---
title: "Posts by Mert Erbil"
url: "https://merterbil.com/posts/"
---

# Posts

English write-ups of Mert Erbil's merbil.fm videos (the videos are in Turkish).

- [why big companies get hacked so easily](https://merterbil.com/posts/why-big-companies-get-hacked-so-easily/) (2026-10-27): Hacked Danfoss fridges, empty Albert Heijn shelves, an AI-found PHP flaw and PS5 piracy, and why Gabe Newell's line on piracy explains all of it. Markdown: https://merterbil.com/posts/why-big-companies-get-hacked-so-easily.md
- [1000 days on duolingo, and why greater than zero is enough](https://merterbil.com/posts/1000-days-on-duolingo/) (2026-10-05): A 1,000-day Duolingo streak in Dutch, and why it feels like fatigue: habits work, gamification is a tax, and the owl treats adults like kids. Markdown: https://merterbil.com/posts/1000-days-on-duolingo.md
- [what gta 6 will and won't be](https://merterbil.com/posts/what-gta-6-will-and-wont-be/) (2026-09-30): GTA 6's $1–2B budget, the Netflix trailer bet, what it means for AAA studios, and why I expect an old formula done really well, not a tech leap. Markdown: https://merterbil.com/posts/what-gta-6-will-and-wont-be.md
- [why we should talk about music more](https://merterbil.com/posts/why-we-should-talk-about-music-more/) (2026-08-23): Music used to build friendships. Spotify turned it into furniture and a 30-second economy, but young rock fans are still out there. Why I'll talk albums. Markdown: https://merterbil.com/posts/why-we-should-talk-about-music-more.md
- [made by google '26, and why i can't leave apple](https://merterbil.com/posts/made-by-google-26-and-my-apple-lock-in/) (2026-08-15): Made by Google '26, the Pixel Watch's predicted blood pressure and insulin resistance trends, and why leaving Apple for a Pixel feels like a migration. Markdown: https://merterbil.com/posts/made-by-google-26-and-my-apple-lock-in.md
- [tokyo in three words, culture shocks and food](https://merterbil.com/posts/tokyo-in-three-words/) (2026-08-05): My wife Zeynep asked me five questions about Tokyo. Why it reminds me of Istanbul, what felt close and far, people-watching in Shibuya, and what we ate. Markdown: https://merterbil.com/posts/tokyo-in-three-words.md
- [how content went from newspapers to scrolling](https://merterbil.com/posts/from-newspapers-to-scrolling/) (2026-07-29): From one-way newspapers to webmasters, Web 2.0 and today's endless feeds, why the internet is back to push, and why I can't get into scrolling Reels. Markdown: https://merterbil.com/posts/from-newspapers-to-scrolling.md
- [the pains of gaming as an adult](https://merterbil.com/posts/the-pains-of-gaming-as-an-adult/) (2026-07-24): Open-world games felt like closing tasks after work, FIFA ate 2,000 hours, and Mario Kart, Pokémon and Spider-Man brought the fun back. Markdown: https://merterbil.com/posts/the-pains-of-gaming-as-an-adult.md
- [mad cool 2026, notes from the most beautiful ankara in the world](https://merterbil.com/posts/mad-cool-2026-festival-notes/) (2026-07-17): My notes from Mad Cool 2026 in Madrid, with Foo Fighters, Florence and the Machine, a surprise Twenty One Pilots show, Nick Cave and Pulp closing it. Markdown: https://merterbil.com/posts/mad-cool-2026-festival-notes.md
- [this video took me 11 years](https://merterbil.com/posts/this-video-took-me-11-years/) (2026-07-13): Radio dreams in the 90s, podcasts since 2015, a newsletter burnout, and why my first video still took 11 years. Plus the low effort, high context rule. Markdown: https://merterbil.com/posts/this-video-took-me-11-years.md

## Topics

- [games](https://merterbil.com/topics/games/): Posts about video games, from playing them as an adult to where the industry is heading. (2 posts)
- [music](https://merterbil.com/topics/music/): Posts about music, albums, concerts and festivals. (2 posts)
- [tech](https://merterbil.com/topics/tech/): Posts about gadgets, apps and the tech I use every day. (3 posts)
- [internet & media](https://merterbil.com/topics/internet-and-media/): Posts about how we find and consume content online. (1 posts)
- [travel](https://merterbil.com/topics/travel/): Posts from trips, about cities, food and culture shocks. (2 posts)
- [making things](https://merterbil.com/topics/making-things/): Posts about making content and side projects. (1 posts)