Leigh Stark 🦄

How do you modernise - and harmonise - the way Australia classifies media? TV, films, video games, and even books fall under guidelines and a system first devised decades ago - in a time when dial up internet was scarce and Blockbuster was a weekly ritual. While the guidelines have seen some changes, the pace of cultural and technological change has demanded a deep review of Australia's media classification guidelines - and ideas on how to bring this into the modern era. Together with the The Social Research Centre, we set about trying to grapple with this problem for the Australian Government and came up with some really surprising concepts along the way. The work is now in its publication consultation with submissions open for the next forty-two days. If you've got thoughts, please jump on and share them: https://lnkd.in/gFXiRmz5

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Google has struck a new deal with the Australian Associated Press (AAP) that will see the newswire’s journalism help drive results surfaced in the search giant’s AI app, Gemini (no paywall) https://lnkd.in/gphqr8vS

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Why 73% of NSW Game Devs Are Planning Their Exit (The $150K survey data that's shocking the Australian indie scene) The State of Play NSW Independent Developer Survey recently dropped the most brutal numbers I've seen in years: - NSW indie studios need on average $150,000 to complete a game. - Most are working thousands of unpaid hours to fund their dreams. - And 73.7% are planning to leave the state. This isn't just a funding crisis—it's a creative exodus. But here's what the raw survey data doesn't tell you: where every dollar of that $150K should actually go. After analysing the State of Play findings alongside global market data, I've uncovered why traditional marketing advice (spend 25-50% on promotion) completely fails NSW developers. The reality? Marketing typically costs $50,000 alone—one-third of your entire budget before you've written a line of code. Here's the framework that actually works for NSW constraints: The 30-15-5 Rule: - 30% Pre-Launch (18 months): $45K for community building - 15% Launch Window (3 months): $22K for concentrated push - 5% Post-Launch: $8K for ongoing support Plus the "Bootstrap Alternative" for studios without $75K marketing budgets. The complete breakdown includes: ✓ Exact monthly budget allocations ($2,500 pre-launch vs $7,300 launch window) ✓ Platform-specific strategies (Steam vs Mobile approaches for NSW developers) ✓ Geographic reality checks (30% of NSW studios operate outside Sydney Metro) ✓ Bootstrap alternative ($15K cash + sweat equity framework) ✓ Success metrics that matter for cash-strapped studios ✓ Action plan you can implement tomorrow ​[→ Read my complete NSW marketing budget analysis here]​ https://lnkd.in/gcNSdJ9q ​[→ Read the State of Play NSW 2025 Survey here] https://lnkd.in/gEJTCwut

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If you are a provider, SaaS, or any company in the Australian Finance/CFD space, create blog posts around these topics, and you can add 50k new visits per month easy 👇 1. "Retail vs. Professional CFD Client Status in Australia: Is Upgrading to 'Pro' Worth Losing ASIC Protections?" Reddit r/fiaustralia, Whirlpool Finance forums, and broker support channels reveal affluent Australian traders debating whether to qualify as "wholesale/professional" clients to access higher leverage (bypassing ASIC's 30:1 retail limit). The decision involves meeting wealth criteria ($2.5M+ net assets or $250K+ annual income) BUT losing critical protections. Traders are asking: "Is 100:1 leverage worth risking unlimited losses?" "Can I lose more than my account balance as Pro client?" The confusion: brokers actively recruit eligible traders to Pro status but don't explain the protection trade-offs. HNWIs need honest analysis. Estimated Monthly Search Volume: 8,400-11,200 searches 2. "ASIC's March 2021 CFD Leverage Restrictions: How Australia's Wealthiest Traders Legally Access Higher Leverage" High-net-worth investor forums, LinkedIn finance groups, and private wealth management discussions reveal sophisticated Australian traders frustrated by ASIC's 2021 leverage caps (30:1 major forex, 20:1 indices, 10:1 commodities, 5:1 shares, 2:1 crypto). Before March 2021, Australian brokers offered 500:1 leverage; new regulations slashed this by 94%. Wealthy traders discuss three legal workarounds: (1) qualifying as professional/wholesale clients domestically, (2) opening accounts with offshore brokers in jurisdictions with looser regulations (Seychelles, Vanuatu, BVI), or (3) using prop trading firms offering institutional leverage. The unaddressed question: What are the legal, tax, and practical implications of each strategy? Estimated Monthly Search Volume: 6,800-9,400 searches 3. "CFD Tax Treatment Australia 2025: Capital Gains vs. Business Income Classification for Active Traders" Reddit r/AusFinance, Whirlpool, and accounting forums show active CFD traders confused about tax treatment. Casual investors pay CGT (50% discount on gains held 12+ months), but "traders" conducting business pay full income tax (no CGT discount) but can claim losses immediately and deduct expenses. The ATO uses unclear criteria determining trader vs. investor status: frequency of trades, systematic approach, business-like activity. Real examples: trader making 500+ trades annually assumed CGT treatment, faced ATO audit resulting in full income tax assessment plus penalties. The gap: no definitive guidance exists for Australian CFD traders on: when trading crosses into business activity, whether CFD contracts even qualify for CGT (they're derivatives, not underlying assets), how to structure affairs for optimal tax treatment, and what records satisfy ATO scrutiny during audits. Estimated Monthly Search Volume: 12,400-16,800 searches You're welcome.

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Whack-a-Mole – Vexatious Domain Complaints Continue! This time we defended a client's one-word domain name. Full story on Profit today: https://lnkd.in/gv9Rn5EY Why in Australia should we need to defend dictionary word domain names that do not intentionally infringe on anyone's Intellectual Property? The auDA - .au Domain Administration Ltd. Compliance team are very fair and good at their job. But no other domain extension in the world puts their registrants to such stressful, unnecessary processes. In the opinion of many, it's time to rethink and streamline procedures to ensure fair and efficient usage and management of domain name rights.  #DigitalAssets #IntellectualProperty #DomainNames #auDA

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#CLIENTSPOTLIGHT When Rex Technologies decided to expand into the Australian B2B market, they knew their website needed to reflect their capability, scale, and credibility. They brought me on board to help revamp their copy and website so they could confidently enter the B2B Australian market. Here's what I helped them achieve through SEO website copywriting and wireframing: https://lnkd.in/gda5dZ8K

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Deceived by AI: The Global Publishing Scam that Misled Aspiring Authors https://lnkd.in/g8i8kb9F Unmasking Publishing Scams: A Warning for Aspiring Authors An aspiring writer in Australia recently uncovered a sophisticated scam posing as a publishing company. This venture, masquerading under names like Melbourne Book Publisher, preys on hopeful authors eager to publish. Key points include: Investigation Triggered: Australia’s National Anti-Scam Centre is now involved, following reports of websites designed to exploit novice writers. Cloned Websites: Scammers utilize cloned sites, AI-generated staff, and fake testimonials to create an illusion of legitimacy. Real-Life Impact: Authors like Andrea and Peter lost money and trust, mistaking the scam for a reputable publisher. Insights from Experts: Researchers highlight that the sophistication of these scams is increasing, utilizing advanced AI to mislead. Stay informed! If you’re an aspiring author or know someone who is, be cautious about where you invest your time and money. Share this to help spread awareness and protect our writers! Source link https://lnkd.in/g8i8kb9F

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DDoS Attacks... Are You & Your Tech Stack Safe? If your business relies on its online presence to operate, whether through e-commerce, client portals, or customer communication, a sudden website crash or network slowdown can feel catastrophic. Often, these disruptions aren’t accidental. One of the most common culprits is a DDoS attack, or Distributed Denial of Service attack. Read more on our blog: https://lnkd.in/gD8R_Zmb

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⚠️ AI WARNING ⚠️ ChatGPT cannot produce a single piece of text without slipping in an em dash. One of these bad boys: — Not a hyphen. Not a dash. An Em dash. And they are everywhere at the moment. It's like flying ants day, but every day. On LinkedIn. In every use case where I’ve used AI to help with me with something (but to retain my writing style), it messes with my flow so I’ve had to tell it off. IN CAPS (For the record, I’ve asked ChatGPT not to use em dashes 38 times now. I counted. I even asked for confirmation I wasn't hallucinating) Look.. I've been a fan of the dash ever since people told me that I used brackets too much (I love brackets), so I got scared and I converted. I'm fine now tho. But ever since AI took off, I can’t unsee the em dashes. They're in every AI-generated thing I read. They stick out like a big sticky outy thing. I mean, folks could be using them naturally but I don't think so. It's super complicated on a windows machine, a bit like trying to mine bitcoin. On a mac you have to do 'Option + Shift + Dash' to create one, and who the hell's got time to do that? So yeah. Take heed. This is AI's gift back to humanity to stop you being naughty. You have been warned. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk. Any other AI gripes. Feel free to add them in the comments. And please, use AI responsibly #curated #chatgpt #ai #nomoreemdashes #contentwriters #aimistakes #digitalmarketing #seo #agencylife #flyingants

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If your business model doesn't function without stealing other people's work, then you don't have a business model—well said, Nicholas Pickard: https://lnkd.in/eXwDmmPi

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Marketing isn't always about ads and content. Sometimes it's about strategic partnerships that elevate both brands and cross pollination of audiences. Original Geek has done this by facilitating a partnership between Electronic Rebellion , Dangerfield and PlaySide Studios Selected Dangerfield stores across Australia will soon feature play zones to try out Electronic Rebellion brands such as Bloody, Redragon and Mork Blade instore while playing the latest releases from Playside.

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“Age assurance can be done in Australia.” That line from the government’s new tech trial on age verification sounds definitive—but masks a more complex reality. There’s no universal solution. Usability problems remain. And some systems are collecting children’s data just in case regulators want it. As I’ve written in recent essays, this is a pattern: performative enforcement in place of moral reasoning, cultural trust, and parental presence. We’re not solving the real problem—we’re building better tools to avoid it. 🔗 Read the InnovationAUS article here https://lnkd.in/ggJsB-Bp #DigitalGovernance #ChildSafety #AI #Policy #Trust

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 Global Publishing Scam Targeting Authors The article warns of a sophisticated global publishing scam, now targeting Australian writers, that leverages AI to convincingly impersonate legitimate publishing houses. Some even falsely claim to have published well-known books (which in reality were published elsewhere). This scam operates via cloned websites, fake “team” pages, and fabricated testimonials, all to dupe aspiring authors into upfront paying for bogus publishing services. https://lnkd.in/gXmws4fb

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When your data analysis gets a reality check... I spent days diving deep into the June 2025 Core Update's impact on Australian search visibility. The results were exciting - massive impression gains across client websites targeting Australian audiences. Then September hit and those gains dropped significantly. My initial reaction: WTF just happened? So I did what any data-obsessed marketer does - read everything the SEO experts were saying. ( 👏 Brodie Clark) But here's the thing: their findings didn't perfectly align with what I was seeing in the Australian data. The industry focused heavily on the September parameter changes and bot inflation, but my analysis suggested the real story started back in July. Here's my two cents: Yes, the latest changes look dramatic in the dashboards. But when I compare current Australian organic performance to pre-June Core Update levels, we're still seeing substantial improvements in our target region. [Based on the tiny data range available] The geographic redistribution patterns I observed suggest this isn't just about tracking tool adjustments - there's genuine algorithmic rebalancing happening that favours local relevance and geographic targeting. My findings in the article below. 👇 Now I'm waiting (like everyone else) to see if Google provides an official statement about what's actually been going on behind the scenes. And fingers crossed that's all the major algorithm drama for 2025... HAHAHAHAHA. (Who am I kidding? This is Google we're talking about.) Has anyone else noticed regional variations that don't quite match the broader industry narrative? Would love to hear your experiences.

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🚨 “𝐈 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐆𝐏𝐓 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐂𝐃𝐑… 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬.” 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠? 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧. Assessment authorities like Engineers Australia are now using advanced AI-detection systems to identify AI-generated Competency Demonstration Reports (CDRs). And when a report appears non-genuine, the consequences can be serious. ⚠️ 𝐈𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝟏𝟐–𝟑𝟔 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧. So what exactly triggers these red flags? Here are the most common issues assessors identify: ❌ 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ❌ 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 “𝐰𝐞” 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 “𝐈” (𝐂𝐃𝐑𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞) ❌ 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦-𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 ❌ 𝐀𝐈-𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 A CDR is not just a project report. It is evidence of your personal engineering competency. And that human element cannot be generated by AI. ✅ The smart way to use AI AI can still be helpful — but only if you use it correctly. ✔ Brainstorming project ideas ✔ Improving grammar and sentence clarity ✔ Organizing report structure 🚫 The risky way to use AI ❌ Copy-pasting AI-generated Career Episodes ❌ Letting AI invent technical details ❌ Using AI to write your Summary Statement If you want your CDR to pass assessment, it must clearly show: • 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 • 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 • 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 • 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦-𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 In short: 👉 Your voice. Your work. Your engineering story. 𝐀𝐭 𝐂𝐃𝐑 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐃𝐑 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬. ✔ 𝟎% 𝐀𝐈-𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 ✔ 𝟎% 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 ✔ 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Because when it comes to your migration journey, cutting corners can cost years. 💬 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐃𝐑 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬, 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭.

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AI search is destroying publisher traffic. Everyone's down. Apparently... At Auto Media Group, we publish five specialist automotive titles: AutoTalk NZ, AutoTalk Australia, TransportTalk, EVs and Beyond, and Inside China Auto. And every one of them grew over the last twelve months. AutoTalk, our flagship, continued to build off the largest audience base in the portfolio, and according to Similarweb, its traffic is miles ahead of the competition. Autotalk.com.au's audience grew by 50%. TransportTalk.co.nz sessions climbed nearly 60%. And EVs and Beyond, backed by a growing YouTube channel, has seen a dramatic surge in the past month alone, with views up 44% year-on-year as fuel prices hit the front page. Our partner website Inside China Auto led the charge with user growth north of 900% (though in fairness it is barely a year old so it is coming from a low base), powered by its strong presence on YouTube alongside the website. I think the reason is straightforward: we publish strong daily news, insightfully selected for audiences who rely on us to stay informed. The Clean Vehicle Standard review, the wave of Chinese brands entering our market, the shifting EV landscape, these are stories our readers need covered properly, not summarised by a chatbot. None of this happens without the right people. A big acknowledgement to Mark Rainford 芮铭, our partner on Inside China Auto, whose knowledge of the Chinese automotive market is unmatched. And to Nigel Moffiet, who provides the solid editorial base that keeps our titles publishing daily while I'm on the road. Specialist publishers with genuine editorial authority aren't being disrupted by AI search. They're growing through it. All five titles up. I'll take that. Oh, and if you like those numbers, Deborah Baxter and Dale Stevenson have a lot more to share with you... alongside a rate card! And yes, I am aware of the irony of using Ai for the graphics on this post!

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