Serena Chen
smashes at her keyboard with a distinct lack of grace
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  • On Fanfiction, and Reading

    The year 2000 was a time of beginnings.

    Monday July 1 2019
  • Hope for the cynic

    Cynicism is the dream killer. Cynicism stops progress in its tracks. Cynicism denies us a better world.

    Sunday May 26 2019
    A photograph of a marble statue of a woman, with her hand over her heart.
    Another painting depicting the same scene, except with ever-so-slightly different placements of the objects. Rene Magritte - Memory, 1948.
  • On burnout (and bouncing back)

    What do we owe to ourselves?

    Monday May 20 2019
    An drawing of an ethereal-looking hand, with various objects floating around it.
  • Found footage

    This weekend we were in sunny Nelson, where the air has that characteristic South Island crispness to it, and the sun stings just a little more than usual.

    Tuesday April 23 2019
    A photograph taken from the passenger seat of a car of the streets of Nelson. It's autumn, and warm-coloured deciduous leaves fill the sky.
  • Gratitude

    I am following diligently behind my mum. She is pushing a sparse trolley through our local Pak ‘n’ Save. I am eight.

    Friday March 29 2019
    red ribbons tied to tree branches.
  • What does free speech mean, anyway?

    In a bold move, Pintrest has blocked search results for terms that are known to proliferate anti-vax propaganda.

    Wednesday February 27 2019
    A cartoon drawing of a parrot yelling. Illustration by Pepper Curry.
  • Your local dairy girl

    This week I’m hanging out in my hometown.

    Sunday February 10 2019
    An illustration of common goods from a dairy: milk, lollies, fizzy drink, cigarettes. Illustration by Pepper Curry
  • Slow socialising

    I deleted Twitter and Instagram off my phone.

    Saturday February 2 2019
    A sketch of a smartphone with unanswered messages. Illustration by Pepper Curry
    A text message lamenting to a friend that we haven't caught up.
  • Words for Increment Magazine

    Design for Security

    An illustration of a figure holding a large paintbrush

    Applying design thinking to security practices can create a better, more secure experience.

    There exists a pervasive myth in the tech industry: that usability and security are mutually exclusive. A widespread notion that making something secure inherently makes it hard to use, and making something easy to use inherently makes it less secure. In fact, the opposite is true. Good user experience design and good security cannot exist without each other. A secure system must be controllable, reliable, and hence usable. A usable system reduces… External link

  • No more problematic faves

    I once gave a talk to a room full of women about enjoying problematic media.

    Monday January 14 2019
    A cartoon depicting a woman wearing sunglasses smoking a ciggarette with a burning car and building reflected in the sunglasses
  • Finding meaning

    I had to have been around nine or ten years old when I was frequenting some local forums. I stumbled upon a post. Someone started a thread: what is the meaning of life?

    Friday December 28 2018 | Home
    A photo of me reading a book, sitting next to a pile of books
    Another photo of me in the same scene
  • Moving my flesh prison

    Exercise. Dreaded, dreaded exercise. As a Standard Nerd, it won’t come as a surprise that I have never been, how you say, mobile, much in life.

    Monday September 10 2018
  • Taking back control of my attention

    We’ve all heard about this, right? Devices are designed to keep us addicted. Websites are designed to hijack the pleasure centres of our brain. They’ve trained us to expect novelty all the time.

    Sunday September 2 2018
  • Fixing my sleep

    I have never slept well. I’ve tried pretty much everything there is to try to have something that even mildly resembles a consistent sleep schedule.

    Sunday August 26 2018
  • Reprogramming my brain, body and life

    Over the past few years I’ve noticed that my life is full of bad habits. Habits that were destroying my health, stifling my creativity, and hijacking my brain onto constant cycles of anxiety and mania.

    Saturday August 25 2018
  • Feminism is a ramp

    I was once a cool girl.

    Thursday April 21 2016
    A photograph of two disembodied arms, embracing a Grecian bust.
  • On Earthrise, Extremism, Electronics and Empathy

    And we’re back. This theme for this issue of HVNGRY is perspective, and it’s something easily forgotten in the busy hustle and bustle of each day. When I think of the word, the first thing that pops into my head is this photograph

    Saturday July 4 2015
    A photograph of the Earth from space, showing a desert and the ocean
    A photograph of an astronaut in space
  • Multiverses, wormholes, and unknowable unknowns.

    Last week I came across some questions from high school students about string theory, dark energy, and multiverses.

    Tuesday March 3 2015
    A drawing picturing stars and galaxies
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