iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Brian Fitzpatrick

Electronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 17/09/2026

New EFF Board Member @amac0.bsky.social is already looking sharp in his EFF gear (with Executive Director @nicoleozer.bsky.social at left and Board Chair @gbsohn.bsky.social). You can have that hoodie too – it’s a gift if you support EFF as a $25/month member! supporters.eff.org/donate/join-...

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John Skiles Skinner @skiles.blue · 17/09/2026

Well they finally did it. DOGE got rid of my friend Anne, the only remaining person at the web design system for the entire US government. The replacement appears to be AI-generated code with no dedicated human oversight.

nextgov.com

GSA’s web design system head replaced with Treasury AI engineer

The U.S. Web Design System is intended to help the federal government build accessible and mobile-friendly websites.

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 26/08/2026

What Scalzi said. So much this.

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 25/08/2026

A tremendous loss for all of us.

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shing yin khor @shing.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

We are still in post, but I am already so delighted by our trailer, and especially listening to @jayackley.bsky.social's early demo of Rent Control here.

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 01/07/2026

Reminder that 13 years ago today Google Reader was killed.

Picture of younger Fitz wearing a Google Reader tshirt and frowning. He is sad.

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 11/05/2026

Thanks to @cdibona.bsky.social, this has been me for the last 6 months. Sorry not sorry.

A schoolgirl, labelled "me" playing a tuba labelled "Dungeon Crawler Carl" aimed point blank at the face of another schoolgirl. labelled "Basically Everyone"

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Ted Han★ 韓聖安 @knowtheory.net · 31/03/2026

This is the same motivation @therealfitz.com has used to frame the insurgent Data Liberation Front he and others started at Google over a decade ago. Competition is good, and switching costs shouldn't be the thing that constrains users from getting the best products.

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BWJones @bwjones.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

This is an absolutely beautiful, glorious description of the products in our lives. The things that once were simple tools that met needs, now demand relationships, have opinions, and occupy cycles of our lives. Do yourself a favor, scroll down and read this page www.terrygodier.com/the-last-qui...

terrygodier.com

The Last Quiet Thing

Your possessions came alive. Now they won't stop talking.

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 15/03/2026

Read Dan's post, then read Danny's comic. You won't regret it. You *will* regret not having tissues on hand. Thanks Dan.

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ɹǝʌɐǝʍ @weaver.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Series coming to the newsletter on recognizing useful crisis conditions and turning them into rapid, directed change. Starts today. Buy our book: crisisengineering.layeraleph.com/crisis-engin... crisisengineering.layeraleph.com/the-five-ind...

crisisengineering.layeraleph.com

The Five Indicators of Crisis

Our new book, Crisis Engineering, is about what actually happens when systems break under pressure and how to fix them. It comes out April 7, 2026, everywhere books are sold, as a paperback, and aud...

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 03/03/2026

Dungeon Crawler Carl fans: If you're done reading book 7, Jeff Hayes is doing a cold read of the beginning of book 8 RIGHT NOW: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDZU... (And he's already cracked up once)

youtube.com

Dungeon Crawler Carl 8 - Parade of Horribles - COLD READ! Part 1 ~~SPOILERS!!!~~

YouTube video by Soundbooth Theater Live!

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 14/02/2026

Pro-tip from @hypatia.bsky.social:when moving Signal messages from one phone to another, place both phones on an ice pack to avoid thermal throttling. Seriously, it works -- tested with both iPhone to iPhone and Android to Android (Cloud xfer is still in beta)

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Laura Lippman @lauralippman.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

The Love Boat is amazing. It was a pandemic watch for me and there are very few writers who could work in that format. (3 stories, cast regulars + guest stars, 3 tones, everything resolved in 45 minutes).

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 17/10/2025

Once again I have had to learn that whenever I think the battery life of my Mac laptop is dwindling, I need to open up Activity Monitor only to discover that *multiple* programs are burning through CPU just for funsies. And one of them is Slack. Always Slack.

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 09/10/2025

You should read this essay. This quote. This quote.

People only complain about the turkey being dry when the company is terrible. There is never enough gravy to make regret feel like anything but your soul leaving your body.

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 09/09/2025

End of an era. The Storage Media Boneyard is headed off to storage for a while. What's the oldest piece of media in here that you have used? (detailed photos here: photos.app.goo.gl/oPwSvGqyJhKu...)

Half of my collection "The Storage Media Boneyard"

A History of Analog and Digital Storage Media
This is a sampling of the thousands of types of media that humans have used to store information over the past several hundred years. From punch cards that stored a few dozen bytes to flash drives that store tens of billions of bytes, storage media have gotten smaller, lighter, cheaper, and faster to read and to write.
The majority of this collection consists of paper, tape, spinning disks, solid state (cartridge), and film storage media, but you can find a few more unusual media types, such as wax cylinders, recording wire, and ferrite core memory.
Today, the entire contents of this exhibit could fit onto a single hard drive that you could buy at the average computer store.

Formerly part of the Google Chicago museum

The other half of my collection "The Storage Media Boneyard"

A History of Analog and Digital Storage Media
This is a sampling of the thousands of types of media that humans have used to store information over the past several hundred years. From punch cards that stored a few dozen bytes to flash drives that store tens of billions of bytes, storage media have gotten smaller, lighter, cheaper, and faster to read and to write.
The majority of this collection consists of paper, tape, spinning disks, solid state (cartridge), and film storage media, but you can find a few more unusual media types, such as wax cylinders, recording wire, and ferrite core memory.
Today, the entire contents of this exhibit could fit onto a single hard drive that you could buy at the average computer store.

Formerly part of the Google Chicago museum

The empty case that housed The Storage Media Boneyard for over a dozen years. I've packed it up and will be storing it until I find a new home for it.

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 09/09/2025

End of an era. The Storage Media Boneyard is headed off to storage for a while. What's the oldest piece of media in here that you have used? (detailed photos here: photos.app.goo.gl/oPwSvGqyJhKu...)

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 05/09/2025

Not on my list of things to do today: open up an email and start sobbing. This is just beautiful. Thank you Dan.

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shing yin khor @shing.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

We made our goal, with about two weeks left to go! Please continue to support us, because that means I can hire more fabricator labor which means I will personally have time to build very small and indulgent pieces of furniture. www.kickstarter.com/projects/shi...

kickstarter.com

The Last Fifteen Minutes

A marionette opera and short film about having dinner together before a giant kaiju steps on you.

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Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 31/08/2025

Holy crap! My story "Marginalia" just won the Eugie Foster award at Dragoncon

The Eugie Foster award, a wood plaque with a brass filigree of a face and wings.

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Robert Loerzel @robertloerzel.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

Get a look inside the Uptown Theatre in this great new video by Eddie Arruza. It features me and Andy Pierce talking about our book, plus owner Jerry Mickelson, building caretaker David Syfczak, and Ald. Angela Clay. youtu.be/t3oG3SeFWMI

youtu.be

Chicago's Uptown Theater at 100

YouTube video by EddieArruza

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 13/08/2025

I just sent an email to hundreds of people referring to a date being on the 14rd of the month. How's your day going?

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 04/08/2025

Looking for recommendations for a custom sticker place to get 100-200 stickers made that is run by good people, any recommendations?

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 01/07/2025

12 years ago today Google killed Reader. I took a photo to remember how I felt. Still haven't forgotten.

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Karthik Ram @karthik.io · 30/06/2025

Can’t ever unsee poorly designed conference badges thanks to @therealfitz.com badge.reviews

badge.reviews

Badge Reviews

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 13/06/2025

I stepped on Dale Chihuly's foot 20. years ago.

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 04/06/2025

Years ago @johntolva.bsky.social and @dansinker.com bought Zach and I these massive 5 foot tall trophie. John's wife and kids went to pick them up and the kids were just *flabbergasted* that you could just *make up something* and buy a trophy for it.

Fitz and Zach holding MASSIVE 5 foot tall trophies

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 04/06/2025

If you're wondering what to listen to today, give yourself the gift of Kruder & Dorfmeister. This album is still one of my all-time favorites. www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVLw...

youtube.com

The K&D Sessions TM - Kruder & Dorfmeister

YouTube video by iMUSIC HARMONY

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 30/05/2025

Every so often this banger surfaces and I every. single. time. I read it all the way to the end. Incredible storytelling.

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 08/05/2025

Non-zero chance the new pope likes Malort.

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 08/05/2025

First Papal Decree just dropped: "233 South Wacker Drive shall be referred to as Sears Tower. and ONLY Sears Tower."

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 08/05/2025

"Hey, Portillo's? Can I get a couple two tree hotdogs sent over to Rome ASAP?"

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tef @tef.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

you know who else came from chicago and was on "a mission from god"

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tweety fish @sifu.tweety.fish · 08/05/2025

see it's a regular pope but then you top it with yellow mustard, onions, relish, a dill spear, tomato slices, sport peppers, celery salt

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Brian Fitzpatrick @therealfitz.com · 08/05/2025

I almost did an *actual* spit take when I watched this.

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Sara Sanchez @bcbsara.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

The largest paying crowd in the history of Wrigley Field was the day Jackie Robinson made his debut. Wrigley is the only park left Jackie played a game in. Mike Ryoko was a kid at that ballpark that day and he wrote about it. Take a minute and read this today. press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago...