🆕 Tangled earphones were a feature, not a bug. - https://danq.me/2026/09/29/tangled-earphones-were-a-feature-not-a-bug/
Dan Q
Tangled earphones were a feature, not a bug.
Akshay Chugh misses wired headphones for the anti-feature that they'd inevitably tangle up in your pocket. I echo his sentiment, and add a few other observations about things we've traded away in exchange for the convenience of wireless buds.
🆕 Re: Domains Cost More, Blogs Disappear - https://danq.me/2026/09/30/re-domains-cost-more-blogs-disappear/
Dan Q
Re: Domains Cost More, Blogs Disappear
While bemoaning the rising cost of domain names, Michael also observed that blogging and personal websites are suffering a lack of young newcomers. In my reply I disagree, saying that they're there... just not where he's looking for them!
🆕 Blind Tango - https://danq.me/2026/09/30/blind-tango/
Dan Q
Blind Tango
TIL that I dance Argentine Tango with Ruth better... when I close my eyes. It's a fundamentally intuitive and semi-improvised dance built on connection and communication and it turns out that, for me at least, the best way to stop trying to visually predict…
🆕 I’m leaving Reddit because of RSS - https://danq.me/2026/10/01/im-leaving-reddit-because-of-rss/
Dan Q
I’m leaving Reddit because of RSS
For Jeff Johnson, Reddit's ecosystem becoming yet-more closed-down and enshittified, with them dropping RSS support, is the last straw. For me, it would have been too (if I hadn't already abandoned ship nine years prior!).
🆕 Do not build the LLM torture factory - https://danq.me/2026/10/02/do-not-build-the-llm-torture-factory/
Dan Q
Do not build the LLM torture factory
Sean Goedecke puts forward a few arguments why people shouldn't play at 'torturing' LLMs. I disagree with many of his arguments, but I agree with his conclusion because of a different argument: one made by animal rights activists for hundreds of years now:…
🆕 Dan Q did not find GC85TVQ Out Of Office - https://danq.me/2026/10/03/dan-q-did-not-find-gc85tvq-out-of-office/
Dan Q
Dan Q did not find GC85TVQ Out Of Office
<p>I'm spending the weekend in the hotel nearby, for the AGM of <a href="https://threerings.org.uk/">a nonprofit I'm involved with</a>. This morning I realised they I had a spare quarter of an hour before a meeting and wondered if I could clock this geocache.</p>…
🆕 Dan Q found GC85TVQ Out Of Office - https://danq.me/2026/10/03/dan-q-found-gc85tvq-out-of-office/
Dan Q
Dan Q found GC85TVQ Out Of Office
<p>I expected not to have opportunity for a second attempt at this today, but my schedule opened up somewhat when the fire alarm went off at the hotel and we had to evacuate! As hotel guests and meeting attendees gathered at the muster points, I excused myself…
🆕 Crash Diet - https://danq.me/2026/10/03/crash-diet/
Dan Q
Crash Diet
A <a href="https://threerings.org.uk/">Three Rings</a> development sub-team seems to have developed a habit of making production server changes at in-person events, right before meals are served. On <a href="https://danq.me/2025/05/03/portal-3kend/">at least…
🆕 Exploiting Fail2ban "portscan" permablocks over HTTP for denial-of-service - https://danq.me/2026/10/05/fail2ban-portscan-permablock/
Dan Q
Exploiting Fail2ban
On a forum they and I share, Loebas suggested that I should be careful doing portscans in case I hit e.g. fail2ban rules. I counter that such rulesets would be a terrible idea (and are therefore uncommon), and provide a specific demonstration of how an attacker…
🆕 We are going to kill “unalive” - https://danq.me/2026/10/06/we-are-going-to-kill-unalive/
Dan Q
We are going to kill “unalive”
Anil Dash is unhappy that "unalive" and other algospeak has become so prevalent and mainstream. I, too, am concerned about what this says about our willingness to censor our speech to speculatively appease the whims of corporations to whom we owe nothing.
🆕 Weird Web October 2026 (Christopher Kennedy-Nuñez) - https://danq.me/2026/10/06/weird-web-october-2026-christopher-kennedy-nunez/
Dan Q
Weird Web October 2026 (Christopher Kennedy-Nuñez)
I love Weird Web October, and Christopher's off to an amazing start this year: well worth a look at his wacky projects for the month (and trying to find the cat in each one: I've managed!) before you go check out what everybody else who's participating is…
🆕 That time I got locked-in at the V&A - https://danq.me/2026/10/07/v-and-a-lockin/
Dan Q
That time I got locked-in at the V&A
I just realised that I never shared this anecdote online before - One time, I got locked-in at the <a href="https://www.vam.ac.uk/south-kensington">V&A Museum</a> after closing-time. I'd been there for a museums & cultural institutions event and I'd probably…
🆕 Halifax Leaked My Financial Information... (Again) - https://danq.me/2026/10/09/halifax-dun-goofed-again/
Dan Q
Halifax Leaked My Financial Information... (Again)
For the second time in two years, Halifax wrote to me about my credit card... but sent the letter to entirely the wrong person, leaking my personal financial information.
🆕 Firing squad execution to be livestreamed, Pentagon says - https://danq.me/2026/10/09/firing-squad-execution-to-be-livestreamed-pentagon-says/
Dan Q
Firing squad execution to be livestreamed, Pentagon says
The public will be able to watch the execution of a former US Army major by firing squad, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said. I feel physically sick.