james holloway

Just back from a trip to the Lake District. Here’s a timelapse Instagram reel of the mist lifting above the valley where we were staying as a change in the weather rolled in.

#photography

Quick note: I’m on the lookout for work in the writing, editing, content and communications areas. If you have a need for concise, human language, or technical things made simple, give me a shout. My Nintendo friend code is: SW-5245-7255-2617 (or you can email me at james@ravn.digital). Thanks!

#notes #work

Measured has a new LinkedIn newsletter called Routes to Successful UI. The first issue is: Don’t build a design system — build what you actually need. If you’re on LinkedIn and at all interested in UI, I can recommend subscribing.

#work #writing

I’m back into Ingress lately.

This is one of your wandering around geographical points of interest games, a bit like Pokemon Go, but a bit more grown up. (Only a bit, though.) In fact it’s made by the same people.

Nice things about Ingress are:

• It gets me out of the house
• You can play it without looking like a twat (like you’re casually doomscrolling)
• You play for a team, which gives you a welcome if misplaced sense of purpose

The game adds a meta layer of science fiction over the world, which holds some appeal to my escapist and nerd tendencies.

Genre-zealots would no doubt disagree, but the vibe is a restrained take on cyberpunk. There’s a slightly ominous ambient drone and impersonal machine voice when you play with headphones.

I’ve been playing on and off for nearly a decade. Recently, for the first time, the village where I live has become a battleground, and I feel oddly territorial about it. But in a fun way, not a Reform way.

I used to complain that rural living didn’t lend itself to the game. As you’d expect there’s a much higher density of portals (capturable locations) in towns and cities, what with all the stuff.

But actually, I now see the walking distance between portals as a benefit, because I can always use more exercise. And it’s come into my tactics this last week.

I’ve been getting off the roads to capture and link up portals around the village that prevent those passing through by road from forming links to other portals in and out of the village.

One opposition player passes through every day, but, I suspect, doesn’t get out of their car. Fingers crossed they park up when trying to take out my portals.

It’s quite satisfying to see team green give up their daily sorties on what I very much see as BLUE TURF. With a bit of patience, foot soldiers will always best road warriors.

Anyway: good clean fun.

Things I learned in the writing of this post:

• Pokemon Go might exist within the lore of Ingress
• There is an Ingress animated series

#notes #games

I noticed Write.as is offering a places on the writing.exchange Mastodon server once again, so rolling the dice on Masto one more time: am here.

#notes

Experimenting with combining glitched iPhone panoramas taken in motion with duplication, and mirroring.

#photography

Getting Vouchsafe onto G-Cloud was a great achievement by my Ravn co-founder Judy Watkins. She’s also doing brilliant things helping startups with ISO 27001. Can feel the nichification of Ravn happening. Might be time to put my stuff into a different shop window.

#work

The Tumblr bug has properly bitten again: mcluhanism rolls on nicely, fuelled by a rejuvinated collection of RSS feeds.

Feed recommendations are always welcome. I seem to be more interested in organisations than individuals now. Things in the art, media and culture spaces in particular.

#blogging

Big moment for Vouchsafe.

#work #communications

Found some old disposable camera pictures. I’ve been messing around with mirrored edits. I quite like this one:

#photography