Ben Werdmuller - Nostr Hypermedia

Ben Werdmuller

benwerd@nos.social

npub183ng...4n09

I lead technology at ProPublica and write speculative fiction. This is a personal account. Every day, I write about tech, democracy, and society at https://werd.io. More about me: https://about.werd.io

benwerd 4 months ago

Don’t dwell on “democracy,” and other new findings about how to market local news

Don’t dwell on “democracy,” and other new findings about how to market local news

It turns out that "we're protecting democracy and our industry is dying, please pay us money" is not a great sales pitch.

benwerd 4 months ago

The One-on-One Gift Exchange

The One-on-One Gift Exchange

This simple, repeatable framework for building a culture of open feedback has been a part of my toolkit for over a decade.

benwerd 4 months ago

Your private data isn't as private as you think

Your private data isn't as private as you think

How law enforcement and private parties can access your information without your knowledge, and what you can do about it.

benwerd 4 months ago

Building distributed media for a democratic breakdown

Building distributed media for a democratic breakdown

Preparing viable alternatives for broadcast censorship and a restricted internet.

benwerd 4 months ago

What I learned in the first five years of Platformer

What I learned in the first five years of Platformer

Casey Newton's annual updates are always great. This year, perhaps predictably, the biggest highlight for me is his ambitions around community. We ...

benwerd 4 months ago

How aesthetics destroyed privacy and polarized us

How aesthetics destroyed privacy and polarized us

Has the internet led to more polarization, or is this more of a great unmasking, where people feel more comfortable to share opinions they've alway...

benwerd 5 months ago

Using technology skills for positive change

Using technology skills for positive change

Let's help build the world we want to see.

benwerd 5 months ago

WordPress for newsrooms

WordPress for newsrooms

From self-hosted WordPress to managed solutions

benwerd 5 months ago

Implementing an unlimited PTO policy

Implementing an unlimited PTO policy

Useful tips on creating an unlimited PTO policy. I used to think these were more accounting hacks than real benefits - but I've changed my mind ove...

benwerd 5 months ago

Can newsrooms become social platforms?

Can newsrooms become social platforms?

How community-first thinking can help newsrooms survive AI

benwerd 5 months ago

GregoryAI aims to improve the lives of researchers and patients alike

GregoryAI aims to improve the lives of researchers and patients alike

An open source project aimed at making medical research easier.

benwerd 5 months ago

Bluesky now platform of choice for science community

Bluesky now platform of choice for science community

A new survey suggests that scientists vastly prefer Bluesky to X - and to its other alternatives.

benwerd 5 months ago

More UK news publishers are adopting 'consent or pay' advertising model

More UK news publishers are adopting 'consent or pay' advertising model

"Sixteen of the 50 biggest news websites in the UK are now using a “consent or pay” model to allow users to pay to reject personalised advertis...

benwerd 5 months ago

Why You Need Systems Thinking Now

Why You Need Systems Thinking Now

"Focus on flows and relationships, not products or services." An argument for systems thinking instead of design thinking or breakthrough innovation.

benwerd 5 months ago

Political Pollsters Are Trying to Save Money by Polling AI Instead of Real People, and It’s Going About as Well as You’d Expect

Political Pollsters Are Trying to Save Money by Polling AI Instead of Real People, and It’s Going About as Well as You’d Expect

"Obviously, any campaign that used only that AI-generated data would miss the mark — instead of looking at the views of real respondents, it woul...

benwerd 5 months ago

Why I'm all-in on Zen Browser

Why I'm all-in on Zen Browser

After Arc's pivot to AI left power users behind, I found the browser I actually wanted.

benwerd 5 months ago

The 19th's Strategic Plan

The 19th's Strategic Plan

"The 19th developed seven key initiatives to guide our priorities for the next three years." Doing this work in public is such a smart move.

benwerd 5 months ago

Ask a newsroom technology leader

Ask a newsroom technology leader

From startup CTO to newsroom leader: Ask me anything.

benwerd 5 months ago

How Do We Tell the Story of Gaza’s Murdered Journalists?

How Do We Tell the Story of Gaza’s Murdered Journalists?

"Now, nearly two years and more than 250 assassinations later, I can count the names of the living journalists in Gaza I follow on one hand."

benwerd 6 months ago

Funding Open Source like public infrastructure

Funding Open Source like public infrastructure

"Open Source runs much of the world's critical infrastructure. It powers government services, supports national security, and enables everything fr...

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