Jason Tocci

Notepad++ Users, You May Have Been Hacked by China Suspected Chinese state-backed hackers hijacked the Notepadd++ update infrastructure to deliver backdoored version of the popular free source code editor and note-taking app for Windows.

Suspected Chinese state-backed hackers hijacked the Notepadd++ update infrastructure to deliver backdoored version of the popular free source code editor and note-taking app for Windows. www.wired.com/story/notepa...

I tried to explain the premise of this to my 8 year old last week without getting into specifics of violence besides “sword fighting.” She’d freak out—but hilariously, still pressed on my use of “they came for his head.”

“It’s an old phrase,” I insisted. (It is! Just usually not so literal.) 😆

(We definitely had a conversation about how it is not women’s responsibility to “save” men who mistreat them, though, and how forgiveness can also involve setting personal boundaries. Not that we used those words. She’s 8. Mostly she wanted to talk about cool girls kicking butt. Mostly.)

KPop Demon Hunters isn’t perfect, but I’ll always appreciate these two things:

1. It prompted my 8 year old to ask surprisingly nuanced questions about forgiveness.

2. Truly god-tier double entendre—“idol” as both “pop star” and “golden calf.”

That article's from last week, btw—refers to today's word.

I personally think Wordle would be better off if words were chosen by an intern who clicks a "random word" button until they see one they know, then quickly gets approval from someone who understands what could get the paper in trouble. 🤷‍♂️

Wordle just confirmed major change for next week — and it's controversial The folks behind Wordle are making what's old new again

Because unpopular editorial decisions are encouraged in every department of the NYT www.tomsguide.com/gaming/wordl...

Have thought about this a lot with Agents of the O.D.D. as well. Meant it to play as wry satire, but I believe I need to update it to make options clearer. Default setup is supposed to be “everyone is compromised and that sucks but let’s figure out a better way,” not “you have to be cops.”

Fish who has just been scaled nods solemnly

I am more wary than ever about writing goofy sci-fi with self-aware robots, like the only way I can justify it in the current environment is to say, “Probably these only exist by accident or because of aliens, no thanks to the delusions of zillionaires.”

Cairn Press The official website for the Cairn Press imprint.

As of tomorrow, Cairn Press is live!

Bring me your modules, your supplements, your hacks - as long as they are Cairn adjacent, I'll take consider it!

More soon.

cairnpress.ink

January A bundle by Chris Bissette, £150.00 for 60 games

Hello. It's my final week as a full time game designer, and as if to underline why I can't do this anymore, I currently can't afford to cover my bills at the end of the month.

All of my work on itch is on sale. Tell your friends, buy something, thank you very much.

itch.io/s/179351/jan...

Made a game that’s proven surprisingly helpful when my kid is hangry:

Parents say, “How about [specific food]?”

Hangry kid tries a bite—or, if they decline, it’s their turn to suggest a food. Parents might decline due to availability (or ridiculousness)—back to kid.

Repeat until kid’s satisfied.

(I’m definitely joking and do not actually want school staff from other towns/cities that might be even harder hit and less capable of clearing roads commuting to work when it isn’t safe, in case that isn’t obvious.)

What kind of rinky dink New England town cancels school two days in a row for only 16 inches of snow

damn bro sounds like your job sucks and you should quit, sounds like you all should quit right now sounds awful. sounds like you should take off all you gear and walk home right now bro

Phobos, as captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2008

If you have deep expertise in a topic you should have a baseline assumption that you *cannot* communicate effectively with non-experts without training and assistance from an expert in communication.

If I get an offer after interviewing last week while on vacation, and meeting the hiring manager tomorrow while my kid's home for a snow day, I will finally be ready to test my technique while blindfolded in the Chamber of a Hundred Wooden Men

Male nurse.

Calling all the PhDs I know to make monumental annoyances of themselves (and honestly, who better)

Right. When I say “blame education and communication,” I hope it’s clear I don’t mean “blame educators and [actual, reputable] journalists.”

(Full disclosure: I was a Communication professor once upon a time.)

Meant to write “nearly half” above. The GOP knows it can only hold power by gaming the system, which is why it’s all-in on redistricting, voter suppression, and disproportionate representation via the Senate. But blame education & communication for nearly half of US voters being OK with all that.

Eight Men Control What 40% of Americans Believe Or is his "base finally fracturing"

Great explanation of the right-wing media landscape that encourages half the US to back Trump, with a clear-eyed reminder that “His floor is 34%. He’s above it. He’s been above it for almost his entire political career.” cmarmitage.substack.com/p/how-do-39-...

It's inevitable, you simply must adapt to it and use it, you have no choice, but also please use it more or it's going to die

The monstrously depressing thing is that they may win a majority based on average American citizens desperate for someone in power to do ANYTHING to stop Trump's goons, and they will immediately say "See, our strategy was correct. Now let's turn the page on that unpleasant ICE business."

Currently wrapping up an RPG arc set in a post-apocalyptic city where this was proposed by a clueless zillionaire.

It was supposed to be satire.

I thought to jokingly reply, “Blog about ways to confront the 1 HP Barbie Yaga Malibu Dream Hut,” but that made me reflect on different approaches to game design and when/where/to whom labor is shifted, so now I have to figure out when I’ll have time to write many words about that, I guess.

Wish most were honest enough to actually call themselves fascists! Honestly part of why I’m selective of what I release as CC-BY—wary of what might come up when you search for my name.

I knew a talented in-house researcher who gave their insights to the priciest consultants to present because that pretty much guaranteed the C-suite would act on them.