A Merry Christmas #Mondog to all! I hope all your toys survive atleast till new year...

Probably not if the toy has a squeak...

Me: "man I'm on such a good kick with the thesis, I've got data, I'm writing loads, maybe I can start putting together a pa-"

Seasonal flus:

A colleague of mine is in need of G A M E R S willing to talk about their experiences with Dark Patterns in video games. Dark Patterns are user interface design techniques crafted to trick the user into making certain decisions or purchases.

This takes the form of a 30-45 minute semi-structured interview. All data is anonymised and you can exercise GDPR at any time. You will be compensated with a £10 voucher if shortlisted.

If like me you're used to seeing video game micro-transactions everywhere and sometimes feel like you are being coerced into purchasing things then she would greatly appreciate your input!

For those who don't like QR codes here is the initial survey:
https://universityofbristol.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cx4Nh22ftm6YHS6

#gaming #infosec #cybersecurity #academia #gamingnews #onlineharms #darkpattern

Animal Liberation by Peter Singer is a solid read. I feel like I should have read this before "This is Vegan Propaganda" by Ed Winters but the two complement each other well. Where Ed Winters explores the pure facts, the experiences of activists, and living conditions for animals, Peter Singer tackles that and the philosophical aspects of the movement and reports on very real and horrifying tests that were performed in the name of science. Everyone always takes the piss out of the "you wouldnt eat your dog" argument but it turns out if you sit down, think, and elaborate on it then you can extend it to many different facets. By no means an easy read but definitely an enlightening one.

I think if Ed Winters book hadn't already turned me vegan then this would have, you cant really have your inconsistencies laid bare and not want to change yourself.