He/him performer, writer, educator, game designer and ginger on Wurundjeri Country (aka Melbourne, Australia). I make the book club podcast Pratchat, time travel radio comedy Night Terrace, games and more. Not the actor that wrote a book about crypto.https://bsky.app/profile/benmckenzie.com.auhttps://bsky.app/profile/benmckenzie.com.au/post/3mlzvsqb26c2rI recently learned where “grandfathered in” comes from, and you know, it’d be nice if every other English term didn’t stem from a racist practice, wouldn’t it? (The original was a rule exempting you from a literacy test to vote in the US if your grandfather could vote. Guess who that excluded.)17 May 2026 08:07 +0000at://did:plc:ivfzsaudwe2udhsxzatul6u2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlzvsqb26c2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/benmckenzie.com.au/post/3mlow3326p22vNot as diverse as I’d like (rarely able to convince anyone to play anything except fantasy adventure games) but: Dungeons & Dragons (5.5e) Daggerheart The Score Shadowdark [contains quote post or other embedded content]12 May 2026 23:13 +0000at://did:plc:ivfzsaudwe2udhsxzatul6u2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlow3326p22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/benmckenzie.com.au/post/3mko5yclytc2yI can’t read the article (it’s behind a paywall), but I’d guess this is needed because there’s a disproportionate amount written about joke entries in IT documentation. The most famous example is RFC 1149: “Standard for the transmission of IP datagrams on avian carriers” [contains quote post or other embedded content]29 Apr 2026 22:37 +0000at://did:plc:ivfzsaudwe2udhsxzatul6u2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mko5yclytc2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/benmckenzie.com.au/post/3mibawtv5qc2zToday, as I watch generative AI ruin my life and those of my students, I would just like every AI wonk who has never thought about the consequences of anything but their bank account to injure themselves slightly in some odd way, then get absolutely fucked advice from the chatbot they ask for help.30 Mar 2026 08:34 +0000at://did:plc:ivfzsaudwe2udhsxzatul6u2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mibawtv5qc2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/benmckenzie.com.au/post/3mgu5eztfgs2pDo I know anyone who has transferred from Switch to Switch 2? What happens if transfer save data for a game you only own as a physical card?12 Mar 2026 10:01 +0000at://did:plc:ivfzsaudwe2udhsxzatul6u2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgu5eztfgs2phttps://bsky.app/profile/benmckenzie.com.au/post/3mgtcvrhf6c2dIt’s sort of (thanks timezones) both the anniversary of Douglas Adams’ birth (11 March) and Terry Pratchett’s death (12 March). I don’t think their work is very similar, despite how they’re lumped together. But they’re two of the writers who most shaped me. At least, my good bits. GNU both of ‘em.12 Mar 2026 02:07 +0000at://did:plc:ivfzsaudwe2udhsxzatul6u2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgtcvrhf6c2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/benmckenzie.com.au/post/3mgq6lsdq4s2aThe other Ben McKenzie* is at it again - this time with a documentary film! I’m looking forward to seeing him expose more grift. Less looking forward to the emails I will get that are meant for him, but hey, I’ll take one for team McKenzie. * In reality, of course, I’m “the other Ben McKenzie”. [contains quote post or other embedded content]10 Mar 2026 20:12 +0000at://did:plc:ivfzsaudwe2udhsxzatul6u2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgq6lsdq4s2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/benmckenzie.com.au/post/3mgdscpopmc2oMy cats have invented their own form of wrestling which feels kind of like a reverse WWF. Instead of winning a belt and proudly showing it off, the goal seems to be to make your opponent lose their collar and then run away from it as much as possible.05 Mar 2026 22:00 +0000at://did:plc:ivfzsaudwe2udhsxzatul6u2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgdscpopmc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/benmckenzie.com.au/post/3mgcjtmh4mc2mAustralian indie podcasters - how have you made Riverside or SquadCast etc work? I find that Australian internet is frequently not up to the task. Even a good NBN plan drops out and has lag. What do you use that actually works consistently, recording platform or internet provider-wise?05 Mar 2026 09:56 +0000at://did:plc:ivfzsaudwe2udhsxzatul6u2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgcjtmh4mc2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/benmckenzie.com.au/post/3mfpnfoy5522eI remember the efforts by @scottmccloud.bsky.social and others to make online micro-transactions a thing. Imagine the world where it worked out (with no crypto!), instead of this subscription hellscape! But we are seeing some small shifts - eg Patreon now supports buying access to individual posts.25 Feb 2026 21:39 +0000at://did:plc:ivfzsaudwe2udhsxzatul6u2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfpnfoy5522ehttps://bsky.app/profile/benmckenzie.com.au/post/3mfcxbxlxl22gThis is a long shot, but does anyone know anyone who works at Soundcloud? They forced me to reset my password, but the reset email doesn’t arrive. The email address is working (support emails arrive). The support team just keep sending the same canned (AI?) message to check my spam filter. Help?20 Feb 2026 20:31 +0000at://did:plc:ivfzsaudwe2udhsxzatul6u2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfcxbxlxl22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/benmckenzie.com.au/post/3mfc6jhual22cThe RPG scene still loves blogs - especially the OSR, a philosophy of play evolved from early D&D. The #Bloggies are awards for the best RPG blogging, started in 2022. We Read the Bloggies is a community podcast of readings, to help more people vote! I joined in to read three of the debut posts. https://podcast.bloggies.org/@WeReadTheBloggies/episodes20 Feb 2026 13:08 +0000at://did:plc:ivfzsaudwe2udhsxzatul6u2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfc6jhual22chttps://bsky.app/profile/benmckenzie.com.au/post/3mekwcsq3j22vMy first academic publication came out today in Education Sciences! Our paper presents a card game I designed as an example of how bespoke boardgames can provide an authentic learning experience. Huge thanks to lead and co-authors @melissainau.bsky.social and @elisabone.bsky.social. https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/16/2/28211 Feb 2026 07:10 +0000at://did:plc:ivfzsaudwe2udhsxzatul6u2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mekwcsq3j22v