Latest posts
- One &udm After AnotherMay 31, 2026Ernie Smith
Google made everyone mad again, so another wave of people just learned about &udm=14. Maybe we should all take the hint. Today in Tedium: When I spent two hours of my time, working against a deadline, deciding that I needed to build a workaround hack for Google’s AI overviews, I had no expectation as to what that would end up being. Two years later, the site is still online, despite people consta
- The $500 Price IncreaseMay 21, 2026Ernie Smith
Plex sends a message to the self-hosting community with a massive upcharge targeted at the very people who hate monthly fees. For nearly two decades, Plex has served as self-hosting’s great gateway drug. It’s the one self-hosting tool that normies know about, and it looks slick and modern. (It’s even a streamer itself these days!) Despite the fact that it’s often associated with piracy, it has tr
- The Biz ReaperMay 14, 2026Ernie Smith
If Byron Allen shows up at your door, you did something wrong with your media business. And BuzzFeed has a visitor. Also: I built a thing. I have written quite a few times over the years about Byron Allen, the legendary television business model exploiter who has managed to build an island of misfit toys into a business empire of his own. Allen is a unique figure in media, because he can effectiv
- The Bold Ones WinMay 08, 2026Ernie Smith
We lost Ted Turner, a patron saint of Tedium, just as an entrepreneur made an audacious Turner-style bet. What can we learn from that? This week, word came out that the CEO of a name-brand, heavily memed company was trying to do something completely audacious. Also, Ted Turner, the guy who arguably invented that trick and arguably did it better than possibly anyone else of his generation, just di
- Reinventing the WheelMay 03, 2026Ernie Smith
You’ve probably heard it’s futile, but that hasn’t stopped plenty from trying—some successfully, shockingly. Hey all, Ernie here with a piece from a periodic contributor, John Ohno, who last showed up in these parts around 2019. We’re happy he remembered the URL. Anyway, let’s get to it: Today in Tedium: Wheels (along with mousetraps) are the iconic inventions. And why not? The wheel is among the
- When The Bill Comes DueApr 29, 2026Ernie Smith
Be wary of the cool new AI tools Anthropic and OpenAI are throwing—because you’ll eventually get stuck with the bill. (By the way, did you know there are cheaper options?) I think the point where it became clear to me that the AI bubble was hitting a wall came about two weeks ago, when Anthropic launched its Claude Design product. As someone who is interested in design and is trying to understand
- A Plethora of TweezersApr 24, 2026Ernie Smith
Pondering the way that tweezers isolate things at a small scale, and the fact that you can take an aptitude test to show that you can tweeze with the pros. Hey all, Ernie here with a refreshed piece from 2020 on everyone’s favorite topic, tweezers. I for one love reliving my splinters. Today in Tedium: In a world full of massive problems, I’m going to focus on the smallest possible problem I can
- The ScapegoatApr 22, 2026Ernie Smith
Yes, AI is changing things in the corporate world, but let’s be clear: The humans are driving the actual change. McClatchy proves it. McClatchy is a company that screams legacy. Nearly 170 years old, it has acquired a number of significant newspapers over the years, most notably in 2006, when it acquired the iconic Knight Ridder chain. It is a company that has faced many challenges over its long
- A Taxing DiscussionApr 18, 2026Ernie Smith
Taxes are annoying and confusing, aren’t they? Turns out they were also confusing way back when they were first introduced, too. Let’s talk about the 1040. Hey all, happy Thursday … oh crap, it isn’t Thursday! Anyway, here’s a longer piece on income taxes. I decided to take an extra day or two to do it right. Cheers! Today in Tedium: There's a common motif that often appears in Tedium pieces, the
- Pressed For OptionsApr 15, 2026Ernie Smith
I bought a USB fingerprint reader for my Linux laptop from Temu because it was the only one I could find that I knew would work. As you may or may not know, I’m somewhat obsessed with tech on the edges, gadgets that do a thing comparable to a more expensive thing, and making the most of the things I have. (See my Colmi R02 smart ring, which I’m wearing now.) And I kind of hate typing in my passwo