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 6 months ago

What Happens After the Hype? Lessons from Mobile Internet’s Long Road to Success

What Happens After the Hype? Lessons from Mobile Internet’s Long Road to Success

"The question isn’t whether the current AI investment cycle will face a reckoning. It’s what form that reckoning takes — and what comes after."

benwerd 6 months ago

Knowing when to leave

Knowing when to leave

I wrote this in my blog drafts well over a decade ago (exact date unclear). I thought I'd publish it as-is as an aside. I'm sure it was going to be...

benwerd 6 months ago

imperfect notes & my second subconscious

imperfect notes & my second subconscious

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.

benwerd 6 months ago

"Disagree and Let’s See"

"Disagree and Let’s See"

"Disagree and commit" is disingenuous. This is a better idea.

benwerd 6 months ago

The Optical Illusion of Prosperity

The Optical Illusion of Prosperity

"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 i...

benwerd 6 months ago

The EFF we need now

The EFF we need now | Ben Werdmuller

Why the next era of digital civil liberties requires a tighter mission, a bolder strategy, and a clearer view of how power works.

benwerd 6 months ago

Of the web

"These days people use the term "web" to mean basically something you can view in a web browser. But that does not mean it is *of* the web."

benwerd 6 months ago

The State of the Open Social Web

The State of the Open Social Web | Ben Werdmuller

A comprehensive look at Mastodon, Bluesky, and the growing ecosystem of open, interoperable social networks.

benwerd 6 months ago

Open Source Power

Open Source Power

"In hindsight I don't think any reasonable person can say that we're collectively better off. Democracy is losing, and tech is playing an undeniabl...

benwerd 6 months ago

Honor The Maker's Schedule

Honor The Maker's Schedule

"As an innovation leader, it is your job to ensure that your organization has explicit norms that enable your people to do deep work." Meeting cult...

benwerd 6 months ago

Jack Dorsey funds diVine, a Vine reboot that includes Vine's video archive

Jack Dorsey funds diVine, a Vine reboot that includes Vine's video archive

"As generative AI content starts to fill our social apps, a project to bring back Vine’s six-second looping videos is launching with Twitter co-f...

benwerd 6 months ago

I Want You to Understand Chicago

I Want You to Understand Chicago

"I want you to understand what it is like to live in Chicago during this time."

benwerd 6 months ago

Time to start de-Appling

Time to start de-Appling

"You have some serious thinking to do about what you intend to trust to the Apple stack altogether going forward, even things like passwords."

benwerd 7 months ago

How can I be most useful to you?

How can I be most useful to you?

A short reader survey about the challenges you’re working through and the support you wish existed.

benwerd 7 months ago

This Physicist Says We Don’t Take COVID Seriously Enough

This Physicist Says We Don’t Take COVID Seriously Enough

The pandemic isn't over, and there's still much to fear from the COVID-19 virus.

benwerd 7 months ago

There's no such thing as neutral technology

There's no such thing as neutral technology

Why organizations must evaluate values, not just features

benwerd 7 months ago

Trump Administration's Arrival on Bluesky Highlights Growing Pains for Open Networks

Trump Administration's Arrival on Bluesky Highlights Growing Pains for Open Networks

"It’s no accident that US political operatives have been singling out Bluesky as a target for political control and retribution for months." But ...

benwerd 7 months ago

This Is How Much Anthropic and Cursor Spend On Amazon Web Services

This Is How Much Anthropic and Cursor Spend On Amazon Web Services

AI at scale isn't scaling.

benwerd 7 months ago

Russell Vought: The Shadow President

Russell Vought: The Shadow President

Reporter Andy Kroll explains Vought’s rise from a congressional staffer to the man piloting everything from Trump's layoffs and agency closings t...

benwerd 7 months ago

Europe Can’t Defend Democracy on US Servers

Europe Can’t Defend Democracy on US Servers

MEP Alexandra Geese argues that Europe needs its own infrastructure, social networks, and software. Rising US authoritarianism means the clock is t...

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