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The nice thing about federation is that each network is a “yes, and”, not an “or”.

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The early web was revolutionary because suddenly everyone could publish. All kinds of voices could be seen and heard that had previously been locked out.

But now we’re approaching the limit of tech-enabled democratization. What is actually required is more democracy. Tech can only help organize.

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“Love it or leave it” is a terrible attitude - whether it’s for nations, companies, or online communities.

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The single most important principle I see newer web developers overlook: don't trust your inputs. My guess is that the blurring of front and back ends has led to a blurring of this idea, too. But it's super-important. Sanitize everything, always. (Dare I say that the same goes for life?)

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I’ve always been anti-smacking, but having a baby of my own makes it so clear. How could you even think of hitting someone so vulnerable, so innocent, who is beginning to explore the world? It’s such an abuse; a way to cut someone’s spirit before it’s even begun to grow.

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I’m feeling more and more that smartphones are an enemy of creative thinking. If creativity requires boredom, a device that ensures you’re never bored is an effective barrier.

The internet is wonderful, but never being left to your own thoughts breeds conformity.

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I have so many feelings about Boris Johnson, related to so many injustices that were perpetrated by him and his collaborators, and all of them amount to this: I hate the guy.

Good riddance. I know he's going to pop up again with some cushy contract, but he deserves all the criticism, all the spite.

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Web 2.0 as a business model only works if the crowds making and categorize information agree to be a part of the machine. Lately, they won't.

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I absolutely want to try Vision Pro ASAP but I do not need to own it.

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If your company gives its employees a space to blog or journal internally, what platform do you use? What do you think of it?

eg: Confluence has blogs; at Medium they have a whole internal version of the site called Hatch; etc.

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Registered for ONA 2023 in Philadelphia (August 23-26). If you'll be at the conference too, let me know! https://ona23.journalists.org/

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I've loved everything Jesse Armstrong has worked on - Peep Show! The Thick of It! - but Succession was another thing entirely. Masterful. You can see The Thick of It in its DNA, but also Yes, Minister; I, Claudius; Shakespeare. I loved every second and I wish there was more.

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Thank you to everyone who has given their lives in the name of freedom and democracy. And sorry to everyone who has given their lives in the name of dominance and control. May we all do better.

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Giving people the tools to build community without exploitation could change the world.

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Doing daycare tours. The local centers are based in synagogues; they all have armed guards to prevent hate crimes. Awful that this has to be a consideration.

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There are lots of things that make me homesick. I grew up in England and lived in Scotland for years. I miss aspects of it every day.

But whatever the opposite of homesickness is, that's what the monarchy inspires in me. What an absolute waste. What a terrible signal about what's important. Yuck.

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The internet is mostly all the same. What does it take to empower new kinds of communities? What does radical collaboration look like? How might we help people change the world? What does it take to build an operating system for inclusive democratic revolution?

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I'm going to take a break for a while. If you need to get in touch, you can always email me: ben@werd.io.

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Today would have marked my mother’s 71st birthday. To mark the occasion, a repost: here’s what I want you to know about her. https://werd.io/2021/what-do-i-want-you-to-know-about-ma

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Far-right governments everywhere should be resisted. Protests give me hope.

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Thoughtocomplete

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I’m more comfortable with LLMs if I think of them as autocomplete for thinking. They don’t reason and aren’t really AI but they can offer decent suggestions. And maybe that’s ok?

The challenge, as with all software, is doing it privately and safely.

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Pitch: a private blogging platform for businesses that you log into with Slack or Microsoft Teams, with a built-in RSS reader. New post notifications go to channels or email. Free for a fairly generous initial tier; over 50 blogs, corporate SAML, or ACL requires a subscription.

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I wish I could claw back time and be there to hug my mother one more time; to talk to her; to be in her presence; to care for her how she needed to be cared for. I wish I could do it over. I wish I could do so much over.

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We're throwing a free event on tech, justice, and economic mobility - and you're invited. It takes place online and in-person in Chicago from May 18-20. It's free to attend. This is a save-the-date announcement - but trust me, you'll want to meet our speakers. https://19thnews.org/2023-summit/

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