Commonplace Reading - Issue #11

If you’re familiar with Into The Wild - this will be interesting. If you’re not, it’s a fascinating example of science and journalism intersecting. 

3D printing showed so much promise as a technology - with all the accompanying hype. So why has it all gone quiet – and why do some of the key businesses appear to be struggling. A nice look at an industry the tech hype has moved on from. 

This quite genuinely scares me. It’s a subtly brutal picture of how the tech elite are granting themselves permission to be an elite, isolating themselves from others - and then talking about a “post-democratic” world. This is either a cult, or the beginnings of a technocracy. Neither possibility fills me with joy.

Rubbish headline on a fascinating interview with Matt Haughey, Founder of MetaFilter. Some useful lessons for anyone creating a business - wether or not you accept his final decision to rebuild his life around a lifestyle, not a business. And some insights into the fate of the last wave of web businesses. 

A good compilation of all the psychological quirks we’re all prey to, that means we’re nowhere near as rational and aware as we think we are. It’s basically a good argument for surrounding yourself with thoughtful, honest friends. 

Medium is filling up with pieces that tell you exactly what rich people’s habits are. This is a cogent argument that - while interesting - this pieces aren’t really very useful.

Disgraced “wellness” blogger Belle Gibson could face hefty fines after Victoria’s consumer watchdog launched legal action against her company.

I owned two of these - a Lime iMac and the much-maligned Blue Dalmatian, which I absolutely loved. I miss Apple’s colourful period. 

I am not a skier. But, my goodness, this lovely short documentary about an artisan ski maker wishes I was. (Yes, I know how hipster than sounds. I don’t care.)

So, based on feedback from last week’s letter, here’s my journalism and digital publishing newsletter. Think of it as a first draft of One Man & His Blog, rather than the best or most interesting journalism I’ve discovered - which is what this newsletter does.