Steve Farrugia
@fasterandworse.com
Experienced user
Australian In Amsterdam
I talk about product design and I'm quite critical
open to work, open to talks
Words: https://fasterandworse.com
Videos: https://youtube.com/@fasterandworse
Audios: https://pnc.st/s/faster-and-worse
Australian In Amsterdam
I talk about product design and I'm quite critical
open to work, open to talks
Words: https://fasterandworse.com
Videos: https://youtube.com/@fasterandworse
Audios: https://pnc.st/s/faster-and-worse
Pinned
Steve Farrugia
@fasterandworse.com
· Sep 24
Dispatch #31: Anti-Design
YouTube video by Faster and Worse
www.youtube.com
Dispatch #31: Anti-Design
Design to compensate for a lack of design
Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3eL...
Audio: pnc.st/s/faster-and...
1/x
Design to compensate for a lack of design
Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3eL...
Audio: pnc.st/s/faster-and...
1/x
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
If users notice your software, you’re already a loser
Nobody wants a computer. They want what it does.
SPECIAL SATURDAY EXTRA (cos I missed yesterday)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=liFW... - video
pivottoai.libsyn.com/20260110-if-... - podcast
time: 7 min 08 sec
Nobody wants a computer. They want what it does.
SPECIAL SATURDAY EXTRA (cos I missed yesterday)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=liFW... - video
pivottoai.libsyn.com/20260110-if-... - podcast
time: 7 min 08 sec
January 10, 2026 at 9:33 PM
If users notice your software, you’re already a loser
Nobody wants a computer. They want what it does.
SPECIAL SATURDAY EXTRA (cos I missed yesterday)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=liFW... - video
pivottoai.libsyn.com/20260110-if-... - podcast
time: 7 min 08 sec
Nobody wants a computer. They want what it does.
SPECIAL SATURDAY EXTRA (cos I missed yesterday)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=liFW... - video
pivottoai.libsyn.com/20260110-if-... - podcast
time: 7 min 08 sec
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
Every time elon slams twitter's dick in the car door, the new influx of people is composed of people who acclimated longer to hanging out in a Nazi bar.
The longer they spent at the Nazi bar, the worse they are at interacting normally, like feral cats past the age domestication is possible
The longer they spent at the Nazi bar, the worse they are at interacting normally, like feral cats past the age domestication is possible
March 28, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Every time elon slams twitter's dick in the car door, the new influx of people is composed of people who acclimated longer to hanging out in a Nazi bar.
The longer they spent at the Nazi bar, the worse they are at interacting normally, like feral cats past the age domestication is possible
The longer they spent at the Nazi bar, the worse they are at interacting normally, like feral cats past the age domestication is possible
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
macOS decided to install updates and restart itself autonomously overnight, destroying everything I had open, despite being previously configured to not do so. it's not even clear from the "software updates" UI that you can even configure it these days
January 11, 2026 at 12:03 PM
macOS decided to install updates and restart itself autonomously overnight, destroying everything I had open, despite being previously configured to not do so. it's not even clear from the "software updates" UI that you can even configure it these days
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
This is exactly what I mean when I say that UX has no value when the business model is not "make a thing people want and sell it for more than it costs to make."
The top 10 most profitable tech business models these days are different kinds of scam. You don't need design for that.
The top 10 most profitable tech business models these days are different kinds of scam. You don't need design for that.
It's strange how far removed this Obama-era book feels from our time, with its maker-faire optimism during the heady days of the iPhone's first flourishing. But Don, I kept thinking, especially toward the book's flowery final chapters, don't you know everything is a scam now? Tech is scams now.
January 11, 2026 at 3:31 AM
This is exactly what I mean when I say that UX has no value when the business model is not "make a thing people want and sell it for more than it costs to make."
The top 10 most profitable tech business models these days are different kinds of scam. You don't need design for that.
The top 10 most profitable tech business models these days are different kinds of scam. You don't need design for that.
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
Coiners: eliminate the need for a trusted third-party
AI bros:
AI bros:
January 11, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Coiners: eliminate the need for a trusted third-party
AI bros:
AI bros:
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
“If users notice your software, you’re already a loser – Pivot to AI”
https://pivot-to-ai.com/2026/01/10/if-users-notice-your-software-youre-already-a-loser/
> If you’re adding sparkly icon “now with AI!” features to your software, you’re in quarterly driven failure mode
https://pivot-to-ai.com/2026/01/10/if-users-notice-your-software-youre-already-a-loser/
> If you’re adding sparkly icon “now with AI!” features to your software, you’re in quarterly driven failure mode
If users notice your software, you’re already a loser
Nobody wants a computer. They want what it does. Not the annoying machine. Including phones. I just got a new phone, a Fairphone 5. It’s a nice phone! And Fairphone will even sell you it with the G…
pivot-to-ai.com
January 11, 2026 at 10:51 AM
“If users notice your software, you’re already a loser – Pivot to AI”
https://pivot-to-ai.com/2026/01/10/if-users-notice-your-software-youre-already-a-loser/
> If you’re adding sparkly icon “now with AI!” features to your software, you’re in quarterly driven failure mode
https://pivot-to-ai.com/2026/01/10/if-users-notice-your-software-youre-already-a-loser/
> If you’re adding sparkly icon “now with AI!” features to your software, you’re in quarterly driven failure mode
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
Radical Centrism = Apathy
What matters is not who you hate or why, but that you feel hate at all, when the proper response to all events is of course to feel nothing and thereby pretend you can reason dispassionately...
What matters is not who you hate or why, but that you feel hate at all, when the proper response to all events is of course to feel nothing and thereby pretend you can reason dispassionately...
In case there’s any doubt about what TCW means here, his subsequent retweet of David French makes it clear
January 11, 2026 at 9:44 AM
Radical Centrism = Apathy
What matters is not who you hate or why, but that you feel hate at all, when the proper response to all events is of course to feel nothing and thereby pretend you can reason dispassionately...
What matters is not who you hate or why, but that you feel hate at all, when the proper response to all events is of course to feel nothing and thereby pretend you can reason dispassionately...
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
By chance, did anyone record, or see a recording of, the infamous AI-adverse DELL CES presentation that PC Gamer reported on?
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/del...
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/del...
Dell seems to be the first to realise we don't actually care about AI PCs
"What we've learned over the course of this year, from a consumer perspective, is they're not buying based on AI."
www.pcgamer.com
January 9, 2026 at 9:58 PM
By chance, did anyone record, or see a recording of, the infamous AI-adverse DELL CES presentation that PC Gamer reported on?
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/del...
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/del...
Coiners: eliminate the need for a trusted third-party
AI bros:
AI bros:
January 11, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Coiners: eliminate the need for a trusted third-party
AI bros:
AI bros:
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
normal person: chatbot output is shit
AI bro: look just try it yourself!!
normal person: (tries it) still sucks
AI bro: you're trying it *wrong*
AI bro: look just try it yourself!!
normal person: (tries it) still sucks
AI bro: you're trying it *wrong*
January 10, 2026 at 11:18 AM
normal person: chatbot output is shit
AI bro: look just try it yourself!!
normal person: (tries it) still sucks
AI bro: you're trying it *wrong*
AI bro: look just try it yourself!!
normal person: (tries it) still sucks
AI bro: you're trying it *wrong*
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
I am not sure why I would want to change my job to "explaining in excruciating detail things that you know how to do, to an idiot machine that doesn't and can't"
January 10, 2026 at 10:26 PM
I am not sure why I would want to change my job to "explaining in excruciating detail things that you know how to do, to an idiot machine that doesn't and can't"
Notice me, user. Be ready for an experience.
If users notice your software, you’re already a loser
Nobody wants a computer. They want what it does.
SPECIAL SATURDAY EXTRA (cos I missed yesterday)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=liFW... - video
pivottoai.libsyn.com/20260110-if-... - podcast
time: 7 min 08 sec
Nobody wants a computer. They want what it does.
SPECIAL SATURDAY EXTRA (cos I missed yesterday)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=liFW... - video
pivottoai.libsyn.com/20260110-if-... - podcast
time: 7 min 08 sec
January 10, 2026 at 10:33 PM
Notice me, user. Be ready for an experience.
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
If you want people who aren't fully inside the progressive sphere to oppose fascism, you are going to have to deal with the occasional stupid take.
January 10, 2026 at 10:13 PM
If you want people who aren't fully inside the progressive sphere to oppose fascism, you are going to have to deal with the occasional stupid take.
Told a friend I had a long dispute on mastodon and they asked what mastodon is, so I told them it's like bluesky and then they asked what bluesky is
January 10, 2026 at 10:12 PM
Told a friend I had a long dispute on mastodon and they asked what mastodon is, so I told them it's like bluesky and then they asked what bluesky is
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
I found the keyboard I shall use for writing all future spite papers
January 10, 2026 at 2:50 PM
I found the keyboard I shall use for writing all future spite papers
By chance, did anyone record, or see a recording of, the infamous AI-adverse DELL CES presentation that PC Gamer reported on?
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/del...
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/del...
Dell seems to be the first to realise we don't actually care about AI PCs
"What we've learned over the course of this year, from a consumer perspective, is they're not buying based on AI."
www.pcgamer.com
January 9, 2026 at 9:58 PM
By chance, did anyone record, or see a recording of, the infamous AI-adverse DELL CES presentation that PC Gamer reported on?
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/del...
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/del...
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
🚨 New shirt design! 🚨
This bootleg-style tee celebrates the uncontestable badassery of vaccines, featuring COVID, Hep B, meningococcus, MMR, TDaP, rabies, flu, Gardasil, and more.
There are two versions (below). Available as a tee, hoodie, crop, and tank.
pinpenmerger.etsy.com
This bootleg-style tee celebrates the uncontestable badassery of vaccines, featuring COVID, Hep B, meningococcus, MMR, TDaP, rabies, flu, Gardasil, and more.
There are two versions (below). Available as a tee, hoodie, crop, and tank.
pinpenmerger.etsy.com
January 9, 2026 at 9:37 PM
🚨 New shirt design! 🚨
This bootleg-style tee celebrates the uncontestable badassery of vaccines, featuring COVID, Hep B, meningococcus, MMR, TDaP, rabies, flu, Gardasil, and more.
There are two versions (below). Available as a tee, hoodie, crop, and tank.
pinpenmerger.etsy.com
This bootleg-style tee celebrates the uncontestable badassery of vaccines, featuring COVID, Hep B, meningococcus, MMR, TDaP, rabies, flu, Gardasil, and more.
There are two versions (below). Available as a tee, hoodie, crop, and tank.
pinpenmerger.etsy.com
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
looking forward to your numbers (that aren't just asking devs and their managers for vibes and graphing the vibes, which of course transforms the vibes into data)
every AI fan dismisses the METR study but I don't know any since that are even to that standard of actually measuring the work
every AI fan dismisses the METR study but I don't know any since that are even to that standard of actually measuring the work
January 9, 2026 at 6:27 PM
looking forward to your numbers (that aren't just asking devs and their managers for vibes and graphing the vibes, which of course transforms the vibes into data)
every AI fan dismisses the METR study but I don't know any since that are even to that standard of actually measuring the work
every AI fan dismisses the METR study but I don't know any since that are even to that standard of actually measuring the work
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
anyway remember a few weeks ago about "smart features" in Gmail?
switching all of those off is how to shut up the new AI in Gmail
if you didn't already
yeah all of them, they hooked the useful bits into the anti-features
switching all of those off is how to shut up the new AI in Gmail
if you didn't already
yeah all of them, they hooked the useful bits into the anti-features
January 9, 2026 at 10:21 AM
anyway remember a few weeks ago about "smart features" in Gmail?
switching all of those off is how to shut up the new AI in Gmail
if you didn't already
yeah all of them, they hooked the useful bits into the anti-features
switching all of those off is how to shut up the new AI in Gmail
if you didn't already
yeah all of them, they hooked the useful bits into the anti-features
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
(regarding the “minister of AI“)
Ursula Franklin summarized it as such:
“…we have lost the institution of government in terms of responsibility and accountability to the people. We now have nothing but a bunch of managers, who run the country to make it safe for technology.”
“…we have lost the institution of government in terms of responsibility and accountability to the people. We now have nothing but a bunch of managers, who run the country to make it safe for technology.”
January 9, 2026 at 8:41 PM
(regarding the “minister of AI“)
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
Nuked my twitter from orbit. Deleted every post, didn’t download shit, fuck it. It’s digital ephemera. Put on some sunglasses, stick a tooth pick in your mouth, and hit detonate as you walk away.
Yesterday Elon Musk retweeted "white solidarity is the only way to survive". In our numb overwhelmed media environment it barely made headlines that the world's richest man endorsed blood-curdling white nationalism. My brief writeup for @religiondispatches.org
religiondispatches.org/elon-musk-ju...
religiondispatches.org/elon-musk-ju...
Elon Musk Just Endorsed Blatant White Nationalism And the Silence is Deafening
On Thursday morning Elon Musk retweeted (with a ‘100%’ endorsement) a post declaring that:
If white men become a minority, we will be slaughtered. Remember, if non-Whites openly hate White men while...
religiondispatches.org
January 9, 2026 at 8:32 PM
Nuked my twitter from orbit. Deleted every post, didn’t download shit, fuck it. It’s digital ephemera. Put on some sunglasses, stick a tooth pick in your mouth, and hit detonate as you walk away.
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
if you need it
on web: Settings > Content & Media > Autoplay media and GIFs (Off)
on web: Settings > Content & Media > Autoplay media and GIFs (Off)
January 9, 2026 at 7:23 PM
if you need it
on web: Settings > Content & Media > Autoplay media and GIFs (Off)
on web: Settings > Content & Media > Autoplay media and GIFs (Off)
Reposted by Steve Farrugia
New year, new website.
Here's a little (big) write up about the evolution of my website, and some of the new fun things I built in the redesign.
p.s. please don't find any bugs, thank you
Here's a little (big) write up about the evolution of my website, and some of the new fun things I built in the redesign.
p.s. please don't find any bugs, thank you
I redesigned my website (again)
It's been almost 3 years since my last website redesign. Read about its evolution, new things in the redesign, and my quest to make my website more personal.
whitep4nth3r.com
January 9, 2026 at 7:17 PM
New year, new website.
Here's a little (big) write up about the evolution of my website, and some of the new fun things I built in the redesign.
p.s. please don't find any bugs, thank you
Here's a little (big) write up about the evolution of my website, and some of the new fun things I built in the redesign.
p.s. please don't find any bugs, thank you