Lost in Translation: The Never-Ending Quest to Explain Your Website to Everyone

For the last week or so we’ve been working on rewriting and restructuring a landing page for a client. As we delved deeper into the project, a frustrating realisation dawned on us: How many times do we need to specify what our websites are about?

HTML is the foundation of every webpage. This markup language allows us to semantically tag our content, providing a roadmap for browsers, search engines, and other digital entities to understand the structure and meaning of our site.

But wait, there's more! Enter meta tags. So browsers can understand what your site is about and how to display it. Because apparently, the semantic structure of your HTML isn't enough.

Just when you think you've covered all bases, social media platforms crash the party. You've got to add Open Graph tags so Facebook, LinkedIn, and the rest of the social media circus can understand your site. Ensuring your site looks dapper when rubbing virtual shoulders with "Thought Leader" posts about AI in banking on Facebook and LinkedIn.

But we're not done yet! ARIA tags join the party, explaining everything again for screen readers. They patiently elaborate, "This is a button, in case you couldn't tell by the fact that it says 'Log in' in the shape of a button."

And just as you're about to call it a day, you need to add schema data (JSON-LD, microdata or similar). This is your website's way of holding Google's hand, gently guiding its all-knowing algorithm to understand that your "Secure Online Banking" page is, indeed, about secure online banking and not about piggy banks.

The next time you find yourself knee-deep in meta tags and schema data, remember: you're not just building a website. You're creating a digital Rosetta Stone, translating your content for every possible digital entity out there. With each tag and schema, you're building a more accessible, understandable, and discoverable web.

And who knows? Maybe one day, we'll look back on all this and laugh. Or cry. Probably cry. Because in this world of web development, one thing seems to be certain: we'll never run out of ways to say what our websites are about.

Cooperation that is not an alliance

The two alliances, De samarbeidende sparebankene (DSS) and Lokalbank Alliansen, have officially merged under the new name "Lokalbanksamarbeidet," with each member bank holding a 6.25% ownership stake in the alliance. The combined business capital of the alliance exceeds 150 billion NOK, serving over 250,000 customers and employing 625 staff across Norway. Bent Eidem, the former leader of Lokalbank Alliansen, will head the newly formed cooperation, which is not an alliance. The merger aims to provide smaller banks with economies of scale and enhanced collaboration in areas such as expertise, shared services, and technology, particularly through their connection with the Frende Group. This got me a bit curious and confused, so I tried to map it out for all of you:

Banking Like It’s 1950

Why can only one person be the main borrower on a loan in Norway? In a world where everything from groceries to gadgets can be split between partners, why is the banking system stuck in a bygone era? Cecilie Wian, a consultant at Bouvet, is raising the alarm on this outdated practice, which disproportionately empowers men and leaves women in the dark when it comes to household finances. With a staggering 7 out of 10 primary borrowers being men, the current setup effectively makes men the "bank bosses" of the household, while women are often left without a say.

Wian isn’t just pointing out the problem—she's proposing a solution. She argues that it’s time for banks to embrace "equality tech" that ensures both partners have equal control and responsibility. Why not take a page from corporate governance, where significant financial decisions require multiple signatures? If businesses can do it, why can’t households?

Backing her up is Stine B. Neteland, COO at Frendegruppen, who believes that the answer lies in innovative tech solutions. She sees a goldmine of untapped business opportunities in the fintech sector for those willing to tackle the challenge of family finance equality. It’s not just about fairness; it’s about empowering everyone to take charge of their financial future.

Even politicians are catching on. Maria Aasen-Svendsrud from the Finance Committee for Arbeiderpartiet is open to the idea of legislative changes, despite potential resistance. After all, when has any fight for equality been easy?

It’s time for banks (and regulators) to face reality and catch up with the times. The tools to level the playing field are right there—it's just a matter of whether the industry is willing to embrace them.

Who is Nicolai Winther - The AI whisperer?

Ever heard of Nicolai Winther? No? Well, neither had I — until Open AIs transcription service Whisper started crediting him for transcription work he didn’t do! Is he a real person, an ex-YouTuber with a penchant for subtitles, or just a figment of AI’s imagination? Lars Andreassen from BEKK dives deep into this bizarre case where a 23-year-old Norwegian somehow became the ghostwriter for AI transcriptions in Norwegian. Read on to find out how a mix of hallucinations, copyright chaos, and some fishy data credit Nikolai Winter for everything.