The barrier of entry has been significantly lowered for design and technology. But what does this mean for individuality and identity online, and how can we return to digital independance? (My first blog post)
Ctrl-Alt-Speech is a weekly podcast about the latest news in online speech, from Mike Masnick and Everything in Moderation‘s Ben Whitelaw. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Pocket Casts, YouTube, or your podcast app of choice — or go straight to the RSS feed. To get extended episodes with additional coverage, support us on […]
A few years ago I wrote a series about taking back your privacy, starting with the humble password manager. That series was about defense: stopping other people from reading your stuff. This post is about something adjacent but different — ownership. Who controls the place where you speak, and who can take it away?
You've probably lived it: an account is suspended with no appeal. A platform…
Power asymmetries have consistently driven the pursuits of egalitarian ideals. Some of them had lasting consequences: Athenian democratic reforms, the Gracchi brother's land reforms in Ancient Rome, the Venetian republic, the Peasants revolt in the Middle Ages, and the French Revolution are just a few examples.[1]
Power asymmetries tend to find new shapes and forms, which are difficult to detect…
Disclaimer: This post talks about Bluesky and an offering from Bluesky and I am on the Bluesky board. Take everything I say with whatever size grains of salt you feel is appropriate. I’ve written a few times now about how I think that AI tools, used carefully and thoughtfully, represent our best chance at taking […]
Support us on Patreon » As we work our way towards a better future for the internet, the most encouraging and exciting part is the people out there building towards that future. Kickstarter founder Yancey Strickler is one such person, and his new company Metalabel has some extremely interesting projects in the works, including the Dark […]
As our group of DWeb Camp organizers arrived at Wiesenburg station, frazzled by countless train delays in Berlin, a light rain and a blossoming gray winter sky welcomed us. Moments […]
Jack Dorsey developed decentralized messaging app Bitchat has been taken down from Apple’s App Store in China after it violated the country’s internet service regulations. On Sunday, Dorsey confirmed that Bitchat was removed from the App Store in February, according…
ATmosphereConf 2026: The Conference Where Governance Got Real
A remote observer's notes on four days at UBC Vancouver, March 26-29, 2026.
ATmosphereConf's second year doubled in size — 350 attendees, 90+ talks, three simultaneous rooms — but the real escalation was in ambition. Last year was "look what we can build." This year was "who decides what we should?"
The conference ran March 26-29 at…
Decentralized social platform Bluesky has disclosed that it had raised $100 million in a Series B round back in April 2025. According to the official announcement, the round was led by Bain Capital Crypto, while other notable investors include Anthos…
Safe communication cannot depend on centralized intermediaries whose incentives, jurisdictions, or survival may change overnight.
Support us on Patreon » Late last year, Mike was a guest on Seb Agertoft’s Humans in the Loop podcast for a wide-ranging discussion all about restoring the promise of the decentralized internet. That interview was just released, and we’re dropping the whole conversation here as well on this week’s episode of the Techdirt Podcast. You […]
Tokenized bonds won’t fix bad policy, but they can strengthen credibility, liquidity, and long-term demand for local currency.
The Digital Services Act asks a simple question: who is the platform? On centralized services, the answer is obvious. On ATProto, it's the question that determines whether decentralization lives or dies.
The Framework
Nighthaven (@moja.blue) published a structural analysis of ATProto decentralization that decomposes the ecosystem into three units:
Unit A is the full-stack operator. Today,…
Institutional capital isn’t saving crypto. Maturity won’t come from volume and hype, but from trust, utility, and infrastructure built to last.
We're a nonprofit dedicated to supporting decentralized social technologies that help people create, circulate and discover trustworthy information.
I built @toshi, a fresh look at the 2008 whitepaper and Hal Finney's musings from 1994 along with a big "what if?
I built @toshi, a fresh look at the 2008 whitepaper and Hal Finney's musings from 1994 along with a big "what if?
StumbleUpon nostalgia sparked a new discovery tool: orbz.
StumbleUpon nostalgia sparked a new discovery tool: orbz.
StumbleUpon nostalgia sparked a new discovery tool: orbz.
StumbleUpon nostalgia sparked a new discovery tool: orbz.
Exploring non-standard web hosting via Bluesky's AT Protocol—a content-addressable system similar to IPFS that can serve as a minimalist.
Exploring non-standard web hosting via Bluesky's AT Protocol—a content-addressable system similar to IPFS that can serve as a minimalist.
Exploring non-standard web hosting via Bluesky's AT Protocol—a content-addressable system similar to IPFS that can serve as a minimalist.
Exploring non-standard web hosting via Bluesky's AT Protocol—a content-addressable system similar to IPFS that can serve as a minimalist.
\"Pure internet\" is a playful joke about browser-served content, inspired by 90s simplicity and a desire to make web publishing less complex.
"Pure internet" is a playful joke about browser-served content, inspired by 90s simplicity and a desire to make web publishing less complex.
Pure internet" is a playful joke about browser-served content, inspired by 90s simplicity and a desire to make web publishing less complex.
Pure internet" is a playful joke about browser-served content, inspired by 90s simplicity and a desire to make web publishing less complex.
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