Personal and thought-provoking essays about privacy, technology, and blogging.
Dear reader, I have been trying to reform my relationship with technology. From filling small moments of boredom with algorithm-driven content to spending hours on end with my devices, these issues have bothered me for years. It was time to take charge and stop letting technology control me. But reducing my usage has been a challenge. Our devices and many of the apps we rely on have been designed…
Dear reader, It’s been one year since the first time I pressed publish. While I was uncertain then, today I’m glad to report that my fondness for writing has grown into a passion. I’m hoping to keep writing for years to come. My interview with People And Blogs got published yesterday, and it dives deeper into my thoughts about blogging and writing workflow if you’re interested. Now, let’s discuss…
Dear reader, From time to time, I encounter people advocating for big tech products because of their asserted security advantages over smaller, privacy-conscious providers. ldstephens was the latest to claim this: By choosing to avoid Google, many people end up using less secure alternatives. They've prioritized [privacy] while neglecting [security]. Like many people before, ldstephens fails to…
Dear reader, 415,000. That’s the number of sites that are using the Not By AI badge . When you add other ways to communicate this, the number is much higher. But not everyone agrees that this needs to be disclosed. Since people can detect AI-generated writing, the “No AI” disclaimers are unnecessary. This is the claim that basement blog made this week, arguing that no label is going to save a…
Dear reader, For a long time, Mullvad VPN stood as the embodiment of a perfect privacy-focused company. From innovative features and data minimization to responsible marketing, Mullvad checked every box that mattered. It almost appeared that the company was immune to criticism. The recent revelation that Mullvad’s other CEO Daniel Berntsson had donated 5 million SEK to an ethnonationalist Örebro…
Dear reader, Marxism, propaganda, and forcing views. These were some reactions on browser company Vivaldi’s social channels when it published a blog post supporting LGBTQ people. Many argued that Vivaldi should focus on improving its browser instead of making political statements. As if these two cannot exist at the same time. For some, Vivaldi’s blog post felt that the company was forcing views…
Dear reader, Discussions about private email providers center on two providers: Proton and Tuta . During the last five years that I used Proton Mail, I accepted the premise. However, Proton’s limitations on the free plan, the focus on AI and crypto, and the regular controversies had frustrated me enough that I began exploring alternatives. My extensive use of Proton’s ecosystem had also made me…
Dear reader, As an AI skeptic, Apple’s this year’s WWDC presentation was painful to watch. While the improvements to speed, responsiveness, and the Liquid Glass design were welcome, the biggest talking point was AI, which felt obnoxious even if Apple’s software chief Craig Federighi tried to make a point about Apple doing it better than anyone else: AI is incredibly powerful technology. Still,…
Dear reader, In the spirit of Junited , I have added a page called IndieWeb on my blog that lists blog posts I have enjoyed reading. Unlike Junited, which lasts one month each year, I wanted to create a place that remains vibrant throughout the year. It’s my way of recognizing writing on the indie web that rarely gets the attention it deserves. The idea has been on my mind for a long time since I…
Dear reader, Leaving WhatsApp has been the most demanding privacy-related change I have ever made. It took years of preparation: moving conversations to Signal, and waiting until I graduated from university, so I didn’t have to bother with group assignments that got organized through WhatsApp. Last year, I was finally ready to leave and so I did. While I had to make compromises during those eight…
Dear reader, Have you ever discovered software that makes sense from the moment you try it out? Something that becomes part of your workflow, and you can’t imagine going back in time. This happened to me when I tried the iA Writer after reading James’s thoughts on it. The reason this Markdown writing software spoke to me relates to my craving for calm and intentional software. Before encountering…
Dear reader, I started my blog because I enjoy writing, and the thought of having my own space to share my thoughts felt exciting. I also saw blogging as an alternative to social media platforms, where the hostile discussion culture, combined with other negative attributes, had left me wanting to find a space where I could still interact with people, but on my own terms. At the beginning of my…
Dear reader, As a person with a weird interest in browsers, I sometimes go through different subreddits to see what's going on in that space. I often encounter people sharing the browser extensions they use while asking for more suggestions. Here are a few examples of these setups: As useful as browser extensions can be, most of them are unnecessary, and some are even malicious . It's a good idea…
Dear reader, If you read tech reviews, you may have encountered the phrase: “The best option for most people” or one of its variants. While the aim is to provide a recommendation that should fit the needs of the majority, pushing people towards a specific product can sometimes lose sight of the needs that an average person has for technology. The more affordable option can often meet these needs,…
Dear reader, Robert Birming published a blog post recently, where he encouraged bloggers to stop limiting themselves by only writing about a niche topic. Don't go niche . . . The only thing that matters is that you feel free in your blogging. As soon as you start limiting yourself, trying to trend, you've got one foot in the grave. This got me thinking about my blog. In the beginning, I made an…