Cuzeen is just an idea for software. This page was first created in my hidden workshop blog and published here only to be available for a wider audience, per request.

Software

The system is small and simple which makes maintenance easier. Basically the blog engine is extended with a markup language for recipes. The sequence is described in the text. The ingredients are marked up and can thus be displayed separately.

WriteFreely — A minimalist blog engine. The blog engine needs to be extended for images. Modifications need to be done for simplified views, summary and metadata.

Cooklang — A markup language for recipes. The text editor needs to be adapted for cooklang. Using markup allows simplified views for ingredients, images, metadata and maybe even a video link.

Layout

The smallest change to the blog engine that I can image at this time is the addition of a set of icons at the top right side of each page.

Ingredients — Shows the list of ingredients. Images — Shows the added photos and/or illustrations. Metadata — Publishing date, language and similar information. Video — Inactive unless a link to an external video is added.

Images

As the system is adapted for minimalism, the images are scaled to two sizes upon upload. So the images are available in three sizes:

Original — Available “as is”. Web — A reduced size adapted for viewing on a display. Thumbnail — A tiny size used for previewing photos or illustrations.

A visitor will see the images of the blog post displayed in one of two ways:

1. Followers will see an original image scaled to fit the screen and thumbnails following the text in the right margin. Clicking a thumbnail will open the image in fullscreen mode above the text. Clicking on the images icon will show a page of web images. Those images may be further enlarged to be viewed in full screen mode.

2. Others will see a web image aligned to the right of the text. The thumbnails will follow the text in the right margin. Clicking on a thumbnail will open a web image over the text. Clicking on the image icon will show a page of web images but without the possibility to zoom in further.

Recently people have asked me about why I am minimizing my presence at Facebook. I wish I could give them a simple answer.

Most things I do is based on something in my head that I simply call the machine. I throw all kinds of stuff into it and after a while it pops out an answer or solution. It's a handy mechanism even though I only know fractions about how it works. It works, that's the main thing, and it works well.

So the short answer could now be that the machine came up with that solution.

But even in my conscious mind the thoughts have gathered around the influence of social media on our society, both locally and globally. It seems like the actors of commercial social media isn't neutral, and that their bias probably is dangerous for our planet.

I will let you come to your own conclusions but as far as I can see the only real option is to stop using commercial social media and that is the process I have decided to begin.

This blog software – Writefreely – is part of an open and federated alternative called the Fediverse. You will find links to my other federated media sites in later posts.

...and this topic will be revisited again too, I promise.

#fediverse #thoughts

The door creaks as I close it behind me. Snow dances outside my new windows. Must hang some curtains soon. There's only me and my backpack so the apartment echoes as I walk around the few square meters. Not yet a home but four walls do not a prison make either.

My body is still sitting on the same old futon in front of the same old computer. ...but my soul has a new address online.

#fediverse