Werd I/O
Writing at the intersection of technology, democracy, and society by Ben Werdmuller
Follow: Newsletter, Mastodon, Threads, LinkedIn
Writing at the intersection of technology, democracy, and society by Ben Werdmuller
Follow: Newsletter, Mastodon, Threads, LinkedIn
“It is also, as far as I know, the first non-fiction example of a VR device that can actually kill the user. It won’t be the last.” #Technology
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““He leaned into his record as a criminal justice reformer and not away from it,” Corrigan said. “He’s brave and he was rewarded for it.”” #Democracy
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What if, in two years time:
1. There were no voting lines because there was adequate capacity everywhere.
2. Everyone could vote in a way that was accessible to them.
3. Voter registration was ubiquitous, everywhere, and as easy as clicking a button.
What would that take?
Finishing the night with a Lagavulin 16. A toast to everyone who voted, and to everyone who ran with the intent to empower.
“It’s very disturbing that we would continue to have zero Black women senators for this next term. It’s another indicator that we are failing to be a truly democratic society.” #Democracy
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If you're looking for something to take your mind off politics, and you haven't seen it yet, Abbott Elementary is lovely. Tucking into season two right now.
A live view of all the abortion initiatives on the ballot across the nation today: #electionday #democracy https://19thnews.org/2022/11/abortion-rights-ballot-initiatives-election-2022/
“Political operators have reportedly used these capabilities to target people based on church attendance, visits to specific government buildings, and as they attend political rallies. One firm even claims to have repeatedly signed up prominent campaigns wanting to target the “captive audience” in line to vote on election day, though it says it discontinued that product.” #Democracy
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I'm really loving working for a newsroom on election day. I voted, and I feel like I've been helping (in a supporting role) get people the information they need to make sound democratic choices, from an underreported perspective. It's very fulfilling, can recommend.
Every single time I pick my baby off the changing pad, Siri on my Apple Watch thinks I'm trying to activate her. Today she helpfully gave me the address and opening hours of a deli in rural Vermont. I assume baby thinks a talking wrist is normal.
Check out our #ElectionDay #Democracy coverage at The 19th: https://19thnews.org/topics/election-2022/
I accidentally threw away my "I voted" sticker, but I voted, and I'd like you to please imagine the really cute picture I was going to take of my baby wearing it. Also, please vote. Go do it. Go go go.
Alright, America. All eyes are on us.
There’s a lot of propaganda out there asking us not to vote. “It doesn’t make a difference,” they’ll say. Or: “the lines are really long.” Or they’ll talk down the whole process, as if democracy isn’t cool, or participating in it is some kind of affront to a higher cause. Or they’ll suggest - wrongly and maliciously - that the whole thing is rigged.
Bullshit. Vote. This is the bare minimum table stakes for living in a democracy. Picking our elected representatives matters. Voting on ballot initiatives matters. This is the way we get to have a say.
There are a lot of politicians who think not every eligible citizen should vote. Paul Weyrich, a conservative political activist, memorably said in a speech:
"I don't want everybody to vote. […] As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down."
More recently, poll workers have left their positions after threats and harrasment. And the Brennan Center for Justice reports that “at least seven states enacted 10 laws that make voting more difficult — of these, 5 laws in five states are in place for the midterms. […] Since the beginning of 2021, lawmakers have passed at least 42 restrictive voting laws in 21 states.”.
Meanwhile, the neoreactionary movement, which wants to replace American elected government with a CEO-like monarchy, has found deep pockets in billionaire former Facebook board-member Peter Thiel and at least two Senatorial candidates.
For better or worse, America has an outsized influence on the world. Our votes help shape not just our communities, but communities everywhere. The representatives we pick shape our local culture and global economies; they can be the difference between war and peace, collaboration and colonization, poverty and living well. It’s not an idea to take lightly.
Democracy is precious. Our voices matter. We’ve been given a Constitutional right, and we need to use it. As a citizen, you have the right to use it. Today is the day.
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash
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“The Department’s mission does include providing dozens of other government agencies with self-service access to 145 million American’s personal data. The Department has voluntarily taken on this role, and in doing so, prioritized the interests of other agencies over those of law-abiding Americans.” #Democracy
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Planning to stay up and watch the election, mostly to make sure our site stays up and performant. Which election snacks should I have to hand? Bear in mind I might need extreme comfort food.
“Stories are now available to everyone on Signal, allowing users of the encrypted instant messaging service to create and share images, videos, and texts that automatically expire after 24 hours.” But why? #Technology
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I’m the CTO for The 19th, a women-led newsroom reporting on politics and policy with a gender lens. I’m super-proud to be here: it’s the most empathetic team I’ve ever worked on, and the journalism it produces is vital in the current moment.
There are a few ways you can keep on top of it:
The daily newsletter is produced by Annelise McGough. It’s intelligent, concise, and will make you smarter.
There’s also a weekly newsletter, which contains a weekly column and a deeper dive. The two newsletters are complementary.
There’s an RSS feed, of course! The 19th produces a handful of high-quality stories every day that won’t overwhelm your feed.
I was a subscriber long before I worked here, and I applied because I love the journalism. I say this as a fan more than a staff member: you should check it out.
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Worried about Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC) particularly wrt topics that might be actionable. Will there be a cohort that incorporates people who visit abortion websites, for example? How actionable might that data be in an adverse regime?
Vote. Vote vote vote vote vote. Vote. Vote vote. Please please please. Here's a choose-your-own-adventure Twitter thread taking you through how, if you need it: https://twitter.com/19thnews/status/1587861871536656384
My colleague Errin Haines interviewed VP Harris for a show on BET tonight at 9pm ET. You should tune in - and learn more over at The 19th: https://19thnews.org/2022/11/kamala-harris-midterms-bet/
The really fun thing about the fediverse will be when hundreds of new platforms start spinning up, each with their own focus and interaction model. Some of these already exist, of course, but there are many more, just waiting to bloom. That's what a commons can be.
