest from Twit.tv, and Giantbomb.
* [ThisIsMyJam: Dinosaur Jr ‘Start Choppin’](thisismyjam-dinosaur-jr-start-choppin.md) - A few reasons for picking this. Firstly we visited the Natural History Museum recently to see some Dinosaurs. Secondly I’ve just found out that Dinosaur Jr are playing the Hop Farm Festival near my hometown in Kent. And thirdly, I always loved the weird mix on Channel 4’s The Word, which seemed to delight in picking semi-obscure (at least in the UK) grunge acts to play to a crowd picked from a local High Street nightclub. Which normally led to some confused shuffling around.
* [ThisIsMyJam: DropKick Murphys ‘Going Out in Style](thisismyjam-dropkick-murphys-going-out-in-style.md) - A track which seemed appropriate for the end of a year, and the beginning of a new one… Sadly sharing via ThisIsMyJam suffered a bit of a hiccup, as it appears the official video couldn’t be shared via the service. And yet, I’m able to embed it here just fine…
* [Thom Yorke + Bittorrent = $26 million?](thom-yorke-bittorrent-26-million.md) - Thom Yorke released his last album on Bittorrent in September 2014. And potentially made more than $20 million by January 2015
* [Thoughts on Vaping after Six Years…](thoughts-on-vaping-after-six-years.md) - Various thoughts on vaping after six years of swapping cigarettes for a less harmful and cheaper alternative
* [Timeless Tools And Their Enduring Value](timeless-tools-and-their-enduring-value.md) - Looking for style, elegance and brilliant design? Look at timeless tools and their enduring value, compared to modern alternatives
* [Torn on Flickr…](torn-flickr-2.md) - After 8 years of using Flickr (6 as a paid Pro member), I'm finding it harder to justify renewing my subscription for the 4000+ images I've uploaded.
* [Treasure an age of individual beauty](treasure-age-individual-beauty.md) - Rather than mourning the loss of the classic canon of literature, music or film, we should be embracing an age where those interested can create and share their own ideals of beauty and art more easily. Reading an article on the death of the novel by Will Self, followed by a reflection on Britpop and the anniversary of Blur’s Parklife, both seemed fueled by the end of gatekeepers rather than the end of great literature or music. It’s all too easy to mourn the loss of the past when you’re getting older. The fact is that it’s never been easier or […]
* [Turning 40 and Reaching 5 Months of Vaping](turning-40-reaching-5-months-vaping.md) - I recently turned 40. Which means my thoughts have oscillated between deciding it’s just an arbitrary number and cataloguing the achievements I hoped to accomplish by now. Should I see it as a major turning point at which life begins, or a sad realisation that I can no longer aspire to be listed as a ‘top 30 under 30’ or ‘top 40 under 40’ in anything? And that’s not helped by by dreaming subconscious apparently reliving my teenage and student years through the lens of John Hughes in the sleeping adventures I can remember when I wake up. But there are […]
* [Two big reasons to celebrate this week…](two-big-reasons-celebrate-week.md) - Two big anniversaries this week - 3 years of freelancing, and 6 months since TheWayoftheWeb Ltd officially came into existence
* [Two books on social media and social business](two-books-social-media-social-business.md) - Reviews of recent reading: Return on Influence by Mark Schaefer and Likeonomics by Rohit Bhargava
* [UK smart heating alternative to Nest?](uk-smart-heating-alternative-nest.md) - Cosy is a smart heating alternative to the likes of Nest, developed in Cambridge, and currently looking for funding on Kickstarter
* [The ultimate data ownership failure?](ultimate-data-ownership-failure.md) - It seems that medical organisations on both sides of the Atlantic have been having major digital and data issues for some time, but given the constant questions over who owns our data (on social networks, mobile apps, internet usage etc), this sadly summed up the current situation for me. To summarise, a government body handed over parts of my medical records to people I’ve never met, outside the NHS and medical research community, but it is refusing to tell me what it handed over, or who it gave it to, and the minister is now incorrectly claiming that it never happened […]
* [Unexpected consquences of exceeding Dunbar’s number?](unexpected-consquences-exceeding-dunbars-number.md) - Musing on whether the effect of increasing our social contacts online has a similar effect to the 24-hour news cycle
* [An unfortunate risk of mining Bitcoins…](unfortunate-risk-mining-bitcoins.md) - Imagine throwing away a hard drive containing $6 million worth of bitcoins. Someone in Wales doesn't have to...
* [Unintentional Marketing Humour](unintentional-marketing-humour.md) - A bit of unintentional marketing humour
* [The Vape of Good Hope…](vape-good-hope.md) - It’s official. After mocking the artisanal hipsters imitating a smoke machine in an eighties soft rock video, I’ve finally joined them. As of today, I am now a vaper. When it comes to my bad habits, smoking cigarettes led the way by miles. While I might procrastinate, or get caught up in videogames more than I like, my work doesn’t allow for this to get out of hand. And my family also limit my ability to timewaste in a variety of ways. Left to my own devices, I could eat more healthily. And I could certainly get more exercise. But I […]
* [Vape Update: 101 Inhalations](vape-update-101-inhalations.md) - In 101 days of vaping, I've now avoided more than 1,500 cigarettes, saved more than £500 and it's now part of the annual Stoptober campaign
* [Vaping at 90 Days](vaping-90-days.md) - What it's like to have switched from smoking to vaping at 90 days. Including the kit I've bought, money I've saved and health improvements
* [Very quick media reviews for June…](very-quick-media-reviews-for-june.md) - Thoughts on the books, graphic novels and films I managed to consume during June - some brilliant, some good, and a couple that were terrible...
* [What Do We Want From Newspapers and Journalists?](want-newspapers-journalists.md) - There’s an interesting interview at the New York Times between Public Editor Liz Spayd and Executive Editor Dean Baquet. Most of it is pretty tame and logical, but a couple of answers stood out. For example, when questions about new changes coming to the NYT, Baquet said: Trying to edit The Times the way we edited it in a purely print era is unreasonable. The layers of editing, the number of people who touch a story. The fact is that we now write so much more. Right now, as we talk, there’s a hearing on Russian hacking. I’ve been in meetings […]
* [Weekly RoundUp #1 April 22-28, 2019](weekly-roundup-1-april-22-28-2019.md) - I’m trying to get back into regularly updating the sites and projects which are most important to me. So part of that will be an attempt to summarise anything particularly interesting or important from my week on Sunday nights. I’m hoping it may help me to crystalise my thoughts and plans for the coming week as well. So I’m almost at the end of what can only be described as a cacophonus April. It included a Bank Holiday, an Easter school holiday, and three big family birthdays, with two effectively bookending the month. Plus some other personal commitments, work, normal family […]
* [What happens when we can’t believe anything online?](what-happens-when-we-cant-believe-anything-online.md) - It's a good idea to be skeptical and analytical about what you see on the internet, but what happens when we can't believe anything online
* [What I read, heard, watched and played: February 2024](what-i-read-heard-watched-and-played-february-2024.md) - Another summary of what I've enjoyed or hated, with What I read, heard, watched and played: February 2024 - books, games, TV, films and music
* [What I read, heard, watched and played: January 2024](what-i-read-heard-watched-and-played-january-2024.md) - Sharing some thoughts on some of the books, music, videogames, TV and films I've watched and enjoyed (or otherwise) in January 2024
* [What I read, heard, watched and played: March 2024](what-i-read-heard-watched-and-played-march-2024.md) - Despite a subdued month for home enterainment heres's What I read, heard, watched and played: March 2024, with a couple of days out, too
* [What is it about April and October?](what-is-it-about-april-and-october.md) - Having been looking through the archives my various sites and projects over the years, it seems that April and October are particularly momentous months for me. And that’s beside the financial deadlines which occur in April every year. Two of the most important people in my life both have birthdays in April. One of the others has a birthday in October. 84 months since starting TheWayoftheWeb (October 6, 2006) 60 months since moving TheWayoftheWeb onto WordPress (April 20, 2008) 48 months since leaving Bauer Media (April 29, 2009) 30 months since leaving Absolute Radio, and becoming my own boss. (October 1 […]
* [Why I envy designers and developers](why-i-envy-designers-and-developers.md) - As much as I love writing and have built a career on it, there are times when I would give anything to be a developer or designer
* [Why I’m choosing Mastodon over Bluesky, Threads and X](why-im-choosing-mastodon-over-bluesky-threads-and-x.md) - I've been around the interest for a few decades now, and here's why I'm choosing Mastodon over Bluesky, Threads and X
* [Why I’m Learning Photography In The Age Of Gen AI](why-im-learning-photography-in-the-age-of-gen-ai.md) - It may seem odd when prompts can generate images in an instant, but here's why I'm loving learning photography in the age of Gen AI
* [Why is public transport so painful?](why-is-public-transport-so-painful.md) - Things strike me: 1. Kings Cross Underground is a complete cluster***k that should be just kept closed until they’ve finally worked out crossing passenger streams is a bad idea. Seriously. They could have dug more tunnels in the time it’s been broken and yet every day it’s the same. 2. Why is it Nat Express don’t offer 89p burgers, or whatever the MacDonalds price is – considering either people get on late trains clutching a bag of bad food, or wishing they did? Gouging prices just means I go hungry and east toast. 3. Public transport is an OK concept. Public […]
* [Why Television and Radio Won’t Die](why-television-and-radio-wont-die.md) - Years ago I'd have predicted the death of broadcast television and radio in favour of on-demand internet services. And here's why I would have been wrong.
* [Why you’re being redirected to my Posterous blog](why-youre-being-redirected-to-my-posterous-blog.md) - Hi. If you’re wondering why you’ve ended up here after trying to visit TheWayoftheWeb, 140Char.com or OnlineRacerDriver.com, here’s the reason why: Several internet hosting companies have recently been hugely affected by a php exploit which has been redirecting blogs. If you visit and get redirected, you’ll find an attempt to have malware installed on your computer, and unless you act incredibly quickly, you’ll then end up spending the next few hours running virus scans and trying to remove crap from your PC. The hosts infected included Networked Solutions, Dreamhosts and Godaddy. Some of the hosts have revealed how the infections happened […]
* [Why youthful potential is often best squandered…](why-youthful-potential-is-often-best-squandered.md) - There’s a cult of youth almost everywhere you look. In entertainment, sport, business and even academia, it’s all about rising stars and the best under-30. The media jumps to celebrate the next Wunderkind who goes to university at age 9 or builds a new social networking application that changes the world in their teens. But as even the most lenient age bracket on surveys reminds me I’m no longer in my youth, I’ve found reassurance in a new philosophy. That actually for a happier life, it’s better to have left youthful potential unrealised thanks to the various social temptations. Imagine for […]
* [Will Open Source Inherit The Desktop?](will-open-source-inherit-desktop.md) - With the future apparently mobile and entirely in the cloud, there's an opportunity for open source applications to inherit the desktop. And we need them!
* [Will technology end the British class system?](will-technology-end-the-british-class-system.md) - My social streams are full of people I know sharing the results of the BBC’s ‘Great British Class Calculator‘, which works on the theory the traditional split of Upper, Middle and Working class doesn’t accurately reflect society any more, and there are now 7 levels of class which are seemingly based on whether you go to the theatre or like hiphop. All interesting enough, and you can find out more about the results here. But I think there’s a more important and interesting point, which is due to the immense impact of current and future technology on our lives.   No […]
* [Working from Home vs the Office](working-from-home-vs-the-office.md) - Thoughts on working from home vs working in the office. Shared after 10+ years of working in offices, with flexible hours, and starting a home business
* [Worn out on wearables already?](worn-wearables-already.md) - Wearables - lots of hype, but already in 2015 there's evidence the utility just isn't there for a lot of people.
* [Wrestling with a Modern Warfare obsession](wrestling-with-a-modern-warfare-obsession.md) - So my life essentially has 4 elements… 1. Work.2. Family.3. My own websites – www.thewayoftheweb.net, www.140char.com and www.onlineracedriver.com 4. Xbox. I'm finding that 3 and 4 keep swapping priorities, mainly based on the fact I've finally got close to prestiging for the first time on CoD:MW2.No matter how much I try to tell myself writing, swapping ads, or creating more affiliate links might be better for me in the long run, all I want to do is run around with a UMP shooting random people. And to think I spend my time trying to argue violent games aren't harmful – they […]
* [Xbox Marketing Fail…](xbox-marketing-fail.md) - Having thought I'd successfully set up an age-restricted Xbox Live profile, why is Xbox marketing 18-rated games to it?
* [You need to own your media creations…](you-need-to-own-your-media-creations.md) - First, read ‘Read this and re-think your LinkedIn usage‘. Then, read ‘Portrait of Twitter as a Young Media Company‘. Then realise how important it is to have a central location for yourself, or for you business, which you have some control over – particularly around licensing.