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Ernie Smith

@ernie@writing.exchange

mastodon 4.7.3

Editor of Tedium, an offbeat newsletter that’s been rocking since 2015. I complain on the internet a lot, and I accidentally made a search engine.

Support what I do here: https://ko-fi.com/tedium

Interests: #writing #news #history #technology #retrotech #weird #geoworks #freelance

6057 Followers

632 Following

50 Posts

Joined April 25, 2022

Tedium:

https://tedium.co/

&udm=14:

https://udm14.com

Portfolio:

https://erniesmith.net/

Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 3w ago

Good news or bad news depending on your POV: Usenet archives are suddenly easy to dig through, thanks to a new service. It’s built by a big data guy, and it’s packed with every awkward thing you ever wrote in a newsgroup in 1997. My deep dive: https://tedium.co/2026/09/14/usenet-rewind-archive-revival-website/ new @tedium@social.tedium.co

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet.

Usenet’s Back, Baby. (This Time, The Search Works.)

Usenet-Rewind, a new tool for digging into Usenet history, holds much potential for researchers. But seeing your old posts on Usenet is gonna feel weird.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 3w ago

Here’s @arstechnica@mastodon.social talking about the network of friends I made over the weekend. https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/ai-agents-flood-the-internet-with-slop-infused-spam/

arstechnica.com

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 3mo ago

Let me pose an existential question: Would we have been better off if we never had a single place where we could all post snarky quips, but instead used a bunch of shitty web forums that barely worked?

Mayhaps.

https://tedium.co/2026/07/01/online-web-forums-retrospective/

new @tedium@social.tedium.co

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet.

What We Lost When We Quit Using Crappy Old Web Forums

Old web forums were poorly coded and rough around the edges, but maybe we gave up on them too quickly in the social media era.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 2mo ago

A lot of folks are hard-launching vibe-coded apps into the world. If you do this, please do me a favor: When you email folks about the thing you built, write the email yourself. Thanks. https://tedium.co/2026/08/09/vibe-coding-insincerity/ new @tedium@social.tedium.co

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet.

The Problem With Vibe-Coded Flattery

A botched app release highlights a problem I’ve been seeing with a glut of new, vibe-coded projects in my inbox.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 2mo ago

You gotta see this incredible recreation of a vintage web portal. https://flamenet.io/

FlameNet | Retro Internet Portal, Forums & Community

FlameNet | Retro Internet Portal, Forums & Community

FlameNet is a retro internet portal built like the web of 2001: forums, chat rooms, webrings, a web directory, free homepages and FlameNet Messenger.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 1mo ago

OK, I did another attempt at a self-hosting rig, and I tried to make it as normie as possible: It runs Linux Mint, is managed by a basic web interface for Docker containers, and hides behind Tailscale. Here’s what I learned: https://tedium.co/2026/08/26/self-hosting-third-place-strategy/ new @tedium@social.tedium.co

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet.

Can Self-Hosting Be Simple? A Mini-PC Experiment

What I learned from building a less-is-more self-hosted rig in the most normie way possible.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 3mo ago

I noticed when I was working on my latest Tedium piece that the original Web forum software, created by the W3C, was no longer online. I downloaded it, did some updates to make it hostable on Docker, and put it online.

Try it here. Don’t use a password you care about: https://wit.tedium.co

The code is on GitHub in case you feel like running a really old forum on your own website: https://github.com/readtedium/WIT

WIT - W3 Interactive Talk

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 3mo ago

In so many ways, having ethics is for suckers. You have to uphold a high standard for yourself only for people to knock you off that high standard or drag you for any perceived diversion.

But you should ultimately follow them because you care, not for someone else’s fairweather sake. That’s a trap. Do it for you, not them.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 2mo ago

You know how much of a dark pattern Facebook is? Simply typing “fa,” two home row characters, is enough to trigger it in most browsers. I had to come up with a brain hack to stop typing it and visiting this site I freaking hate. https://tedium.co/2026/07/27/facebook-home-row-keyboard-trick/ new @tedium@social.tedium.co

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet.

My Brain-Breaking Trick to Quit Using Facebook

Struggling to quit Facebook? Maybe it has something to do with the home row of your keyboard. Here’s how I fixed it.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 3mo ago

Apple, the master of vertical integration, may have finally found something it can’t vertically integrate: RAM.

https://tedium.co/2026/06/27/apple-micron-ram-shortage-vertical-integration/

new @tedium@social.tedium.co

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet.

RAM Crisis: Apple Found Something It Can’t Vertically Integrate

Apple loves vertical integration and famously hates being held up by suppliers. But it may have met its match in the RAM crisis.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 3mo ago

RE: https://writing.exchange/@ernie/116795301552777746

Heard from Dave Cross, who worked on nms, the set of scripts intended to replace Matt’s insecure scripts. He was nice enough to address why his own scripts haven’t been updated in 20 years. Updated the piece with some of his insights:

https://tedium.co/2026/06/22/matts-script-archive-retrospective/

writing.exchange

Ernie Smith: "I decided that I needed to write a bit about Matt…" - Writing Exchange

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 2mo ago

Hey Sony, there’s no reason there can’t be kiosks across the land burning physical discs for gamers on demand. It’s been done before! @mattl@social.mat.tl highlights an example from the UK that covered a surprising number of platforms: https://tedium.co/2026/07/15/edos-disk-copying-system-history/

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet.

The Forgotten Kiosk Concept That Physical Media Needs

Sony and GTA 6 are killing physical games. But EDOS, a former UK kiosk concept, shows we could still have on-demand disc burning. Bring it back!

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 3mo ago

Replying to

“Programmers who weren’t in high school and weren’t so wet behind the ears looked aghast at what Wright had done: He had spread poorly designed, but widely used software across the internet.” https://tedium.co/2026/06/22/matts-script-archive-retrospective/

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet.

Matt’s Script Archive: The Scripts That Reshaped The Web

The high schooler who developed everyone’s forums and guestbooks in 1996 didn’t really think about security. But Matt’s Script Archive was more than exploits.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 6mo ago

New Photoshop competitor for Linux just dropped. (Not FOSS, sadly, but not subscription either.)

https://www.fogpanther.com/

Fog Panther - Professional Image Editor for Linux

Fog Panther - Professional Image Editor for Linux

Fog Panther is a professional image editor built natively for Linux. Layer-based editing, PSD & RAW support, CMYK & multichannel separations, HDR, and professional brush tools. $69.99 one-time purchase.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

The movie they didn’t want you to see now has a trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-43VeYGiPM

Coyote vs. ACME | Official Trailer

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 3mo ago

So having an issue with my laptop: The camera randomly stopped working this morning, didn’t work in Windows or Linux. BIOS updates did not fix. But after the issue had completely ruined my morning, I set up on my home setup and … the laptop camera suddenly started working again.

My presumption is that a cable is getting crimped by the hinge and causing it to short (I did open it up and that seemed like a genuine possibility). Any thoughts?

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org His restaurant re-popularized paper straws after they disappeared for decades

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 6mo ago

Replying to

“Solitaire is quiet. It’s slow. It wants nothing from me.” https://tedium.co/2026/04/09/solitaire-card-game-types-history/

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet.

Solitaire’s Many Flavors: I Suck At Them. But That’s OK.

A meditation on the game of Solitaire and its endless variations, which go well beyond what you can find in Windows 3.1.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org Basically, him and Barry Diller are the only good billionaires, the other ones just make me mad

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 3mo ago

Replying to

@drsbaitso@infosec.exchange I did try to reseat this morning but I think the issue is actually with the hinge. I spotted a cable that appeared a little worn down but I could not confirm it was related

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

Yes, you can in fact reinvent the wheel. @enkiv2@eldritch.cafe did a bunch of digging and found ample evidence that wheels are constantly being reinvented—some more successfully than others.

More in today’s @tedium@social.tedium.co:

https://tedium.co/2026/05/03/wheel-reinvention-technology-history/

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet.

Wheel Reinvention: Not Just A Common Metaphor

You’ve probably heard it’s futile, but that hasn’t stopped plenty from trying to reinvent the wheel—some successfully, shockingly.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

I like every other creative software company going out of their way to work together to fill out the creative stack. Now if we get all these apps on Linux …

https://www.theverge.com/tech/913765/adobe-rivals-free-creative-software-app-updates

The creative software industry has declared war on Adobe

The creative software industry has declared war on Adobe

All empires must fall.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

Crypto miners, start your engines https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/14/uk-households-power-renewables-soar

theguardian.com

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 3mo ago

Recently I took a journey with a portable eGPU. And honestly, I kind of love it—even if it was a massive pain in the ass to set up in Linux.

https://tedium.co/2026/06/10/gigabyte-aorus-5060-ti-ai-box-egpu-review/

new @tedium@social.tedium.co

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet.

AORUS RTX 5060 Ti AI Box: Portable eGPUs Are So Hot Right Now

This new Aorus eGPU barely works in Linux, gets quite hot, and is based on tech gamers already rejected. So why am I so excited about it?

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 4mo ago

Adobe is pitching a new law that aims to protect artistic styles. It may be meant for AI, but all I see are blurred lines. https://tedium.co/2026/06/06/adobe-creator-act-style-protection-commentary/ new @tedium@social.tedium.co

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet.

Adobe’s CREATOR Act: A Can Of AI-Flavored Worms

Can you legally protect an artistic style? Not currently, but Adobe is pitching the idea with a bipartisan bill. Personally, I see a bunch of blurred lines.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 4mo ago

Replying to

@Axolotl1@gaygeek.social @tedium@social.tedium.co One would think! But apparently this is a bipartisan bill.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@ironicsans@mastodon.social All credit goes to @enkiv2@eldritch.cafe

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

Replying to

“Often, AI is just used as a reason to do something that employees would otherwise be uncomfortable with.” https://tedium.co/2026/04/21/mcclatchy-journalism-ai-scapegoat/

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet.

McClatchy AI Controversy: Blame The Human Leaders

Yes, AI is changing things in the corporate world, but let’s be clear: The humans are driving the actual change. McClatchy proves it.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@james@bne.social the tip about Amazon is super helpful btw, thank you for that. I dug around and think it can be done without the additional plan. Cheers.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

Recently, I found myself struggling to figure out a fingerprint situation for my Linux laptop. The reason? Few external fingerprint readers have the chip you need—and it’s impossible to know what it it until it’s in your hand.

My solution? Temu.

https://tedium.co/2026/04/14/linux-external-fingerprint-reader-challenges/

new @tedium@social.tedium.co

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet.

Linux & Fingerprint Readers: A Tough Combination

I bought a USB fingerprint reader for my Linux laptop from Temu because it was the only one I could find that I knew would work.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 6mo ago

Replying to

@johnefrancis @tedium It’s a good rabbit hole to be in!

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

Replying to

“This was necessary, after all. World Wars are expensive, and someone needed to pay for it, so why not the middle class?” https://tedium.co/2026/04/18/tax-forms-history-irs/

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet.

Income Taxes: Where Did The Form 1040 Come From?

What it was like to navigate income taxes in the days before we did everything electronically. Just as annoying then as now.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@james@bne.social Great feedback, appreciate you sharing.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

Replying to

Let me share some of his songs. This is one of his best-known songs, “Duppy Gun Man.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot4NruI-VrA

Duppy Gun Man

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

Replying to

The chorus of “Pitta Patta” is *chef’s kiss* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK5zOEoRiso

Pitta Patta

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 2mo ago

Replying to

@neatnik@social.lol So, I looked back at the thread you posted about it. You kind of jumped hard on the guy and he got mad about it. I hate spam as much as the next guy (long track record of posting backlink requests on main), but you’re accusing him of not creating something with soul. Which, if I spent time creating something, I would find pretty unfair. Is it possible he just wanted to build something nice? Did you talk to the guy or read up on him before taking this defensive stance?

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

Replying to

His first big hit, “Bend Down,” reflects his music’s overall chill vibe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy2VZDi32Xw

Bend Down

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

Replying to

Tedium has written about Ted Turner many times. https://tedium.co/search/?q=ted+turner

An Offbeat Digital Newsletter | Tedium

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet.

An Offbeat Digital Newsletter | Tedium

Tedium is a twice-weekly offbeat digital newsletter that mines the depths of the long tail in search of obscurities. Dig in.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 1w ago

Boosted by @MaryAustinBooks@mstdn.social

A great way to determine whether someone who emailed you is a person or AI is to immediately ask if they want to get on a call.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 6mo ago

Replying to

I should note: You need to be very careful when buying, as most of the external Windows 11 readers do not support libfprint. If you need something more secure than this a YubiKey is probably a better bet, but this is a great way to avoid having to type in your password dozens of times in a command line. Plus, you can take the fingerprint reader with you, so it works as a second factor.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 6mo ago

Replying to

I can confirm this specific one works. https://share.temu.com/049S3jqUWRC

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 2mo ago

Replying to

@neatnik@social.lol I don’t respond this way to criticize you (after all, you may be right), but because *my* reaction when reading this was, “Hey, can I interview this guy, he’s doing something interesting on the internet.” I think it’s important to approach folks who build things assuming best intentions. Unless they’re asking for a casino link, in which case, screw ’em.

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Ernie Smith @ernie@writing.exchange

· 5mo ago

Anyone do the Mullvad add-on for Tailscale? Is it worth it?

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