Ben Werdmuller
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Ben Werdmuller

Ben Werdmuller

Always punch up

I really like the maxim, which apparently originated in stand-up comedy, that you should always punch up: Jokes are funny when they mock the powerful. They are not funny when they mock the powerless. […] Jokes are not funny when they have victims. Some of the tricks played by PR would

21 Jan 2023

NPR obtained secret tapes recorded by prison staff during Virginia executions

“An NPR investigation can now reveal the tapes show the prison neglected to record key evidence during what was considered one of Virginia's worst executions, and staff appeared unprepared for some of the jobs they were tasked to do in the death chamber.”  #Democracy [Link]

21 Jan 2023

Post-Roe March for Life showed anti-abortion activists are far from done

“The next steps for the movement were illustrated by the march’s new route this year: Instead of ending at the steps of the Supreme Court as they have for nearly five decades, activists ended their march at the U.S. Capitol — underscoring their continued push for Congress to enact

20 Jan 2023

Layoffs are bullshit

Stanford Graduate School of Business Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer, in an interview I’ve linked to before: Layoffs often do not cut costs, as there are many instances of laid-off employees being hired back as contractors, with companies paying the contracting firm. Layoffs often do not increase stock prices, in part

20 Jan 2023

Tapbot shuts down Tweetbot as it pivots to Mastodon

“Now that Twitter has confirmed it's banning third-party clients, some of the most prominent alternatives are going away. Tapbots has shut down work on Tweetbot, one of the more popular iOS apps, as Twitter rendered it non-functional "in a blink of an eye." The developer is

20 Jan 2023

WFH

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan, which is definitely an organization we should be listening to about the future: Jamie Dimon said working from home “doesn’t work” for younger staff or bosses, the Wall Street titan’s latest salvo against remote work. […] Dimon also said remote work can “help

20 Jan 2023

The Kaiju Preservation Society, by John Scalzi

This was written as catharsis after the stress and trauma of 2020-21, and reading it was equally cathartic. The author calls it a pop song of a book, and that’s exactly right. It might not be Bach but it has a good beat and I’ll be humming it

19 Jan 2023

U.S. No Fly List Left on Unprotected Airline Server

“Analysis of the server resulted in the discovery of a text file named “NoFly.csv,” a reference to the subset of individuals in the Terrorist Screening Database who have been barred from air travel due to having suspected or known ties to terrorist organizations.”  #Technology [Link]

19 Jan 2023

How to follow me

I’m no longer posting to Twitter or Instagram. Here’s where we can stay in touch: My site I post articles, short notes, and bookmarks to my site at werd.io My site has an RSS feed at werd.io/feed Subscribe to get updates from my site via

19 Jan 2023

‘Passion economy’ platforms cut costs in tech downturn

““People are making choices,” said Rebecca McGrath, an internet analyst at Mintel. “Unless you’re very loyal to a creator, that’ll be one of the obvious things to drop.””  #Technology [Link]

19 Jan 2023

Anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and state laws are hurting youth mental health, poll shows

“Seventy-one percent of the 716 surveyed LGBTQ+ youth, ranging from teenagers to young adults who took the online poll last fall, said that debates around state laws restricting the rights of LGBTQ+ young people had negatively impacted their mental health. Twenty-seven percent characterized the negative effect as severe.”  #Society [Link]

19 Jan 2023

Donelan confirms stiffer online safety measures after backbench pressure

“Under a further change to the bill, video footage that shows people crossing the Channel in small boats in a “positive light” will be added to a list of illegal content that all tech platforms must proactively prevent from reaching users.” How is this internet safety?!  #Democracy [Link]

18 Jan 2023
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Ben Werdmuller

Ben Werdmuller

Writing at the intersection of technology, journalism, and community.

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Ben Werdmuller explores the intersection of technology, democracy, and society. Always independently published, reader-supported, and free to read.