Ben Mitchell
@ohbendy.bsky.social
I research and make fonts for Southeast Asian scripts!
🇪🇺 🏳️🌈 He/him
🧑💻 www.fontpad.co.uk
📷 https://www.flickr.com/photos/ohbendy/albums
🇪🇺 🏳️🌈 He/him
🧑💻 www.fontpad.co.uk
📷 https://www.flickr.com/photos/ohbendy/albums
Pinned
Ben Mitchell
@ohbendy.bsky.social
· Sep 26
Bringing Southeast Asian languages to life on the internet
Within a digital world designed for Latin scripts and fonts, Southeast Asia is playing catch up to ensure its citizens have equal access to all its features
southeastasiaglobe.com
I talked with the Southeast Asia Globe about some of the challenges for SEAsian scripts in the digital environment, and some of the ways we’re trying to help.
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
"I DON'T NEED YOU TO FUCKING REWRITE WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN!"
October 28, 2025 at 10:46 AM
"I DON'T NEED YOU TO FUCKING REWRITE WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN!"
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
People perceive thickness of letters very individually, and that’s why we are conducting Font Weight Survey to understand the regional preferences of font weight. Could we ask you for 10 min of your time? The findings will be published publicly once we have some results.
tptq.com/weight
tptq.com/weight
October 5, 2025 at 4:11 PM
People perceive thickness of letters very individually, and that’s why we are conducting Font Weight Survey to understand the regional preferences of font weight. Could we ask you for 10 min of your time? The findings will be published publicly once we have some results.
tptq.com/weight
tptq.com/weight
New release! Futura မြန်မာ ខ្មែរ ລາວ ไทย and more!
Introducing Futura®100 /// TypeTogether is proud to announce the first release of Futura®100, the iconic font family. Original intention, modern conventions — now made for your world.
Find out more: www.type-together.com/new-release-...
#typography #fonts #graphicdesign #fontsky #multilingual
Find out more: www.type-together.com/new-release-...
#typography #fonts #graphicdesign #fontsky #multilingual
September 15, 2025 at 4:11 PM
New release! Futura မြန်မာ ខ្មែរ ລາວ ไทย and more!
Having trouble getting Myanmar fonts to trigger the Myanmar shaping engine on Word/Windows — reordering isn't even occurring — does anyone have troubleshooting suggestions? I fear having too many Unicode ranges (geometric shapes etc) selected might be interfering with USE handling?
September 6, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Having trouble getting Myanmar fonts to trigger the Myanmar shaping engine on Word/Windows — reordering isn't even occurring — does anyone have troubleshooting suggestions? I fear having too many Unicode ranges (geometric shapes etc) selected might be interfering with USE handling?
Had a little time over the last few days to make progress with this pair of typefaces. Couldn't find a Lao version of the Stranger Things logo so here's my guess how it could look, along with Thai, and the geo-grotesque interpreting how a contemporary loopless design might have looked in the 1980s.
August 18, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Had a little time over the last few days to make progress with this pair of typefaces. Couldn't find a Lao version of the Stranger Things logo so here's my guess how it could look, along with Thai, and the geo-grotesque interpreting how a contemporary loopless design might have looked in the 1980s.
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
New documentary out now!
Around Luang Prabang is one of the world’s few regions where traditional manuscript culture still thrives. Researchers Agnieszka Helman-Wazny & Volker Grabowsky spent years capturing the voices of those keeping this legacy alive.
🎞️Watch the full film here: uhh.de/csmc-laos
Around Luang Prabang is one of the world’s few regions where traditional manuscript culture still thrives. Researchers Agnieszka Helman-Wazny & Volker Grabowsky spent years capturing the voices of those keeping this legacy alive.
🎞️Watch the full film here: uhh.de/csmc-laos
July 9, 2025 at 7:31 AM
New documentary out now!
Around Luang Prabang is one of the world’s few regions where traditional manuscript culture still thrives. Researchers Agnieszka Helman-Wazny & Volker Grabowsky spent years capturing the voices of those keeping this legacy alive.
🎞️Watch the full film here: uhh.de/csmc-laos
Around Luang Prabang is one of the world’s few regions where traditional manuscript culture still thrives. Researchers Agnieszka Helman-Wazny & Volker Grabowsky spent years capturing the voices of those keeping this legacy alive.
🎞️Watch the full film here: uhh.de/csmc-laos
This book, The Garden of Delights, is a real treasure! Such a joy to read! Deeply imaginative, deliciously written, multi-layered story with magic, gods and flowers. Stunning! Thank you @amalsingh.bsky.social
June 17, 2025 at 10:45 PM
This book, The Garden of Delights, is a real treasure! Such a joy to read! Deeply imaginative, deliciously written, multi-layered story with magic, gods and flowers. Stunning! Thank you @amalsingh.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
The fundamental miscalculation that the ruling elite in the UK are making is that they can have polite fascism against trans people. You cannot contain it. Don't be surprised if Reform UK is elected into power with Farage as PM in the next few years and plunges the UK into authoritarianism.
April 19, 2025 at 10:07 PM
The fundamental miscalculation that the ruling elite in the UK are making is that they can have polite fascism against trans people. You cannot contain it. Don't be surprised if Reform UK is elected into power with Farage as PM in the next few years and plunges the UK into authoritarianism.
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
This is why they can't fix it: it's not broken
It's *structurally indifferent to truth*
It's *structurally indifferent to truth*
Again, @ft.com reporters or whoever else needs to hear this:
"Hallucinations" are not the result of "flaws," they are literally inherent in & inextricable from what LLM systems do & are.
Whether an "AI" tells you something that matches reality or something that doesn't, *it is working as designed*
"Hallucinations" are not the result of "flaws," they are literally inherent in & inextricable from what LLM systems do & are.
Whether an "AI" tells you something that matches reality or something that doesn't, *it is working as designed*
May 14, 2025 at 5:42 AM
This is why they can't fix it: it's not broken
It's *structurally indifferent to truth*
It's *structurally indifferent to truth*
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
We persistently underestimate the vulnerability of democracies to authoritarianism, because we treat tyranny as something that attacks democracy from the outside.
We need to recognise it as something that can grow up within democracies, and that wins support by latching on to democratic ideas.
We need to recognise it as something that can grow up within democracies, and that wins support by latching on to democratic ideas.
March 18, 2025 at 11:04 PM
We persistently underestimate the vulnerability of democracies to authoritarianism, because we treat tyranny as something that attacks democracy from the outside.
We need to recognise it as something that can grow up within democracies, and that wins support by latching on to democratic ideas.
We need to recognise it as something that can grow up within democracies, and that wins support by latching on to democratic ideas.
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
Monumental three-volume Handbook of Epigraphic Cultures to be published by De Gruyter, early next year hopefully. Open Access eBook! Includes chapters on Khitan and Tangut epigraphy.
![Flyer publicizing two forthcoming Handbooks on Material Text Culture from De Gruyter: Handbook of Medieval Book Ornament [ISBN 978-3-11-141107-1] and Handbook of Epigraphic Cultures (3 volumes) [ISBN 978-3-11-124094-7]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7v2mqh7dhocngomglc7mhl6g/bafkreieitzyb7auatvu2bfnkhs4cku2qwjdimhiu37ypjaixtoc44wvpty@jpeg)
March 12, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Monumental three-volume Handbook of Epigraphic Cultures to be published by De Gruyter, early next year hopefully. Open Access eBook! Includes chapters on Khitan and Tangut epigraphy.
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
Don't use generative AI
Again, please, Generative AI (chatbots, image generators...) demands crazy amount of energy and water and increases carbon footprint.
When you use it, you are not just stealing copyrighted material and looking super clumsy, you are also accelerating global warming.
When you use it, you are not just stealing copyrighted material and looking super clumsy, you are also accelerating global warming.
February 28, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Don't use generative AI
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
As promised, here are the slides I shared with students to convince them to NOT use chatGPT and other artificial stupidity.
TL;DR? AI is evil, unsustainable and stupid, and I'd much rather they use their own brains, make their own mistakes, and actually learn something. 🪄
TL;DR? AI is evil, unsustainable and stupid, and I'd much rather they use their own brains, make their own mistakes, and actually learn something. 🪄
February 23, 2025 at 1:45 PM
As promised, here are the slides I shared with students to convince them to NOT use chatGPT and other artificial stupidity.
TL;DR? AI is evil, unsustainable and stupid, and I'd much rather they use their own brains, make their own mistakes, and actually learn something. 🪄
TL;DR? AI is evil, unsustainable and stupid, and I'd much rather they use their own brains, make their own mistakes, and actually learn something. 🪄
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
Myanmar marks four years of a bloody civil war on Saturday. According to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), at least 73,069 people have died in this conflict with almost 20,000 deaths added to the list in 2024 alone.
Amid Hope and Despair, Myanmar’s Civil War Enters Its Fifth Year
As the conflict drags on, politicians and “irritating voices” emerge from the liberated rear.
buff.ly
January 31, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Myanmar marks four years of a bloody civil war on Saturday. According to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), at least 73,069 people have died in this conflict with almost 20,000 deaths added to the list in 2024 alone.
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
➡️ January 20: FAA director fired
➡️ January 21: Air Traffic Controller hiring frozen
➡️ January 22: Aviation Safety Advisory Committee disbanded
➡️ January 28: Buyout/retirement demand sent to existing employees
➡️ January 29: First American mid-air collision in 16 years
Making America Great Again!
➡️ January 21: Air Traffic Controller hiring frozen
➡️ January 22: Aviation Safety Advisory Committee disbanded
➡️ January 28: Buyout/retirement demand sent to existing employees
➡️ January 29: First American mid-air collision in 16 years
Making America Great Again!
January 30, 2025 at 3:37 PM
➡️ January 20: FAA director fired
➡️ January 21: Air Traffic Controller hiring frozen
➡️ January 22: Aviation Safety Advisory Committee disbanded
➡️ January 28: Buyout/retirement demand sent to existing employees
➡️ January 29: First American mid-air collision in 16 years
Making America Great Again!
➡️ January 21: Air Traffic Controller hiring frozen
➡️ January 22: Aviation Safety Advisory Committee disbanded
➡️ January 28: Buyout/retirement demand sent to existing employees
➡️ January 29: First American mid-air collision in 16 years
Making America Great Again!
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
Working with the languages of the world means also engaging with the world and feeling both its joys and pains. After the unspeakable horrors in Lebanon and Gaza, @tptq-arabic.com thought it was highly inappropriate to go about business as usual, and promote fonts.
TPTQ Arabic: After the pause
TPTQ Arabic Blog: A blog about fonts, typography & graphic design, News about typefaces, design writing, books and t-shirts.
tptq-arabic.com
January 28, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Working with the languages of the world means also engaging with the world and feeling both its joys and pains. After the unspeakable horrors in Lebanon and Gaza, @tptq-arabic.com thought it was highly inappropriate to go about business as usual, and promote fonts.
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
If you’re starting a new project this week and reaching for the Lorem Ipsum text, make sure you also testing with real-world copy.
Latin always looks great, it’s all n’s and o’s and beautiful rhythm — real text is messy, full of k’s and 5’s and punctuation. Design for the mess!
Latin always looks great, it’s all n’s and o’s and beautiful rhythm — real text is messy, full of k’s and 5’s and punctuation. Design for the mess!
January 6, 2025 at 9:20 PM
If you’re starting a new project this week and reaching for the Lorem Ipsum text, make sure you also testing with real-world copy.
Latin always looks great, it’s all n’s and o’s and beautiful rhythm — real text is messy, full of k’s and 5’s and punctuation. Design for the mess!
Latin always looks great, it’s all n’s and o’s and beautiful rhythm — real text is messy, full of k’s and 5’s and punctuation. Design for the mess!
Has anyone managed to get scrollbars back in Acrobat Reader? I've enabled 'always show scrollbars' in Acrobat preferences and in Mac system preferences, and I've disabled new Acrobat Reader. Still no sign of scrollbars, quite annoying in a long document to only be able to advance one page at a time.
January 6, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Has anyone managed to get scrollbars back in Acrobat Reader? I've enabled 'always show scrollbars' in Acrobat preferences and in Mac system preferences, and I've disabled new Acrobat Reader. Still no sign of scrollbars, quite annoying in a long document to only be able to advance one page at a time.
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
Just learned that, for the first half of 1849, a newspaper called the 'Fonetic Nuz' was published in London...
January 1, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Just learned that, for the first half of 1849, a newspaper called the 'Fonetic Nuz' was published in London...
Proofing Thai Mon letterforms for Pali language, which use different constructions for a few letters, and add loops to others.
See how Thai characters ๚ and ะ are used as separators, along with ᪥.
There's also a contextual version of the round -aa vowel to avoid ambiguity after certain letters.
See how Thai characters ๚ and ะ are used as separators, along with ᪥.
There's also a contextual version of the round -aa vowel to avoid ambiguity after certain letters.
December 28, 2024 at 6:10 PM
Proofing Thai Mon letterforms for Pali language, which use different constructions for a few letters, and add loops to others.
See how Thai characters ๚ and ะ are used as separators, along with ᪥.
There's also a contextual version of the round -aa vowel to avoid ambiguity after certain letters.
See how Thai characters ๚ and ะ are used as separators, along with ᪥.
There's also a contextual version of the round -aa vowel to avoid ambiguity after certain letters.
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
we should be concerned about the impacts of social media on kids and teens, but i don’t think we’re worried nearly enough about what it’s doing to middle aged people and seniors
December 26, 2024 at 4:45 PM
we should be concerned about the impacts of social media on kids and teens, but i don’t think we’re worried nearly enough about what it’s doing to middle aged people and seniors
@hoaxeye.bsky.social Any thoughts on this one from Burma? m.youtube.com/watch?v=oVWX...
UFO in Myanmar, Bagan
YouTube video by green lover
m.youtube.com
December 18, 2024 at 9:58 PM
@hoaxeye.bsky.social Any thoughts on this one from Burma? m.youtube.com/watch?v=oVWX...
Reposted by Ben Mitchell
Here are a list of easy tweaks to permanently turn off Google's AI for most browsers.
tenbluelinks.org
tenbluelinks.org
How to Turn Off Google AI Overview and Set "Web" as Default
tenbluelinks.org
December 13, 2024 at 7:51 PM
Here are a list of easy tweaks to permanently turn off Google's AI for most browsers.
tenbluelinks.org
tenbluelinks.org
As someone who has looked at dozens of ancient inscriptions from SEAsia, I find the lack of erosion a bit fishy if this is ~2000 years old. And 'inscribed with a conic drill' in that era?
Exciting news: a previously unknown script (and language?) has been discovered in Georgia. However, as a heritage crime specialist, this find gives me pause. A thread. jaha.org.ro/index.php/JA...
December 13, 2024 at 3:18 PM
As someone who has looked at dozens of ancient inscriptions from SEAsia, I find the lack of erosion a bit fishy if this is ~2000 years old. And 'inscribed with a conic drill' in that era?