Coding
The Proprietary Syndication Formats
“Guess which format is going to outlast all these proprietary syndication formats. I’d say RSS, which I believe to be true, but really, it’s HTML.” #Coding [Link]
Ben Werdmuller
Ben Werdmuller helps leaders at newsrooms, non-profits, and mission-driven organizations to navigate their biggest technology challenges.
Kanye West plans to acquire conservative social media site Parler
“Parler was created in September 2018 as a free speech alternative to apps like Twitter and Facebook. The app was de-platformed from Google and Apple's app stores in January 2021, following the January Capitol siege.” #Technology [Link]
How a Secret Rent Algorithm Pushes Rents Higher
“For tenants, the system upends the practice of negotiating with apartment building staff. RealPage discourages bargaining with renters and has even recommended that landlords in some cases accept a lower occupancy rate in order to raise rents and make more money.” #Business [Link]
Bakery Creates ‘Pan Solo,’ a 6-Foot Replica of ‘Star Wars’ Hero Made of Bread
“Finally, after a month of work, he was ready: a lovingly wrought 6-foot recreation of Han Solo frozen in carbonite, made entirely of bread. The duo behind the creation, Hannalee Pervan and her mother, Catherine Pervan, called him “Pan Solo.”” #Culture [Link]
Coding
Using the Free Pascal IDE for a week
“I'm not sure what the rationale is for maintaining the text mode FP IDE. It seems kinda quaint in 2022 to maintain a recreation of the old Turbo Pascal editor, but I'm so glad that it's there.” #Coding [Link]
Voter ID laws are creating barriers for transgender people, women and others
“More than 200,000 voting-eligible transgender Americans may find it difficult to cast a ballot in the upcoming midterm elections because of voter ID laws.” #Democracy [Link]
Regulating DAOs
“It’s a mistake to defend DAOs on the grounds that code is free speech. Some code is speech, but not all code is speech. And code can also directly affect the world.” #Crypto [Link]
Tarana Burke on #MeToo progress and reframing the future
“Ahead of next month’s midterms, she said she’s thinking more than ever about survivors as a key part of the electorate. They can be a powerful voting bloc that could help elect candidates focused on changing policy around sexual and gender-based violence.” #Society [Link]
Tucker Carlson’s strange rant about Fetterman shows how media fails
“Asking objective news reporters to be aware that a massive apparatus of disinformation is out there waiting to pounce on and exploit hazy reporting seems like the absolute minimum to expect.” #Media [Link]
No one is “non-technical”
“Likewise, constraining the word “technical” to refer only to “people who write code” serves to uphold a system in which benefits like compensation and prestige are distributed inequitably—regardless of the actual value of the various techniques being deployed.” #Business [Link]
Chivalry, by Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran
A lovely little tale, rich with the best kind of British idiosyncrasy, and beautifully illustrated in watercolor. #Fiction [Link]
An Investor That Agreed to Back Elon Musk's Twitter Bid Wants Out
“"We're all trying to get out of it, to be honest," said Andrea Walne, a general partner at Manhattan Venture Partners.” #Business [Link]