Author Archives: Robert Basil

Pretend You Actually Like Each Other!

Posted on September 15, 2026 by Robert Basil

I always thought the reason people’s faces seemed stern and frozen in 19th-century photographs was the daguerrotype process, which required extended exposures – too long to keep a decent smile going. This common explanation is wrong, alas. In his article … Continue reading →

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‘Rubio Uses Terrorism Law To Ban Secure Email Service’

Posted on August 28, 2026 by Robert Basil

This doesn’t sound so great: “The State Department doesn’t accuse Autistici/Inventati of doing anything more than providing ‘untraceable’ email accounts. But that’s enough to outlaw it as a terrorist organization.” Instead, the State Department announcement states that the group “builds and operates … Continue reading →

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Street Photography

Posted on August 13, 2026 by Robert Basil

This year’s “Pure Street Photography Awards” introduced me to some dazzling, indeed inspiring photographs. The one below, by Daniel Kashi of France, won the Grand Prize. It’s a mesmerizing triumph. “Chantilly June 2025,” © Daniel Kashi

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Euphemism Effort

Posted on August 5, 2026 by Robert Basil

From The Tyee: The United Conservative Party government must be encountering stiffer opposition than it expected to its plan to make Alberta North America’s dumping ground for the artificial intelligence data centres that citizens most everywhere else are organizing to … Continue reading →

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We don’t have the luxury to ignore it

Posted on July 25, 2026 by Robert Basil

Not long ago we removed our AI newsfeed. That topic’s ubiquity made it not just unnecessary but de trop, as the French like to say. Nonetheless, our colonization by artificial-intelligence platforms won’t stop any time soon if ever. Starting three … Continue reading →

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“public interventions”

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Robert Basil

From Alex Cooke at Fstoppers: Walk past a certain bus stop near Meta’s London headquarters and you see a glossy campaign shot: Kylie Jenner in a pair of the company’s smart glasses. Step to the side and the poster becomes … Continue reading →

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A Street Photography community

Posted on July 7, 2026 by Robert Basil

The day I started these new feeds, I came upon a video in Fstoppers by Peter Forsgård, a photographer from Helsinki, Finland, discussing what street photographers could learn from the musician Brian Eno. I watched it twice, the second time taking … Continue reading →

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Our news feeds

Posted on June 6, 2026 by Robert Basil

We’ve added some arts-focused news feeds here, and taken down the ones for “Artificial Intelligence” and “Social Media Policy,” topics that are painfully ubiquitous practically everywhere else. Our “Graphic Novels” news feed is filled with tributes to Marjane Satrapi, creator … Continue reading →

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The chorus

Posted on June 5, 2026 by Robert Basil

A favourite part of my morning is reading international news sites. I’m struck that it hardly matters what’s going when it comes to the prevailing tones they convey: China: We are all squared away. Russia: You just wouldn’t listen. USA: … Continue reading →

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