Ben Werdmuller

@werd.io

90064 Followers 4403 Following

Senior Director of Technology at https://propublica.org. I write about tech / media / society at https://werd.io.

Ben Werdmuller's site, encoded in standard.site, represented in Standard Reader.
Comic strip. “Hell. Or heaven. Depends whether you’re a masochist or not. Either way, it’s a place where everything that has, will, or could have happened runs together.”
David Monas with the Pennsylvania shirtworkers.
Matter Seven demo day flyer
What's the thing that you love most about the world?
As an American publication/org do you ever hear the stories of failures and money wastage in our NHS over here in the UK? Is it something that makes Americans see the NHS in a bad light?
Shouldn't there be a Red Dwarf movie? Everyone is focusing on Dr Who failing, Star Trek failing and Star Wars failing. Yet I've always thought the Red Dwarf material was strong throughout.
Do you think the left is slipping into the same trap the right did? Eg on socials spreading misinformation, focusing on the bubble rather than the facts and rounding on those with better information than their hearts and feelings.
Is there a level of whistleblowing on corruption that is too small to report on, like a point at which it’s just too small potatoes to devote resources to? If so, what’s the approximate size of a problem that is likely to get more than a rueful shrug from you? (Not referring to anything in particular, only curious where the breaking point is.)
What is better? A) A Dinghy House B) A dingy house
"Every time I'm telling someone something about propublica I have to stop myself from calling it prorepublica."
A notification: has it really been 5 years? Time to celebrate.
The author, a mid gardener, mid gardening.
A stack of buckets that say America 250
A hotel sign: no parties, running, screaming, loud media, smoking, or weed - because they could cause Nightmares to other guests.
Headline: Struggling shoe retailer Allbirds makes bizarre pivot from shoes to AI, socks explore more than 700%
Dialog box: "already have an Atmosphere Account?"
Jay Kay wore great big hats.
A map of problems to solve in news
It's a ZX81! A small 8-bit computer with a built-in membrane keyboard.
We landed on five core themes to focus on initially: User Experience: How might we simplify the complex nature of an ecosystem spanning numerous, decentralized services services? Brand Awareness: How might we steward the AT Protocol's consumer brand personality, beyond Bluesky? Trust & Safety Readiness: How might we support organizations and communities of all sizes to protect the people using their services? Economic Factors: How might we break through the financial barriers the majority of the ecosystem is currently facing? Contributor Enablement: How might we help give back to the people who work tirelessly to bring us all together so we can build as a community?
An airline security card but instead of oxygen masks, it's squid. Just roll with it.
The author in the snow.
That’s okay
Ice cream stall at Moynihan Train Hall with a Windows screen on the billboard above it
Headline from the FT Wealth magazine: Elon Musk should take some lessons about legacy and humility from Britain's aristocrats. By Charles Spencer
Sunrise over Manhattan.
Sunset over Manhattan
An American Airlines plane at the gate, with the Chicago skyline against an orange sunrise behind it.