Alistair Dabbs
@alidabbs.bsky.social
Freelance journalist | tech & media trainer | CTT+ | Chair, NUJ Paris Branch | Montpellier | https://autosaveisforwimps.substack.com | https://authory.com/AlistairDabbs
Aircon controls make no sense whatsoever. The button icons and handset LCD interface were designed by a maniac. Everybody else in the meeting room has already had a go before you turned up, and they all failed. Now it’s your turn... [Con in 60 Seconds] autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/if-i-press...
If I press the clock, dinner plate, sliced orange and radiation warning, will the office air-con work?
Yes, and you have to press 'raindrop' to make it dry
autosaveisforwimps.substack.com
November 15, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Aircon controls make no sense whatsoever. The button icons and handset LCD interface were designed by a maniac. Everybody else in the meeting room has already had a go before you turned up, and they all failed. Now it’s your turn... [Con in 60 Seconds] autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/if-i-press...
You have to hand it to these junk mailers: they know how to grab your attention. Especially the sphincter-loosening devil doll who springs from your computer display as effectively as Sadako from a Japanese television. autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/lern-at-sp...
Lern at spake Inglish betterer with the help of freaky gesticulating devil doll in a business suit [FREE POST]
I saw this ad once and couldn't sleep for weeks
autosaveisforwimps.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:42 PM
You have to hand it to these junk mailers: they know how to grab your attention. Especially the sphincter-loosening devil doll who springs from your computer display as effectively as Sadako from a Japanese television. autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/lern-at-sp...
The latest on the Angoulême Comics Festival shitstorm, comprehensively explained by comics journalist Dean Simons. Les dernières nouvelles sur la polémique autour du Festival International de la BD d'Angoulême, expliqué en détail par le journaliste Dean Simons. www.comicsbeat.com/angouleme-20...
ANGOULÊME 2026 in serious doubt as publishers and authors cancel to protest Bondoux's involvement
Creators and publishers are threatening a boycott after controversial 9e Art+ and owner Franck Bondoux are set to resume running Angoulême
www.comicsbeat.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:58 AM
The latest on the Angoulême Comics Festival shitstorm, comprehensively explained by comics journalist Dean Simons. Les dernières nouvelles sur la polémique autour du Festival International de la BD d'Angoulême, expliqué en détail par le journaliste Dean Simons. www.comicsbeat.com/angouleme-20...
There’s nothing a South Korean football fan loves more than to dress up in full England national kit, head to Sangam stadium and chant: “Ingerland, Ingerlaaaaand…” FREE POST from [Autosave is for Wimps] featuring five David Beckham haircuts. autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/a-load-of-...
A load of old balls? Not at all. But they wanted me to buy the shirt and shorts [FREE POST]
The year when Korean spam went football crazy for the wrong team
autosaveisforwimps.substack.com
November 5, 2025 at 10:13 PM
There’s nothing a South Korean football fan loves more than to dress up in full England national kit, head to Sangam stadium and chant: “Ingerland, Ingerlaaaaand…” FREE POST from [Autosave is for Wimps] featuring five David Beckham haircuts. autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/a-load-of-...
A few years ago while visiting St Albans cathedral, I took a couple of photos of St Albans' shrine and added a GPS co-ordinate for the precise location to Google Maps. This evening, Google emailed me to say it had attracted half a million views. maps.app.goo.gl/fp5fQrezyBDw...
maps.app.goo.gl
November 4, 2025 at 7:05 PM
A few years ago while visiting St Albans cathedral, I took a couple of photos of St Albans' shrine and added a GPS co-ordinate for the precise location to Google Maps. This evening, Google emailed me to say it had attracted half a million views. maps.app.goo.gl/fp5fQrezyBDw...
"When the AI gets embarrassed by gaps in its knowledge, it bullshits. It does it not to deceive but to win your acceptance. And what harm is there in a little embellishment? Look at your own LinkedIn profile, for example." [Con in 60 Seconds] autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/how-do-you...
How do you rate on the Bullshit Index? To tell the truth, (A)I don't really care
I'd leave it a few minutes if I were you
autosaveisforwimps.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:25 PM
"When the AI gets embarrassed by gaps in its knowledge, it bullshits. It does it not to deceive but to win your acceptance. And what harm is there in a little embellishment? Look at your own LinkedIn profile, for example." [Con in 60 Seconds] autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/how-do-you...
Wednesday's FREE post from [Autosave is for Wimps] featuring the least scary mask you will see this Halloween plus a swimsuit model on a rug. autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/have-i-got...
Have I got a scary mask for you! Today's FREE Korean spam exhibit is a blinder
Happy-happy Halloween Halloween Halloween, Silver Shamrock
autosaveisforwimps.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Wednesday's FREE post from [Autosave is for Wimps] featuring the least scary mask you will see this Halloween plus a swimsuit model on a rug. autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/have-i-got...
"(a) It’s better to have received messages twice, albeit several months apart, than not at all. (b) You don’t know how many new notifications never got delivered during AWS's 75 lost minutes, and never will." [Autosave is for Wimps] autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/weve-digit...
We’ve digitised your job, so goodbye! … Hang on, it’s f**ked! Is anyone left who knows what to do?
“Move quickly and break things,” as the Louvre thieves chortled on their way out
autosaveisforwimps.substack.com
October 27, 2025 at 8:29 AM
"(a) It’s better to have received messages twice, albeit several months apart, than not at all. (b) You don’t know how many new notifications never got delivered during AWS's 75 lost minutes, and never will." [Autosave is for Wimps] autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/weve-digit...
"At our coworking place there's an ancient PC that nobody else will touch, let alone try to install anything clever on it. It’s my favourite PC. To my horror, tech support has just upgraded it to Windows 11..." Audio fun with [Con in 60 Seconds] autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/halloween-...
Halloween creep: I switched off the AI assistant but who's to say it isn't still listening...?
And send those five hundred toilet rolls back
autosaveisforwimps.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 6:31 PM
"At our coworking place there's an ancient PC that nobody else will touch, let alone try to install anything clever on it. It’s my favourite PC. To my horror, tech support has just upgraded it to Windows 11..." Audio fun with [Con in 60 Seconds] autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/halloween-...
"While we’re looking at his face… why is that all the weirdos portrayed in Korean spam are westerners? Almost certainly Americans? (Don’t bother, I think I’ve answered my own question.)" Free Korean Spam on Wednesdays! autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/whats-the-...
Whats the buzz? Oh that'll be my neck massager, courtesy of the time machine of Korean Spam
Not just a FREE POST but a happy ending too
autosaveisforwimps.substack.com
October 22, 2025 at 1:20 PM
"While we’re looking at his face… why is that all the weirdos portrayed in Korean spam are westerners? Almost certainly Americans? (Don’t bother, I think I’ve answered my own question.)" Free Korean Spam on Wednesdays! autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/whats-the-...
The threat of an all-out creators' boycott of the 2026 Angoulême Comics Festival looms even loomier than ever, as explained (for the first time in English) by Dean Simons: www.comicsbeat.com/angouleme-fe...
Angoulême Festival's crisis resumes
Angoulême Festival remains mired in controversy as the deadline for alternative showrunners entered its final days
www.comicsbeat.com
October 21, 2025 at 2:34 PM
The threat of an all-out creators' boycott of the 2026 Angoulême Comics Festival looms even loomier than ever, as explained (for the first time in English) by Dean Simons: www.comicsbeat.com/angouleme-fe...
British freelance journalists everywhere - even those living in France! :-) Your deadline for responding to the UK Government's consultation on late payment legislation is THURSDAY this week! That's 23 OCTOBER. Do it now! @nujparis.bsky.social @nujlfb.bsky.social
Freelances, there are just days left to respond to the government’s consultation on late payments and poor practices.
Make your voice heard and help #StopTheFreelanceRipOff across the media industry.
Here’s how: www.nuj.org.uk/resource/sto...
And please share!
Make your voice heard and help #StopTheFreelanceRipOff across the media industry.
Here’s how: www.nuj.org.uk/resource/sto...
And please share!
Stop the freelance rip-off
All freelances in the UK should respond to government's consultation on late payments and poor payment practices. It's time for urgent change.
www.nuj.org.uk
October 21, 2025 at 12:17 PM
British freelance journalists everywhere - even those living in France! :-) Your deadline for responding to the UK Government's consultation on late payment legislation is THURSDAY this week! That's 23 OCTOBER. Do it now! @nujparis.bsky.social @nujlfb.bsky.social
Mme D has one of those fitness apps that switches into nag-nag-nag mode. “Keep it up!” it tells her. “You’ve reached your sixty-second goal!” – which makes no sense as Mme D doesn’t play football. [Autosave is for Wimps] featuring Wolf Alice. autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/i-have-a-r...
I have a running joke for you: my fitness gadget has, er, run out (and not just the batteries)
I'd go for a jog but I don't have a cable long enough
autosaveisforwimps.substack.com
October 17, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Mme D has one of those fitness apps that switches into nag-nag-nag mode. “Keep it up!” it tells her. “You’ve reached your sixty-second goal!” – which makes no sense as Mme D doesn’t play football. [Autosave is for Wimps] featuring Wolf Alice. autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/i-have-a-r...
Montpellier's archive building will host a free event tomorrow afternoon at which you can sit in the amphitheatre and listen to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.
October 17, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Montpellier's archive building will host a free event tomorrow afternoon at which you can sit in the amphitheatre and listen to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.
NUJ Paris members based in Strasbourg might enjoy meeting up with French freelancers for an apéro, organised by local adhérants of 'Profession : Pigiste'. pigiste.org/les-aperos-p... @nujparis.bsky.social
October 16, 2025 at 6:33 PM
NUJ Paris members based in Strasbourg might enjoy meeting up with French freelancers for an apéro, organised by local adhérants of 'Profession : Pigiste'. pigiste.org/les-aperos-p... @nujparis.bsky.social
How to qualify for unemployment benefit when you're a freelance journalist in France. (tl;dr You need to prove you were on contract.) Courtesy of the fine peeps at 'Profession : Pigiste'. @nujparis.bsky.social
👉 Pigistes, vous voulez y voir plus clair avec France Travail ?
On a pensé à vous en créant un tuto complet et clair. ✨
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👉 https://pigiste.org/actualites/chomage-et-pige-actu/
On a pensé à vous en créant un tuto complet et clair. ✨
--------
👉 https://pigiste.org/actualites/chomage-et-pige-actu/
October 16, 2025 at 6:29 PM
How to qualify for unemployment benefit when you're a freelance journalist in France. (tl;dr You need to prove you were on contract.) Courtesy of the fine peeps at 'Profession : Pigiste'. @nujparis.bsky.social
Now that everything ends up in Junk, regardless whether it is or not, we have to trudge through endless shit about sleeping pills and weight-loss injections just to find last week’s meeting minutes. [Con in 60 Seconds] autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/everything...
Everything gets assigned as ***SPAM*** these days, including legitimate email and unsolicited message boys from HR
Junk Mail is the new Inbox
autosaveisforwimps.substack.com
October 16, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Now that everything ends up in Junk, regardless whether it is or not, we have to trudge through endless shit about sleeping pills and weight-loss injections just to find last week’s meeting minutes. [Con in 60 Seconds] autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/everything...
"I bet your perverted mind even interprets sexual innuendo from innocent sentences written by a Substack columnist on Fridays. Get a grip on yourself." [Autosave is for Wimps] featuring The Rolling Stones, The Floaters, Monty Python and Deicide. autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/hating-tho...
Hating those remote meetings? Believe me, it used to be a lot worse in-person
Please allow me to introduce myself (woo-woo!)
autosaveisforwimps.substack.com
October 10, 2025 at 5:11 PM
"I bet your perverted mind even interprets sexual innuendo from innocent sentences written by a Substack columnist on Fridays. Get a grip on yourself." [Autosave is for Wimps] featuring The Rolling Stones, The Floaters, Monty Python and Deicide. autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/hating-tho...
Reposted by Alistair Dabbs
The NUJ PA chapel has secured an above-inflation pay deal, demonstrating "the power of union activism and collective bargaining."
www.nuj.org.uk/resource/pa-...
www.nuj.org.uk/resource/pa-...
PA chapel statement on 2025 pay deal
NUJ members at PA Media have secured an above-inflation pay deal, demonstrating "the power of union activism and collective bargaining."
www.nuj.org.uk
October 10, 2025 at 3:58 PM
The NUJ PA chapel has secured an above-inflation pay deal, demonstrating "the power of union activism and collective bargaining."
www.nuj.org.uk/resource/pa-...
www.nuj.org.uk/resource/pa-...
Recommended reading for all freelance journalists trying to get to grips with the French idea of what a freelance journalist is. @nujparis.bsky.social
Pour tout comprendre à la pige, rdv sur l’abécédaire en ligne de Profession : Pigiste
➡️ https://pigiste.org/ressources/abecedaire-de-la-pige/
------------------------
Il est accessible à tous, mais que cela ne vous empêche pas d’adhérer (seulement 15€/an)
➡️ https://pigiste.org/register/membre/
➡️ https://pigiste.org/ressources/abecedaire-de-la-pige/
------------------------
Il est accessible à tous, mais que cela ne vous empêche pas d’adhérer (seulement 15€/an)
➡️ https://pigiste.org/register/membre/
October 10, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Recommended reading for all freelance journalists trying to get to grips with the French idea of what a freelance journalist is. @nujparis.bsky.social
"I don't mind left-over office party balloons but the farty deflation noises are distracting when you’re on a video call. And I suspect the released helium is playing havoc with my vocal chords as the meeting progresses." [Con in 60 Seconds] Episode 30 autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/my-voice-s...
My voice sounds odd during Zoom meetings? It could be the helium I suppose
Don't make me raise my voice
autosaveisforwimps.substack.com
October 9, 2025 at 6:12 PM
"I don't mind left-over office party balloons but the farty deflation noises are distracting when you’re on a video call. And I suspect the released helium is playing havoc with my vocal chords as the meeting progresses." [Con in 60 Seconds] Episode 30 autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/my-voice-s...
Show me the money! Loan sharks' spam email technique in South Korea in the mid- 2000s. Episode 9 of Dabbsy's Curious Museum of Korean Spam just dropped. autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/free-post-...
Free post! Possibly even free money! Just ask and they will give, right?
I beg to differ
autosaveisforwimps.substack.com
October 8, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Show me the money! Loan sharks' spam email technique in South Korea in the mid- 2000s. Episode 9 of Dabbsy's Curious Museum of Korean Spam just dropped. autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/free-post-...
Reposted by Alistair Dabbs
Profession : Pigiste est fière de vous annoncer la nouvelle composition de son bureau : Nora Bouazzouni et Virginie Menvielle, coprésidentes, Pauline Chambost, trésorière, Pauline De Deus, secrétaire, appuyées par Julie Falcoz, Léna Couffin, Dorian Cabrol et Giovanni Simone. Bravo à eux 💪🏻
October 7, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Profession : Pigiste est fière de vous annoncer la nouvelle composition de son bureau : Nora Bouazzouni et Virginie Menvielle, coprésidentes, Pauline Chambost, trésorière, Pauline De Deus, secrétaire, appuyées par Julie Falcoz, Léna Couffin, Dorian Cabrol et Giovanni Simone. Bravo à eux 💪🏻
“Fancy a coffee?” My heart sinks. Once I step outside my own house, all coffee is shit. That's why they give you a stack of sugar cubes taller than the coffee cup itself: to take the awful taste away. [Autosave is for Wimps] featuring Ultra Vomit. autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/worlds-pro...
World’s problems sorted: I’ll tip my head back while you pour the coffee in
Hang on a sec, I think I’m going to… bleuaarrghh
autosaveisforwimps.substack.com
October 3, 2025 at 4:49 PM
“Fancy a coffee?” My heart sinks. Once I step outside my own house, all coffee is shit. That's why they give you a stack of sugar cubes taller than the coffee cup itself: to take the awful taste away. [Autosave is for Wimps] featuring Ultra Vomit. autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/worlds-pro...
I have a job title, as it turns out. It lasted all of 30 seconds before it got changed again. They really must value me! I can’t tell you how overjoyed I am about this. [Con in 60 Seconds] Featuring copious quantities of hinge oil. autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/i-didnt-kn...
I didn't know I had a job title until they changed it. And changed it again.
If you ask me, it's just a Composite Arrangement of Ageing Testicular Matter
autosaveisforwimps.substack.com
October 2, 2025 at 12:58 PM
I have a job title, as it turns out. It lasted all of 30 seconds before it got changed again. They really must value me! I can’t tell you how overjoyed I am about this. [Con in 60 Seconds] Featuring copious quantities of hinge oil. autosaveisforwimps.substack.com/p/i-didnt-kn...