Almost every time I go out on the roads these days, I see bad driving at some point.

I wrote a short free/pubic post on Ko-fi.
(No sign-up required.)

https://ko-fi.com/post/The-UK-Roads-Are-So-Bad-Now-That-Im-Considering-A-E1E41H3VMC

@autoperipatetikos It seems like something that is particularly hostile to neurodivergent people. I don’t like causing delays trying to look for coupons and trying to work out which ones might apply.

I never remember to use the coupons issued by supermarkets. Why can't they be applied automatically, since they are linked to my loyalty card?

https://ko-fi.com/post/I-Wish-Supermarkets-Would-Stop-Issuing-Paper-Coupo-F1F41H22TW

Imagine getting kicked out of a shop because the automatic face recognition system incorrectly flags you as a shoplifter.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdr510p7kymo

It's not long since I was watching Bill Atkinson on YouTube, talking about the Apple Lisa and the original Apple Mac on its 40th birthday.

Sadly, Bill passed away recently.

I wrote this short piece to honour his memory.

It's free to read & not behind a paywall.
https://medium.com/@alanajwrites/remembering-bill-atkinson-one-of-the-original-architects-of-the-mac-8a21e6e0f5a3

After experiencing 3 funerals in recent months, I started reflecting on how people make judgments based on how many attend.

That led me to think about my lifelong struggles with friendships.

This Ko-fi post includes a friend link for non-Medium members.

https://ko-fi.com/post/Friendships-Funerals-and-Popularity-S6S31FF2AE

#friendships #loneliness #grief #loss

It’s been a while since I shared my latest stories here — I don’t want to overwhelm with too many links. But I’ve been writing steadily on Medium!

All my recent stories, plus friend links for non-Medium members, are on my Ko-fi page if you want to catch up.

https://ko-fi.com/alanajwrites

@PixysJourney Maybe I'll try to aim for somewhere in the middle in future!

@PixysJourney I always add alt text to the pictures in stories I publish on Medium & Substack. But I’m often unsure how much detail to include. I’m torn between giving a full representation vs. possibly annoying the reader by having them wade through something over-the-top.

After sharing a Toot about alt text usage, I got curious. This is nothing too serious though, nothing to have heated discussions over, just me being curious after isn't comments that I've read...

I know that enjoyment of alt text can also depend on the quality of the alt text! And some folks use meager alt texts, where it may just say "black cat", while others are good at describing images and will include many beautiful details. Others may want to use them but struggle with writing them, so they may use altbot or the alt4me hashtag...

It would be nice to get a good idea about how much alt texts are appreciated. Boots are welcome :boosts_ok_gay: of course.

I know some people are against the use of ai/bot for the creation of alt texts... That's not the question here. I don't mind a respectful chat about it with people that want to share. But please! Keep it kind and respectful. People that use the bot/AI, like I do, do try to write inclusive image toots that are accessible to all. Not adding any alt text would be the "lazy" option (I've been called bad names and lazy for having altbot help me with the texts).

Thanks for voting and sharing!

:ablobcatbongopost: #AltText

@Dianora Oh no! I’ve not had any problems there yet. Is there any proof of this? If I leave Substack, I don’t think I’d easily trust yet another platform that could change in future. I’ve only just stopped writing on Medium after nearly 5 years to focus on Substack…

@BernieDoesIt @Dianora I know the feeling! My 19 year old son and I watched The Pacific recently, and I often struggled to recognise the marines. I usually rely on differences such as clothing to help, but when they’re all in uniform, it’s not so easy.

@Dianora This encourages me to keep going on Substack! Thanks again.

@Dianora It's interesting to hear that. I wasn't familiar with that term until I looked it up just now. Thanks for responding.

@autoperipatetikos This has made me think about how I lacked confidence and set my sights low. Looking back at our younger years with knowledge of then-unknown neurodivergence leads to a lot of what-ifs.

@autoperipatetikos I'm sorry I've been distracted and not spent much time here for a while. I hope you can use your own materials — it sounds like a great idea to use things of your mum's.

I've not been on Amazon for a while, but an email arrived yesterday saying I've started a free Amazon Prime trial and will be charged from May onwards!

Thinking it was a fake email, I did not click on any links. Instead, I logged into my Amazon account and found it was true!

Very strange! Needless to say, I've cancelled and updated my password etc.

#amazon #amazonprime

@autoperipatetikos Thanks, Mary. I somehow managed to distract myself talking to my son (who reminded me I’d already checked it in November), then put my mind on autopilot and dashed to the post office to get rid of the parcel before I could give in to the temptation.
There have been many times when I’ve failed in the past, so it feels like progress.

My OCD is flaring up.
I listed some technical books on eBay 4 months ago and one finally sold in the early hours.
I've just packed it and now I want to open the parcel again to check there is nothing inside the book, e.g. a piece of notepaper.

I know I checked it before listing it on eBay last year, so there can't be anything inside. But I'm struggling to fight the urge to check, which would cause a lot of work packing it up again.

#ocd

@autoperipatetikos I remember that excitement for the future, too. I have early memories vaguely connected with the seasons and a calendar on the window sill at home. More of a feeling than anything I can describe clearly.