Olu Niyi-Awosusi
@olu.online
web dev, writer, "content" creator, mad/disabled + audhd, queer, luddite, black innit | they/them | elsewhere: https://olu.online/contact
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Olu Niyi-Awosusi
@olu.online
· Nov 15
Olu Online
hopeful. tech ethics nerd. luddite. video essayist. coder. prison abolitionist. social/environmental/tech justice advocate. solarpunk and permacomputing ent...
olu.online
hey, i'm olu 👋🏿
by way of intro, like on olu.online, you're getting a word cloud:
web developer, writer + researcher, video essayist, tech ethics obsessive, foodie, mad/disabled/nd, black af, queer, ~brit, luddite, hoopy frood, amateur sewist, cute, smart.
always open to collabs and convo, hmu
by way of intro, like on olu.online, you're getting a word cloud:
web developer, writer + researcher, video essayist, tech ethics obsessive, foodie, mad/disabled/nd, black af, queer, ~brit, luddite, hoopy frood, amateur sewist, cute, smart.
always open to collabs and convo, hmu
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
as someone w/ severe adhd, i've been working on being on time for the past several years. i've discovered something that works for me, but it's so much work:
November 9, 2025 at 10:56 PM
as someone w/ severe adhd, i've been working on being on time for the past several years. i've discovered something that works for me, but it's so much work:
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
It shouldn’t be forgotten that a big piece of Mamdani’s campaign was simply “cities are cool and lots of people enjoy living in them” which in and of itself dismantles alot of rightwing talking points
November 7, 2025 at 12:02 PM
It shouldn’t be forgotten that a big piece of Mamdani’s campaign was simply “cities are cool and lots of people enjoy living in them” which in and of itself dismantles alot of rightwing talking points
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
lol thats reasonable, Arial is aliased as Helvetica because microsoft never wanted to pay for the licence so they made a clone in house instead 🫠 and they wanted the web to "just work" when someone specifies helvetica i guess sooo
November 6, 2025 at 10:33 PM
lol thats reasonable, Arial is aliased as Helvetica because microsoft never wanted to pay for the licence so they made a clone in house instead 🫠 and they wanted the web to "just work" when someone specifies helvetica i guess sooo
i think i've worked it out; put the font-feature-setting in the @ font-face import declarations, rather than attaching it to the :root?
in the OG issue, we have two fallback fonts, arial and sans-serif, and the font that we actually intended to have the font features. when you print preview in windows it seems to fall back to arial with ss02.
is there a way to force the font used in print? (i've tried in a print query on body)
is there a way to force the font used in print? (i've tried in a print query on body)
further to this, i'm guessing it's not possible to control whether a font-feature-setting is applied based on whether it exists in the font?
November 6, 2025 at 10:02 PM
i think i've worked it out; put the font-feature-setting in the @ font-face import declarations, rather than attaching it to the :root?
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
bro are you fucking kidding me
![quote from the Economist article which says "[study authors] are now looking at whether AI facial analysis can give lenders useful clues about a person’s propensity to repay loans. For people without access to credit, that could be a blessing."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6ofjbklfvptnupad4lxumblw/bafkreia3yctiqd7ejumpd6novxjpiycphtfkc3bdgd573jw37faqdl7o7m@jpeg)
November 6, 2025 at 5:59 PM
bro are you fucking kidding me
everyone else: *having a pleasant thursday evening*
me: did you know fonts can be aliased? did you know that arial has font features? did you know that you can't target a font for font features it doesn't contain with css???
me: did you know fonts can be aliased? did you know that arial has font features? did you know that you can't target a font for font features it doesn't contain with css???
though also the question "how/why does mac not do this?" is haunting me also
November 6, 2025 at 9:11 PM
everyone else: *having a pleasant thursday evening*
me: did you know fonts can be aliased? did you know that arial has font features? did you know that you can't target a font for font features it doesn't contain with css???
me: did you know fonts can be aliased? did you know that arial has font features? did you know that you can't target a font for font features it doesn't contain with css???
in the OG issue, we have two fallback fonts, arial and sans-serif, and the font that we actually intended to have the font features. when you print preview in windows it seems to fall back to arial with ss02.
is there a way to force the font used in print? (i've tried in a print query on body)
is there a way to force the font used in print? (i've tried in a print query on body)
further to this, i'm guessing it's not possible to control whether a font-feature-setting is applied based on whether it exists in the font?
do any CSS people know why in Windows browsers (defs in Chrome & Edge at least) enabling `font-feature-settings: ss02` it changes to a font unrecognisable as the font picked, even if you use a web font or something that shouldn't have it?
will try and search in spec, on mac it seems to ignore it.
will try and search in spec, on mac it seems to ignore it.
November 6, 2025 at 9:06 PM
in the OG issue, we have two fallback fonts, arial and sans-serif, and the font that we actually intended to have the font features. when you print preview in windows it seems to fall back to arial with ss02.
is there a way to force the font used in print? (i've tried in a print query on body)
is there a way to force the font used in print? (i've tried in a print query on body)
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
windows aliases helvetica to arial i think, so yeah it renders arial and ss02 has that awful style
November 6, 2025 at 5:30 PM
windows aliases helvetica to arial i think, so yeah it renders arial and ss02 has that awful style
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
(my reading comprehension is apparently bad, you’re testing *Helvetica* there, which is not a Microsoft font 😅 though last I checked many years ago it was aliased to Arial on Windows fontfamily.zachleat.dev/Helvetica)
November 6, 2025 at 8:48 PM
(my reading comprehension is apparently bad, you’re testing *Helvetica* there, which is not a Microsoft font 😅 though last I checked many years ago it was aliased to Arial on Windows fontfamily.zachleat.dev/Helvetica)
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
I just tested this on Windows with Microsoft Sans Serif and you’re right that it doesn’t include ss02 — but further, applying that font setting requires information in the font file. I don’t believe there is a faux ss02 😅 (an optional cc to @pixelambacht.bsky.social and a shout to wakamaifondue.com)
Wakamai Fondue
The tool that answers the question “what can my font do?”
wakamaifondue.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:45 PM
I just tested this on Windows with Microsoft Sans Serif and you’re right that it doesn’t include ss02 — but further, applying that font setting requires information in the font file. I don’t believe there is a faux ss02 😅 (an optional cc to @pixelambacht.bsky.social and a shout to wakamaifondue.com)
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
Not to put too fine a point on it but: f*ck this AI-fueled physiognomy bullshit.
A new paper suggests a photo can tell a recruiter much about an applicant’s personality
Should facial analysis help determine whom companies hire?
A new paper suggests a photo can tell a recruiter much about an applicant’s personality
econ.st
November 6, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Not to put too fine a point on it but: f*ck this AI-fueled physiognomy bullshit.
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
further to this, i'm guessing it's not possible to control whether a font-feature-setting is applied based on whether it exists in the font?
do any CSS people know why in Windows browsers (defs in Chrome & Edge at least) enabling `font-feature-settings: ss02` it changes to a font unrecognisable as the font picked, even if you use a web font or something that shouldn't have it?
will try and search in spec, on mac it seems to ignore it.
will try and search in spec, on mac it seems to ignore it.
November 6, 2025 at 5:28 PM
further to this, i'm guessing it's not possible to control whether a font-feature-setting is applied based on whether it exists in the font?
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
I'm hoping the new generic-incomplete "UI" font-families (ui-sans-serif, ui-serif, ui-monospace) solves a lot of this going forward and picks the best variable system font candidate... but who knows.
developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/W...
developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/W...
font-family - CSS | MDN
The font-family CSS property specifies a prioritized list of one or more font family names and/or generic family names for the selected element.
developer.mozilla.org
November 6, 2025 at 6:39 PM
I'm hoping the new generic-incomplete "UI" font-families (ui-sans-serif, ui-serif, ui-monospace) solves a lot of this going forward and picks the best variable system font candidate... but who knows.
developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/W...
developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/W...
further to this, i'm guessing it's not possible to control whether a font-feature-setting is applied based on whether it exists in the font?
do any CSS people know why in Windows browsers (defs in Chrome & Edge at least) enabling `font-feature-settings: ss02` it changes to a font unrecognisable as the font picked, even if you use a web font or something that shouldn't have it?
will try and search in spec, on mac it seems to ignore it.
will try and search in spec, on mac it seems to ignore it.
November 6, 2025 at 5:28 PM
further to this, i'm guessing it's not possible to control whether a font-feature-setting is applied based on whether it exists in the font?
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
Oh it is weird that they are all the same! Maybe this is a bug, and it's falling back to some other font's ss02 variant if the current font doesn't have one?
I think fontgoggles.org will let you see all of the alts if you can get your hands on the actual font files... but it's a mac app...
I think fontgoggles.org will let you see all of the alts if you can get your hands on the actual font files... but it's a mac app...
FontGoggles — Interactive Previewing and Comparing
fontgoggles.org
November 6, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Oh it is weird that they are all the same! Maybe this is a bug, and it's falling back to some other font's ss02 variant if the current font doesn't have one?
I think fontgoggles.org will let you see all of the alts if you can get your hands on the actual font files... but it's a mac app...
I think fontgoggles.org will let you see all of the alts if you can get your hands on the actual font files... but it's a mac app...
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
Are you sure it's not present in the font? My first guess would be that the Helvetica OTF here actually does have a "stylistic set 2" defined, which provides these alternate glyphs (which are, as you note, not at all appropriate for body text) helpx.adobe.com/fonts/using/...
helpx.adobe.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Are you sure it's not present in the font? My first guess would be that the Helvetica OTF here actually does have a "stylistic set 2" defined, which provides these alternate glyphs (which are, as you note, not at all appropriate for body text) helpx.adobe.com/fonts/using/...
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
I work with people tangential to brand fonts so I could dig deeper and ask them specifically, but I'm 99% sure that's the issue.
November 6, 2025 at 4:50 PM
I work with people tangential to brand fonts so I could dig deeper and ask them specifically, but I'm 99% sure that's the issue.
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
It's probably pulling the system font version of Segoe UI from Windows which is old and has some weird/bad font-metrics. On Mac, because there isn't a system Segoe UI, it's using the newer Segoe UI Variable as a web font that is much better and has improved metrics.
November 6, 2025 at 4:50 PM
It's probably pulling the system font version of Segoe UI from Windows which is old and has some weird/bad font-metrics. On Mac, because there isn't a system Segoe UI, it's using the newer Segoe UI Variable as a web font that is much better and has improved metrics.
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
same thing happens on Firefox, it's a Windows issue, or, rather, the default Arial font has a very terrible ss02 variant, probably meant as some sort of small caps? (this is from wakamaifondue.com)
November 6, 2025 at 4:36 PM
same thing happens on Firefox, it's a Windows issue, or, rather, the default Arial font has a very terrible ss02 variant, probably meant as some sort of small caps? (this is from wakamaifondue.com)
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
i like otfinfo(1) (i forget how it's packaged) and hb-view(1) (which comes with harfbuzz). hb-view in particular is super handy for cli rendering out just a couple of glyphs with various otf features set, it can render to ascii art
fxtwitter.com/thingskatedi...
fxtwitter.com/thingskatedi...
Kate (@thingskatedid)
Quick CLI overview of opentype features for a font I might use, without going to the trouble of installing it. It's always handy to try them out and experiment.
@behdadesfahbod's hb-view is great for...
fxtwitter.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:23 PM
i like otfinfo(1) (i forget how it's packaged) and hb-view(1) (which comes with harfbuzz). hb-view in particular is super handy for cli rendering out just a couple of glyphs with various otf features set, it can render to ascii art
fxtwitter.com/thingskatedi...
fxtwitter.com/thingskatedi...
do any CSS people know why in Windows browsers (defs in Chrome & Edge at least) enabling `font-feature-settings: ss02` it changes to a font unrecognisable as the font picked, even if you use a web font or something that shouldn't have it?
will try and search in spec, on mac it seems to ignore it.
will try and search in spec, on mac it seems to ignore it.
November 6, 2025 at 3:06 PM
do any CSS people know why in Windows browsers (defs in Chrome & Edge at least) enabling `font-feature-settings: ss02` it changes to a font unrecognisable as the font picked, even if you use a web font or something that shouldn't have it?
will try and search in spec, on mac it seems to ignore it.
will try and search in spec, on mac it seems to ignore it.
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
we need rumble strips on the information superhighway
October 10, 2025 at 5:25 PM
we need rumble strips on the information superhighway
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
Astra Taylor's book The People's Platform threads this needle pretty well I think, although the 2014 perspective may require some retrofitting.
November 4, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Astra Taylor's book The People's Platform threads this needle pretty well I think, although the 2014 perspective may require some retrofitting.
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
"What should poor people be allowed to eat?" seems to be a burning question for those who aren't poor, have never been poor, and can afford to eat what they like, but want to keep poor people from eating anything that tastes really good. "No fresh meat," said Iowa, a few years ago.
November 4, 2025 at 3:02 AM
"What should poor people be allowed to eat?" seems to be a burning question for those who aren't poor, have never been poor, and can afford to eat what they like, but want to keep poor people from eating anything that tastes really good. "No fresh meat," said Iowa, a few years ago.
Reposted by Olu Niyi-Awosusi
Mostly by politically illiterate toddlers I mean "people blinkered by Cold War politics/capitalist realism into assuming open markets equal democracy"--a lot of FOSS ideas are sufficiently porous to accommodate more thoughtful analyses but its early evangelists do not bring that to the table.
November 4, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Mostly by politically illiterate toddlers I mean "people blinkered by Cold War politics/capitalist realism into assuming open markets equal democracy"--a lot of FOSS ideas are sufficiently porous to accommodate more thoughtful analyses but its early evangelists do not bring that to the table.