Fwends

Expeditions Into the Digital

Hi, I'm Peter. This is my website.

• NEWSLETTER

  Patterns, Repetitions, Regenerations 2025~11~12

  From the maze-generating algorithms of 8-bit computers to kids hacking comment sections into chat rooms, patterns emerge everywhere. Some patterns entrench themselves, while others repeat predictably. But the most hopeful patterns are those of regeneration – Australia's solar abundance creating free energy hours, and sailing cargo ships returning to cross oceans.

  

• ARTICLE

  Messy Cooks, Tidy Cooks 2025~11~10

  You can always tell whether my wife or I am cooking just by looking at the kitchen.

• NEWSLETTER

  Fragile Networks 2025~10~29

  Somehow, everything appears to be connected to everything. But without us noticing, foundations creep in. And if those fail, everything goes down.

  

• NEWSLETTER

  Oh, This Was inevitable 2025~10~15

  Or was it?

  

• NEWSLETTER

  Fragile 2025~10~01

  Whether we like it or not, human beings are fragile. Admitting that we're vulnerable is against our every instinct, but might be the only way to play our biggest evolutionary strength: Our ability to solve problems.

  

• ARTICLE

  "How Should I Know?" - A Novel Approach to Problem Solving? 2025~09~25

  Admitting to not know is the strongest move for any problem solver. But when you're getting paid for knowing, things get complicated pretty fast.

• ARTICLE

  Just a Suggestion: Maybe Help With Planning Instead of Picking Up the Pieces? 2025~09~24

  Instead of disecting the problem in a thousand sticky notes, why not avoid it altogether?

• NEWSLETTER

  Learning, Subliminal and Not 2025~09~17

  Large Language Models can pass on their behaviour through seemingly unrelated training data. And kids don't read anymore.

  

• NEWSLETTER

  Radically Empowering Users and Other Fun Stuff from 2025 2025~09~03

  Shifting power from capital to people means giving them more than just access to their data.

  

• ARTICLE

  Choose Your Player: Chaos Wizard or Architect 2025~08~28

  Two archetypical product managers, their strengths, and their weaknesses.

• ARTICLE

  Bring Your Own Storage Services 2025~08~20

  What if digital services wrote their output to a location you control, giving you control both over your data, and whatever they're doing with it?

• NEWSLETTER

  Making Money 2025~08~20

  When the community comes to the realisation that it is a commodity.

  

• ARTICLE

  Random Acts of Kindness 2025~08~18

  Being kind, and helping others has positive effects on your own happiness and wellbeing.

• ARTICLE

  People Who Are in a Hurry Won't Help You 2025~08~13

  What's the most significant indicator of a positive work culture and how can we build an environment that supports it?

• ARTICLE

  I No Longer Understand How My Computer Works and That’s OK 2025~08~12

  Technology feels like magic again.