Tech

Once upon a time, I thought nothing could be worse than the proliferation of websites driven by SEO. That was before I learned of the existence of AEO: answer engine optimization. In my day, I could get lost in the glorious SI Vault; now I can find those old gems only if I know exactly what to search for and deploy the Wayback Machine. Not all of this is specifically Google’s fault. But the company’s new priorities seem like they’ll only exacerbate the general state of dilapidation online. ...

This doesn’t mean that AI doesn’t work or is useless. But it does emphasize an important truth: AI is not a magic “infinity machine” that can solve all our problems, and ultimately deliver us a sense of meaning in a cold, confusing world. It’s a normal technology, and perhaps it’s time we start talking about it that way. Source: Cal Newport Newsletter Today’s newsletter is based on a few emails Newport got from a software engineer, and is telling a story over months that I am sure we will hear again and again from many others. Like most things, groups of people have lined up on the two extreme sides. Either you turned your life over to a language generating machine, or you think the technology is useless. Of course in the end the truth lies in the middle, and finding that middle is important. ...

Google - a thrice-convicted monopolist - is the gateway to the internet, with more than a 90% search market share that it attained by buying out all its competitors and bribing Apple more than $20b/year not to start a rival search engine: Source: Pluralistic It’s a good read, but this quote reminded me just what a master of words Corey is.

Coming off my three posts about my attempt at using Obsidian, I thought it would be fun to actually write about what I am using. Laptop: HP Pro-book running Linux Debian XFCE. I can’t stand using Windows day to day so I knew Linux was the only way to go on this laptop. Even for little things like updating my website using Git, Windows is just so much harder. Now part of that might just be that I am more comfortable in a Mac/Linux environment for such things but Powershell and other Windows tools just never clicked for me. I used to be an avid Windows user (those who have followed me for years would know this, hell I had Windows Phones and the original SurfaceRT), but paths since then have led me here. When choosing a distro I started with Arch which I do like due to how customizable it is, then played with Mint which I always keep around, and ended on Debian. I like how Debian is conservative with updates and and keeps things very stable, even if that means some items are a generation or two behind. XFCE is just a great low overhead environment which does what I need without the extras. ...

After a few weeks of setting up Obsidian it’s already goodbye, not because I did not like it it’s just that I realized I had built a complex ecosystem around something that was supposed to be fundamentally simple. Obsidian is a fantastic piece of software, yet over time I found myself spending more brain power and time managing plugins, workspace layouts, and app settings than actually writing. The irony of the entire process is that Obsidian did one major thing right for me: it reminded me why I have always loved the power and simplicity of plain text and specifically markdown. (thanks John Gruber ) ...

If you did not read Setting Up Obsidian Part 1 you should read that first. Just a few updates. I am now using my Daily Note as a dashboard where I don’t actually type anything. It is more of a daily table of contents. It has links to my daily journal, which is where I actually type in all my thoughts and ideas each day, it has a section linking to my daily reading, daily fitness log, and then a table of all notes created or edited that day. It is very easy to create and when I am done I will share all of it in my last part of this series. ...

After a few starts and stops over the past few months, I have come to the conclusion that Obsidian is the right tool for me. As noted on my Stuff page, I live on different platforms. Right now I am writing the bulk of this on the Obsidian app on an HP laptop running Linux Mint. I also use iOS on my iPhone so I need access to everything my notes app holds. Here is the kicker about Obsidian being my “notes app,” it ends up being so much more than that. So far I am only partially through the process, so this is just part one, but I am going to share my vision. ...

New court record from the FBI details the state of the devices seized from Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson: phone was on w/Lockdown Mode; personal laptop was off; work laptop was on w/Touch ID; several Signal chats used disappearing messages. https://t.co/YqLahtQihR pic.twitter.com/cMAEXBXLnD — Runa Sandvik (@runasand) January 31, 2026 via Source: Runa Sandvik (@runasand) - Twitter This issue has been talked about for years, courts have been saying that your face and/or fingerprint can be compelled to unlock your phone while they can’t force you to give up the passcode in your head. John Gruber wrote about this a few years ago, and the article contains some good advice that everyone should heed. ...