andrew fergusson

Tag: personal

  • Financial Spite

    Today I learned that Curve is a UK-based fintech owned by the UK-listed Lloyds Banking Group. I knew what they were offering for a while but never signed up because a card intermediary ruins many of the consumer protections enjoyed by card payments in the UK. But Curve has payment wearables. This would be incredibly convenient.

    In February 2026, and for the previous several years, I have used Apple Pay for pretty much everything. With Apple getting 0.15% of the transaction, you’re looking at… maybe £75 for the life of my usage?

    In March, I used Apple Pay twice. Both times I forgot my wallet. And although once was four taps, it was for a return journey between Zone 2 and Zone 1 of Transport for Greater Manchester, so only one transaction.

    I can’t excise myself from Yankee card payment providers yet (bring on an end to the Mastercard/Visa/Amex dominance, please), but I’ve managed to make more of my money stay in the UK with this change.

    I hope to be able to do more of this. And a Curve ring might be the backup for “I forgot my wallet” I otherwise used Apple Pay for this March.

  • A Letter to my Councillors: Preventing Rumoured Changes to Tram Service Salford

    tl;dr: Salford tram service is rumoured to be made worse to support the Trafford line. I wrote to my councillors to ask them to prevent this.

    Hello Councillors,

    I’m writing about a rumoured change to tram service into Salford that will be introduced as a temporary measure; however, the last temporary tram service change to Salford lasted over four years.

    I have heard that TfGM is planning to do the following to services into Salford:

    • Closing the Etihad to MediaCity line
    • Reducing the Ashton–Eccles service from five an hour (12 minutes) to four an hour (15 minutes)
    • Changing all trams on the remaining Ashton–Eccles line to double

    This is to support a service change on the Trafford line to run to Oldham.

    I am aware that the current electric network within the city centre for trams doesn’t permit additional capacity; however, these two changes needlessly punish Salford. TfGM has frequently defended poor service to Salford with the argument that all services run at a 12-minute frequency while ignoring that the vast majority of destinations across the network have service by more than one line, with the richest terminus stations on the network served by several.

    Additionally, afternoon and rush-hour service from the stops at Salford Quays and Exchange Quay will get intolerably busy, as people are frequently passed up by two services every 12 minutes with a single tram; a 15-minute service with a double tram would make the situation even worse.

    I do not want to see this network change. The walk from where I live near Mariners Canal will have a substantially degraded tram service, and the walk to the nearest Trafford line station is a horrible zigzag diversion due to the Peel Buildings’ selfish fortifications.

    The current state of the tram network and lack of investment in reducing service bottlenecks in the centre zone should not be compensated for by an intentional deterioration of Salford’s already poor service provision.

    I would like to see Salford as a whole come out strongly against these changes to the tram network services and ideally block them.

    Warm regards,

    Andrew

  • Infinite Algorithm Consequences

    The more I think on the #ukPol push to ban under-16s from social media I think that I’m convinced problem is “the algorithm”.

    I had access to porn at a very young age, but it wasn’t foisted upon me (barring the odd goatse link) in a continual scroll situation. When you finished reading your friends’ Geocities updates, or Livejournal reverse chronological feed you were done.

    Algorithmic recommendation is editorial, and if social media companies were made accountable for it–would they then stop?

    There is a distinct lack of talking about the accountability gap in #ukPol. Amazon selling advertisements to marketplace sellers hawking dangerous/faulty counterfeit goods with no consequences. Influencers boosting their reach hawking damaging grey market tanning nasal spray using TikTok’s built in systems to make a small commission.

    Both of these have large companies shrugging about the specific harms they cause as there was no human intervention on their part, so no accountability?

    Considering the bullshit spouted in many UK newspapers, somehow #ukPol sees better regulation of their editorial line than big American tech companies. It’s a gap that could quickly be fixed.

    And my theory is that they’d abandon the algorithm if the consequences were greater than the profit they gain from it.

    And maybe we’d go back to seeing your friend’s posts on Instagram, with a less addictive product. Once you’ve caught up it has nothing left for you to do. So one can put their phone down.

    Originally posted as a thread on my Mastodon instance.

  • Intentionally Ringing in the New Year

    Many blog-post bits are spilled annually in retrospectives or plans for the coming year. Change this, lose that, etc. I’ve always found it hard to start a new habit in January-a bleak month in its own right-and I’m supposed to deny stuff that, until then, are comforting vices? No thanks; let’s break our habits in the shortest month of the year, thank you.

    Complete aside: I make my return to work in January go smoother by opening a panettone I purchased in December on the first day back. I call it Janettone, and it’s a habit I would like to share with the world. This year’s is a limoncello one, and it’s a lovely way to start a workday.

    This year, I’m looking to take something I’ve tried to apply for several months a bit further. I want to be more intentional about everything I do. Phone down more. Single-screening, not multi-screening. Being intentional about my actions doesn’t preclude me simply wanting to enjoy what I do.

    I want to be more present in my forties, and that’s what I intend to do.

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