Author | Lightnews

Leigh :) Stark 🦄

@leighlo.bsky.social

1K followers 310 following 630 posts

Award-winning tech journalist & editor pickr.com.au. As heard on ABC, 2HD, 3AW, 4BC, 6PR, and more. Media appearances at pickr.com.au/about/media/ Journalist. Reviewer. SEO. Author. Photographer. Geek dad. Created simplsaver.com. Happy to help.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · Mar 29

A total surprise last night: my publication @pickrau.bsky.social grabbed the Best Independent Coverage award at the 2025 Australian IT Journalism Awards. Humbled by it all.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 1d

My guess is it's been considered. Affinity was a buy once concept before Canva got involved. I have a license. lol.

Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 1d

Was literally going to suggest this.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 6d

If you have 30 seconds and like Wordle (or even if you hate it, but like word games), I'd love to hear what you think about a game I've made: BleepWords.

It's a soft launch. Any and all feedback is appreciated. Share to friends, family, and people who love words.

BleepWords

Play the game that's all about choosing the right !@#$ing word. It's almost never the one you expect.

bleepwords.com

Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 8d

I'm so sorry mate.

Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 10d

When you get to the final level, finding the submit button, the keys are designed to go back to normal again.

You can technically select a date. But it's a bit of punishing ux. And if you step in a poo emoji, you lose a day, because like real life, it takes about a day to clear it up.

Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 10d

It's intentionally evil ux.

The keys and directions don't move properly because the ux is so bad. There are a set of keys that always move the right way, but the documentation is equally bad, so I've just kind of left it out.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 10d

Congrats!

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 12d

A colleague suggested I release this on Steam. Not sure it's worth the Steam listing price, but having a ponder.

Can evil ux be a game?

Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 12d

Clearly, I needed to change the fact that there weren't any Australian entries in the Bad UX World Cup.

So here's a somewhat evil date picker made for gamers who want to throw their phones across the room, and who will quickly realise you can't cheat on desktop, either.

Datehack - A Roguelike Date Picker

leighlo.com

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 12d

I built something in a few minutes of spare time. It's particularly evil, but also quite bad. leighlo.com/datehack.html

Datehack - A Roguelike Date Picker

leighlo.com

Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 12d

We can only hope it's better than that last game.

Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 12d

Kind of want to enter. Does that make me a bad person?

Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 12d

What is this game

Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 14d

So I should pitch a different time slot then.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 14d

Maybe I need to pitch a drive time radio show where for an hour people can get angry at their devices for tech support, get answers, and feel happier overall. Maybe.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 15d

It's always an update.

Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 15d

Last night on ABC Adelaide, a caller doubted my expectation that it was an update that caused the DNS issue.

Turns out it was an update. www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 15d

No prize for guessing what today's radio spots will cover.

Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 15d

All good mate. Have a great evening.

Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 15d

I haven't. I get your logic, but again, I don't see it the same way.

And while social isn't the internet per se, I think arming kids and teens with good education is better than blocking them from using it.

It also basically encourages parents to do little because the ban will take care of it.

Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 15d

Parents typically talk to their kids about drinking as they grow. How many kids had tastes as they grew up?

Plus parents should talk to their kids about excess, and not drinking when driving.

I hear this logic often and don't think it's quite the same.

The ban is saying nothing until 16.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 15d

You're absolutely right. But that doesn't mean we don't try.

My kids are already asking questions. And I'm a technology journalist, so I'm naturally trying to be as transparent with them as possible.

I think the effort of education is a better try than a ban. Each to their own.

Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 15d

Again, not attacking anyone who supports the ban. I get it. I get the need to act. Some of the stories coming out from parents dealing with this are heartbreaking. I don't have a solution there.

But I don't believe collective education has been tried by the government on this. And it should.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 15d

The problem Graeme is it recommends everyone do something, but stops short of providing actionable education to parents and kids. And then covers it with a government rush job of a ban by December.

That doesn't read as a genuine attempt at long term action. Not to me, anyway.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 15d

I don't think there's a quick cover all fix for this.

But a ban blocking young people from social when their world is connected and digital presents harms, too.

That's why it was so crucial the government listen when it pitched the idea, rather than rush it through.