2026-10-03 15:43:32
I've been reading that YouTube has just released a feature that lets you A/B test videos. I have opinions on A/B testing, which I've mentioned before.
The crux of the problem is that A/B testing presumes either A or B is the right answer, and it optimises for popularity. In YouTube's case, engagement is probably what you want, but it isn't necessarily the best outcome.
The other issue is how much the variants can differ. A/B tests are usually used for something small, like the wording on a button, to see which is more compelling. With videos, the variants could differ enormously.
That also means it could easily be weaponised into a misinformation campaign: posting multiple videos with different viewpoints, all under the same title. The purpose of a misinformation campaign isn't to convince anybody that a falsehood is true, but to sow enough disbelief that you can't trust anything.
This mechanism feels baked into the software as a feature, not a bug. It doesn't really matter to YouTube why people are engaging, only that they are, because of the ad revenue.
2026-10-01 20:45:10
Happy Spooky Season!
Here are a few photos from my phone from the last month with neither rhyme nor reason to the theme.
2026-10-01 14:53:01
As the nights draw in and the sun becomes a long-distant memory, reasons to venture out with a camera are fewer and fewer.
So, here are 31 prompts for October to encourage you out of a slump (like me) or whatever. I will almost certainly not do all 31!
I will update this post periodically (I have other stuff to do!) and share images on the socials with the hashtags #Photober and #Photober2026
If you want to join in, feel free — the more the merrier! Do all of them; do one a week; pick one and showcase seven variations on the theme — or 31 variations!
If you want to share on your own blog, I have included the full list in plain text for easy copy and paste at the end of this post.
I look forward to seeing the great array of talent out there and don't forget your ✨alt text✨
1. Primary
2. Reflection
3. Urban
4. Joy
5. Minimal
6. Thirds
7. Monochrome
8. Silhouette
9. Nature
10. Solitude
11. Abstract
12. Leading
13. Vibrant
14. Backlit
15. Melancholy
16. Rustic
17. Vintage
18. Framed
19. Complementary
20. Dim
21. Seasonal
22. Surprise
23. Macro
24. Symmetry
25. Pastel
26. Sun
27. Industrial
28. Tranquility
29. Contrast
30. Depth
31. Spooky2026-09-29 15:34:24
The premise is deceptively simple…
What's your favourite movie from the year you turned 21?
Are you sure…?
Easy-peasy — "Bring It On"!
Oh, no, wait…
"Memento"
No, "The Cell"
Ah, no "Requiem for a Dream"
"American Psycho"!
"Best in Show"
Ooh, no it's "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"
Ah, "Pitch Black"
No, no, it's fucking "Ginger Snaps"!!!!!!!
This meme can't be done!
2026-09-28 04:05:32
The moon's full, uncaged by clouds and low over the horizon — a cold, golden colour.
Stark as midnight.
But this is five a.m. Not an ungodly hour by most people's standards.
It shows autumn is here, and I'm feeling the witchy fingers of spooky season.
Towards the end of my walk, about half past six, the first vestiges of the sun are making themselves known on the opposite horizon.
By lunchtime, she'll be fully up, bringing one of those autumnal days of two halves — a winter morning giving way to a summer afternoon. Twenty degrees, not a cloud in the sky, is coming.
Although we don't know it yet, tomorrow won't get above twelve Celsius. The heating will go on, and the blanket will be over my knees while I work. But we don't know that yet.
Today. Today is a day of possibilities.
2026-09-21 16:27:19
A thousand curses on whoever decided to reorganise the main navigation on Github so that "Agents" comes before "Actions".
While I'm not a fan of "Agents" in the first place, I reluctantly accept that they're a part of Github. However, I am also old man shakes fist at clouds dot gif.
On mobile, the navigation collapses into an overflow menu. I am not convinced this is a good choice anyway but that's the trade-off they decided was best for them. What it has resulted in though, is that on my phone "Actions" is pushed into the overflow menu when it wasn't before. Curses!
I often have to check why my scheduled builds have failed on me (I say "often" like my code breaks daily but that's not entirely true). I never have to look at the "Agent" page.
Now my most common reason for going to the website is hidden in an overflow necessitating two clicks instead of one. At a time of stress ("OMFG build failed!") this is an annoyance I could do without.
And, yes, I am aware I could "just" not use Github.