Ben Werdmuller
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Ben Werdmuller

Ben Werdmuller

Notable Links

Groups helping LGBTQ+ victims of violence could face loss of federal funds

[Mel Leonor Barclay and Jasmine Mithani at The 19th] The impact of this will be severe: "Organizations that provide services to LGBTQ+ victims of domestic and intimate partner violence expect much of the federal funding they rely on to dry up as the Trump administration’s executive orders target

28 Feb 2025

Media

Ex-Washington Post editor Marty Baron rebukes Bezos: ‘betrayal of free expression’

[Anna Betts in The Guardian] He's not wrong: "Marty Baron, a highly regarded former editor of the Washington Post, has said that Jeff Bezos’s announcement that the newspaper’s opinion section would narrow its editorial focus was a “betrayal of the very idea of free expression”

28 Feb 2025

Technology

Mozilla’s New Terms of Service and Updated Privacy Policy

[Bill Fitzgerald] What a missed opportunity. As Bill Fitzgerald points out: "Mozilla has given a masterclass, yet again, in how to erode trust among people who have loved your work." Mozilla rolled out a new terms of service and privacy policy that rolled back a key promise never

28 Feb 2025

Technology

The future of the internet is likely smaller communities, with a focus on curated experiences

[Edwin Wong and Andrew Melnizek at The Verge] This is much-needed research: "The Verge partnered with Vox Media’s Insights and Research team, along with Two Cents Insights, to better understand how American consumers are embracing this shift. The goal of the work was to redefine what online communities

28 Feb 2025

Media

Washington Post opinion chief quits as Bezos makes new editorial demands

[Brad Reed at RawStory] This is incredibly disappointing to see: "David Shipley, who has spent the last two-and-a-half years running the Washington Post's editorial page, has stepped down from his position over new demands being made by Post owner Jeff Bezos. In a letter sent out to

26 Feb 2025

Technology

Facebook Boosts Viral Content as It Drops Fact-Checking

[Craig Silverman at ProPublica] Let the attention dollars flow: "Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also said in January that the company was removing or dialing back automated systems that reduce the spread of false information. At the same time, Meta is revamping a program that has paid bonuses to creators

24 Feb 2025

Notable Links

What Felt Impossible Became Possible

[Dan Sinker] This story doesn't feel like it's going to end up inspiring, but bear with it: "George Dale printed their names in his newspaper, part of his unrelenting, unceasing, and unflinching attack on the Muncie Klan. [...] When he wrote an editorial accusing circuit court

23 Feb 2025

Technology

It is no longer safe to move our governments and societies to US clouds

[Bert Hubert] A European point of view: "We now have the bizarre situation that anyone with any sense can see that America is no longer a reliable partner, and that the entire US business world bows to Trump’s dictatorial will, but we STILL are doing everything we can

23 Feb 2025

AfD

Hint: if a party is heavily supported by people who throw Nazi salutes, it might not be up to much good. Some voters for new right-wing parties are economically worried, but blame their issues on the influx of immigrants rather than the increasing divides between rich and poor that we&

23 Feb 2025

Empires

For the avoidance of doubt: All empires are bad. All empires have always been bad. All empires always will be bad. The concept of empire is bad. The prerequisites for empire are bad. And the people who like empires — any of them — are bad. Do not have fondness for empires.

22 Feb 2025

People and Blogs

I was privileged to be interviewed for this week’s People and Blogs: Hi! I’m Ben Werdmuller. I was born in the Netherlands, grew up and spent my twenties in the UK, and spent twelve years in the San Francisco Bay Area. Now I live in Greater Philadelphia in

21 Feb 2025

Notable Links

Texas Banned Abortion. Then Sepsis Rates Soared.

[Lizzie Presser, Andrea Suozzo, Sophie Chou and Kavitha Surana at ProPublica] My colleagues at ProPublica conducted a first-of-its-kind data analysis on health outcomes after Texas banned abortion in 2021. Here's what it found: "The rate of sepsis shot up more than 50% for women hospitalized when they

21 Feb 2025
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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.