auspicacious (Posts about technology)

The things I didn't do in 2025

Andrew Todd — Sun, 04 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Starting with the obvious, I didn't write anything on this blog in 2025. Or in 2024¹, for that matter. There are articles that I very much want to write, but time and cognitive capacity are always in short supply.

This article, though, is really about choices: what I didn't do last year, what not doing it accomplished, and some goals for not doing things in 2026.

A Ramble through Firefox

Andrew Todd — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT

You should use Firefox for many reasons.

You should use Firefox because the Web browser world is otherwise dominated by two giant corporations: Google, who are the definition of surveillance capitalists, and Apple, who seem to pay more attention to privacy, but want to create closed systems that they can closely control.

You should use Firefox because of must-have add-ons like uBlock Origin, without which the modern Web is far less enjoyable, usable, and secure. Google is pushing for Chrome to adopt a new extension format that will prevent ad blockers from working properly. Not to mention that Firefox for Android is the only mobile browser that supports add-ons, and they're actively improving that support. I wrote more about this kind of tooling a few years ago.

You should use Firefox because its parent nonprofit, Mozilla, is much more open about its work than for-profit corporations, as Mozilla Labs, Mozilla Support and MDN exemplify.

You should use Firefox because they take the time to properly support free platforms like Linux and Wayland: Chrome still has many bugs there, years after most open-source and free programs have moved to support them. I guess it's not profitable for them to do so.

But this article isn't about why you should use Firefox. That's just the prelude, as worries increase that Firefox's perceived market share may be declining to a critical point.

This article is about getting comfortable with Firefox. More specficially, it's about getting comfortable with disagreeing with some of the decisions the Firefox team at Mozilla has made, and comfortable with making your own decisions.

It's about taking ownership of the tools that you use, and understanding that Firefox is considerably more open to that ownership than Chrome.

If you want to get to know your neighborhood, your town, or your countryside, you go for a ramble. Let's take a ramble through Firefox.

Flush your Amazon credentials now

Andrew Todd — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Italian translation availiable here.

There is a well-credentialed security researcher who is going around telling people that they need to change their Amazon passwords, reset auth tokens, and sign out of all Amazon devices right now. He has apparently discovered that Amazon has been doing something really bad that puts everyone at risk, but he can't disclose exactly what it is yet while he discusses the issue with Amazon.

Your Amazon account is a high-value target. It is a good idea to follow this advice now, rather than wait for official confirmation that there is a problem.

This guide to flushing your Amazon account credentials is for non-technical users in America. However, the same steps should work on other regional Amazon sites such as Amazon Japan, Amazon UK, Amazon Germany, and so on. More advanced users may need to take slightly different steps, but they probably don't need this guide. Read on:

The End of End to End: Point to Point Privacy on the World Wide Web (and 1980s novelty phones)

Andrew Todd — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 07:00:00 GMT

This is the written version of a talk I gave at Nerd Nite Tokyo on November 18, 2022. It is not a transcription.

When browsing the Web, always make sure you are using HTTPS. It ensures that the connection between you and the service you're using is end-to-end encrypted, keeping you safe. This is common advice, and good advice.

But what does "end-to-end" actually mean? And does using HTTPS really ensure safety?

The answer is complicated; it grows more complicated each year. But, by starting with older, simpler systems, we can build up a mental model. That's why I'm going to start with Abraham Lincoln, make a stop in the 1980s, and finally wind up in the present day. There are two intertwined stories here: the story of surveillance and the story of freedom of access.

Slides for "The End of End to End" talk

Andrew Todd — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 06:00:00 GMT

Here are the LibreOffice Impress slides for the talk I gave at Nerd Nite Tokyo on 2022-11-18; a full article with more details will follow within a few days.

Rehumanize Yourself

Andrew Todd — Sat, 03 Oct 2020 01:00:00 GMT

Lately, it feels like all of us have developed a more uneasy relationship with social media; our natural (and proper) inclinations towards free speech and free expression of views have been tempered by stories about former Facebook managers describing just how they designed the site to be addictive, or, even worse, Facebook's inadvertent but clear role in facilitating violence against ethnic or social groups, most notably in Myanmar. On Twitter, "doomscrolling" has become a popular term to describe the feeling of constantly searching through feeds, looking for that next hit of information.

Buried somewhere in there are the things that are truly important to us, whether that's connecting with friends and family, exchanging ideas, pursuing hobbies, and even organizing positive social change. As a software engineer, I can point out that there are better platforms out there, but the commercial social networks have democratized access for people whose lives don't revolve around computers. If I want to get the latest from my local bakery or band, the odds are good that I'll find them on Facebook, not on their own website.

And none of these problems are new; I have been dealing with my own insatiable desire for information for a long time. RSS feeds and email newsletters have been a daily part of my life for fifteen years or more now. That's why I'm surprised that among the many articles of late that rightfully express concern about the role these products play in our lives, I have seen little that provides specific, actionable advice on how to help yourself moderate them. Below, I'll offer some practices that I follow. All the tools I mention are free and shouldn't take more than a few minutes to set up.

Upgrading to Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal": You Don't Have to Use Unity

Andrew Todd — Tue, 17 May 2011 07:05:20 GMT

With all the noise surrounding Ubuntu's new (and evidently very crashy) "Unity" UI, I was concerned that I might get trapped in an upgrade, my beloved no-frills Metacity-based desktop taken away from me. I removed Compiz quite some time ago, as I haven't felt a need for any of the typical 3D-desktop frills (not to mention instability and bizarre bugs, like the IBM implementation of Java Swing being incompatible with Compiz).

What's in My Round-the-World Travel Bag? (Part 10 -- The Ejection Seat)

Andrew Todd — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 10:51:29 GMT

Let's face it: if you're reading this blog, you're probably from a developed nation. Odds are pretty good that you're American, even. And America is a pretty safe place to live. Sure, there's crime and car accidents in the cities, and the usual dangers when out in the wilderness -- but when was the last time you were bit by a mosquito in America, and were worried about contracting dengue fever or malaria? When was the last time that a government collapsed in the US? If you need a blood transfusion, or intensive care, is there a hospital nearby that can handle you? If you're out hiking, does the country have search-and-rescue teams?

It's not good to spread too much fear on this subject, as most countries these days have basic medical infrastructure, but there's lots of possible outcomes where you'll need help to get out of a bad situation quickly. There's no point in taking unnecessary risks, just because the same services may not be available to locals.

mpo2jpg: A script for the Fujifilm FinePix 3D camera

Andrew Todd — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 07:49:14 GMT

While I was living in Japan last fall, I bought a Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3 digital camera, which is still the most advanced -- not to mention only -- consumer 3D camera on the market.

AT&T is Buying T-Mobile USA; This is a Very Bad Thing

Andrew Todd — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 06:24:06 GMT

Yesterday, AT&T Wireless announced that they will purchase T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom. This is another step in the wrong direction for the American mobile market. The reasons, however, are probably fairly subtle to the average American cell phone user -- so here's a breakdown of the issues, starting with the basics.