Education
A quarter of a century of open educational technology
Every day for 25 years, Stephen Downes has written about edtech, informing an entire industry.
Ben Werdmuller
Ben Werdmuller helps leaders at newsrooms, non-profits, and mission-driven organizations to navigate their biggest technology challenges.
Notable links
Notable links: May 15, 2026
What happens after the feed? And how can publishers remain independent?
Business
52 actionable posts about building a culture of innovation
One year of consistent posts is nothing to sneeze at. But when each one is genuinely useful, actionable, and insightful, that's another level of achievement.
Media
AI may be the new gatekeepers, but human connection is more needed than ever
"What comes next, after the algorithmic social feed that’s defined our digital social lives for the last decade?" I believe this very useful presentation will be referred back to for years to come.
Technology
Bridging feels seamless. Behind the scenes, it's a technical marvel
"When you all give us your hard-earned money, we feel a deep responsibility to use it as well, and as efficiently, as possible." A responsibility A New Social lives up to in spades.
Media
To maintain their independence, publishers are fleeing Substack
"Substack faced talent drain in 2024 linked to its platforming of Nazi newsletters, but now it’s not just the platform’s stance on hate speech that’s driving away creators."
Media
Asking platforms to do better won't work. We need to force their hands
"If there were a dictator of the internet who intentionally set out to destroy your ability to get accurate information, the result would look a lot like what’s already on your screen. But why?"
Technology
WordPress powers 47% of the web. Now it's more social, too
WordPress is the most popular publishing platform in the world. It wants you to publish and be heard - and that means supporting conversation.
Technology
Canvas is open source, but its cloud services ransomware attack really hurts
It's "the biggest student data privacy disaster in history" - even though the core platform is open source.
Notable links
Notable links: May 8, 2026
Building a civic information economy, not cultures of extraction.
Media
Plugging the gaps won't save news. It's time to redesign
"Journalists, cultural workers, content creators, and other trusted messengers are enabling better civic insight for communities. How do we economically support the civic information future that society needs?"
Media
The way to save news is not to create monopolistic monocultures
"Why, a funder asked me recently, do two intermediaries this funder saw as offering duplicative services both still exist? Because you—and your funder colleagues—let them, I said." But consolidation is a dangerous road.