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Ben Werdmuller

Ben Werdmuller

Mastodon is easy and fun except when it isn’t

An enormously useful piece of informal research. Some folks will disregard this for the same reason they disregard why some people use Macs instead of Linux, and whatever. But if Mastodon wants to be an accessible network, these are all problems to solve.  #Technology [Link]

28 Jul 2023

I'm never going to trust your news organization

Heather Bryant is spot on as usual here: trust is a facet of human relationships and not something you place in an organization, company, or product. Using a more appropriate framing will help you figure out how to build the relationships your newsroom needs.  #Media [Link]

28 Jul 2023

Data Futures Lab Infrastructure Fund

This seems great: funding projects to create a fairer, more just data ecosystem, with a focus on teams who themselves come from impacted communities. I'm excited to see what comes out of it.  #Technology [Link]

28 Jul 2023

More on the ActivityPub API project

A few days ago I shared around an idea for an ActivityPub API product. The response was enormous! Here's the link again. If you're potentially interested in building on the fediverse using this tool, I'd love to know a little bit more. If you

27 Jul 2023

Tesla’s secret team to suppress thousands of driving range complaints

The more I learn about Elon Musk, the more I think he’s exactly the kind of entrepreneur that laws and regulations are there to protect us from. This seems like something Tesla owners could take real action on.  #Technology [Link]

27 Jul 2023

Ripe, by Sarah Rose Etter

Fuck yes. A heartstoppingly relentless, bold, knife attack of a book that cuts to the heart of the emptiness of living in Silicon Valley and everywhere. Every few pages I wanted to yell, "this, this, this." I couldn't put it down. #Fiction [Link]

26 Jul 2023

The truth about the women this Florida board says benefited from slavery

The idea that these women - or any enslaved people - benefitted from the degrading atrocity of slavery is disgusting. That a government is peddling this lie perpetuates the deep harm that was committed. The blind cruelty is unfathomable.  #Society [Link]

26 Jul 2023

Esther Crawford on Twitter and X

Esther clearly comes from a different perspective and worldview to me, but her take on Twitter and X is uniquely notable given how tied up in the story she’s been. I honestly don’t know what to think, but this is interesting background.  #Technology [Link]

26 Jul 2023

Watch Out, Fediverse Users: The FBI Can Seize a Mastodon Server

This unfortunately stands to reason: the Mastodon instance where you make your home has the potential to be seized as part of an investigation. This is a downside of federation vs peer-to-peer, and is a reason why I have my own single-user instance. (Generally, though, it's worth saying

26 Jul 2023

“Write With Love” and Other Advice From Chuck Tingle

"How can I make this like me?" is something I'm striving to do better at in my creative work and my life as a whole. Words to live (and write) by.  #Culture [Link]

25 Jul 2023

Influencers Starting To Realize How The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) Will Do Real Damage

This bill will censor LGBTQ+ voices and far more. It's a way to heavily restrict the internet not just with respect to harmful content, but also "controversial" content. It also mandates identity verification if you're interacting with that content. It's a deeply

25 Jul 2023

UPS reaches deal with union Teamsters to avert strike

An example of why unions are great: a better wage secured for a large workforce, with better conditions. They weren't asking for anything crazy: reasonable pay, guaranteed vacations, and air conditioning in the trucks. It's just unfortunate that they didn't have these things before.

25 Jul 2023
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Werd I/O explores the intersection of technology, democracy, and society. It's independently published by Ben Werdmuller, reader-supported, and always free to read.