The Mac Turns 40, and My Love Affair Turns 23

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "Jared White",
        "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/articles/mac-turns-40-my-love-affair-turns-23",
    "published": "2024-01-24T00:30:07-08:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<img alt=\"\" src=\"https://res.cloudinary.com/mariposta/image/upload/w_1200,c_limit,q_65/happy-mac.jpg\" /><h2>There are been substantial changes to these products over the decades, but the DNA at the heart of them all\u2014creativity, whimsy, user-friendliness, and consistency\u2014remains ever present.</h2>\n\n<p>It\u2019s crazy to think that I\u2019ve been a Mac fanboy for longer than half the lifespan of the Mac platform at this point. The Mac already felt <em>ancient</em> to me when I finally left the dark side (WinTel) behind in 2001. I came to fully embrace the Mac then because of two things:</p>\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2001/04/macos-x/\">OS X</a>: a modern Unix-powered operating system with a stunning next-gen Aqua interface.</li>\n  <li><a href=\"https://512pixels.net/2013/06/omm-titanium-powerbook/\">\u201cTiBook\u201d G4</a>: a beauty of a laptop which I <em>still</em> think is one of the best-looking computers ever made.</li>\n</ul><p>The trajectory of Apple\u2019s core hardware and software technologies from that time have continued into the present day as I type this out on my iPad\u2019s multitouch display using a Pencil and my fingers\u2014an incredible achievement. Even the iPhone in my pocket is, in many ways, a tiny mobile Mac. And while even in 2001 Apple\u2019s products had changed substantially from the original Macintosh of 1984\u2014thanks mainly to the monumental <del>takeover by</del> acquisition of <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeXT\">NeXT</a>\u2014that brand DNA of creativity, whimsy, user-friendliness, and consistency has remained the hallmark of the Apple computer experience for 40 years and counting.</p>\n\n<p>Macintosh encouraged us to Think Different\u2122\ufe0f, to see personal computers as <em>personal</em> computers\u2014a \u201cbicycle for the mind.\u201d These weren\u2019t simply more automata, engineered contraptions for accomplishing rote tasks. They were portals into a whole new world. You didn\u2019t just command a Mac. You communicated with it. You manipulated it. It was an instrument. It was a friend. It was \u201cinsanely great.\u201d <strong>It was the computer\u2026for the rest of us.</strong></p>\n\n<p>On this the 40th anniversary of <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcRQWGFJ5YY\">the first Mac\u2019s unveiling</a>, there are many reasons one might find themselves still captivated by the finest lineage of digital machines money can buy, but I\u2019ll simply conclude with this:</p>\n\n<p>You had me at <em>hello</em>.</p>\n\n\n\n<img src=\"https://res.cloudinary.com/mariposta/image/upload/w_2048,c_limit,q_65/steve-jobs-macintosh-launch.jpg\" alt=\"Portrait of Steve Jobs with the Brand New Macintosh\" /><br /><p>\n    \n      <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/apple\">#Apple</a>\n    \n  </p>",
        "text": "There are been substantial changes to these products over the decades, but the DNA at the heart of them all\u2014creativity, whimsy, user-friendliness, and consistency\u2014remains ever present.\n\nIt\u2019s crazy to think that I\u2019ve been a Mac fanboy for longer than half the lifespan of the Mac platform at this point. The Mac already felt ancient to me when I finally left the dark side (WinTel) behind in 2001. I came to fully embrace the Mac then because of two things:\n\nOS X: a modern Unix-powered operating system with a stunning next-gen Aqua interface.\n  \u201cTiBook\u201d G4: a beauty of a laptop which I still think is one of the best-looking computers ever made.\nThe trajectory of Apple\u2019s core hardware and software technologies from that time have continued into the present day as I type this out on my iPad\u2019s multitouch display using a Pencil and my fingers\u2014an incredible achievement. Even the iPhone in my pocket is, in many ways, a tiny mobile Mac. And while even in 2001 Apple\u2019s products had changed substantially from the original Macintosh of 1984\u2014thanks mainly to the monumental takeover by acquisition of NeXT\u2014that brand DNA of creativity, whimsy, user-friendliness, and consistency has remained the hallmark of the Apple computer experience for 40 years and counting.\n\nMacintosh encouraged us to Think Different\u2122\ufe0f, to see personal computers as personal computers\u2014a \u201cbicycle for the mind.\u201d These weren\u2019t simply more automata, engineered contraptions for accomplishing rote tasks. They were portals into a whole new world. You didn\u2019t just command a Mac. You communicated with it. You manipulated it. It was an instrument. It was a friend. It was \u201cinsanely great.\u201d It was the computer\u2026for the rest of us.\n\nOn this the 40th anniversary of the first Mac\u2019s unveiling, there are many reasons one might find themselves still captivated by the finest lineage of digital machines money can buy, but I\u2019ll simply conclude with this:\n\nYou had me at hello.\n\n\n\n\n\n    \n      #Apple"
    },
    "name": "The Mac Turns 40, and My Love Affair Turns 23",
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "40084132",
    "_source": "2783"
}

Tantek Çelik tantek.com

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2024-01-23 17:20-0800",
    "url": "https://tantek.com/2024/023/t1/should-public-posts-flow-across-sites",
    "category": [
        "fediverse",
        "contextCollapse",
        "federation",
        "moderation",
        "publics",
        "IndieWeb",
        "Webmention",
        "POSSE",
        "backfeed",
        "100PostsOfIndieWeb",
        "100Posts"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "@snarfed.org posted a great overview of thoughtful (and sometimes heated) discussions across blogs and the #fediverse about how freely should \u201cpublic\u201d posts & comments on the web flow across sites:\n\n\u201cModerate people, not code\u201d (https://snarfed.org/2024-01-21_moderate-people-not-code)\n\nIf you are designing or creating any kind of publishing or social features on the web, this post is for you.\n\nIt touches on topics ranging from #contextCollapse to #federation to #moderation and everything in between.\n\nDoes your choice of publishing tool set expectations about where your content might propagate, or whether it will be indexed by search engines? Should it?\n\nDo the limitations of your server (e.g. js;dr) imply limitations of where your posts go, or whether they can be searched or archived? Should they?\n\nWhen you post something publicly, are you truly posting it for a global audience for all time, or only for one or a few more limited #publics for an ephemerality?\n\nWhen you reply to a post, do you expect your reply to only be visible in the context you posted it, or do you expect it to travel alongside that post to anywhere it might propagate to?\n\n\nOn the #IndieWeb, especially for public posts, some of these questions have easier and more obvious answers, because the intent of nearly all public IndieWeb posts is to interact across the web with other posts and sites, typically via the #Webmention protocol. However there are still questions.\n\nAre the expectations for a blog and blogging different from a social media site, whether a silo or an instance on a network?\n\nIs a personal website with posts still just a blog, or does it become something new when you start posting responses from your site, or receiving (e.g. via Webmention) and displaying responses from across the web to your posts on your site? Or is it now a \u201csocial website\u201d?\n\nIf you have a social website, what is your responsibility for keeping it, well, social? Do you moderate Webmentions by default? Do you use the Vouch extension for some automatic moderation?\n\nAre #POSSE & #backfeed different from federation or are they the same thing from a user-perspective, with merely different names hinting at different implementations?\n\nDo you allow anyone from any site to respond or react to your posts? Or do you treat your social website like your home, and follow what I like to call a \u201chouse party protocol\u201d, only letting in those you know, and perhaps allowing them to bring a +1 or 2?\n\nI have many more questions. Each of these deserves thoughtful discussions, documentation of what different tools & services do today that we can try out, learn from, and use to make considered decisions when creating new things to post on and across websites.\n\nThis is post 4 of #100PostsOfIndieWeb. #100Posts\n\n\u2190 https://tantek.com/2024/022/t1/indiewebcamp-brighton-planned\n\u2192 \ud83d\udd2e\n\n\nPost glossary:\n\nbackfeed\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/backfeed\n\nblog\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/blog\n\nblogging\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/blogging\n\u00a0 \ncomments\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/comments\n\ncontext collapse\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/context_collapse\n\nephemerality\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/ephemerality\n\njs;dr\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/js;dr\n\nmoderation\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/moderation\n\nPOSSE\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/POSSE\n\nposts\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/posts\n\npublics\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/publics\n\nreply\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/reply\n\nVouch\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/Vouch\n\u00a0 \nWebmention\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/Webmention",
        "html": "<a href=\"https://snarfed.org\">@snarfed.org</a> posted a great overview of thoughtful (and sometimes heated) discussions across blogs and the #<span class=\"p-category\">fediverse</span> about how freely should \u201cpublic\u201d posts &amp; comments on the web flow across sites:<br /><br />\u201cModerate people, not code\u201d (<a href=\"https://snarfed.org/2024-01-21_moderate-people-not-code\">https://snarfed.org/2024-01-21_moderate-people-not-code</a>)<br /><br />If you are designing or creating any kind of publishing or social features on the web, this post is for you.<br /><br />It touches on topics ranging from #<span class=\"p-category\">contextCollapse</span> to #<span class=\"p-category\">federation</span> to #<span class=\"p-category\">moderation</span> and everything in between.<br /><br />Does your choice of publishing tool set expectations about where your content might propagate, or whether it will be indexed by search engines? Should it?<br /><br />Do the limitations of your server (e.g. js;dr) imply limitations of where your posts go, or whether they can be searched or archived? Should they?<br /><br />When you post something publicly, are you truly posting it for a global audience for all time, or only for one or a few more limited #<span class=\"p-category\">publics</span> for an ephemerality?<br /><br />When you reply to a post, do you expect your reply to only be visible in the context you posted it, or do you expect it to travel alongside that post to anywhere it might propagate to?<br /><br /><br />On the #<span class=\"p-category\">IndieWeb</span>, especially for public posts, some of these questions have easier and more obvious answers, because the intent of nearly all public IndieWeb posts is to interact across the web with other posts and sites, typically via the #<span class=\"p-category\">Webmention</span> protocol. However there are still questions.<br /><br />Are the expectations for a blog and blogging different from a social media site, whether a silo or an instance on a network?<br /><br />Is a personal website with posts still just a blog, or does it become something new when you start posting responses from your site, or receiving (e.g. via Webmention) and displaying responses from across the web to your posts on your site? Or is it now a \u201csocial website\u201d?<br /><br />If you have a social website, what is your responsibility for keeping it, well, social? Do you moderate Webmentions by default? Do you use the Vouch extension for some automatic moderation?<br /><br />Are #<span class=\"p-category\">POSSE</span> &amp; #<span class=\"p-category\">backfeed</span> different from federation or are they the same thing from a user-perspective, with merely different names hinting at different implementations?<br /><br />Do you allow anyone from any site to respond or react to your posts? Or do you treat your social website like your home, and follow what I like to call a \u201chouse party protocol\u201d, only letting in those you know, and perhaps allowing them to bring a +1 or 2?<br /><br />I have many more questions. Each of these deserves thoughtful discussions, documentation of what different tools &amp; services do today that we can try out, learn from, and use to make considered decisions when creating new things to post on and across websites.<br /><br />This is post 4 of #<span class=\"p-category\">100PostsOfIndieWeb</span>. #<span class=\"p-category\">100Posts</span><br /><br />\u2190 <a href=\"https://tantek.com/2024/022/t1/indiewebcamp-brighton-planned\">https://tantek.com/2024/022/t1/indiewebcamp-brighton-planned</a><br />\u2192 \ud83d\udd2e<br /><br /><br />Post glossary:<br /><br />backfeed<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/backfeed\">https://indieweb.org/backfeed</a><br /><br />blog<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/blog\">https://indieweb.org/blog</a><br /><br />blogging<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/blogging\">https://indieweb.org/blogging</a><br />\u00a0 <br />comments<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/comments\">https://indieweb.org/comments</a><br /><br />context collapse<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/context_collapse\">https://indieweb.org/context_collapse</a><br /><br />ephemerality<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/ephemerality\">https://indieweb.org/ephemerality</a><br /><br />js;dr<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/js;dr\">https://indieweb.org/js;dr</a><br /><br />moderation<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/moderation\">https://indieweb.org/moderation</a><br /><br />POSSE<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/POSSE\">https://indieweb.org/POSSE</a><br /><br />posts<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/posts\">https://indieweb.org/posts</a><br /><br />publics<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/publics\">https://indieweb.org/publics</a><br /><br />reply<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/reply\">https://indieweb.org/reply</a><br /><br />Vouch<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/Vouch\">https://indieweb.org/Vouch</a><br />\u00a0 <br />Webmention<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/Webmention\">https://indieweb.org/Webmention</a>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Tantek \u00c7elik",
        "url": "https://tantek.com/",
        "photo": "https://tantek.com/photo.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "40080417",
    "_source": "2460"
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "Jared White",
        "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/20240123/bad-algorithms",
    "published": "2024-01-23T14:29:21-08:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>It\u2019s hard to look back fondly on the Twitter algorithm in the days when it was still considered a \u201ccool\u201d platform to use. I routinely saw how links to blog posts would get <em>far</em> less engagement than content Twitter deemed worthy of promotion like photos, topical tweets, etc. The whole \u201cpost a photo and also a link\u201d instead of just having the link\u2019s graph image come through hack was just that, a hack. (Same issue on Facebook as well.) Perhaps in the early days of the platform this was much less so, but\u2026well, <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/enshittification\">#enshittification</a>.</p>\n\n<p>Blogging and social media algorithms ended up on a collision course last decade, and sadly blogs lost. Thankfully we now have the rare opportunity to correct the mistakes of the past. <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/openweb\">#OpenWeb</a> <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/fediverse\">#Fediverse</a> <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/writing\">#writing</a></p>",
        "text": "It\u2019s hard to look back fondly on the Twitter algorithm in the days when it was still considered a \u201ccool\u201d platform to use. I routinely saw how links to blog posts would get far less engagement than content Twitter deemed worthy of promotion like photos, topical tweets, etc. The whole \u201cpost a photo and also a link\u201d instead of just having the link\u2019s graph image come through hack was just that, a hack. (Same issue on Facebook as well.) Perhaps in the early days of the platform this was much less so, but\u2026well, #enshittification.\n\nBlogging and social media algorithms ended up on a collision course last decade, and sadly blogs lost. Thankfully we now have the rare opportunity to correct the mistakes of the past. #OpenWeb #Fediverse #writing"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "40080327",
    "_source": "2783"
}

Marty McGuire martymcgui.re

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2024-01-23T10:10:22-0500",
    "url": "https://martymcgui.re/2024/01/23/101022/",
    "category": [
        "caturday"
    ],
    "video": [
        "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmarty/video/upload/vc_h264/mmmgre/74/44/52/92/76fb1235aa471bbd50cfdca4ac413aac88c448cd8344163bcdcb18e1.mov"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "Are you trying to reel it in during eternal Caturday?",
        "html": "<p>Are you trying to reel it in during eternal Caturday?</p>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Marty McGuire",
        "url": "https://martymcgui.re/",
        "photo": "https://martymcgui.re/images/logo.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "video",
    "_id": "40077885",
    "_source": "175"
}

Tantek Çelik tantek.com

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2024-01-22 23:20-0800",
    "url": "https://tantek.com/2024/022/t1/indiewebcamp-brighton-planned",
    "category": [
        "IndieWebCamp",
        "IndieWeb",
        "100PostsOfIndieWeb",
        "100Posts"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "The first IndieWebCamp of the year has been planned!\n\n\ud83c\udfaa IndieWebCamp Brighton\n\ud83d\uddd3 2024-03-09\u202610\n\ud83c\udfe2 The Skiff, Brighton, England\n\ud83c\udf9f Tickets available 2024-02-01!\n\nEvent: https://events.indieweb.org/2024/03/indiewebcamp-brighton-2024-xRTP2hAZOvZd\nWiki: https://indieweb.org/2024/Brighton \n\nQuestions about #IndieWebCamp? Ask in #IndieWeb chat!\n\ud83d\udcac https://chat.indieweb.org/\n\nThis is post 3 of #100PostsOfIndieWeb. #100Posts\n\n\u2190 https://tantek.com/2024/003/t1/2023-indieweb-gift-calendar-numbers\n\u2192 \ud83d\udd2e",
        "html": "The first IndieWebCamp of the year has been planned!<br /><br />\ud83c\udfaa IndieWebCamp Brighton<br />\ud83d\uddd3 2024-03-09\u202610<br />\ud83c\udfe2 The Skiff, Brighton, England<br />\ud83c\udf9f Tickets available 2024-02-01!<br /><br />Event: <a href=\"https://events.indieweb.org/2024/03/indiewebcamp-brighton-2024-xRTP2hAZOvZd\">https://events.indieweb.org/2024/03/indiewebcamp-brighton-2024-xRTP2hAZOvZd</a><br />Wiki: <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/2024/Brighton\">https://indieweb.org/2024/Brighton</a> <br /><br />Questions about #<span class=\"p-category\">IndieWebCamp</span>? Ask in #<span class=\"p-category\">IndieWeb</span> chat!<br />\ud83d\udcac <a href=\"https://chat.indieweb.org/\">https://chat.indieweb.org/</a><br /><br />This is post 3 of #<span class=\"p-category\">100PostsOfIndieWeb</span>. #<span class=\"p-category\">100Posts</span><br /><br />\u2190 <a href=\"https://tantek.com/2024/003/t1/2023-indieweb-gift-calendar-numbers\">https://tantek.com/2024/003/t1/2023-indieweb-gift-calendar-numbers</a><br />\u2192 \ud83d\udd2e"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Tantek \u00c7elik",
        "url": "https://tantek.com/",
        "photo": "https://tantek.com/photo.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "40072027",
    "_source": "2460"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

SlimeVR: A brief review of my brief ownership

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2024-01-22T14:02:22-08:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/2310-SlimeVR-A-brief-review-of-my-brief-ownership",
    "name": "SlimeVR: A brief review of my brief ownership",
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "40068758",
    "_source": "2778"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

Transformative Meditations to return?!?!

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2024-01-21T13:38:39-08:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/11377-Transformative-Meditations-to-return",
    "name": "Transformative Meditations to return?!?!",
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "40058807",
    "_source": "2778"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

SlimeVR

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2024-01-21T00:19:20-08:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/9892-SlimeVR",
    "name": "SlimeVR",
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "40053775",
    "_source": "2778"
}

Winer's Law of the Internet

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": null,
        "url": "https://herestomwiththeweather.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://herestomwiththeweather.com/2024/01/18/winers-law-of-the-internet/",
    "published": "2024-01-18T21:42:05+00:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>Something to keep in mind as big tech connects to the fediverse is <a href=\"https://www.edge.org/response-detail/10476\"> Winer\u2019s Law of the Internet </a> which ends with</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n  <p>The large companies always try to make the technology complicated to reduce competition to other organizations with large research and development budgets.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>This is 20 years old but it has stood the test of time.</p>",
        "text": "Something to keep in mind as big tech connects to the fediverse is  Winer\u2019s Law of the Internet  which ends with\n\n\n  The large companies always try to make the technology complicated to reduce competition to other organizations with large research and development budgets.\n\n\nThis is 20 years old but it has stood the test of time."
    },
    "name": "Winer's Law of the Internet",
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "40035727",
    "_source": "246"
}

Ello, Goodbye

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2024-01-18T16:50:26-08:00",
    "url": "https://nadreck.me/2024/01/ello-goodbye/",
    "category": [
        "links",
        "social-computing",
        "social-media"
    ],
    "name": "Ello, Goodbye",
    "content": {
        "text": "Andy Baio has a nice, if bittersweet, elegy for ello, a social network that was (ostensibly) built for creatives, \u201cThe Quiet Death of Ello\u2019s Big Dreams\u201c. It is, if anything, a testament to the risks of pulling in VC money.\n\n\n\n\nIn June 2023, the servers just started returning errors, making nine years of member contributions inaccessible, apparently forever \u2014 every post, artwork, song, portfolio, and the community built there was gone in an instant.\n\n\n\nHow did this happen? What happened between the idealistic manifesto above and the sudden shutdown?\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s a story so old and familiar, I predicted it shortly after Ello launched.\nAndy Baio, \u201cThe Quiet Death of Ello\u2019s Big Dreams\u201d\n\n\n\n\nI had an Ello account, joined in the initial rush when it launched, then wandered off. I\u2019d occasionally check in on it, but was never particularly invested. Still, it\u2019s kind of sad to see it just evaporate like that, and I feel for the users who were active on the service and lost everything they\u2019d posted there. \n\n\n\nIt sort of reinforces the notion to me that the way tech startups are funded these days is just fundamentally broken. There\u2019s this allure of VC money, but inherent to VC funding is this notion of perpetual rapid growth, and of either building an empire or being acquired by one. And if you\u2019re trying to build an empire, that\u2019s fine. But what if you only want a kingdom? Something only as big as you can manage, built to endure, but bigger and more notable than a small mom-and-pop shop. What does funding for that look like?",
        "html": "<p><a href=\"https://waxy.org\">Andy Baio</a> has a nice, if bittersweet, elegy for ello, a social network that was (ostensibly) built for creatives, \u201c<a href=\"https://waxy.org/2024/01/the-quiet-death-of-ellos-big-dreams/\">The Quiet Death of Ello\u2019s Big Dreams</a>\u201c. It is, if anything, a testament to the risks of pulling in VC money.</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote>\n<p>In June 2023, the servers just started returning errors, making nine years of member contributions inaccessible, apparently forever \u2014 every post, artwork, song, portfolio, and the community built there was gone in an instant.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>How did this happen? What happened between the idealistic manifesto above and the sudden shutdown?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a story so old and familiar, I predicted it shortly after Ello launched.</p>\nAndy Baio, \u201cThe Quiet Death of Ello\u2019s Big Dreams\u201d\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>I had an Ello account, joined in the initial rush when it launched, then wandered off. I\u2019d occasionally check in on it, but was never particularly invested. Still, it\u2019s kind of sad to see it just evaporate like that, and I feel for the users who were active on the service and lost everything they\u2019d posted there. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>It sort of reinforces the notion to me that the way tech startups are funded these days is just fundamentally broken. There\u2019s this allure of VC money, but inherent to VC funding is this notion of perpetual rapid growth, and of either building an empire or being acquired by one. And if you\u2019re trying to build an empire, that\u2019s fine. But what if you only want a kingdom? Something only as big as you can manage, built to endure, but bigger and more notable than a small mom-and-pop shop. What does funding for <em>that</em> look like?</p>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Nadreck",
        "url": "http://nadreck.me",
        "photo": null
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "40033568",
    "_source": "2935"
}

Link: The World’s Largest Office Building: Now in India

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "Jared White",
        "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/links/20240118/how-and-why-india-built-the-world-s-biggest-office",
    "published": "2024-01-18T13:27:06-08:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<blockquote>\n  <h2><a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOJO1osi9po\"></a></h2>\n\n  <p>Time for a quick quiz: what structure has over 7 million square feet of office space, houses nearly 70,000 workers and ranks as the largest office building in the world. If you guessed The Pentagon, then\u2026you\u2019re wrong.</p>\n\n<p>In December 2023 the title of world\u2019s largest office building was taken from the Potomac polygon and handed to a gigantic new development in the Indian city of Surat. The outsized office comprises thousands of offices, 10,000 square metres of restaurants and cafes, parking for 5,000 cars and 10,000 motorbikes, 131 elevators, nine courtyard gardens, retail outlets and conference halls, all across a 35 acre, high security compound.</p>\n\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>This whole video, as well as its <a href=\"https://www.theb1m.com/video/surat-worlds-biggest-office-building\">companion blog post</a>, I found hugely fascinating. It\u2019s a stunning example of how the architecture of an unusual new building is uniquely suited to the place and the people for which it\u2019s intended. No surprise the complex has quickly turned into a popular tourist destination. I will specifically seek this out if I ever travel to India!</p>",
        "text": "Time for a quick quiz: what structure has over 7 million square feet of office space, houses nearly 70,000 workers and ranks as the largest office building in the world. If you guessed The Pentagon, then\u2026you\u2019re wrong.\n\nIn December 2023 the title of world\u2019s largest office building was taken from the Potomac polygon and handed to a gigantic new development in the Indian city of Surat. The outsized office comprises thousands of offices, 10,000 square metres of restaurants and cafes, parking for 5,000 cars and 10,000 motorbikes, 131 elevators, nine courtyard gardens, retail outlets and conference halls, all across a 35 acre, high security compound.\n\n\n\nThis whole video, as well as its companion blog post, I found hugely fascinating. It\u2019s a stunning example of how the architecture of an unusual new building is uniquely suited to the place and the people for which it\u2019s intended. No surprise the complex has quickly turned into a popular tourist destination. I will specifically seek this out if I ever travel to India!"
    },
    "name": "Link: The World\u2019s Largest Office Building: Now in India",
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "40032473",
    "_source": "2783"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

Car update

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2024-01-17T16:41:18-08:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/7439-Car-update",
    "name": "Car update",
    "content": {
        "text": "I ended up paying the $700 to get the Niro EV shipped to my local dealership and reserve it for my purchase. All of the reviews of this particular model are quite stellar, and this specific car is an incredible deal (as far as I can tell it\u2019s deeply discounted since it was a former lease vehicle but it\u2019s still in immaculate condition). I should be able to give it a test drive in a week or so.This isn\u2019t my dream car but it\u2019s a hell of a lot better than my current car in every way that matters. Plus, all of the reviews that touch upon winter driving say that it actually has really good traction control and only experiences minimal range loss. And it still has a much bigger (2.5x) range to begin with.It\u2019s annoying to be spending this money right now but I\u2019m fortunate that I can swing it and don\u2019t have to go into debt as a result.",
        "html": "<p>I ended up paying the $700 to get the Niro EV shipped to my local dealership and reserve it for my purchase. All of the reviews of this particular model are quite stellar, and this specific car is an incredible deal (as far as I can tell it\u2019s deeply discounted since it was a former lease vehicle but it\u2019s still in immaculate condition). I should be able to give it a test drive in a week or so.</p><p>This isn\u2019t my dream car but it\u2019s a hell of a lot better than my current car in every way that matters. Plus, all of the reviews that touch upon winter driving say that it actually has really good traction control and only experiences minimal range loss. And it still has a <em>much</em> bigger (2.5x) range to begin with.</p><p>It\u2019s annoying to be spending this money right now but I\u2019m fortunate that I can swing it and don\u2019t have to go into debt as a result.</p>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "40023200",
    "_source": "2778"
}

gRegor Morrill gregorlove.com

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2024-01-17 10:03-0800",
    "url": "https://gregorlove.com/2024/01/ooh-this-should-be/",
    "category": [
        "music"
    ],
    "syndication": [
        "https://bsky.app/profile/gregorlove.com/post/3kj72jedj4g2v"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "Ooh, this should be good: A Stop Making Sense Tribute Album teaser. First track by Paramore.",
        "html": "<p>Ooh, this should be good: <i><a href=\"https://youtu.be/RU04lMKwPwc\">A Stop Making Sense Tribute Album</a></i> teaser. First track by Paramore.</p>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "gRegor Morrill",
        "url": "https://gregorlove.com/",
        "photo": "https://gregorlove.com/site/assets/files/6268/profile-2021-square.300x0.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "40022148",
    "_source": "95"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

Ugh, Nissan Leaf

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2024-01-17T04:14:57-08:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/13808-Ugh-Nissan-Leaf",
    "name": "Ugh, Nissan Leaf",
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "40016721",
    "_source": "2778"
}

Link: Revised Apple App Store Guidelines Will Allow External Payment Links in the U.S.

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "Jared White",
        "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/links/20240116/apple-app-store-purchase-links-in-us",
    "published": "2024-01-16T17:02:13-08:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<blockquote>\n  <h2><a href=\"https://9to5mac.com/2024/01/16/apple-revises-us-app-store-rules-to-let-developers-link-to-outside-payment-methods-but-it-will-still-charge-a-commission/\"></a></h2>\n\n  <p>Apple is updating its App Store guidelines to allow developers to link to alternative payment methods, provided that the app also offer purchases through Apple\u2019s own In-App Purchase system.</p>\n\n<p>This means that an app can\u2019t include links to alternative payment platforms if that app doesn\u2019t also use Apple\u2019s In-App Purchase system. The guideline says that developers can apply for an entitlement that allows them to include buttons or links directing users to out-of-app purchasing mechanisms.</p>\n\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>It\u2019s progress. It\u2019s not enough, but it\u2019s <strong>progress</strong>.</p>\n\n<p>Look, folks will argue about the various legalities of the <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/apple\">#Apple</a> App Store policies and whether or not the company has the right to control digital <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/payments\">#payments</a> to the extent they do. But I most certainly have a hard time sympathizing with anyone who sees Apple as taking the moral high ground on any of this stuff.</p>\n\n<p>In an ideal world, I could buy whatever software I want, from whomever I want, and install that software on my iPad. Yes, I\u2019m fine with bypassing a bajillion scary alerts and pressing a giant red blinking button in the middle of the screen that says \u201c<strong>YOU MIGHT GET A VIRUS!!!</strong> \ud83e\udda0\u2620\ufe0f\u201d. After all, I do this on my Mac all the time, and <em>it\u2019s fine</em>. Really, it is.</p>\n\n<p>I absolutely <em>love</em> using an iPad, but the lack of \u201csideloading\u201d and alternative sources of software really grinds my gears sometimes. If I could boot up a VM and run Fedora Linux on my iPad\u2014just like I do on my Mac\u2014<strong>that would also be swell!</strong></p>",
        "text": "Apple is updating its App Store guidelines to allow developers to link to alternative payment methods, provided that the app also offer purchases through Apple\u2019s own In-App Purchase system.\n\nThis means that an app can\u2019t include links to alternative payment platforms if that app doesn\u2019t also use Apple\u2019s In-App Purchase system. The guideline says that developers can apply for an entitlement that allows them to include buttons or links directing users to out-of-app purchasing mechanisms.\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s progress. It\u2019s not enough, but it\u2019s progress.\n\nLook, folks will argue about the various legalities of the #Apple App Store policies and whether or not the company has the right to control digital #payments to the extent they do. But I most certainly have a hard time sympathizing with anyone who sees Apple as taking the moral high ground on any of this stuff.\n\nIn an ideal world, I could buy whatever software I want, from whomever I want, and install that software on my iPad. Yes, I\u2019m fine with bypassing a bajillion scary alerts and pressing a giant red blinking button in the middle of the screen that says \u201cYOU MIGHT GET A VIRUS!!! \ud83e\udda0\u2620\ufe0f\u201d. After all, I do this on my Mac all the time, and it\u2019s fine. Really, it is.\n\nI absolutely love using an iPad, but the lack of \u201csideloading\u201d and alternative sources of software really grinds my gears sometimes. If I could boot up a VM and run Fedora Linux on my iPad\u2014just like I do on my Mac\u2014that would also be swell!"
    },
    "name": "Link: Revised Apple App Store Guidelines Will Allow External Payment Links in the U.S.",
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "40013353",
    "_source": "2783"
}

Snow over the weekend, sun on Monday, joy in this photographer’s heart!
#Portland #OregonExplored #NikonZfc

Read More

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "Jared White",
        "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://jaredwhite.com/pictures/20240115/snow-over-the-weekend-sun-on-monday-joy-in-this",
    "published": "2024-01-15T10:59:10-08:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<img alt=\"\" src=\"https://pxscdn.com/public/m/_v2/4580/3b17271c9-2ea36d/30fAL1rm0r0b/xNAuw3f0csalBLqH9FN4uwOrlPzeTOBHaCiSOy6L.jpg\" /><p>Snow over the weekend, sun on Monday, joy in this photographer\u2019s heart!<br /><a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/portland\">#Portland</a> <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/oregonexplored\">#OregonExplored</a> <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/nikonzfc\">#NikonZfc</a></p>",
        "text": "Snow over the weekend, sun on Monday, joy in this photographer\u2019s heart!\n#Portland #OregonExplored #NikonZfc"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "40010571",
    "_source": "2783"
}

fluffy beesbuzz.biz

Come on baby, light my fire

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2024-01-15T19:34:32-08:00",
    "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/blog/6639-Come-on-baby-light-my-fire",
    "name": "Come on baby, light my fire",
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "fluffy",
        "url": "https://beesbuzz.biz/",
        "photo": "https://beesbuzz.biz/static/headshot.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "40003613",
    "_source": "2778"
}

gRegor Morrill gregorlove.com

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2024-01-15 11:51-0800",
    "url": "https://gregorlove.com/2024/01/i-filed-a-complaint/",
    "category": [
        "InsuranceIsAScam",
        "CapitalismToo",
        "Geico"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "I filed a complaint with the CA Department of Insurance shortly after writing about the Geico adventures. These are some of the key parts of the complaint:\n\n\nOn December 4th, I received postal mail from Geico. Their letter was dated November 28, 2023 and was requesting additional information to process the application (vehicle registration, copy of a recent utility bill). It stated \"You must provide this information no later than 11/30/2023 at 11:59pm Pacific for us to process your request to purchase a policy. If we do not receive these documents and/or information by this date, a new application for insurance with GEICO is required.\" Obviously I could not meet this deadline since the mail had not even reached me until December 4, 2023\n\n[attachment: copy of the Geico letter]\n\n\n\nI believe GEICO is engaging in unfair business practices and setting up impossible-to-meet requirements in order to avoid taking on new risk in California. I would like the state to investigate and take whatever actions are appropriate to prevent this in the future for other people. I have already chosen to use another insurance provider, so I don't need any particular resolution to my problem described above.\n\n\nI did send Geico the information they requested on the chance they might approve me quickly, despite their impossible deadline, but I also wasn\u2019t about to wait around. I immediately started the process with AAA. Geico did eventually respond in late December (around the 18th, I think) that I was approved and needed to call to make payment. Surprising, but I already had AAA coverage by that point and was happy to leave Geico behind.\n\nOn January 5th, the Department of Insurance responded in part:\n\n\nI have information indicating your problem is resolved. According to GEICO General Insurance Company, your application has been approved and a payment is required to begin coverage.\n\n\nTechnically correct? Sure. Today I wrote back:\n\n\nI am responding regarding file number [redacted]. I am not satisfied with Geico\u2019s response in this matter.\n\nI remain concerned that Geico is setting up impossible-to-meet hurdles for CA residents in an attempt to avoid underwriting new customers here. As the documentation in my initial complaint shows, Geico sent me mail requesting additional information after their own deadline.\n\nI still sent Geico the additional information they requested on the chance they would approve me, but I had no reason to believe it would be accepted since their letter clearly said I would need to make a new application after the deadline. Based on the already-poor customer experience, I had no desire to wait around to find out, so I sought and eventually secured coverage from AAA.\n\nI would like to emphasize that the 14-day underwriting process for coverage with AAA was completed before I heard back from Geico approving my application. By contrast, Geico took a month from my application to approve me and had only requested the additional information halfway through that period.\n\nI am not currently interested in receiving coverage from Geico, but I hope you will consider this incident in a potential investigation of unfair business practices by Geico.",
        "html": "<p>I filed a complaint with the <a href=\"https://www.insurance.ca.gov/\">CA Department of Insurance</a> shortly after writing about the <a href=\"https://gregorlove.com/2023/12/geico-zero-stars/\">Geico adventures</a>. These are some of the key parts of the complaint:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n<p>On December 4th, I received postal mail from Geico. Their letter was dated November 28, 2023 and was requesting additional information to process the application (vehicle registration, copy of a recent utility bill). It stated \"You must provide this information no later than 11/30/2023 at 11:59pm Pacific for us to process your request to purchase a policy. If we do not receive these documents and/or information by this date, a new application for insurance with GEICO is required.\" Obviously I could not meet this deadline since the mail had not even reached me until December 4, 2023</p>\n\n<p>[attachment: copy of the Geico letter]</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<blockquote>\n<p>I believe GEICO is engaging in unfair business practices and setting up impossible-to-meet requirements in order to avoid taking on new risk in California. I would like the state to investigate and take whatever actions are appropriate to prevent this in the future for other people. I have already chosen to use another insurance provider, so I don't need any particular resolution to my problem described above.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>I did send Geico the information they requested on the chance they might approve me quickly, despite their impossible deadline, but I also wasn\u2019t about to wait around. I immediately started the process with AAA. Geico did eventually respond in late December (around the 18th, I think) that I was approved and needed to call to make payment. Surprising, but I already had AAA coverage by that point and was happy to leave Geico behind.</p>\n\n<p>On January 5th, the Department of Insurance responded in part:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n<p>I have information indicating your problem is resolved. According to GEICO General Insurance Company, your application has been approved and a payment is required to begin coverage.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Technically correct? Sure. Today I wrote back:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n<p>I am responding regarding file number [redacted]. I am not satisfied with Geico\u2019s response in this matter.</p>\n\n<p>I remain concerned that Geico is setting up impossible-to-meet hurdles for CA residents in an attempt to avoid underwriting new customers here. As the documentation in my initial complaint shows, Geico sent me mail requesting additional information after their own deadline.</p>\n\n<p>I still sent Geico the additional information they requested on the chance they would approve me, but I had no reason to believe it would be accepted since their letter clearly said I would need to make a new application after the deadline. Based on the already-poor customer experience, I had no desire to wait around to find out, so I sought and eventually secured coverage from AAA.</p>\n\n<p>I would like to emphasize that the 14-day underwriting process for coverage with AAA was completed before I heard back from Geico approving my application. By contrast, Geico took a month from my application to approve me and had only requested the additional information halfway through that period.</p>\n\n<p>I am not currently interested in receiving coverage from Geico, but I hope you will consider this incident in a potential investigation of unfair business practices by Geico.</p>\n</blockquote>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "gRegor Morrill",
        "url": "https://gregorlove.com/",
        "photo": "https://gregorlove.com/site/assets/files/6268/profile-2021-square.300x0.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "40001429",
    "_source": "95"
}

Tantek Çelik tantek.com

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2024-01-13 20:07-0800",
    "url": "https://tantek.com/2024/013/t1/remembering-aaronsw-eleven-years",
    "category": [
        "aaronsw",
        "2013_011",
        "aaronswartz"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "Still remembering #aaronsw, eleven years, two days ago.\n\nPreviously, previously, previously:\n* https://tantek.com/2017/011/t3/moment-remember-aaronsw\n* https://tantek.com/2016/011/t4/three-years-lost-aaronsw\n* https://tantek.com/2015/011/t1/still-missing-aaronsw\n* https://tantek.com/2013/059/t1/doj-prosecutors-aaronsw-fear-face-saving-not-justice\n* https://tantek.com/2013/029/t1/aaronsw-internet-archive-memorial-videos-speakers\n* https://tantek.com/2013/026/b1/remembering-aaron-swartz-part-2-hacking-essence-advancing-humanity\n* https://tantek.com/2013/025/b1/remembering-aaron-swartz-part-1-you-should-blog-that\n\n#2013_011 #aaronswartz",
        "html": "Still remembering #<span class=\"p-category\">aaronsw</span>, eleven years, two days ago.<br /><br />Previously, previously, previously:<br />* <a href=\"https://tantek.com/2017/011/t3/moment-remember-aaronsw\">https://tantek.com/2017/011/t3/moment-remember-aaronsw</a><br />* <a href=\"https://tantek.com/2016/011/t4/three-years-lost-aaronsw\">https://tantek.com/2016/011/t4/three-years-lost-aaronsw</a><br />* <a href=\"https://tantek.com/2015/011/t1/still-missing-aaronsw\">https://tantek.com/2015/011/t1/still-missing-aaronsw</a><br />* <a href=\"https://tantek.com/2013/059/t1/doj-prosecutors-aaronsw-fear-face-saving-not-justice\">https://tantek.com/2013/059/t1/doj-prosecutors-aaronsw-fear-face-saving-not-justice</a><br />* <a href=\"https://tantek.com/2013/029/t1/aaronsw-internet-archive-memorial-videos-speakers\">https://tantek.com/2013/029/t1/aaronsw-internet-archive-memorial-videos-speakers</a><br />* <a href=\"https://tantek.com/2013/026/b1/remembering-aaron-swartz-part-2-hacking-essence-advancing-humanity\">https://tantek.com/2013/026/b1/remembering-aaron-swartz-part-2-hacking-essence-advancing-humanity</a><br />* <a href=\"https://tantek.com/2013/025/b1/remembering-aaron-swartz-part-1-you-should-blog-that\">https://tantek.com/2013/025/b1/remembering-aaron-swartz-part-1-you-should-blog-that</a><br /><br />#<span class=\"p-category\">2013_011</span> #<span class=\"p-category\">aaronswartz</span>"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Tantek \u00c7elik",
        "url": "https://tantek.com/",
        "photo": "https://tantek.com/photo.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "39987096",
    "_source": "2460"
}

Aaron Parecki aaronparecki.com

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2024-01-13T18:52:05-08:00",
    "url": "https://aaronparecki.com/2024/01/13/14/supercooling",
    "category": [
        "weather"
    ],
    "content": {
        "text": "Today I learned about supercooling, where a liquid can get below its freezing point without ice forming. \n\nI found a half-drunk bottle of coke in the construction site that was still liquid. As soon as I moved it, the whole thing instantly turned to ice!",
        "html": "Today I learned about supercooling, where a liquid can get below its freezing point without ice forming. <br /><br />I found a half-drunk bottle of coke in the construction site that was still liquid. As soon as I moved it, the whole thing instantly turned to ice!"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "Aaron Parecki",
        "url": "https://aaronparecki.com/",
        "photo": "https://aperture-media.p3k.io/aaronparecki.com/41061f9de825966faa22e9c42830e1d4a614a321213b4575b9488aa93f89817a.jpg"
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "39985996",
    "_source": "16"
}