Ben Werdmuller helps leaders at newsrooms, non-profits, and mission-driven organizations to navigate their biggest technology challenges.
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
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]
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]
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]
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]
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'
"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]
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
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.
"Our vision is for a World Wide Web that is more inclusive, and more respectful of its users: a Web that supports truth over falsehood, people over profits, humanity over hate." I like this sentiment a lot but it also has the potential to cause accidental harms. Who
A fascinating look into something that, for a little while, was a vital part of the global internet. They remain community hubs, even becoming de facto daycare centers, but smartphones and ubiquitous connectivity have left them struggling. #Society [Link]
Oh, hey, open release! I've been using Arc as my primary browser all year, and I truly love it. It's a huge step forward in browser UX and while I don't use every feature, I can't see myself going back to the