Jack Yan: the Persuader Blog

Covering 38 years in an hour with Austin Holmes on OverPressure

Jack Yan & Associates — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 12:43:08 +0000

Absolutely thrilled that my friend Austin Holmes has uploaded our OverPressure podcast interview on to YouTube—and what a joy to find that this was one of his favourites! I cover my type design career, publishing, branding, and some of the stories that I’ve never shared before, within the contexts of entrepreneurship, leadership, and service. [...]

There’s one US export I wish they wouldn’t peddle

Jack Yan & Associates — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 14:47:56 +0000

It’s very easy to get the impression that US Big Tech is fundamentally dishonest. Examples abound. Its politicians seem dead keen on balkanizing the place, so on public and private fronts, the image the US projects is decaying and untrustworthy. Words like honour and integrity mean little when everything about that level of the US [...]

A Curlie-influenced web is starting to happen

Jack Yan & Associates — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 03:45:55 +0000

I had an idea last year about getting rid of the junk in search engine results, and that was to link them to Curlie, which effectively succeeded the old Open Directory Project (Dmoz, Newhoo, Gnuhoo, and other names). Curlie isn’t funded anywhere nearly as well as ODP, but something like it is actually fundamental to [...]

Sixteen years on, farewell to WordPress’s Akismet plug-in

Jack Yan & Associates — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 11:06:17 +0000

Akismet, which I’ve used since 2010, spat the dummy in the last 24 hours and the WordPress sites that used my API key were bombarded with spam. Akismet has enshittified, leaving only a very narrow bunch of sites where you can use it for free—completely unlike the early days. Unfortunately, they chose to suspend my [...]

Making something out of nothing

Jack Yan & Associates — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:12:45 +0000

I have admittedly taken a softer line on some “AI” gen since our clients use it, and combined with our awareness of how desktop publishing unfolded, and where Medinge Group’s own thinking is heading, in line with our ongoing work into conscious organizations, there is a space for it. You’ve noticed my covering it more [...]

Copy editing: human 1, bot 0

Jack Yan & Associates — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 13:42:35 +0000

One of the team used “AI” to ensure her copy was in line with our house style, namely the OUP one, using Hart’s Rules. I thought that sounded harmless enough so I ran some copy through it to see. Here is my side of the exchange, with censored words where appropriate. The responses from the [...]

I remember back to when I was nine months old, doesn’t everyone?

Jack Yan & Associates — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 11:04:12 +0000

In my last post, I mentioned a memoir that only three people have copies of, in various states of completion. In there, I devote about eight pages to infant memories that I had between nine months (or thereabouts) and five years, as they probably did impact on at least one decision I made in business. [...]

Good values are timeless

Jack Yan & Associates — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 22:38:23 +0000

Sometimes you have to go with your creative instincts regardless of logic. Last year I worked on a business memoir—it’s not an autobiography, which means certain significant people aren’t in there as much—which is part of a larger project that I’m fleshing out. Logic would say that the larger project should be prepared first, but [...]

Palantir’s dystopia

Jack Yan & Associates — Thu, 28 May 2026 22:10:10 +0000

Here are two disturbing opening paragraphs from The New Republic in March (link to X removed): Palantir CEO Alex Karp thinks his AI technology will lessen the power of “highly educated, often female voters, who vote mostly Democrat” while increasing the power of working-class men. “This technology disrupts humanities-trained—largely Democratic—voters, and makes their economic power [...]

The best is yet to come—if we can centre it in good

Jack Yan & Associates — Wed, 27 May 2026 04:35:07 +0000

One friend said to me that he was resigned to the fact that his best work had been done. That it was in the past. I reject that premise entirely. I may be in my 50s but I still see some of my best work ahead of me. Times change, technologies change, media change, and [...]