dispatches / Link

Colin Walker on a Today/daily page:

"I really like the idea of "Today" but am not sure if it will work as the blog front page. People are so used to reverse-chron ... that I don't know whether they will adjust."

I came across Colin's post today as I was stalking people on micro.blog and it got me thinking about what I'm trying to do as I weave my way back into posting content online, in search for the joy of blogging I remember circa 2006.

Rather than trying to re-create something from the past which I remember as a fun, enjoyable, and worthwhile experience I wonder if I instead should be looking to something new that works for my life as it is today. I've only started to post content here, and no-one really knows about the space other than me, so there is time and opportunity to adjust to a different format / platform if needed. 

But, is it needed? Or, am I just looking for another excuse to not stick with something?

Elk: a nimble Mastodon web client:

“Thanks for your interest in trying out Elk, our work-in-progress Mastodon web client!”

I don’t think I’ll be jumping on the Mastodon bandwagon— I need another Twitter like I need another hole in my head, but if I was I certainly wouldn’t be using a client that tries to mimic Twitter in every way possible. 

Elk is really missing out on a golden opportunity to re-invent the social web. 

You’re probably using the wrong dictionary:

"A book where you can enter “sport” and end up with “a diversion of the field” — this is in fact the opposite of what I’d known a dictionary to be. This is a book that transmutes plain words into language that’s finer and more vivid and sometimes more rare. No wonder McPhee wrote with it by his side. No wonder he looked up words he knew, versus words he didn’t, in a ratio of “at least ninety-nine to one."

I always find  myself wanting to add this custom dictionary to my devices to help improve my writing and evoke general delight in the every day. Alas, as I typically reset my devices on a regular basis to allow for a digital fresh start, the enjoyment of such a system's modification is always short lived. 

Electric Bike, Stupid Love of My Life — by Craig Mod:

"When I was a child I dreamt of having a personal helicopter. Powered by my feet and a bit of magic (certainly not gasoline, oddly, thinking back on it now). I imagined quietly gliding over the city in this tiny contraption, floating from home to video rental shop to diner, stopping by a friend’s house along the way. An electric bike gets me most of the way to this feeling."

If any e-bike company is looking for their next marketing campaign, Craig Mod has them covered.

A Walker in the City:

"Helmreich’s strategy for walking in strange neighborhoods is to talk to strangers. “If I see some bad-ass dude walking up toward me, I don’t put on my gang face, I don’t try to look tough,” he said. “In fact, I do the opposite. I seek to make eye contact, and as soon as they look at me I say, ‘Hey, buddy, how ya doin’?’ ” People laugh and say things like “O.K., pops.”"

In reading this passage I immediately think of the times I travel with a group of friends I dub The Rust City Readers. Seeing strangers as a source and wealth of information rather than as someone to avoid, I love engaging with others when I travel. I'll admit that this is something I certain do more willingly when traveling in a group, with my friend Ross typically taking the lead to engage, but I enjoy it none the less.