Yeah. Yeah, I reckon so. Under the right circumstances. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA, 2FA, TOTP, whatever you want to call it) is pretty nifty. You scan a QR code and your phone will continually generate a set of one-time passwords which are synchronised with a remote server. There's nothing stopping multiple people from scanning that QR code! They will each have the same password displayed at the same time. I've found this to be useful in a few situations. If my wife and I have access…
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My friend has published their first novel - and it is a cracker! After a calamitous accident, the Fairy realm is cut off from the mundane world. Only one trickster remains, a sprite by the name of Mainder who is now trapped on our side. All seems to be going well in his little corner of the world, until a plucky team of archaeologists start digging around the shattered ruins of the portal between worlds. It isn't a startlingly original take on a well-trodden subject; but it isn't intended to …
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Remember World of Goo? The hit game that you loved on the Nintendo Wii? It was all the rage in 2009: .social-embed{all:unset;display:block;}.social-embed * {all:unset;display:revert;}.social-embed::after{all:unset;}.social-embed::before{all:unset;}blockquote:not(*){all:unset;}.social-embed a{cursor:pointer;}blockquote.social-embed{box-sizing:border-box;border:.5px…
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Many years ago, when I was younger and more foolish, I worked for an advertising startup. Things seemed to be going pretty well! The office was expanding, the sales team was screaming into phones, the budget for servers was rising. Growth had been healthy, but now looked to be plateauing. One day we were summoned into a large conference room. Our CEO was on the speakerphone (I told you this was a long time ago) with an important update on our financial situation. I think every arsehole in the …
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I want to live in the world where this book is true. But I think I'm too cynical. Adam Greenfield has expertly diagnosed the problem we're all about to face. With ecological collapse comes societal breakdown. This "failure cascade" will bring unimaginable suffering. What can we do to give mutual aid and help save ourselves and our communities? The answer is building a series of "Lifehouses"; community hubs which can serve as a way to re-invigorate local decision making, give aid to those who …
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This is a retropost. Mostly written in August 2020 but published long after I left the Civil Service. It is, although I don't quite realise it, the depths of the pandemic. Everyone is relegated to working from home. Thousands of Civil Servants trying to keep things running from their kitchen tables, on dodgy WiFi, with crying children in the background. Things are happening quickly. Much more quickly than ever before. Perhaps that's a good thing, but it doesn't leave much time for…
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