I'm Dan Q. I've spent the last 25+ years writing things on the Internet.
I work at Automattic and volunteer with Three Rings. I live with my partner, her husband, and our two children. When I'm not at my desk, I can often be found doing GNSS sports, cycling, or travelling.
I believe in open source, an open Web, and open minds. Open relationships are cool, too.
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Zap
This week, a live-to-earth fault on the grid resulted in me getting zapped with mains electricity. Unfortunately, it didn't give me superpowers, just a mildly-interesting anecdote and a partially-shaved chest. Read more →
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Yours Quim-cerely
I received a lovely letter from the Vagina Museum - which I've not had the opportunity to visit yet - printed on their new laserjet printer. Read more →
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BBC News... without the crap
BBC News' RSS feed has lately started getting duplicates because they're mucking about with guids. Also what's with the iPlayer and BBC Sounds content in there? Let's "fix" that for them, shall we? Read more →
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RSS > ActivityPub
RSS is better than ActivityPub. Fight me. Read more →
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Out as Poly at Work
I've been "out" about my polyamory in every job I've had for the last 20+ years. I recommend it. Read more →
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Sonarr > Huginn > Slack
After IFTTT axed their Legacy Pro plan, I needed to move my Sonarr-to-Slack notification system to Huginn. This turned out to be super easy! Read more →
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Everyday Magic
Having lost the (stupid, proprietary) charging cable for my smartwatch, and not been able to find it for several days, I've undertaken the magical ritual that's most-certain to make it reappear: ordering a replacement one. Read more →
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Sarson's
Do you think the 80s/90s advertisement campaign for Sarson's vinegar - "Don't say vinegar, say Sarson's" - ever worked? Like: have you ever heard anybody ask you to "pass the Sarson's"? Read more →
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Fedicard
Yeah, that's about right. Read more →
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Bumblebees surprise scientists with 'sophisticated' social learning
There are two - maybe three - things I love about the recent discovery that bees exhibit complex social learning behaviours. Allow me to drone on about bees for a while... Read more →
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Young Squirrel Talking About Himself
This week, Parry Gripp and Nathan Mazur released Young Squirrel Talking About Himself. I've been singing it all day. Read more →
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Magical
For World Book Day (which here in the UK is marked a month earlier than the rest of the world) the kids' school invited people to come "dressed as a word". As usual, the kids and teachers participated along with only around two other adults. But of course I was one of them. This year, I was "magical". Read more →
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Cable Gore
If you enjoy a bit of "cable gore", let me introduce you to the fusebox cupboard at my house, with its plethora of junctions, fuses, breakers, switches, timers, and cabling everywhere! Banana for scale. Read more →
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Loud Helpline
I guess installing a sign was cheaper than retraining the helpline operators not to shout at everybody. Read more →
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Golden Axed
Hot on the heels of my victory over Wonder Boy 35 years after I first played it, I can now finally claim to have beaten Golden Axe, 25 years after I first played it (with some help from a 7-year-old). Read more →
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Found GCADXC6 Tour de France
My very first “ski-o-cache” was 9 years ago, down in La Tania: this was my second! Found the host easily at the coordinates and found the cache in the third hiding place I tried. It’s quite stiff and hard to extract right now! Needed to wait to return it while some other skiers took pictures […] Read more →
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Where?
I'm pretty sure that Wally/Waldo, Woof, and Wizard Whitebeard must be out on this mountain somewhere, too. Read more →
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Geohashing expedition 2024-02-10 51 -1
In my first expedition in a while, I made two brave outings to an exceptionally muddy field this morning in order to find a geohashpoint. Read more →
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