Ian | Founder & Firestarter
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cubicgarden.com
Ian | Founder & Firestarter
@cubicgarden.com
Previously Senior firestarter at BBC RD, emergent technology expert and serial social geek event organiser.
http://www.cubicgarden.com | @cubicgarden@mas.to
@phoenixrd.bsky.social
Seems my primary mastodon is down.
The fediverse podcast I mentioned is hosted by @flipboard.com

dot-social.simplecast.com
Dot Social
Learn about the Internet’s next wave on the open social web and what it will unlock for how we connect, communicate, and innovate online. Hosted by Flipboard CEO Mike McCue.
dot-social.simplecast.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:17 PM
I present the Helsinki familiar stranger #pacemakerdevice mix.

Recorded on different planes after going to #mydata2025, inspired by a stranger at the chihuahuajulep
Helsinki familiar stranger mix
About a month ago I was in Helsinki for the Mydata conference, one of the things I like to do is find new places. A guy I knew from Manchester suggested a really amazing speakeasy place to me, while I complained about the sugar-horrific gin & lemon in a can  one night. So I checked it out and thought it was…
cubicgarden.com
November 5, 2025 at 10:24 PM
We live in incredible times with such possibilities that is clear. Although its easily dismissed seeing the deliberate thoughtfulness of Tilly Norwood,  Deloitte's AI report to the Australia government and Windows 10 end of life is a e-waste disaster?

To quote Buckminster Fuller "You never change…
Public Service Internet monthly newsletter (Nov 2025)
We live in incredible times with such possibilities that is clear. Although its easily dismissed seeing the deliberate thoughtfulness of Tilly Norwood,  Deloitte's AI report to the Australia government and Windows 10 end of life is a e-waste disaster? To quote Buckminster Fuller "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.
cubicgarden.com
November 4, 2025 at 12:54 PM
I was surprised to see myself on youtube.

One of the stories from #MyData2025.

The Machine readable wishes project got a good starting launch.
Stories from MyData 2025: Machine readable wishes
I was surprised to find myself on Youtube, It was a really good conference and the machine readable wishes workshop went down very well. You can see the slide deck linked here. Myself, Sam and Solana have started a blog here and there is a github repo started here.  Expect more soon, and get in touch if you find the project interesting.
cubicgarden.com
October 20, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Bannatyne shuts down in Manchester, if only all the spas in gyms in the Manchester area would get in touch with their best offers.
Bannatyne Gym/Spa shuts down in Manchester
A man spoke to me in the Bannatyne, Withworth street Steam room. I adjusted my headphones and announced I can't hear him, as I'm listening to an audiobook. He kept speaking and I paused Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown. Turning to him, as he was the only one in the steam room, which was admittedly strange for peak-time.
cubicgarden.com
October 12, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Reposted by Ian | Founder & Firestarter
Join #freeourfeeds and @eurosky.social on Wednesday, 19 November in Berlin as European leaders, policymakers, developers, and investors explore what's already being built and chart the path forward for Europe’s open social web. We are so pleased that @alexandrageese.bsky.social will be joining us!
We're delighted to announce @alexandrageese.bsky.social, Member of the European Parliament for the Greens/EFA Group, as a speaker for Eurosky Live in Berlin this November.

#EuroskyLive #DigitalSovereignty #EuropeanTech

www.eurosky.social/eurosky-live
October 10, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Reposted by Ian | Founder & Firestarter
Our European-focused work, under the brand of @eurosky.social is taking off. Our first in-person event happens in Berlin on November 19, to discuss and share opportunities for European open social #atrproto infrastructure operated in Europe. We're announcing our speakers here!
We're very excited to that announce Heike Raab, Representative of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate to the Federal Government and for Europe and the Media, will be speaking at #EuroskyLive in Berlin this November.

#EuroskyLive #DigitalSovereignty #EuropeanTech
October 9, 2025 at 4:54 PM
With the UK's steps into the age gated internet and digital ID back again like the renegade master, the #techgrumps have plenty to be grumpy about in this month's podcast.
Techgrumps 3.32 Your Illegal Racially Motivated Stops Will Go More Smoothly
With the UK's steps into the age gated internet and digital ID back again like the renegade master, the techgrumps have plenty to be grumpy about in this month's podcast. Grumps this time include the voices of Ian Forrester, David Eastman, Ryan Alexander and Wendy Grossman. Techgrumps 3.32 UK Digital ID Christie’s has quietly shuttered its digital art department …
techgrumps.wordpress.com
October 7, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Reposted by Ian | Founder & Firestarter
Fancy handing over all your data to Oracle or Palantair? Lets make that easy with the new Digital ID cards!

Join the campaign: Say No to Digital IDs action.openrightsgroup.org/join-campaig... #idcards
October 2, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Lawmakers are using kids as pawns to push these age-gating bills. But limiting access to information and mandating intrusive data collection doesn’t help kids—it makes them even less safe. Tell lawmakers: online ID checks will ruin the internet. www.stoponlineidchecks.org stoponlineidchecks.org
ONLINE ID CHECKS WILL RUIN THE INTERNET
www.stoponlineidchecks.org
October 3, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Reposted by Ian | Founder & Firestarter
My Financial Times interview got reprinted on the front page of the newspaper The Australian Financial Review with an incredible illustration of the contents of my mind and the big handle I turn when I blog

www.afr.com/technology/t...
October 2, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Public Service Internet monthly newsletter (Oct 2025)

We live in incredible times with such possibilities that is clear. Although its easily dismissed seeing AI attempting to rewrite history, Agentic AI browsers fooled and Rabbit R1 is back?

To quote Buckminster Fuller "You never change things by…
Public Service Internet monthly newsletter (Oct 2025)
We live in incredible times with such possibilities that is clear. Although its easily dismissed seeing AI attempting to rewrite history, Agentic AI browsers fooled and Rabbit R1 is back? To quote Buckminster Fuller "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." You are seeing aspects of this with good counter-points parts [
cubicgarden.com
October 1, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Reposted by Ian | Founder & Firestarter
Fascinating workshop on death and digital legacy by @cubicgarden.com at #mydata2025.. letters of wishes can be machine readable and even automated according to #mydata principles - but you have to keep a human in the process as an approver.
September 25, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Reposted by Ian | Founder & Firestarter
Good morning! If you’re on mastodon.social (or another server running nightly builds) you can begin quoting posts in your posts (quooting?) starting today. Remember, you control whether you can be quoted, and call always retract your post from a specific quote. And you can quote me on that!
September 18, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Public Service Internet monthly newsletter (Sept 2025)

We live in incredible times with such possibilities that is clear. Although its easily dismissed seeing how we are being watched, wishing people will stop sharing pictures with ChatGPT and people in the UK told to delete emails In order to…
Public Service Internet monthly newsletter (Sept 2025)
We live in incredible times with such possibilities that is clear. Although its easily dismissed seeing how we are being watched, wishing people will stop sharing pictures with ChatGPT and people in the UK told to delete emails In order to save water? To quote Buckminster Fuller "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.
cubicgarden.com
September 1, 2025 at 7:45 AM
#Mydata 2025: Machine readable letter of wishes, the workshop

Death is inevitable, yet most of us are woefully unprepared. Fear and lack of time often prevent us from putting our affairs in any order, leaving our loved ones to pick up the pieces of a difficult period compounded by uncertainty.…
Mydata 2025: Machine readable letter of wishes, the workshop
I have the pleasure to be presenting at MyData 2025. Its been 6 years since I spoke about the living room of the future in Helsinki for BBC R&D. This time, I'm giving a workshop on Digital legacy, focusing on the notion of a machine readable letter of wishes (as described out-loud here). The workshop will explore…
cubicgarden.com
August 28, 2025 at 10:24 AM
What happened to hobbies?

Hobbies remain one of the last apparently legitimate areas of ridicule. Perhaps that’s also why they’ve faded away? But they can also help you be more interesting and confident as a person
What happened to hobbies?
I noticed this trend around hobbies, in which I mean things you do and enjoy for the sake of enjoyment. For example I enjoy Diaboloing and have done since a early age. It's very common for me to bring my Diabolo on work trips and holidays. I am actually writing this on the train to the European juggling convention…
cubicgarden.com
August 20, 2025 at 1:49 PM
A lesson in separation of concerns: Google’s gemini hijacked

The news Google's Gemini AI was hijacked via a hidden prompt in a calendar invite. Hackers Hijacked Google’s Gemini AI With a Poisoned Calendar Invite to Take Over a Smart Home. For likely the first time ever, security researchers have…
A lesson in separation of concerns: Google’s gemini hijacked
The news Google's Gemini AI was hijacked via a hidden prompt in a calendar invite. Hackers Hijacked Google’s Gemini AI With a Poisoned Calendar Invite to Take Over a Smart Home. For likely the first time ever, security researchers have shown how AI can be hacked to create real-world havoc, allowing them to turn off lights, open smart shutters, and more.
cubicgarden.com
August 17, 2025 at 8:39 AM