Ben Werdmuller
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Ben Werdmuller

Ben Werdmuller

The Dangers of Context Collapse

“Context collapse itself is the phenomenon of highly-contextual information being used, purposefully or otherwise, in an ambiguous manner which leads to confusion.” Great post on a common rhetorical weapon.  #Society [Link]

04 Nov 2022

Pasadena school becomes nation’s first named after Octavia Butler

“Everyone said, ‘She’s a seer and she’s prescient, but she … just paid attention. She was always tuned into the climate crisis and doing research on that. It’s almost as if we’ve caught up with her finally.””  #Society [Link]

04 Nov 2022

How much press are you worth?

“This website calculates your press value based on current reporting in America, to expose bias and to advocate for change.” I would be worth a below-average 17 stories if I went missing.  #Media [Link]

03 Nov 2022

Ian Coldwater on Twitter: "Dotcom crash survivors, what is your actionable advice for people?"

A great thread of advice for younger engineers in a recession, from people who survived previous tech downturns.  #Technology [Link]

03 Nov 2022

How Is Slavery Still Legal?

“What’s disturbing is that not only do the “tough on crime” types believe in prison slavery, but even liberals like Gavin Newsom can’t be counted on to oppose it. But it’s up to the rest of us, those with a functioning moral compass, to work to eradicate

03 Nov 2022

Mozilla Ventures: Investing in Responsible Tech

“Mozilla Ventures will be a $35M+ venture capital fund for early stage startups whose products or technologies advance one or more of the values in the Mozilla Manifesto. Privacy. Inclusion. Transparency. Accessibility. Human dignity.” YES!  #Technology [Link]

03 Nov 2022

How to Build A Winning Paid Membership Program

“Chinese platforms have been experimenting with paid membership models for over a decade and offer new frameworks for the West to consider. They are also a great source of ideas for individual features that are universal.”  #Startups [Link]

02 Nov 2022

Oregon tried to publicize wildfire risk. The backlash was explosive.

““A lot of people were just, you know, shocked,” Chaisson told Grist. “The big thing that people think of is, you know, the worst-case scenario, which is losing your insurance and having your property taken away.”” Obvious room for benefits for people whose homes fall in high-risk zones.  #Climate [Link]

02 Nov 2022

Military spouses bear the financial, logistical impact of frequent moves

“Manjarres, a nurse, said a lot of the household stress, including the moves, falls on her. Her husband’s high rank requires he leave for deployments regularly and for long periods of time, making it difficult for her to find employment at each of their stations, depending on the size

02 Nov 2022

Ray Bradbury on feeding your creativity

“He said that nothing is lost and you must resist the urge to throw out things that meant so much to you when you were younger. What is most important, he writes, is “the continual running after loves.””  #Culture [Link]

02 Nov 2022

The addictive nature of Twitter

“Pretending Twitter is the answer to gaining respect for and engagement with my work is an addict’s excuse that removes responsibility from myself.”  #Technology [Link]

02 Nov 2022

Tech Policy

From the Kapor Center: “We have developed a framework for systemic change that outlines a set of nine core technology policy areas that call for expanded access to technology pathways, increased tech accountability and worker protections, and greater investment in infrastructure and innovation.”  #Technology [Link]

02 Nov 2022
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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.