It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. — In the grand tradition of tech people barely doing something and then turning around and giving advice as if they’re experts, I thought I’d write up some of the things I’ve learned being the parent of a three-and-a-half-month-old baby. If you’re about to be a parent, you might find this…

Building a more diverse news media — One of the most meaningful pieces of work I’ve been a part of this year was The 19th’s dashboard of what abortion laws look like in every state right now, which has been updated for seven months and counting. The genesis of the idea came from The 19th’s data visuals…

An overloaded term often used as a racist dog-whistle. — A word I’ve seen used frequently by people across the political spectrum, particularly since Trump’s election in 2016, is globalism. At first, I understood it to be a kind of alternative to nationalism: thinking on a global scale rather than prioritizing your own nation first. …

A guide to getting started with Mastodon — As Evan Prodromou says, this is happening. The fediverse is growing much faster than any centralized social network, and you’re going to want to be involved. I’ve been trying to explain what the fediverse actually is in a few different contexts. One thing that’s revealed to me is that there’s…

Voting is not a right to take lightly. — Alright, America. All eyes are on us. There’s a lot of propaganda out there asking us not to vote. “It doesn’t make a difference,” they’ll say. Or: “the lines are really long.” Or they’ll talk down the whole process, as if democracy isn’t cool, or participating in it is some…

Our online public squares are sunsetting. What’s next? — Elon Musk needs to complete his acquisition of Twitter by October 28 if he wants to avoid the company’s lawsuit against him. That’s really soon — a week from today as I write this post. The network has been a part of my life more or less since it launched…

A growing extremist movement is hiding in plain sight. — JP Morgan cancelled Kanye West’s bank accounts following his anti-semitic remarks today. Over the last few years, a raft of “free speech” social networks have emerged as an alternative to the content policies enacted by companies like Twitter. They take very public anti “cancel culture” stances. …

Towards the electric car as an open platform. — January, 2030. After a long journey, I finally climb into my rental car. It’s a nice ride: comfortable bucket seats with built-in heaters, plenty of leg room, good visibility on all sides, and a large dashboard screen. As soon as I get in, the car notices I’m sitting in the…

Why does there need to be one primary carer? — So far, I’ve been the primary nappy-changer in my child’s world. That’s not virtue signaling or trying to make a point: it simply seems fair that, given that I’m biologically incapable of breastfeeding or carrying a child to term, I help out where I can. Aaron Hoyland’s tweet the other…