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<title type="text">Terence Eden’s Blog</title>
<subtitle type="text">Regular nonsense about tech and its effects 🙃</subtitle>
<updated>2026-06-02T07:03:18Z</updated>
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<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[London Data Store Relaunch]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/london-data-store-relaunch/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71588</id>
<updated>2026-05-13T13:45:32Z</updated>
<published>2026-06-03T11:34:49Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="Open Data"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[It has been sixteen years since the launch of data.london.gov.uk. Back then, it was a trailblazer as one of the first major cities to release Open Data in this way. Now, over a decade later, it is more than a mere repository; it is a celebration of Open Data and the way it can improve Londoners' lives. So, time for a refresh front and back. As well as a bunch of back-end updates, the front-end…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/london-data-store-relaunch/"><![CDATA[<p>It has been sixteen years since the launch of <a href="https://data.london.gov.uk/">data.london.gov.uk</a>. Back then, it was a trailblazer as one of the first major cities to release Open Data in this way. Now, over a decade later, it is more than a mere repository; it is a celebration of Open Data and the way it can improve Londoners' lives.</p>
<p>So, time for a refresh front and back. As well as a bunch of back-end updates, the front-end has been spruced up which should make it easier to find the data you're looking for. I particularly the way they're now highlighting the licence under which data are available.</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/metadata.webp" alt="Screenshots showing the difference between the old and new version." width="2187" height="876" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-71590">
<p>You can check it out right now at <a href="https://dfl.london.gov.uk/">https://dfl.london.gov.uk/</a></p>
<p>If you spot any bugs, send them to [email protected]</p>
<p>The most important thing you can do is <strong>use your library</strong>! Just like any other library, it lives or dies based on how much use it gets. Rummage around in those datasets, build interesting things, and convince your local area to send data to it.</p>
<p>This is a brilliant resource and I'm glad to see it get the love it deserves.</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71588&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
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<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Using FourSquare's API to post location checkins to social media]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=68230</id>
<updated>2026-06-02T07:03:18Z</updated>
<published>2026-06-02T11:34:51Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="api"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="BlueSky"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="FourSquare"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="geolocation"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="MastodonAPI"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[What is this, 2016? I like sharing my location with my pocket friends sometimes. If I'm in a cool bar that they know, perhaps they can recommend a drink. If they live nearby, maybe they want to come for dinner. Not everyone has FourSquare's SwarmApp, so it is handy to automatically share its updates with other people. Of course, Swarm doesn't cross-post to social media because walled-gardens…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/"><![CDATA[<p>What is this, 2016?</p>
<p>I like sharing my location with my pocket friends sometimes. If I'm in a cool bar that they know, perhaps they can recommend a drink. If they live nearby, maybe they want to come for dinner. Not everyone has FourSquare's SwarmApp, so it is handy to automatically share its updates with other people.</p>
<p>Of course, Swarm doesn't cross-post to social media because walled-gardens are the most profitable. This is my attempt to open it back up again.</p>
<p>Here's what they look like on BlueSky and Mastodon:</p>
<blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:i6misxex577k4q6o7gloen4s/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmlb3yva3b2x" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreifyyuioy5zwpghfyqcdx7pjippygsg3o3nr3svtvf7owqsdjlygxy" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">Checked in to Hamburger Fischmarkt, Große Elbstr. 9 (Fischmarkt), Germany
Probably a *bit* early for a breakfast beer.
See on Swarm<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:i6misxex577k4q6o7gloen4s/post/3mmlb3yva3b2x?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p>— Terence Eden (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:i6misxex577k4q6o7gloen4s?ref_src=embed">@edent.tel</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:i6misxex577k4q6o7gloen4s/post/3mmlb3yva3b2x?ref_src=embed">24 May 2026 at 07:45</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="mastodon-embed" data-embed-url="https://mastodon.social/@Edent/116642179645011519/embed" style="background: #FCF8FF; border-radius: 8px; border: 1px solid #C9C4DA; margin: 0; max-width: 540px; min-width: 270px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0;"> <a href="https://mastodon.social/@Edent/116642179645011519" target="_blank" style="align-items: center; color: #1C1A25; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Fira Sans', 'Droid Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; justify-content: center; letter-spacing: 0.25px; line-height: 20px; padding: 24px; text-decoration: none;"> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" width="32" height="32" viewBox="0 0 79 75"><path d="M63 45.3v-20c0-4.1-1-7.3-3.2-9.7-2.1-2.4-5-3.7-8.5-3.7-4.1 0-7.2 1.6-9.3 4.7l-2 3.3-2-3.3c-2-3.1-5.1-4.7-9.2-4.7-3.5 0-6.4 1.3-8.6 3.7-2.1 2.4-3.1 5.6-3.1 9.7v20h8V25.9c0-4.1 1.7-6.2 5.2-6.2 3.8 0 5.8 2.5 5.8 7.4V37.7H44V27.1c0-4.9 1.9-7.4 5.8-7.4 3.5 0 5.2 2.1 5.2 6.2V45.3h8ZM74.7 16.6c.6 6 .1 15.7.1 17.3 0 .5-.1 4.8-.1 5.3-.7 11.5-8 16-15.6 17.5-.1 0-.2 0-.3 0-4.9 1-10 1.2-14.9 1.4-1.2 0-2.4 0-3.6 0-4.8 0-9.7-.6-14.4-1.7-.1 0-.1 0-.1 0s-.1 0-.1 0 0 .1 0 .1 0 0 0 0c.1 1.6.4 3.1 1 4.5.6 1.7 2.9 5.7 11.4 5.7 5 0 9.9-.6 14.8-1.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 .1 0 .1 0 .1 0 0 .1 0 .1 0 .1.1 0 .1 0 .1.1v5.6s0 .1-.1.1c0 0 0 0 0 .1-1.6 1.1-3.7 1.7-5.6 2.3-.8.3-1.6.5-2.4.7-7.5 1.7-15.4 1.3-22.7-1.2-6.8-2.4-13.8-8.2-15.5-15.2-.9-3.8-1.6-7.6-1.9-11.5-.6-5.8-.6-11.7-.8-17.5C3.9 24.5 4 20 4.9 16 6.7 7.9 14.1 2.2 22.3 1c1.4-.2 4.1-1 16.5-1h.1C51.4 0 56.7.8 58.1 1c8.4 1.2 15.5 7.5 16.6 15.6Z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg> <div style="color: #787588; margin-top: 16px;">Post by @[email protected]</div> <div style="font-weight: 500;">View on Mastodon</div> </a> </blockquote>
<script data-allowed-prefixes="https://mastodon.social/" async="" src="https://mastodon.social/embed.js"></script>
<h2 id="tldr"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#tldr">tl;dr</a></h2>
<p>You can <a href="https://gitlab.com/edent/swarmtosocial/-/blob/main/swarmtosocial.py">get the SwarmToSocial code from my GitLab</a>.</p>
<p>At the moment, developers get <a href="https://foursquare.com/pricing/">10,000 API calls for free each month</a>. That's probably more than enough for most personal uses.</p>
<h2 id="documentation"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#documentation">Documentation</a></h2>
<p>I was pleasantly surprised that <a href="https://docs.foursquare.com/developer/reference/create-a-checkin">FourSquare's CheckIn documentation</a> was fairly easy to use and understand.</p>
<p>Once you've <a href="https://foursquare.com/developers/home">signed up for a developer account</a> you can create an OAuth app. That will generate a Client ID (<code>ABC123</code>), Client Secret (<code>XYZ789</code>), and you supply a Project URL.</p>
<p>Once done you can <a href="https://docs.foursquare.com/developer/reference/personalization-apis-authentication">follow the Authentication documentation</a>. Or just visit:</p>
<pre><code class="language-_">https://foursquare.com/oauth2/authenticate?
client_id=ABC123
&response_type=code
&redirect_uri=https://example.com/
</code></pre>
<p>Sign in with your FourSquare account. It will redirect you to:</p>
<p><code>https://example.com/?code=456QWE</code></p>
<p>Use that code to construct the final URl:</p>
<pre><code class="language-_">https://foursquare.com/oauth2/access_token?
client_id=ABC123
&client_secret=XYZ789
&grant_type=authorization_code
&redirect_uri=http://example.com/
&code=456QWE
</code></pre>
<p>That will respond with the Access Token:</p>
<pre><code class="language-json">{
"access_token":"asdfghjkl123456"
}
</code></pre>
<p>Hurrah! Posting a new checkin is <em>relatively</em> simple. POST to this URl with a header of <code>accept: application/json</code></p>
<pre><code class="language-_">https://api.foursquare.com/v2/checkins/add?
v=20260223
&venueId=13600425
&shout=This%20is%20a%20test
&oauth_token=asdfghjkl123456
</code></pre>
<ul>
<li><code>v</code> is, rather confusingly, a date. <a href="https://docs.foursquare.com/developer/reference/versioning">The versioning documentation</a> has more details but, basically, set it to the date you deployed your app.</li>
<li><code>venuId</code> you'll need to find yourself (more on that later).</li>
<li><code>shout</code> is up to 140 characters (!) of URl encoded text.</li>
</ul>
<p>That will send back rather a lot of JSON. Here are the important bits:</p>
<pre><code class="language-json">{
"meta": {
"code": 200,
"requestId": "123456789"
},
"response": {
"checkin": {
"id": "987654321",
"createdAt": 1771843820,
"type": "checkin",
"visibility": "closeFriends",
"shout": "This is a test of the API",
"timeZoneOffset": -300,
"editableUntil": 1771930220000,
"user": {
"id": "56367",
"firstName": "Terence",
"lastName": "Eden",
"relationship": "self",
"displayName": "Terence Eden"
},
"venue": {
"id": "QWERTYUIOP",
"name": "My Birthday Party!",
"contact": {},
"location": {
"isFuzzed": true,
"lat": 39.123456789,
"lng": -84.987654321,
"cc": "US",
"city": "Cincinnati",
"state": "KY",
"country": "United States",
"formattedAddress": [
"Cincinnati, KY",
"United States"
]
}
},
"checkinShortUrl": "https://swarmapp.com/user/56367/checkin/987654321?s=wRZ7ByNfCW1DNrOIpsRcytPZelE"
}
}
}
</code></pre>
<p>For my purposes, the <code>shout</code> and <code>checkinShortUrl</code> are the most important. You can view a sample check in:</p>
<p><a href="https://swarmapp.com/user/56367/checkin/699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544?s=LA7jCaAtH-s9CwSpgQrQdHrP5-8">https://swarmapp.com/user/56367/checkin/699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544?s=LA7jCaAtH-s9CwSpgQrQdHrP5-8</a></p>
<h2 id="venue-id"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#venue-id">Venue ID</a></h2>
<p>If you're already using <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2018/11/extracting-your-data-from-untappd/">a service like Untappd</a> you might be able to get the venue ID from that.</p>
<p>If not, FourSquare provides <a href="https://opensource.foursquare.com/os-places/">100 million points of interest</a> for free - although with <a href="https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/foursquare-releases-100m-poi-dataset-under-apache-2-0/121883">questionable data quality</a>.</p>
<p>Alternatively, you can <a href="https://docs.foursquare.com/fsq-developers-places/reference/place-search">search by location</a>:</p>
<pre><code class="language-_">curl --request GET \
--url 'https://places-api.foursquare.com/places/search?ll=51.123%2C0.123&radius=1000&sort=POPULARITY' \
--header 'X-Places-Api-Version: 2025-06-17' \
--header 'accept: application/json' \
--header 'authorization: Bearer ABC123'
</code></pre>
<p>As far as I can see, the <code>Bearer Token</code> only exists <a href="https://docs.foursquare.com/fsq-developers-places/reference/place-search">on the documentation page</a>. I couldn't find it in my developer console. Weird!</p>
<p>That gets you back:</p>
<pre><code class="language-json">{
"results": [
{
"fsq_place_id": "4be584ed2457a593ad8cab15",
"latitude": 51.11783041264215,
"longitude": 0.11219274871133413,
"categories": [
{
"fsq_category_id": "4bf58dd8d48988d1fa941735",
"name": "Farmers Market",
"short_name": "Farmers Market",
"plural_name": "Farmers Markets",
"icon": {
"prefix": "https://ss3.4sqi.net/img/categories_v2/shops/food_farmersmarket_",
"suffix": ".png"
}
}
],
"date_created": "2010-05-08",
"date_refreshed": "2025-11-01",
"distance": 970,
"extended_location": {},
"link": "/places/4be584ed2457a593ad8cab15",
"location": {
"address": "",
"locality": "Hartfield",
"region": "East Sussex",
"postcode": "",
"admin_region": "England",
"country": "GB",
"formatted_address": "Hartfield, East Sussex"
},
"name": "Perryhill Farm Shop",
"placemaker_url": "https://foursquare.com/placemakers/review-place/4be584ed2457a593ad8cab15",
"related_places": {},
"social_media": {
"twitter": ""
},
"tel": "",
"website": "http://www.perryhillorchards.co.uk/index.php?sec=4"
},
{
"fsq_place_id": "8896f77565e54a658585301d",
"latitude": 51.11649,
"longitude": 0.13131,
"categories": [],
"date_created": "2021-12-06",
"date_refreshed": "2021-12-06",
"distance": 909,
"extended_location": {},
"link": "/places/8896f77565e54a658585301d",
"location": {
"address": "Priory Park, Beech Green Lane",
"locality": "Withyham",
"region": "East Sussex",
"postcode": "TN7 4DB",
"admin_region": "England",
"post_town": "Hartfield",
"country": "GB",
"formatted_address": "Priory Park, Beech Green Lane, Withyham, East Sussex, TN7 4DB"
},
"name": "Spectra Studios",
"placemaker_url": "https://foursquare.com/placemakers/review-place/8896f77565e54a658585301d",
"related_places": {},
"social_media": {},
"tel": "01892 487149"
},
],
"context": {
"geo_bounds": {
"circle": {
"center": {
"latitude": 51.123,
"longitude": 0.1234
},
"radius": 1000
}
}
}
}
</code></pre>
<p>You can manually check a place using the Placemaker site: <a href="https://foursquare.com/placemakers/review-place/64eca80f0398c97ab52298ec">https://foursquare.com/placemakers/review-place/64eca80f0398c97ab52298ec</a></p>
<h2 id="getting-existing-checkins"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#getting-existing-checkins">Getting Existing Checkins</a></h2>
<p>What if you've checked in to a place using the official Swarm app? How do you get your own recent checkin data?</p>
<p>Again, there is <a href="https://docs.foursquare.com/developer/reference/get-user-checkins">documentation on getting user checkins</a>.</p>
<pre><code class="language-bash">curl --request GET \
--url 'https://api.foursquare.com/v2/users/self/checkins?v=20260223&limit=2&offset=0&oauth_token=asdfghjkl123456' \
--header 'accept: application/json'
</code></pre>
<p>Where it says <code>oauth_token</code> it <em>actually</em> means the <code>access_token</code>.</p>
<p>The JSON that is returned is a bit verbose, so I've simplified it here:</p>
<pre><code class="language-json">{
"meta": {
"code": 200,
"requestId": "699c6505b488565a31e315e3"
},
"response": {
"checkins": {
"count": 2344,
"items": [
{
"id": "699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544",
"createdAt": 1771844789,
"type": "checkin",
"visibility": "closeFriends",
"entities": [],
"shout": "Testing the API using an Untappd FourSquare ID.",
"timeZoneOffset": 0,
"editableUntil": 1771931189000,
"venue": {
"id": "64eca80f0398c97ab52298ec",
"name": "Abbey Wood Fossil Pit",
"contact": {},
"location": {
"lat": 51.487514,
"lng": 0.13048041,
"postalCode": "SE2 0AX",
"cc": "GB",
"country": "United Kingdom",
"formattedAddress": [
"SE2 0AX"
]
},
"createdAt": 1693231119
},
},
</code></pre>
<p>Annoyingly, there's no <code>checkinShortUrl</code> which means it can't easily be shared.</p>
<p>For that, you'll need to <a href="https://docs.foursquare.com/developer/reference/get-checkin-details">use the <code>get-checkin-details</code> API</a>:</p>
<pre><code class="language-bash">curl --request GET \
--url 'https://api.foursquare.com/v2/checkins/699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544?v=20250202&oauth_token=asdfghjkl123456' \
--header 'accept: application/json'
</code></pre>
<p>Which will return this (truncated for brevity):</p>
<pre><code class="language-json">{
"meta": {
"code": 200,
"requestId": "699c67de5f5c0a0e8ab234db"
},
"response": {
"checkin": {
"id": "699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544",
"createdAt": 1771844789,
"type": "checkin",
"shout": "Testing the API using an Untappd FourSquare ID.",
"timeZoneOffset": 0,
"checkinShortUrl": "https://swarmapp.com/user/56367/checkin/699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544?s=LA7jCaAtH-s9CwSpgQrQdHrP5-8",
</code></pre>
<h2 id="photos"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#photos">Photos</a></h2>
<p>If there's a photo with the checkin, it will be return in the JSON like this:</p>
<pre><code class="language-json">{
"response": {
"checkin": {
"photos": {
"count": 1,
"items": [
{
"id": "699f3a9f96799c05c0f16c9c",
"createdAt": 1772042911,
"prefix": "https://fastly.4sqi.net/img/general/",
"suffix": "/56367_5VYox4Y-hs66wURVsYc1NLgOokfwBfcWhtKQrOlMdD8.jpg",
"width": 1008,
"height": 1344,
</code></pre>
<p>The URl for the image is <code>prefix width x height suffix</code> - in this case <a href="https://fastly.4sqi.net/img/general/1008x1344/56367_5VYox4Y-hs66wURVsYc1NLgOokfwBfcWhtKQrOlMdD8.jpg">https://fastly.4sqi.net/img/general/1008x1344/56367_5VYox4Y-hs66wURVsYc1NLgOokfwBfcWhtKQrOlMdD8.jpg</a></p>
<p>You can adjust the width and height if you want a thumbnail or some other resolution.</p>
<p>If there's no photo, the count will be 0.</p>
<h2 id="putting-it-all-together"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#putting-it-all-together">Putting it all together</a></h2>
<p>Every 15 minutes, <a href="https://gitlab.com/edent/swarmtosocial/-/blob/main/swarmtosocial.py">the SwarmToSocial code</a> does the following:</p>
<ol>
<li>Get the most recent checkin.</li>
<li>Read a local file to get the previously seen checkin ID.</li>
<li>If the checkin ID hasn't been seen before:
<ol>
<li>Get the checkin details.</li>
<li>Get the photo if it exists</li>
<li>Post the checkin (plus photo) to Mastodon & BlueSky.</li>
<li>Save the checkin ID to a file.</li>
</ol></li>
</ol>
<p>Enjoy!</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=68230&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
<link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#comments" thr:count="1"/>
<link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/feed/atom/" thr:count="1"/>
<thr:total>1</thr:total>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Who are the actors in the UK's 2015 passport?]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/who-are-the-actors-in-the-uks-2015-passport/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=70568</id>
<updated>2026-05-12T14:15:17Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-31T11:34:08Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="FoI"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="government"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="sexism"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="shakespeare"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[I got nerdsniped by a bloody Reddit post! In 2015, the UK Government launched a new passport design. It immediately attracted negative press for its designers' "sexist" decision to feature more men than women. The government has been accused of sexism over the new UK passport design, which commemorates the achievements of two women but seven men. It's true that there are only two named women - …]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/who-are-the-actors-in-the-uks-2015-passport/"><![CDATA[<p>I got <a href="https://xkcd.com/356/">nerdsniped</a> by a bloody <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/1ssf943/">Reddit post</a>!</p>
<p>In 2015, the UK Government launched <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-uk-passport-design-launched">a new passport design</a>. It immediately attracted negative press for its designers' <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34710261">"sexist" decision to feature more men than women</a>.</p>
<blockquote><p>The government has been accused of sexism over the new UK passport design, which commemorates the achievements of two women but seven men.</p></blockquote>
<p>It's true that there are only two <em>named</em> women - but there is another <em>unnamed</em> woman on the passport! Here's the "Performing Arts" page:</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Performing-Arts.webp" alt="Passport page, richly illustrated, featuring Shakespeare's Globe. There are three actors in the corner." width="2048" height="1455" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-70569">
<p>Shakespeare stares down at his Wooden O. Half the page is a stage, and the men and woman merely players.</p>
<p>Here they are in a bit more detail:</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/actors.webp" alt="Close up of the actors. They are dressed in period costume and are emoting." width="1600" height="1520" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-70570">
<p>Who are they? They look like reasonably modern photos rather than portraits. They're not obviously famous. None of the press at the time mentioned who they were. No stock photography library had anything similar that I could see. Your favourite AI thought one of them was Doctor Who and the other a Congressman from Nantucket.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f516f40f0b62305b866a7/HMPO_magazine.pdf">official document describing the design</a> simply says:</p>
<blockquote><p>On the left hand side there is an image of the interior of the theatre, with a play in progress.</p></blockquote>
<p>I scanned in an old passport to get the faces in as much detail as possible. All three of them look like jobbing actors who you probably saw in a schools' production of Twelfth Night, don't they?
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/actor-faces.webp" alt="Three faces in a row." width="699" height="233" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-70575"></p>
<p>I couldn't find anything about them online. I asked my investigative-minded friends but they drew a blank.</p>
<p>I even sent a <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/images_used_in_2015_passport">Freedom of Information request to the Passport Office</a>.</p>
<p>They refused on grounds of GDPR, but they did say:</p>
<blockquote><p>However, we can disclose the photographs of the individuals appearing on the passport page captured by a photographer employed by a supplier contracted to HM Passport Office.</p></blockquote>
<p>So, if you're one of the actors / models - or know who they are - please drop a note in the box below!</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=70568&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
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<thr:total>1</thr:total>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[The UK Government's Low Value Purchase System is a Waste of Time]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/the-uk-governments-low-value-purchase-system-is-a-waste-of-time/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=69983</id>
<updated>2026-05-28T18:23:59Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-29T11:34:54Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="FoI"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="government"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="rant"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="statistics"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[It can be hard running a small business. If you want to sell to a large organisation like the UK Government, there are forms to fill in, checks to comply with, tenders to bid on, and a hundred other things. Luckily, there's the RM6237 Low Value Purchase System to make everything better. If a department wants to buy something below a certain threshold, they can contact any of the registered…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/the-uk-governments-low-value-purchase-system-is-a-waste-of-time/"><![CDATA[<p>It can be hard running a small business. If you want to sell to a large organisation like the UK Government, there are forms to fill in, checks to comply with, tenders to bid on, and a hundred other things.</p>
<p>Luckily, there's the <a href="https://www.gca.gov.uk/agreements/RM6237">RM6237 Low Value Purchase System</a> to make everything better. If a department wants to buy something below a certain threshold, they can contact any of the registered suppliers and just buy it. No complicated paperwork, cheaper prices, win-win!</p>
<p>Except, there's on annoying bit of bureaucracy. Every month I have to tell the Government Commercial Agency what business I've done.</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GCA.webp" alt="Hello Terence Eden, It’s time to report your management information to the Government Commercial Agency (GCA). If you didn’t do any business, you still need to use this service to let us know. 9 April 2026 is the deadline to report your March 2026 data You need to report for the following commercial agreement(s):- RM6237 – Low Value Purchase System Report your management information If you don’t think you should be getting this reminder or there is a problem reporting, please email the support team: Regards, GCA MI collection team" width="840" height="1000" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-69985">
<p>Fair enough, I guess. Let them know how many paperclips I've sold to the Ministry of Administrative Affairs.</p>
<p>But there's a wrinkle. What if I've sold <em>nothing</em>? Well, I <strong>still</strong> have to log on, wait for an MFA code to be send, click through, and report "No Business".</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-20Confirm-report-no-business-for-March-2026-on-RM6237.webp" alt="Screenshot with a button to report no business." width="1300" height="500" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-69988">
<p>I think that's a waste of time. But I wondered how much time it collectively wastes for the nation's small businesses.</p>
<p>So I filed <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/low_value_purchase_system_nill_r">a Freedom of Information request</a> to see how many people have to sign in to let them know they haven't done any business. They replied quickly - although sent the data as a PDF rather than the requested machine-readable format.</p>
<p>Here's how much of a waste of time it is for everyone:</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th align="right"><strong>Date</strong></th>
<th align="right"><strong>Total Returns</strong></th>
<th align="right"><strong>Nil Return</strong></th>
<th align="right"><strong>Percent<wbr>age</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="right">Mar-25</td>
<td align="right">768</td>
<td align="right">729</td>
<td align="right">94.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">Apr-25</td>
<td align="right">902</td>
<td align="right">876</td>
<td align="right">97.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">May-25</td>
<td align="right">948</td>
<td align="right">923</td>
<td align="right">97.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">Jun-25</td>
<td align="right">1,322</td>
<td align="right">1,270</td>
<td align="right">96.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">Jul-25</td>
<td align="right">1,406</td>
<td align="right">1,355</td>
<td align="right">96.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">Aug-25</td>
<td align="right">1,369</td>
<td align="right">1,326</td>
<td align="right">96.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">Sep-25</td>
<td align="right">1,416</td>
<td align="right">1,362</td>
<td align="right">96.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">Oct-25</td>
<td align="right">1,610</td>
<td align="right">1,556</td>
<td align="right">96.6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">Nov-25</td>
<td align="right">1,713</td>
<td align="right">1,654</td>
<td align="right">96.6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">Dec-25</td>
<td align="right">1,645</td>
<td align="right">1,590</td>
<td align="right">96.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">Jan-26</td>
<td align="right">1,536</td>
<td align="right">1,487</td>
<td align="right">96.8%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">Feb-26</td>
<td align="right">1,588</td>
<td align="right">1,531</td>
<td align="right">96.4%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Even if you assume that it only takes 2 minutes to fill in their form, that's over 2 <em>days</em> worth of time being wasted every month.</p>
<p>At best, 59 small businesses reported that they sold something via RM6237. Well over a thousand businesses are clicking on a button which, frankly, ought not to exist. Why isn't the onus on those <em>buying</em> using the system to report what they've spent and who they spent it with?</p>
<p>After clicking the button, I'm always asked to rate my experience using the service. I FoI'd that data as well but was told:</p>
<blockquote><p>This information is not held. Feedback scores submitted are anonymised and only available as a service-wide view; consequently, we do not capture or hold results specific to RM6237</p></blockquote>
<p>So the GCA are wasting everyone's time and do not track how annoying it is.</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=69983&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
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<thr:total>5</thr:total>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Gadget Review: Chuwi Minibook X N150 + Linux ★★★★☆]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=68038</id>
<updated>2026-05-27T17:36:21Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-27T11:34:36Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="gadget"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="laptop"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="linux"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="review"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="usb-c"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[I needed a small and light laptop to take travelling. Something with a larger screen than my phone so I can use the Big Internet™. Nothing too expensive and something that uses the same USB-C charger as everything else. So I settled on the Chuwi Minibook N150. It's literally small enough to fit in my cargo-short pockets. For the price (around £300ish) it is basically fine. There are a few ni…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/"><![CDATA[<p>I needed a small and light laptop to take travelling. Something with a larger screen than my phone so I can use the Big Internet™. Nothing too expensive and something that uses the same USB-C charger as everything else.</p>
<p>So I settled on the Chuwi Minibook N150. It's literally small enough to fit in my cargo-short pockets. For the price (around £300ish) it is basically fine. There are a few niggles, but none of them showstoppers for me.</p>
<p>I took it to OggCamp and had <em>so</em> many people come and ask me about it. It's a small, cute, and distinctive looking device.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.chuwi.com/product/items/chuwi-minibook-x-n150.html"><img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/minibook.webp" alt="A small laptop." width="1024" height="720" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-71515"></a></p>
<h2 id="the-bad"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#the-bad">The Bad</a></h2>
<p>Here are the worst things about the laptop:</p>
<ul>
<li>US Keyboard. Yup, the @ and " are in the wrong place. I can be set to UK, but then you lose the <kbd>|</kbd> key.</li>
<li>The trackpad sometimes goes a bit jittery. It usually works, but once it a while goes askew. The touchscreen can be used if it happens.</li>
<li>Screen rotation works, but the keyboard and trackpad don't switch off if you bend the keyboard all the way back.</li>
<li>No biometrics like fingerprint or camera - so you need to remember your passwords.</li>
<li>Support from the manufacturer is haphazard. Mostly forum links and expired downloads. The firmware seems to update fine on Linux though.</li>
</ul>
<p>That's not too bad, I reckon.</p>
<h2 id="installing-linux"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#installing-linux">Installing Linux</a></h2>
<p>I had a brief play with Windows 11, let it update its drivers just in case there was any magic firmware, then nuked it.</p>
<p>Turn the device off. Turn it on and then hammer the <kbd>Delete</kbd> button. It'll pop you into the BIOS.</p>
<p>Secure Boot needs to be disabled:</p>
<p>Security → Secure Boot → Secure Boot → Disabled</p>
<p>You'll also need to set it to boot from a USB device:</p>
<p>Boot → Boot Option #1 → USB Device</p>
<p>The go to Save & Exit. I tried <a href="https://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=325">Linux Mint Debian Edition</a>. It booted just fine and, after fiddling in the display settings, it automatically detected the screen rotation. Internet worked, touchscreen worked, Bluetooth worked. I tried a few distros and settled on NixOS as being the least worst option.</p>
<p>Everything works except the keyboard switching off when it is folded backwards.</p>
<h2 id="look-and-feel"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#look-and-feel">Look and Feel</a></h2>
<p>It is a solid lump of metal. There are no decals on back of the screen (so perfect for adding stickers!) and the bottom is similarly bare apart from some air-flow grilles and the usual identifying marks.</p>
<p>There are two USB-C ports on one side and a vestigial headphone jack on the other.</p>
<h2 id="keyboard"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#keyboard">Keyboard</a></h2>
<p>Despite coming from a UK warehouse and shipping with a UK plug, it has a US keyboard. The only real difference is the <code>£</code> symbol is missing from the <kbd>3</kbd> button, the <code>@</code> and <code>"</code> are swapped, and the <kbd>|</kbd> button is in the wrong place. None of that is disastrous and setting your OS to use a UK layout fixes things.</p>
<p>Because <kbd>\|</kbd> is mapped to <kbd>#~</kbd>, there's no way to type a backslash or pipe.</p>
<p>There are three levels of backlight. Off, dim, and not quite so dim. No fancy RBG effects here!</p>
<h2 id="trackpad"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#trackpad">Trackpad</a></h2>
<p>Supports multi-touch so you can use gestures. Obviously it is quite small, but you can touch the screen if you need to. Annoyingly, the trackpad is only "clicky" at the edges. You can click down in the middle, but it doesn't feel like it clicks. Not a show stopper, but a bit aggravating.</p>
<h2 id="screen"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#screen">Screen</a></h2>
<p>The screen has masked off rounded corners. Personally I think that's something which should be left to the Desktop Environment to decide. I can't really understand why they've done that. However, as the ratio is 16:10, you're not going to lose precious pixels when watching a movie.</p>
<p>The screen is bright enough for most uses and goes fairly dim for night use. It is locked at 50Hz which is a bit of a baffling decision. I guess it saves a modicum of power? For almost all uses, you won't notice the difference though.</p>
<h2 id="battery-and-charging"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#battery-and-charging">Battery and Charging</a></h2>
<p>It ships with a USB-C PD charger with a UK plug and a hard-wired connection. Unfortunately, the charger was limited to 36W - so fairly modest.</p>
<p>However, initially the Minibook would only charge at around 10W (20V⎓0.5A) eventually getting up to 16W (12V⎓1.3A or 20V⎓0.3A) - that didn't meaningfully change when I used a more powerful laptop charger. It never got up to the promised 36W while the unit was off.</p>
<p>Once I turned it on, it jumped to ~35W (11.70V⎓3A). Using the stronger charger it occasionally got to 40W (20V⎓2A) but mostly stayed around 36W.</p>
<p>That's not a <em>bad</em> speed, and the battery is relatively small, but you won't be able to take it from empty to full with a quick blast. If you do need it to charge quickly, make sure it is on.</p>
<h2 id="size-weight-and-tablet-mode"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#size-weight-and-tablet-mode">Size, Weight, and Tablet Mode</a></h2>
<p>At just under a Kg, it is light enough to slip into a jacket pocket. Similarly, although around twice as thick as a normal 10 inch tablet, it isn't massive. Holding it up for long periods means you will feel the weight more keenly - but the keyboard acts as a pretty decent stand.</p>
<p>It supports multi-touch and a pen, apparently, which is not supplied.</p>
<h2 id="camera"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#camera">Camera</a></h2>
<p>The small lens is sensibly placed in the top centre and is of surprisingly good quality. You're not going to shoot a movie on it, but fine for video calls.</p>
<h2 id="verdict"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#verdict">Verdict</a></h2>
<p>Depending on how you are blessed by The Algorithm, this is around £300 - £350. You may also have to pay tax and delivery depending on where it is shipped from.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.chuwi.com/product/items/chuwi-minibook-x-n150.html">specifications are pretty decent</a>. Look, it's no MacBook Neo - but it is cheap and runs Linux.</p>
<p>If you're happy futzing around a bit, it's a decent travel companion.</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=68038&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
<link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#comments" thr:count="3"/>
<link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/feed/atom/" thr:count="3"/>
<thr:total>3</thr:total>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[PHP - simple way to send HTTP headers before a script ends]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/php-simple-way-to-send-http-headers-before-a-script-ends/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=68523</id>
<updated>2026-05-25T09:25:39Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-25T11:34:38Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="HowTo"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="php"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Suppose you want PHP to keep processing after it has sent back an HTTP response. Normally, this doesn't work: <?php header( "Location: https://example.com/" ); // Long operation. sleep(10); die(); Try it yourself. You'll have to wait 10 seconds before you get back < HTTP/2 302 < location: https://example.com/ There are some complex ways to fix this - they usually involve…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/php-simple-way-to-send-http-headers-before-a-script-ends/"><![CDATA[<p>Suppose you want PHP to keep processing <em>after</em> it has sent back an HTTP response. Normally, this doesn't work:</p>
<pre><code class="language-php"><?php
header( "Location: https://example.com/" );
// Long operation.
sleep(10);
die();
</code></pre>
<p>Try it yourself. You'll have to wait 10 seconds before you get back</p>
<pre><code class="language-_">< HTTP/2 302
< location: https://example.com/
</code></pre>
<p>There are some complex ways to fix this - they usually involve spawning sub-processes or having a cron job run something. But there's a simpler way!</p>
<p>Most servers do some form of output buffering. They wait for the buffer to fill (or be explicitly terminated) before they send any content. My server was set to a buffer of 4,096 bytes. So I forced some dummy output to fill it up, then told PHP to flush the buffer:</p>
<pre><code class="language-php"><?php
header( "Location: https://example.com/" );
echo str_repeat("😆", 4097);
flush();
sleep(10);
die();
</code></pre>
<p>Some clients, like Python's Requests, <a href="https://github.com/psf/requests/issues/7248">wait until they've explicitly seen the end of the response before processing it</a>.</p>
<p>But, for something like curl, the above is sufficient.</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=68523&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Which age-gates should be skill-gates and vice-versa?]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=68406</id>
<updated>2026-03-29T10:49:49Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-23T11:34:31Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="politics"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="thoughts"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[In the UK, it is illegal to buy alcohol if you are under 18. Similarly, in most countries, you cannot vote until you have reached a specific age. These are age-gates. You do not need to prove your competence to drink, vote, smoke, or get married; you just need to be old enough. Some things have skill-gates. If you want an amateur radio licence in the UK, you need to pass an exam. You can be…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/"><![CDATA[<p>In the UK, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/alcohol-young-people-law">it is illegal to buy alcohol if you are under 18</a>.</p>
<p>Similarly, in most countries, you cannot vote until you have reached a specific age.</p>
<p>These are age-gates. You do not need to prove your competence to drink, vote, smoke, or get married; you just need to be old enough.</p>
<p>Some things have skill-gates. If you want an amateur radio licence in the UK, you need to pass an exam. You can be any age<sup id="fnref:age"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/#fn:age" class="footnote-ref" title="OK, realistically you have to be old enough to read, write, and communicate. But there's no legal barrier to a precocious 3 year old taking and passing the exams." role="doc-noteref">0</a></sup>.</p>
<p>Similarly, most jurisdictions allow you to get a medical licence once you have passed the requisite tests<sup id="fnref:doogie"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/#fn:doogie" class="footnote-ref" title="As seen in the insightful documentary series "Doogie Howser, M.D."" role="doc-noteref">1</a></sup>.</p>
<p>There are also activities which are dual-gated. You can only get a driving licence after passing a test, but you can only apply to take the test once you are a certain age.</p>
<p>Where should society swap age-gates and skill-gates?</p>
<p>Perhaps the big one is voting. The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/representation-of-the-people-bill-policy-summaries/votes-at-16">UK is preparing to extend the franchise to all 16 and 17 year olds</a> - but why is there an age-gate at all?</p>
<p>Children are affected by politics, they pay tax on the goods they buy, they exist in the world. Why shouldn't they vote?</p>
<p>The <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2013/01/votes-for-children/">usual argument is that they are too immature</a>. But maturity isn't dependent on age. Idiots are allowed to vote. Centenarians with no stake in the consequences of their politics are allowed to vote. People who don't understand what powers a government has are allowed to vote.</p>
<p>Would it <em>really</em> be so bad to introduce a voting licence? Make people take a short quiz to ensure they understand what they're voting for and why they're voting. Perhaps there are concerns about disenfranchising eligible adults (but not mature children) or that the state will rig the test (when they could rig the election) or whatever. But if we're sticking with the fiction that some people aren't mature enough to vote then we <em>must</em> give disenfranchised people a chance to prove their maturity.</p>
<p>You could make the same argument about driving. If a 7 year old is able to demonstrate mastery and control of a vehicle, are they likely to be a better driver than a 90 year old who has never taken a modern test?</p>
<p>Alcohol is different. We realise that the drug is harmful and <em>especially</em> harmful to developing humans. So we age-gate it. But do people really understand the health risks? Should you have to pass a test in order to imbibe? We make the people selling alcohol pass somewhat rigorous skills assessments. Perhaps the burden of proof should be reversed?</p>
<h2 id="wait-do-you-really-believe-all-this"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/#wait-do-you-really-believe-all-this">Wait, do you really believe all this?</a></h2>
<p>No, not necessarily.</p>
<p>I find it fascinating that different cultures set different limits on people's activities. I wouldn't like to live somewhere that allowed anyone to drive on the public roads. Similarly, I don't particularly want governments restricting who can vote based on an arbitrary assessment.</p>
<p>But where are the limits? Why is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minimum_driving_ages">legal driving age so variable</a>? Why are some <a href="https://www.jalopnik.com/1988281/hardest-easiest-countries-to-get-drivers-license/">driving tests easier than others</a>?</p>
<p>Do you want a teenage doctor diagnosing you - even if they are legally certified? Should you be able to use a radio without passing a test if you're a legal adult?</p>
<p>Which age-gates and skill-gates do <em>you</em> think should be flipped?</p>
<div id="footnotes" role="doc-endnotes">
<hr aria-label="Footnotes">
<ol start="0">
<li id="fn:age">
<p>OK, realistically you have to be old enough to read, write, and communicate. But there's no legal barrier to a precocious 3 year old taking and passing the exams. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/#fnref:age" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:doogie">
<p>As seen in the insightful documentary series "Doogie Howser, M.D." <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/#fnref:doogie" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
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<thr:total>10</thr:total>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Whale Fall]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/whale-fall/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=70000</id>
<updated>2026-05-17T13:55:02Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-21T11:34:15Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="technology"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Somewhere, in the endless blue ocean, a gigantic mammal shudders as it takes its last breath. Thanks to science, we know that all dogs go to heaven, but all whales descend through the murky depths until their carcasses litter the seabed. Imagine a giant dying. You can't. They are huge and endless. A towering presence which, so it seems, has always been part of our world. They dominate and are…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/whale-fall/"><![CDATA[<p>Somewhere, in the endless blue ocean, a gigantic mammal shudders as it takes its last breath. Thanks to science, we know that all dogs go to heaven, but all whales descend through the murky depths until their carcasses litter the seabed.</p>
<p>Imagine a giant dying. You can't. They are huge and endless. A towering presence which, so it seems, has <em>always</em> been part of our world. They dominate and are indomitable. It is simply unfathomable that they can ever end. Yet end they must.</p>
<p>As the whale dies, we do not know what passes through its cavernous brain. But we do know what the rest of the ocean thinks.</p>
<p>Lunch.</p>
<p>The death of a whale is a thing to be celebrated. The thump of their still-warm body onto the floor is the starting bell for a feast. Some larger predators sense an easy meal and tear off the choicest morsels. But what of the scavengers? What about the new life not yet established? What happens to the weird little creatures just waiting for an energy boost?</p>
<p>In many ways, it was fortuitous that Twitter pre-signalled its death with the Fail Whale.</p>
<p>The twitching corpse is gently floating down to its watery grave. Some of the older and more established social networks have bitten out chunks of the still-fresh body and have run away with their spoils. But the fascinating thing is watching all the <em>new</em> services benefit from the death of a giant. Mastodon, Discord, BlueSky, Qaplion, Nostr, and a bunch of others hollowing out the rotting husk and using it to power their own growth.</p>
<p>Will those .meow social networks ever become a gigaton behemoth capable of ruling the waves? Maybe not, but size is not the only metric of success. Finding and defending an ecological niche is its own reward. Evolution abhors a monoculture.</p>
<p>Several bloated bodies meander through the brine, each one confident that its ageless wisdom will outlast the others. Had they any self-awareness, the hubris would gnaw at their tattered souls until the crushing realisation of their impending doom drove them mad.</p>
<p>Perhaps it will happen to GitHub next. The endless downtime and forced injection of crappy AI will start a death spiral. Already established forges are waiting to pounce once they smell blood in the water. But what critters will emerge to suck the bones of the old giant and develop in unexpected ways? Some bizarre fungal growth will devour the stinking jelly unlocked from those shattered bones and a new ecosystem will emerge.</p>
<p>Will WordPress's increasingly erratic leadership and tangle of legal disputes cause it fatal damage? Once minnows darted away from its presence; now they cautiously nip at its greying skin. Its mighty bellow still echoes through the clammy waters, but there's a tinge of frailty in its song.</p>
<p>Everything dies eventually.</p>
<p>The internal flora and fauna - be they parasitic or symbiotic - eagerly await their host's downfall. A chance to break free and explore new strange new world. A chance to begin a new relationship and co-evolve in unexpected ways.</p>
<p>The biological pump is primed, the hungry jaws of an uncountable fleet of new ideas is just waiting to pounce, the giants swim on in blissful ignorance.</p>
<p>You can read more about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_fall">Whale Fall on Wikipedia</a>.</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=70000&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[[RSS Club] Let's meet up AFK]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-lets-meet-up-afk/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71519</id>
<updated>2026-05-19T09:55:27Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-20T11:34:04Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="[RSS Club]"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="RSS Club"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Shhhh! This post is only available to RSS subscribers like you 😊 My wife and I are preparing for a big Interrail journey through Europe. Whenever we go on holiday, we like to meet up with friendly locals to have a drink and chat. We did this on our last journey and it was great. So, if you're a member of RSS club and fancy showing some tourists a cool bar, awesome restaurant (with vegan op…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-lets-meet-up-afk/"><![CDATA[<p><mark><em>Shhhh!</em> This post is only available to RSS subscribers like you</mark> 😊</p>
<p>My wife and I are preparing for a big Interrail journey through Europe. Whenever we go on holiday, we like to meet up with friendly locals to have a drink and chat. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/06/meeting-my-fedifriends-afk/">We did this on our last journey and it was great</a>.</p>
<p>So, if you're a member of RSS club and fancy showing some tourists a cool bar, awesome restaurant (with vegan options), local tech conference, or nifty museum - please <a href="https://edent.tel/">get in touch</a>.</p>
<p>Our exact dates aren't finalised yet, but from now until the beginning of July, we'll be taking roughly this route:</p>
<ul>
<li>🇩🇪 Hamburg →</li>
<li>🇩🇰 Copenhagen →</li>
<li>🇸🇪 Gothenburg →</li>
<li>🇳🇴 Oslo →</li>
<li>🇸🇪 Stockholm →</li>
<li>🇫🇮 Helsinki →</li>
<li>🇪🇪 Tallinn →</li>
<li>🇱🇻 Riga →</li>
<li>🇱🇹 Vilnius →</li>
<li>🇵🇱 Warsaw →</li>
<li>🇩🇪 Berlin → Munich →</li>
<li>🇮🇹 Verona → Milan →</li>
<li>🇨🇭 Basel →</li>
<li>🇫🇷 Paris</li>
</ul>
<p>If you're in one of those cities and fancy a beer & veggie burger, please give us a shout. We won't be able to meet everyone as we do have some existing plans and tight connections but, as they say, it's nice to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhVRzh4_j50">go where everybody knows your name</a>.</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71519&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
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<thr:total>0</thr:total>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Book Review: Terrible Worlds: Destinations by Adrian Tchaikovsky ★★★★★]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-terrible-worlds-destinations-by-adrian-tchaikovsky/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71710</id>
<updated>2026-05-17T13:55:20Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-19T11:34:17Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="Book Review"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="NetGalley"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="Sci Fi"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[What's better than one Adrian Tchaikovsky novella? Three Adrian Tchaikovsky novellæ! Or is it "novellii"? Either way, a delightful triptych of stories on a common theme. On the surface, they're about travelling to a new destination (Space! The Future! For-Copyright-Reasons Not Narnia!) Except, deep down, they're about loneliness. No matter how far or fast we run, no matter where or when we go, …]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-terrible-worlds-destinations-by-adrian-tchaikovsky/"><![CDATA[<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/tw-destinations-470.webp" alt="Book cover." width="235" height="369" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-71711">
<p>What's better than one Adrian Tchaikovsky novella? <em>Three</em> Adrian Tchaikovsky novellæ! Or is it "novellii"? Either way, a delightful triptych of stories on a common theme. On the surface, they're about travelling to a new destination (Space! The Future! For-Copyright-Reasons Not Narnia!)</p>
<p>Except, deep down, they're about loneliness. No matter how far or fast we run, no matter where or when we go, we can't outrun ourselves. When you enter the void, sometimes the void enters you.</p>
<p>There's also the constant theme about the hunter becoming the hunted. All three of the stories reminded me a bit of <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2022/04/book-review-piranesi-by-susanna-clarke/">Piranesi by Susanna Clarke</a> - in that I was never quite sure if the characters were simply delusional and waging war on an enemy of their own making.</p>
<p>It brims with a pathos which I find rare in modern science fiction. That's offset with the perfectly placed <em>British</em> humour within it. Yes, there's a touch of the Weir/Scalzi "Only I, a nerdy guy, can save the universe in a self-knowing way" - but those authors aren't brave enough to mention Reading town centre or have their hero hail from Stevenage. Whereas Tchaikovsky knows what's up with the Furries.</p>
<p>An excellent collection of tales.</p>
<p>Many thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. The book is available to buy now.</p>
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</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[GDS weighs in on the NHS's decision to retreat from Open Source]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71603</id>
<updated>2026-05-17T10:05:33Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-17T11:34:30Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="AI"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="gds"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="government"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="nhs"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="nhsx"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="Open Source"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Within the UK's Civil Service you occasionally hear the expression "being invited to a meeting without biscuits". It implies a rather frosty discussion without any of the polite niceties of a normal meeting. In general though, even when people have severe disagreements, it is rare for tempers to fray. It is even rarer for those internal disagreements to spill over into public. Which is what…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/"><![CDATA[<p>Within the UK's Civil Service you occasionally hear the expression "being invited to a meeting <em>without</em> biscuits". It implies a <em>rather</em> frosty discussion without any of the polite niceties of a normal meeting<sup id="fnref:biscuits"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fn:biscuits" class="footnote-ref" title="Of course, all the budget cuts mean that biscuits cannot be purchased for any meetings. Which may explain some of the morale issues within the Civil Service. Thanks Austerity. Thausterity." role="doc-noteref">0</a></sup>. In general though, even when people have severe disagreements, it is rare for tempers to fray. It is even rarer for those internal disagreements to spill over into public.</p>
<p>Which is what makes GDS's latest guidance so surprising. At the start of the month, NHS England made the bizarre and irresponsible decision <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/nhs-goes-to-war-against-open-source/">to close all their Open Source repositories</a> due to unfounded fears of AI hacking<sup id="fnref:hack"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fn:hack" class="footnote-ref" title="As of today, they've shut down nearly 200 repositories. More may be coming." role="doc-noteref">1</a></sup>. Lots of people within the NHS were outraged. As were many outside - with <a href="https://keepthingsopen.com/">this petition</a> against the move gathering over 2,000 signatures.</p>
<p>Within other parts of government there was also alarm. Although I no longer work for Government Digital Service, I was contacted by several concerned people there who remembered all my work on Open Source. The brilliant team in Whitechapel have now published their guidance "<a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ai-open-code-and-vulnerability-risk-in-the-public-sector">AI, open code and vulnerability risk in the public sector</a>".</p>
<p>It is <strong>brutal</strong>.</p>
<p>They utterly repudiate the NHS's stance and forensically eviscerate it. I'll let you read the whole thing, but here are a few choice excerpts:</p>
<blockquote><p>Recent public reporting about organisations restricting access to public repositories due to AI-enabled code analysis illustrates how quickly leaders may reach for blanket closure in response to uncertainty.</p></blockquote>
<p>Basically, non-technical managers need to stop over-reacting.</p>
<blockquote><p>Private repositories can create a false sense of security.</p></blockquote>
<p>I think that's the crux of the argument. Closing code doesn't solve the underlying problems.</p>
<blockquote><p>Making code private is not an appropriate mitigation for lack of ownership, patching capability, or operational assurance, so systems that cannot be safely maintained should be remediated or retired.</p></blockquote>
<p>If you are so concerned about the poor security of your systems, you should shut them down completely to mitigate the threat.</p>
<blockquote><p>Closure can become a one-way door.</p></blockquote>
<p>As I said to the BMJ, "<a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj.s928">nothing lasts longer than a temporary fix</a>".</p>
<blockquote><p>Where code has been developed in the open, making a repository private later may not remove access for a capable adversary as popular repositories are often mirrored or forked</p></blockquote>
<p>Indeed. A friend of mine has already archived all of the NHS's repositories. You can <a href="https://github.com/orgs/uk-gov-mirror/repositories?q=mirror%3Afalse+fork%3Afalse+archived%3Afalse+nhs&page=1">see the ones they've tried to hide</a>.</p>
<p>But the killer blow, I think, is this:</p>
<blockquote><p>Moving code from public to private as a substitute for investment in secure-by-design delivery, ownership and remediation is a warning sign because it reduces sharing and scrutiny, can slow coordinated improvement across government and suppliers, and does not remove the underlying weaknesses in a running service.</p></blockquote>
<p>Exactly! Coding in the open has been shown time and again to produce high quality and secure work. The looming threat of AI vulnerability scanners doesn't change that - security is a shared responsibility. Technical teams need to be well enough resourced to create secure systems; hiding code is as reliable as papering over structural cracks.</p>
<p>GDS was created was to be a <em>strong</em> centre with vast technology expertise. This was to counter the frankly shoddy approach to tech in other departments. Back then, a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/service-assessments">Service Assessment</a> was a way for a department to prove that they were actually capable of designing, launching, and managing a complex IT project.</p>
<p>Most departments have become significantly better at the development and running of these sorts of projects, so the <i lang="fr">raison d'etre</i> of GDS has somewhat waned. Departments feel more confident in running off on their own. Usually I'd celebrate that - it's important that GDS doesn't become a bottleneck and that the talent is distributed throughout the whole Civil Service.</p>
<p>But NHS England has always been a bit of a weird one. One of the reasons NHSX was created<sup id="fnref:nhsx"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fn:nhsx" class="footnote-ref" title="I was there right before the start of NHSX and helped set it up." role="doc-noteref">2</a></sup> was to ensure that the health service had strong expertise in technology and its deployment. As the Head of Open Technology there, I helped craft the policies which embedded Open Source and Open Standards within it<sup id="fnref:open"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fn:open" class="footnote-ref" title="Which, I suppose, is why I'm bitter and angry that all our hard work is being undone." role="doc-noteref">3</a></sup>.</p>
<p>I don't know what discussions have taken place within NHS England - although <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/information_relating_to_guidance_2">I looking forward to receiving a response to my FOI request</a>. It looks to me like a small group within NHS England have received a report showing some potential vulnerabilities discovered by Mythos. Rather than following their own internal guidance, they've over-reacted and slapped a blanket ban on coding in the open.</p>
<p>I fervently hope that this new guidance will encourage DHSC to bring NHS England into line with best practice. If not, perhaps GDS ought to reassert itself as the technical authority with power to veto a department's incomprehensible decisions?</p>
<div id="footnotes" role="doc-endnotes">
<hr aria-label="Footnotes">
<ol start="0">
<li id="fn:biscuits">
<p>Of course, all the budget cuts mean that biscuits cannot be purchased for <em>any</em> meetings. Which may explain some of the morale issues within the Civil Service. Thanks Austerity. Thausterity. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fnref:biscuits" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:hack">
<p>As of today, they've shut down nearly 200 repositories. More may be coming. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fnref:hack" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:nhsx">
<p>I was there right before the start of NHSX and helped set it up. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fnref:nhsx" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:open">
<p>Which, I suppose, is why I'm bitter and angry that all our hard work is being undone. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fnref:open" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71603&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
<link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#comments" thr:count="9"/>
<link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/feed/atom/" thr:count="9"/>
<thr:total>9</thr:total>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[UK Government Kicks Out Palantir]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71169</id>
<updated>2026-05-15T05:55:26Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-15T05:34:03Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="government"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="Open Source"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The UK Government, for all its faults, is pretty good at publishing contracts it has awarded. That's why I get depressed when I see rage-bait nonsense about how companies have been award "Top Secret" deals. Right now you can go to https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk and search for whichever bête noire has you riled up. You might want to argue that the company is corrupt, incompetent, or …]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/"><![CDATA[<p>The UK Government, for all its faults, is pretty good at publishing contracts it has awarded. That's why I get depressed when I see rage-bait nonsense about how companies have been award "Top Secret" deals.</p>
<p>Right now you can go to <a href="https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk">https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk</a> and search for whichever <i lang="fr">bête noire</i> has you riled up. You might want to argue that the company is corrupt, incompetent, or overpriced - but you can't argue that its contract is secret. There's no conspiracy. There's no secrecy. There's not even "beware of the leopard" shenanigans. It's all out in the open<sup id="fnref:except"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fn:except" class="footnote-ref" title="Yes, there occasionally delays and some things are redacted either for privacy, security, or confidentiality. But, in the main, if the Government has spent money on it, it'll be published somewhere." role="doc-noteref">0</a></sup>.</p>
<p>The Government says who it paying money to.</p>
<p>But, of course, there are some things the Government <em>can't</em> say. It's rare for them to publicly disagree with a supplier, or call out how crappy they were. They need to maintain cordial relations with people<sup id="fnref:cathartic"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fn:cathartic" class="footnote-ref" title="Yes, I know it would cathartic to have a YouTube Shocked Face "Government SLAMS woeful supplier!!" but the long-term consequences make it unlikely." role="doc-noteref">1</a></sup>. They don't want to scare off new suppliers who can't risk being publicly humiliated. When contracts are cancelled or ended, it is usually done quietly.</p>
<p>So you need to learn to read between the lines.</p>
<p>Let's take this excellent blog post from the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government<sup id="fnref:mchlgchm"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fn:mchlgchm" class="footnote-ref" title="MHCLG is literally the worst acronym in a sea of unpronounceable alphabetti spaghetti. At least MOJ can be pronounced "Modge"!" role="doc-noteref">2</a></sup></p>
<p>"<a href="https://mhclgdigital.blog.gov.uk/2026/04/09/from-emergency-to-sustainability-creating-share-homes-for-ukraine-data/">From emergency to sustainability: creating Share Homes for Ukraine data</a>".</p>
<p>It's exactly the sort of blog post that some Civil Servants excel at writing. It clearly sets out how an ambitious and technically challenging project was delivered, why it is important, and who it benefits.</p>
<p>The blog post describes how the team…</p>
<blockquote><p>exited our contract with our supplier.</p></blockquote>
<p>And that:</p>
<blockquote><p>Moving to this in-house model is already saving MHCLG millions of pounds a year in running costs.</p></blockquote>
<p>They show user feedback for their new system saying:</p>
<blockquote><p>It’s easier to navigate than the previous system</p></blockquote>
<p>Of course, what they don't say is <em>who</em> supplied the previous system which was so costly and hard to use.</p>
<p>It was, of course, Palantir.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/b89e126f-8666-43d6-99b0-4e6a83a0c0a5">original contract (CPD4124104)</a> wasn't secret - although it was mired in <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/49de4d4d-5ac7-4f86-ac9e-17785be0aad9?syn-25a6b1a6=1">some controversy</a> as an urgent exemption to normal procurement rules<sup id="fnref:boring"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fn:boring" class="footnote-ref" title="My boring centrist dad position is that sometimes it makes sense to buy off-the-shelf in an emergency. If you find yourself abandoned after a night out, you order a taxi - you don't take up driving…" role="doc-noteref">3</a></sup>.</p>
<p>In 2023, the <a href="https://www.nao.org.uk/press-releases/investigation-into-homes-for-ukraine/">National Audit Office reported on the scheme</a> - including Palanitr's software. They said:</p>
<blockquote><p>The initial arrangement was put in place to help get the scheme up and running quickly. Consequently, the system did not undergo the usual research and testing that would be involved for the roll-out of a new digital system. There were initial issues such as the way it presented duplicated application data received from Home Office systems, and confusion from local authorities as to how to engage with the main data system.</p></blockquote>
<p>How bad was Palantir's software? I've sent in a <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/usability_and_other_feedback_fro">Freedom of Information request to find out</a>. But we can tell that it was bad enough to convince MHCLG to rewrite it themselves.</p>
<p>A lean Civil Service may not have the in-house capability to rapidly create a new service. But, as their blog post shows, when given suitable resources Civil Servants can often <em>outperform</em> the private sector. More importantly, the new software is under the Ministry's direct control. This <a href="https://github.com/communitiesuk/ukraine-sponsor-resettlement">open source</a> code is a triumph for sovereign technology.</p>
<p>MHCLG have shown the door to Palantir. They've built something better, easier to use, and cheaper.</p>
<p>I don't want to oversell this as the first victory in the war against this <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gjkj7975po">abominable company</a> - but I hope where MHCLG leads, others will follow.</p>
<hr>
<p>You can <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2l2j1lxdk5o">read more about this story on BBC News</a>.</p>
<div id="footnotes" role="doc-endnotes">
<hr aria-label="Footnotes">
<ol start="0">
<li id="fn:except">
<p>Yes, there occasionally delays and some things are redacted either for privacy, security, or confidentiality. But, in the main, if the Government has spent money on it, it'll be published somewhere. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fnref:except" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:cathartic">
<p>Yes, I know it would cathartic to have a <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/youtubes-infamous-shocked-face-thumbnails-could-be-on-the-way-out">YouTube Shocked Face</a> "Government SLAMS woeful supplier!!" but the long-term consequences make it unlikely. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fnref:cathartic" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:mchlgchm">
<p>MHCLG is literally the worst acronym in a sea of unpronounceable alphabetti spaghetti. At least MOJ can be pronounced "Modge"! <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fnref:mchlgchm" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:boring">
<p>My boring <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/centrist-dads-introducing-new-bugbear-online-corbynites-92779">centrist dad</a> position is that sometimes it makes sense to buy off-the-shelf in an emergency. If you find yourself abandoned after a night out, you order a taxi - you don't take up driving lessons. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fnref:boring" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71169&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
<link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#comments" thr:count="10"/>
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<thr:total>10</thr:total>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Stupidly Simple SVG Sparklines]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/stupidly-simple-svg-sparklines/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=63359</id>
<updated>2026-03-27T16:10:07Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-13T11:34:01Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="svg"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="tutorial"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[A sparkline is a little line-graph with no axes or other unnecessary details. They're useful for getting quick understanding of what the data is showing. They're also really easy to create programmatically. This uses the SVG "polyline" which takes a list of x,y co-ordinate pairs. But can you spot the small problem? <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1024 124"> <polyline …]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/stupidly-simple-svg-sparklines/"><![CDATA[<p>A sparkline is a little line-graph with no axes or other unnecessary details. They're useful for getting quick understanding of what the data is showing.</p>
<p>They're also <em>really</em> easy to create programmatically.</p>
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1024 124"><polyline fill="none" stroke="#0074D9" stroke-width="3" points="12,48
83,84
154,79
226,90
297,79
369,65
440,78
512,80
583,88
654,12
726,56
797,92
869,93
940,97
1012,106"></polyline></svg>
<p>This uses the SVG "<a href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/SVG/Reference/Element/polyline">polyline</a>" which takes a list of x,y co-ordinate pairs. But can you spot the small problem?</p>
<pre><code class="language-svg"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1024 124">
<polyline fill="none" stroke="#0074D955" stroke-width="3"
points="12,48 83,84 154,79 226,90 297,79 369,65 440,78 512,80 583,88 654,12 726,56 797,92 869,93 940,97 1012,106"></polyline>
</svg>
</code></pre>
<p>The SVG co-ordinate system has position 0,0 at the top <em>left</em>. Most graphics formats are like that. That's fine for our x value - but it means higher y values will appear <em>lower</em> on the graph.</p>
<p>Getting the x co-ordinate of each data point is easy. Take the width of the SVG image and divide it by the number of data-points.</p>
<p>The y co-ordinate is harder. The algorithm is:</p>
<ol>
<li>Find the height of the SVG.</li>
<li>Find the maximum value in the data.</li>
<li>Find the minimum value in the data.</li>
<li>Divide the maximum value by the height of the graph.</li>
<li>For each data point, either:
<ul>
<li>To have the lowest value at the bottom of the graph, subtract the minimum from the value, then multiply by the ratio in (4).</li>
<li>Or, to retain the gap between zero and the lowest value, multiply the value by the ratio in (4).</li>
</ul></li>
<li>The y co-ordinate is calculated by subtracting the value in (5) from the height in (1).</li>
</ol>
<p>Here's some code showing how it works. I've added a little padding to the inside of the graph - you'll see why later:</p>
<pre><code class="language-php">// Max and min of views.
$max_views = max( $svg_views_data );
$min_views = min( $svg_views_data );
$svg_data_length = sizeof( $svg_dates_data ) - 1;
// SVG details for scaling.
$svg_padding = 12;
$svg_width_graph = 1000;
$svg_width = $svg_width_graph + ( $svg_padding * 2 );
$svg_height_graph = 100;
$svg_height = $svg_height_graph + ( $svg_padding * 2 );
// Calculate where each point should be.
$x_per = $svg_width_graph / ( $svg_data_length );
$y_per = $svg_height_graph / $max_views;
// Loop through the data.
foreach ( $svg_views_data as $index=>$views ) {
// X is from the left.
$x_pos = intval( $x_per * $index ) + $svg_padding;
// Y is from the top.
$y_pos = $svg_height - intval( $y_per * $views ) - $svg_padding;
// Add a point to the line.
$polyline_points .= "{$x_pos},{$y_pos}\n";
}
echo <<< SVG
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
viewBox="0 0 $svg_width $svg_height" class="chart">
<polyline
fill="none"
stroke="#F00"
stroke-width="3"
points="{$polyline_points}"/>
</svg>
SVG;
</code></pre>
<p>Suppose someone suggests stupidly simple sparklines suffer seriously so someone should supplement statistics several circles?</p>
<p>Using the same co-ordinates, we can place an SVG circle on top of the point. Give it a "title" attribute and you have a little bit of interactivity.</p>
<pre><code class="language-svg"><circle cx="12" cy="48" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>4,707 Views</title></circle>
</code></pre>
<p>Here's how it looks (view source to understand how it is constructed).</p>
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1024 124" class="chart">
<polyline fill="none" stroke="#0074D9" stroke-width="3" points="12,48
83,84
154,79
226,90
297,79
369,65
440,78
512,80
583,88
654,12
726,56
797,92
869,93
940,97
1012,105
"></polyline>
<circle cx="12" cy="48" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>4,707
2025-09-01</title></circle><circle cx="83" cy="84" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>2,051
2025-09-02</title></circle><circle cx="154" cy="79" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>2,444
2025-09-03</title></circle><circle cx="226" cy="90" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>1,627
2025-09-04</title></circle><circle cx="297" cy="79" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>2,450
2025-09-05</title></circle><circle cx="369" cy="65" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>3,453
2025-09-06</title></circle><circle cx="440" cy="78" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>2,491
2025-09-07</title></circle><circle cx="512" cy="80" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>2,326
2025-09-08</title></circle><circle cx="583" cy="88" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>1,754
2025-09-09</title></circle><circle cx="654" cy="12" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>7,268
2025-09-10</title></circle><circle cx="726" cy="56" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>4,113
2025-09-11</title></circle><circle cx="797" cy="92" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>1,503
2025-09-12</title></circle><circle cx="869" cy="93" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>1,394
2025-09-13</title></circle><circle cx="940" cy="97" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>1,108
2025-09-14</title></circle><circle cx="1012" cy="105" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>533
2025-09-15</title></circle></svg>
<p>Hover over any of those little circles and you'll see some pop-up text giving you information about that datapoint.</p>
<p>…that's it! If you have an array of data points, you can easily create a graph with no graphing library, no plugins, no 3rd party dependencies. Just super simple SVG.</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=63359&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
<link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/stupidly-simple-svg-sparklines/#comments" thr:count="10"/>
<link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/stupidly-simple-svg-sparklines/feed/atom/" thr:count="10"/>
<thr:total>10</thr:total>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Find blog posts with missing featured images - and missing alt text - without a plugin]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/find-blog-posts-with-missing-featured-images-and-missing-alt-text-without-a-plugin/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=63594</id>
<updated>2026-05-11T14:03:39Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-11T11:34:39Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="accessibility"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="TILvember"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="WordPress"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[WordPress has the concept of "Featured Images". They are the images which show up when you share a blog post on social media or, on some themes, as the "hero" image. How can you quickly and easily find any posts which don't have a featured image? For this, I use WP CLI - it allows you to run complex WordPress actions and queries using the command line. After you have installed WP CLI you can…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/find-blog-posts-with-missing-featured-images-and-missing-alt-text-without-a-plugin/"><![CDATA[<p>WordPress has the concept of "Featured Images". They are the images which show up when you share a blog post on social media or, on some themes, as the "hero" image.</p>
<p>How can you quickly and easily find any posts which <em>don't</em> have a featured image?</p>
<p>For this, I use <a href="https://wp-cli.org/">WP CLI</a> - it allows you to run complex WordPress actions and queries using the command line. After you have <a href="https://wp-cli.org/#installing">installed WP CLI</a> you can get started.</p>
<h2 id="missing-images"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/find-blog-posts-with-missing-featured-images-and-missing-alt-text-without-a-plugin/#missing-images">Missing Images</a></h2>
<p>On the command line, run:</p>
<pre><code class="language-_">wp eval 'foreach(get_posts(array("post_type"=>"post","post_status"=>array("publish"),"posts_per_page"=>-1,)) as $post){if(get_the_post_thumbnail($post)==""){$post_type_object=get_post_type_object($post->post_type);$link=admin_url(sprintf($post_type_object->_edit_link . "&action=edit", $post->ID));echo $post->post_date . " " . $link . " " . $post->post_title . "\n";}}'
</code></pre>
<p>Here's the code in a slightly more readable format:</p>
<pre><code class="language-php">foreach (
get_posts(
array( "post_type" => "post",
"post_status" => array("publish"),
"posts_per_page" => -1,
)
) as $post) {
if( get_the_post_thumbnail( $post)== "" ) {
$post_type_object = get_post_type_object( $post->post_type );
$link = admin_url( sprintf( $post_type_object->_edit_link . "&action=edit", $post->ID ) ) ;
echo $post->post_date . " " . $link . " " . $post->post_title . "\n";
}
}
</code></pre>
<p>That will print out:</p>
<pre><code class="language-_">2024-05-02 12:34:11 https://example.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=123&action=edit "A post about sausages"
2023-09-13 20:55:52 https://example.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=456&action=edit "I like cheese"
2021-12-31 15:43:33 https://example.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=789&action=edit "Touching computers"
</code></pre>
<p>You can then go and edit each of those posts to add a featured image.</p>
<h2 id="missing-alt-text"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/find-blog-posts-with-missing-featured-images-and-missing-alt-text-without-a-plugin/#missing-alt-text">Missing Alt Text</a></h2>
<p>Adding alt text means that people who can't see images will still be able to understand what the picture represents. Here's another one-lines to find all featured images with missing alt text:</p>
<pre><code class="language-_">wp eval 'foreach (get_posts(array("post_type"=>"post","post_status"=>array("publish"),"posts_per_page" => -1,)) as $post){if(simplexml_load_string(get_the_post_thumbnail($post))["alt"]==""){$post_type_object=get_post_type_object($post->post_type);$link=admin_url(sprintf($post_type_object->_edit_link . "&action=edit",$post->ID));echo $post->post_date . " " . $link . " " . $post->post_title . "\n";}}'
</code></pre>
<p>And, in slightly more readable form:</p>
<pre><code class="language-php">foreach (
get_posts(
array( "post_type" => "post",
"post_status" => array("publish"),
"posts_per_page" => -1,
)
) as $post) {
if( simplexml_load_string( get_the_post_thumbnail( $post ) )["alt"] == "") {
$post_type_object = get_post_type_object( $post->post_type );
$link = admin_url( sprintf( $post_type_object->_edit_link . "&action=edit", $post->ID ) ) ;
echo $post->post_date . " " . $link . " " . $post->post_title . "\n";
}
}
</code></pre>
<p>Again, that lists the datetime of the post, its edit link, and its title.</p>
<p>Now, if you'll excuse me, I have about 873 posts which need updating 🤯</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=63594&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
<link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/find-blog-posts-with-missing-featured-images-and-missing-alt-text-without-a-plugin/#comments" thr:count="2"/>
<link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/find-blog-posts-with-missing-featured-images-and-missing-alt-text-without-a-plugin/feed/atom/" thr:count="2"/>
<thr:total>2</thr:total>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[[RSS Club] A Sneak Preview of Upcoming Posts]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-a-sneak-preview-of-upcoming-posts/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71376</id>
<updated>2026-05-07T10:56:53Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-10T11:34:38Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="[RSS Club]"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="blogging"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="RSS Club"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Psssst! This top secret post is only available to RSS subscribers! As a little thank-you for being a member of RSS Club I thought I'd show you some trailers for upcoming blog posts. I use the brilliant Editorial Calendar Plugin to organise all my scheduled blog posts. Here's what you can expect over the next month: I tend to write in bursts - rather than once per day - and then spread the…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-a-sneak-preview-of-upcoming-posts/"><![CDATA[<p><mark><em>Psssst!</em> This <strong>top secret</strong> post is only available to RSS subscribers!</mark></p>
<p>As a little thank-you for being a member of <a href="https://daverupert.com/rss-club/">RSS Club</a> I thought I'd show you some trailers for upcoming blog posts.</p>
<p>I use the brilliant <a href="https://editorialcalendarwp.com/">Editorial Calendar Plugin</a> to organise all my scheduled blog posts. Here's what you can expect over the next month:</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/calendar.webp" alt="List of blog posts in a calendar layout. They are
Put an AV test at the start of your slides. Stupidly Simple SVG Sparklines. Find blog posts with missing featured images - and missing alt text - without a plugin. This blog is written in en-GB. Game Review: Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime. Death to px, long live ch!. Which age-gates should be skill-gates and vice-versa?. PHP - simple way to send HTTP headers before a script ends. Are Index Funds a Socialist Plot to Destroy America?. The UK Government's Low Value Purchase System is a Waste of Time. Whale Fall. Using FourSquare's API to post location checkins to social media. Virgin Media Hub 5 API. There's still no point in gigabit broadband." width="1609" height="835" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-71378">
<p>I tend to write in bursts - rather than once per day - and then spread the posts out. As I'm going on a long break soon, I want to make sure there are plenty of posts in the queue. There are also a bunch of posts scheduled over the next few years on specific dates.</p>
<p>Of course, if I unexpectedly die, I guess they be <em>post</em>humous…</p>
<p>I'm also working on what will be (I hope) a reasonably big political story. I'm under embargo until my media partner publishes it - but I hope it'll go live in the early hours of Tuesday. Stay tuned 😊</p>
<p>If there's something you'd like to see me write about, please <a href="https://edent.tel/">drop me a comment via your favourite method</a>.</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71376&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
<link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-a-sneak-preview-of-upcoming-posts/#comments" thr:count="0"/>
<link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-a-sneak-preview-of-upcoming-posts/feed/atom/" thr:count="0"/>
<thr:total>0</thr:total>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Book Review: The Names by Florence Knapp ★★⯪☆☆]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-the-names-by-florence-knapp/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=70668</id>
<updated>2026-05-08T07:52:47Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-09T11:34:20Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="Book Club"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="Book Review"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[This has an excellent narrative structure, some beautiful prose, and I just didn't enjoy it. The story is Sliding Doors meets Same Time Next Year mixed with a distressing amount of domestic violence. A mother faces a difficult choice. Should she name her child after her abusive and violent husband? In one strand she does, in another she doesn't, and in the third she makes a compromise. We…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-the-names-by-florence-knapp/"><![CDATA[<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/the-names-7.jpg" alt="Book cover featuring a man with three shadows." width="180" height="276" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-70669">
<p>This has an excellent narrative structure, some beautiful prose, and I just didn't enjoy it.</p>
<p>The story is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sliding_Doors">Sliding Doors</a> meets <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same_Time,_Next_Year_(play)">Same Time Next Year</a> mixed with a distressing amount of domestic violence.</p>
<p>A mother faces a difficult choice. Should she name her child after her abusive and violent husband? In one strand she does, in another she doesn't, and in the third she makes a compromise. We rejoin the story every few years to see how our protagonists are progressing.</p>
<p>It mostly works and pushes us to consider how much the path of our life is influenced by factors outside of our control.</p>
<p>I have a real difficulty with books about violence. All of the characters are unsympathetic - trapped by tyrant but also trapped by their own inaction. I also struggled with how pedestrian and limited it was. In a world where you can read anything, why would you choose to spy on your horrible neighbours? Like a tawdry soap-opera it offered nothing more than misery and heartbreak. Fine if you need that sort of substitute empathy, but it left me feeling grubby and unsatisfied.</p>
<p>To be fair, the characters in the book address this:</p>
<blockquote><p>‘Why read them if they make you feel bad?’</p>
<p>‘Because I’m hoping one of them might feel like me,’</p></blockquote>
<p>It isn't a <em>bad</em> book - although it does veer into cliché a little too often - and the structure is interesting enough. But I found its subject matter too distressing to be enjoyable,</p>
<h2 id="book-club-discussion"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-the-names-by-florence-knapp/#book-club-discussion">Book Club Discussion</a></h2>
<p>This isn't the sort of book I'd normally pick up - but it was chosen by the book club I attend. The majority of readers rated it higher than I did. Here are some of the things we discussed.</p>
<p>The central message sees to be that, no matter how hard you try, the tragedy which infects your life can never be escaped. I found that depressing and disempowering. The domestic dreariness was stifling and just left me irritated with the passivity of the characters.</p>
<p>The evil father is an arsehole - but a <em>one-dimensional</em> arsehole. I get that there's a risk to humanising an antagonist, but other than a brief mention of his back-story there's nothing about him. I didn't want a <em>justification</em> for his actions, but he felt like a cartoon villain.</p>
<p>Even when one character gains a moment of happiness, it is offset by another's misery. No matter which path is chosen, someone always ends up broken.</p>
<p>Are we "destined" to meet the same people, no matter what path we take?</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=70668&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
<link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-the-names-by-florence-knapp/#comments" thr:count="0"/>
<link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-the-names-by-florence-knapp/feed/atom/" thr:count="0"/>
<thr:total>0</thr:total>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[I've found just the right paper for my Bottom Hole problem]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/ive-found-just-the-right-paper-for-my-bottom-hole-problem/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71393</id>
<updated>2026-05-07T10:48:07Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-07T11:34:54Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="comedy"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="newspapers"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="tv"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[A few weeks ago, I went on a mad quest to find the newspaper used in 1995's Bottom Hole TV show. During the episode, Eddie starts reading this newspaper: Obviously, the "Hammersmith Bugle" is not a real paper and they never ran a headline "No News Shocker". But judging from all the other shots, the prop is based on a real newspaper. So I decided to rip off Dirty Feed's shtick and find out…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/ive-found-just-the-right-paper-for-my-bottom-hole-problem/"><![CDATA[<p>A few weeks ago, I went on a mad quest to find <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/03/finding-the-right-bottom-hole-paper/">the newspaper used in 1995's Bottom Hole TV show</a>.</p>
<p>During the episode, Eddie starts reading this newspaper:</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/No-News-Shocker.webp" alt="Some pissed old fart reading a newspaper called "The Hammersmith Bugle" with the headline "No news shocker..."" width="720" height="544" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-68986">
<p>Obviously, the "Hammersmith Bugle" is not a real paper and they never ran a headline "No News Shocker". But judging from all the other shots, the prop is based on a <em>real</em> newspaper.</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Seewaw.webp" alt="Two reprobates reading a newspaper." width="720" height="544" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-68989">
<p>So I decided to <a href="https://www.dirtyfeed.org/tag/newspaper-props/">rip off Dirty Feed's shtick</a> and find out what was used to create the fake newspaper. The quest took me o'er hill and dale. Through the rough hinterlands of Hammersmith and into the nether regions of Wimbledon. By which I mean - I used lots of online archive sources.</p>
<p>And it <em>nearly</em> worked! I found all of the <em>internal</em> pages. I also found the back page:</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cup-Tie-Chaos.webp" alt="Idiot in a pork pie hat reading a paper with the headline "Cup tie chaos"." width="720" height="544" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-68987">
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cup-Tie-Paper.webp" alt="Scan of a newspaper with "Cup tie chaos" as a headline." width="720" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-68990">
<p>That's from <a href="https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1994-11-03/1994-11-03?NewspaperTitle=Surrey%2BHerald&IssueId=BL%2F0003604%2F19941103%2F&County=Surrey%2C%20England">The Surrey Herald</a> - but that's a paper with <em>lots</em> of regional editions. None of which had the right headline.</p>
<p>So I emailed my (frankly asinine ) request to <a href="https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/culture-and-leisure/history-centre/researchers/guides/newspaper-back-issues">Surrey Museums</a>. They were polite, but unable to help. Their website gave a clue though - the location of the archives of the Surrey Herald:</p>
<blockquote><p>Surrey Herald: Chertsey, Addlestone and Byfleet edition (also Walton, Weybridge and Hersham edition Feb 1979 to 1999 at Elmbridge Museum)</p></blockquote>
<p>So I contacted the fine people at <a href="https://elmbridgemuseum.org.uk/">Elmbridge Museum</a> who were happy to rummage through their microfiche for me. I expect, much like Indiana Jones, the archivists had to knock down fake walls, find a mystic box containing the treasure, and then dodge various snakes and villains to retrieve the priceless artefact. Or they may have a well designed archival system which is a pleasure to use. I don't know.</p>
<p>Anyway! All of which is to say that they very kindly sent me a quick scan of the front page of Surrey Herald's Walton, Weybridge and Hersham edition from November 3rd 1994.</p>
<p>Here it is in all its glory!</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Herald-1024.webp" alt="Front page of the newspaper." width="1024" height="1375" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-71395">
<p>That's a <em>perfect</em> match for what's seen on screen:</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/FA-Cup-Mix-up.webp" alt="High resolution clip of a newspaper." width="474" height="588" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-69069">
<p>Hurrah! Another mystery solved thanks to <a href="https://elmbridgemuseum.org.uk/">publicly funded museums</a>!</p>
<h2 id="what-have-we-learned-today"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/ive-found-just-the-right-paper-for-my-bottom-hole-problem/#what-have-we-learned-today">What have we learned today?</a></h2>
<ul>
<li>Archivists are lovely, generous, and helpful people.</li>
<li>Museums are brilliant.</li>
<li>Not everything in the world has been digitised.</li>
<li>There was <em>quite a lot</em> of news that day no matter what the drunken hacks at the Hammersmith Bugle say.</li>
<li>We do not know if centenarian Elsie Bartlett was aware that her photo featured in this seminal part of British comedy.</li>
</ul>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71393&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
<link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/ive-found-just-the-right-paper-for-my-bottom-hole-problem/#comments" thr:count="9"/>
<link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/ive-found-just-the-right-paper-for-my-bottom-hole-problem/feed/atom/" thr:count="9"/>
<thr:total>9</thr:total>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[RSS Feeds Send Me More Traffic Than Google]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-feeds-send-me-more-traffic-than-google/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=70238</id>
<updated>2026-05-04T08:33:00Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-05T11:34:12Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="blog"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="blogging"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="meta"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="statistics"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Yeah yeah, I know, data-point of 1. I recently read Susam's blog post where they said that "most of the traffic to my personal website still comes from web feeds" - I wondered if that was true for my site. I've been writing this blog for a while. I've never much bothered with "aggressive" SEO - I have a fairly semantic layout, all my reviews have metadata, and stuff like that - but I'm not…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-feeds-send-me-more-traffic-than-google/"><![CDATA[<p>Yeah yeah, I know, data-point of 1.</p>
<p>I recently read <a href="https://susam.net/from-rss-to-atom.html">Susam's blog post</a> where they said that "most of the traffic to my personal website still comes from web feeds" - I wondered if that was true for my site.</p>
<p>I've been writing this blog for a while. I've never much bothered with "aggressive" <abbr title="Search Engine Optimisation">SEO</abbr> - I have a fairly <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/01/maximally-semantic-structure-for-a-blog-post/">semantic layout</a>, all my <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2023/01/restaurant-review-metadata/">reviews have metadata</a>, and stuff like that - but I'm not cramming in keywords, using AMP, or whatever other chickens Google requires to be sacrificed for a higher ranking. Nevertheless, I do OK.</p>
<p>Last year, I added a bit of <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/09/reasonably-accurate-privacy-conscious-cookieless-visitor-tracking-for-wordpress/">local-only, lightweight statistics-gathering</a> to my blog. I can see which sites people click on to reach mine. Google is right up the top, DuckDuckGo is surprisingly high, Bing is lucky to crack the top 20 on any day. Similarly, I can see <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/11/now-witness-the-power-of-this-fully-operational-fediverse/">how much traffic I get from the Fediverse</a> and BlueSky (Twitter has all but vanished).</p>
<p>A few weeks ago I added RSS and Newsletter tracking. These data are <em>very</em> lossy. If someone is subscribed to my RSS feed <em>and</em> opens a post <em>and</em> their client downloads a lazy-loaded image at the end of the post, I get a hit. For email it's broadly the same. If an email is opened and the tracker image is loaded, I get a hit (although <a href="https://gmail.googleblog.com/2013/12/images-now-showing.html">Gmail does obfuscate that somewhat</a>).</p>
<p>I'm not looking for super-accurate numbers (although I do block as many AI crawlers and bots as possible). I'm not creepily following people around the web nor am I trying to sell them anything. I just want a rough idea of where people find me.</p>
<p>Here are my blog's views for the last 28 days.</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/page-views.webp" alt="Atom 13774. Google 10833. RSS 10419. DuckDuckGo 2302. Email 2123." width="553" height="395" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-71208 no-border-radius">
<p>Some months I get a surge of hits from link aggregators like HN or Reddit. Sometimes I'm linked to from a popular site or <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/citations">cited in academic work</a>. But most of the time I bumble along getting hits from here, there, and everywhere. Nevertheless, it's lovely to see so many people choosing to subscribe<sup id="fnref:rss"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-feeds-send-me-more-traffic-than-google/#fn:rss" class="footnote-ref" title="For historic reasons, I have separate Atom and RSS feeds. Perhaps I should consider merging them? But it doesn't take much effort to publish in two subtly different formats." role="doc-noteref">0</a></sup> (for free!) and astonishing that they provide more traffic than a major search engine.</p>
<p>Obviously, these are two <em>very</em> different types of traffic. People who are searching for a specific thing and stumble upon my blog are different from those who decide to like and subscribe.</p>
<p>But, yeah, about 25% of my traffic comes from people who have chosen to subscribe.</p>
<p>I'm just delighted that so many people read my random thoughts.</p>
<div id="footnotes" role="doc-endnotes">
<hr aria-label="Footnotes">
<ol start="0">
<li id="fn:rss">
<p>For historic reasons, I have separate Atom and RSS feeds. Perhaps I should consider merging them? But it doesn't take much effort to publish in two subtly different formats. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-feeds-send-me-more-traffic-than-google/#fnref:rss" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=70238&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
<link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-feeds-send-me-more-traffic-than-google/#comments" thr:count="14"/>
<link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-feeds-send-me-more-traffic-than-google/feed/atom/" thr:count="14"/>
<thr:total>14</thr:total>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[[RSS Club] Where are you from?]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-where-are-you-from/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71303</id>
<updated>2026-05-04T10:13:32Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-04T11:34:40Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="[RSS Club]"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="rss"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="RSS Club"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="statistics"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Psssst! This top secret post is only available to RSS subscribers! A little while ago I added some locally hosted, privacy first stats to my blog. Using an offline GeoIP service I can get a very rough idea of where visitors are from. It doesn't deal with people using a VPN, or their mobile roaming to a different country, or rapid changes in IP allocation - but it's good enough for my purposes. …]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-where-are-you-from/"><![CDATA[<p><mark><em>Psssst!</em> This <strong>top secret</strong> post is only available to RSS subscribers!</mark></p>
<p>A little while ago I added some <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/09/reasonably-accurate-privacy-conscious-cookieless-visitor-tracking-for-wordpress/">locally hosted, privacy first stats</a> to my blog. Using an <a href="https://mailfud.org/geoip-legacy/">offline GeoIP service</a> I can get a <em>very</em> rough idea of where visitors are from.</p>
<p>It doesn't deal with people using a VPN, or their mobile roaming to a different country, or rapid changes in IP allocation - but it's good enough for my purposes.</p>
<p>Here's a quick table showing the vague distribution of RSS Club members.</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th align="right"><strong>Country</strong></th>
<th align="left"><strong>Flag</strong></th>
<th align="right"><strong>Total Views</strong></th>
<th align="right"><strong>Percentage</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="right">US</td>
<td align="left">🇺🇸</td>
<td align="right">6,242</td>
<td align="right">24.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">GB</td>
<td align="left">🇬🇧</td>
<td align="right">5,764</td>
<td align="right">22.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">DE</td>
<td align="left">🇩🇪</td>
<td align="right">1,947</td>
<td align="right">7.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">NL</td>
<td align="left">🇳🇱</td>
<td align="right">1,669</td>
<td align="right">6.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">CN</td>
<td align="left">🇨🇳</td>
<td align="right">1,027</td>
<td align="right">4.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">HK</td>
<td align="left">🇭🇰</td>
<td align="right">909</td>
<td align="right">3.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">AU</td>
<td align="left">🇦🇺</td>
<td align="right">770</td>
<td align="right">3.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">CA</td>
<td align="left">🇨🇦</td>
<td align="right">691</td>
<td align="right">2.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">FR</td>
<td align="left">🇫🇷</td>
<td align="right">605</td>
<td align="right">2.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">SE</td>
<td align="left">🇸🇪</td>
<td align="right">589</td>
<td align="right">2.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">JP</td>
<td align="left">🇯🇵</td>
<td align="right">442</td>
<td align="right">1.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">FI</td>
<td align="left">🇫🇮</td>
<td align="right">405</td>
<td align="right">1.6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">CH</td>
<td align="left">🇨🇭</td>
<td align="right">395</td>
<td align="right">1.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">BR</td>
<td align="left">🇧🇷</td>
<td align="right">392</td>
<td align="right">1.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">ES</td>
<td align="left">🇪🇸</td>
<td align="right">345</td>
<td align="right">1.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">IT</td>
<td align="left">🇮🇹</td>
<td align="right">324</td>
<td align="right">1.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">PT</td>
<td align="left">🇵🇹</td>
<td align="right">285</td>
<td align="right">1.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">PL</td>
<td align="left">🇵🇱</td>
<td align="right">272</td>
<td align="right">1.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">BE</td>
<td align="left">🇧🇪</td>
<td align="right">249</td>
<td align="right">1.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">IN</td>
<td align="left">🇮🇳</td>
<td align="right">198</td>
<td align="right">0.8%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">CZ</td>
<td align="left">🇨🇿</td>
<td align="right">153</td>
<td align="right">0.6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">TR</td>
<td align="left">🇹🇷</td>
<td align="right">134</td>
<td align="right">0.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">IE</td>
<td align="left">🇮🇪</td>
<td align="right">126</td>
<td align="right">0.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">BG</td>
<td align="left">🇧🇬</td>
<td align="right">121</td>
<td align="right">0.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">TW</td>
<td align="left">🇹🇼</td>
<td align="right">114</td>
<td align="right">0.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">SG</td>
<td align="left">🇸🇬</td>
<td align="right">110</td>
<td align="right">0.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">NZ</td>
<td align="left">🇳🇿</td>
<td align="right">99</td>
<td align="right">0.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">ZA</td>
<td align="left">🇿🇦</td>
<td align="right">97</td>
<td align="right">0.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">NO</td>
<td align="left">🇳🇴</td>
<td align="right">95</td>
<td align="right">0.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">AT</td>
<td align="left">🇦🇹</td>
<td align="right">91</td>
<td align="right">0.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">RU</td>
<td align="left">🇷🇺</td>
<td align="right">86</td>
<td align="right">0.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">DK</td>
<td align="left">🇩🇰</td>
<td align="right">84</td>
<td align="right">0.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">HU</td>
<td align="left">🇭🇺</td>
<td align="right">76</td>
<td align="right">0.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">GR</td>
<td align="left">🇬🇷</td>
<td align="right">64</td>
<td align="right">0.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">UA</td>
<td align="left">🇺🇦</td>
<td align="right">56</td>
<td align="right">0.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">IS</td>
<td align="left">🇮🇸</td>
<td align="right">49</td>
<td align="right">0.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">AE</td>
<td align="left">🇦🇪</td>
<td align="right">49</td>
<td align="right">0.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">GE</td>
<td align="left">🇬🇪</td>
<td align="right">44</td>
<td align="right">0.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">PR</td>
<td align="left">🇵🇷</td>
<td align="right">44</td>
<td align="right">0.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">LU</td>
<td align="left">🇱🇺</td>
<td align="right">42</td>
<td align="right">0.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">IL</td>
<td align="left">🇮🇱</td>
<td align="right">42</td>
<td align="right">0.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">PH</td>
<td align="left">🇵🇭</td>
<td align="right">41</td>
<td align="right">0.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">EE</td>
<td align="left">🇪🇪</td>
<td align="right">36</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">AR</td>
<td align="left">🇦🇷</td>
<td align="right">36</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">ID</td>
<td align="left">🇮🇩</td>
<td align="right">34</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">MY</td>
<td align="left">🇲🇾</td>
<td align="right">31</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">SI</td>
<td align="left">🇸🇮</td>
<td align="right">30</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">BZ</td>
<td align="left">🇧🇿</td>
<td align="right">29</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">TH</td>
<td align="left">🇹🇭</td>
<td align="right">29</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">RO</td>
<td align="left">🇷🇴</td>
<td align="right">25</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">VN</td>
<td align="left">🇻🇳</td>
<td align="right">24</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">LT</td>
<td align="left">🇱🇹</td>
<td align="right">24</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">MQ</td>
<td align="left">🇲🇶</td>
<td align="right">20</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">KR</td>
<td align="left">🇰🇷</td>
<td align="right">20</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">UN</td>
<td align="left">🇺🇳</td>
<td align="right">18</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">RS</td>
<td align="left">🇷🇸</td>
<td align="right">17</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">TN</td>
<td align="left">🇹🇳</td>
<td align="right">15</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">CL</td>
<td align="left">🇨🇱</td>
<td align="right">14</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">SK</td>
<td align="left">🇸🇰</td>
<td align="right">14</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">MX</td>
<td align="left">🇲🇽</td>
<td align="right">14</td>
<td align="right">0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">CO</td>
<td align="left">🇨🇴</td>
<td align="right">11</td>
<td align="right">0.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">BD</td>
<td align="left">🇧🇩</td>
<td align="right">10</td>
<td align="right">0.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">EC</td>
<td align="left">🇪🇨</td>
<td align="right">10</td>
<td align="right">0.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">EG</td>
<td align="left">🇪🇬</td>
<td align="right">10</td>
<td align="right">0.0%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>There are a few more rows but, in the spirit of privacy, I've not included some of the more unique countries. Not all of those are unique views - these are aggregate statistics. If your RSS reader is hosted in a different country - or on a large platform - it may only show up inaccurately.</p>
<p>If you don't see your country in this list, please <a href="https://edent.tel/">drop me a comment via your favourite method</a>.</p>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71303&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
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<thr:total>0</thr:total>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>@edent</name>
<uri>https://edent.tel/</uri>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Vertically Aligning Roman Numerals in Code]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/vertically-aligning-roman-numerals-in-code/"/>
<id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=63775</id>
<updated>2026-05-01T08:46:42Z</updated>
<published>2026-05-03T11:34:59Z</published>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/"/>
<category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="php"/>
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[I have a PHP function which uses Roman Numerals. It looks like this: $romanNumerals = [ "Ⅿ" => 1000, "ⅭⅯ" => 900, "Ⅾ" => 500, "ⅭⅮ" => 400, "Ⅽ" => 100, "ⅩC" => 90, "Ⅼ" => 50, "ⅩⅬ" => 40, "Ⅹ" => 10, "Ⅸ" => 9, "Ⅷ" => 8, "Ⅶ" => 7, "Ⅵ" => 6, "Ⅴ" => 5, "Ⅳ" => 4, "Ⅲ" => 3, "Ⅱ" => 2, "Ⅰ" => 1 ]; The problem is, the…]]></summary>
<content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/vertically-aligning-roman-numerals-in-code/"><![CDATA[<p>I have a PHP function which uses Roman Numerals. It looks like this:</p>
<pre><code class="language-php">$romanNumerals = [
"Ⅿ" => 1000,
"ⅭⅯ" => 900,
"Ⅾ" => 500,
"ⅭⅮ" => 400,
"Ⅽ" => 100,
"ⅩC" => 90,
"Ⅼ" => 50,
"ⅩⅬ" => 40,
"Ⅹ" => 10,
"Ⅸ" => 9,
"Ⅷ" => 8,
"Ⅶ" => 7,
"Ⅵ" => 6,
"Ⅴ" => 5,
"Ⅳ" => 4,
"Ⅲ" => 3,
"Ⅱ" => 2,
"Ⅰ" => 1
];
</code></pre>
<p>The problem is, the operators don't line up and the whole thing looks messy. Why? Because the <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2023/03/unicode-roman-numerals-and-screen-readers/">Unicode Roman Numerals</a> are <em>not</em> monospaced! <code>ⅭⅯ</code> is a different width to <code>ⅩC</code> and <code>Ⅷ</code> is only a single character! Copy the above to a text editor and see if you can get neat columns. I bet you can't!</p>
<p>I'm obsessed with <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2014/11/why-i-vertically-align-my-code-and-you-should-too/">vertically aligning my code</a>. So how to solve this ugly problem?</p>
<p>The <a href="https://phpc.social/@Crell/115329116036130430">answer was simple</a>. Assign keys to the values and then flip the array!</p>
<pre><code class="language-php">$romanNumerals = array_flip([
1000 => "Ⅿ",
900 => "ⅭⅯ",
500 => "Ⅾ",
400 => "ⅭⅮ",
100 => "Ⅽ",
90 => "ⅩC",
50 => "Ⅼ",
40 => "ⅩⅬ",
10 => "Ⅹ",
9 => "Ⅸ",
8 => "Ⅷ",
7 => "Ⅶ",
6 => "Ⅵ",
5 => "Ⅴ",
4 => "Ⅳ",
3 => "Ⅲ",
2 => "Ⅱ",
1 => "Ⅰ"
]);
</code></pre>
<p>There! Doesn't that look much neater!</p>
<p><a href="https://libraries.mit.edu/150books/2011/05/11/1985/">As was written long ago</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>A computer language is not just a way of getting a computer to perform operations but rather … it is a novel formal medium for expressing ideas about methodology. Thus, programs must be written for people to read, and only incidentally for machines to execute.</p></blockquote>
<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=63775&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content>
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<thr:total>1</thr:total>
</entry>
</feed>
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <?xml-stylesheet href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/atom-style.xsl" type="text/xsl"?> <feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0" xml:lang="en-GB" > <title type="text">Terence Eden’s Blog</title> <subtitle type="text">Regular nonsense about tech and its effects 🙃</subtitle> <updated>2026-06-02T07:03:18Z</updated> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/feed/atom/</id> <link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/feed/atom/" /> <generator uri="https://wordpress.org/" version="7.0">WordPress</generator> <icon>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/cropped-avatar-32x32.jpeg</icon> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[London Data Store Relaunch]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/london-data-store-relaunch/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71588</id> <updated>2026-05-13T13:45:32Z</updated> <published>2026-06-03T11:34:49Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="Open Data" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[It has been sixteen years since the launch of data.london.gov.uk. Back then, it was a trailblazer as one of the first major cities to release Open Data in this way. Now, over a decade later, it is more than a mere repository; it is a celebration of Open Data and the way it can improve Londoners' lives. So, time for a refresh front and back. As well as a bunch of back-end updates, the front-end…]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/london-data-store-relaunch/"><![CDATA[<p>It has been sixteen years since the launch of <a href="https://data.london.gov.uk/">data.london.gov.uk</a>. Back then, it was a trailblazer as one of the first major cities to release Open Data in this way. Now, over a decade later, it is more than a mere repository; it is a celebration of Open Data and the way it can improve Londoners' lives.</p> <p>So, time for a refresh front and back. As well as a bunch of back-end updates, the front-end has been spruced up which should make it easier to find the data you're looking for. I particularly the way they're now highlighting the licence under which data are available.</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/metadata.webp" alt="Screenshots showing the difference between the old and new version." width="2187" height="876" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-71590"> <p>You can check it out right now at <a href="https://dfl.london.gov.uk/">https://dfl.london.gov.uk/</a></p> <p>If you spot any bugs, send them to [email protected]</p> <p>The most important thing you can do is <strong>use your library</strong>! Just like any other library, it lives or dies based on how much use it gets. Rummage around in those datasets, build interesting things, and convince your local area to send data to it.</p> <p>This is a brilliant resource and I'm glad to see it get the love it deserves.</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71588&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/london-data-store-relaunch/#comments" thr:count="0" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/london-data-store-relaunch/feed/atom/" thr:count="0" /> <thr:total>0</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[Using FourSquare's API to post location checkins to social media]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=68230</id> <updated>2026-06-02T07:03:18Z</updated> <published>2026-06-02T11:34:51Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="api" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="BlueSky" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="FourSquare" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="geolocation" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="MastodonAPI" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[What is this, 2016? I like sharing my location with my pocket friends sometimes. If I'm in a cool bar that they know, perhaps they can recommend a drink. If they live nearby, maybe they want to come for dinner. Not everyone has FourSquare's SwarmApp, so it is handy to automatically share its updates with other people. Of course, Swarm doesn't cross-post to social media because walled-gardens…]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/"><![CDATA[<p>What is this, 2016?</p> <p>I like sharing my location with my pocket friends sometimes. If I'm in a cool bar that they know, perhaps they can recommend a drink. If they live nearby, maybe they want to come for dinner. Not everyone has FourSquare's SwarmApp, so it is handy to automatically share its updates with other people.</p> <p>Of course, Swarm doesn't cross-post to social media because walled-gardens are the most profitable. This is my attempt to open it back up again.</p> <p>Here's what they look like on BlueSky and Mastodon:</p> <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:i6misxex577k4q6o7gloen4s/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmlb3yva3b2x" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreifyyuioy5zwpghfyqcdx7pjippygsg3o3nr3svtvf7owqsdjlygxy" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">Checked in to Hamburger Fischmarkt, Große Elbstr. 9 (Fischmarkt), Germany Probably a *bit* early for a breakfast beer. See on Swarm<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:i6misxex577k4q6o7gloen4s/post/3mmlb3yva3b2x?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p>— Terence Eden (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:i6misxex577k4q6o7gloen4s?ref_src=embed">@edent.tel</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:i6misxex577k4q6o7gloen4s/post/3mmlb3yva3b2x?ref_src=embed">24 May 2026 at 07:45</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="mastodon-embed" data-embed-url="https://mastodon.social/@Edent/116642179645011519/embed" style="background: #FCF8FF; border-radius: 8px; border: 1px solid #C9C4DA; margin: 0; max-width: 540px; min-width: 270px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0;"> <a href="https://mastodon.social/@Edent/116642179645011519" target="_blank" style="align-items: center; color: #1C1A25; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Fira Sans', 'Droid Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; justify-content: center; letter-spacing: 0.25px; line-height: 20px; padding: 24px; text-decoration: none;"> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" width="32" height="32" viewBox="0 0 79 75"><path d="M63 45.3v-20c0-4.1-1-7.3-3.2-9.7-2.1-2.4-5-3.7-8.5-3.7-4.1 0-7.2 1.6-9.3 4.7l-2 3.3-2-3.3c-2-3.1-5.1-4.7-9.2-4.7-3.5 0-6.4 1.3-8.6 3.7-2.1 2.4-3.1 5.6-3.1 9.7v20h8V25.9c0-4.1 1.7-6.2 5.2-6.2 3.8 0 5.8 2.5 5.8 7.4V37.7H44V27.1c0-4.9 1.9-7.4 5.8-7.4 3.5 0 5.2 2.1 5.2 6.2V45.3h8ZM74.7 16.6c.6 6 .1 15.7.1 17.3 0 .5-.1 4.8-.1 5.3-.7 11.5-8 16-15.6 17.5-.1 0-.2 0-.3 0-4.9 1-10 1.2-14.9 1.4-1.2 0-2.4 0-3.6 0-4.8 0-9.7-.6-14.4-1.7-.1 0-.1 0-.1 0s-.1 0-.1 0 0 .1 0 .1 0 0 0 0c.1 1.6.4 3.1 1 4.5.6 1.7 2.9 5.7 11.4 5.7 5 0 9.9-.6 14.8-1.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 .1 0 .1 0 .1 0 0 .1 0 .1 0 .1.1 0 .1 0 .1.1v5.6s0 .1-.1.1c0 0 0 0 0 .1-1.6 1.1-3.7 1.7-5.6 2.3-.8.3-1.6.5-2.4.7-7.5 1.7-15.4 1.3-22.7-1.2-6.8-2.4-13.8-8.2-15.5-15.2-.9-3.8-1.6-7.6-1.9-11.5-.6-5.8-.6-11.7-.8-17.5C3.9 24.5 4 20 4.9 16 6.7 7.9 14.1 2.2 22.3 1c1.4-.2 4.1-1 16.5-1h.1C51.4 0 56.7.8 58.1 1c8.4 1.2 15.5 7.5 16.6 15.6Z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg> <div style="color: #787588; margin-top: 16px;">Post by @[email protected]</div> <div style="font-weight: 500;">View on Mastodon</div> </a> </blockquote> <script data-allowed-prefixes="https://mastodon.social/" async="" src="https://mastodon.social/embed.js"></script> <h2 id="tldr"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#tldr">tl;dr</a></h2> <p>You can <a href="https://gitlab.com/edent/swarmtosocial/-/blob/main/swarmtosocial.py">get the SwarmToSocial code from my GitLab</a>.</p> <p>At the moment, developers get <a href="https://foursquare.com/pricing/">10,000 API calls for free each month</a>. That's probably more than enough for most personal uses.</p> <h2 id="documentation"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#documentation">Documentation</a></h2> <p>I was pleasantly surprised that <a href="https://docs.foursquare.com/developer/reference/create-a-checkin">FourSquare's CheckIn documentation</a> was fairly easy to use and understand.</p> <p>Once you've <a href="https://foursquare.com/developers/home">signed up for a developer account</a> you can create an OAuth app. That will generate a Client ID (<code>ABC123</code>), Client Secret (<code>XYZ789</code>), and you supply a Project URL.</p> <p>Once done you can <a href="https://docs.foursquare.com/developer/reference/personalization-apis-authentication">follow the Authentication documentation</a>. Or just visit:</p> <pre><code class="language-_">https://foursquare.com/oauth2/authenticate? client_id=ABC123 &response_type=code &redirect_uri=https://example.com/ </code></pre> <p>Sign in with your FourSquare account. It will redirect you to:</p> <p><code>https://example.com/?code=456QWE</code></p> <p>Use that code to construct the final URl:</p> <pre><code class="language-_">https://foursquare.com/oauth2/access_token? client_id=ABC123 &client_secret=XYZ789 &grant_type=authorization_code &redirect_uri=http://example.com/ &code=456QWE </code></pre> <p>That will respond with the Access Token:</p> <pre><code class="language-json">{ "access_token":"asdfghjkl123456" } </code></pre> <p>Hurrah! Posting a new checkin is <em>relatively</em> simple. POST to this URl with a header of <code>accept: application/json</code></p> <pre><code class="language-_">https://api.foursquare.com/v2/checkins/add? v=20260223 &venueId=13600425 &shout=This%20is%20a%20test &oauth_token=asdfghjkl123456 </code></pre> <ul> <li><code>v</code> is, rather confusingly, a date. <a href="https://docs.foursquare.com/developer/reference/versioning">The versioning documentation</a> has more details but, basically, set it to the date you deployed your app.</li> <li><code>venuId</code> you'll need to find yourself (more on that later).</li> <li><code>shout</code> is up to 140 characters (!) of URl encoded text.</li> </ul> <p>That will send back rather a lot of JSON. Here are the important bits:</p> <pre><code class="language-json">{ "meta": { "code": 200, "requestId": "123456789" }, "response": { "checkin": { "id": "987654321", "createdAt": 1771843820, "type": "checkin", "visibility": "closeFriends", "shout": "This is a test of the API", "timeZoneOffset": -300, "editableUntil": 1771930220000, "user": { "id": "56367", "firstName": "Terence", "lastName": "Eden", "relationship": "self", "displayName": "Terence Eden" }, "venue": { "id": "QWERTYUIOP", "name": "My Birthday Party!", "contact": {}, "location": { "isFuzzed": true, "lat": 39.123456789, "lng": -84.987654321, "cc": "US", "city": "Cincinnati", "state": "KY", "country": "United States", "formattedAddress": [ "Cincinnati, KY", "United States" ] } }, "checkinShortUrl": "https://swarmapp.com/user/56367/checkin/987654321?s=wRZ7ByNfCW1DNrOIpsRcytPZelE" } } } </code></pre> <p>For my purposes, the <code>shout</code> and <code>checkinShortUrl</code> are the most important. You can view a sample check in:</p> <p><a href="https://swarmapp.com/user/56367/checkin/699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544?s=LA7jCaAtH-s9CwSpgQrQdHrP5-8">https://swarmapp.com/user/56367/checkin/699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544?s=LA7jCaAtH-s9CwSpgQrQdHrP5-8</a></p> <h2 id="venue-id"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#venue-id">Venue ID</a></h2> <p>If you're already using <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2018/11/extracting-your-data-from-untappd/">a service like Untappd</a> you might be able to get the venue ID from that.</p> <p>If not, FourSquare provides <a href="https://opensource.foursquare.com/os-places/">100 million points of interest</a> for free - although with <a href="https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/foursquare-releases-100m-poi-dataset-under-apache-2-0/121883">questionable data quality</a>.</p> <p>Alternatively, you can <a href="https://docs.foursquare.com/fsq-developers-places/reference/place-search">search by location</a>:</p> <pre><code class="language-_">curl --request GET \ --url 'https://places-api.foursquare.com/places/search?ll=51.123%2C0.123&radius=1000&sort=POPULARITY' \ --header 'X-Places-Api-Version: 2025-06-17' \ --header 'accept: application/json' \ --header 'authorization: Bearer ABC123' </code></pre> <p>As far as I can see, the <code>Bearer Token</code> only exists <a href="https://docs.foursquare.com/fsq-developers-places/reference/place-search">on the documentation page</a>. I couldn't find it in my developer console. Weird!</p> <p>That gets you back:</p> <pre><code class="language-json">{ "results": [ { "fsq_place_id": "4be584ed2457a593ad8cab15", "latitude": 51.11783041264215, "longitude": 0.11219274871133413, "categories": [ { "fsq_category_id": "4bf58dd8d48988d1fa941735", "name": "Farmers Market", "short_name": "Farmers Market", "plural_name": "Farmers Markets", "icon": { "prefix": "https://ss3.4sqi.net/img/categories_v2/shops/food_farmersmarket_", "suffix": ".png" } } ], "date_created": "2010-05-08", "date_refreshed": "2025-11-01", "distance": 970, "extended_location": {}, "link": "/places/4be584ed2457a593ad8cab15", "location": { "address": "", "locality": "Hartfield", "region": "East Sussex", "postcode": "", "admin_region": "England", "country": "GB", "formatted_address": "Hartfield, East Sussex" }, "name": "Perryhill Farm Shop", "placemaker_url": "https://foursquare.com/placemakers/review-place/4be584ed2457a593ad8cab15", "related_places": {}, "social_media": { "twitter": "" }, "tel": "", "website": "http://www.perryhillorchards.co.uk/index.php?sec=4" }, { "fsq_place_id": "8896f77565e54a658585301d", "latitude": 51.11649, "longitude": 0.13131, "categories": [], "date_created": "2021-12-06", "date_refreshed": "2021-12-06", "distance": 909, "extended_location": {}, "link": "/places/8896f77565e54a658585301d", "location": { "address": "Priory Park, Beech Green Lane", "locality": "Withyham", "region": "East Sussex", "postcode": "TN7 4DB", "admin_region": "England", "post_town": "Hartfield", "country": "GB", "formatted_address": "Priory Park, Beech Green Lane, Withyham, East Sussex, TN7 4DB" }, "name": "Spectra Studios", "placemaker_url": "https://foursquare.com/placemakers/review-place/8896f77565e54a658585301d", "related_places": {}, "social_media": {}, "tel": "01892 487149" }, ], "context": { "geo_bounds": { "circle": { "center": { "latitude": 51.123, "longitude": 0.1234 }, "radius": 1000 } } } } </code></pre> <p>You can manually check a place using the Placemaker site: <a href="https://foursquare.com/placemakers/review-place/64eca80f0398c97ab52298ec">https://foursquare.com/placemakers/review-place/64eca80f0398c97ab52298ec</a></p> <h2 id="getting-existing-checkins"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#getting-existing-checkins">Getting Existing Checkins</a></h2> <p>What if you've checked in to a place using the official Swarm app? How do you get your own recent checkin data?</p> <p>Again, there is <a href="https://docs.foursquare.com/developer/reference/get-user-checkins">documentation on getting user checkins</a>.</p> <pre><code class="language-bash">curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.foursquare.com/v2/users/self/checkins?v=20260223&limit=2&offset=0&oauth_token=asdfghjkl123456' \ --header 'accept: application/json' </code></pre> <p>Where it says <code>oauth_token</code> it <em>actually</em> means the <code>access_token</code>.</p> <p>The JSON that is returned is a bit verbose, so I've simplified it here:</p> <pre><code class="language-json">{ "meta": { "code": 200, "requestId": "699c6505b488565a31e315e3" }, "response": { "checkins": { "count": 2344, "items": [ { "id": "699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544", "createdAt": 1771844789, "type": "checkin", "visibility": "closeFriends", "entities": [], "shout": "Testing the API using an Untappd FourSquare ID.", "timeZoneOffset": 0, "editableUntil": 1771931189000, "venue": { "id": "64eca80f0398c97ab52298ec", "name": "Abbey Wood Fossil Pit", "contact": {}, "location": { "lat": 51.487514, "lng": 0.13048041, "postalCode": "SE2 0AX", "cc": "GB", "country": "United Kingdom", "formattedAddress": [ "SE2 0AX" ] }, "createdAt": 1693231119 }, }, </code></pre> <p>Annoyingly, there's no <code>checkinShortUrl</code> which means it can't easily be shared.</p> <p>For that, you'll need to <a href="https://docs.foursquare.com/developer/reference/get-checkin-details">use the <code>get-checkin-details</code> API</a>:</p> <pre><code class="language-bash">curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.foursquare.com/v2/checkins/699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544?v=20250202&oauth_token=asdfghjkl123456' \ --header 'accept: application/json' </code></pre> <p>Which will return this (truncated for brevity):</p> <pre><code class="language-json">{ "meta": { "code": 200, "requestId": "699c67de5f5c0a0e8ab234db" }, "response": { "checkin": { "id": "699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544", "createdAt": 1771844789, "type": "checkin", "shout": "Testing the API using an Untappd FourSquare ID.", "timeZoneOffset": 0, "checkinShortUrl": "https://swarmapp.com/user/56367/checkin/699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544?s=LA7jCaAtH-s9CwSpgQrQdHrP5-8", </code></pre> <h2 id="photos"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#photos">Photos</a></h2> <p>If there's a photo with the checkin, it will be return in the JSON like this:</p> <pre><code class="language-json">{ "response": { "checkin": { "photos": { "count": 1, "items": [ { "id": "699f3a9f96799c05c0f16c9c", "createdAt": 1772042911, "prefix": "https://fastly.4sqi.net/img/general/", "suffix": "/56367_5VYox4Y-hs66wURVsYc1NLgOokfwBfcWhtKQrOlMdD8.jpg", "width": 1008, "height": 1344, </code></pre> <p>The URl for the image is <code>prefix width x height suffix</code> - in this case <a href="https://fastly.4sqi.net/img/general/1008x1344/56367_5VYox4Y-hs66wURVsYc1NLgOokfwBfcWhtKQrOlMdD8.jpg">https://fastly.4sqi.net/img/general/1008x1344/56367_5VYox4Y-hs66wURVsYc1NLgOokfwBfcWhtKQrOlMdD8.jpg</a></p> <p>You can adjust the width and height if you want a thumbnail or some other resolution.</p> <p>If there's no photo, the count will be 0.</p> <h2 id="putting-it-all-together"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#putting-it-all-together">Putting it all together</a></h2> <p>Every 15 minutes, <a href="https://gitlab.com/edent/swarmtosocial/-/blob/main/swarmtosocial.py">the SwarmToSocial code</a> does the following:</p> <ol> <li>Get the most recent checkin.</li> <li>Read a local file to get the previously seen checkin ID.</li> <li>If the checkin ID hasn't been seen before: <ol> <li>Get the checkin details.</li> <li>Get the photo if it exists</li> <li>Post the checkin (plus photo) to Mastodon & BlueSky.</li> <li>Save the checkin ID to a file.</li> </ol></li> </ol> <p>Enjoy!</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=68230&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#comments" thr:count="1" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/feed/atom/" thr:count="1" /> <thr:total>1</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[Who are the actors in the UK's 2015 passport?]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/who-are-the-actors-in-the-uks-2015-passport/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=70568</id> <updated>2026-05-12T14:15:17Z</updated> <published>2026-05-31T11:34:08Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="FoI" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="government" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="sexism" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="shakespeare" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[I got nerdsniped by a bloody Reddit post! In 2015, the UK Government launched a new passport design. It immediately attracted negative press for its designers' "sexist" decision to feature more men than women. The government has been accused of sexism over the new UK passport design, which commemorates the achievements of two women but seven men. It's true that there are only two named women - …]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/who-are-the-actors-in-the-uks-2015-passport/"><![CDATA[<p>I got <a href="https://xkcd.com/356/">nerdsniped</a> by a bloody <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/1ssf943/">Reddit post</a>!</p> <p>In 2015, the UK Government launched <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-uk-passport-design-launched">a new passport design</a>. It immediately attracted negative press for its designers' <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34710261">"sexist" decision to feature more men than women</a>.</p> <blockquote><p>The government has been accused of sexism over the new UK passport design, which commemorates the achievements of two women but seven men.</p></blockquote> <p>It's true that there are only two <em>named</em> women - but there is another <em>unnamed</em> woman on the passport! Here's the "Performing Arts" page:</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Performing-Arts.webp" alt="Passport page, richly illustrated, featuring Shakespeare's Globe. There are three actors in the corner." width="2048" height="1455" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-70569"> <p>Shakespeare stares down at his Wooden O. Half the page is a stage, and the men and woman merely players.</p> <p>Here they are in a bit more detail:</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/actors.webp" alt="Close up of the actors. They are dressed in period costume and are emoting." width="1600" height="1520" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-70570"> <p>Who are they? They look like reasonably modern photos rather than portraits. They're not obviously famous. None of the press at the time mentioned who they were. No stock photography library had anything similar that I could see. Your favourite AI thought one of them was Doctor Who and the other a Congressman from Nantucket.</p> <p>The <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f516f40f0b62305b866a7/HMPO_magazine.pdf">official document describing the design</a> simply says:</p> <blockquote><p>On the left hand side there is an image of the interior of the theatre, with a play in progress.</p></blockquote> <p>I scanned in an old passport to get the faces in as much detail as possible. All three of them look like jobbing actors who you probably saw in a schools' production of Twelfth Night, don't they? <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/actor-faces.webp" alt="Three faces in a row." width="699" height="233" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-70575"></p> <p>I couldn't find anything about them online. I asked my investigative-minded friends but they drew a blank.</p> <p>I even sent a <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/images_used_in_2015_passport">Freedom of Information request to the Passport Office</a>.</p> <p>They refused on grounds of GDPR, but they did say:</p> <blockquote><p>However, we can disclose the photographs of the individuals appearing on the passport page captured by a photographer employed by a supplier contracted to HM Passport Office.</p></blockquote> <p>So, if you're one of the actors / models - or know who they are - please drop a note in the box below!</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=70568&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/who-are-the-actors-in-the-uks-2015-passport/#comments" thr:count="1" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/who-are-the-actors-in-the-uks-2015-passport/feed/atom/" thr:count="1" /> <thr:total>1</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[The UK Government's Low Value Purchase System is a Waste of Time]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/the-uk-governments-low-value-purchase-system-is-a-waste-of-time/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=69983</id> <updated>2026-05-28T18:23:59Z</updated> <published>2026-05-29T11:34:54Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="FoI" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="government" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="rant" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="statistics" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[It can be hard running a small business. If you want to sell to a large organisation like the UK Government, there are forms to fill in, checks to comply with, tenders to bid on, and a hundred other things. Luckily, there's the RM6237 Low Value Purchase System to make everything better. If a department wants to buy something below a certain threshold, they can contact any of the registered…]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/the-uk-governments-low-value-purchase-system-is-a-waste-of-time/"><![CDATA[<p>It can be hard running a small business. If you want to sell to a large organisation like the UK Government, there are forms to fill in, checks to comply with, tenders to bid on, and a hundred other things.</p> <p>Luckily, there's the <a href="https://www.gca.gov.uk/agreements/RM6237">RM6237 Low Value Purchase System</a> to make everything better. If a department wants to buy something below a certain threshold, they can contact any of the registered suppliers and just buy it. No complicated paperwork, cheaper prices, win-win!</p> <p>Except, there's on annoying bit of bureaucracy. Every month I have to tell the Government Commercial Agency what business I've done.</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GCA.webp" alt="Hello Terence Eden, It’s time to report your management information to the Government Commercial Agency (GCA). If you didn’t do any business, you still need to use this service to let us know. 9 April 2026 is the deadline to report your March 2026 data You need to report for the following commercial agreement(s):- RM6237 – Low Value Purchase System Report your management information If you don’t think you should be getting this reminder or there is a problem reporting, please email the support team: Regards, GCA MI collection team" width="840" height="1000" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-69985"> <p>Fair enough, I guess. Let them know how many paperclips I've sold to the Ministry of Administrative Affairs.</p> <p>But there's a wrinkle. What if I've sold <em>nothing</em>? Well, I <strong>still</strong> have to log on, wait for an MFA code to be send, click through, and report "No Business".</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-20Confirm-report-no-business-for-March-2026-on-RM6237.webp" alt="Screenshot with a button to report no business." width="1300" height="500" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-69988"> <p>I think that's a waste of time. But I wondered how much time it collectively wastes for the nation's small businesses.</p> <p>So I filed <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/low_value_purchase_system_nill_r">a Freedom of Information request</a> to see how many people have to sign in to let them know they haven't done any business. They replied quickly - although sent the data as a PDF rather than the requested machine-readable format.</p> <p>Here's how much of a waste of time it is for everyone:</p> <table> <thead> <tr> <th align="right"><strong>Date</strong></th> <th align="right"><strong>Total Returns</strong></th> <th align="right"><strong>Nil Return</strong></th> <th align="right"><strong>Percent<wbr>age</strong></th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td align="right">Mar-25</td> <td align="right">768</td> <td align="right">729</td> <td align="right">94.9%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Apr-25</td> <td align="right">902</td> <td align="right">876</td> <td align="right">97.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">May-25</td> <td align="right">948</td> <td align="right">923</td> <td align="right">97.4%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Jun-25</td> <td align="right">1,322</td> <td align="right">1,270</td> <td align="right">96.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Jul-25</td> <td align="right">1,406</td> <td align="right">1,355</td> <td align="right">96.4%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Aug-25</td> <td align="right">1,369</td> <td align="right">1,326</td> <td align="right">96.9%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Sep-25</td> <td align="right">1,416</td> <td align="right">1,362</td> <td align="right">96.2%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Oct-25</td> <td align="right">1,610</td> <td align="right">1,556</td> <td align="right">96.6%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Nov-25</td> <td align="right">1,713</td> <td align="right">1,654</td> <td align="right">96.6%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Dec-25</td> <td align="right">1,645</td> <td align="right">1,590</td> <td align="right">96.7%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Jan-26</td> <td align="right">1,536</td> <td align="right">1,487</td> <td align="right">96.8%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Feb-26</td> <td align="right">1,588</td> <td align="right">1,531</td> <td align="right">96.4%</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>Even if you assume that it only takes 2 minutes to fill in their form, that's over 2 <em>days</em> worth of time being wasted every month.</p> <p>At best, 59 small businesses reported that they sold something via RM6237. Well over a thousand businesses are clicking on a button which, frankly, ought not to exist. Why isn't the onus on those <em>buying</em> using the system to report what they've spent and who they spent it with?</p> <p>After clicking the button, I'm always asked to rate my experience using the service. I FoI'd that data as well but was told:</p> <blockquote><p>This information is not held. Feedback scores submitted are anonymised and only available as a service-wide view; consequently, we do not capture or hold results specific to RM6237</p></blockquote> <p>So the GCA are wasting everyone's time and do not track how annoying it is.</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=69983&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/the-uk-governments-low-value-purchase-system-is-a-waste-of-time/#comments" thr:count="5" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/the-uk-governments-low-value-purchase-system-is-a-waste-of-time/feed/atom/" thr:count="5" /> <thr:total>5</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[Gadget Review: Chuwi Minibook X N150 + Linux ★★★★☆]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=68038</id> <updated>2026-05-27T17:36:21Z</updated> <published>2026-05-27T11:34:36Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="gadget" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="laptop" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="linux" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="review" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="usb-c" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[I needed a small and light laptop to take travelling. Something with a larger screen than my phone so I can use the Big Internet™. Nothing too expensive and something that uses the same USB-C charger as everything else. So I settled on the Chuwi Minibook N150. It's literally small enough to fit in my cargo-short pockets. For the price (around £300ish) it is basically fine. There are a few ni…]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/"><![CDATA[<p>I needed a small and light laptop to take travelling. Something with a larger screen than my phone so I can use the Big Internet™. Nothing too expensive and something that uses the same USB-C charger as everything else.</p> <p>So I settled on the Chuwi Minibook N150. It's literally small enough to fit in my cargo-short pockets. For the price (around £300ish) it is basically fine. There are a few niggles, but none of them showstoppers for me.</p> <p>I took it to OggCamp and had <em>so</em> many people come and ask me about it. It's a small, cute, and distinctive looking device.</p> <p><a href="https://www.chuwi.com/product/items/chuwi-minibook-x-n150.html"><img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/minibook.webp" alt="A small laptop." width="1024" height="720" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-71515"></a></p> <h2 id="the-bad"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#the-bad">The Bad</a></h2> <p>Here are the worst things about the laptop:</p> <ul> <li>US Keyboard. Yup, the @ and " are in the wrong place. I can be set to UK, but then you lose the <kbd>|</kbd> key.</li> <li>The trackpad sometimes goes a bit jittery. It usually works, but once it a while goes askew. The touchscreen can be used if it happens.</li> <li>Screen rotation works, but the keyboard and trackpad don't switch off if you bend the keyboard all the way back.</li> <li>No biometrics like fingerprint or camera - so you need to remember your passwords.</li> <li>Support from the manufacturer is haphazard. Mostly forum links and expired downloads. The firmware seems to update fine on Linux though.</li> </ul> <p>That's not too bad, I reckon.</p> <h2 id="installing-linux"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#installing-linux">Installing Linux</a></h2> <p>I had a brief play with Windows 11, let it update its drivers just in case there was any magic firmware, then nuked it.</p> <p>Turn the device off. Turn it on and then hammer the <kbd>Delete</kbd> button. It'll pop you into the BIOS.</p> <p>Secure Boot needs to be disabled:</p> <p>Security → Secure Boot → Secure Boot → Disabled</p> <p>You'll also need to set it to boot from a USB device:</p> <p>Boot → Boot Option #1 → USB Device</p> <p>The go to Save & Exit. I tried <a href="https://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=325">Linux Mint Debian Edition</a>. It booted just fine and, after fiddling in the display settings, it automatically detected the screen rotation. Internet worked, touchscreen worked, Bluetooth worked. I tried a few distros and settled on NixOS as being the least worst option.</p> <p>Everything works except the keyboard switching off when it is folded backwards.</p> <h2 id="look-and-feel"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#look-and-feel">Look and Feel</a></h2> <p>It is a solid lump of metal. There are no decals on back of the screen (so perfect for adding stickers!) and the bottom is similarly bare apart from some air-flow grilles and the usual identifying marks.</p> <p>There are two USB-C ports on one side and a vestigial headphone jack on the other.</p> <h2 id="keyboard"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#keyboard">Keyboard</a></h2> <p>Despite coming from a UK warehouse and shipping with a UK plug, it has a US keyboard. The only real difference is the <code>£</code> symbol is missing from the <kbd>3</kbd> button, the <code>@</code> and <code>"</code> are swapped, and the <kbd>|</kbd> button is in the wrong place. None of that is disastrous and setting your OS to use a UK layout fixes things.</p> <p>Because <kbd>\|</kbd> is mapped to <kbd>#~</kbd>, there's no way to type a backslash or pipe.</p> <p>There are three levels of backlight. Off, dim, and not quite so dim. No fancy RBG effects here!</p> <h2 id="trackpad"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#trackpad">Trackpad</a></h2> <p>Supports multi-touch so you can use gestures. Obviously it is quite small, but you can touch the screen if you need to. Annoyingly, the trackpad is only "clicky" at the edges. You can click down in the middle, but it doesn't feel like it clicks. Not a show stopper, but a bit aggravating.</p> <h2 id="screen"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#screen">Screen</a></h2> <p>The screen has masked off rounded corners. Personally I think that's something which should be left to the Desktop Environment to decide. I can't really understand why they've done that. However, as the ratio is 16:10, you're not going to lose precious pixels when watching a movie.</p> <p>The screen is bright enough for most uses and goes fairly dim for night use. It is locked at 50Hz which is a bit of a baffling decision. I guess it saves a modicum of power? For almost all uses, you won't notice the difference though.</p> <h2 id="battery-and-charging"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#battery-and-charging">Battery and Charging</a></h2> <p>It ships with a USB-C PD charger with a UK plug and a hard-wired connection. Unfortunately, the charger was limited to 36W - so fairly modest.</p> <p>However, initially the Minibook would only charge at around 10W (20V⎓0.5A) eventually getting up to 16W (12V⎓1.3A or 20V⎓0.3A) - that didn't meaningfully change when I used a more powerful laptop charger. It never got up to the promised 36W while the unit was off.</p> <p>Once I turned it on, it jumped to ~35W (11.70V⎓3A). Using the stronger charger it occasionally got to 40W (20V⎓2A) but mostly stayed around 36W.</p> <p>That's not a <em>bad</em> speed, and the battery is relatively small, but you won't be able to take it from empty to full with a quick blast. If you do need it to charge quickly, make sure it is on.</p> <h2 id="size-weight-and-tablet-mode"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#size-weight-and-tablet-mode">Size, Weight, and Tablet Mode</a></h2> <p>At just under a Kg, it is light enough to slip into a jacket pocket. Similarly, although around twice as thick as a normal 10 inch tablet, it isn't massive. Holding it up for long periods means you will feel the weight more keenly - but the keyboard acts as a pretty decent stand.</p> <p>It supports multi-touch and a pen, apparently, which is not supplied.</p> <h2 id="camera"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#camera">Camera</a></h2> <p>The small lens is sensibly placed in the top centre and is of surprisingly good quality. You're not going to shoot a movie on it, but fine for video calls.</p> <h2 id="verdict"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#verdict">Verdict</a></h2> <p>Depending on how you are blessed by The Algorithm, this is around £300 - £350. You may also have to pay tax and delivery depending on where it is shipped from.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.chuwi.com/product/items/chuwi-minibook-x-n150.html">specifications are pretty decent</a>. Look, it's no MacBook Neo - but it is cheap and runs Linux.</p> <p>If you're happy futzing around a bit, it's a decent travel companion.</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=68038&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#comments" thr:count="3" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/feed/atom/" thr:count="3" /> <thr:total>3</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[PHP - simple way to send HTTP headers before a script ends]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/php-simple-way-to-send-http-headers-before-a-script-ends/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=68523</id> <updated>2026-05-25T09:25:39Z</updated> <published>2026-05-25T11:34:38Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="HowTo" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="php" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[Suppose you want PHP to keep processing after it has sent back an HTTP response. Normally, this doesn't work: <?php header( "Location: https://example.com/" ); // Long operation. sleep(10); die(); Try it yourself. You'll have to wait 10 seconds before you get back < HTTP/2 302 < location: https://example.com/ There are some complex ways to fix this - they usually involve…]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/php-simple-way-to-send-http-headers-before-a-script-ends/"><![CDATA[<p>Suppose you want PHP to keep processing <em>after</em> it has sent back an HTTP response. Normally, this doesn't work:</p> <pre><code class="language-php"><?php header( "Location: https://example.com/" ); // Long operation. sleep(10); die(); </code></pre> <p>Try it yourself. You'll have to wait 10 seconds before you get back</p> <pre><code class="language-_">< HTTP/2 302 < location: https://example.com/ </code></pre> <p>There are some complex ways to fix this - they usually involve spawning sub-processes or having a cron job run something. But there's a simpler way!</p> <p>Most servers do some form of output buffering. They wait for the buffer to fill (or be explicitly terminated) before they send any content. My server was set to a buffer of 4,096 bytes. So I forced some dummy output to fill it up, then told PHP to flush the buffer:</p> <pre><code class="language-php"><?php header( "Location: https://example.com/" ); echo str_repeat("😆", 4097); flush(); sleep(10); die(); </code></pre> <p>Some clients, like Python's Requests, <a href="https://github.com/psf/requests/issues/7248">wait until they've explicitly seen the end of the response before processing it</a>.</p> <p>But, for something like curl, the above is sufficient.</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=68523&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/php-simple-way-to-send-http-headers-before-a-script-ends/#comments" thr:count="1" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/php-simple-way-to-send-http-headers-before-a-script-ends/feed/atom/" thr:count="1" /> <thr:total>1</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[Which age-gates should be skill-gates and vice-versa?]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=68406</id> <updated>2026-03-29T10:49:49Z</updated> <published>2026-05-23T11:34:31Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="politics" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="thoughts" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[In the UK, it is illegal to buy alcohol if you are under 18. Similarly, in most countries, you cannot vote until you have reached a specific age. These are age-gates. You do not need to prove your competence to drink, vote, smoke, or get married; you just need to be old enough. Some things have skill-gates. If you want an amateur radio licence in the UK, you need to pass an exam. You can be…]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/"><![CDATA[<p>In the UK, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/alcohol-young-people-law">it is illegal to buy alcohol if you are under 18</a>.</p> <p>Similarly, in most countries, you cannot vote until you have reached a specific age.</p> <p>These are age-gates. You do not need to prove your competence to drink, vote, smoke, or get married; you just need to be old enough.</p> <p>Some things have skill-gates. If you want an amateur radio licence in the UK, you need to pass an exam. You can be any age<sup id="fnref:age"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/#fn:age" class="footnote-ref" title="OK, realistically you have to be old enough to read, write, and communicate. But there's no legal barrier to a precocious 3 year old taking and passing the exams." role="doc-noteref">0</a></sup>.</p> <p>Similarly, most jurisdictions allow you to get a medical licence once you have passed the requisite tests<sup id="fnref:doogie"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/#fn:doogie" class="footnote-ref" title="As seen in the insightful documentary series "Doogie Howser, M.D."" role="doc-noteref">1</a></sup>.</p> <p>There are also activities which are dual-gated. You can only get a driving licence after passing a test, but you can only apply to take the test once you are a certain age.</p> <p>Where should society swap age-gates and skill-gates?</p> <p>Perhaps the big one is voting. The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/representation-of-the-people-bill-policy-summaries/votes-at-16">UK is preparing to extend the franchise to all 16 and 17 year olds</a> - but why is there an age-gate at all?</p> <p>Children are affected by politics, they pay tax on the goods they buy, they exist in the world. Why shouldn't they vote?</p> <p>The <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2013/01/votes-for-children/">usual argument is that they are too immature</a>. But maturity isn't dependent on age. Idiots are allowed to vote. Centenarians with no stake in the consequences of their politics are allowed to vote. People who don't understand what powers a government has are allowed to vote.</p> <p>Would it <em>really</em> be so bad to introduce a voting licence? Make people take a short quiz to ensure they understand what they're voting for and why they're voting. Perhaps there are concerns about disenfranchising eligible adults (but not mature children) or that the state will rig the test (when they could rig the election) or whatever. But if we're sticking with the fiction that some people aren't mature enough to vote then we <em>must</em> give disenfranchised people a chance to prove their maturity.</p> <p>You could make the same argument about driving. If a 7 year old is able to demonstrate mastery and control of a vehicle, are they likely to be a better driver than a 90 year old who has never taken a modern test?</p> <p>Alcohol is different. We realise that the drug is harmful and <em>especially</em> harmful to developing humans. So we age-gate it. But do people really understand the health risks? Should you have to pass a test in order to imbibe? We make the people selling alcohol pass somewhat rigorous skills assessments. Perhaps the burden of proof should be reversed?</p> <h2 id="wait-do-you-really-believe-all-this"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/#wait-do-you-really-believe-all-this">Wait, do you really believe all this?</a></h2> <p>No, not necessarily.</p> <p>I find it fascinating that different cultures set different limits on people's activities. I wouldn't like to live somewhere that allowed anyone to drive on the public roads. Similarly, I don't particularly want governments restricting who can vote based on an arbitrary assessment.</p> <p>But where are the limits? Why is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minimum_driving_ages">legal driving age so variable</a>? Why are some <a href="https://www.jalopnik.com/1988281/hardest-easiest-countries-to-get-drivers-license/">driving tests easier than others</a>?</p> <p>Do you want a teenage doctor diagnosing you - even if they are legally certified? Should you be able to use a radio without passing a test if you're a legal adult?</p> <p>Which age-gates and skill-gates do <em>you</em> think should be flipped?</p> <div id="footnotes" role="doc-endnotes"> <hr aria-label="Footnotes"> <ol start="0"> <li id="fn:age"> <p>OK, realistically you have to be old enough to read, write, and communicate. But there's no legal barrier to a precocious 3 year old taking and passing the exams. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/#fnref:age" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p> </li> <li id="fn:doogie"> <p>As seen in the insightful documentary series "Doogie Howser, M.D." <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/#fnref:doogie" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p> </li> </ol> </div> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=68406&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/#comments" thr:count="10" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/feed/atom/" thr:count="10" /> <thr:total>10</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[Whale Fall]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/whale-fall/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=70000</id> <updated>2026-05-17T13:55:02Z</updated> <published>2026-05-21T11:34:15Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="technology" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[Somewhere, in the endless blue ocean, a gigantic mammal shudders as it takes its last breath. Thanks to science, we know that all dogs go to heaven, but all whales descend through the murky depths until their carcasses litter the seabed. Imagine a giant dying. You can't. They are huge and endless. A towering presence which, so it seems, has always been part of our world. They dominate and are…]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/whale-fall/"><![CDATA[<p>Somewhere, in the endless blue ocean, a gigantic mammal shudders as it takes its last breath. Thanks to science, we know that all dogs go to heaven, but all whales descend through the murky depths until their carcasses litter the seabed.</p> <p>Imagine a giant dying. You can't. They are huge and endless. A towering presence which, so it seems, has <em>always</em> been part of our world. They dominate and are indomitable. It is simply unfathomable that they can ever end. Yet end they must.</p> <p>As the whale dies, we do not know what passes through its cavernous brain. But we do know what the rest of the ocean thinks.</p> <p>Lunch.</p> <p>The death of a whale is a thing to be celebrated. The thump of their still-warm body onto the floor is the starting bell for a feast. Some larger predators sense an easy meal and tear off the choicest morsels. But what of the scavengers? What about the new life not yet established? What happens to the weird little creatures just waiting for an energy boost?</p> <p>In many ways, it was fortuitous that Twitter pre-signalled its death with the Fail Whale.</p> <p>The twitching corpse is gently floating down to its watery grave. Some of the older and more established social networks have bitten out chunks of the still-fresh body and have run away with their spoils. But the fascinating thing is watching all the <em>new</em> services benefit from the death of a giant. Mastodon, Discord, BlueSky, Qaplion, Nostr, and a bunch of others hollowing out the rotting husk and using it to power their own growth.</p> <p>Will those .meow social networks ever become a gigaton behemoth capable of ruling the waves? Maybe not, but size is not the only metric of success. Finding and defending an ecological niche is its own reward. Evolution abhors a monoculture.</p> <p>Several bloated bodies meander through the brine, each one confident that its ageless wisdom will outlast the others. Had they any self-awareness, the hubris would gnaw at their tattered souls until the crushing realisation of their impending doom drove them mad.</p> <p>Perhaps it will happen to GitHub next. The endless downtime and forced injection of crappy AI will start a death spiral. Already established forges are waiting to pounce once they smell blood in the water. But what critters will emerge to suck the bones of the old giant and develop in unexpected ways? Some bizarre fungal growth will devour the stinking jelly unlocked from those shattered bones and a new ecosystem will emerge.</p> <p>Will WordPress's increasingly erratic leadership and tangle of legal disputes cause it fatal damage? Once minnows darted away from its presence; now they cautiously nip at its greying skin. Its mighty bellow still echoes through the clammy waters, but there's a tinge of frailty in its song.</p> <p>Everything dies eventually.</p> <p>The internal flora and fauna - be they parasitic or symbiotic - eagerly await their host's downfall. A chance to break free and explore new strange new world. A chance to begin a new relationship and co-evolve in unexpected ways.</p> <p>The biological pump is primed, the hungry jaws of an uncountable fleet of new ideas is just waiting to pounce, the giants swim on in blissful ignorance.</p> <p>You can read more about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_fall">Whale Fall on Wikipedia</a>.</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=70000&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/whale-fall/#comments" thr:count="9" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/whale-fall/feed/atom/" thr:count="9" /> <thr:total>9</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[[RSS Club] Let's meet up AFK]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-lets-meet-up-afk/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71519</id> <updated>2026-05-19T09:55:27Z</updated> <published>2026-05-20T11:34:04Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="[RSS Club]" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="RSS Club" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[Shhhh! This post is only available to RSS subscribers like you 😊 My wife and I are preparing for a big Interrail journey through Europe. Whenever we go on holiday, we like to meet up with friendly locals to have a drink and chat. We did this on our last journey and it was great. So, if you're a member of RSS club and fancy showing some tourists a cool bar, awesome restaurant (with vegan op…]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-lets-meet-up-afk/"><![CDATA[<p><mark><em>Shhhh!</em> This post is only available to RSS subscribers like you</mark> 😊</p> <p>My wife and I are preparing for a big Interrail journey through Europe. Whenever we go on holiday, we like to meet up with friendly locals to have a drink and chat. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/06/meeting-my-fedifriends-afk/">We did this on our last journey and it was great</a>.</p> <p>So, if you're a member of RSS club and fancy showing some tourists a cool bar, awesome restaurant (with vegan options), local tech conference, or nifty museum - please <a href="https://edent.tel/">get in touch</a>.</p> <p>Our exact dates aren't finalised yet, but from now until the beginning of July, we'll be taking roughly this route:</p> <ul> <li>🇩🇪 Hamburg →</li> <li>🇩🇰 Copenhagen →</li> <li>🇸🇪 Gothenburg →</li> <li>🇳🇴 Oslo →</li> <li>🇸🇪 Stockholm →</li> <li>🇫🇮 Helsinki →</li> <li>🇪🇪 Tallinn →</li> <li>🇱🇻 Riga →</li> <li>🇱🇹 Vilnius →</li> <li>🇵🇱 Warsaw →</li> <li>🇩🇪 Berlin → Munich →</li> <li>🇮🇹 Verona → Milan →</li> <li>🇨🇭 Basel →</li> <li>🇫🇷 Paris</li> </ul> <p>If you're in one of those cities and fancy a beer & veggie burger, please give us a shout. We won't be able to meet everyone as we do have some existing plans and tight connections but, as they say, it's nice to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhVRzh4_j50">go where everybody knows your name</a>.</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71519&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-lets-meet-up-afk/#comments" thr:count="0" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-lets-meet-up-afk/feed/atom/" thr:count="0" /> <thr:total>0</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[Book Review: Terrible Worlds: Destinations by Adrian Tchaikovsky ★★★★★]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-terrible-worlds-destinations-by-adrian-tchaikovsky/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71710</id> <updated>2026-05-17T13:55:20Z</updated> <published>2026-05-19T11:34:17Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="Book Review" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="NetGalley" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="Sci Fi" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[What's better than one Adrian Tchaikovsky novella? Three Adrian Tchaikovsky novellæ! Or is it "novellii"? Either way, a delightful triptych of stories on a common theme. On the surface, they're about travelling to a new destination (Space! The Future! For-Copyright-Reasons Not Narnia!) Except, deep down, they're about loneliness. No matter how far or fast we run, no matter where or when we go, …]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-terrible-worlds-destinations-by-adrian-tchaikovsky/"><![CDATA[<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/tw-destinations-470.webp" alt="Book cover." width="235" height="369" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-71711"> <p>What's better than one Adrian Tchaikovsky novella? <em>Three</em> Adrian Tchaikovsky novellæ! Or is it "novellii"? Either way, a delightful triptych of stories on a common theme. On the surface, they're about travelling to a new destination (Space! The Future! For-Copyright-Reasons Not Narnia!)</p> <p>Except, deep down, they're about loneliness. No matter how far or fast we run, no matter where or when we go, we can't outrun ourselves. When you enter the void, sometimes the void enters you.</p> <p>There's also the constant theme about the hunter becoming the hunted. All three of the stories reminded me a bit of <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2022/04/book-review-piranesi-by-susanna-clarke/">Piranesi by Susanna Clarke</a> - in that I was never quite sure if the characters were simply delusional and waging war on an enemy of their own making.</p> <p>It brims with a pathos which I find rare in modern science fiction. That's offset with the perfectly placed <em>British</em> humour within it. Yes, there's a touch of the Weir/Scalzi "Only I, a nerdy guy, can save the universe in a self-knowing way" - but those authors aren't brave enough to mention Reading town centre or have their hero hail from Stevenage. Whereas Tchaikovsky knows what's up with the Furries.</p> <p>An excellent collection of tales.</p> <p>Many thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. The book is available to buy now.</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71710&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-terrible-worlds-destinations-by-adrian-tchaikovsky/#comments" thr:count="1" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-terrible-worlds-destinations-by-adrian-tchaikovsky/feed/atom/" thr:count="1" /> <thr:total>1</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[GDS weighs in on the NHS's decision to retreat from Open Source]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71603</id> <updated>2026-05-17T10:05:33Z</updated> <published>2026-05-17T11:34:30Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="AI" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="gds" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="government" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="nhs" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="nhsx" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="Open Source" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[Within the UK's Civil Service you occasionally hear the expression "being invited to a meeting without biscuits". It implies a rather frosty discussion without any of the polite niceties of a normal meeting. In general though, even when people have severe disagreements, it is rare for tempers to fray. It is even rarer for those internal disagreements to spill over into public. Which is what…]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/"><![CDATA[<p>Within the UK's Civil Service you occasionally hear the expression "being invited to a meeting <em>without</em> biscuits". It implies a <em>rather</em> frosty discussion without any of the polite niceties of a normal meeting<sup id="fnref:biscuits"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fn:biscuits" class="footnote-ref" title="Of course, all the budget cuts mean that biscuits cannot be purchased for any meetings. Which may explain some of the morale issues within the Civil Service. Thanks Austerity. Thausterity." role="doc-noteref">0</a></sup>. In general though, even when people have severe disagreements, it is rare for tempers to fray. It is even rarer for those internal disagreements to spill over into public.</p> <p>Which is what makes GDS's latest guidance so surprising. At the start of the month, NHS England made the bizarre and irresponsible decision <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/nhs-goes-to-war-against-open-source/">to close all their Open Source repositories</a> due to unfounded fears of AI hacking<sup id="fnref:hack"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fn:hack" class="footnote-ref" title="As of today, they've shut down nearly 200 repositories. More may be coming." role="doc-noteref">1</a></sup>. Lots of people within the NHS were outraged. As were many outside - with <a href="https://keepthingsopen.com/">this petition</a> against the move gathering over 2,000 signatures.</p> <p>Within other parts of government there was also alarm. Although I no longer work for Government Digital Service, I was contacted by several concerned people there who remembered all my work on Open Source. The brilliant team in Whitechapel have now published their guidance "<a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ai-open-code-and-vulnerability-risk-in-the-public-sector">AI, open code and vulnerability risk in the public sector</a>".</p> <p>It is <strong>brutal</strong>.</p> <p>They utterly repudiate the NHS's stance and forensically eviscerate it. I'll let you read the whole thing, but here are a few choice excerpts:</p> <blockquote><p>Recent public reporting about organisations restricting access to public repositories due to AI-enabled code analysis illustrates how quickly leaders may reach for blanket closure in response to uncertainty.</p></blockquote> <p>Basically, non-technical managers need to stop over-reacting.</p> <blockquote><p>Private repositories can create a false sense of security.</p></blockquote> <p>I think that's the crux of the argument. Closing code doesn't solve the underlying problems.</p> <blockquote><p>Making code private is not an appropriate mitigation for lack of ownership, patching capability, or operational assurance, so systems that cannot be safely maintained should be remediated or retired.</p></blockquote> <p>If you are so concerned about the poor security of your systems, you should shut them down completely to mitigate the threat.</p> <blockquote><p>Closure can become a one-way door.</p></blockquote> <p>As I said to the BMJ, "<a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj.s928">nothing lasts longer than a temporary fix</a>".</p> <blockquote><p>Where code has been developed in the open, making a repository private later may not remove access for a capable adversary as popular repositories are often mirrored or forked</p></blockquote> <p>Indeed. A friend of mine has already archived all of the NHS's repositories. You can <a href="https://github.com/orgs/uk-gov-mirror/repositories?q=mirror%3Afalse+fork%3Afalse+archived%3Afalse+nhs&page=1">see the ones they've tried to hide</a>.</p> <p>But the killer blow, I think, is this:</p> <blockquote><p>Moving code from public to private as a substitute for investment in secure-by-design delivery, ownership and remediation is a warning sign because it reduces sharing and scrutiny, can slow coordinated improvement across government and suppliers, and does not remove the underlying weaknesses in a running service.</p></blockquote> <p>Exactly! Coding in the open has been shown time and again to produce high quality and secure work. The looming threat of AI vulnerability scanners doesn't change that - security is a shared responsibility. Technical teams need to be well enough resourced to create secure systems; hiding code is as reliable as papering over structural cracks.</p> <p>GDS was created was to be a <em>strong</em> centre with vast technology expertise. This was to counter the frankly shoddy approach to tech in other departments. Back then, a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/service-assessments">Service Assessment</a> was a way for a department to prove that they were actually capable of designing, launching, and managing a complex IT project.</p> <p>Most departments have become significantly better at the development and running of these sorts of projects, so the <i lang="fr">raison d'etre</i> of GDS has somewhat waned. Departments feel more confident in running off on their own. Usually I'd celebrate that - it's important that GDS doesn't become a bottleneck and that the talent is distributed throughout the whole Civil Service.</p> <p>But NHS England has always been a bit of a weird one. One of the reasons NHSX was created<sup id="fnref:nhsx"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fn:nhsx" class="footnote-ref" title="I was there right before the start of NHSX and helped set it up." role="doc-noteref">2</a></sup> was to ensure that the health service had strong expertise in technology and its deployment. As the Head of Open Technology there, I helped craft the policies which embedded Open Source and Open Standards within it<sup id="fnref:open"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fn:open" class="footnote-ref" title="Which, I suppose, is why I'm bitter and angry that all our hard work is being undone." role="doc-noteref">3</a></sup>.</p> <p>I don't know what discussions have taken place within NHS England - although <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/information_relating_to_guidance_2">I looking forward to receiving a response to my FOI request</a>. It looks to me like a small group within NHS England have received a report showing some potential vulnerabilities discovered by Mythos. Rather than following their own internal guidance, they've over-reacted and slapped a blanket ban on coding in the open.</p> <p>I fervently hope that this new guidance will encourage DHSC to bring NHS England into line with best practice. If not, perhaps GDS ought to reassert itself as the technical authority with power to veto a department's incomprehensible decisions?</p> <div id="footnotes" role="doc-endnotes"> <hr aria-label="Footnotes"> <ol start="0"> <li id="fn:biscuits"> <p>Of course, all the budget cuts mean that biscuits cannot be purchased for <em>any</em> meetings. Which may explain some of the morale issues within the Civil Service. Thanks Austerity. Thausterity. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fnref:biscuits" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p> </li> <li id="fn:hack"> <p>As of today, they've shut down nearly 200 repositories. More may be coming. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fnref:hack" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p> </li> <li id="fn:nhsx"> <p>I was there right before the start of NHSX and helped set it up. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fnref:nhsx" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p> </li> <li id="fn:open"> <p>Which, I suppose, is why I'm bitter and angry that all our hard work is being undone. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fnref:open" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p> </li> </ol> </div> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71603&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#comments" thr:count="9" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/feed/atom/" thr:count="9" /> <thr:total>9</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[UK Government Kicks Out Palantir]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71169</id> <updated>2026-05-15T05:55:26Z</updated> <published>2026-05-15T05:34:03Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="government" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="Open Source" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[The UK Government, for all its faults, is pretty good at publishing contracts it has awarded. That's why I get depressed when I see rage-bait nonsense about how companies have been award "Top Secret" deals. Right now you can go to https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk and search for whichever bête noire has you riled up. You might want to argue that the company is corrupt, incompetent, or …]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/"><![CDATA[<p>The UK Government, for all its faults, is pretty good at publishing contracts it has awarded. That's why I get depressed when I see rage-bait nonsense about how companies have been award "Top Secret" deals.</p> <p>Right now you can go to <a href="https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk">https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk</a> and search for whichever <i lang="fr">bête noire</i> has you riled up. You might want to argue that the company is corrupt, incompetent, or overpriced - but you can't argue that its contract is secret. There's no conspiracy. There's no secrecy. There's not even "beware of the leopard" shenanigans. It's all out in the open<sup id="fnref:except"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fn:except" class="footnote-ref" title="Yes, there occasionally delays and some things are redacted either for privacy, security, or confidentiality. But, in the main, if the Government has spent money on it, it'll be published somewhere." role="doc-noteref">0</a></sup>.</p> <p>The Government says who it paying money to.</p> <p>But, of course, there are some things the Government <em>can't</em> say. It's rare for them to publicly disagree with a supplier, or call out how crappy they were. They need to maintain cordial relations with people<sup id="fnref:cathartic"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fn:cathartic" class="footnote-ref" title="Yes, I know it would cathartic to have a YouTube Shocked Face "Government SLAMS woeful supplier!!" but the long-term consequences make it unlikely." role="doc-noteref">1</a></sup>. They don't want to scare off new suppliers who can't risk being publicly humiliated. When contracts are cancelled or ended, it is usually done quietly.</p> <p>So you need to learn to read between the lines.</p> <p>Let's take this excellent blog post from the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government<sup id="fnref:mchlgchm"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fn:mchlgchm" class="footnote-ref" title="MHCLG is literally the worst acronym in a sea of unpronounceable alphabetti spaghetti. At least MOJ can be pronounced "Modge"!" role="doc-noteref">2</a></sup></p> <p>"<a href="https://mhclgdigital.blog.gov.uk/2026/04/09/from-emergency-to-sustainability-creating-share-homes-for-ukraine-data/">From emergency to sustainability: creating Share Homes for Ukraine data</a>".</p> <p>It's exactly the sort of blog post that some Civil Servants excel at writing. It clearly sets out how an ambitious and technically challenging project was delivered, why it is important, and who it benefits.</p> <p>The blog post describes how the team…</p> <blockquote><p>exited our contract with our supplier.</p></blockquote> <p>And that:</p> <blockquote><p>Moving to this in-house model is already saving MHCLG millions of pounds a year in running costs.</p></blockquote> <p>They show user feedback for their new system saying:</p> <blockquote><p>It’s easier to navigate than the previous system</p></blockquote> <p>Of course, what they don't say is <em>who</em> supplied the previous system which was so costly and hard to use.</p> <p>It was, of course, Palantir.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/b89e126f-8666-43d6-99b0-4e6a83a0c0a5">original contract (CPD4124104)</a> wasn't secret - although it was mired in <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/49de4d4d-5ac7-4f86-ac9e-17785be0aad9?syn-25a6b1a6=1">some controversy</a> as an urgent exemption to normal procurement rules<sup id="fnref:boring"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fn:boring" class="footnote-ref" title="My boring centrist dad position is that sometimes it makes sense to buy off-the-shelf in an emergency. If you find yourself abandoned after a night out, you order a taxi - you don't take up driving…" role="doc-noteref">3</a></sup>.</p> <p>In 2023, the <a href="https://www.nao.org.uk/press-releases/investigation-into-homes-for-ukraine/">National Audit Office reported on the scheme</a> - including Palanitr's software. They said:</p> <blockquote><p>The initial arrangement was put in place to help get the scheme up and running quickly. Consequently, the system did not undergo the usual research and testing that would be involved for the roll-out of a new digital system. There were initial issues such as the way it presented duplicated application data received from Home Office systems, and confusion from local authorities as to how to engage with the main data system.</p></blockquote> <p>How bad was Palantir's software? I've sent in a <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/usability_and_other_feedback_fro">Freedom of Information request to find out</a>. But we can tell that it was bad enough to convince MHCLG to rewrite it themselves.</p> <p>A lean Civil Service may not have the in-house capability to rapidly create a new service. But, as their blog post shows, when given suitable resources Civil Servants can often <em>outperform</em> the private sector. More importantly, the new software is under the Ministry's direct control. This <a href="https://github.com/communitiesuk/ukraine-sponsor-resettlement">open source</a> code is a triumph for sovereign technology.</p> <p>MHCLG have shown the door to Palantir. They've built something better, easier to use, and cheaper.</p> <p>I don't want to oversell this as the first victory in the war against this <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gjkj7975po">abominable company</a> - but I hope where MHCLG leads, others will follow.</p> <hr> <p>You can <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2l2j1lxdk5o">read more about this story on BBC News</a>.</p> <div id="footnotes" role="doc-endnotes"> <hr aria-label="Footnotes"> <ol start="0"> <li id="fn:except"> <p>Yes, there occasionally delays and some things are redacted either for privacy, security, or confidentiality. But, in the main, if the Government has spent money on it, it'll be published somewhere. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fnref:except" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p> </li> <li id="fn:cathartic"> <p>Yes, I know it would cathartic to have a <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/youtubes-infamous-shocked-face-thumbnails-could-be-on-the-way-out">YouTube Shocked Face</a> "Government SLAMS woeful supplier!!" but the long-term consequences make it unlikely. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fnref:cathartic" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p> </li> <li id="fn:mchlgchm"> <p>MHCLG is literally the worst acronym in a sea of unpronounceable alphabetti spaghetti. At least MOJ can be pronounced "Modge"! <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fnref:mchlgchm" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p> </li> <li id="fn:boring"> <p>My boring <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/centrist-dads-introducing-new-bugbear-online-corbynites-92779">centrist dad</a> position is that sometimes it makes sense to buy off-the-shelf in an emergency. If you find yourself abandoned after a night out, you order a taxi - you don't take up driving lessons. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fnref:boring" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p> </li> </ol> </div> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71169&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#comments" thr:count="10" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/feed/atom/" thr:count="10" /> <thr:total>10</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[Stupidly Simple SVG Sparklines]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/stupidly-simple-svg-sparklines/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=63359</id> <updated>2026-03-27T16:10:07Z</updated> <published>2026-05-13T11:34:01Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="svg" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="tutorial" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[A sparkline is a little line-graph with no axes or other unnecessary details. They're useful for getting quick understanding of what the data is showing. They're also really easy to create programmatically. This uses the SVG "polyline" which takes a list of x,y co-ordinate pairs. But can you spot the small problem? <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1024 124"> <polyline …]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/stupidly-simple-svg-sparklines/"><![CDATA[<p>A sparkline is a little line-graph with no axes or other unnecessary details. They're useful for getting quick understanding of what the data is showing.</p> <p>They're also <em>really</em> easy to create programmatically.</p> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1024 124"><polyline fill="none" stroke="#0074D9" stroke-width="3" points="12,48 83,84 154,79 226,90 297,79 369,65 440,78 512,80 583,88 654,12 726,56 797,92 869,93 940,97 1012,106"></polyline></svg> <p>This uses the SVG "<a href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/SVG/Reference/Element/polyline">polyline</a>" which takes a list of x,y co-ordinate pairs. But can you spot the small problem?</p> <pre><code class="language-svg"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1024 124"> <polyline fill="none" stroke="#0074D955" stroke-width="3" points="12,48 83,84 154,79 226,90 297,79 369,65 440,78 512,80 583,88 654,12 726,56 797,92 869,93 940,97 1012,106"></polyline> </svg> </code></pre> <p>The SVG co-ordinate system has position 0,0 at the top <em>left</em>. Most graphics formats are like that. That's fine for our x value - but it means higher y values will appear <em>lower</em> on the graph.</p> <p>Getting the x co-ordinate of each data point is easy. Take the width of the SVG image and divide it by the number of data-points.</p> <p>The y co-ordinate is harder. The algorithm is:</p> <ol> <li>Find the height of the SVG.</li> <li>Find the maximum value in the data.</li> <li>Find the minimum value in the data.</li> <li>Divide the maximum value by the height of the graph.</li> <li>For each data point, either: <ul> <li>To have the lowest value at the bottom of the graph, subtract the minimum from the value, then multiply by the ratio in (4).</li> <li>Or, to retain the gap between zero and the lowest value, multiply the value by the ratio in (4).</li> </ul></li> <li>The y co-ordinate is calculated by subtracting the value in (5) from the height in (1).</li> </ol> <p>Here's some code showing how it works. I've added a little padding to the inside of the graph - you'll see why later:</p> <pre><code class="language-php">// Max and min of views. $max_views = max( $svg_views_data ); $min_views = min( $svg_views_data ); $svg_data_length = sizeof( $svg_dates_data ) - 1; // SVG details for scaling. $svg_padding = 12; $svg_width_graph = 1000; $svg_width = $svg_width_graph + ( $svg_padding * 2 ); $svg_height_graph = 100; $svg_height = $svg_height_graph + ( $svg_padding * 2 ); // Calculate where each point should be. $x_per = $svg_width_graph / ( $svg_data_length ); $y_per = $svg_height_graph / $max_views; // Loop through the data. foreach ( $svg_views_data as $index=>$views ) { // X is from the left. $x_pos = intval( $x_per * $index ) + $svg_padding; // Y is from the top. $y_pos = $svg_height - intval( $y_per * $views ) - $svg_padding; // Add a point to the line. $polyline_points .= "{$x_pos},{$y_pos}\n"; } echo <<< SVG <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 $svg_width $svg_height" class="chart"> <polyline fill="none" stroke="#F00" stroke-width="3" points="{$polyline_points}"/> </svg> SVG; </code></pre> <p>Suppose someone suggests stupidly simple sparklines suffer seriously so someone should supplement statistics several circles?</p> <p>Using the same co-ordinates, we can place an SVG circle on top of the point. Give it a "title" attribute and you have a little bit of interactivity.</p> <pre><code class="language-svg"><circle cx="12" cy="48" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>4,707 Views</title></circle> </code></pre> <p>Here's how it looks (view source to understand how it is constructed).</p> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1024 124" class="chart"> <polyline fill="none" stroke="#0074D9" stroke-width="3" points="12,48 83,84 154,79 226,90 297,79 369,65 440,78 512,80 583,88 654,12 726,56 797,92 869,93 940,97 1012,105 "></polyline> <circle cx="12" cy="48" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>4,707 2025-09-01</title></circle><circle cx="83" cy="84" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>2,051 2025-09-02</title></circle><circle cx="154" cy="79" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>2,444 2025-09-03</title></circle><circle cx="226" cy="90" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>1,627 2025-09-04</title></circle><circle cx="297" cy="79" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>2,450 2025-09-05</title></circle><circle cx="369" cy="65" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>3,453 2025-09-06</title></circle><circle cx="440" cy="78" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>2,491 2025-09-07</title></circle><circle cx="512" cy="80" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>2,326 2025-09-08</title></circle><circle cx="583" cy="88" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>1,754 2025-09-09</title></circle><circle cx="654" cy="12" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>7,268 2025-09-10</title></circle><circle cx="726" cy="56" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>4,113 2025-09-11</title></circle><circle cx="797" cy="92" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>1,503 2025-09-12</title></circle><circle cx="869" cy="93" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>1,394 2025-09-13</title></circle><circle cx="940" cy="97" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>1,108 2025-09-14</title></circle><circle cx="1012" cy="105" r="5" fill="#0074D955"><title>533 2025-09-15</title></circle></svg> <p>Hover over any of those little circles and you'll see some pop-up text giving you information about that datapoint.</p> <p>…that's it! If you have an array of data points, you can easily create a graph with no graphing library, no plugins, no 3rd party dependencies. Just super simple SVG.</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=63359&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/stupidly-simple-svg-sparklines/#comments" thr:count="10" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/stupidly-simple-svg-sparklines/feed/atom/" thr:count="10" /> <thr:total>10</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[Find blog posts with missing featured images - and missing alt text - without a plugin]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/find-blog-posts-with-missing-featured-images-and-missing-alt-text-without-a-plugin/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=63594</id> <updated>2026-05-11T14:03:39Z</updated> <published>2026-05-11T11:34:39Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="accessibility" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="TILvember" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="WordPress" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[WordPress has the concept of "Featured Images". They are the images which show up when you share a blog post on social media or, on some themes, as the "hero" image. How can you quickly and easily find any posts which don't have a featured image? For this, I use WP CLI - it allows you to run complex WordPress actions and queries using the command line. After you have installed WP CLI you can…]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/find-blog-posts-with-missing-featured-images-and-missing-alt-text-without-a-plugin/"><![CDATA[<p>WordPress has the concept of "Featured Images". They are the images which show up when you share a blog post on social media or, on some themes, as the "hero" image.</p> <p>How can you quickly and easily find any posts which <em>don't</em> have a featured image?</p> <p>For this, I use <a href="https://wp-cli.org/">WP CLI</a> - it allows you to run complex WordPress actions and queries using the command line. After you have <a href="https://wp-cli.org/#installing">installed WP CLI</a> you can get started.</p> <h2 id="missing-images"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/find-blog-posts-with-missing-featured-images-and-missing-alt-text-without-a-plugin/#missing-images">Missing Images</a></h2> <p>On the command line, run:</p> <pre><code class="language-_">wp eval 'foreach(get_posts(array("post_type"=>"post","post_status"=>array("publish"),"posts_per_page"=>-1,)) as $post){if(get_the_post_thumbnail($post)==""){$post_type_object=get_post_type_object($post->post_type);$link=admin_url(sprintf($post_type_object->_edit_link . "&action=edit", $post->ID));echo $post->post_date . " " . $link . " " . $post->post_title . "\n";}}' </code></pre> <p>Here's the code in a slightly more readable format:</p> <pre><code class="language-php">foreach ( get_posts( array( "post_type" => "post", "post_status" => array("publish"), "posts_per_page" => -1, ) ) as $post) { if( get_the_post_thumbnail( $post)== "" ) { $post_type_object = get_post_type_object( $post->post_type ); $link = admin_url( sprintf( $post_type_object->_edit_link . "&action=edit", $post->ID ) ) ; echo $post->post_date . " " . $link . " " . $post->post_title . "\n"; } } </code></pre> <p>That will print out:</p> <pre><code class="language-_">2024-05-02 12:34:11 https://example.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=123&action=edit "A post about sausages" 2023-09-13 20:55:52 https://example.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=456&action=edit "I like cheese" 2021-12-31 15:43:33 https://example.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=789&action=edit "Touching computers" </code></pre> <p>You can then go and edit each of those posts to add a featured image.</p> <h2 id="missing-alt-text"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/find-blog-posts-with-missing-featured-images-and-missing-alt-text-without-a-plugin/#missing-alt-text">Missing Alt Text</a></h2> <p>Adding alt text means that people who can't see images will still be able to understand what the picture represents. Here's another one-lines to find all featured images with missing alt text:</p> <pre><code class="language-_">wp eval 'foreach (get_posts(array("post_type"=>"post","post_status"=>array("publish"),"posts_per_page" => -1,)) as $post){if(simplexml_load_string(get_the_post_thumbnail($post))["alt"]==""){$post_type_object=get_post_type_object($post->post_type);$link=admin_url(sprintf($post_type_object->_edit_link . "&action=edit",$post->ID));echo $post->post_date . " " . $link . " " . $post->post_title . "\n";}}' </code></pre> <p>And, in slightly more readable form:</p> <pre><code class="language-php">foreach ( get_posts( array( "post_type" => "post", "post_status" => array("publish"), "posts_per_page" => -1, ) ) as $post) { if( simplexml_load_string( get_the_post_thumbnail( $post ) )["alt"] == "") { $post_type_object = get_post_type_object( $post->post_type ); $link = admin_url( sprintf( $post_type_object->_edit_link . "&action=edit", $post->ID ) ) ; echo $post->post_date . " " . $link . " " . $post->post_title . "\n"; } } </code></pre> <p>Again, that lists the datetime of the post, its edit link, and its title.</p> <p>Now, if you'll excuse me, I have about 873 posts which need updating 🤯</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=63594&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/find-blog-posts-with-missing-featured-images-and-missing-alt-text-without-a-plugin/#comments" thr:count="2" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/find-blog-posts-with-missing-featured-images-and-missing-alt-text-without-a-plugin/feed/atom/" thr:count="2" /> <thr:total>2</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[[RSS Club] A Sneak Preview of Upcoming Posts]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-a-sneak-preview-of-upcoming-posts/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71376</id> <updated>2026-05-07T10:56:53Z</updated> <published>2026-05-10T11:34:38Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="[RSS Club]" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="blogging" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="RSS Club" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[Psssst! This top secret post is only available to RSS subscribers! As a little thank-you for being a member of RSS Club I thought I'd show you some trailers for upcoming blog posts. I use the brilliant Editorial Calendar Plugin to organise all my scheduled blog posts. Here's what you can expect over the next month: I tend to write in bursts - rather than once per day - and then spread the…]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-a-sneak-preview-of-upcoming-posts/"><![CDATA[<p><mark><em>Psssst!</em> This <strong>top secret</strong> post is only available to RSS subscribers!</mark></p> <p>As a little thank-you for being a member of <a href="https://daverupert.com/rss-club/">RSS Club</a> I thought I'd show you some trailers for upcoming blog posts.</p> <p>I use the brilliant <a href="https://editorialcalendarwp.com/">Editorial Calendar Plugin</a> to organise all my scheduled blog posts. Here's what you can expect over the next month:</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/calendar.webp" alt="List of blog posts in a calendar layout. They are Put an AV test at the start of your slides. Stupidly Simple SVG Sparklines. Find blog posts with missing featured images - and missing alt text - without a plugin. This blog is written in en-GB. Game Review: Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime. Death to px, long live ch!. Which age-gates should be skill-gates and vice-versa?. PHP - simple way to send HTTP headers before a script ends. Are Index Funds a Socialist Plot to Destroy America?. The UK Government's Low Value Purchase System is a Waste of Time. Whale Fall. Using FourSquare's API to post location checkins to social media. Virgin Media Hub 5 API. There's still no point in gigabit broadband." width="1609" height="835" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-71378"> <p>I tend to write in bursts - rather than once per day - and then spread the posts out. As I'm going on a long break soon, I want to make sure there are plenty of posts in the queue. There are also a bunch of posts scheduled over the next few years on specific dates.</p> <p>Of course, if I unexpectedly die, I guess they be <em>post</em>humous…</p> <p>I'm also working on what will be (I hope) a reasonably big political story. I'm under embargo until my media partner publishes it - but I hope it'll go live in the early hours of Tuesday. Stay tuned 😊</p> <p>If there's something you'd like to see me write about, please <a href="https://edent.tel/">drop me a comment via your favourite method</a>.</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71376&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-a-sneak-preview-of-upcoming-posts/#comments" thr:count="0" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-a-sneak-preview-of-upcoming-posts/feed/atom/" thr:count="0" /> <thr:total>0</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[Book Review: The Names by Florence Knapp ★★⯪☆☆]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-the-names-by-florence-knapp/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=70668</id> <updated>2026-05-08T07:52:47Z</updated> <published>2026-05-09T11:34:20Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="Book Club" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="Book Review" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[This has an excellent narrative structure, some beautiful prose, and I just didn't enjoy it. The story is Sliding Doors meets Same Time Next Year mixed with a distressing amount of domestic violence. A mother faces a difficult choice. Should she name her child after her abusive and violent husband? In one strand she does, in another she doesn't, and in the third she makes a compromise. We…]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-the-names-by-florence-knapp/"><![CDATA[<img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/the-names-7.jpg" alt="Book cover featuring a man with three shadows." width="180" height="276" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-70669"> <p>This has an excellent narrative structure, some beautiful prose, and I just didn't enjoy it.</p> <p>The story is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sliding_Doors">Sliding Doors</a> meets <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same_Time,_Next_Year_(play)">Same Time Next Year</a> mixed with a distressing amount of domestic violence.</p> <p>A mother faces a difficult choice. Should she name her child after her abusive and violent husband? In one strand she does, in another she doesn't, and in the third she makes a compromise. We rejoin the story every few years to see how our protagonists are progressing.</p> <p>It mostly works and pushes us to consider how much the path of our life is influenced by factors outside of our control.</p> <p>I have a real difficulty with books about violence. All of the characters are unsympathetic - trapped by tyrant but also trapped by their own inaction. I also struggled with how pedestrian and limited it was. In a world where you can read anything, why would you choose to spy on your horrible neighbours? Like a tawdry soap-opera it offered nothing more than misery and heartbreak. Fine if you need that sort of substitute empathy, but it left me feeling grubby and unsatisfied.</p> <p>To be fair, the characters in the book address this:</p> <blockquote><p>‘Why read them if they make you feel bad?’</p> <p>‘Because I’m hoping one of them might feel like me,’</p></blockquote> <p>It isn't a <em>bad</em> book - although it does veer into cliché a little too often - and the structure is interesting enough. But I found its subject matter too distressing to be enjoyable,</p> <h2 id="book-club-discussion"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-the-names-by-florence-knapp/#book-club-discussion">Book Club Discussion</a></h2> <p>This isn't the sort of book I'd normally pick up - but it was chosen by the book club I attend. The majority of readers rated it higher than I did. Here are some of the things we discussed.</p> <p>The central message sees to be that, no matter how hard you try, the tragedy which infects your life can never be escaped. I found that depressing and disempowering. The domestic dreariness was stifling and just left me irritated with the passivity of the characters.</p> <p>The evil father is an arsehole - but a <em>one-dimensional</em> arsehole. I get that there's a risk to humanising an antagonist, but other than a brief mention of his back-story there's nothing about him. I didn't want a <em>justification</em> for his actions, but he felt like a cartoon villain.</p> <p>Even when one character gains a moment of happiness, it is offset by another's misery. No matter which path is chosen, someone always ends up broken.</p> <p>Are we "destined" to meet the same people, no matter what path we take?</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=70668&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-the-names-by-florence-knapp/#comments" thr:count="0" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-the-names-by-florence-knapp/feed/atom/" thr:count="0" /> <thr:total>0</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[I've found just the right paper for my Bottom Hole problem]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/ive-found-just-the-right-paper-for-my-bottom-hole-problem/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71393</id> <updated>2026-05-07T10:48:07Z</updated> <published>2026-05-07T11:34:54Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="comedy" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="newspapers" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="tv" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[A few weeks ago, I went on a mad quest to find the newspaper used in 1995's Bottom Hole TV show. During the episode, Eddie starts reading this newspaper: Obviously, the "Hammersmith Bugle" is not a real paper and they never ran a headline "No News Shocker". But judging from all the other shots, the prop is based on a real newspaper. So I decided to rip off Dirty Feed's shtick and find out…]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/ive-found-just-the-right-paper-for-my-bottom-hole-problem/"><![CDATA[<p>A few weeks ago, I went on a mad quest to find <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/03/finding-the-right-bottom-hole-paper/">the newspaper used in 1995's Bottom Hole TV show</a>.</p> <p>During the episode, Eddie starts reading this newspaper:</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/No-News-Shocker.webp" alt="Some pissed old fart reading a newspaper called "The Hammersmith Bugle" with the headline "No news shocker..."" width="720" height="544" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-68986"> <p>Obviously, the "Hammersmith Bugle" is not a real paper and they never ran a headline "No News Shocker". But judging from all the other shots, the prop is based on a <em>real</em> newspaper.</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Seewaw.webp" alt="Two reprobates reading a newspaper." width="720" height="544" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-68989"> <p>So I decided to <a href="https://www.dirtyfeed.org/tag/newspaper-props/">rip off Dirty Feed's shtick</a> and find out what was used to create the fake newspaper. The quest took me o'er hill and dale. Through the rough hinterlands of Hammersmith and into the nether regions of Wimbledon. By which I mean - I used lots of online archive sources.</p> <p>And it <em>nearly</em> worked! I found all of the <em>internal</em> pages. I also found the back page:</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cup-Tie-Chaos.webp" alt="Idiot in a pork pie hat reading a paper with the headline "Cup tie chaos"." width="720" height="544" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-68987"> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cup-Tie-Paper.webp" alt="Scan of a newspaper with "Cup tie chaos" as a headline." width="720" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-68990"> <p>That's from <a href="https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1994-11-03/1994-11-03?NewspaperTitle=Surrey%2BHerald&IssueId=BL%2F0003604%2F19941103%2F&County=Surrey%2C%20England">The Surrey Herald</a> - but that's a paper with <em>lots</em> of regional editions. None of which had the right headline.</p> <p>So I emailed my (frankly asinine ) request to <a href="https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/culture-and-leisure/history-centre/researchers/guides/newspaper-back-issues">Surrey Museums</a>. They were polite, but unable to help. Their website gave a clue though - the location of the archives of the Surrey Herald:</p> <blockquote><p>Surrey Herald: Chertsey, Addlestone and Byfleet edition (also Walton, Weybridge and Hersham edition Feb 1979 to 1999 at Elmbridge Museum)</p></blockquote> <p>So I contacted the fine people at <a href="https://elmbridgemuseum.org.uk/">Elmbridge Museum</a> who were happy to rummage through their microfiche for me. I expect, much like Indiana Jones, the archivists had to knock down fake walls, find a mystic box containing the treasure, and then dodge various snakes and villains to retrieve the priceless artefact. Or they may have a well designed archival system which is a pleasure to use. I don't know.</p> <p>Anyway! All of which is to say that they very kindly sent me a quick scan of the front page of Surrey Herald's Walton, Weybridge and Hersham edition from November 3rd 1994.</p> <p>Here it is in all its glory!</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Herald-1024.webp" alt="Front page of the newspaper." width="1024" height="1375" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-71395"> <p>That's a <em>perfect</em> match for what's seen on screen:</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/FA-Cup-Mix-up.webp" alt="High resolution clip of a newspaper." width="474" height="588" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-69069"> <p>Hurrah! Another mystery solved thanks to <a href="https://elmbridgemuseum.org.uk/">publicly funded museums</a>!</p> <h2 id="what-have-we-learned-today"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/ive-found-just-the-right-paper-for-my-bottom-hole-problem/#what-have-we-learned-today">What have we learned today?</a></h2> <ul> <li>Archivists are lovely, generous, and helpful people.</li> <li>Museums are brilliant.</li> <li>Not everything in the world has been digitised.</li> <li>There was <em>quite a lot</em> of news that day no matter what the drunken hacks at the Hammersmith Bugle say.</li> <li>We do not know if centenarian Elsie Bartlett was aware that her photo featured in this seminal part of British comedy.</li> </ul> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71393&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/ive-found-just-the-right-paper-for-my-bottom-hole-problem/#comments" thr:count="9" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/ive-found-just-the-right-paper-for-my-bottom-hole-problem/feed/atom/" thr:count="9" /> <thr:total>9</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[RSS Feeds Send Me More Traffic Than Google]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-feeds-send-me-more-traffic-than-google/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=70238</id> <updated>2026-05-04T08:33:00Z</updated> <published>2026-05-05T11:34:12Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="blog" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="blogging" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="meta" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="statistics" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[Yeah yeah, I know, data-point of 1. I recently read Susam's blog post where they said that "most of the traffic to my personal website still comes from web feeds" - I wondered if that was true for my site. I've been writing this blog for a while. I've never much bothered with "aggressive" SEO - I have a fairly semantic layout, all my reviews have metadata, and stuff like that - but I'm not…]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-feeds-send-me-more-traffic-than-google/"><![CDATA[<p>Yeah yeah, I know, data-point of 1.</p> <p>I recently read <a href="https://susam.net/from-rss-to-atom.html">Susam's blog post</a> where they said that "most of the traffic to my personal website still comes from web feeds" - I wondered if that was true for my site.</p> <p>I've been writing this blog for a while. I've never much bothered with "aggressive" <abbr title="Search Engine Optimisation">SEO</abbr> - I have a fairly <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/01/maximally-semantic-structure-for-a-blog-post/">semantic layout</a>, all my <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2023/01/restaurant-review-metadata/">reviews have metadata</a>, and stuff like that - but I'm not cramming in keywords, using AMP, or whatever other chickens Google requires to be sacrificed for a higher ranking. Nevertheless, I do OK.</p> <p>Last year, I added a bit of <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/09/reasonably-accurate-privacy-conscious-cookieless-visitor-tracking-for-wordpress/">local-only, lightweight statistics-gathering</a> to my blog. I can see which sites people click on to reach mine. Google is right up the top, DuckDuckGo is surprisingly high, Bing is lucky to crack the top 20 on any day. Similarly, I can see <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/11/now-witness-the-power-of-this-fully-operational-fediverse/">how much traffic I get from the Fediverse</a> and BlueSky (Twitter has all but vanished).</p> <p>A few weeks ago I added RSS and Newsletter tracking. These data are <em>very</em> lossy. If someone is subscribed to my RSS feed <em>and</em> opens a post <em>and</em> their client downloads a lazy-loaded image at the end of the post, I get a hit. For email it's broadly the same. If an email is opened and the tracker image is loaded, I get a hit (although <a href="https://gmail.googleblog.com/2013/12/images-now-showing.html">Gmail does obfuscate that somewhat</a>).</p> <p>I'm not looking for super-accurate numbers (although I do block as many AI crawlers and bots as possible). I'm not creepily following people around the web nor am I trying to sell them anything. I just want a rough idea of where people find me.</p> <p>Here are my blog's views for the last 28 days.</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/page-views.webp" alt="Atom 13774. Google 10833. RSS 10419. DuckDuckGo 2302. Email 2123." width="553" height="395" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-71208 no-border-radius"> <p>Some months I get a surge of hits from link aggregators like HN or Reddit. Sometimes I'm linked to from a popular site or <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/citations">cited in academic work</a>. But most of the time I bumble along getting hits from here, there, and everywhere. Nevertheless, it's lovely to see so many people choosing to subscribe<sup id="fnref:rss"><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-feeds-send-me-more-traffic-than-google/#fn:rss" class="footnote-ref" title="For historic reasons, I have separate Atom and RSS feeds. Perhaps I should consider merging them? But it doesn't take much effort to publish in two subtly different formats." role="doc-noteref">0</a></sup> (for free!) and astonishing that they provide more traffic than a major search engine.</p> <p>Obviously, these are two <em>very</em> different types of traffic. People who are searching for a specific thing and stumble upon my blog are different from those who decide to like and subscribe.</p> <p>But, yeah, about 25% of my traffic comes from people who have chosen to subscribe.</p> <p>I'm just delighted that so many people read my random thoughts.</p> <div id="footnotes" role="doc-endnotes"> <hr aria-label="Footnotes"> <ol start="0"> <li id="fn:rss"> <p>For historic reasons, I have separate Atom and RSS feeds. Perhaps I should consider merging them? But it doesn't take much effort to publish in two subtly different formats. <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-feeds-send-me-more-traffic-than-google/#fnref:rss" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p> </li> </ol> </div> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=70238&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-feeds-send-me-more-traffic-than-google/#comments" thr:count="14" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-feeds-send-me-more-traffic-than-google/feed/atom/" thr:count="14" /> <thr:total>14</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[[RSS Club] Where are you from?]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-where-are-you-from/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71303</id> <updated>2026-05-04T10:13:32Z</updated> <published>2026-05-04T11:34:40Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="[RSS Club]" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="rss" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="RSS Club" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="statistics" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[Psssst! This top secret post is only available to RSS subscribers! A little while ago I added some locally hosted, privacy first stats to my blog. Using an offline GeoIP service I can get a very rough idea of where visitors are from. It doesn't deal with people using a VPN, or their mobile roaming to a different country, or rapid changes in IP allocation - but it's good enough for my purposes. …]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-where-are-you-from/"><![CDATA[<p><mark><em>Psssst!</em> This <strong>top secret</strong> post is only available to RSS subscribers!</mark></p> <p>A little while ago I added some <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/09/reasonably-accurate-privacy-conscious-cookieless-visitor-tracking-for-wordpress/">locally hosted, privacy first stats</a> to my blog. Using an <a href="https://mailfud.org/geoip-legacy/">offline GeoIP service</a> I can get a <em>very</em> rough idea of where visitors are from.</p> <p>It doesn't deal with people using a VPN, or their mobile roaming to a different country, or rapid changes in IP allocation - but it's good enough for my purposes.</p> <p>Here's a quick table showing the vague distribution of RSS Club members.</p> <table> <thead> <tr> <th align="right"><strong>Country</strong></th> <th align="left"><strong>Flag</strong></th> <th align="right"><strong>Total Views</strong></th> <th align="right"><strong>Percentage</strong></th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td align="right">US</td> <td align="left">🇺🇸</td> <td align="right">6,242</td> <td align="right">24.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">GB</td> <td align="left">🇬🇧</td> <td align="right">5,764</td> <td align="right">22.2%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">DE</td> <td align="left">🇩🇪</td> <td align="right">1,947</td> <td align="right">7.5%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">NL</td> <td align="left">🇳🇱</td> <td align="right">1,669</td> <td align="right">6.4%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">CN</td> <td align="left">🇨🇳</td> <td align="right">1,027</td> <td align="right">4.0%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">HK</td> <td align="left">🇭🇰</td> <td align="right">909</td> <td align="right">3.5%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">AU</td> <td align="left">🇦🇺</td> <td align="right">770</td> <td align="right">3.0%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">CA</td> <td align="left">🇨🇦</td> <td align="right">691</td> <td align="right">2.7%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">FR</td> <td align="left">🇫🇷</td> <td align="right">605</td> <td align="right">2.3%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">SE</td> <td align="left">🇸🇪</td> <td align="right">589</td> <td align="right">2.3%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">JP</td> <td align="left">🇯🇵</td> <td align="right">442</td> <td align="right">1.7%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">FI</td> <td align="left">🇫🇮</td> <td align="right">405</td> <td align="right">1.6%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">CH</td> <td align="left">🇨🇭</td> <td align="right">395</td> <td align="right">1.5%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">BR</td> <td align="left">🇧🇷</td> <td align="right">392</td> <td align="right">1.5%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">ES</td> <td align="left">🇪🇸</td> <td align="right">345</td> <td align="right">1.3%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">IT</td> <td align="left">🇮🇹</td> <td align="right">324</td> <td align="right">1.3%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">PT</td> <td align="left">🇵🇹</td> <td align="right">285</td> <td align="right">1.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">PL</td> <td align="left">🇵🇱</td> <td align="right">272</td> <td align="right">1.0%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">BE</td> <td align="left">🇧🇪</td> <td align="right">249</td> <td align="right">1.0%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">IN</td> <td align="left">🇮🇳</td> <td align="right">198</td> <td align="right">0.8%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">CZ</td> <td align="left">🇨🇿</td> <td align="right">153</td> <td align="right">0.6%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">TR</td> <td align="left">🇹🇷</td> <td align="right">134</td> <td align="right">0.5%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">IE</td> <td align="left">🇮🇪</td> <td align="right">126</td> <td align="right">0.5%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">BG</td> <td align="left">🇧🇬</td> <td align="right">121</td> <td align="right">0.5%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">TW</td> <td align="left">🇹🇼</td> <td align="right">114</td> <td align="right">0.4%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">SG</td> <td align="left">🇸🇬</td> <td align="right">110</td> <td align="right">0.4%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">NZ</td> <td align="left">🇳🇿</td> <td align="right">99</td> <td align="right">0.4%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">ZA</td> <td align="left">🇿🇦</td> <td align="right">97</td> <td align="right">0.4%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">NO</td> <td align="left">🇳🇴</td> <td align="right">95</td> <td align="right">0.4%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">AT</td> <td align="left">🇦🇹</td> <td align="right">91</td> <td align="right">0.4%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">RU</td> <td align="left">🇷🇺</td> <td align="right">86</td> <td align="right">0.3%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">DK</td> <td align="left">🇩🇰</td> <td align="right">84</td> <td align="right">0.3%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">HU</td> <td align="left">🇭🇺</td> <td align="right">76</td> <td align="right">0.3%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">GR</td> <td align="left">🇬🇷</td> <td align="right">64</td> <td align="right">0.2%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">UA</td> <td align="left">🇺🇦</td> <td align="right">56</td> <td align="right">0.2%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">IS</td> <td align="left">🇮🇸</td> <td align="right">49</td> <td align="right">0.2%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">AE</td> <td align="left">🇦🇪</td> <td align="right">49</td> <td align="right">0.2%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">GE</td> <td align="left">🇬🇪</td> <td align="right">44</td> <td align="right">0.2%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">PR</td> <td align="left">🇵🇷</td> <td align="right">44</td> <td align="right">0.2%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">LU</td> <td align="left">🇱🇺</td> <td align="right">42</td> <td align="right">0.2%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">IL</td> <td align="left">🇮🇱</td> <td align="right">42</td> <td align="right">0.2%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">PH</td> <td align="left">🇵🇭</td> <td align="right">41</td> <td align="right">0.2%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">EE</td> <td align="left">🇪🇪</td> <td align="right">36</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">AR</td> <td align="left">🇦🇷</td> <td align="right">36</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">ID</td> <td align="left">🇮🇩</td> <td align="right">34</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">MY</td> <td align="left">🇲🇾</td> <td align="right">31</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">SI</td> <td align="left">🇸🇮</td> <td align="right">30</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">BZ</td> <td align="left">🇧🇿</td> <td align="right">29</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">TH</td> <td align="left">🇹🇭</td> <td align="right">29</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">RO</td> <td align="left">🇷🇴</td> <td align="right">25</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">VN</td> <td align="left">🇻🇳</td> <td align="right">24</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">LT</td> <td align="left">🇱🇹</td> <td align="right">24</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">MQ</td> <td align="left">🇲🇶</td> <td align="right">20</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">KR</td> <td align="left">🇰🇷</td> <td align="right">20</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">UN</td> <td align="left">🇺🇳</td> <td align="right">18</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">RS</td> <td align="left">🇷🇸</td> <td align="right">17</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">TN</td> <td align="left">🇹🇳</td> <td align="right">15</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">CL</td> <td align="left">🇨🇱</td> <td align="right">14</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">SK</td> <td align="left">🇸🇰</td> <td align="right">14</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">MX</td> <td align="left">🇲🇽</td> <td align="right">14</td> <td align="right">0.1%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">CO</td> <td align="left">🇨🇴</td> <td align="right">11</td> <td align="right">0.0%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">BD</td> <td align="left">🇧🇩</td> <td align="right">10</td> <td align="right">0.0%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">EC</td> <td align="left">🇪🇨</td> <td align="right">10</td> <td align="right">0.0%</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">EG</td> <td align="left">🇪🇬</td> <td align="right">10</td> <td align="right">0.0%</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>There are a few more rows but, in the spirit of privacy, I've not included some of the more unique countries. Not all of those are unique views - these are aggregate statistics. If your RSS reader is hosted in a different country - or on a large platform - it may only show up inaccurately.</p> <p>If you don't see your country in this list, please <a href="https://edent.tel/">drop me a comment via your favourite method</a>.</p> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71303&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-where-are-you-from/#comments" thr:count="0" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-where-are-you-from/feed/atom/" thr:count="0" /> <thr:total>0</thr:total> </entry> <entry> <author> <name>@edent</name> <uri>https://edent.tel/</uri> </author> <title type="html"><![CDATA[Vertically Aligning Roman Numerals in Code]]></title> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/vertically-aligning-roman-numerals-in-code/" /> <id>https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=63775</id> <updated>2026-05-01T08:46:42Z</updated> <published>2026-05-03T11:34:59Z</published> <category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="/etc/" /><category scheme="https://shkspr.mobi/blog" term="php" /> <summary type="html"><![CDATA[I have a PHP function which uses Roman Numerals. It looks like this: $romanNumerals = [ "Ⅿ" => 1000, "ⅭⅯ" => 900, "Ⅾ" => 500, "ⅭⅮ" => 400, "Ⅽ" => 100, "ⅩC" => 90, "Ⅼ" => 50, "ⅩⅬ" => 40, "Ⅹ" => 10, "Ⅸ" => 9, "Ⅷ" => 8, "Ⅶ" => 7, "Ⅵ" => 6, "Ⅴ" => 5, "Ⅳ" => 4, "Ⅲ" => 3, "Ⅱ" => 2, "Ⅰ" => 1 ]; The problem is, the…]]></summary> <content type="html" xml:base="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/vertically-aligning-roman-numerals-in-code/"><![CDATA[<p>I have a PHP function which uses Roman Numerals. It looks like this:</p> <pre><code class="language-php">$romanNumerals = [ "Ⅿ" => 1000, "ⅭⅯ" => 900, "Ⅾ" => 500, "ⅭⅮ" => 400, "Ⅽ" => 100, "ⅩC" => 90, "Ⅼ" => 50, "ⅩⅬ" => 40, "Ⅹ" => 10, "Ⅸ" => 9, "Ⅷ" => 8, "Ⅶ" => 7, "Ⅵ" => 6, "Ⅴ" => 5, "Ⅳ" => 4, "Ⅲ" => 3, "Ⅱ" => 2, "Ⅰ" => 1 ]; </code></pre> <p>The problem is, the operators don't line up and the whole thing looks messy. Why? Because the <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2023/03/unicode-roman-numerals-and-screen-readers/">Unicode Roman Numerals</a> are <em>not</em> monospaced! <code>ⅭⅯ</code> is a different width to <code>ⅩC</code> and <code>Ⅷ</code> is only a single character! Copy the above to a text editor and see if you can get neat columns. I bet you can't!</p> <p>I'm obsessed with <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2014/11/why-i-vertically-align-my-code-and-you-should-too/">vertically aligning my code</a>. So how to solve this ugly problem?</p> <p>The <a href="https://phpc.social/@Crell/115329116036130430">answer was simple</a>. Assign keys to the values and then flip the array!</p> <pre><code class="language-php">$romanNumerals = array_flip([ 1000 => "Ⅿ", 900 => "ⅭⅯ", 500 => "Ⅾ", 400 => "ⅭⅮ", 100 => "Ⅽ", 90 => "ⅩC", 50 => "Ⅼ", 40 => "ⅩⅬ", 10 => "Ⅹ", 9 => "Ⅸ", 8 => "Ⅷ", 7 => "Ⅶ", 6 => "Ⅵ", 5 => "Ⅴ", 4 => "Ⅳ", 3 => "Ⅲ", 2 => "Ⅱ", 1 => "Ⅰ" ]); </code></pre> <p>There! Doesn't that look much neater!</p> <p><a href="https://libraries.mit.edu/150books/2011/05/11/1985/">As was written long ago</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>A computer language is not just a way of getting a computer to perform operations but rather … it is a novel formal medium for expressing ideas about methodology. Thus, programs must be written for people to read, and only incidentally for machines to execute.</p></blockquote> <img src="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=63775&HTTP_REFERER=Atom" alt width="1" height="1" loading="eager">]]></content> <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/vertically-aligning-roman-numerals-in-code/#comments" thr:count="1" /> <link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/vertically-aligning-roman-numerals-in-code/feed/atom/" thr:count="1" /> <thr:total>1</thr:total> </entry> </feed>
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"content": "<p>It has been sixteen years since the launch of <a href=\"https://data.london.gov.uk/\">data.london.gov.uk</a>. Back then, it was a trailblazer as one of the first major cities to release Open Data in this way. Now, over a decade later, it is more than a mere repository; it is a celebration of Open Data and the way it can improve Londoners' lives.</p>\n\n<p>So, time for a refresh front and back. As well as a bunch of back-end updates, the front-end has been spruced up which should make it easier to find the data you're looking for. I particularly the way they're now highlighting the licence under which data are available.</p>\n\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/metadata.webp\" alt=\"Screenshots showing the difference between the old and new version.\" width=\"2187\" height=\"876\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-71590\">\n\n<p>You can check it out right now at <a href=\"https://dfl.london.gov.uk/\">https://dfl.london.gov.uk/</a></p>\n\n<p>If you spot any bugs, send them to [email protected]</p>\n\n<p>The most important thing you can do is <strong>use your library</strong>! Just like any other library, it lives or dies based on how much use it gets. Rummage around in those datasets, build interesting things, and convince your local area to send data to it.</p>\n\n<p>This is a brilliant resource and I'm glad to see it get the love it deserves.</p>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71588&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
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"updated": "2026-06-02T07:03:18.000Z",
"content": "<p>What is this, 2016?</p>\n\n<p>I like sharing my location with my pocket friends sometimes. If I'm in a cool bar that they know, perhaps they can recommend a drink. If they live nearby, maybe they want to come for dinner. Not everyone has FourSquare's SwarmApp, so it is handy to automatically share its updates with other people.</p>\n\n<p>Of course, Swarm doesn't cross-post to social media because walled-gardens are the most profitable. This is my attempt to open it back up again.</p>\n\n<p>Here's what they look like on BlueSky and Mastodon:</p>\n\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at://did:plc:i6misxex577k4q6o7gloen4s/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmlb3yva3b2x\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreifyyuioy5zwpghfyqcdx7pjippygsg3o3nr3svtvf7owqsdjlygxy\" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode=\"system\"><p lang=\"en\">Checked in to Hamburger Fischmarkt, Große Elbstr. 9 (Fischmarkt), Germany\n\nProbably a *bit* early for a breakfast beer.\nSee on Swarm<br><br><a href=\"https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:i6misxex577k4q6o7gloen4s/post/3mmlb3yva3b2x?ref_src=embed\">[image or embed]</a></p>— Terence Eden (<a href=\"https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:i6misxex577k4q6o7gloen4s?ref_src=embed\">@edent.tel</a>) <a href=\"https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:i6misxex577k4q6o7gloen4s/post/3mmlb3yva3b2x?ref_src=embed\">24 May 2026 at 07:45</a></blockquote>\n\n<script async=\"\" src=\"https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"></script>\n\n<blockquote class=\"mastodon-embed\" data-embed-url=\"https://mastodon.social/@Edent/116642179645011519/embed\" style=\"background: #FCF8FF; border-radius: 8px; border: 1px solid #C9C4DA; margin: 0; max-width: 540px; min-width: 270px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0;\"> <a href=\"https://mastodon.social/@Edent/116642179645011519\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"align-items: center; color: #1C1A25; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Fira Sans', 'Droid Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; justify-content: center; letter-spacing: 0.25px; line-height: 20px; padding: 24px; text-decoration: none;\"> <svg xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\" width=\"32\" height=\"32\" viewBox=\"0 0 79 75\"><path d=\"M63 45.3v-20c0-4.1-1-7.3-3.2-9.7-2.1-2.4-5-3.7-8.5-3.7-4.1 0-7.2 1.6-9.3 4.7l-2 3.3-2-3.3c-2-3.1-5.1-4.7-9.2-4.7-3.5 0-6.4 1.3-8.6 3.7-2.1 2.4-3.1 5.6-3.1 9.7v20h8V25.9c0-4.1 1.7-6.2 5.2-6.2 3.8 0 5.8 2.5 5.8 7.4V37.7H44V27.1c0-4.9 1.9-7.4 5.8-7.4 3.5 0 5.2 2.1 5.2 6.2V45.3h8ZM74.7 16.6c.6 6 .1 15.7.1 17.3 0 .5-.1 4.8-.1 5.3-.7 11.5-8 16-15.6 17.5-.1 0-.2 0-.3 0-4.9 1-10 1.2-14.9 1.4-1.2 0-2.4 0-3.6 0-4.8 0-9.7-.6-14.4-1.7-.1 0-.1 0-.1 0s-.1 0-.1 0 0 .1 0 .1 0 0 0 0c.1 1.6.4 3.1 1 4.5.6 1.7 2.9 5.7 11.4 5.7 5 0 9.9-.6 14.8-1.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 .1 0 .1 0 .1 0 0 .1 0 .1 0 .1.1 0 .1 0 .1.1v5.6s0 .1-.1.1c0 0 0 0 0 .1-1.6 1.1-3.7 1.7-5.6 2.3-.8.3-1.6.5-2.4.7-7.5 1.7-15.4 1.3-22.7-1.2-6.8-2.4-13.8-8.2-15.5-15.2-.9-3.8-1.6-7.6-1.9-11.5-.6-5.8-.6-11.7-.8-17.5C3.9 24.5 4 20 4.9 16 6.7 7.9 14.1 2.2 22.3 1c1.4-.2 4.1-1 16.5-1h.1C51.4 0 56.7.8 58.1 1c8.4 1.2 15.5 7.5 16.6 15.6Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"></path></svg> <div style=\"color: #787588; margin-top: 16px;\">Post by @[email protected]</div> <div style=\"font-weight: 500;\">View on Mastodon</div> </a> </blockquote>\n\n<script data-allowed-prefixes=\"https://mastodon.social/\" async=\"\" src=\"https://mastodon.social/embed.js\"></script>\n\n<h2 id=\"tldr\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#tldr\">tl;dr</a></h2>\n\n<p>You can <a href=\"https://gitlab.com/edent/swarmtosocial/-/blob/main/swarmtosocial.py\">get the SwarmToSocial code from my GitLab</a>.</p>\n\n<p>At the moment, developers get <a href=\"https://foursquare.com/pricing/\">10,000 API calls for free each month</a>. That's probably more than enough for most personal uses.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"documentation\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#documentation\">Documentation</a></h2>\n\n<p>I was pleasantly surprised that <a href=\"https://docs.foursquare.com/developer/reference/create-a-checkin\">FourSquare's CheckIn documentation</a> was fairly easy to use and understand.</p>\n\n<p>Once you've <a href=\"https://foursquare.com/developers/home\">signed up for a developer account</a> you can create an OAuth app. That will generate a Client ID (<code>ABC123</code>), Client Secret (<code>XYZ789</code>), and you supply a Project URL.</p>\n\n<p>Once done you can <a href=\"https://docs.foursquare.com/developer/reference/personalization-apis-authentication\">follow the Authentication documentation</a>. Or just visit:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-_\">https://foursquare.com/oauth2/authenticate?\n client_id=ABC123\n &response_type=code\n &redirect_uri=https://example.com/\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>Sign in with your FourSquare account. It will redirect you to:</p>\n\n<p><code>https://example.com/?code=456QWE</code></p>\n\n<p>Use that code to construct the final URl:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-_\">https://foursquare.com/oauth2/access_token?\n client_id=ABC123\n &client_secret=XYZ789\n &grant_type=authorization_code\n &redirect_uri=http://example.com/\n &code=456QWE\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>That will respond with the Access Token:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-json\">{\n \"access_token\":\"asdfghjkl123456\"\n}\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>Hurrah! Posting a new checkin is <em>relatively</em> simple. POST to this URl with a header of <code>accept: application/json</code></p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-_\">https://api.foursquare.com/v2/checkins/add?\n v=20260223\n &venueId=13600425\n &shout=This%20is%20a%20test\n &oauth_token=asdfghjkl123456\n</code></pre>\n\n<ul>\n<li><code>v</code> is, rather confusingly, a date. <a href=\"https://docs.foursquare.com/developer/reference/versioning\">The versioning documentation</a> has more details but, basically, set it to the date you deployed your app.</li>\n<li><code>venuId</code> you'll need to find yourself (more on that later).</li>\n<li><code>shout</code> is up to 140 characters (!) of URl encoded text.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>That will send back rather a lot of JSON. Here are the important bits:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-json\">{\n \"meta\": {\n \"code\": 200,\n \"requestId\": \"123456789\"\n },\n \"response\": {\n \"checkin\": {\n \"id\": \"987654321\",\n \"createdAt\": 1771843820,\n \"type\": \"checkin\",\n \"visibility\": \"closeFriends\",\n \"shout\": \"This is a test of the API\",\n \"timeZoneOffset\": -300,\n \"editableUntil\": 1771930220000,\n \"user\": {\n \"id\": \"56367\",\n \"firstName\": \"Terence\",\n \"lastName\": \"Eden\",\n \"relationship\": \"self\",\n \"displayName\": \"Terence Eden\"\n },\n \"venue\": {\n \"id\": \"QWERTYUIOP\",\n \"name\": \"My Birthday Party!\",\n \"contact\": {},\n \"location\": {\n \"isFuzzed\": true,\n \"lat\": 39.123456789,\n \"lng\": -84.987654321,\n \"cc\": \"US\",\n \"city\": \"Cincinnati\",\n \"state\": \"KY\",\n \"country\": \"United States\",\n \"formattedAddress\": [\n \"Cincinnati, KY\",\n \"United States\"\n ]\n }\n },\n \"checkinShortUrl\": \"https://swarmapp.com/user/56367/checkin/987654321?s=wRZ7ByNfCW1DNrOIpsRcytPZelE\"\n }\n }\n}\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>For my purposes, the <code>shout</code> and <code>checkinShortUrl</code> are the most important. You can view a sample check in:</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://swarmapp.com/user/56367/checkin/699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544?s=LA7jCaAtH-s9CwSpgQrQdHrP5-8\">https://swarmapp.com/user/56367/checkin/699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544?s=LA7jCaAtH-s9CwSpgQrQdHrP5-8</a></p>\n\n<h2 id=\"venue-id\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#venue-id\">Venue ID</a></h2>\n\n<p>If you're already using <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2018/11/extracting-your-data-from-untappd/\">a service like Untappd</a> you might be able to get the venue ID from that.</p>\n\n<p>If not, FourSquare provides <a href=\"https://opensource.foursquare.com/os-places/\">100 million points of interest</a> for free - although with <a href=\"https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/foursquare-releases-100m-poi-dataset-under-apache-2-0/121883\">questionable data quality</a>.</p>\n\n<p>Alternatively, you can <a href=\"https://docs.foursquare.com/fsq-developers-places/reference/place-search\">search by location</a>:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-_\">curl --request GET \\\n --url 'https://places-api.foursquare.com/places/search?ll=51.123%2C0.123&radius=1000&sort=POPULARITY' \\\n --header 'X-Places-Api-Version: 2025-06-17' \\\n --header 'accept: application/json' \\\n --header 'authorization: Bearer ABC123'\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>As far as I can see, the <code>Bearer Token</code> only exists <a href=\"https://docs.foursquare.com/fsq-developers-places/reference/place-search\">on the documentation page</a>. I couldn't find it in my developer console. Weird!</p>\n\n<p>That gets you back:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-json\">{\n \"results\": [\n {\n \"fsq_place_id\": \"4be584ed2457a593ad8cab15\",\n \"latitude\": 51.11783041264215,\n \"longitude\": 0.11219274871133413,\n \"categories\": [\n {\n \"fsq_category_id\": \"4bf58dd8d48988d1fa941735\",\n \"name\": \"Farmers Market\",\n \"short_name\": \"Farmers Market\",\n \"plural_name\": \"Farmers Markets\",\n \"icon\": {\n \"prefix\": \"https://ss3.4sqi.net/img/categories_v2/shops/food_farmersmarket_\",\n \"suffix\": \".png\"\n }\n }\n ],\n \"date_created\": \"2010-05-08\",\n \"date_refreshed\": \"2025-11-01\",\n \"distance\": 970,\n \"extended_location\": {},\n \"link\": \"/places/4be584ed2457a593ad8cab15\",\n \"location\": {\n \"address\": \"\",\n \"locality\": \"Hartfield\",\n \"region\": \"East Sussex\",\n \"postcode\": \"\",\n \"admin_region\": \"England\",\n \"country\": \"GB\",\n \"formatted_address\": \"Hartfield, East Sussex\"\n },\n \"name\": \"Perryhill Farm Shop\",\n \"placemaker_url\": \"https://foursquare.com/placemakers/review-place/4be584ed2457a593ad8cab15\",\n \"related_places\": {},\n \"social_media\": {\n \"twitter\": \"\"\n },\n \"tel\": \"\",\n \"website\": \"http://www.perryhillorchards.co.uk/index.php?sec=4\"\n },\n {\n \"fsq_place_id\": \"8896f77565e54a658585301d\",\n \"latitude\": 51.11649,\n \"longitude\": 0.13131,\n \"categories\": [],\n \"date_created\": \"2021-12-06\",\n \"date_refreshed\": \"2021-12-06\",\n \"distance\": 909,\n \"extended_location\": {},\n \"link\": \"/places/8896f77565e54a658585301d\",\n \"location\": {\n \"address\": \"Priory Park, Beech Green Lane\",\n \"locality\": \"Withyham\",\n \"region\": \"East Sussex\",\n \"postcode\": \"TN7 4DB\",\n \"admin_region\": \"England\",\n \"post_town\": \"Hartfield\",\n \"country\": \"GB\",\n \"formatted_address\": \"Priory Park, Beech Green Lane, Withyham, East Sussex, TN7 4DB\"\n },\n \"name\": \"Spectra Studios\",\n \"placemaker_url\": \"https://foursquare.com/placemakers/review-place/8896f77565e54a658585301d\",\n \"related_places\": {},\n \"social_media\": {},\n \"tel\": \"01892 487149\"\n },\n ],\n \"context\": {\n \"geo_bounds\": {\n \"circle\": {\n \"center\": {\n \"latitude\": 51.123,\n \"longitude\": 0.1234\n },\n \"radius\": 1000\n }\n }\n }\n}\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>You can manually check a place using the Placemaker site: <a href=\"https://foursquare.com/placemakers/review-place/64eca80f0398c97ab52298ec\">https://foursquare.com/placemakers/review-place/64eca80f0398c97ab52298ec</a></p>\n\n<h2 id=\"getting-existing-checkins\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#getting-existing-checkins\">Getting Existing Checkins</a></h2>\n\n<p>What if you've checked in to a place using the official Swarm app? How do you get your own recent checkin data?</p>\n\n<p>Again, there is <a href=\"https://docs.foursquare.com/developer/reference/get-user-checkins\">documentation on getting user checkins</a>.</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\">curl --request GET \\\n --url 'https://api.foursquare.com/v2/users/self/checkins?v=20260223&limit=2&offset=0&oauth_token=asdfghjkl123456' \\\n --header 'accept: application/json'\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>Where it says <code>oauth_token</code> it <em>actually</em> means the <code>access_token</code>.</p>\n\n<p>The JSON that is returned is a bit verbose, so I've simplified it here:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-json\">{\n \"meta\": {\n \"code\": 200,\n \"requestId\": \"699c6505b488565a31e315e3\"\n },\n \"response\": {\n \"checkins\": {\n \"count\": 2344,\n \"items\": [\n {\n \"id\": \"699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544\",\n \"createdAt\": 1771844789,\n \"type\": \"checkin\",\n \"visibility\": \"closeFriends\",\n \"entities\": [],\n \"shout\": \"Testing the API using an Untappd FourSquare ID.\",\n \"timeZoneOffset\": 0,\n \"editableUntil\": 1771931189000,\n \"venue\": {\n \"id\": \"64eca80f0398c97ab52298ec\",\n \"name\": \"Abbey Wood Fossil Pit\",\n \"contact\": {},\n \"location\": {\n \"lat\": 51.487514,\n \"lng\": 0.13048041,\n \"postalCode\": \"SE2 0AX\",\n \"cc\": \"GB\",\n \"country\": \"United Kingdom\",\n \"formattedAddress\": [\n \"SE2 0AX\"\n ]\n },\n \"createdAt\": 1693231119\n },\n },\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>Annoyingly, there's no <code>checkinShortUrl</code> which means it can't easily be shared.</p>\n\n<p>For that, you'll need to <a href=\"https://docs.foursquare.com/developer/reference/get-checkin-details\">use the <code>get-checkin-details</code> API</a>:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\">curl --request GET \\\n --url 'https://api.foursquare.com/v2/checkins/699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544?v=20250202&oauth_token=asdfghjkl123456' \\\n --header 'accept: application/json'\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>Which will return this (truncated for brevity):</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-json\">{\n \"meta\": {\n \"code\": 200,\n \"requestId\": \"699c67de5f5c0a0e8ab234db\"\n },\n \"response\": {\n \"checkin\": {\n \"id\": \"699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544\",\n \"createdAt\": 1771844789,\n \"type\": \"checkin\",\n \"shout\": \"Testing the API using an Untappd FourSquare ID.\",\n \"timeZoneOffset\": 0,\n \"checkinShortUrl\": \"https://swarmapp.com/user/56367/checkin/699c34b55bad6b7fb1695544?s=LA7jCaAtH-s9CwSpgQrQdHrP5-8\",\n</code></pre>\n\n<h2 id=\"photos\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#photos\">Photos</a></h2>\n\n<p>If there's a photo with the checkin, it will be return in the JSON like this:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-json\">{\n \"response\": {\n \"checkin\": {\n \"photos\": {\n \"count\": 1,\n \"items\": [\n {\n \"id\": \"699f3a9f96799c05c0f16c9c\",\n \"createdAt\": 1772042911,\n \"prefix\": \"https://fastly.4sqi.net/img/general/\",\n \"suffix\": \"/56367_5VYox4Y-hs66wURVsYc1NLgOokfwBfcWhtKQrOlMdD8.jpg\",\n \"width\": 1008,\n \"height\": 1344,\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>The URl for the image is <code>prefix width x height suffix</code> - in this case <a href=\"https://fastly.4sqi.net/img/general/1008x1344/56367_5VYox4Y-hs66wURVsYc1NLgOokfwBfcWhtKQrOlMdD8.jpg\">https://fastly.4sqi.net/img/general/1008x1344/56367_5VYox4Y-hs66wURVsYc1NLgOokfwBfcWhtKQrOlMdD8.jpg</a></p>\n\n<p>You can adjust the width and height if you want a thumbnail or some other resolution.</p>\n\n<p>If there's no photo, the count will be 0.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"putting-it-all-together\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/06/using-foursquares-api-to-post-location-checkins-to-social-media/#putting-it-all-together\">Putting it all together</a></h2>\n\n<p>Every 15 minutes, <a href=\"https://gitlab.com/edent/swarmtosocial/-/blob/main/swarmtosocial.py\">the SwarmToSocial code</a> does the following:</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Get the most recent checkin.</li>\n<li>Read a local file to get the previously seen checkin ID.</li>\n<li>If the checkin ID hasn't been seen before:\n\n<ol>\n<li>Get the checkin details.</li>\n<li>Get the photo if it exists</li>\n<li>Post the checkin (plus photo) to Mastodon & BlueSky.</li>\n<li>Save the checkin ID to a file.</li>\n</ol></li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Enjoy!</p>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=68230&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
"image": null,
"media": [],
"authors": [
{
"name": "@edent",
"email": null,
"url": "https://edent.tel/"
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"categories": [
{
"label": "/etc/",
"term": "/etc/",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"label": "api",
"term": "api",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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"label": "BlueSky",
"term": "BlueSky",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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"label": "FourSquare",
"term": "FourSquare",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"label": "geolocation",
"term": "geolocation",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"label": "MastodonAPI",
"term": "MastodonAPI",
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{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=70568",
"title": "Who are the actors in the UK's 2015 passport?",
"description": "I got nerdsniped by a bloody Reddit post! In 2015, the UK Government launched a new passport design. It immediately attracted negative press for its designers' \"sexist\" decision to feature more men than women. The government has been accused of sexism over the new UK passport design, which commemorates the achievements of two women but seven men. It's true that there are only two named women - …",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/who-are-the-actors-in-the-uks-2015-passport/",
"published": "2026-05-31T11:34:08.000Z",
"updated": "2026-05-12T14:15:17.000Z",
"content": "<p>I got <a href=\"https://xkcd.com/356/\">nerdsniped</a> by a bloody <a href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/1ssf943/\">Reddit post</a>!</p>\n\n<p>In 2015, the UK Government launched <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-uk-passport-design-launched\">a new passport design</a>. It immediately attracted negative press for its designers' <a href=\"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34710261\">\"sexist\" decision to feature more men than women</a>.</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>The government has been accused of sexism over the new UK passport design, which commemorates the achievements of two women but seven men.</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>It's true that there are only two <em>named</em> women - but there is another <em>unnamed</em> woman on the passport! Here's the \"Performing Arts\" page:</p>\n\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Performing-Arts.webp\" alt=\"Passport page, richly illustrated, featuring Shakespeare's Globe. There are three actors in the corner.\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1455\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-70569\">\n\n<p>Shakespeare stares down at his Wooden O. Half the page is a stage, and the men and woman merely players.</p>\n\n<p>Here they are in a bit more detail:</p>\n\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/actors.webp\" alt=\"Close up of the actors. They are dressed in period costume and are emoting.\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1520\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-70570\">\n\n<p>Who are they? They look like reasonably modern photos rather than portraits. They're not obviously famous. None of the press at the time mentioned who they were. No stock photography library had anything similar that I could see. Your favourite AI thought one of them was Doctor Who and the other a Congressman from Nantucket.</p>\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f516f40f0b62305b866a7/HMPO_magazine.pdf\">official document describing the design</a> simply says:</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>On the left hand side there is an image of the interior of the theatre, with a play in progress.</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>I scanned in an old passport to get the faces in as much detail as possible. All three of them look like jobbing actors who you probably saw in a schools' production of Twelfth Night, don't they?\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/actor-faces.webp\" alt=\"Three faces in a row.\" width=\"699\" height=\"233\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-70575\"></p>\n\n<p>I couldn't find anything about them online. I asked my investigative-minded friends but they drew a blank.</p>\n\n<p>I even sent a <a href=\"https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/images_used_in_2015_passport\">Freedom of Information request to the Passport Office</a>.</p>\n\n<p>They refused on grounds of GDPR, but they did say:</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>However, we can disclose the photographs of the individuals appearing on the passport page captured by a photographer employed by a supplier contracted to HM Passport Office.</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>So, if you're one of the actors / models - or know who they are - please drop a note in the box below!</p>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=70568&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
"image": null,
"media": [],
"authors": [
{
"name": "@edent",
"email": null,
"url": "https://edent.tel/"
}
],
"categories": [
{
"label": "/etc/",
"term": "/etc/",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
},
{
"label": "FoI",
"term": "FoI",
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{
"label": "government",
"term": "government",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"label": "sexism",
"term": "sexism",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"label": "shakespeare",
"term": "shakespeare",
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{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=69983",
"title": "The UK Government's Low Value Purchase System is a Waste of Time",
"description": "It can be hard running a small business. If you want to sell to a large organisation like the UK Government, there are forms to fill in, checks to comply with, tenders to bid on, and a hundred other things. Luckily, there's the RM6237 Low Value Purchase System to make everything better. If a department wants to buy something below a certain threshold, they can contact any of the registered…",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/the-uk-governments-low-value-purchase-system-is-a-waste-of-time/",
"published": "2026-05-29T11:34:54.000Z",
"updated": "2026-05-28T18:23:59.000Z",
"content": "<p>It can be hard running a small business. If you want to sell to a large organisation like the UK Government, there are forms to fill in, checks to comply with, tenders to bid on, and a hundred other things.</p>\n\n<p>Luckily, there's the <a href=\"https://www.gca.gov.uk/agreements/RM6237\">RM6237 Low Value Purchase System</a> to make everything better. If a department wants to buy something below a certain threshold, they can contact any of the registered suppliers and just buy it. No complicated paperwork, cheaper prices, win-win!</p>\n\n<p>Except, there's on annoying bit of bureaucracy. Every month I have to tell the Government Commercial Agency what business I've done.</p>\n\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GCA.webp\" alt=\"Hello Terence Eden, It’s time to report your management information to the Government Commercial Agency (GCA). If you didn’t do any business, you still need to use this service to let us know. 9 April 2026 is the deadline to report your March 2026 data You need to report for the following commercial agreement(s):- RM6237 – Low Value Purchase System Report your management information If you don’t think you should be getting this reminder or there is a problem reporting, please email the support team: Regards, GCA MI collection team\" width=\"840\" height=\"1000\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-69985\">\n\n<p>Fair enough, I guess. Let them know how many paperclips I've sold to the Ministry of Administrative Affairs.</p>\n\n<p>But there's a wrinkle. What if I've sold <em>nothing</em>? Well, I <strong>still</strong> have to log on, wait for an MFA code to be send, click through, and report \"No Business\".</p>\n\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-20Confirm-report-no-business-for-March-2026-on-RM6237.webp\" alt=\"Screenshot with a button to report no business.\" width=\"1300\" height=\"500\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-69988\">\n\n<p>I think that's a waste of time. But I wondered how much time it collectively wastes for the nation's small businesses.</p>\n\n<p>So I filed <a href=\"https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/low_value_purchase_system_nill_r\">a Freedom of Information request</a> to see how many people have to sign in to let them know they haven't done any business. They replied quickly - although sent the data as a PDF rather than the requested machine-readable format.</p>\n\n<p>Here's how much of a waste of time it is for everyone:</p>\n\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n <th align=\"right\"><strong>Date</strong></th>\n <th align=\"right\"><strong>Total Returns</strong></th>\n <th align=\"right\"><strong>Nil Return</strong></th>\n <th align=\"right\"><strong>Percent<wbr>age</strong></th>\n</tr>\n</thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">Mar-25</td>\n <td align=\"right\">768</td>\n <td align=\"right\">729</td>\n <td align=\"right\">94.9%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">Apr-25</td>\n <td align=\"right\">902</td>\n <td align=\"right\">876</td>\n <td align=\"right\">97.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">May-25</td>\n <td align=\"right\">948</td>\n <td align=\"right\">923</td>\n <td align=\"right\">97.4%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">Jun-25</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,322</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,270</td>\n <td align=\"right\">96.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">Jul-25</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,406</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,355</td>\n <td align=\"right\">96.4%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">Aug-25</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,369</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,326</td>\n <td align=\"right\">96.9%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">Sep-25</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,416</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,362</td>\n <td align=\"right\">96.2%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">Oct-25</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,610</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,556</td>\n <td align=\"right\">96.6%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">Nov-25</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,713</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,654</td>\n <td align=\"right\">96.6%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">Dec-25</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,645</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,590</td>\n <td align=\"right\">96.7%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">Jan-26</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,536</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,487</td>\n <td align=\"right\">96.8%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">Feb-26</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,588</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,531</td>\n <td align=\"right\">96.4%</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n\n<p>Even if you assume that it only takes 2 minutes to fill in their form, that's over 2 <em>days</em> worth of time being wasted every month.</p>\n\n<p>At best, 59 small businesses reported that they sold something via RM6237. Well over a thousand businesses are clicking on a button which, frankly, ought not to exist. Why isn't the onus on those <em>buying</em> using the system to report what they've spent and who they spent it with?</p>\n\n<p>After clicking the button, I'm always asked to rate my experience using the service. I FoI'd that data as well but was told:</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>This information is not held. Feedback scores submitted are anonymised and only available as a service-wide view; consequently, we do not capture or hold results specific to RM6237</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>So the GCA are wasting everyone's time and do not track how annoying it is.</p>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=69983&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
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{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=68038",
"title": "Gadget Review: Chuwi Minibook X N150 + Linux ★★★★☆",
"description": "I needed a small and light laptop to take travelling. Something with a larger screen than my phone so I can use the Big Internet™. Nothing too expensive and something that uses the same USB-C charger as everything else. So I settled on the Chuwi Minibook N150. It's literally small enough to fit in my cargo-short pockets. For the price (around £300ish) it is basically fine. There are a few ni…",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/",
"published": "2026-05-27T11:34:36.000Z",
"updated": "2026-05-27T17:36:21.000Z",
"content": "<p>I needed a small and light laptop to take travelling. Something with a larger screen than my phone so I can use the Big Internet™. Nothing too expensive and something that uses the same USB-C charger as everything else.</p>\n\n<p>So I settled on the Chuwi Minibook N150. It's literally small enough to fit in my cargo-short pockets. For the price (around £300ish) it is basically fine. There are a few niggles, but none of them showstoppers for me.</p>\n\n<p>I took it to OggCamp and had <em>so</em> many people come and ask me about it. It's a small, cute, and distinctive looking device.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.chuwi.com/product/items/chuwi-minibook-x-n150.html\"><img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/minibook.webp\" alt=\"A small laptop.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"720\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-71515\"></a></p>\n\n<h2 id=\"the-bad\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#the-bad\">The Bad</a></h2>\n\n<p>Here are the worst things about the laptop:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>US Keyboard. Yup, the @ and \" are in the wrong place. I can be set to UK, but then you lose the <kbd>|</kbd> key.</li>\n<li>The trackpad sometimes goes a bit jittery. It usually works, but once it a while goes askew. The touchscreen can be used if it happens.</li>\n<li>Screen rotation works, but the keyboard and trackpad don't switch off if you bend the keyboard all the way back.</li>\n<li>No biometrics like fingerprint or camera - so you need to remember your passwords.</li>\n<li>Support from the manufacturer is haphazard. Mostly forum links and expired downloads. The firmware seems to update fine on Linux though.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>That's not too bad, I reckon.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"installing-linux\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#installing-linux\">Installing Linux</a></h2>\n\n<p>I had a brief play with Windows 11, let it update its drivers just in case there was any magic firmware, then nuked it.</p>\n\n<p>Turn the device off. Turn it on and then hammer the <kbd>Delete</kbd> button. It'll pop you into the BIOS.</p>\n\n<p>Secure Boot needs to be disabled:</p>\n\n<p>Security → Secure Boot → Secure Boot → Disabled</p>\n\n<p>You'll also need to set it to boot from a USB device:</p>\n\n<p>Boot → Boot Option #1 → USB Device</p>\n\n<p>The go to Save & Exit. I tried <a href=\"https://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=325\">Linux Mint Debian Edition</a>. It booted just fine and, after fiddling in the display settings, it automatically detected the screen rotation. Internet worked, touchscreen worked, Bluetooth worked. I tried a few distros and settled on NixOS as being the least worst option.</p>\n\n<p>Everything works except the keyboard switching off when it is folded backwards.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"look-and-feel\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#look-and-feel\">Look and Feel</a></h2>\n\n<p>It is a solid lump of metal. There are no decals on back of the screen (so perfect for adding stickers!) and the bottom is similarly bare apart from some air-flow grilles and the usual identifying marks.</p>\n\n<p>There are two USB-C ports on one side and a vestigial headphone jack on the other.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"keyboard\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#keyboard\">Keyboard</a></h2>\n\n<p>Despite coming from a UK warehouse and shipping with a UK plug, it has a US keyboard. The only real difference is the <code>£</code> symbol is missing from the <kbd>3</kbd> button, the <code>@</code> and <code>\"</code> are swapped, and the <kbd>|</kbd> button is in the wrong place. None of that is disastrous and setting your OS to use a UK layout fixes things.</p>\n\n<p>Because <kbd>\\|</kbd> is mapped to <kbd>#~</kbd>, there's no way to type a backslash or pipe.</p>\n\n<p>There are three levels of backlight. Off, dim, and not quite so dim. No fancy RBG effects here!</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"trackpad\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#trackpad\">Trackpad</a></h2>\n\n<p>Supports multi-touch so you can use gestures. Obviously it is quite small, but you can touch the screen if you need to. Annoyingly, the trackpad is only \"clicky\" at the edges. You can click down in the middle, but it doesn't feel like it clicks. Not a show stopper, but a bit aggravating.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"screen\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#screen\">Screen</a></h2>\n\n<p>The screen has masked off rounded corners. Personally I think that's something which should be left to the Desktop Environment to decide. I can't really understand why they've done that. However, as the ratio is 16:10, you're not going to lose precious pixels when watching a movie.</p>\n\n<p>The screen is bright enough for most uses and goes fairly dim for night use. It is locked at 50Hz which is a bit of a baffling decision. I guess it saves a modicum of power? For almost all uses, you won't notice the difference though.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"battery-and-charging\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#battery-and-charging\">Battery and Charging</a></h2>\n\n<p>It ships with a USB-C PD charger with a UK plug and a hard-wired connection. Unfortunately, the charger was limited to 36W - so fairly modest.</p>\n\n<p>However, initially the Minibook would only charge at around 10W (20V⎓0.5A) eventually getting up to 16W (12V⎓1.3A or 20V⎓0.3A) - that didn't meaningfully change when I used a more powerful laptop charger. It never got up to the promised 36W while the unit was off.</p>\n\n<p>Once I turned it on, it jumped to ~35W (11.70V⎓3A). Using the stronger charger it occasionally got to 40W (20V⎓2A) but mostly stayed around 36W.</p>\n\n<p>That's not a <em>bad</em> speed, and the battery is relatively small, but you won't be able to take it from empty to full with a quick blast. If you do need it to charge quickly, make sure it is on.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"size-weight-and-tablet-mode\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#size-weight-and-tablet-mode\">Size, Weight, and Tablet Mode</a></h2>\n\n<p>At just under a Kg, it is light enough to slip into a jacket pocket. Similarly, although around twice as thick as a normal 10 inch tablet, it isn't massive. Holding it up for long periods means you will feel the weight more keenly - but the keyboard acts as a pretty decent stand.</p>\n\n<p>It supports multi-touch and a pen, apparently, which is not supplied.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"camera\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#camera\">Camera</a></h2>\n\n<p>The small lens is sensibly placed in the top centre and is of surprisingly good quality. You're not going to shoot a movie on it, but fine for video calls.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"verdict\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gadget-review-chuwi-minibook-x-n150-linux/#verdict\">Verdict</a></h2>\n\n<p>Depending on how you are blessed by The Algorithm, this is around £300 - £350. You may also have to pay tax and delivery depending on where it is shipped from.</p>\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https://www.chuwi.com/product/items/chuwi-minibook-x-n150.html\">specifications are pretty decent</a>. Look, it's no MacBook Neo - but it is cheap and runs Linux.</p>\n\n<p>If you're happy futzing around a bit, it's a decent travel companion.</p>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=68038&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
"image": null,
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{
"name": "@edent",
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"label": "/etc/",
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"label": "gadget",
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"label": "laptop",
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"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"label": "linux",
"term": "linux",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"label": "review",
"term": "review",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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"label": "usb-c",
"term": "usb-c",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=68523",
"title": "PHP - simple way to send HTTP headers before a script ends",
"description": "Suppose you want PHP to keep processing after it has sent back an HTTP response. Normally, this doesn't work: <?php header( \"Location: https://example.com/\" ); // Long operation. sleep(10); die(); Try it yourself. You'll have to wait 10 seconds before you get back < HTTP/2 302 < location: https://example.com/ There are some complex ways to fix this - they usually involve…",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/php-simple-way-to-send-http-headers-before-a-script-ends/",
"published": "2026-05-25T11:34:38.000Z",
"updated": "2026-05-25T09:25:39.000Z",
"content": "<p>Suppose you want PHP to keep processing <em>after</em> it has sent back an HTTP response. Normally, this doesn't work:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-php\"><?php\n header( \"Location: https://example.com/\" );\n // Long operation.\n sleep(10);\n die();\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>Try it yourself. You'll have to wait 10 seconds before you get back</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-_\">< HTTP/2 302 \n< location: https://example.com/\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>There are some complex ways to fix this - they usually involve spawning sub-processes or having a cron job run something. But there's a simpler way!</p>\n\n<p>Most servers do some form of output buffering. They wait for the buffer to fill (or be explicitly terminated) before they send any content. My server was set to a buffer of 4,096 bytes. So I forced some dummy output to fill it up, then told PHP to flush the buffer:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-php\"><?php\n header( \"Location: https://example.com/\" );\n echo str_repeat(\"😆\", 4097);\n flush();\n sleep(10);\n die();\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>Some clients, like Python's Requests, <a href=\"https://github.com/psf/requests/issues/7248\">wait until they've explicitly seen the end of the response before processing it</a>.</p>\n\n<p>But, for something like curl, the above is sufficient.</p>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=68523&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
"image": null,
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{
"name": "@edent",
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"label": "/etc/",
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"label": "HowTo",
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"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"label": "php",
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{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=68406",
"title": "Which age-gates should be skill-gates and vice-versa?",
"description": "In the UK, it is illegal to buy alcohol if you are under 18. Similarly, in most countries, you cannot vote until you have reached a specific age. These are age-gates. You do not need to prove your competence to drink, vote, smoke, or get married; you just need to be old enough. Some things have skill-gates. If you want an amateur radio licence in the UK, you need to pass an exam. You can be…",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/",
"published": "2026-05-23T11:34:31.000Z",
"updated": "2026-03-29T10:49:49.000Z",
"content": "<p>In the UK, <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/alcohol-young-people-law\">it is illegal to buy alcohol if you are under 18</a>.</p>\n\n<p>Similarly, in most countries, you cannot vote until you have reached a specific age.</p>\n\n<p>These are age-gates. You do not need to prove your competence to drink, vote, smoke, or get married; you just need to be old enough.</p>\n\n<p>Some things have skill-gates. If you want an amateur radio licence in the UK, you need to pass an exam. You can be any age<sup id=\"fnref:age\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/#fn:age\" class=\"footnote-ref\" title=\"OK, realistically you have to be old enough to read, write, and communicate. But there's no legal barrier to a precocious 3 year old taking and passing the exams.\" role=\"doc-noteref\">0</a></sup>.</p>\n\n<p>Similarly, most jurisdictions allow you to get a medical licence once you have passed the requisite tests<sup id=\"fnref:doogie\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/#fn:doogie\" class=\"footnote-ref\" title=\"As seen in the insightful documentary series \"Doogie Howser, M.D.\"\" role=\"doc-noteref\">1</a></sup>.</p>\n\n<p>There are also activities which are dual-gated. You can only get a driving licence after passing a test, but you can only apply to take the test once you are a certain age.</p>\n\n<p>Where should society swap age-gates and skill-gates?</p>\n\n<p>Perhaps the big one is voting. The <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/representation-of-the-people-bill-policy-summaries/votes-at-16\">UK is preparing to extend the franchise to all 16 and 17 year olds</a> - but why is there an age-gate at all?</p>\n\n<p>Children are affected by politics, they pay tax on the goods they buy, they exist in the world. Why shouldn't they vote?</p>\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2013/01/votes-for-children/\">usual argument is that they are too immature</a>. But maturity isn't dependent on age. Idiots are allowed to vote. Centenarians with no stake in the consequences of their politics are allowed to vote. People who don't understand what powers a government has are allowed to vote.</p>\n\n<p>Would it <em>really</em> be so bad to introduce a voting licence? Make people take a short quiz to ensure they understand what they're voting for and why they're voting. Perhaps there are concerns about disenfranchising eligible adults (but not mature children) or that the state will rig the test (when they could rig the election) or whatever. But if we're sticking with the fiction that some people aren't mature enough to vote then we <em>must</em> give disenfranchised people a chance to prove their maturity.</p>\n\n<p>You could make the same argument about driving. If a 7 year old is able to demonstrate mastery and control of a vehicle, are they likely to be a better driver than a 90 year old who has never taken a modern test?</p>\n\n<p>Alcohol is different. We realise that the drug is harmful and <em>especially</em> harmful to developing humans. So we age-gate it. But do people really understand the health risks? Should you have to pass a test in order to imbibe? We make the people selling alcohol pass somewhat rigorous skills assessments. Perhaps the burden of proof should be reversed?</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"wait-do-you-really-believe-all-this\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/#wait-do-you-really-believe-all-this\">Wait, do you really believe all this?</a></h2>\n\n<p>No, not necessarily.</p>\n\n<p>I find it fascinating that different cultures set different limits on people's activities. I wouldn't like to live somewhere that allowed anyone to drive on the public roads. Similarly, I don't particularly want governments restricting who can vote based on an arbitrary assessment.</p>\n\n<p>But where are the limits? Why is the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minimum_driving_ages\">legal driving age so variable</a>? Why are some <a href=\"https://www.jalopnik.com/1988281/hardest-easiest-countries-to-get-drivers-license/\">driving tests easier than others</a>?</p>\n\n<p>Do you want a teenage doctor diagnosing you - even if they are legally certified? Should you be able to use a radio without passing a test if you're a legal adult?</p>\n\n<p>Which age-gates and skill-gates do <em>you</em> think should be flipped?</p>\n\n<div id=\"footnotes\" role=\"doc-endnotes\">\n<hr aria-label=\"Footnotes\">\n<ol start=\"0\">\n\n<li id=\"fn:age\">\n<p>OK, realistically you have to be old enough to read, write, and communicate. But there's no legal barrier to a precocious 3 year old taking and passing the exams. <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/#fnref:age\" class=\"footnote-backref\" role=\"doc-backlink\">↩︎</a></p>\n</li>\n\n<li id=\"fn:doogie\">\n<p>As seen in the insightful documentary series \"Doogie Howser, M.D.\" <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/which-age-gates-should-be-skill-gates-and-vice-versa/#fnref:doogie\" class=\"footnote-backref\" role=\"doc-backlink\">↩︎</a></p>\n</li>\n\n</ol>\n</div>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=68406&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
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"term": "politics",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=70000",
"title": "Whale Fall",
"description": "Somewhere, in the endless blue ocean, a gigantic mammal shudders as it takes its last breath. Thanks to science, we know that all dogs go to heaven, but all whales descend through the murky depths until their carcasses litter the seabed. Imagine a giant dying. You can't. They are huge and endless. A towering presence which, so it seems, has always been part of our world. They dominate and are…",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/whale-fall/",
"published": "2026-05-21T11:34:15.000Z",
"updated": "2026-05-17T13:55:02.000Z",
"content": "<p>Somewhere, in the endless blue ocean, a gigantic mammal shudders as it takes its last breath. Thanks to science, we know that all dogs go to heaven, but all whales descend through the murky depths until their carcasses litter the seabed.</p>\n\n<p>Imagine a giant dying. You can't. They are huge and endless. A towering presence which, so it seems, has <em>always</em> been part of our world. They dominate and are indomitable. It is simply unfathomable that they can ever end. Yet end they must.</p>\n\n<p>As the whale dies, we do not know what passes through its cavernous brain. But we do know what the rest of the ocean thinks.</p>\n\n<p>Lunch.</p>\n\n<p>The death of a whale is a thing to be celebrated. The thump of their still-warm body onto the floor is the starting bell for a feast. Some larger predators sense an easy meal and tear off the choicest morsels. But what of the scavengers? What about the new life not yet established? What happens to the weird little creatures just waiting for an energy boost?</p>\n\n<p>In many ways, it was fortuitous that Twitter pre-signalled its death with the Fail Whale.</p>\n\n<p>The twitching corpse is gently floating down to its watery grave. Some of the older and more established social networks have bitten out chunks of the still-fresh body and have run away with their spoils. But the fascinating thing is watching all the <em>new</em> services benefit from the death of a giant. Mastodon, Discord, BlueSky, Qaplion, Nostr, and a bunch of others hollowing out the rotting husk and using it to power their own growth.</p>\n\n<p>Will those .meow social networks ever become a gigaton behemoth capable of ruling the waves? Maybe not, but size is not the only metric of success. Finding and defending an ecological niche is its own reward. Evolution abhors a monoculture.</p>\n\n<p>Several bloated bodies meander through the brine, each one confident that its ageless wisdom will outlast the others. Had they any self-awareness, the hubris would gnaw at their tattered souls until the crushing realisation of their impending doom drove them mad.</p>\n\n<p>Perhaps it will happen to GitHub next. The endless downtime and forced injection of crappy AI will start a death spiral. Already established forges are waiting to pounce once they smell blood in the water. But what critters will emerge to suck the bones of the old giant and develop in unexpected ways? Some bizarre fungal growth will devour the stinking jelly unlocked from those shattered bones and a new ecosystem will emerge.</p>\n\n<p>Will WordPress's increasingly erratic leadership and tangle of legal disputes cause it fatal damage? Once minnows darted away from its presence; now they cautiously nip at its greying skin. Its mighty bellow still echoes through the clammy waters, but there's a tinge of frailty in its song.</p>\n\n<p>Everything dies eventually.</p>\n\n<p>The internal flora and fauna - be they parasitic or symbiotic - eagerly await their host's downfall. A chance to break free and explore new strange new world. A chance to begin a new relationship and co-evolve in unexpected ways.</p>\n\n<p>The biological pump is primed, the hungry jaws of an uncountable fleet of new ideas is just waiting to pounce, the giants swim on in blissful ignorance.</p>\n\n<p>You can read more about <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_fall\">Whale Fall on Wikipedia</a>.</p>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=70000&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
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{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71519",
"title": "[RSS Club] Let's meet up AFK",
"description": "Shhhh! This post is only available to RSS subscribers like you 😊 My wife and I are preparing for a big Interrail journey through Europe. Whenever we go on holiday, we like to meet up with friendly locals to have a drink and chat. We did this on our last journey and it was great. So, if you're a member of RSS club and fancy showing some tourists a cool bar, awesome restaurant (with vegan op…",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-lets-meet-up-afk/",
"published": "2026-05-20T11:34:04.000Z",
"updated": "2026-05-19T09:55:27.000Z",
"content": "<p><mark><em>Shhhh!</em> This post is only available to RSS subscribers like you</mark> 😊</p>\n\n<p>My wife and I are preparing for a big Interrail journey through Europe. Whenever we go on holiday, we like to meet up with friendly locals to have a drink and chat. <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/06/meeting-my-fedifriends-afk/\">We did this on our last journey and it was great</a>.</p>\n\n<p>So, if you're a member of RSS club and fancy showing some tourists a cool bar, awesome restaurant (with vegan options), local tech conference, or nifty museum - please <a href=\"https://edent.tel/\">get in touch</a>.</p>\n\n<p>Our exact dates aren't finalised yet, but from now until the beginning of July, we'll be taking roughly this route:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>🇩🇪 Hamburg →</li>\n<li>🇩🇰 Copenhagen →</li>\n<li>🇸🇪 Gothenburg →</li>\n<li>🇳🇴 Oslo →</li>\n<li>🇸🇪 Stockholm →</li>\n<li>🇫🇮 Helsinki →</li>\n<li>🇪🇪 Tallinn →</li>\n<li>🇱🇻 Riga →</li>\n<li>🇱🇹 Vilnius →</li>\n<li>🇵🇱 Warsaw →</li>\n<li>🇩🇪 Berlin → Munich →</li>\n<li>🇮🇹 Verona → Milan →</li>\n<li>🇨🇭 Basel →</li>\n<li>🇫🇷 Paris</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>If you're in one of those cities and fancy a beer & veggie burger, please give us a shout. We won't be able to meet everyone as we do have some existing plans and tight connections but, as they say, it's nice to <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhVRzh4_j50\">go where everybody knows your name</a>.</p>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71519&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
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{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71710",
"title": "Book Review: Terrible Worlds: Destinations by Adrian Tchaikovsky ★★★★★",
"description": "What's better than one Adrian Tchaikovsky novella? Three Adrian Tchaikovsky novellæ! Or is it \"novellii\"? Either way, a delightful triptych of stories on a common theme. On the surface, they're about travelling to a new destination (Space! The Future! For-Copyright-Reasons Not Narnia!) Except, deep down, they're about loneliness. No matter how far or fast we run, no matter where or when we go, …",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-terrible-worlds-destinations-by-adrian-tchaikovsky/",
"published": "2026-05-19T11:34:17.000Z",
"updated": "2026-05-17T13:55:20.000Z",
"content": "<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/tw-destinations-470.webp\" alt=\"Book cover.\" width=\"235\" height=\"369\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-71711\">\n\n<p>What's better than one Adrian Tchaikovsky novella? <em>Three</em> Adrian Tchaikovsky novellæ! Or is it \"novellii\"? Either way, a delightful triptych of stories on a common theme. On the surface, they're about travelling to a new destination (Space! The Future! For-Copyright-Reasons Not Narnia!)</p>\n\n<p>Except, deep down, they're about loneliness. No matter how far or fast we run, no matter where or when we go, we can't outrun ourselves. When you enter the void, sometimes the void enters you.</p>\n\n<p>There's also the constant theme about the hunter becoming the hunted. All three of the stories reminded me a bit of <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2022/04/book-review-piranesi-by-susanna-clarke/\">Piranesi by Susanna Clarke</a> - in that I was never quite sure if the characters were simply delusional and waging war on an enemy of their own making.</p>\n\n<p>It brims with a pathos which I find rare in modern science fiction. That's offset with the perfectly placed <em>British</em> humour within it. Yes, there's a touch of the Weir/Scalzi \"Only I, a nerdy guy, can save the universe in a self-knowing way\" - but those authors aren't brave enough to mention Reading town centre or have their hero hail from Stevenage. Whereas Tchaikovsky knows what's up with the Furries.</p>\n\n<p>An excellent collection of tales.</p>\n\n<p>Many thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. The book is available to buy now.</p>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71710&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
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{
"label": "Sci Fi",
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{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71603",
"title": "GDS weighs in on the NHS's decision to retreat from Open Source",
"description": "Within the UK's Civil Service you occasionally hear the expression \"being invited to a meeting without biscuits\". It implies a rather frosty discussion without any of the polite niceties of a normal meeting. In general though, even when people have severe disagreements, it is rare for tempers to fray. It is even rarer for those internal disagreements to spill over into public. Which is what…",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/",
"published": "2026-05-17T11:34:30.000Z",
"updated": "2026-05-17T10:05:33.000Z",
"content": "<p>Within the UK's Civil Service you occasionally hear the expression \"being invited to a meeting <em>without</em> biscuits\". It implies a <em>rather</em> frosty discussion without any of the polite niceties of a normal meeting<sup id=\"fnref:biscuits\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fn:biscuits\" class=\"footnote-ref\" title=\"Of course, all the budget cuts mean that biscuits cannot be purchased for any meetings. Which may explain some of the morale issues within the Civil Service. Thanks Austerity. Thausterity.\" role=\"doc-noteref\">0</a></sup>. In general though, even when people have severe disagreements, it is rare for tempers to fray. It is even rarer for those internal disagreements to spill over into public.</p>\n\n<p>Which is what makes GDS's latest guidance so surprising. At the start of the month, NHS England made the bizarre and irresponsible decision <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/nhs-goes-to-war-against-open-source/\">to close all their Open Source repositories</a> due to unfounded fears of AI hacking<sup id=\"fnref:hack\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fn:hack\" class=\"footnote-ref\" title=\"As of today, they've shut down nearly 200 repositories. More may be coming.\" role=\"doc-noteref\">1</a></sup>. Lots of people within the NHS were outraged. As were many outside - with <a href=\"https://keepthingsopen.com/\">this petition</a> against the move gathering over 2,000 signatures.</p>\n\n<p>Within other parts of government there was also alarm. Although I no longer work for Government Digital Service, I was contacted by several concerned people there who remembered all my work on Open Source. The brilliant team in Whitechapel have now published their guidance \"<a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ai-open-code-and-vulnerability-risk-in-the-public-sector\">AI, open code and vulnerability risk in the public sector</a>\".</p>\n\n<p>It is <strong>brutal</strong>.</p>\n\n<p>They utterly repudiate the NHS's stance and forensically eviscerate it. I'll let you read the whole thing, but here are a few choice excerpts:</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>Recent public reporting about organisations restricting access to public repositories due to AI-enabled code analysis illustrates how quickly leaders may reach for blanket closure in response to uncertainty.</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>Basically, non-technical managers need to stop over-reacting.</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>Private repositories can create a false sense of security.</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>I think that's the crux of the argument. Closing code doesn't solve the underlying problems.</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>Making code private is not an appropriate mitigation for lack of ownership, patching capability, or operational assurance, so systems that cannot be safely maintained should be remediated or retired.</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>If you are so concerned about the poor security of your systems, you should shut them down completely to mitigate the threat.</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>Closure can become a one-way door.</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>As I said to the BMJ, \"<a href=\"https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj.s928\">nothing lasts longer than a temporary fix</a>\".</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>Where code has been developed in the open, making a repository private later may not remove access for a capable adversary as popular repositories are often mirrored or forked</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>Indeed. A friend of mine has already archived all of the NHS's repositories. You can <a href=\"https://github.com/orgs/uk-gov-mirror/repositories?q=mirror%3Afalse+fork%3Afalse+archived%3Afalse+nhs&page=1\">see the ones they've tried to hide</a>.</p>\n\n<p>But the killer blow, I think, is this:</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>Moving code from public to private as a substitute for investment in secure-by-design delivery, ownership and remediation is a warning sign because it reduces sharing and scrutiny, can slow coordinated improvement across government and suppliers, and does not remove the underlying weaknesses in a running service.</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>Exactly! Coding in the open has been shown time and again to produce high quality and secure work. The looming threat of AI vulnerability scanners doesn't change that - security is a shared responsibility. Technical teams need to be well enough resourced to create secure systems; hiding code is as reliable as papering over structural cracks.</p>\n\n<p>GDS was created was to be a <em>strong</em> centre with vast technology expertise. This was to counter the frankly shoddy approach to tech in other departments. Back then, a <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/service-assessments\">Service Assessment</a> was a way for a department to prove that they were actually capable of designing, launching, and managing a complex IT project.</p>\n\n<p>Most departments have become significantly better at the development and running of these sorts of projects, so the <i lang=\"fr\">raison d'etre</i> of GDS has somewhat waned. Departments feel more confident in running off on their own. Usually I'd celebrate that - it's important that GDS doesn't become a bottleneck and that the talent is distributed throughout the whole Civil Service.</p>\n\n<p>But NHS England has always been a bit of a weird one. One of the reasons NHSX was created<sup id=\"fnref:nhsx\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fn:nhsx\" class=\"footnote-ref\" title=\"I was there right before the start of NHSX and helped set it up.\" role=\"doc-noteref\">2</a></sup> was to ensure that the health service had strong expertise in technology and its deployment. As the Head of Open Technology there, I helped craft the policies which embedded Open Source and Open Standards within it<sup id=\"fnref:open\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fn:open\" class=\"footnote-ref\" title=\"Which, I suppose, is why I'm bitter and angry that all our hard work is being undone.\" role=\"doc-noteref\">3</a></sup>.</p>\n\n<p>I don't know what discussions have taken place within NHS England - although <a href=\"https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/information_relating_to_guidance_2\">I looking forward to receiving a response to my FOI request</a>. It looks to me like a small group within NHS England have received a report showing some potential vulnerabilities discovered by Mythos. Rather than following their own internal guidance, they've over-reacted and slapped a blanket ban on coding in the open.</p>\n\n<p>I fervently hope that this new guidance will encourage DHSC to bring NHS England into line with best practice. If not, perhaps GDS ought to reassert itself as the technical authority with power to veto a department's incomprehensible decisions?</p>\n\n<div id=\"footnotes\" role=\"doc-endnotes\">\n<hr aria-label=\"Footnotes\">\n<ol start=\"0\">\n\n<li id=\"fn:biscuits\">\n<p>Of course, all the budget cuts mean that biscuits cannot be purchased for <em>any</em> meetings. Which may explain some of the morale issues within the Civil Service. Thanks Austerity. Thausterity. <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fnref:biscuits\" class=\"footnote-backref\" role=\"doc-backlink\">↩︎</a></p>\n</li>\n\n<li id=\"fn:hack\">\n<p>As of today, they've shut down nearly 200 repositories. More may be coming. <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fnref:hack\" class=\"footnote-backref\" role=\"doc-backlink\">↩︎</a></p>\n</li>\n\n<li id=\"fn:nhsx\">\n<p>I was there right before the start of NHSX and helped set it up. <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fnref:nhsx\" class=\"footnote-backref\" role=\"doc-backlink\">↩︎</a></p>\n</li>\n\n<li id=\"fn:open\">\n<p>Which, I suppose, is why I'm bitter and angry that all our hard work is being undone. <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/#fnref:open\" class=\"footnote-backref\" role=\"doc-backlink\">↩︎</a></p>\n</li>\n\n</ol>\n</div>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71603&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
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"term": "gds",
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{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71169",
"title": "UK Government Kicks Out Palantir",
"description": "The UK Government, for all its faults, is pretty good at publishing contracts it has awarded. That's why I get depressed when I see rage-bait nonsense about how companies have been award \"Top Secret\" deals. Right now you can go to https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk and search for whichever bête noire has you riled up. You might want to argue that the company is corrupt, incompetent, or …",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/",
"published": "2026-05-15T05:34:03.000Z",
"updated": "2026-05-15T05:55:26.000Z",
"content": "<p>The UK Government, for all its faults, is pretty good at publishing contracts it has awarded. That's why I get depressed when I see rage-bait nonsense about how companies have been award \"Top Secret\" deals.</p>\n\n<p>Right now you can go to <a href=\"https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk\">https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk</a> and search for whichever <i lang=\"fr\">bête noire</i> has you riled up. You might want to argue that the company is corrupt, incompetent, or overpriced - but you can't argue that its contract is secret. There's no conspiracy. There's no secrecy. There's not even \"beware of the leopard\" shenanigans. It's all out in the open<sup id=\"fnref:except\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fn:except\" class=\"footnote-ref\" title=\"Yes, there occasionally delays and some things are redacted either for privacy, security, or confidentiality. But, in the main, if the Government has spent money on it, it'll be published somewhere.\" role=\"doc-noteref\">0</a></sup>.</p>\n\n<p>The Government says who it paying money to.</p>\n\n<p>But, of course, there are some things the Government <em>can't</em> say. It's rare for them to publicly disagree with a supplier, or call out how crappy they were. They need to maintain cordial relations with people<sup id=\"fnref:cathartic\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fn:cathartic\" class=\"footnote-ref\" title=\"Yes, I know it would cathartic to have a YouTube Shocked Face \"Government SLAMS woeful supplier!!\" but the long-term consequences make it unlikely.\" role=\"doc-noteref\">1</a></sup>. They don't want to scare off new suppliers who can't risk being publicly humiliated. When contracts are cancelled or ended, it is usually done quietly.</p>\n\n<p>So you need to learn to read between the lines.</p>\n\n<p>Let's take this excellent blog post from the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government<sup id=\"fnref:mchlgchm\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fn:mchlgchm\" class=\"footnote-ref\" title=\"MHCLG is literally the worst acronym in a sea of unpronounceable alphabetti spaghetti. At least MOJ can be pronounced \"Modge\"!\" role=\"doc-noteref\">2</a></sup></p>\n\n<p>\"<a href=\"https://mhclgdigital.blog.gov.uk/2026/04/09/from-emergency-to-sustainability-creating-share-homes-for-ukraine-data/\">From emergency to sustainability: creating Share Homes for Ukraine data</a>\".</p>\n\n<p>It's exactly the sort of blog post that some Civil Servants excel at writing. It clearly sets out how an ambitious and technically challenging project was delivered, why it is important, and who it benefits.</p>\n\n<p>The blog post describes how the team…</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>exited our contract with our supplier.</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>And that:</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>Moving to this in-house model is already saving MHCLG millions of pounds a year in running costs.</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>They show user feedback for their new system saying:</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>It’s easier to navigate than the previous system</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>Of course, what they don't say is <em>who</em> supplied the previous system which was so costly and hard to use.</p>\n\n<p>It was, of course, Palantir.</p>\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/b89e126f-8666-43d6-99b0-4e6a83a0c0a5\">original contract (CPD4124104)</a> wasn't secret - although it was mired in <a href=\"https://www.ft.com/content/49de4d4d-5ac7-4f86-ac9e-17785be0aad9?syn-25a6b1a6=1\">some controversy</a> as an urgent exemption to normal procurement rules<sup id=\"fnref:boring\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fn:boring\" class=\"footnote-ref\" title=\"My boring centrist dad position is that sometimes it makes sense to buy off-the-shelf in an emergency. If you find yourself abandoned after a night out, you order a taxi - you don't take up driving…\" role=\"doc-noteref\">3</a></sup>.</p>\n\n<p>In 2023, the <a href=\"https://www.nao.org.uk/press-releases/investigation-into-homes-for-ukraine/\">National Audit Office reported on the scheme</a> - including Palanitr's software. They said:</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>The initial arrangement was put in place to help get the scheme up and running quickly. Consequently, the system did not undergo the usual research and testing that would be involved for the roll-out of a new digital system. There were initial issues such as the way it presented duplicated application data received from Home Office systems, and confusion from local authorities as to how to engage with the main data system.</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>How bad was Palantir's software? I've sent in a <a href=\"https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/usability_and_other_feedback_fro\">Freedom of Information request to find out</a>. But we can tell that it was bad enough to convince MHCLG to rewrite it themselves.</p>\n\n<p>A lean Civil Service may not have the in-house capability to rapidly create a new service. But, as their blog post shows, when given suitable resources Civil Servants can often <em>outperform</em> the private sector. More importantly, the new software is under the Ministry's direct control. This <a href=\"https://github.com/communitiesuk/ukraine-sponsor-resettlement\">open source</a> code is a triumph for sovereign technology.</p>\n\n<p>MHCLG have shown the door to Palantir. They've built something better, easier to use, and cheaper.</p>\n\n<p>I don't want to oversell this as the first victory in the war against this <a href=\"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gjkj7975po\">abominable company</a> - but I hope where MHCLG leads, others will follow.</p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p>You can <a href=\"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2l2j1lxdk5o\">read more about this story on BBC News</a>.</p>\n\n<div id=\"footnotes\" role=\"doc-endnotes\">\n<hr aria-label=\"Footnotes\">\n<ol start=\"0\">\n\n<li id=\"fn:except\">\n<p>Yes, there occasionally delays and some things are redacted either for privacy, security, or confidentiality. But, in the main, if the Government has spent money on it, it'll be published somewhere. <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fnref:except\" class=\"footnote-backref\" role=\"doc-backlink\">↩︎</a></p>\n</li>\n\n<li id=\"fn:cathartic\">\n<p>Yes, I know it would cathartic to have a <a href=\"https://www.ign.com/articles/youtubes-infamous-shocked-face-thumbnails-could-be-on-the-way-out\">YouTube Shocked Face</a> \"Government SLAMS woeful supplier!!\" but the long-term consequences make it unlikely. <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fnref:cathartic\" class=\"footnote-backref\" role=\"doc-backlink\">↩︎</a></p>\n</li>\n\n<li id=\"fn:mchlgchm\">\n<p>MHCLG is literally the worst acronym in a sea of unpronounceable alphabetti spaghetti. At least MOJ can be pronounced \"Modge\"! <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fnref:mchlgchm\" class=\"footnote-backref\" role=\"doc-backlink\">↩︎</a></p>\n</li>\n\n<li id=\"fn:boring\">\n<p>My boring <a href=\"https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/centrist-dads-introducing-new-bugbear-online-corbynites-92779\">centrist dad</a> position is that sometimes it makes sense to buy off-the-shelf in an emergency. If you find yourself abandoned after a night out, you order a taxi - you don't take up driving lessons. <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/uk-government-kicks-out-palantir/#fnref:boring\" class=\"footnote-backref\" role=\"doc-backlink\">↩︎</a></p>\n</li>\n\n</ol>\n</div>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71169&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
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{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=63359",
"title": "Stupidly Simple SVG Sparklines",
"description": "A sparkline is a little line-graph with no axes or other unnecessary details. They're useful for getting quick understanding of what the data is showing. They're also really easy to create programmatically. This uses the SVG \"polyline\" which takes a list of x,y co-ordinate pairs. But can you spot the small problem? <svg xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 1024 124\"> <polyline …",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/stupidly-simple-svg-sparklines/",
"published": "2026-05-13T11:34:01.000Z",
"updated": "2026-03-27T16:10:07.000Z",
"content": "<p>A sparkline is a little line-graph with no axes or other unnecessary details. They're useful for getting quick understanding of what the data is showing.</p>\n\n<p>They're also <em>really</em> easy to create programmatically.</p>\n\n<svg xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 1024 124\"><polyline fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#0074D9\" stroke-width=\"3\" points=\"12,48\n83,84\n154,79\n226,90\n297,79\n369,65\n440,78\n512,80\n583,88\n654,12\n726,56\n797,92\n869,93\n940,97\n1012,106\"></polyline></svg>\n\n<p>This uses the SVG \"<a href=\"https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/SVG/Reference/Element/polyline\">polyline</a>\" which takes a list of x,y co-ordinate pairs. But can you spot the small problem?</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-svg\"><svg xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 1024 124\">\n <polyline fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#0074D955\" stroke-width=\"3\" \n points=\"12,48 83,84 154,79 226,90 297,79 369,65 440,78 512,80 583,88 654,12 726,56 797,92 869,93 940,97 1012,106\"></polyline>\n</svg>\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>The SVG co-ordinate system has position 0,0 at the top <em>left</em>. Most graphics formats are like that. That's fine for our x value - but it means higher y values will appear <em>lower</em> on the graph.</p>\n\n<p>Getting the x co-ordinate of each data point is easy. Take the width of the SVG image and divide it by the number of data-points.</p>\n\n<p>The y co-ordinate is harder. The algorithm is:</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Find the height of the SVG.</li>\n<li>Find the maximum value in the data.</li>\n<li>Find the minimum value in the data.</li>\n<li>Divide the maximum value by the height of the graph.</li>\n<li>For each data point, either:\n\n<ul>\n<li>To have the lowest value at the bottom of the graph, subtract the minimum from the value, then multiply by the ratio in (4).</li>\n<li>Or, to retain the gap between zero and the lowest value, multiply the value by the ratio in (4).</li>\n</ul></li>\n<li>The y co-ordinate is calculated by subtracting the value in (5) from the height in (1).</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Here's some code showing how it works. I've added a little padding to the inside of the graph - you'll see why later:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-php\">// Max and min of views.\n$max_views = max( $svg_views_data );\n$min_views = min( $svg_views_data );\n$svg_data_length = sizeof( $svg_dates_data ) - 1;\n\n// SVG details for scaling.\n$svg_padding = 12;\n$svg_width_graph = 1000;\n$svg_width = $svg_width_graph + ( $svg_padding * 2 );\n$svg_height_graph = 100;\n$svg_height = $svg_height_graph + ( $svg_padding * 2 );\n\n// Calculate where each point should be.\n$x_per = $svg_width_graph / ( $svg_data_length );\n$y_per = $svg_height_graph / $max_views;\n\n// Loop through the data.\nforeach ( $svg_views_data as $index=>$views ) {\n // X is from the left.\n $x_pos = intval( $x_per * $index ) + $svg_padding;\n // Y is from the top.\n $y_pos = $svg_height - intval( $y_per * $views ) - $svg_padding;\n\n // Add a point to the line.\n $polyline_points .= \"{$x_pos},{$y_pos}\\n\";\n}\n\necho <<< SVG\n<svg xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\"\n viewBox=\"0 0 $svg_width $svg_height\" class=\"chart\">\n <polyline\n fill=\"none\"\n stroke=\"#F00\"\n stroke-width=\"3\"\n points=\"{$polyline_points}\"/>\n</svg>\nSVG;\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>Suppose someone suggests stupidly simple sparklines suffer seriously so someone should supplement statistics several circles?</p>\n\n<p>Using the same co-ordinates, we can place an SVG circle on top of the point. Give it a \"title\" attribute and you have a little bit of interactivity.</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-svg\"><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"48\" r=\"5\" fill=\"#0074D955\"><title>4,707 Views</title></circle>\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>Here's how it looks (view source to understand how it is constructed).</p>\n\n<svg xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 1024 124\" class=\"chart\">\n<polyline fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#0074D9\" stroke-width=\"3\" points=\"12,48\n83,84\n154,79\n226,90\n297,79\n369,65\n440,78\n512,80\n583,88\n654,12\n726,56\n797,92\n869,93\n940,97\n1012,105\n\"></polyline>\n<circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"48\" r=\"5\" fill=\"#0074D955\"><title>4,707\n2025-09-01</title></circle><circle cx=\"83\" cy=\"84\" r=\"5\" fill=\"#0074D955\"><title>2,051\n2025-09-02</title></circle><circle cx=\"154\" cy=\"79\" r=\"5\" fill=\"#0074D955\"><title>2,444\n2025-09-03</title></circle><circle cx=\"226\" cy=\"90\" r=\"5\" fill=\"#0074D955\"><title>1,627\n2025-09-04</title></circle><circle cx=\"297\" cy=\"79\" r=\"5\" fill=\"#0074D955\"><title>2,450\n2025-09-05</title></circle><circle cx=\"369\" cy=\"65\" r=\"5\" fill=\"#0074D955\"><title>3,453\n2025-09-06</title></circle><circle cx=\"440\" cy=\"78\" r=\"5\" fill=\"#0074D955\"><title>2,491\n2025-09-07</title></circle><circle cx=\"512\" cy=\"80\" r=\"5\" fill=\"#0074D955\"><title>2,326\n2025-09-08</title></circle><circle cx=\"583\" cy=\"88\" r=\"5\" fill=\"#0074D955\"><title>1,754\n2025-09-09</title></circle><circle cx=\"654\" cy=\"12\" r=\"5\" fill=\"#0074D955\"><title>7,268\n2025-09-10</title></circle><circle cx=\"726\" cy=\"56\" r=\"5\" fill=\"#0074D955\"><title>4,113\n2025-09-11</title></circle><circle cx=\"797\" cy=\"92\" r=\"5\" fill=\"#0074D955\"><title>1,503\n2025-09-12</title></circle><circle cx=\"869\" cy=\"93\" r=\"5\" fill=\"#0074D955\"><title>1,394\n2025-09-13</title></circle><circle cx=\"940\" cy=\"97\" r=\"5\" fill=\"#0074D955\"><title>1,108\n2025-09-14</title></circle><circle cx=\"1012\" cy=\"105\" r=\"5\" fill=\"#0074D955\"><title>533\n2025-09-15</title></circle></svg>\n\n<p>Hover over any of those little circles and you'll see some pop-up text giving you information about that datapoint.</p>\n\n<p>…that's it! If you have an array of data points, you can easily create a graph with no graphing library, no plugins, no 3rd party dependencies. Just super simple SVG.</p>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=63359&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
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"label": "/etc/",
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{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=63594",
"title": "Find blog posts with missing featured images - and missing alt text - without a plugin",
"description": "WordPress has the concept of \"Featured Images\". They are the images which show up when you share a blog post on social media or, on some themes, as the \"hero\" image. How can you quickly and easily find any posts which don't have a featured image? For this, I use WP CLI - it allows you to run complex WordPress actions and queries using the command line. After you have installed WP CLI you can…",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/find-blog-posts-with-missing-featured-images-and-missing-alt-text-without-a-plugin/",
"published": "2026-05-11T11:34:39.000Z",
"updated": "2026-05-11T14:03:39.000Z",
"content": "<p>WordPress has the concept of \"Featured Images\". They are the images which show up when you share a blog post on social media or, on some themes, as the \"hero\" image.</p>\n\n<p>How can you quickly and easily find any posts which <em>don't</em> have a featured image?</p>\n\n<p>For this, I use <a href=\"https://wp-cli.org/\">WP CLI</a> - it allows you to run complex WordPress actions and queries using the command line. After you have <a href=\"https://wp-cli.org/#installing\">installed WP CLI</a> you can get started.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"missing-images\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/find-blog-posts-with-missing-featured-images-and-missing-alt-text-without-a-plugin/#missing-images\">Missing Images</a></h2>\n\n<p>On the command line, run:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-_\">wp eval 'foreach(get_posts(array(\"post_type\"=>\"post\",\"post_status\"=>array(\"publish\"),\"posts_per_page\"=>-1,)) as $post){if(get_the_post_thumbnail($post)==\"\"){$post_type_object=get_post_type_object($post->post_type);$link=admin_url(sprintf($post_type_object->_edit_link . \"&action=edit\", $post->ID));echo $post->post_date . \" \" . $link . \" \" . $post->post_title . \"\\n\";}}'\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>Here's the code in a slightly more readable format:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-php\">foreach ( \n get_posts( \n array( \"post_type\" => \"post\", \n \"post_status\" => array(\"publish\"), \n \"posts_per_page\" => -1,\n ) \n ) as $post) { \n if( get_the_post_thumbnail( $post)== \"\" ) { \n $post_type_object = get_post_type_object( $post->post_type ); \n $link = admin_url( sprintf( $post_type_object->_edit_link . \"&action=edit\", $post->ID ) ) ;\n echo $post->post_date . \" \" . $link . \" \" . $post->post_title . \"\\n\";\n } \n}\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>That will print out:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-_\">2024-05-02 12:34:11 https://example.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=123&action=edit \"A post about sausages\" \n2023-09-13 20:55:52 https://example.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=456&action=edit \"I like cheese\"\n2021-12-31 15:43:33 https://example.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=789&action=edit \"Touching computers\"\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>You can then go and edit each of those posts to add a featured image.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"missing-alt-text\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/find-blog-posts-with-missing-featured-images-and-missing-alt-text-without-a-plugin/#missing-alt-text\">Missing Alt Text</a></h2>\n\n<p>Adding alt text means that people who can't see images will still be able to understand what the picture represents. Here's another one-lines to find all featured images with missing alt text:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-_\">wp eval 'foreach (get_posts(array(\"post_type\"=>\"post\",\"post_status\"=>array(\"publish\"),\"posts_per_page\" => -1,)) as $post){if(simplexml_load_string(get_the_post_thumbnail($post))[\"alt\"]==\"\"){$post_type_object=get_post_type_object($post->post_type);$link=admin_url(sprintf($post_type_object->_edit_link . \"&action=edit\",$post->ID));echo $post->post_date . \" \" . $link . \" \" . $post->post_title . \"\\n\";}}'\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>And, in slightly more readable form:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-php\">foreach (\n get_posts( \n array( \"post_type\" => \"post\", \n \"post_status\" => array(\"publish\"), \n \"posts_per_page\" => -1,\n ) \n ) as $post) { \n if( simplexml_load_string( get_the_post_thumbnail( $post ) )[\"alt\"] == \"\") { \n $post_type_object = get_post_type_object( $post->post_type ); \n $link = admin_url( sprintf( $post_type_object->_edit_link . \"&action=edit\", $post->ID ) ) ;\n echo $post->post_date . \" \" . $link . \" \" . $post->post_title . \"\\n\"; \n } \n}\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>Again, that lists the datetime of the post, its edit link, and its title.</p>\n\n<p>Now, if you'll excuse me, I have about 873 posts which need updating 🤯</p>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=63594&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
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"label": "accessibility",
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"label": "TILvember",
"term": "TILvember",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71376",
"title": "[RSS Club] A Sneak Preview of Upcoming Posts",
"description": "Psssst! This top secret post is only available to RSS subscribers! As a little thank-you for being a member of RSS Club I thought I'd show you some trailers for upcoming blog posts. I use the brilliant Editorial Calendar Plugin to organise all my scheduled blog posts. Here's what you can expect over the next month: I tend to write in bursts - rather than once per day - and then spread the…",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-a-sneak-preview-of-upcoming-posts/",
"published": "2026-05-10T11:34:38.000Z",
"updated": "2026-05-07T10:56:53.000Z",
"content": "<p><mark><em>Psssst!</em> This <strong>top secret</strong> post is only available to RSS subscribers!</mark></p>\n\n<p>As a little thank-you for being a member of <a href=\"https://daverupert.com/rss-club/\">RSS Club</a> I thought I'd show you some trailers for upcoming blog posts.</p>\n\n<p>I use the brilliant <a href=\"https://editorialcalendarwp.com/\">Editorial Calendar Plugin</a> to organise all my scheduled blog posts. Here's what you can expect over the next month:</p>\n\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/calendar.webp\" alt=\"List of blog posts in a calendar layout. They are \nPut an AV test at the start of your slides. Stupidly Simple SVG Sparklines. Find blog posts with missing featured images - and missing alt text - without a plugin. This blog is written in en-GB. Game Review: Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime. Death to px, long live ch!. Which age-gates should be skill-gates and vice-versa?. PHP - simple way to send HTTP headers before a script ends. Are Index Funds a Socialist Plot to Destroy America?. The UK Government's Low Value Purchase System is a Waste of Time. Whale Fall. Using FourSquare's API to post location checkins to social media. Virgin Media Hub 5 API. There's still no point in gigabit broadband.\" width=\"1609\" height=\"835\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-71378\">\n\n<p>I tend to write in bursts - rather than once per day - and then spread the posts out. As I'm going on a long break soon, I want to make sure there are plenty of posts in the queue. There are also a bunch of posts scheduled over the next few years on specific dates.</p>\n\n<p>Of course, if I unexpectedly die, I guess they be <em>post</em>humous…</p>\n\n<p>I'm also working on what will be (I hope) a reasonably big political story. I'm under embargo until my media partner publishes it - but I hope it'll go live in the early hours of Tuesday. Stay tuned 😊</p>\n\n<p>If there's something you'd like to see me write about, please <a href=\"https://edent.tel/\">drop me a comment via your favourite method</a>.</p>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71376&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
"image": null,
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"categories": [
{
"label": "[RSS Club]",
"term": "[RSS Club]",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
},
{
"label": "blogging",
"term": "blogging",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"label": "RSS Club",
"term": "RSS Club",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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},
{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=70668",
"title": "Book Review: The Names by Florence Knapp ★★⯪☆☆",
"description": "This has an excellent narrative structure, some beautiful prose, and I just didn't enjoy it. The story is Sliding Doors meets Same Time Next Year mixed with a distressing amount of domestic violence. A mother faces a difficult choice. Should she name her child after her abusive and violent husband? In one strand she does, in another she doesn't, and in the third she makes a compromise. We…",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-the-names-by-florence-knapp/",
"published": "2026-05-09T11:34:20.000Z",
"updated": "2026-05-08T07:52:47.000Z",
"content": "<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/the-names-7.jpg\" alt=\"Book cover featuring a man with three shadows.\" width=\"180\" height=\"276\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-70669\">\n\n<p>This has an excellent narrative structure, some beautiful prose, and I just didn't enjoy it.</p>\n\n<p>The story is <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sliding_Doors\">Sliding Doors</a> meets <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same_Time,_Next_Year_(play)\">Same Time Next Year</a> mixed with a distressing amount of domestic violence.</p>\n\n<p>A mother faces a difficult choice. Should she name her child after her abusive and violent husband? In one strand she does, in another she doesn't, and in the third she makes a compromise. We rejoin the story every few years to see how our protagonists are progressing.</p>\n\n<p>It mostly works and pushes us to consider how much the path of our life is influenced by factors outside of our control.</p>\n\n<p>I have a real difficulty with books about violence. All of the characters are unsympathetic - trapped by tyrant but also trapped by their own inaction. I also struggled with how pedestrian and limited it was. In a world where you can read anything, why would you choose to spy on your horrible neighbours? Like a tawdry soap-opera it offered nothing more than misery and heartbreak. Fine if you need that sort of substitute empathy, but it left me feeling grubby and unsatisfied.</p>\n\n<p>To be fair, the characters in the book address this:</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>‘Why read them if they make you feel bad?’</p>\n\n<p>‘Because I’m hoping one of them might feel like me,’</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>It isn't a <em>bad</em> book - although it does veer into cliché a little too often - and the structure is interesting enough. But I found its subject matter too distressing to be enjoyable,</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"book-club-discussion\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/book-review-the-names-by-florence-knapp/#book-club-discussion\">Book Club Discussion</a></h2>\n\n<p>This isn't the sort of book I'd normally pick up - but it was chosen by the book club I attend. The majority of readers rated it higher than I did. Here are some of the things we discussed.</p>\n\n<p>The central message sees to be that, no matter how hard you try, the tragedy which infects your life can never be escaped. I found that depressing and disempowering. The domestic dreariness was stifling and just left me irritated with the passivity of the characters.</p>\n\n<p>The evil father is an arsehole - but a <em>one-dimensional</em> arsehole. I get that there's a risk to humanising an antagonist, but other than a brief mention of his back-story there's nothing about him. I didn't want a <em>justification</em> for his actions, but he felt like a cartoon villain.</p>\n\n<p>Even when one character gains a moment of happiness, it is offset by another's misery. No matter which path is chosen, someone always ends up broken.</p>\n\n<p>Are we \"destined\" to meet the same people, no matter what path we take?</p>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=70668&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
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{
"label": "/etc/",
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{
"label": "Book Club",
"term": "Book Club",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"label": "Book Review",
"term": "Book Review",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71393",
"title": "I've found just the right paper for my Bottom Hole problem",
"description": "A few weeks ago, I went on a mad quest to find the newspaper used in 1995's Bottom Hole TV show. During the episode, Eddie starts reading this newspaper: Obviously, the \"Hammersmith Bugle\" is not a real paper and they never ran a headline \"No News Shocker\". But judging from all the other shots, the prop is based on a real newspaper. So I decided to rip off Dirty Feed's shtick and find out…",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/ive-found-just-the-right-paper-for-my-bottom-hole-problem/",
"published": "2026-05-07T11:34:54.000Z",
"updated": "2026-05-07T10:48:07.000Z",
"content": "<p>A few weeks ago, I went on a mad quest to find <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/03/finding-the-right-bottom-hole-paper/\">the newspaper used in 1995's Bottom Hole TV show</a>.</p>\n\n<p>During the episode, Eddie starts reading this newspaper:</p>\n\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/No-News-Shocker.webp\" alt=\"Some pissed old fart reading a newspaper called \"The Hammersmith Bugle\" with the headline \"No news shocker...\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"544\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-68986\">\n\n<p>Obviously, the \"Hammersmith Bugle\" is not a real paper and they never ran a headline \"No News Shocker\". But judging from all the other shots, the prop is based on a <em>real</em> newspaper.</p>\n\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Seewaw.webp\" alt=\"Two reprobates reading a newspaper.\" width=\"720\" height=\"544\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-68989\">\n\n<p>So I decided to <a href=\"https://www.dirtyfeed.org/tag/newspaper-props/\">rip off Dirty Feed's shtick</a> and find out what was used to create the fake newspaper. The quest took me o'er hill and dale. Through the rough hinterlands of Hammersmith and into the nether regions of Wimbledon. By which I mean - I used lots of online archive sources.</p>\n\n<p>And it <em>nearly</em> worked! I found all of the <em>internal</em> pages. I also found the back page:</p>\n\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cup-Tie-Chaos.webp\" alt=\"Idiot in a pork pie hat reading a paper with the headline \"Cup tie chaos\".\" width=\"720\" height=\"544\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-68987\">\n\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cup-Tie-Paper.webp\" alt=\"Scan of a newspaper with \"Cup tie chaos\" as a headline.\" width=\"720\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-68990\">\n\n<p>That's from <a href=\"https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1994-11-03/1994-11-03?NewspaperTitle=Surrey%2BHerald&IssueId=BL%2F0003604%2F19941103%2F&County=Surrey%2C%20England\">The Surrey Herald</a> - but that's a paper with <em>lots</em> of regional editions. None of which had the right headline.</p>\n\n<p>So I emailed my (frankly asinine ) request to <a href=\"https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/culture-and-leisure/history-centre/researchers/guides/newspaper-back-issues\">Surrey Museums</a>. They were polite, but unable to help. Their website gave a clue though - the location of the archives of the Surrey Herald:</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>Surrey Herald: Chertsey, Addlestone and Byfleet edition (also Walton, Weybridge and Hersham edition Feb 1979 to 1999 at Elmbridge Museum)</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>So I contacted the fine people at <a href=\"https://elmbridgemuseum.org.uk/\">Elmbridge Museum</a> who were happy to rummage through their microfiche for me. I expect, much like Indiana Jones, the archivists had to knock down fake walls, find a mystic box containing the treasure, and then dodge various snakes and villains to retrieve the priceless artefact. Or they may have a well designed archival system which is a pleasure to use. I don't know.</p>\n\n<p>Anyway! All of which is to say that they very kindly sent me a quick scan of the front page of Surrey Herald's Walton, Weybridge and Hersham edition from November 3rd 1994.</p>\n\n<p>Here it is in all its glory!</p>\n\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Herald-1024.webp\" alt=\"Front page of the newspaper.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1375\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-71395\">\n\n<p>That's a <em>perfect</em> match for what's seen on screen:</p>\n\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/FA-Cup-Mix-up.webp\" alt=\"High resolution clip of a newspaper.\" width=\"474\" height=\"588\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-69069\">\n\n<p>Hurrah! Another mystery solved thanks to <a href=\"https://elmbridgemuseum.org.uk/\">publicly funded museums</a>!</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"what-have-we-learned-today\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/ive-found-just-the-right-paper-for-my-bottom-hole-problem/#what-have-we-learned-today\">What have we learned today?</a></h2>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Archivists are lovely, generous, and helpful people.</li>\n<li>Museums are brilliant.</li>\n<li>Not everything in the world has been digitised.</li>\n<li>There was <em>quite a lot</em> of news that day no matter what the drunken hacks at the Hammersmith Bugle say.</li>\n<li>We do not know if centenarian Elsie Bartlett was aware that her photo featured in this seminal part of British comedy.</li>\n</ul>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71393&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
"image": null,
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"name": "@edent",
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"categories": [
{
"label": "/etc/",
"term": "/etc/",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"label": "comedy",
"term": "comedy",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
},
{
"label": "newspapers",
"term": "newspapers",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"label": "tv",
"term": "tv",
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},
{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=70238",
"title": "RSS Feeds Send Me More Traffic Than Google",
"description": "Yeah yeah, I know, data-point of 1. I recently read Susam's blog post where they said that \"most of the traffic to my personal website still comes from web feeds\" - I wondered if that was true for my site. I've been writing this blog for a while. I've never much bothered with \"aggressive\" SEO - I have a fairly semantic layout, all my reviews have metadata, and stuff like that - but I'm not…",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-feeds-send-me-more-traffic-than-google/",
"published": "2026-05-05T11:34:12.000Z",
"updated": "2026-05-04T08:33:00.000Z",
"content": "<p>Yeah yeah, I know, data-point of 1.</p>\n\n<p>I recently read <a href=\"https://susam.net/from-rss-to-atom.html\">Susam's blog post</a> where they said that \"most of the traffic to my personal website still comes from web feeds\" - I wondered if that was true for my site.</p>\n\n<p>I've been writing this blog for a while. I've never much bothered with \"aggressive\" <abbr title=\"Search Engine Optimisation\">SEO</abbr> - I have a fairly <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/01/maximally-semantic-structure-for-a-blog-post/\">semantic layout</a>, all my <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2023/01/restaurant-review-metadata/\">reviews have metadata</a>, and stuff like that - but I'm not cramming in keywords, using AMP, or whatever other chickens Google requires to be sacrificed for a higher ranking. Nevertheless, I do OK.</p>\n\n<p>Last year, I added a bit of <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/09/reasonably-accurate-privacy-conscious-cookieless-visitor-tracking-for-wordpress/\">local-only, lightweight statistics-gathering</a> to my blog. I can see which sites people click on to reach mine. Google is right up the top, DuckDuckGo is surprisingly high, Bing is lucky to crack the top 20 on any day. Similarly, I can see <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/11/now-witness-the-power-of-this-fully-operational-fediverse/\">how much traffic I get from the Fediverse</a> and BlueSky (Twitter has all but vanished).</p>\n\n<p>A few weeks ago I added RSS and Newsletter tracking. These data are <em>very</em> lossy. If someone is subscribed to my RSS feed <em>and</em> opens a post <em>and</em> their client downloads a lazy-loaded image at the end of the post, I get a hit. For email it's broadly the same. If an email is opened and the tracker image is loaded, I get a hit (although <a href=\"https://gmail.googleblog.com/2013/12/images-now-showing.html\">Gmail does obfuscate that somewhat</a>).</p>\n\n<p>I'm not looking for super-accurate numbers (although I do block as many AI crawlers and bots as possible). I'm not creepily following people around the web nor am I trying to sell them anything. I just want a rough idea of where people find me.</p>\n\n<p>Here are my blog's views for the last 28 days.</p>\n\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/page-views.webp\" alt=\"Atom 13774. Google 10833. RSS 10419. DuckDuckGo 2302. Email 2123.\" width=\"553\" height=\"395\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-71208 no-border-radius\">\n\n<p>Some months I get a surge of hits from link aggregators like HN or Reddit. Sometimes I'm linked to from a popular site or <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/citations\">cited in academic work</a>. But most of the time I bumble along getting hits from here, there, and everywhere. Nevertheless, it's lovely to see so many people choosing to subscribe<sup id=\"fnref:rss\"><a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-feeds-send-me-more-traffic-than-google/#fn:rss\" class=\"footnote-ref\" title=\"For historic reasons, I have separate Atom and RSS feeds. Perhaps I should consider merging them? But it doesn't take much effort to publish in two subtly different formats.\" role=\"doc-noteref\">0</a></sup> (for free!) and astonishing that they provide more traffic than a major search engine.</p>\n\n<p>Obviously, these are two <em>very</em> different types of traffic. People who are searching for a specific thing and stumble upon my blog are different from those who decide to like and subscribe.</p>\n\n<p>But, yeah, about 25% of my traffic comes from people who have chosen to subscribe.</p>\n\n<p>I'm just delighted that so many people read my random thoughts.</p>\n\n<div id=\"footnotes\" role=\"doc-endnotes\">\n<hr aria-label=\"Footnotes\">\n<ol start=\"0\">\n\n<li id=\"fn:rss\">\n<p>For historic reasons, I have separate Atom and RSS feeds. Perhaps I should consider merging them? But it doesn't take much effort to publish in two subtly different formats. <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-feeds-send-me-more-traffic-than-google/#fnref:rss\" class=\"footnote-backref\" role=\"doc-backlink\">↩︎</a></p>\n</li>\n\n</ol>\n</div>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=70238&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
"image": null,
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"name": "@edent",
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{
"label": "/etc/",
"term": "/etc/",
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{
"label": "blog",
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"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"label": "blogging",
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"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog"
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{
"label": "meta",
"term": "meta",
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{
"label": "statistics",
"term": "statistics",
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{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=71303",
"title": "[RSS Club] Where are you from?",
"description": "Psssst! This top secret post is only available to RSS subscribers! A little while ago I added some locally hosted, privacy first stats to my blog. Using an offline GeoIP service I can get a very rough idea of where visitors are from. It doesn't deal with people using a VPN, or their mobile roaming to a different country, or rapid changes in IP allocation - but it's good enough for my purposes. …",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/rss-club-where-are-you-from/",
"published": "2026-05-04T11:34:40.000Z",
"updated": "2026-05-04T10:13:32.000Z",
"content": "<p><mark><em>Psssst!</em> This <strong>top secret</strong> post is only available to RSS subscribers!</mark></p>\n\n<p>A little while ago I added some <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/09/reasonably-accurate-privacy-conscious-cookieless-visitor-tracking-for-wordpress/\">locally hosted, privacy first stats</a> to my blog. Using an <a href=\"https://mailfud.org/geoip-legacy/\">offline GeoIP service</a> I can get a <em>very</em> rough idea of where visitors are from.</p>\n\n<p>It doesn't deal with people using a VPN, or their mobile roaming to a different country, or rapid changes in IP allocation - but it's good enough for my purposes.</p>\n\n<p>Here's a quick table showing the vague distribution of RSS Club members.</p>\n\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n <th align=\"right\"><strong>Country</strong></th>\n <th align=\"left\"><strong>Flag</strong></th>\n <th align=\"right\"><strong>Total Views</strong></th>\n <th align=\"right\"><strong>Percentage</strong></th>\n</tr>\n</thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">US</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇺🇸</td>\n <td align=\"right\">6,242</td>\n <td align=\"right\">24.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">GB</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇬🇧</td>\n <td align=\"right\">5,764</td>\n <td align=\"right\">22.2%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">DE</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇩🇪</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,947</td>\n <td align=\"right\">7.5%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">NL</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇳🇱</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,669</td>\n <td align=\"right\">6.4%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">CN</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇨🇳</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1,027</td>\n <td align=\"right\">4.0%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">HK</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇭🇰</td>\n <td align=\"right\">909</td>\n <td align=\"right\">3.5%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">AU</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇦🇺</td>\n <td align=\"right\">770</td>\n <td align=\"right\">3.0%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">CA</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇨🇦</td>\n <td align=\"right\">691</td>\n <td align=\"right\">2.7%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">FR</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇫🇷</td>\n <td align=\"right\">605</td>\n <td align=\"right\">2.3%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">SE</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇸🇪</td>\n <td align=\"right\">589</td>\n <td align=\"right\">2.3%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">JP</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇯🇵</td>\n <td align=\"right\">442</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1.7%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">FI</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇫🇮</td>\n <td align=\"right\">405</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1.6%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">CH</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇨🇭</td>\n <td align=\"right\">395</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1.5%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">BR</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇧🇷</td>\n <td align=\"right\">392</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1.5%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">ES</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇪🇸</td>\n <td align=\"right\">345</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1.3%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">IT</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇮🇹</td>\n <td align=\"right\">324</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1.3%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">PT</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇵🇹</td>\n <td align=\"right\">285</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">PL</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇵🇱</td>\n <td align=\"right\">272</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1.0%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">BE</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇧🇪</td>\n <td align=\"right\">249</td>\n <td align=\"right\">1.0%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">IN</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇮🇳</td>\n <td align=\"right\">198</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.8%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">CZ</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇨🇿</td>\n <td align=\"right\">153</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.6%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">TR</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇹🇷</td>\n <td align=\"right\">134</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.5%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">IE</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇮🇪</td>\n <td align=\"right\">126</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.5%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">BG</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇧🇬</td>\n <td align=\"right\">121</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.5%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">TW</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇹🇼</td>\n <td align=\"right\">114</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.4%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">SG</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇸🇬</td>\n <td align=\"right\">110</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.4%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">NZ</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇳🇿</td>\n <td align=\"right\">99</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.4%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">ZA</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇿🇦</td>\n <td align=\"right\">97</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.4%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">NO</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇳🇴</td>\n <td align=\"right\">95</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.4%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">AT</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇦🇹</td>\n <td align=\"right\">91</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.4%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">RU</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇷🇺</td>\n <td align=\"right\">86</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.3%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">DK</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇩🇰</td>\n <td align=\"right\">84</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.3%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">HU</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇭🇺</td>\n <td align=\"right\">76</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.3%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">GR</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇬🇷</td>\n <td align=\"right\">64</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.2%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">UA</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇺🇦</td>\n <td align=\"right\">56</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.2%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">IS</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇮🇸</td>\n <td align=\"right\">49</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.2%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">AE</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇦🇪</td>\n <td align=\"right\">49</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.2%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">GE</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇬🇪</td>\n <td align=\"right\">44</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.2%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">PR</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇵🇷</td>\n <td align=\"right\">44</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.2%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">LU</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇱🇺</td>\n <td align=\"right\">42</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.2%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">IL</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇮🇱</td>\n <td align=\"right\">42</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.2%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">PH</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇵🇭</td>\n <td align=\"right\">41</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.2%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">EE</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇪🇪</td>\n <td align=\"right\">36</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">AR</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇦🇷</td>\n <td align=\"right\">36</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">ID</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇮🇩</td>\n <td align=\"right\">34</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">MY</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇲🇾</td>\n <td align=\"right\">31</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">SI</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇸🇮</td>\n <td align=\"right\">30</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">BZ</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇧🇿</td>\n <td align=\"right\">29</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">TH</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇹🇭</td>\n <td align=\"right\">29</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">RO</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇷🇴</td>\n <td align=\"right\">25</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">VN</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇻🇳</td>\n <td align=\"right\">24</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">LT</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇱🇹</td>\n <td align=\"right\">24</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">MQ</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇲🇶</td>\n <td align=\"right\">20</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">KR</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇰🇷</td>\n <td align=\"right\">20</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">UN</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇺🇳</td>\n <td align=\"right\">18</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">RS</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇷🇸</td>\n <td align=\"right\">17</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">TN</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇹🇳</td>\n <td align=\"right\">15</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">CL</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇨🇱</td>\n <td align=\"right\">14</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">SK</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇸🇰</td>\n <td align=\"right\">14</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">MX</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇲🇽</td>\n <td align=\"right\">14</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.1%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">CO</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇨🇴</td>\n <td align=\"right\">11</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.0%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">BD</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇧🇩</td>\n <td align=\"right\">10</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.0%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">EC</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇪🇨</td>\n <td align=\"right\">10</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.0%</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n <td align=\"right\">EG</td>\n <td align=\"left\">🇪🇬</td>\n <td align=\"right\">10</td>\n <td align=\"right\">0.0%</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n\n<p>There are a few more rows but, in the spirit of privacy, I've not included some of the more unique countries. Not all of those are unique views - these are aggregate statistics. If your RSS reader is hosted in a different country - or on a large platform - it may only show up inaccurately.</p>\n\n<p>If you don't see your country in this list, please <a href=\"https://edent.tel/\">drop me a comment via your favourite method</a>.</p>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=71303&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
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"term": "[RSS Club]",
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{
"id": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=63775",
"title": "Vertically Aligning Roman Numerals in Code",
"description": "I have a PHP function which uses Roman Numerals. It looks like this: $romanNumerals = [ \"Ⅿ\" => 1000, \"ⅭⅯ\" => 900, \"Ⅾ\" => 500, \"ⅭⅮ\" => 400, \"Ⅽ\" => 100, \"ⅩC\" => 90, \"Ⅼ\" => 50, \"ⅩⅬ\" => 40, \"Ⅹ\" => 10, \"Ⅸ\" => 9, \"Ⅷ\" => 8, \"Ⅶ\" => 7, \"Ⅵ\" => 6, \"Ⅴ\" => 5, \"Ⅳ\" => 4, \"Ⅲ\" => 3, \"Ⅱ\" => 2, \"Ⅰ\" => 1 ]; The problem is, the…",
"url": "https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/vertically-aligning-roman-numerals-in-code/",
"published": "2026-05-03T11:34:59.000Z",
"updated": "2026-05-01T08:46:42.000Z",
"content": "<p>I have a PHP function which uses Roman Numerals. It looks like this:</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-php\">$romanNumerals = [\n \"Ⅿ\" => 1000,\n \"ⅭⅯ\" => 900,\n \"Ⅾ\" => 500,\n \"ⅭⅮ\" => 400,\n \"Ⅽ\" => 100,\n \"ⅩC\" => 90,\n \"Ⅼ\" => 50,\n \"ⅩⅬ\" => 40,\n \"Ⅹ\" => 10,\n \"Ⅸ\" => 9,\n \"Ⅷ\" => 8,\n \"Ⅶ\" => 7,\n \"Ⅵ\" => 6,\n \"Ⅴ\" => 5,\n \"Ⅳ\" => 4,\n \"Ⅲ\" => 3,\n \"Ⅱ\" => 2,\n \"Ⅰ\" => 1\n];\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>The problem is, the operators don't line up and the whole thing looks messy. Why? Because the <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2023/03/unicode-roman-numerals-and-screen-readers/\">Unicode Roman Numerals</a> are <em>not</em> monospaced! <code>ⅭⅯ</code> is a different width to <code>ⅩC</code> and <code>Ⅷ</code> is only a single character! Copy the above to a text editor and see if you can get neat columns. I bet you can't!</p>\n\n<p>I'm obsessed with <a href=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2014/11/why-i-vertically-align-my-code-and-you-should-too/\">vertically aligning my code</a>. So how to solve this ugly problem?</p>\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https://phpc.social/@Crell/115329116036130430\">answer was simple</a>. Assign keys to the values and then flip the array!</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-php\">$romanNumerals = array_flip([\n 1000 => \"Ⅿ\",\n 900 => \"ⅭⅯ\",\n 500 => \"Ⅾ\",\n 400 => \"ⅭⅮ\",\n 100 => \"Ⅽ\",\n 90 => \"ⅩC\",\n 50 => \"Ⅼ\",\n 40 => \"ⅩⅬ\",\n 10 => \"Ⅹ\",\n 9 => \"Ⅸ\",\n 8 => \"Ⅷ\",\n 7 => \"Ⅶ\",\n 6 => \"Ⅵ\",\n 5 => \"Ⅴ\",\n 4 => \"Ⅳ\",\n 3 => \"Ⅲ\",\n 2 => \"Ⅱ\",\n 1 => \"Ⅰ\"\n]);\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>There! Doesn't that look much neater!</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://libraries.mit.edu/150books/2011/05/11/1985/\">As was written long ago</a>:</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>A computer language is not just a way of getting a computer to perform operations but rather … it is a novel formal medium for expressing ideas about methodology. Thus, programs must be written for people to read, and only incidentally for machines to execute.</p></blockquote>\n<img src=\"https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/themes/edent-wordpress-theme/info/okgo.php?ID=63775&HTTP_REFERER=Atom\" alt width=\"1\" height=\"1\" loading=\"eager\">",
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