Nostr notes by Ben Werdmuller

So what’s with so many American cyclists thinking they don’t ...

2026-06-21T12:57:06Z

So what’s with so many American cyclists thinking they don’t need to obey the rules of the road? I grew up in a bicycle town, cycled everywhere, love cycling, but I promise you do actually have to stop for red lights and use the correct side of the road.

Help me settle a debate. Is Paw Patrol publicly funded or are ...

2026-06-02T11:48:36Z

Help me settle a debate. Is Paw Patrol publicly funded or are they a private vigilante force? Are they a symbol of Canadian public services or corporate overreach?

"When you all give us your hard-earned money, we feel a deep ...

2026-05-11T22:29:52Z

"When you all give us your hard-earned money, we feel a deep responsibility to use it as well, and as efficiently, as possible." A responsibility A New Social lives up to in spades. #Technology https://werd.io/bridging-feels-seamless-behind-the-scenes-its-a-technical-marvel/

However you feel about Mamdani - and to be clear, I love him - ...

2026-04-17T13:11:05Z

However you feel about Mamdani - and to be clear, I love him - what he’s managed to do across policy, messaging, and execution should be a blueprint. Making real change while making jokes about Mario Kart. Just really good - and it’s sad that it’s so different to everyone else.

Embracing alternative tech is an act of resistance. You can use ...

2026-04-05T15:21:45Z

Embracing alternative tech is an act of resistance. You can use the same old platforms that enrich the same old people - or you can choose something new that seeks to empower everyone instead of concentrating wealth and influence in a few billionaires. It’s time to make the switch.

Three year old has asked that we put a rainbow flag on our house ...

2026-04-05T12:36:04Z

Three year old has asked that we put a rainbow flag on our house because he's seen them and he likes them. I sat him down and explained what it means, and now he wants one even more. I love him.

LinkedIn is using invasive techniques to fingerprint your ...

2026-04-03T01:11:12Z

LinkedIn is using invasive techniques to fingerprint your browser. Together with its understanding of your identity and professional history, it has the ingredients for an incredibly detailed profile. #Technology https://werd.io/linkedin-is-illegally-searching-your-computer/

"Groups that challenge books have begun using Gemini, ...

2026-04-01T13:42:26Z

"Groups that challenge books have begun using Gemini, ChatGPT, xAI, and other AI tools to try to get books banned." The point is to create a chilling effect. #AI https://werd.io/the-right-is-using-ai-content-scanners-to-try-to-supercharge-book-banning/

Bluesky's new service isn't about AI; it's about ...

2026-03-30T14:05:57Z

Bluesky's new service isn't about AI; it's about accessibility. #Technology https://werd.io/bluesky-leans-into-ai-with-attie-an-app-for-building-custom-feeds/

Newsrooms have been slow to care about the open social web - but ...

2026-03-27T13:06:21Z

Newsrooms have been slow to care about the open social web - but one of their most important support organizations is paying attention. #Media https://werd.io/why-knight-foundation-invested-in-bluesky/

What ICE is doing in US airports today, it will be doing at US ...

2026-03-24T13:21:30Z

What ICE is doing in US airports today, it will be doing at US polling places in November. These photos aren’t funny or incongruous; they should be giving us nightmares. This has to end now.

John O'Nolan built a CLI for his own product - and found ...

2026-03-23T10:57:02Z

John O'Nolan built a CLI for his own product - and found himself using it in an entirely new way. The underlying trend here is really exciting. #AI https://werd.io/i-built-a-cli-for-ghost/

"The materialist response isn't to reject the new ...

2026-03-22T15:44:18Z

"The materialist response isn't to reject the new technology. It's to evolve our licenses to encompass it." #AI https://werd.io/histomat-of-f-oss-we-should-reclaim-llms-not-reject-them/

RE: https://social.vivaldi.net/@jon/116263362797333017 This was ...

2026-03-20T20:23:47Z

RE: https://social.vivaldi.net/@jon/116263362797333017

This was the feature I needed to make the switch. Looking forward to trying it!

quoting
note14du…y39l

We are always trying to make Vivaldi Browser (npub19rt…adh9) better and our latest release is another example of that. This time our focus was on hiding the UI. Why we do that? Because some of you have been requesting a minimal UI and that is what we have now delivered, but with the UI always close and also fully under your control. Try it out and you will understand! It can be accessed from a button in the status bar or through CTRL F11. Hint : Try associating it with fullscreen (F11), for an even better experience! There is a setting for that, of course.

Another function we added is follow tab. Tie together two tabs side by side. Click a link on the left side and view it on the right side. Great for going through search results without having to go back and forth or viewing images or the like.

Let me know what you think! I hope you like it!

https://vivaldi.com/blog/vivaldi-on-desktop-7-9/

#Vivaldi #Browser #Innovation #Windows #Macos #Linux #EU #Europa

Happy birthday, Mastodon. Thank you, @npub1vl7…f6g0, team, and ...

2026-03-16T14:23:35Z

Happy birthday, Mastodon. Thank you, Eugen Rochko (npub1vl7…f6g0), team, and everyone in this community who made Mastodon successful. It's a gargantuan achievement.

Amused to see that iA Writer now turns smart em-dash substitution ...

2026-03-12T12:46:46Z

Amused to see that iA Writer now turns smart em-dash substitution off by default. (New laptop, new setup.) I switched it back on. I like em-dashes, AI be damned. I write all my own words, for what it's worth.

The BBC is dying. It needs to be preserved - but doing so will ...

2026-03-05T14:23:19Z

The BBC is dying. It needs to be preserved - but doing so will require a radical reinvention. #Media https://werd.io/bbc-says-irreversible-trends-mean-it-will-not-survive-without-major-overhaul/

I just had to upgrade my Mastodon hosting to $49/mo. So, yeah, ...

2026-02-28T16:12:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…mnnv
_________________________

I just had to upgrade my Mastodon hosting to $49/mo. So, yeah, looking for alternatives, while ideally not maintaining my own server. I may just accelerate Idno development and switch there.

Running my own single instance is kind of expensive. I wish I ...

2026-02-28T15:59:42Z

Running my own single instance is kind of expensive. I wish I could use my own domain on my handle while using a shared instance.

Feeling a bit discouraged and self-critical this evening. ...

2026-02-26T21:25:54Z

Feeling a bit discouraged and self-critical this evening. What's something that's made you feel happy and confident lately?

Here’s how I’ve been thinking about AI-assisted engineering / ...

2026-02-25T12:25:13Z

Here’s how I’ve been thinking about AI-assisted engineering / vibe coding: its pros and cons, the underlying power dynamics, and its implications. Please enjoy. Or please enjoy flaming me. One of the two. https://werd.io/good-vibes-bad-vendors/

If you're a daily coffee drinker at home, what are your go-to ...

2026-02-21T16:48:59Z

If you're a daily coffee drinker at home, what are your go-to everyday beans? Not the fancy stuff you treat yourself to sometimes, but the stuff you always make sure you have in the house.

It’s all well and good to be worried about centralized social ...

2026-02-21T15:35:24Z

It’s all well and good to be worried about centralized social media when it’s owned by fascists and there are troops on the streets and peaceful protesters are being kidnapped and killed and we’re about to strike Iran, but next time, can we listen to the people sounding the alarm a little earlier?

The detail here about archive dot is and its other domains ...

2026-02-21T03:09:31Z

The detail here about archive dot is and its other domains altering webpages because of a grudge is worth knowing. Not to mention running a DDoS attack, obviously. Yikes. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/02/wikipedia-bans-archive-today-after-site-executed-ddos-and-altered-web-captures/

Earlier this month I had the privilege of MCing the ...

2026-02-17T14:05:50Z

Earlier this month I had the privilege of MCing the [@team](https://protocolsforpublishers.com/ ) #protocolsforpublishers event in London, bringing together people from publishers and the open protocols that might help them secure their futures. I wrote up my experiences: https://werd.io/building-trust-in-the-open/

At this point when I get a white supremacist reply on the ...

2026-02-14T22:22:22Z

At this point when I get a white supremacist reply on the fediverse - which is often - I just block the whole instance domain. If they allow a user like that, the whole thing's corrupt.

Nostr event nevent1qqs868z5h3szdq33rvpk6796qawmg63ed6dassv35ctcm5g7eghldsszyruvqreplvg3zzz9rrn3h3rckzv9k3zmnt3249zax28s7cpvxn6yvfg2hpd

2026-02-14T20:46:26Z

Where do you think the US will be in 5 years?

"Hundreds of children are currently being held with their ...

2026-02-09T18:26:19Z

"Hundreds of children are currently being held with their parents at an immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas. In letters and drawings, eight kids convey the pain of feeling trapped with no end in sight." https://www.propublica.org/article/ice-dilley-children-letters

This isn’t new news as such, but people keep being surprised by ...

2026-02-07T17:07:15Z

This isn’t new news as such, but people keep being surprised by it, so it’s worth repeating. Substack hosts, profits from, and promotes explicitly Nazi content, and if you are adding value to that network, you are helping them to do so. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/07/revealed-how-substack-makes-money-from-hosting-nazi-newsletters

Very excited for Protocols for Publishers at Newspeak House later ...

2026-02-04T16:36:36Z

Very excited for Protocols for Publishers at Newspeak House later tonight. Lots of publishers and protocol builders showing up to discuss how we might help each other and build an open, protocol-driven web that supports journalism, publishers, and an informed society.

Two things I don’t think serve the current moment: 1. ...

2026-01-25T14:27:50Z

Two things I don’t think serve the current moment:

1. Downplaying what is happening. If it looks like a goose and steps like a goose, it’s a goose.

2. Assuming that assumed American norms and values will prevail.

If you didn’t assume that everything would go back to normal, or that we’ll have free and fair elections, or that the courts will stop the killing of observers on the streets, what would you do differently?

Probably an unpopular take: I don't believe the EU can create ...

2026-01-25T14:00:50Z

Probably an unpopular take: I don't believe the EU can create an alternative tech stack. It needs to foster an independent ecosystem; anything less will just benefit all the people who already know how to get EU grants. What's needed is the conditions for real innovation, which are a culture and mindset change, as well as money.

Seeing lots of variations of we should abolish “Trump’s ...

2026-01-24T19:39:28Z

Seeing lots of variations of we should abolish “Trump’s ICE” or “this kind of ICE” from elected representatives. No, the whole concept is bogus. It was always based on propaganda about immigration. It’s an authoritarian dream based on a fiction. Abolish ICE and fix our foreign policy.

Spending the morning at our local library. It’s just a small ...

2026-01-24T16:42:04Z

Spending the morning at our local library. It’s just a small branch, but it’s fully alive: people browsing and reading, reading to their kids, researching things that are important to them and being in community in a warm space away from the cold. How it should be. Libraries are magic.

Unfortunately Zen Browser has been really slowing down for me to ...

2026-01-24T15:40:03Z

Unfortunately Zen Browser has been really slowing down for me to the point of not loading any pages unless I restart it very regularly. Has anyone else experienced this? Wondering if it's an extension, but I don't have many of those, and I'm not sure what's going on.

Unpopular opinion: building and using technology ethically is not ...

2026-01-21T15:21:37Z

Unpopular opinion: building and using technology ethically is not the same thing as going back to a previous era of technology or staying frozen in time. Instead, it's really important to keep moving forward and building the future - new techniques, new platforms, new ideas - in a pro-social way.

A Supreme Court case about a bank robbery could redefine digital ...

2026-01-20T14:31:10Z

A Supreme Court case about a bank robbery could redefine digital rights in the US. I wrote about it and its implications. https://werd.io/who-owns-your-data/

"Internal ICE material and testimony from an official ...

2026-01-15T14:52:22Z

"Internal ICE material and testimony from an official obtained by 404 Media provides the clearest link yet between the technological infrastructure Palantir is building for ICE and the agency’s activities on the ground." #Democracy https://werd.io/elite-the-palantir-app-ice-uses-to-find-neighborhoods-to-raid/

I published this fictional scenario planning piece about ...

2026-01-14T23:06:59Z

I published this fictional scenario planning piece about mitigating a hypothetical newsroom raid yesterday. It feels a lot more relevant today. https://werd.io/the-zurich-protocol/

I really want a button on my email that hides everything that ...

2026-01-14T14:30:20Z

I really want a button on my email that hides everything that wasn't written directly to me by a human. The "important" tab doesn't cut it. I'm drowning here.

Astonishing documentary movie about what power is capable of and ...

2026-01-12T02:27:27Z

Astonishing documentary movie about what power is capable of and what journalism can do to liberate. 100% on Rotten Tomatoes; free to stream on Netflix. More than worth your time. Please watch. https://www.netflix.com/title/82145211

I don't think it's a coincidence that all of this ...

2026-01-10T22:29:55Z

I don't think it's a coincidence that all of this (worldwide) is happening when most of the people who lived through WWII have just died. We need to do a better job of keeping their memories and ideals alive.

"A social media and phone surveillance system ICE bought ...

2026-01-08T14:42:10Z

"A social media and phone surveillance system ICE bought access to is designed to monitor a city neighborhood or block for mobile phones, track the movements of those devices and their owners over time, and follow them from their places of work to home or other locations." https://www.404media.co/inside-ices-tool-to-monitor-phones-in-entire-neighborhoods/

Each year, on my birthday, I gather my thoughts. This year: 47 ...

2026-01-07T12:14:46Z

Each year, on my birthday, I gather my thoughts. This year: 47 things I’ve learned - about work, about life, and about the intersections between the two. https://werd.io/47-lessons/

I wrote up how I hire engineers: building a team means building a ...

2026-01-06T14:12:29Z

I wrote up how I hire engineers: building a team means building a community, which means looking beyond live coding tests to find empathetic collaborators who care about a mission. (PS: I'm hiring!) https://werd.io/how-i-hire-engineers/

Following this has meaningfully improved my first few days of the ...

2026-01-04T13:50:36Z

Following this has meaningfully improved my first few days of the year. So far, so good. https://werd.io/a-2026-checklist/

Rather than new year's resolutions, I'm experimenting ...

2025-12-31T14:47:07Z

Rather than new year's resolutions, I'm experimenting with a checklist for 2026: things I want to try and do every day. This is my list, and I'd love to read yours. https://werd.io/a-2026-checklist/

Meanwhile, in my hometown. Here in the US, police / ICE are using ...

2025-12-27T21:45:46Z

Meanwhile, in my hometown. Here in the US, police / ICE are using facial recognition when they stop someone, but I’m not aware of them just setting up and scanning crowds. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqxqnp27ddno

We don't need to educate our audiences to fit our needs. We ...

2025-12-19T18:42:11Z

We don't need to educate our audiences to fit our needs. We need to educate ourselves to fit our audiences. #Media https://werd.io/lies-we-tell-ourselves/

Observation: some folks appear to be in news to speak truth ...

2025-12-18T14:21:32Z

Observation: some folks appear to be in news to speak truth *from* power and use institutions to defend the status quo and the agency of centralized power. Others speak truth *to* power and use journalism to challenge unequal power dynamics. Only one of those is desirable, imo.

We're looking for a mission-driven director of product ...

2025-12-12T14:41:57Z

We're looking for a mission-driven director of product engineering for our product team at ProPublica (npub1qmg…s6k5). Our journalists investigate abuses of trust and power in the public interest. This is a way to make a difference. (Must be US-based.) https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/propublica/jobs/4623874006?gh_src=0eh7t3h36us

I'm hiring a Director of Product Engineering for our product ...

2025-12-11T15:18:15Z

I'm hiring a Director of Product Engineering for our product team at ProPublica (npub1qmg…s6k5). If you're an engineering leader in the US who wants to truly make a difference, we're a nonprofit newsroom investigating abuses of trust in the public interest. Please consider joining us. #amhiring #getfedihired https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/propublica/jobs/4623874006?gh_src=0eh7t3h36us

Let's Encrypt is ten years old. It's changed the web for ...

2025-12-10T01:44:52Z

Let's Encrypt is ten years old. It's changed the web for the better. #Technology https://werd.io/10-years-of-lets-encrypt-certificates/

For decades, RSS has been a workhorse that connects systems on ...

2025-12-09T13:48:04Z

For decades, RSS has been a workhorse that connects systems on the timely web and ensures that publishers can syndicate and grow their reach. Here's why it matters more than ever. https://werd.io/why-rss-matters/

This year, @npub1qmg…s6k5 reported on ICE splitting up ...

2025-12-02T13:59:06Z

This year, ProPublica (npub1qmg…s6k5) reported on ICE splitting up families, the people behind DOGE and their impact, the backroom dealings of Trump and others in his administration, and more. I'm proud to work with these journalists - and they need your support.

As always, I want to prove that the #fediverse is an important source of support for nonprofits like ours. We're here, we're engaged, and we care.

If you have the means, please consider a donation:

https://give.propublica.org/campaign/748664/donate?c_src=ben

#journalism #democracy

Donating to @npub1qmg…s6k5 supports a newsroom full of ...

2025-12-02T05:11:50Z

Donating to ProPublica (npub1qmg…s6k5) supports a newsroom full of investigative journalists intent on bringing about real change through reporting on abuses of power in the public interest. They've done incredible work this year. And if you donate on #GivingNewsDay your donation is matched dollar for dollar. https://give.propublica.org/campaign/748664/donate?c_src=ben #givingtuesday #journalism #democracy

New_ Public announced its new community platform is being ...

2025-12-02T01:11:17Z

New_ Public announced its new community platform is being co-developed with five local US communities - and there's a lot more to come. #Technology https://werd.io/introducing-roundabout/

I've never been a great notetaker. Winnie Lim suggests I ...

2025-11-30T14:22:25Z

I've never been a great notetaker. Winnie Lim suggests I might be overthinking it: it's not a second brain but a second subconscious mind. #Technology https://werd.io/imperfect-notes-my-second-subconscious/

"We have created a system where the only way to survive is to ...

2025-11-29T15:01:06Z

"We have created a system where the only way to survive is to be destitute enough to qualify for aid, or rich enough to ignore the cost. Everyone in the middle is being cannibalized." https://werd.io/the-optical-illusion-of-prosperity/

Seeing a lot of criticism of this. I won't comment on that ...

2025-11-21T16:47:18Z

Seeing a lot of criticism of this. I won't comment on that for now, but I think it would be a valuable exercise to create a version of the linked document for the hypothetical organization people would like to see. https://blog.mozilla.org/en/mozilla/rewiring-mozilla-ai-and-web/

Podcast pitch: Last Week Tonight but about the Internet. Same ...

2025-11-19T14:58:37Z

Podcast pitch: Last Week Tonight but about the Internet. Same pointed humor, same sense of outrage, same scripted writing, but specifically about the web, the tech industry, underlying power dynamics and egos.

Hey, remember that Chicago apartment building raid where children ...

2025-11-13T16:44:21Z

Hey, remember that Chicago apartment building raid where children were zip-tied together? Guess what: https://www.propublica.org/article/chicago-venezuela-immigration-ice-fbi-raids-no-criminal-charges

The most racist people imaginable have a cunning plan to ...

2025-11-09T14:34:02Z

The most racist people imaginable have a cunning plan to undermine the most popularly-elected NYC mayor since 1969. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/9/republicans-push-to-strip-zohran-mamdani-of-us-citizenship-is-it-possible

It's still so weird to me that the idea of universal ...

2025-11-07T21:08:26Z

It's still so weird to me that the idea of universal healthcare is so political here. It's a given in so many other places, and I miss it. And people don't realize how good it is for innovation. You can take so many more risks when your health and well-being aren't tied to a salaried employer.

I came back to this talk today - and I've got to admit, I ...

2025-11-07T20:00:30Z

I came back to this talk today - and I've got to admit, I think it's a banger. Lots to say about how mission-driven technology can be successful. https://werd.io/why-the-open-social-web-matters-now/

There’s no such thing as neutral technology. Every tool encodes ...

2025-10-31T14:30:21Z

There’s no such thing as neutral technology.

Every tool encodes the values of the people who made it — their goals, their blind spots, their priorities.

When organizations adopt tools without asking whose values they’re importing, they take on risk they can’t see.

https://werd.io/theres-no-such-thing-as-neutral-technology/

"This bubble is going to pop. Investors will stop setting ...

2025-10-28T15:52:51Z

"This bubble is going to pop. Investors will stop setting their money on fire once they realize these models can't replace our labor in the ways they have promised." https://brooklyn.bearblog.dev/ai-futures/

AI at scale isn't scaling. #AI ...

2025-10-20T18:57:42Z

AI at scale isn't scaling. #AI https://werd.io/this-is-how-much-anthropic-and-cursor-spend-on-amazon-web-services/

Hear me out, but maybe it's not superb that most of the ...

2025-10-20T13:08:04Z

Hear me out, but maybe it's not superb that most of the internet is hosted on three very large providers?

We have never in human history had access to a shared reality. ...

2025-10-16T13:50:03Z

We have never in human history had access to a shared reality. Ask Galileo. Or anyone from a marginalized group. It's like nostalgia for white picket fence Americana: it hides a lot of harm. What we should fear isn't disagreement, but regression and subjugation.

I don't know what happens next, but on the face of it, the ...

2025-10-13T16:23:28Z

I don't know what happens next, but on the face of it, the ceasefire and the return of captives from both sides feels really good. May there be peace, may the rebuilding be equitable, and may everyone get to live and co-exist in dignity and prosperity.

Amazing. Thank you.

2025-10-11T22:57:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…d6pl
_________________________

Amazing. Thank you.

Actually I’d love that. Generally because the work is ...

2025-10-11T20:43:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…5j9r
_________________________

Actually I’d love that. Generally because the work is fascinating and important, but specifically because there’s another set of artifacts in the collection that aren’t online.

Today I learned that an interview with my great uncle is in the ...

2025-10-11T20:03:41Z

Today I learned that an interview with my great uncle is in the collection of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum:

"Reinald Leidelmeyer describes his experience as a member of the Dutch Resistance in the Hague; details of his arrest; his time in a slave labor camp; and actions that led to his release."

https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn85997

I'm skeptical of using AI for alt text generation. The tech ...

2025-10-10T14:18:12Z

I'm skeptical of using AI for alt text generation. The tech is not bad at all about describing what's in a picture, but I'm unconvinced that it can tell you what's *important* in a picture. Maybe if you fed in the context around it? But also, a human can write an alt text sentence in a minute or two, so is it really worth it?

Think your data is safe because it's stored privately or ...

2025-10-01T14:02:31Z

Think your data is safe because it's stored privately or because you're in the EU? Think again.

I wrote a guide to how subpoenas, the third-party doctrine, data brokers, and the CLOUD Act let government and private parties access your information without your knowledge.

https://werd.io/your-private-data-isnt-as-private-as-you-think/

Switzerland just voted to create a new electronic ID card (the ...

2025-09-29T01:02:42Z

Switzerland just voted to create a new electronic ID card (the Swiss introduced physical ones in 1955). It's stored locally on your device, you personally approve requests for your data, and is designed to prevent profiling. Contrast to, for example, Britain's centralized proposal. https://www.eid.admin.ch/en/e-id-e

Oh, horribly. He left with his mother yesterday and I went to bed ...

2025-09-28T17:33:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…3vrl
_________________________

Oh, horribly. He left with his mother yesterday and I went to bed to find his pacifier nearly on his pillow. Made me very sad.

My little buddy is off visiting his grandparents and it's ...

2025-09-28T16:42:59Z

My little buddy is off visiting his grandparents and it's honestly very weird. I miss him very much, obviously. But also, I've been so productive this morning: I tidied up, renewed my vehicle registration, got vaccinated, bought groceries. And it's barely lunchtime. I guess I might go to the gym later and make progress on some personal projects. Weird. (Also, did I mention I miss him very much?)

Depressing that anyone wants this: ...

2025-09-27T20:58:50Z

Depressing that anyone wants this: https://19thnews.org/2025/09/poll-traditional-family-gender-roles/

War ravaged Portland ...

2025-09-27T16:45:27Z

War ravaged Portland

Violence is not the answer. It will be used to tighten the ...

2025-09-24T15:59:42Z

Violence is not the answer. It will be used to tighten the screws, and as a pretext for more authoritarianism. If you think guns are the solution, you are an idiot.

The investigative newsroom I work for, @npub1qmg…s6k5, is ...

2025-09-17T21:12:53Z

The investigative newsroom I work for, ProPublica (npub1qmg…s6k5), is raising money right now. This is the last few days of our pledge drive.

We report on abuses of power in the public interest. We reported on who works for DOGE and revealed Clarence Thomas’s conflicts of interest.

It was the first outlet to win a Pulitzer for web-first journalism. And if you donate through this link, you'll let our team know the fediverse is an audience to pay attention to: https://give.propublica.org/give/346528/#!/donation/checkout?c_src=ben_mstdn #journalism #fediverse

Over the last week I’ve become aware that lots of ...

2025-09-17T20:22:42Z

Over the last week I’ve become aware that lots of infrastructure depends on local government, school board, etc, meetings being posted on YouTube. That’s quite a scary dependency & a potential vector for harm. We need to get to a world where these meetings are stored & shared in a more aligned way.

Not superb. ...

2025-09-14T01:25:45Z

Not superb. https://www.commondreams.org/news/rubio-thought-policing-bill

Consistently confused about the rage people seem to have for ...

2025-09-13T15:00:45Z

Consistently confused about the rage people seem to have for atheists. I don’t believe in a deity. That doesn’t make me evil. Nor am I going to try to convince you to shift your own beliefs.

I love how thoughtful the Mastodon blog post about introducing ...

2025-09-12T17:27:32Z

I love how thoughtful the Mastodon blog post about introducing quote posting is. A really interesting way the team could be even more impactful on the open social web would be to share their research findings and the thinking that went into these sorts of features - that's the sort of body of knowledge everyone could learn from. https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2025/09/introducing-quote-posts/

#mastodon #fediverse

Charlie Kirk was a truly terrible human being, beloved by the ...

2025-09-10T20:35:36Z

Charlie Kirk was a truly terrible human being, beloved by the sickest, dumbest people imaginable, but everybody should be able to live without the fear of gun violence. This is a troubled country for many reasons, but guns are a cancer. I wish we could come to our senses and ban them.

Kirk famously said, “It’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment.” No. One is too many. Even his.

In a world that faces unprecedented challenges, from a resurgence ...

2025-09-10T14:18:32Z

In a world that faces unprecedented challenges, from a resurgence in global fascism to the fast-developing storm of the climate crisis, we need more technologists to focus on doing good work.

Here's how to take the leap.

https://werd.io/using-technology-skills-for-positive-change/

The investigative newsroom I work for, @npub1qmg…s6k5, is ...

2025-09-08T17:45:17Z

The investigative newsroom I work for, ProPublica (npub1qmg…s6k5), is raising money right now. We report on abuses of power in the public interest - stories like corruption on the Supreme Court or the police response to the Uvalde school shooting. It was the first outlet to win a Pulitzer for web-first journalism. And if you donate through this link, you'll let our team know that the fediverse is an audience to pay attention to. https://give.propublica.org/give/346528/#!/donation/checkout?c_src=ben_mstdn #journalism #fediverse

Let's all just be kind to each other and build ...

2025-09-08T14:12:26Z

Let's all just be kind to each other and build collaboratively rather than competitively.

The world is splitting into nationalist / fascist movements and ...

2025-09-07T15:51:54Z

The world is splitting into nationalist / fascist movements and more progressive / humanist movements.

It's weird to see tech do the same thing. Look at any job board and you can see the fascist-aligned startups and the progressive ones.

The funding, unfortunately, is disproportionately choosing the nationalist path.

We're looking for a journalist with development chops (or a ...

2025-09-05T14:56:50Z

We're looking for a journalist with development chops (or a developer with journalism chops) to join our news apps team and build new web-based interactive stories, databases, and experiences. It's a remote role; candidates must be eligible to work in the US. https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/propublica/jobs/4599062006?gh_src=k5crh6ph6us

#fedihired #getfedihired #amhiring #jobs #journalism

Today my best buddy turned 3. We went to the zoo, he saw snakes ...

2025-09-03T01:50:23Z

Today my best buddy turned 3. We went to the zoo, he saw snakes and goats and fed a giraffe, we had his favorite tacos for dinner and a birthday cake, and he received many lovely gifts. And at the end of the day he just wanted to fall asleep in my arms. Could not have been more perfect.

“The world's biggest academic association of genocide ...

2025-09-01T17:44:33Z

“The world's biggest academic association of genocide scholars has passed a resolution saying the legal criteria have been met to establish Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, its president said on Monday.” To say so is not to justify the Oct 7 attacks. But genocide is never justifiable.

To those who wonder why Americans are concerned about this war over others: it’s because we’re deeply involved. Our money is paying for this. It’s a part of US foreign policy.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-is-committing-genocide-gaza-scholars-association-says-2025-09-01/

Can newsrooms become social platforms themselves? Should they? ...

2025-08-31T12:49:40Z

Can newsrooms become social platforms themselves? Should they?

The future belongs to organizations that understand their communities, not just their analytics. In this post, I dig into a reader question that speaks to the future of social, newsrooms, and AI.

https://werd.io/can-newsrooms-become-social-platforms/

I think, based on initiatives we’ve already seen, that this is ...

2025-08-24T14:59:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…fguj
_________________________

I think, based on initiatives we’ve already seen, that this is a faulty assumption. It would be a blank check to kill net neutrality for good.

I agree that the current landscape is nuts. I don’t think there’s a technical solution, though. I guess a service could operate in a place beyond jurisdictional treaties with the US and EU, but would users trust it? Those places aren’t necessarily known to be freedom-preserving.

That would necessitate the ISPs filtering everyone’s internet ...

2025-08-24T14:26:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…vf9y
_________________________

That would necessitate the ISPs filtering everyone’s internet though?

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but decentralization ...

2025-08-24T13:52:46Z

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but decentralization doesn’t prevent you from having to adhere to laws and regulations.

I think this is super-interesting. Future developments, including ...

2025-08-20T12:53:47Z

I think this is super-interesting. Future developments, including using the web payments API, feel promising - a way of funding the #Fediverse. https://wedistribute.org/2025/08/introducing-crowdbucks/