Someone asks, “How do you ensure UX consistency while following a trendy design?”
First, I always respond by asking: What trendy design? Why this trend? Why do you want to follow it?
Whenever a client focuses on trends, I start questioning their brand—specifically, whether it has a strong enough identity. Here’s the thing: it’s hilarious how often clients request specific aesthetics, like Corporate Memphis. The moment I hear “Corporate Memphis,” I know we’re in trouble. Why? Because if a brand lacks a core identity, it probably lacks a clear understanding of its customers.
That’s when I take a step back and ask two crucial questions:
1. Who is the customer?
2. Why us?
Answering these questions is key to ensuring UX consistency. Once we’ve clarified those, we start mapping out the process. This involves planning the customer journey and breaking it into a series of events. For example:
* What happens when the customer arrives on the app or site?
* What actions are they taking?
* How do we move them from Point A to Point B?
From there, we design around two things: who the customer is and who we are in relation to them. UX consistency hinges on building a relationship with the customer, not just acquiring them. Acquisitions are transactional, but relationships are transformational. They turn one-time customers into repeat customers.
The problem with trends is that they’re ephemeral—here today, gone tomorrow. If you constantly chase trends, you’ll always be playing catch-up, updating your designs to keep up. But relationships? When built right, they last a long time.
This is what clients need to understand: UX consistency isn’t about trends. It’s about relationships. Build your UX around that, and you’ll create something lasting.
Justin Trudeau never talks this way when he’s in Canada.
But in the USA, he’s suddenly Mr. Policy Wonk.
Batocera Linux just got an update! 🥳
Some highlights:
* OpenJazz was added
* Bezel support for vertical arcade games (e.g. TATE)
* WINE runner is now WINE-TKG
People think I pay for fully-managed hosting for the specs.
No, I don’t give a damn about specs. If I just wanted specs, I’d go buy a Raspberry Pi.
What I’m paying for is help. Specifically, help from someone who’s respectful and kind. And won’t be an asshole when I need him.
Let’s talk about going viral and what it means for people running small single-user or family servers like mine.
## Background
Two days ago, I sent out a message that got thousands of boosts and likes. I knew it was going to pop off almost as soon as I sent it because I was immediately seeing tens of boosts. Within two hours, I had hundreds. I knew it was going viral because I touched on two things the Fediverse obsesses over.
First, the Fediverse loves talking about itself. That’s just the truth. Anytime I talk about the Fediverse, people notice. Second, I mentioned AI, which is another hot topic. Even though the Fediverse says it doesn’t like AI, it sure loves to talk about it. My post confirmed that ChatGPT and Gemini were indexing the Fediverse, and that got a response.
This isn’t about that message, though. This is about how it affected my small, mostly self-hosted server.
## Server Setup
I handle core admin tasks on my server, but I get backend help from a hosting service called SpaceHost. Going viral on the Fediverse isn’t something to take lightly. On centralized platforms, going viral just means you enjoy the engagement. It happens, you get your likes and boosts, and you move on. But for self-hosted servers, it’s different. Servers cost money, and a boost can kill your server.
If you don’t have the infrastructure to handle virality, your server could go down. So, if you’re running a $5/month server, don’t go viral.
## How Boosts Impact Servers
When someone boosts your post, it gets sent to other servers, multiplying the number of systems your message reaches. Each boost uses system resources.
I pay $105/month to host my server, which has 8GB of RAM, 50GB of disk space, and two CPUs. My server primarily serves me. I have a few family members on it, but they aren’t very active. When my post got over 1,000 boosts, it taxed my server. It didn’t go down, but some features briefly became unavailable. For example, I couldn’t edit a message for about 30 seconds because the system was too busy processing boosts.
## Followers and Scale
I have around 13,700 followers. On the Fediverse, that’s a lot. On centralized platforms like Instagram or TikTok, it’s not much. Self-hosted Fediverse accounts with 100,000 or 1 million followers are almost unheard of because the costs would be too high. If I had 100,000 followers, I wouldn’t be paying $105/month—I’d need funding.
At that scale, you either rely on Patreon, advertising, or some other revenue source. I know this idea bothers some people because the Fediverse is supposed to be anti-commercial, but servers cost money. People can only afford to be anti-commercial if there are no costs. If there are costs, they have to be covered somehow.
## The Price of Freedom
I’m not at the point where I need funding, and I hope I never get there. Right now, I’m happy to pay $105/month. To me, that’s the price of freedom—the cost of participating on social media on my own terms. I know that price is too high for many people, especially when centralized platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or Threads are free.
But consider this: if I’m paying $105/month to keep my small server running, how much money do you think big social platforms are making off you? They’re running massive data centers and turning a profit. That’s not chump change.
## Final Thoughts
Going viral on the Fediverse isn’t like going viral on Instagram. On the Fediverse, it can cost you money. Thankfully, I have a solid hosting service that keeps things running, but for anyone thinking about self-hosting, be prepared. Virality has its price.
“Sane-washing” is the perfect term for how the media is treating Trump’s “Greater America” plans.
The Detroit Pistons are using biometrics tied to a digital identity wallet that counters bots and scalpers.
I need to look into the pros and cons of this approach.
Nothing as amazing as this will ever be made again. 
For national security, Twitter should be banned from Canada.
Canada’s most rabid right wing rag just published the most blistering anti-Trump article—and I find myself agreeing with it!
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/kinsella-if-you-support-trump-over-canada-get-the-hell-out
If Trump carries through with his threat—and it should be taken seriously because he is saying it out loud—the entire world will understand that being the USA’s closest ally just means you’re the USA’s next invasion target.
Americans, is this really the world you want?
Watching the U.S. media’s response to Trump’s threats says everything.
They’re treating this as a joke.
But here in Canada—we’re not laughing. And we’re not “honoured” to be the target of Trump’s imperialist ambitions.
You Americans complain about illegal immigrants coming into your country from Canada?
This American illegally came into Canada—because he didn’t want to go to jail for his part in the Jan 6 riots.
The sheer chutzpah of a Trump supporter illegally crossing into Canada!
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/convicted-jan-6-rioter-arrested-as-fugitive-in-whistler-b-c-1.7169378
I’ll be honest—this isn’t even a joke.
I’m envious that Trump wants to build that wall on the Mexican border.
God damn, do I wish he built a wall on the Canadian border. Come on, build that beautiful wall.
If the USA actually manages to take over Canada, I’ll move to Mexico so I can be in a place the USA doesn’t want to take over.
Today I’m listening to The Fabulous Johnny Cash on vinyl.
That’s right, his 2nd LP—released in 1958.
And it’s good! 
Sometimes I think of leaving Reddit.
But unfortunately, I started—and still moderate—a really awesome art community (r/Sizz). I honestly believe it’s one of the best subreddits ever. I’ve worked on it for eight solid years—and I can’t let it fall into the wrong hands.
That place has become a significant aspect of my life.
Not going to lie, this Fox News interview of Jesse Watters interviewing Doug Ford riles me up.
The suggestion that it’s an “honour” to be invaded by the USA is downright insulting.
And I’m personally offended that Canada’s sovereignty is up for discussion.
It’s just so incredibly petty that Elon Musk is probably faking his Path of Exile 2 accomplishments.
Something as unbelievably trivial as this.
What’s next? That he’s unbelievably great at Bejeweled too?
https://www.dexerto.com/gaming/elon-musk-accused-of-faking-his-success-on-path-of-exile-2-3025073/
Nvidia vs. Quantum computing! 🥊
Looks like we got ourselves a fight on our hands!
Jensen Huang says quantum computing won’t be useful for 15-30 years.
But this analyst says quantum computing could replace GPUs in data centres within 5 years.
https://www.investors.com/news/technology/quantum-computing-ionq-stock-nvidia-nvda-huang/