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Ben Werdmuller

Ben Werdmuller

Fediverse

The reader experience

[Ghost] Another great update from the Ghost team, this time with some lovely animation to illustrate the fediverse reading experience. The second topic of the post gave me a little bit of pause, because, whoa Nelly, I've been there: "In light of that, we opted to go

16 Dec 2024

Technology

Ev Williams, Twitter and Medium Founder, Unveils New Social App

[Erin Griffith at the New York Times] I've been using Mozi for a little while and like it quite a bit: "Mr. Williams views Mozi as an attempt to return to social media’s original intention, which was about interacting with people you already knew. Over the

16 Dec 2024

The Werd I/O Holiday Gift Guide

I’ve never done a holiday gift guide in any of my spaces before, but this year I was inspired by Kottke and a few other bloggers to create my own. As I write this, it’s literally December 13th; you’ve probably bought most of your gifts already. Still,

13 Dec 2024

Fediverse

what people in the global majority need from networks

[Erin Kissane] Erin Kissane breaks down some interesting research about alternative social media platforms for social justice organizations in the Majority World: "The Engine Room team found that their informants with deep experience in Majority World civil society and social justice work understand exactly what’s wrong with and

12 Dec 2024

The open social web is the future of the internet. Here's why I'm excited.

The open social web puts control back in your hands. Unlike big social media platforms, it’s not run by a single company — it’s made up of independent, connected communities where you decide how and with whom you interact. It respects your privacy, avoids intrusive ads, and gives you

12 Dec 2024

Fediverse

Open Source Veteran Launches Skyseed - First Ecosystem Fund and Incubator for the Bluesky AT Protocol

[Skyseed] Really fascinating play: "Open Source veteran entrepreneur Peter Wang today launches Skyseed Fund, the world's first venture fund and incubator focused exclusively on Bluesky and its open ecosystem." Peter has been involved in decentralized social networking for a long time. There's $1M in

12 Dec 2024

Technology

W3C Statement on Ethical Web Principles guides the community to build a better web

[Daniel Appelquist and Yves Lafon at the W3C] These ethical web principles that guide the ongoing development of the platform are great. And this is spot on: "The web is a fundamental part of our lives, shaping how we work, connect, and learn. We understand that with this profound

12 Dec 2024

Technology

WordPress parent company must stop blocking WP Engine, judge rules

[Emma Roth at The Verge] I think this was almost inevitable: "On Tuesday, a California District Court judge ordered Automattic to stop blocking WP Engine’s access to WordPress.org resources and interfering with its plugins." Automattic is going to file a counterclaim, pointing out that the ruling

11 Dec 2024

Notable Links

How Wall Street Billionaires Avoid Paying Medicare Taxes

[Paul Kiel at ProPublica] If we're going to improve on Medicare, we have to fund it - and it turns out that even today's Medicare taxes are being skipped out on by some of the wealthiest citizens in America, thanks to a legal loophole that the

11 Dec 2024

My most controversial opinion is that they should reboot Red Dwarf

Okay, I know, but hear me out. If you haven’t encountered it, Red Dwarf was an 80s / 90s science fiction comedy that has definitely aged interestingly, but still has a solid fanbase. Lister, a low-ranking engineer on the mining spaceship Red Dwarf is put into stasis as punishment for

11 Dec 2024

Culture

The “Bird and Baby” grows up: inside the new Eagle & Child

[The Oxford Clarion] I grew up in Oxford, and the Eagle and Child is one of my favorite pubs from back home. I'm also a longtime critic of certain big companies, Larry Ellison's Oracle among them. So imagine my dismay when I heard this: "The

08 Dec 2024

Technology

Reclaim the internet: Mozilla’s rebrand for the next era of tech

[Lindsey Lionheart O'Brien at Mozilla Distilled] This is a rebrand and reorientation for Mozilla: "Mozilla isn’t just another tech company — we’re a global crew of activists, technologists and builders, all working to keep the internet free, open and accessible. For over 25 years, we’ve

08 Dec 2024
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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.