We're taught that history's greatest victories for justice were won through peaceful protest and moral persuasion, but every right we take for granted was secured through economic disruption, militant resistance, and the credible threat of violence. By sanitising our history, we've convinced ourselves to protest in ways designed to be safely ignored.
Read MoreSome thoughts on how sousveillance—surveillance from below—can be used by ordinary people using smartphones and digital tools to monitor power structures rather than simply being monitored by them.
Read MoreComplex post-traumatic stress disorder is often the result of surviving family systems designed around control rather than care. We'll examine how narcissistic family dynamics create the patterns that define CPTSD, and why understanding these systems is important for recognition and healing.
Read MoreThe Monday morning ritual perpetuates our acceptance of an economic system where artificial hierarchies determine worth rather than actual contribution. What we would do with our time if survival wasn't dependent on selling our labour?
Read MoreIs individual boundary-setting is the root cause of modern social isolation? Or perhaps we're placing unfair responsibility on isolated individuals while ignoring the structural changes needed for genuine community.
Read MoreThoughts from my journey with multiple neurobiological challenges—from the cyclical darkness of premenstrual suffering to the everyday realities of neurodivergence—through the struggles within and the systems that compound them.
Read MoreAssumptions inherited in code reinforce societal inequalities, and ethical accountability necessitates identifying hidden biases in systems and redesigning developer education to prioritise human dignity over technical convenience.
Lian infiltrates Omnicorp's necrotic server farms, wielding transgenic kudzu—gene-edited to devour corporate algorithms and birth mangrove ecosystems from collapsing financial infrastructures.
A mix of thoughts on writing struggles, clinging to a blog name despite the AI takeover, and finding joy in solving both big and ridiculously small problems. No tidy conclusions, just a human figuring things out one word (or game theory web app) at a time.
"Capitalist realism" can help us understand why it's so hard to imagine life beyond capitalism. From cooperative success stories to recent economic crises, we'll challenge some common myths about human nature and explore how we might start imagining different possibilities for our future.
From everyday data breaches to covert surveillance tools, our reliance on a few tech giants has turned cloud dependency into a digital liability. The impact is reshaping power, privacy, and class dynamics in ways we can’t ignore.
Can web applications resist profit-driven motives? Perhaps by focusing on community and transparency, we can redefine digital spaces as commons, prioritising user autonomy over corporate control.
Although the world has changed, the cyberpunk genre stays rooted in an outdated dystopian vision. We should reinvent cyberpunk to mirror today's socio-economic realities, grounding it in themes of systemic inequality, collective resistance, and the pressing struggles of capitalism.
Another entry in my personal journey of ADHD and ASD diagnoses after years of misdiagnosis, exploring self-acceptance, challenges, and the path to understanding neurodivergence.
Different games, from Guild Wars 2 to Dark Souls, challenge our approach to strategy and tactics. By comparing their design choices, player interactions, and community-driven dynamics, we can uncover the importance of adaptability and flexibility.
In my Obscurity Shroud series, supernatural factions like vampires, arcanists battle for control of a divided Sydney. As humans and hunters rise to resist, the story explores themes of exploitation, power, and the fight for a more just future—combining personal narrative with social critique.
I didn’t always have the determination or perspective on life that you see here. Throughout my younger years, I had many interests but little opinion on anything. It wasn't until much later that I began to critically examine the world around me and unlearn the toxic norms I had internalised.
I often ponder a future shaped by history and our present — a world free from hunger, meaningful work, and reshaped economies. But let's delve into some darker possibilities that could cloud our tomorrows.
It often feels like I'm critiquing strawmen, but reminders to the contrary are everywhere. Navigating discussions about global issues, others' actions, and my strategies is tough. Balancing confidence and humility is a challenge.
From Black Panther and Shang-Chi to Warrior and that Ridley Scott movie, we'll look into some examples of how inclusive storytelling is finally breaching the surface and why it’s not the catastrophic distraction one may think.
Today's topic: income, taxation, and inequality. Recent Australian tax statistics reveal how high earners use the intricacies of the system to lower their tax burden.
Surveillance and sousveillance both involve observing individuals or events, but differ in who's doing the observing and the direction of focus.
Gender inequality's tired excuses continue to frustrate me and this blame cycle worsens the issue. So, I'm tackling this today. Despite progress, significant changes are still needed.
Let's examine how narratives within mainstream entertainment provide us with valuable insights into the collective psyche of societies, nations, and cultures.
We’ll explore exploitative practices in gaming, the impact on relationships and decision-making, and the manipulative power of competition; reflect on the need for intrinsic motivation and whether the ends justify the means in dopamine-driven entertainment.
Over the past few years, I have undergone a personal journey that included contracting COVID-19 twice, receiving an ADHD diagnosis, and testing for cardiovascular disease. Despite these challenges, I have found new energy and perspective to focus on pursuing my goals.
The cost of owning a home is too high and the cost of renting is too high. But smashed avocado on toast is why we can't afford anything. It's always smashed avocado on toast.
Propaganda is leading us in the West down a one-way road in the wrong direction. Perhaps things must get worse before they can become better, but I'm going to rant about the current state of things anyway.
Today, we will explore some concepts that can be difficult to explain but are certainly worth understanding. Personally, I like to think of each point as a guiding marker in my quest to live a fulfilling life.
I enjoy science fiction, particularly cyberpunk stories in various mediums such as books, movies, and video games. I have a keen interest in how technology can enhance our lives. However, I also prioritise ensuring that people have fulfilling lives in both present and future times.
Let's discuss strategies and tactics for winning games, including learning the game, adaptability, visualising the opponent's moves, managing resources and costs, determining the order of operations, and controlling value.
We all have unique stories to tell, but sometimes we forget to listen to ourselves and our own opinions. That's why we thought it would be fun to interview me and answer some “frequently” asked questions.
I enjoy exploring the depths of our society through RPG campaigns, such as examining how the vampire sects in the World of Darkness relate to real-world issues. They offer a unique perspective on the challenges of our time.
"How do I manage to get things done when I have so many things on my plate?" you may ask. The answer is to decide what you want to achieve, be specific and use measurable terms, lay out the steps to get there, and finally, take action and get it done. Or something like that.
As another year comes to a close, it's time to reflect on all that has happened. I remember all the struggles I've been through, which have made me who I am today.
It's December, and stores have recently swapped out their Halloween products for Christmas ones. Shopping online has become quite the experience. When browsing a household products page, I was surprised to find a selection of Halloween items at the top of the page.
Politics is a power struggle where those with more resources make the rules. Their power doesn't come from intellectual authority or proven capability but from accumulated resources. However, the problem goes beyond individual actors.
Questioning is a precious skill. It compels us to confront and rectify our assumptions, facilitates discussions that can enhance our surroundings, and enables us to expand our knowledge beyond what we already possess. However, it is a skill that must be intentionally developed through practice.
Games can contain details that serve as commentary on the ideology of our times, whether intentional by the designers and developers or not. Let's explore some interesting ways in which commentary on society and its systems can manifest in games.
Games can be tricky to talk about. Are our methods of categorisation sufficient? Are genres too restrictive to allow creativity, or too loose to have any meaningful value?
The 2020s were characterised by conflicts and atrocities committed by dominant nations. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused global social and economic disruption, lockdowns, and a recession.
Our desires aren't always genuinely our own. Forces around us constantly influence our decisions without us realising it. Gaming, due to its interactive nature, makes manipulation far more potent than if it were passive. This manipulation, used on us in gaming, is known as dark patterns.
Let's dive into concepts like creating value, setting prices, and making profits within the framework of capitalism. We'll also examine how capitalism has two key features different from earlier systems.
I aim to make games that simulate real life, not just because it's a thrilling challenge to do so with code, but also because it allows for unanticipated gameplay and stories, and reflections on existing systems.
Feeling at odds with the world is almost inevitable. That's why I wrote guidelines for myself to follow — to know what kind of person I should strive to be. But why so many rules?
For many years, a single question has captured the imagination and interest of the public: "What is an interesting solution to an interesting problem?" Zhi believes they may have an answer worth submitting and ends up somewhere unexpected.
I do my best to live a fulfilling and worthwhile life. To achieve this, I have created a set of rules to keep myself on track.