2026 go pop 🎉

Well, hello there.

At the end of last year I was fully resolved to kicking off 2026 with some writing that embodied a sense of positivity and forward momentum. That's what new years are for, right?

The combination of a mushy January brain and godawful news cycle slightly knocked the wind out of my sails — I found myself disappearing down a rabbit hole for a few days, furiously scribbling a bunch of furious thoughts about X. In a fury.

Thankfully I stopped staring at the abyss and have saved those woeful musings for a rainy day.

This post is therefore a series of vignettes with things I've spotted that represent a more chirpy and upbeat side of the Internet.

A wee shout out to the lovely people who signed up on the back of my Capture the Museum post. I hope you don't feel instantly disillusioned by your choice and are already hovering over the 'unsubscribe' button.

Blue Monday on Blue Monday

While there seems to be consensus that the third Monday of January (today!) being the most depressing day of the year is "a load of rubbish", it's not generally a punch-the-air-with-enthusiasm kinda day.

That's why finding out about this event (also today!) — I listen to Blue Monday every Monday — brought a smile to my face. Hallelujah for artists.

Buttondown the hatches

I used to publish this newsletter on a service called Buttondown, and it was a delightful experience in many, many ways.

Last year I migrated to Ghost because I was looking for a more comprehensive website set up, but I would thoroughly recommend Buttondown as a rock solid tool if you're looking to start a newsletter yourself.

With that in mind, here are three inspiring and buoyant Buttondown newsletters to fill your boots with. Maybe add them to your new year subscription list?

• Their values are stronger than yours
  Phil Adams wrote this fantastic piece on the values of, yup, Buttondown.
  
  It's brilliant because it gets to the heart of what genuine human-centred values mean in an age where (more or less) every company pumps out the same tired old spiel.
  
  He breaks down what makes Buttondown feel, and act, so different and has some insightful exchanges with founder and CEO Justin Duke.
• New Year, New Hope
  I've previously linked to The Society of Hopeful Technologists — the brainchild of Rachel Coldicutt — and I was lucky enough to attend one of their events late last year.
  
  What's exciting, as the post reveals, is that it's starting to blossom, with enthusiastic folk and energy behind it: "More than 100 people came along to our Open House events in November, and we now have a clear purpose, a work plan, a website, and an updated charter."
  
  They're looking for volunteers, fancy signing up?
• How to feel wonderful
  Mike Monteiro writes a regular newsletter based on the simple premise of answering a question submitted by one of his subscribers.
  
  I love his writing style, the honesty and vulnerability he expresses, and the meandering stories he tells. Plus it has good swears.
  
  'How to feel wonderful' is a wistful reminder to note the small things in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.

In 2026, We Are Friction-Maxxing

I really enjoyed Kathryn Jezer-Morton's article about friction, or rather lack of friction, and her positing what we lose when our lives are increasingly geared around being friction-free.

"Tech companies are succeeding in making us think of life itself as inconvenient and something to be continuously escaping from, into digital padded rooms of predictive algorithms and single-tap commands: Reading is boring; talking is awkward; moving is tiring; leaving the house is daunting. Thinking is hard. Interacting with strangers is scary. Risking an unexpected reaction from someone isn’t worth it. Speaking at all — overrated."

It's written from a parent's perspective, but the points she raises are applicable to all. It inevitably leads to questions about the proliferation of Generative AI: "Who are we when we forfeit the friction of thinking?". Quite.

And speaking of AI...

Great (public) expectations

I frickin' love the Ada Lovelace Institute.

In my day job, where I've been pondering how to adopt an organisational standpoint on AI, I've frequently dipped into their recently-published strategy to provide a rational, common sense steer on how to think some of this (complex, head-hurty) stuff through.

At the end of last year they published this report, and it's excellent: both as a tonic to techbro-fuelled hyperbole, and as a sharp reminder to Government in particular that the public — based on solid research and evidence — have a lot to say about the use of AI in terms of fairness, safety, regulation and positive social impacts.

Thank you for reading, now back to X fury 😡