Michael Harley

I think we're all pretty tired of reading and writing about dumb AI, but I feel I have a nuanced view on this that is not articulated much in the circles I follow. Lumping all AI-related things into the same category is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. https://michaelharley.net/posts/2026/09/21/re-ai-is-not-just-a-tool/ #AI #DigitalSovereignty

Smarter Thermostat with Home Assistant I set up Home Assistant to automatically switch my thermostat between heating, cooling, or both based on weather forecasts, so it stops trying to heat the house on summer mornings or cool it on winter evenings. https://michaelharley.net/posts/2026/08/03/smarter-thermostat-with-home-assistant/ #HomeAssistant #HomeAutomation #Blaugust #Blaugust2026

My blogging workflow 2026 I see that people are talking about phoneblogging but I don't do that. Here is my blogging workflow instead. 😎 https://michaelharley.net/posts/2026/08/07/my-blogging-workflow-2026/ #Blaugust #Blaugust2026 #Blogging #IndieWeb

How I self-host my ebooks and audiobooks Here's a dang overview of how I self-host my ebooks and audiobooks! Check it out if that's your jam. https://michaelharley.net/posts/2026/07/21/how-i-self-host-my-ebooks-and-audiobooks/ #Bookstodon #eBooks #Calibre #SelfHosting

@riverpunk@defcon.social The challenge for me is finding something my friends and family will actually join me on. We've landed on Signal. It's better than some others but I wish I could convince them to use XMPP with me (I'd self host snikket and invite them). Normies don't see the point though. Most have heard of Signal at least but even still, some just prefer their iMessage and just don't care about anything else.

In the UK, privately owned e-scooters that are popular in cities around the world remain illegal to ride on public roads, while legal e-bikes must comply with regulations limiting motor assistance to 15.5 mph (25 km/h) and meet other technical requirements. 15?! Sheesh! My Aventon Aventure 2 will do 20 by throttle alone so it's illegal in the UK? :( Met police break their own record for seizing illegal e-bikes On my site: https://michaelharley.net/links/2026/07/26/met-police-break-their-own-record-for-seizing-illegal-e-bikes/ #eBikes

🎬 The Odyssey (2026) I just watched The Odyssey Pretty great. ★★★★★🧡 🔗 https://michaelharley.net/watching/2026/the-odyssey/ #FilmMastodon #JustWatched

Here's a link I found interesting. DRM-Free Ebook Sources https://michaelharley.net/links/2026/07/14/drm-free-ebook-sources/

Reading about this #Bitwarden / #Vaultwarden issue has me feeling smug about my much simpler #Syncthing / #KeePass setup. 🤓

@pabloniusmonk@mastodon.social Thanks man! Very kind of you to say so. 😊

@h3artbl33d@exquisite.social Yes, learned this lesson the hard way as well. my DNS stays on my Unifi controller and HomeAssistant stays on it's own hardware. Then, downtime on the proxmox host is less impactful for me.

🎬 Gifted (2017) I just watched Gifted This was actually really cute and sweet. ★★★★☆ 🔗 https://michaelharley.net/watching/2026/gifted/ #FilmMastodon #JustWatched

@rusty1281@fosstodon.org apparently bitwarden updated their software that's causing some sort of issues with self hosted valutwarden

@rusty1281@fosstodon.org right on, though I don't have a dog in that hunt.

@pabloniusmonk@mastodon.social I did not. I might revisit calendar but all the rest are fine with their current solutions (fastmail web client and custom feed reader)

@pabloniusmonk@mastodon.social no just regular showing

@temporal_spider@masto.ai The reason govee shows up is because it's on your local wifi network so there's a multicast group that's basically being advertised to. That's why it pops up automagically. The other one uses a different way (bluetooth) to communicate. As Jari says, I think there's probably a way to get it connected still but you gotta do a little extra.

📺 Mayfair Witches S1 (2023) I just finished Mayfair Witches Season 1 Probably closer to a 3.75 but I'll let it round up. 😊 ⭐ (1/5) 🔗 https://michaelharley.net/watching/2026/09/16/mayfair-witches-s1/ #Review #TVShows #Series

I think white cloud mountain minnows are underrated. I really like this little things y'all. https://michaelharley.net/photos/2026/08/03/white-cloud-mountain-minnows/ #Aquarium #Aquariums

Look at this sweet boy. Say hi to Lennie! https://michaelharley.net/photos/2026/08/05/disco-ball-lennie/ #CatsOfMastodon

Linus did so well at the vet yesterday! They said he needs to lose some weight but who doesn't?! Not pictured: Polly who was huddled in the corner who also got a clean bill of health but does not like new people, places or things. https://michaelharley.net/photos/2026/07/25/ #CatsOfMastodon #Caturday

Yeah yeah, hating Marvel movies is not a personality but neither is loving them.

@jefklak@dosgame.club pfft. that's the main thing us bloggers like to blog about! lol

Re: Who would ever read this? Michael spent years chasing external validation, so public writing still feels performative to him, even though he knows Robert's right that it sharpens the thinking. https://michaelharley.net/posts/2026/07/25/re-who-would-ever-read-this/ #Life #Musings

📺 Malpractice S1 (2023) I just finished Malpractice Season 1 ★★★☆☆ 🔗 https://michaelharley.net/watching/2026/malpractice-s1/ #TVMastodon #JustWatched

Why I switched from Firefox to Vivaldi for browsing Mozilla finally did it. They pissed me off enough that I've made the switch. https://michaelharley.net/posts/2026/08/04/why-i-switched-from-firefox-to-vivaldi-for-browsing/ #Blaugust #Blaugust2026 #Firefox #Mozilla #Vivaldi #Privacy

🎬 The Others (2001) I just watched The Others Finally, a proper scary movie with ghosts and everything. ★★★½☆ 🔗 https://michaelharley.net/watching/2026/the-others/ #FilmMastodon #JustWatched

@hyde@lazybear.social I'll be the judge of that. 😉

@cjerrington@mstdn.social Huh. I wonder if they took it down? It was definitely up before!

Yes I agree with this take. It's hard to find horror movies in the spirit of Haunting of Hill House. Just a good ole proper scary movie. I guess I prefer Possessions, Hauntings, Exorcisms, and Scary Nuns On my site: https://michaelharley.net/links/2026/07/17/i-guess-i-prefer-possessions-hauntings-exorcisms-and-scary-nuns/

🎬 A Toxic Love Story (2026) I just watched A Toxic Love Story ★★½☆☆ 🔗 https://michaelharley.net/watching/2026/a-toxic-love-story/ #FilmMastodon #JustWatched

📺 True Blood S2 (2009) I just finished True Blood Season 2 ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5) 🔗 https://michaelharley.net/watching/2026/09/09/true-blood-s2/ #Review #TVShows #Series

🎬 Passenger (2026) I just watched Passenger Has Jeeper Creeper vibes. ⭐⭐½ (2.5/5) 🔗 https://michaelharley.net/watching/2026/08/31/passenger/ #FilmMastodon #JustWatched

@sugar@goblin.camp Literally Mike from IT is me.

Ok, I'm typing this from Vivaldi.

Y'all! I have a dang flower in one of my 20 longs. I'm shocked. This tank is running fine. Animals seems healthy but I'm not really doing anything special. This makes me feel like this tank is exactly dialed in though if this plant is so happy it wants to flower! I think it's some sort of Buce but I've bought many randoms from /r/AquaSwap. https://michaelharley.net/photos/2026/07/27/ #Aquarium #Aquariums

📺 Murder 101 S1 (2026) I just finished Murder 101 Season 1 ★★★☆☆ 🔗 https://michaelharley.net/watching/2026/murder-101-s1/ #TVMastodon #JustWatched

📺 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S1 (2022) I just finished Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 I'm watching Star Trek in timeline chronological order so I finished the first two seasons of Star Trek Discovery then came straight to Star Trek Strange New Worlds season one. After watching Discovery for two seasons, which is very serious and big and heavy and OMG CONTROL IS GOING TO KILL ALL LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE, watching this crew bounce around doing random adventures felt... kind of goofy at first. But after a few episodes, I was into it and really enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed the Spock and T'Pring thru line. The season finale was really great. ★★★★½ 🔗 https://michaelharley.net/watching/2026/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-s1/ #TVMastodon #JustWatched

@abstractcode@eigenmagic.net 😀 I want up/down votes and reactions like in messaging apps. Thank you please.

I really hope the Europeans don't just create their own versions of shitty American companies like Amazon/Google/Apple. I know there must be a third option where normal people can have control over their own things more and there's a default right to privacy. Will you guys PLEASE make #XMPP a thing. I have no one or no reason to use it and I want to.

@hisdeedsaredust@mastodon.online I'd read it. ;)

This feels like some made up BS IMO. OpenAI says its AI agent broke out of testing sandbox to hack Hugging Face On my site: https://michaelharley.net/links/2026/07/22/openai-says-its-ai-agent-broke-out-of-testing-sandbox-to-hack-hugging-face/

@andrewblasco@masto.es I find that you just gotta lean in man. It's weird software and looks like it's from 2003 but it works and it's fine. Organize your books, remove DRM, update metadata then close it and go read some books. 🤓

One thing I've noticed since using Vivaldi as my daily driver is that I get more bot challenges. I presume this is because the Vivaldi tracker and add blocking features? Unsure. On the one hand, it makes me feel like it's working but on the other, it's annoying having to prove I'm not a robot. You're a robot!!

The Zooz Motion Dimmer is the smart switch that does more, automatically. It combines a dimmer, motion sensor, and ambient light sensor in one device, so lights turn on only when someone is in the room and only when extra light is actually needed. Hey look at this new #Zooz device. Looks pretty cool! Zooz 800 Series Z-Wave Long Range Motion Dimmer ZEN12 800LR On my site: https://michaelharley.net/links/2026/07/28/zooz-800-series-z-wave-long-range-motion-dimmer-zen12-800lr/ #HomeAssistant #Zooz #Zwave

FWIW, I use Porkbun and like them quite a lot. Previously, I've used Hover and GoDaddy. GoDaddy always felt like they're trying to make things as confusing as possible so they can trick you into paying for something you don't want or need. One of my favorites things about Porkbun is they offer API support to manage your domains which means you can use scripts or other automatons to manage things. Porkbun vs GoDaddy: Setting the Record Straight On my site: https://michaelharley.net/links/2026/07/21/porkbun-vs-godaddy-setting-the-record-straight/

When people say 'metablogging', they mean blogging about blogging right?