Black Ink

Links for Friday February 3rd 2012

Alasdair — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

What will happen with the NHS bill, in 5 tweets.
By the time this posts, you'll probably already have seen this. If you live in the UK, and haven't see this already, go and look, because this is the future of your healthcare we're talking about.
Avería – The Average Font
This is actually a really really beautiful font. Lovely work.

Links for Monday January 30th 2012

Alasdair — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Pirate Bay Hosts Physical Objects – And Is Accused Of Infringing Games Workshop Copyright?
Mr Bradshaw, sometimes seen around this parish, did sterling work in predicating exactly this event a few years ago. Nice to see him proved right, and so swiftly, too.
Why Twitter’s new policy is helpful for free-speech advocates | technosociology
Are you one of the people going on about how Twitter's new censorship policy is the beginning of the end, and a disaster, and how Twitter should be ashamed for caving like they have? No? Good. If you are, then read this, and shut up. There new policy was quite clearly a model for how to handle this sort of shit, and the on-line wailing completely bewildered me. I was going to write about it, but someone smarter than me has already done so.

Links for Thursday January 26th 2012 through Friday January 27th 2012

Alasdair — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

If 2012′s Oscar-nominated movie posters told the truth – Movie Feature – TheShiznit.co.uk
Yes, very much so.
Three kinds of things…
Good advice from C.S.Lewis.

Links for Thursday January 26th 2012

Alasdair — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Your Mobile Phone Number is not Safe with your Mobile Operator
Interesting post about mobile-phone-number privacy. I can already think of a dozen way I could abuse this knowledge.

Links for Wednesday January 25th 2012

Alasdair — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Bootstrap, from Twitter
Really want to check this out proper like, and maybe build something using it. I've kept on promising myself a custom-designer blog for years, but have never gotten around to it. Maybe now's the time.
Google tracks consumers’ online activities across products, and users can’t opt out – The Washington Post
I was able to opt out of using Facebook when I didn't like their privacy settings. I welcome any suggestions on how to avoid using Google products. At this point, I'm just consoling myself with the thought that the company will probably be dead (or at least, much reduced) within the next 10-15 years, and I'm just hoping they don't damage our norms around privacy too much along the way.

ACTA

Alasdair — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:57:56 +0000

Anyone here not know what it is, and why you should be writing to your elected representatives to make sure it doesn’t wind up being enshrined in law wherever you are?

Short version: it’s like SOPA, but affecting everywhere, not just the US, and with less oversight, and more draconian.

If you contacted anyone about SOPA, or just wanted to and couldn’t, you should also be contacting them about ACTA, because it’s much, much scarier.

Read more about it here, and then contact your representative here, if you’re in the UK.

Links for Thursday January 19th 2012

Alasdair — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

TRNSPRTNATION | London
Beautiful. Want.

Links for Wednesday January 18th 2012

Alasdair — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

SOPA/PIPA blackout | MetaTalk
Another story about what it's like to get a bogus takedown letter. 2 weeks of work and stress, without getting compensation from the party that caused the work and stress.
Takedown Hall of Shame | Electronic Frontier Foundation
Just in case you're thinking that this SOPA business is a fuss over nothing, than that it is what its supporters say it is – an act targeting pirates and criminals, and that it won't hurt the average innocent internet user – here is a link to a page collating the worst abuses of the existing law in this area, the DCMA, which is what companies currently use to require takedowns of infringing material. Take a look at the list of companies who have used the existing law in a way that was never intended.

A Serpent Uncoiled

Alasdair — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:12:29 +0000

A Serpent Uncoiled was the best crime novel I read last year.

It has just come out in paperback, and the writer, the very lovely Mr Simon Spurrier would like your attention while he tells you all about it.

Now that you have watched his amusing movie, you must buy it at once.

(Also available in hardback, Kindle, and iBooks editions. Seriously folks, pony up the cash, you won’t regret it.)

Stunning

Alasdair — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:36:15 +0000

Apparently this is by Rashad Alakbarov, an artist from Azerbaijan, and may currently be available to be viewed at the De Pury gallery in London as part of this “Fly to Baku” exhibit. I’m just posting it because I think it’s jaw-droppingly beautiful. Yes, I know this sort of thing is what tumblr is for, but this is just so fucking inspired that I wanted to blog it proper like.