“In other words, an informed public is a necessary condition of democracy, but not a sufficient one.” https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/fighting-fake-news-is-not-the-solution
Happy New Year to all my friends who made it to 2018 already! You’re the advance guard. How does it look?
A prediction - and a hope - for 2018. https://words.werd.io/on-the-internet-2018-is-the-year-the-pendulum-swings-back-3b0ef2d36893
Onwards and upwards.
http://bavatuesdays.com/what-was-known/
I’m utterly inspired by Appolition and apps like it. We should have a compassionate society and infrastructure that allows everyone a real chance. But we don’t, so if there are ways to take matters into our own hands (while pressuring government), so be it.
Genuine, voluntary distribution of wealth from those with the ability to those according to their need. My view is that this is a simplified (likely oversimplified) version of what governments need to be doing to support those in need, but here we are. Needs must.
Withdrawal cards would be distributed by local aid organizations and linked to a specific neighborhood ATM. (Not a bank ATM: a separate machine.) The monthly withdrawal limit would be set according to circumstance according to a rubric; eg, a parent with kids would need more.
This is a super-interesting spreadsheet of tech’s “notable” (here, sizeable) exits in 2017.
http://blog.semilshah.com/2017/12/29/an-imperfect-glance-at-techs-notable-exits-in-2017/
This is a technical piece, but summary: letting your web browser remember passwords for you allows websites to track you in ways you don’t expect. Disable that function and use something like 1password instead. https://freedom-to-tinker.com/2017/12/27/no-boundaries-for-user-identities-web-trackers-exploit-brow...
A devastating, desperately sad story. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/teen-charged-with-killing-girlfriends-parents-the...
In so many cases, "targeting" is really discrimination. The law still applies on the internet. https://www.propublica.org/article/facebook-ads-age-discrimination-targeting
Net neutrality is about freedom. That’s why we need to keep it. My piece: https://words.werd.io/heres-why-net-neutrality-is-a-freedom-of-speech-issue-eabf99179076?source=link...
Find the perfect podcast for you and your love ones. This is really cool. https://pod.cards/?691oXZ
Net neutrality isn't a technical issue. It's all about freedom of speech. Here's why you need to care. https://words.werd.io/heres-why-net-neutrality-is-a-freedom-of-speech-issue-eabf99179076
Trust in the media is declining, you say ... https://theoutline.com/post/2563/how-brands-secretly-buy-their-way-into-forbes-fast-company-and-huff...
I sincerely wish I could kill the part of my brain that tells me I'll never be good enough and reminds me all the reasons why. I think it's always going to be whispering at me somewhere in the background; the trick is to keep it there.
Looking for a technical cofounder? Here's how I think you could go about it. https://words.werd.io/searching-for-a-technical-cofounder-7ffd401c04b4
The Post sounds like a solidly good movie. Brave of this reporter to break the press embargo. https://medium.com/@SaraJBenincasa/an-honest-review-of-the-post-ca4026e3e430?source=linkShare-3b1640...
Things I’ve read about the UK this morning:
It’s about to have the greatest fall in living standards in 60 years
MPs voted that animals can’t feel pain
Scottish cities are losing their ability to receive European cultural designations
What’s going on over there? (Rhetorical.)
I believe in web principles as a symbol of freedom online (although the web as a technology needs to continue to evolve and change). Gatekeepers should not be the future. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/15/tim-berners-lee-world-wide-web-net-neutrality
If the tech industry can’t collect data responsibly and be good stewards of user privacy, government may step in. https://www.wired.com/story/al-franken-just-gave-the-speech-big-tech-has-been-dreading
Interesting statement from Sean Parker. This is going to become a bigger and bigger issue. https://www.axios.com/sean-parker-unloads-on-facebook-2508036343.html
"We're not just designing software anymore, we're designing minds." http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/marketplace-phones-1.4384876
If you have an election in your area today, please vote. The world needs you.
Of course, these donut heads would never build better infrastructure or consider creating anything that actually helped real people live.
Werd I/O © Ben Werdmuller. The text (without images) of this site is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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