Chris Aldrich
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• Chris Aldrich
People and blogs involved with and about the IndieWeb community, the fediverse, and/or the open web in general.
Chris Aldrich
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• Chris Aldrich
Ten years ago today I coined the shorthand “js;dr” for “JavaScript required; Didn’t Read”* https://tantek.com/2015/069/t1/js-dr-javascript-required-deadin reference to (primarily content) pages that were empty (or nearly so) without scripts.Since then js;dr found its way into...
Gus Mueller thinks Apple needs to get out of the way with AI:
The crux of the issue in my mind is this: Apple has a lot of good ideas, but they don’t have a monopoly on them. I would like some other folks to come in and try their ideas out. I would like things to advance at the pace of the industry, and not Apple’s.
Good post. I included several quotes in my post this morning and would’ve added Gus’s post too. Experimenting with LLMs running locally is perfect for developers who build Mac apps. Maybe third-party developers need a convention to download and share models between apps?
After lunch I ended up having to head out of town unexpectedly to visit family, so gonna miss the afternoon SXSW and Fediverse House events. It was amazing catching up with folks who I only knew online, and meeting some people for the first time. Have a great week and safe travels!
Werd I/O
• Ben Werdmuller
Leader of student protests at Columbia facing deportation
[Jake Offenhartz, Cedar Attanasio and Philip Marcelo at The Associated Press]
This seems completely in line with the First Amendment's protections against restrictions on speech and assembly by the US government:
"President Donald Trump warned Monday that th...
Monday session
Monday session
Mistrust, LLMs, and DOGE
These are bits and pieces. Not fully formed thoughts. But I want to quote two smart people. Steve Yegge 2 years ago. And Dan Hon a few days ago. From Steve Yegge, 2023: Cheating is all you need: All you crazy MFs are completely overlooking the fact that software engineering exists as a discipline because...
POSSE.
Now that bookmark tags are available to all plans on Micro.blog, it’s more consistent to manage bookmarks. I’ve moved my read-later type activities to Micro.blog. Just nice to have it all in one place to bookmark posts and blog about them. Screenshot example of a bookmark with summary and tags:
Twittotage
I left Twitter in 2022. With every day that has passed since then, that decision has proven to be correct.
(I’m honestly shocked that some people I know still have active Twitter accounts. At this point there is no justification for giving your support to a place that’s lit...
Apple's response to AI
Ever since Apple revealed their AI strategy to lean into on-device models, there has been a sort of tension with the approach from other companies like OpenAI, Google, and Amazon. Was Apple Intelligence going to work? There are advantages: for user privacy because more data ...
Good morning, Austin. Back downtown after a great day yesterday at Fediverse House.
A hard lesson to learn -- people don't listen to their friends, they listen to their competitors.
BTW it's worth calling attention to a bit I linked to yesterday. Cross-posting to Bluesky and Mastodon is not on the roadmap for WordLand. They are too limited in the features they support for writers. This is a big point, not a casual thing. I am trying to create a network t...
A new kind of WordPress post for me. A big picture with a punchy caption and a teasing title.
The word is starting to spread about WordLand. And the product is holding up pretty well. There are some issues in Safari with the toolbar that pops up over selection. I see people pasting in URLs that makes me think it's not working for them. Don Park started using it. I did...
Werd I/O
• Ben Werdmuller
How Terrorgram Collective Influencers Groomed a Killer
[A.C. Thompson, ProPublica and FRONTLINE, James Bandler, ProPublica, and Lukáš Diko, Investigative Center of Jan Kuciak]
A tragic story of a teenager recruited by a network of extremists, who ultimately murdered multiple people before taking his own life. It...
For there’s no blue Monday in your Sunday clothes
Werd I/O
• Ben Werdmuller
The 2025 journalist’s digital security checklist
[Davis Erin Anderson and Dr. Martin Shelton at the Freedom of the Press Foundation]
These security tips are designed for journalists but are good ideas for everyone (and particularly activists or anyone working in a sensitive field):
"In tumultuous times, we believe in being prepared, not scared. Sound digital security practice often involves forming and relying on good habits. Building these reflexes now will help keep you better protected. This is why we’ve distilled advice our trainers have shared with thousands of journalists over the years into the actionable, concrete steps below."
The Freedom of the Press Foundation does great work, and this guide is no exception.
[Link]