Andrew Marsden
@marsdeat.uk
they/them
Less active here. More active on the Fediverse @[email protected]. Most posts are automatic crossposts from my Mastodon, but I do get notifications here so you can still interact.
https://marsdeat.uk
Less active here. More active on the Fediverse @[email protected]. Most posts are automatic crossposts from my Mastodon, but I do get notifications here so you can still interact.
https://marsdeat.uk
L’âne Trotro c’est l’ami qu’il nous faut
September 26, 2026 at 5:55 AM
L’âne Trotro c’est l’ami qu’il nous faut
A hill I am willing to die on is that illegible acronyms/abbreviations are an accessibility nightmare, and that "a11y" is one of the worst.
I CONSTANTLY parse that as leetspeak for "ally" before anything else because outside of that example and "i13n" no-one abbreviates like that!
I CONSTANTLY parse that as leetspeak for "ally" before anything else because outside of that example and "i13n" no-one abbreviates like that!
September 7, 2026 at 10:49 AM
A hill I am willing to die on is that illegible acronyms/abbreviations are an accessibility nightmare, and that "a11y" is one of the worst.
I CONSTANTLY parse that as leetspeak for "ally" before anything else because outside of that example and "i13n" no-one abbreviates like that!
I CONSTANTLY parse that as leetspeak for "ally" before anything else because outside of that example and "i13n" no-one abbreviates like that!
Hey does anyone know what Daybor it is?
September 7, 2026 at 9:40 AM
Hey does anyone know what Daybor it is?
Not a clue where to ask this: does anyone know of any small bin-liners that fit IKEA DRÖNJÖNS wastepaper baskets?
They're a bit too wide in the rim for most small bin-liners. These bins are 26 cm x 26 cm top dimensions (square, so 104 cm perimeter), and 35 cm tall. Approximately 18 litres.
They're a bit too wide in the rim for most small bin-liners. These bins are 26 cm x 26 cm top dimensions (square, so 104 cm perimeter), and 35 cm tall. Approximately 18 litres.
August 25, 2026 at 4:42 PM
Not a clue where to ask this: does anyone know of any small bin-liners that fit IKEA DRÖNJÖNS wastepaper baskets?
They're a bit too wide in the rim for most small bin-liners. These bins are 26 cm x 26 cm top dimensions (square, so 104 cm perimeter), and 35 cm tall. Approximately 18 litres.
They're a bit too wide in the rim for most small bin-liners. These bins are 26 cm x 26 cm top dimensions (square, so 104 cm perimeter), and 35 cm tall. Approximately 18 litres.
Okay, to be honest, my personal link shortener is not the most elegantly-implemented thing.
The slug/target pairs are in several PHP arrays that are then merged into a single array at runtime. It's all PHP.
BUT: it is easy for me to maintain and add new links. And that's the important thing.
The slug/target pairs are in several PHP arrays that are then merged into a single array at runtime. It's all PHP.
BUT: it is easy for me to maintain and add new links. And that's the important thing.
August 23, 2026 at 2:51 PM
Okay, to be honest, my personal link shortener is not the most elegantly-implemented thing.
The slug/target pairs are in several PHP arrays that are then merged into a single array at runtime. It's all PHP.
BUT: it is easy for me to maintain and add new links. And that's the important thing.
The slug/target pairs are in several PHP arrays that are then merged into a single array at runtime. It's all PHP.
BUT: it is easy for me to maintain and add new links. And that's the important thing.
It's only been broken for several months, but I finally got around to fixing (actually, completely reimplementing) my link shortener.
August 21, 2026 at 8:22 PM
It's only been broken for several months, but I finally got around to fixing (actually, completely reimplementing) my link shortener.
I still do not use "mute" functions on basically any social media/interactive website. I have just NEVER trusted that 'mute' does something and will continue to do that thing long-term.
It's block or nothing.
It's block or nothing.
August 21, 2026 at 10:45 AM
I still do not use "mute" functions on basically any social media/interactive website. I have just NEVER trusted that 'mute' does something and will continue to do that thing long-term.
It's block or nothing.
It's block or nothing.
You know what we really haven't solved in the online shopping/product search space?
August 20, 2026 at 12:14 PM
You know what we really haven't solved in the online shopping/product search space?
Not sure what it says about me that my next two big event plans are... seeing Hadestown... and seeing Hadestown.
August 18, 2026 at 11:37 AM
Not sure what it says about me that my next two big event plans are... seeing Hadestown... and seeing Hadestown.
A thing that really bugs me:
You can walk up to a train station ticket machine and just buy an Off-Peak or Anytime ticket...
But you CAN'T do that online. There isn't a single site that will just list the tickets between stations without making you select times first.
You can walk up to a train station ticket machine and just buy an Off-Peak or Anytime ticket...
But you CAN'T do that online. There isn't a single site that will just list the tickets between stations without making you select times first.
August 15, 2026 at 9:03 PM
A thing that really bugs me:
You can walk up to a train station ticket machine and just buy an Off-Peak or Anytime ticket...
But you CAN'T do that online. There isn't a single site that will just list the tickets between stations without making you select times first.
You can walk up to a train station ticket machine and just buy an Off-Peak or Anytime ticket...
But you CAN'T do that online. There isn't a single site that will just list the tickets between stations without making you select times first.
Emergency alerts work then
August 14, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Emergency alerts work then
Today’s line from “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats” that is bugging me is
“Have you been an alumnus of heaven or hell?”
The tense choice here is just bizarre. Why is it perfective? Being an alumnus of something is inherently not something you can STOP being, so it should be plain present tense.
“Have you been an alumnus of heaven or hell?”
The tense choice here is just bizarre. Why is it perfective? Being an alumnus of something is inherently not something you can STOP being, so it should be plain present tense.
August 12, 2026 at 1:59 PM
Today’s line from “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats” that is bugging me is
“Have you been an alumnus of heaven or hell?”
The tense choice here is just bizarre. Why is it perfective? Being an alumnus of something is inherently not something you can STOP being, so it should be plain present tense.
“Have you been an alumnus of heaven or hell?”
The tense choice here is just bizarre. Why is it perfective? Being an alumnus of something is inherently not something you can STOP being, so it should be plain present tense.
Not a clue why, but I woke up this morning with "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats" stuck in my head.
August 12, 2026 at 9:14 AM
Not a clue why, but I woke up this morning with "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats" stuck in my head.
So wait, is closing a void element with `/>` considered improper in HTML 5?
I know that `<br>` and `<br />` are considered equivalent, but I've ALWAYS used the explicit closure because that was what I was taught was 'correct'. But I'm now reading that it's INCORRECT HTML even if it's correct XHTML?
I know that `<br>` and `<br />` are considered equivalent, but I've ALWAYS used the explicit closure because that was what I was taught was 'correct'. But I'm now reading that it's INCORRECT HTML even if it's correct XHTML?
August 11, 2026 at 7:58 AM
So wait, is closing a void element with `/>` considered improper in HTML 5?
I know that `<br>` and `<br />` are considered equivalent, but I've ALWAYS used the explicit closure because that was what I was taught was 'correct'. But I'm now reading that it's INCORRECT HTML even if it's correct XHTML?
I know that `<br>` and `<br />` are considered equivalent, but I've ALWAYS used the explicit closure because that was what I was taught was 'correct'. But I'm now reading that it's INCORRECT HTML even if it's correct XHTML?
Reposted by Andrew Marsden
I don’t like when people think Being A Dick is the same thing as Having Balls. It’s not. Not even close. In fact there’s a Vas Deferens between them.
August 9, 2026 at 7:46 PM
I don’t like when people think Being A Dick is the same thing as Having Balls. It’s not. Not even close. In fact there’s a Vas Deferens between them.
Fucking InPost. Their delivery tracking page is already clunky as hell.
But you click the 'view your two-hour delivery slot' button and it has the CHEEK to take you to ANOTHER webpage telling you to download the app.
I'm on a DESKTOP OS.
But you click the 'view your two-hour delivery slot' button and it has the CHEEK to take you to ANOTHER webpage telling you to download the app.
I'm on a DESKTOP OS.
August 10, 2026 at 9:22 AM
Fucking InPost. Their delivery tracking page is already clunky as hell.
But you click the 'view your two-hour delivery slot' button and it has the CHEEK to take you to ANOTHER webpage telling you to download the app.
I'm on a DESKTOP OS.
But you click the 'view your two-hour delivery slot' button and it has the CHEEK to take you to ANOTHER webpage telling you to download the app.
I'm on a DESKTOP OS.
Sometimes I wonder if my appetite is being suppressed by my meds or something else.
And then I'll skip my meds one day and that evening will eat half a pack of snacking salamis, three packs of crisps, several chocolate bars, and a breakfast yoghurt.
And then I'll skip my meds one day and that evening will eat half a pack of snacking salamis, three packs of crisps, several chocolate bars, and a breakfast yoghurt.
August 10, 2026 at 7:28 AM
Sometimes I wonder if my appetite is being suppressed by my meds or something else.
And then I'll skip my meds one day and that evening will eat half a pack of snacking salamis, three packs of crisps, several chocolate bars, and a breakfast yoghurt.
And then I'll skip my meds one day and that evening will eat half a pack of snacking salamis, three packs of crisps, several chocolate bars, and a breakfast yoghurt.
A friend, a non-native English speaker, keeps using “so” before attributive adjectives
And it’s bugging me that there’s no good reason for that NOT to be valid syntax, but it ISN’T!
❌Sorry for the so late reply
✅Sorry the reply is so late
Why is the predicative version of the same sentence FINE?!
And it’s bugging me that there’s no good reason for that NOT to be valid syntax, but it ISN’T!
❌Sorry for the so late reply
✅Sorry the reply is so late
Why is the predicative version of the same sentence FINE?!
August 7, 2026 at 9:25 AM
A friend, a non-native English speaker, keeps using “so” before attributive adjectives
And it’s bugging me that there’s no good reason for that NOT to be valid syntax, but it ISN’T!
❌Sorry for the so late reply
✅Sorry the reply is so late
Why is the predicative version of the same sentence FINE?!
And it’s bugging me that there’s no good reason for that NOT to be valid syntax, but it ISN’T!
❌Sorry for the so late reply
✅Sorry the reply is so late
Why is the predicative version of the same sentence FINE?!
Does anyone know why Hyundai is spelt like that?
현대 would usually be transliterated as 'hyundae' or 'hyoondae' (or those with a 't' instead of a 'd'). The use of 'ai' for the ㅐvowel is very unusual.
현대 would usually be transliterated as 'hyundae' or 'hyoondae' (or those with a 't' instead of a 'd'). The use of 'ai' for the ㅐvowel is very unusual.
August 5, 2026 at 9:32 AM
Does anyone know why Hyundai is spelt like that?
현대 would usually be transliterated as 'hyundae' or 'hyoondae' (or those with a 't' instead of a 'd'). The use of 'ai' for the ㅐvowel is very unusual.
현대 would usually be transliterated as 'hyundae' or 'hyoondae' (or those with a 't' instead of a 'd'). The use of 'ai' for the ㅐvowel is very unusual.
Someone needs to get on with creating a better way to write expletive infixation in numbers. Because I just had to write "two-thousand-and-fucking-six" in a message where I'd otherwise have written "2006".
"200-fucking-6" doesn't look right.
"200-fucking-6" doesn't look right.
August 3, 2026 at 4:50 PM
Someone needs to get on with creating a better way to write expletive infixation in numbers. Because I just had to write "two-thousand-and-fucking-six" in a message where I'd otherwise have written "2006".
"200-fucking-6" doesn't look right.
"200-fucking-6" doesn't look right.
Reposted by Andrew Marsden
But they will be
I don't think people are ready for this kind of joke yet.
August 3, 2026 at 12:22 PM
But they will be
Reposted by Andrew Marsden
Never became as popular as "ET Phone Home" did it
September 10, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Never became as popular as "ET Phone Home" did it
"Hey Andrew, how are those ADHD meds working?"
Sorry what was that? I couldn't hear you over my Greater Manchester mayoral by-election results table.
docs.google.com/spreadsheet...
Sorry what was that? I couldn't hear you over my Greater Manchester mayoral by-election results table.
docs.google.com/spreadsheet...
August 1, 2026 at 2:34 PM
"Hey Andrew, how are those ADHD meds working?"
Sorry what was that? I couldn't hear you over my Greater Manchester mayoral by-election results table.
docs.google.com/spreadsheet...
Sorry what was that? I couldn't hear you over my Greater Manchester mayoral by-election results table.
docs.google.com/spreadsheet...
Forza Horizon game set in the South of England where if you enter Greater London in a pre-2005 car you get charged 12,500 CR, and if you enter Central London at all you get charged another 18,000 CR.
July 29, 2026 at 10:21 PM
Forza Horizon game set in the South of England where if you enter Greater London in a pre-2005 car you get charged 12,500 CR, and if you enter Central London at all you get charged another 18,000 CR.
Decided maybe I'd do some singing today.
Started doing arpeggios to warm up a little.
And immediately got distracted by the fact that I was doing MINOR arpeggios, something I don't think I've EVER done for a vocal exercise before...
So now I'm just alternating maj-min-dim-aug for fun :P
Started doing arpeggios to warm up a little.
And immediately got distracted by the fact that I was doing MINOR arpeggios, something I don't think I've EVER done for a vocal exercise before...
So now I'm just alternating maj-min-dim-aug for fun :P
July 27, 2026 at 1:17 PM
Decided maybe I'd do some singing today.
Started doing arpeggios to warm up a little.
And immediately got distracted by the fact that I was doing MINOR arpeggios, something I don't think I've EVER done for a vocal exercise before...
So now I'm just alternating maj-min-dim-aug for fun :P
Started doing arpeggios to warm up a little.
And immediately got distracted by the fact that I was doing MINOR arpeggios, something I don't think I've EVER done for a vocal exercise before...
So now I'm just alternating maj-min-dim-aug for fun :P