Matt C. A. Smith
@mattcasmith.net
Cyber security professional writing about technology, business, and culture.
mattcasmith.net
mattcasmith.net
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Enshittified football needs its Steve Jobs moment | MattCASmith
Elite football clubs are being run down by the same model of enshittification that ruined tech products. Owners, safe in the knowledge they have a captive audience, prioritise profits over sporting su...
mattcasmith.net
Certain football clubs are following the same enshittification playbook used by so many tech companies – the problem is there's no audience more captive than football fans. Users can jump ship, but we're stuck with it.
Certain football clubs are following the same enshittification playbook used by so many tech companies – the problem is there's no audience more captive than football fans. Users can jump ship, but we're stuck with it.
Enshittified football needs its Steve Jobs moment | MattCASmith
Elite football clubs are being run down by the same model of enshittification that ruined tech products. Owners, safe in the knowledge they have a captive audience, prioritise profits over sporting su...
mattcasmith.net
January 11, 2026 at 2:58 PM
Certain football clubs are following the same enshittification playbook used by so many tech companies – the problem is there's no audience more captive than football fans. Users can jump ship, but we're stuck with it.
I love how action-oriented Claude is. I'm working on a blog post and it told me to "stop asking me questions and publish the damn thing".
January 11, 2026 at 7:31 AM
I love how action-oriented Claude is. I'm working on a blog post and it told me to "stop asking me questions and publish the damn thing".
The “quality check” stage on the pizza delivery tracker is perhaps the biggest lie of all time.
January 9, 2026 at 6:41 PM
The “quality check” stage on the pizza delivery tracker is perhaps the biggest lie of all time.
Starting to think the Metropolitan line is just a huge house of cards. Is there any other Tube line where a signal failure at a terminal in Zone 7 destroys service across the entire line?
January 8, 2026 at 7:12 AM
Starting to think the Metropolitan line is just a huge house of cards. Is there any other Tube line where a signal failure at a terminal in Zone 7 destroys service across the entire line?
Photos from a visit to the RAF Museum today.
January 3, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Photos from a visit to the RAF Museum today.
Just attempted my first run of 2026 and nearly skated into the road the moment I set foot on the pavement! Think I’ll need to let the sun move round and melt the ice before trying that again.
January 2, 2026 at 10:58 AM
Just attempted my first run of 2026 and nearly skated into the road the moment I set foot on the pavement! Think I’ll need to let the sun move round and melt the ice before trying that again.
This was a really fun Lego set to build, with so many little details in the engine and suspension, and even Brazilian colours hidden under the livery. Might find a wheel/sticker set to finish it off.
January 1, 2026 at 11:57 AM
This was a really fun Lego set to build, with so many little details in the engine and suspension, and even Brazilian colours hidden under the livery. Might find a wheel/sticker set to finish it off.
Created a list of people who post useful stuff and pinned it to Home. Now I can scroll through their new posts in about five minutes and close X.
I might have solved social media by returning to 2007.
I might have solved social media by returning to 2007.
January 1, 2026 at 10:08 AM
Created a list of people who post useful stuff and pinned it to Home. Now I can scroll through their new posts in about five minutes and close X.
I might have solved social media by returning to 2007.
I might have solved social media by returning to 2007.
Happy new year! In 2025, my blog finally found its rhythm and Field Notes launched. Here's what worked, what didn't, and what to expect in 2026.
State of the Blog 2026: Following a new direction | MattCASmith
I've blogged for about 20 years, but until recently I never knew exactly what this site should be. As we enter 2026, I'm reflecting on how I found my voice in 2025, and how to step things up in the ne...
mattcasmith.net
January 1, 2026 at 8:42 AM
Happy new year! In 2025, my blog finally found its rhythm and Field Notes launched. Here's what worked, what didn't, and what to expect in 2026.
Vibe coded a script to check my blog posts have all the required metadata, generate a new version of the site, and push it to GitHub. Took probably half an hour to generate with Claude, test, and adjust.
December 28, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Vibe coded a script to check my blog posts have all the required metadata, generate a new version of the site, and push it to GitHub. Took probably half an hour to generate with Claude, test, and adjust.
Merry Christmas! I hope everybody’s enjoying some much-needed time off with their family.
December 26, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Merry Christmas! I hope everybody’s enjoying some much-needed time off with their family.
To round off 2025, I went back through my notes and put together a roundup of the best gadgets, books, podcasts, and games I've found this year (and some that it might be best to avoid). mattcasmith.net/2025/12/23/b...
Best of Tech 2025: Gadgets, books, games, and more | MattCASmith
I was much better at keeping note of things I read, watched, and played in 2025. It seemed rude not to share, so here's a roundup of the best things I found this year (and some to you might want to av...
mattcasmith.net
December 23, 2025 at 9:43 AM
To round off 2025, I went back through my notes and put together a roundup of the best gadgets, books, podcasts, and games I've found this year (and some that it might be best to avoid). mattcasmith.net/2025/12/23/b...
Working with computers teaches humility. Whenever you encounter an error, your first thought becomes: "What have I done wrong here?"
December 23, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Working with computers teaches humility. Whenever you encounter an error, your first thought becomes: "What have I done wrong here?"
Asked Siri to set timers for 15 and 65 minutes, and it set a single timer for 80 minutes. 😩
December 21, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Asked Siri to set timers for 15 and 65 minutes, and it set a single timer for 80 minutes. 😩
My highlights of #BSidesLDN2025 so far are Alex Brown’s deep dive on Microsoft Edge persistence and @gladstomych’s rundown of his serverless AITM framework. I love talks that cover not just the end products but how the team tackled the challenges along the way.
December 13, 2025 at 1:39 PM
My highlights of #BSidesLDN2025 so far are Alex Brown’s deep dive on Microsoft Edge persistence and @gladstomych’s rundown of his serverless AITM framework. I love talks that cover not just the end products but how the team tackled the challenges along the way.
In an area I rarely visit and two people have asked me for directions to the only place I know. ✨
December 13, 2025 at 1:28 PM
In an area I rarely visit and two people have asked me for directions to the only place I know. ✨
AI assistants can only make good recommendations if they can pre-empt the thousands of subconscious decisions we make when we shop - and for that to be possible, user profiling must become the default.
AI shopping only works if you give up your privacy | MattCASmith
As I wrote when OpenAI launched its Atlas browser, AI models simply don’t know your preferences well enough to shop on your behalf. The technology firms envision a future where we type “buy trainers” ...
mattcasmith.net
December 10, 2025 at 6:01 PM
AI assistants can only make good recommendations if they can pre-empt the thousands of subconscious decisions we make when we shop - and for that to be possible, user profiling must become the default.
Reading a thread full of people who use Kindle page turners to read while on the treadmill, and genuinely amazed anybody has the stability or coordination to read while running.
December 2, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Reading a thread full of people who use Kindle page turners to read while on the treadmill, and genuinely amazed anybody has the stability or coordination to read while running.
The tech industry is drawn to ambitious "moonshots" like self-driving cars, but there are less glamorous problems to solve - like the buying process.
Self-driving cars are here, but the friction is in the sale | MattCASmith
On a recent trip to Austin, Texas, I was tempted to take one of the Waymos or Robotaxis that so casually roam the streets. One day, I was even offered one as an alternative to waiting 11 minutes for a...
mattcasmith.net
December 1, 2025 at 8:06 AM
The tech industry is drawn to ambitious "moonshots" like self-driving cars, but there are less glamorous problems to solve - like the buying process.
Finally arrived today! Better get reading quick at the speed this industry moves…
November 12, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Finally arrived today! Better get reading quick at the speed this industry moves…
It’s getting difficult to tell whether posts were written using AI or if their authors mimicked AI’s “professional” tone to try to sound authoritative.
November 11, 2025 at 1:42 PM
It’s getting difficult to tell whether posts were written using AI or if their authors mimicked AI’s “professional” tone to try to sound authoritative.
Took my wife to the viewing platform at 22 Bishopsgate yesterday. Fantastic views as far as Wembley in one direction and past Canary Wharf in the other.
November 9, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Took my wife to the viewing platform at 22 Bishopsgate yesterday. Fantastic views as far as Wembley in one direction and past Canary Wharf in the other.
Just uploaded my latest newsletter to the blog, with a round-up of all the tech news, articles, and podcasts I found interesting this month.
Field Notes 5 // ChatGPT Atlas and the Claude café | MattCASmith
I'm feeling bullish on technology in a way I haven't since the mid-2010s. I'm still not fully convinced on the AI non(?)-bubble, but it feels like the sector has regained some of its soul recently. At...
mattcasmith.net
November 9, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Just uploaded my latest newsletter to the blog, with a round-up of all the tech news, articles, and podcasts I found interesting this month.
Visited a startup website so flashy and clever that it immediately crashed my browser. At that point, plain HTML would have been superior.
November 7, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Visited a startup website so flashy and clever that it immediately crashed my browser. At that point, plain HTML would have been superior.
OpenAI says its ChatGPT Atlas web browser will change how we use the internet - and it will. But positioning AI as a gatekeeper to the internet will have broader, more concerning effects. 🧵 [1/7]
November 5, 2025 at 2:05 PM
OpenAI says its ChatGPT Atlas web browser will change how we use the internet - and it will. But positioning AI as a gatekeeper to the internet will have broader, more concerning effects. 🧵 [1/7]