-
"Commit: Update system" — Prototype Fund demo day #6
“Commit — Update system” was the motto for round six of the Prototype Fund, Germany’s funding scheme for open source technology. The February 2020 demo day showcased the projects, framed in an inspirational narrative around changing society through responsible and open…
by
-
Bookmark: "Link Targets and 3.2.5"
I can’t even remember how many times I have engaged in the discussion why links on websites should not open in new tabs. Sadly, the number of times I had to surrender and spoil otherwise user-friendly and accessible designs with the client request to “open external links in a new…
by
-
Speaking at Think-About! 2020
I am humbled and beyond excited to be invited to speak at Think-About! 2020, the second edition of my favourite “tech” conference. I wrote about my impressions last year.
by
-
Bookmark: "A Data-Driven Guide to Effective Personal Climate Action"
“46 minute read” is a commitment, but this thoroughly researched post by Erika Reinhardt has an incredible amount of food for thought, background data and tools: This post details the most effective individual changes you can make to fight climate change in your personal life The…
by
-
Google does not need a user agent header to track people
There has been quite some discussion (e.g. here) around the plan by browser vendors, led by the Google Chrome team, to essentially abandon the User-agent header they send with every request to identify version and make of the browser it is coming from. Not all that surprising, considering their…
by
-
Hacking a traffic jam into Google Maps
Google Maps Hacks by Berlin artist Simon Weckert is performance art at its best: not only for the artifact it creates (in the most ephemeral way, in form of a live data stream on Google Maps), but for the awareness it creates. 99 second hand smartphones are transported in a handcart to generate…
by
-
Three voices to be heard on Data Protection Day 2020
January 28 is Data Protection Day, and here are three voices I strongly would like to see heard.
by
-
Bookmark: "10 Reasons Why Online Advertising is Broken"
In “10 Reasons Why Online Advertising is Broken”, Karolina Iwańska summarizes the toxicity of behavioural advertising not in one, but ten, points (and stresses that this list is not exhaustive). Starting out with the illusion of consent and intrusive profiling, she frames the…
by
-
Using Kirby as an IndieAuth authentication endpoint
I adapted the open source Selfauth server into a Kirby 3 plugin, allowing to log in to IndieAuth-enabled websites using one’s own domain.
by
-
A view back at the 9th A11Y Meetup Berlin ...and ahead to the A11Y Club Summit 2019
I much enjoyed one of the Berlin Accessibility Meetup talks this week. Besides, this is the perfect time to remind about our A11Y Club Summit on 16/17 Nov - sign-ups are still open!
by
-
Note, published 28 Oct 2019
The A11YClub Summit Berlin Nov 16/17 being featured by Radimir Bitsov at the A11Y Berlin meetup - sign up for barcamp and workshops now at a11y.club
by
-
Reply to a Tweet by Eric Eggert
“Periodic reminder that not everyone has a ‘first name’ and a ‘last name’” ..and that not all names consist of six or more characters
by
-
Office onboard the X2000
Today’s “co-working space” onboard the X2000 from Malmö to Stockholm beats flying not just in terms of the carbon footprint, but seat comfort, legroom, flawless WiFi, gastronomy service, staff attentiveness and window views. Even it weren’t for #flygskam, I’d have a hard time to justify taking the plane instead.
by
-
The week in quotes (2019W38)
Just two topics: Snowden’s memoirs, and the climate crisis
by -
The week in quotes (2019W37)
User research myths, privacy dark patterns, responsibilities, social cohesion, innocence lost, and climate injustice
by -
Shops on strike for the climate
So great to see ever more shops and companies announcing they will be closed to participate in the Global Climate Strike demonstrations on 20 September!
by
-
Two more means to put your website on climate strike
While my own solution is specific to Kirby CMS, two new alternatives for self-hosted “website strike” banners have been shared - both great options to join the #globalclimatestrike with privacy-friendly solutions.
by
-
The week in quotes (2019W36)
Manipulative ad tracking, the “perfect user” bias, the right to log off, barcodes as mobile media, and climate refugees
by -
Closing my website for the Global Climate Strike - a Kirby plugin
I wrote a small Kirby 3 plugin for temporarily shutting down my website on 20 Sep.
by
-
The week in quotes (2019W34)
Google’s privacy charades, regulation of the web, legal education for developers, cash as a human right, negligence as malice, and eco-friendly wellbeing.
by -
Think-About! – a tech conference unique in concept and execution
A tech conference focusing not only on technology and design, but on social impact and responsibility – when I first heard about the new Think-About! conference, the ticket was an almost instant purchase. And the event turned out to even exceed my already high expectations. This is hands down my new favourite conference.
by
-
Bookmark: "Dark Patterns at Scale: Findings from a Crawl of 11K Shopping Websites"
In addition to quantifying the depressing amount of manipulative and deceptive dark patters on the web, this paper describes an interesting methodology, using a bot that is able to detect dark patterns. The key theoretical contribution is an empirically grounded categorisation of 15 types of dark…
by
-
Note, published 24 May 2019
On the train to Berlin, mind utterly blown by the stellar Think-About! conference…
by
-
Co-learning at Accessibility Club #8 - some notes and thoughts
Accessibility Club is a meetup where professionals, enthusiasts and curious novices discuss how to create accessible digital technology. The 8th event of this series once again saw me inspired by what is essentially a random agenda with unpredictable topics - and outcomes! The day started with two…
by
-
Selected a11y insights from my past year
Designing accessible technology is a continuous learning process. These are some insights from the past year I wrote about on this blog.
by