/reader

I care. I like to see where people are coming from. I often find interesting blog posts that happen to mention me. It starts conversations. I’ve never changed what or how I write because of what analytics tells me, but I’ve learned about what people like and where they come from. I find it interesting.

This morning, however, I deleted analytics from all of my sites.

A few weeks ago, I noticed that traffic had increased tenfold to baty.net and 90% of that traffic was from China. It was all one or two views of every possible page on the site. AI bots, obviously.

I spent a few hours figuring out how to block IPs from China at the firewall. It worked, but the IP list changes regularly and needs updating. There are nearly 10,000 rules in my firewall.

When I looked today, 60% of my traffic is now from Singapore, with the same click-every-possible-link behavior. Sigh.

I thought that bots wouldn’t register visits when the site’s tracking scripts rely on JavaScript, but apparently that’s not the case.

Web traffic is still processed on the server by GoAccess, so if I feel like digging, it’s all there, but the simple “Who, and from where?” analytics are no longer worth it.

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• STATUS: Waffle waffle waffle waffle
• TODO: Stop waffling
• WATCHING: “Rivals” (TV)

Most of the time when I try new things, It’s to see how those things feel. Software, hardware, cameras, workflow, all of it. I love experiencing new ways of doing things. Sometimes I end up “deciding” on a particular thing, and that’s that. Except it never is, is it?

What I’d like is to show the current journal post, pinned on the home page. It should display the full content of the post. Then, below that, only show recent non-journal posts. I’m sure Hugo will resist and I’ll end up hating the process and the results. I’d ask Claude for help, but that’s a whole ’nuther can of worms and I’m not in the mood.

I’d like to spend my days reading, thinking, and making art but I can’t tear myself away from the computer for more than 30 minutes, so I do none of those things. The computer used to be a creative environment for me. It’s not anymore.

Do you ever get tired of people writing better than you, drawing better than you, thinking better than you, being better than you? I do.

What’s with the irrational fear of databases?

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Well the entire Leica SL2 kit has been sold, which left me with the GRIII as my only digital camera. I love the little Ricoh, but it doesn’t scratch my “Go out and take photos” itch.

I’ve gone back to a Leica Q2. I have previously owned a Q, Q2, and Q2 Monochrom, but eventually sold them due to other urges (mostly for digital M cameras).

Lately I’ve been wanting something smaller for carrying everywhere. The SL2 is ginormous and heavy. The Q2 isn’t exactly tiny, but it’s much easier to have with me than the SL2. I could have gone smaller with something like a Fuji, or even the GRIII, but I decided to stick with the Leica. I’ll still have the GRIII for when I don’t feel like carrying a camera, but the Leica goes everywhere else.

28mm is challenging for me, but I’m unashamed to crop when needed, and the 47MP sensor gives me plenty of leeway. The 1.7 Summilux is a great lens. The clever macro switch is a joy to use. It’s easy and intuitive to switch to manual focusing, which I do a lot. I can live with 28mm.

Add weather sealing, IBS, and super simple button/menu layouts, and it really is a great combination.

I admit being tempated by the newer Q3, but new ones cost $7,000, and even used copies are still twice what I paid for the Q2. I got a very good deal on my camera, so I’m happy with that.

I like not having to decide which digital camera or which lenses to bring every time I leave the house.

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• STATUS: Freezing. It’s -15°F out there.
• PLANS: Solidifying my Linux setup. Emacs, mostly. Some Darktable.
• READING: Half through “Anima Rising” by Christopher Moore
• LISTENING: Tom Waits, probably.

It was -15°F while walking Alice this morning. I tried the doggy boots, but she wasn’t having it, so we barefooted it. She must be tough, because I didn’t see any signs of her feet bother her.

I don’t know why I worry about what kinds of posts belong where or whether they belong at all. No one else cares, why should I? So yeah, these daily posts are going to stay here for the moment, until I decide I was wrong.

Oh, and fuck this entire administration.

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Surprisingly, I am starting to prefer being in Linux than being in macOS. Linux feels like it’s mine and I like that feeling. Everything in the OS makes me believe it was done with me mind. “Me” being “the user”. Even when things are frustrating, I usually understand why. macOS used to feel this way, but has drifted from it. It’s not all Tahoe’s fault, but it certainly hasn’t helped.

What I miss most about running macOS is not macOS. It’s the software. The polish.

Most of the stuff I use on Linux also works on my Mac. That doesn’t apply the other way around. Whenever I discover some cool new app and find that it’s macOS only, it stings a little.

I want BBEdit and Tinderbox and Keyboard Maestro and Things and iA Writer and Preview. There are usually “equivalent” apps on Linux, but they’re not really. They do mostly the same things, but they’re not the same. Not even close. It’s been hard to adjust.

The other glaring omission on Linux is an easy way to share things with family and friends. How am I supposed to send funny memes to my wife when I have to jump through so many hoops first?

KDE Connect would be a great solution, but every other time I want to use it, the computer can’t see my phone, or vice versa. By the time I cycle wifi on both devices, the moment has passed. Maybe I’ll try talking everyone into switching to Signal. Ha! There’s no chance of that, so I’m on my own here.

If we’re keeping track, I’m writing this in Emacs on the Linux desktop. It’s where I’ll probably end up full time eventually, but it’s not happened yet.

d

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• STATUS: Prepping for sub-zero temperatures
• PLANS: Avioding sub-zero temperatures
• READING: “The Writer’s Friend” by Martin L. Gibson
• LISTENING: “Valentine” by Courtney Marie Andrews

I swear every one of my gel and ballpoint pens has started skipping at once.

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