Ben Werdmuller helps leaders at newsrooms, non-profits, and mission-driven organizations to navigate their biggest technology challenges.
I was pleased to see this announcement from the MacArthur Foundation: A coalition of 22 donors today announced Press Forward, a national initiative to strengthen communities and democracy by supporting local news and information with an infusion of more than a half-billion dollars over the next five years. Press
No surprises here. We need more progressive change than we’re getting. But obviously, if it’s Biden v Trump, there’s only one choice. #Democracy [Link]
Snoop Dogg gimmick aside, this is actually pretty neat, and useful. I'd also like the opposite: sometimes I want to read podcasts. Different contexts demand different media; I wish content itself could be more adaptable. #Media [Link]
Here are my high-level technology values. And when it comes to building and selecting technology: Always build the smallest, simplest thing you can. Start with the spark, not the fire. The only code you should ever build yourself is that which adds to your core value proposition. The cloud
I really need this for my home, and I suspect my entire region needs it. This could do a lot of good and be the start of something much bigger using virtual power plants as a platform. #Technology [Link]
My technology thesis is this: All technology should punch up, not down. It should connect the disconnected. It should empower the disempowered. It should inform the uninformed. It should empower communities that historically have been underrepresented and underserved. It should help people with similar needs and values to organize together
Every modern car brand abuses your personal information. 84% sell your data (including where you go and when). 56% will share it with law enforcement without a warrant. And none of them have demonstrably adequate security. #Technology [Link]
Rest in peace, Molly. We've lost one of the really good people who made the web better. #Technology [Link]
“In a way, the people our cars mow down are doing just as much as our highly paid programmers and engineers to create the utopian, safe streets of tomorrow. Each person who falls under our front bumper teaches us something valuable about how humans act in the real world.” #AI
You’ve all heard about Elon Musk blaming the Anti-Defamation League for the erosion of Twitter/X’s value over the last year. Advertising revenue is down by 60%. This, of course, has nothing at all to do with the precipitous rise in hate speech on the platform since
Two thirds of the political content people consume come from non-news sites. And most of the news content people read is not overtly political. Instead, it's mostly coming from entertainment - which has no ethical need to report factually. #Media [Link]
Another way the effect of the climate crisis is understated: climate deaths are undercounted. Changing this state of affairs is possible but requires effort, training, and resources. In the meantime, many people still don’t understand how serious the crisis actually is. #Climate [Link]