ben

ben, 11 months ago to random

There should be a non-profit accelerator for end-user open source projects that have the potential to make the world more equal, inclusive, and democratic.

ben, 9 months ago to random

I buy the take that a goal of buying Twitter was to stop progressive movements that were organizing there.

These movements were and are changing the world for the better.

The fediverse needs to be built to be their forever home: a place to join together across borders to make the world better for everyone, with equal opportunities for all.

I still, despite everything, after all this time, believe this is the promise of the internet.

ben, 6 months ago to random

You really want to get people back to the office? Forget free cocktails. Think free daycare, six month parental leave, 25 days vacation + holidays, extensive carer benefits for those who need them, the expectation that you’ll stay home and rest rather than work if you’re sick, flexible hours, further help with the enormous cost of living in the cities you operate in.

ben, 10 months ago to random

I struggled for over six months to get the newsroom I worked for onto Mastodon. There were lots of reasons why not. And now they’re on Threads with ~10K followers, the engagement they need, and the tools they need to understand their audience. And their content starts conversations and is reaching people who need to see it. This stuff matters.

ben, 2 months ago to journalism

The investigative newsroom I work for, @ProPublica, is raising money right now. We report on abuses of power in the public interest - stories like corruption on the Supreme Court. 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 Mastodon is an audience to pay attention to. https://give.propublica.org/give/346528/#!/donation/checkout?c_src=mstdn #journalism #fediverse #mastodon

ben, 10 months ago (edited 10 months ago) to random

What's the most common way you read novels?

ben, 10 months ago to random

Who are the most-followed women on Mastodon?

ben, 1 year ago to random

Cultural differences between the fediverse and the AT protocol: https://werd.io/2023/the-fediverse-and-the-at-protocol

ben, 5 months ago to random

I’m no Trump fan, but I think in precedents, and I don’t know if I like the precedent that Colorado set.

For those cheering it: if we can’t defeat an autocratic fascist at the ballot box we’ve still got enormous problems.

ben, 10 months ago to random

I wrote some more thoughts about Threads and what it might mean for democracy. https://werd.io/2023/second-thoughts-about-threads

ben, 10 months ago to random

I hate flying. I love trains. Trains are wonderful. High-speed rail is one of those things that would make America so much better for literally everyone except airlines, oil companies, and car manufacturers. Can we build it, please?

ben, 10 months ago to random

People really really don't like it when you criticize Mastodon's user experience.

ben, 7 months ago to random

Thinking about why people avoid the news, in the context of my own disengagement around international topics. I’m not following the ins and outs of the conflict in Ukraine, for example, and I feel guilty about it, because we’re all connected to it in deep ways - and what an American stereotype to only be preoccupied with what’s happening internally.

But I also feel utterly powerless. It will happen how it’s going to happen regardless of what I do or think. How to break out of that?

ben, 10 months ago to random

A pitch. Thoughts / comments? #ActivityPub https://werd.cloud/ActivityPub+API+service

ben, 9 months ago to technology

Oh, hey, open release! I've been using Arc as my primary browser all year, and I truly love it. It's a huge step forward in browser UX and while I don't use every feature, I can't see myself going back to the 1990s-style paradigm. #Technology https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/25/23802843/arc-browser-mac-ios-waitlist-availability?utm_source=werd.io&utm_campaign=mastodon&utm_channel=mastodon

ben, 10 months ago to random

The top floor of my house (~100 years old) is a complete sauna. I'm starting by looking at replacing the windows but it's a minefield. Renewal by Andersen are twice the price but seem like the Apple of windows (but are they?). Others have scary used-car-salesman hard sells. One didn't know that a divider was load-bearing, which would have been catastrophic. It's an expensive minefield - and that's before I look at mini-splits etc.

ben, 8 months ago to random

What would you do with your life if you weren’t worried about money?

ben, 10 months ago to random

There has to be a search engine for Mastodon. Make it opt-in, make it tightly controlled, however you want it, but there needs to be a way to see news from across the network. That mechanism has powered countless social justice protests, grassroots disaster reports, and mutual aid. Equity requires discoverability. It's not optional.

ben, 7 days ago to random

If Google makes its money through contextual ads on search results pages now, in an AI-driven world it’ll make its money through sponsored answers (or just contextual ads related to the answers). The way sites will continue to get traffic is through buying ads.

ben, 10 months ago to random

One thing that’s intensely disappointing about Threads is watching people join it who resolutely refused to join Mastodon, as if something needs to be run by a giant megacorp to be considered worthwhile.

ben, 8 months ago (edited 8 months ago) to random

Former sundown towns are still terrible places to live.

ben, 9 months ago to random

Anxiety is keeping me awake, and it’s getting so late in the morning that the baby will probably wake up soon. So that’s me for the day.

I’ve struggled with self-doubt, a kind of toxic shame, and dysphoria for most of my life. This has been a year where my self-evisceration has felt more justified. It’s not been good. I’m trying to turn things around.

ben, 6 months ago to random

I spent over a decade building open source platforms and trying to make a living from it. Here's what I learned: it's an uphill battle all the way. https://werd.io/2023/theres-no-money-in-free-software

ben, 10 months ago to random

What was the last fiction book you read and LOVED?

ben, 3 months ago to random

Usernames on Signal are a great improvement. I set mine and added a link to contact me via Signal from my Mastodon profile.