Tag: social media
Life doesn't have to be so creepy and corporate
Without trying to sound like yet another generic "indie web kicks ass!" post, I reflect on why I love smaller communities vs being waterboarded with targeted ads on big social media sites
‘You’re fully accepted’: Being nude in public can make us feel better about our bodies (via bbc.co.uk)
Some interesting thoughts and a good read I found on the net: **'You're fully accepted': Being nude in public can make us feel better about our bodies**By Molly Gorman, 23rd August 2026Research suggests that naturism, the practice of non-sexual social nudity, can help people improve their body image. Naturists and experts tell the BBC how...
Headlines That Say “I Ran Out Of Ideas”
I came across a New York Post opinion column by Lydia Moynihan titled The Gwyneth Paltrow AI controversy only hurts women. This may be rich coming from someone who, in the last month, has published reports on a free air conditioner and free printer left out for the taking in Brooklyn, New York City, but...
Ctrl-Alt-Speech: School Of Hard Blocks
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...
ATP & IndieWeb Criticism: "People don't care about owning their data."
I'm actually not sure this is true?
French Constitutional Council Blocks Under-15 Social Media Ban, In A Ruling That Should Concern Every Other EU Country
Even as the wider EU was grinding through a long, drawn-out process to figure out which regulatory levers to pull on kids' safety online, France decided to YOLO it earlier this summer by jumping at the chance to ban all social media for kids under 15. This kind of thing has become popular with out...
MACRA moves against intimate video sharing
Sharing someone’s intimate video without their consent could soon carry a heavy price, as authorities tighten the screws on those behind the practice.The warning was issued by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) in its capacity as the designated Data Protection Authority following the circulation of intimate videos on social media and other online platforms...
I'm feeling some pressure to optimize™ my social media presence.
There are so many cool platforms to try out!
#oneaday Day 802: However bad you think Twitter is now, it's worse
Earlier today, Aftermath posted a review of Half is More, a new manga that explores the life of mixed-race characters in Japan. It sounds like an interesting read, and I may well pick it up -- the last manga I read that was designed around the idea of sensitively exploring the life of someone who...
Sensationalist Economics Reporting in Morning Brew
Writing for Morning Brew, Matty Merritt covered "luxury butter." According to the author: "With grocery item costs up everywhere, even $10 butter feels like a reasonable little treat." I live in an expensive area of Brooklyn, New York City (even by the general standards of Brooklyn) and I would have to put effort into spending...
#oneaday Day 799: The exhausting town square
Social media was often positioned to us as being like a "global town square", where people from all walks of life and backgrounds could come together and argue about who was the best girl in Evangelion. Over time, I think we can say that experiment... hasn't exactly worked quite as intended. I mean, sure. I...
Decentralization is Insurance
And no one's excited to buy insurance.
What smartphones replaced
This is something watching Columbo makes me think about.
We Needn't Have a One True Platform
On Bluesky, user numbers, and the silliness of endless growth.
#oneaday Day 795: Titties - deal with them
There's been Discourse happening today! Specifically on that strange intersection between the "cosy" and "wholesome" spaces, and weird misogynistic, sexphobic, neo-Puritanical behaviour. Much has been written by people much smarter than me about how the "cosy" and "wholesome" spaces are actually not all that wholesome at all -- and in fact can harbour some of...
On Social (Dis)Connection
A couple evenings ago Jennie and I ran into the lovely and inspiring Gariele, Brandon, and their daughter, Aria, riding through our neighborhood. Conversation turned to the early days of our connection, over a decade ago, facilitated by [Instagram, where this post originally appeared]. Back when [IG] - and its kin - were described as social networks, rather than social media. Connections prioritized over content. There was such a wonderful crew of VanIsle creators and advocates on here back then, sharing stories about their love for this place and the experience it affords. And the thing is, they’re still here … just a little older, many with growing kids, all no less inspiring … but a little less (algorithmically) connected.
I posted my book news on four platforms to compare engagement
Here's what happened when I posted on Bluesky, Instagram, Threads, and Facebook
In the age of LLMs it is desperately important to be able to mute blogs and filter websites.
And that's rare.
Alternative tech
Over the past couple of years, I have undertaken an exercise of sorts to reduce my dependence on American tech giants. Inspired by others, I thought I'd pen a short post on what services I've moved and where.
"Content" and the Engagement Wars
Why the word "content" has always been a red-herring, and comments are even better than Retweets.
Mystery as woman feared murdered: Alleged killers’ chilling WhatsApp posts shock Malawi
A Mzuzu woman is feared to have been murdered. Chilling WhatsApp posts allegedly published by her attackers have left Malawians in shock. The woman, identified as 30-year-old Rita Mkandawire, has not been seen since the disturbing messages began circulating on Wednesday. The messages, allegedly posted using Mkandawire's own phone, claim she has been killed. They...
Macht es einfach! Just do it!
...statt zu reden
Embracing JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out) instead of FOMO
Thanks to Anil Dash for the term
Modifying someone's art without their permission is NOT okay
Also: Advice for artists sharing their art online.
Bizarre fetish leaks stun Malawi
A wave of leaked explicit videos exposing bizarre sexual fetishes has rocked Malawi. The clips are spreading rapidly across social media platforms. The shocking videos have sparked outrage and renewed concerns over revenge porn, online privacy and the non-consensual sharing of intimate material. The leaks our reporter has seen depicts a range of disturbing sexual...
Reclaim Your Algorithm
How to Take Back Control of Social Media
I Regret to Inform You that Posting Matters
Posting online didn’t matter until it did. But now, if you believe in liberal values, it’s time to suit up and fight.
Curfews, Drones, and Criminal Charges: Cities Differ on Approaches to ‘Teen Takeovers’
Experts say race and class factor heavily in perceptions of these gatherings, which are fueled by social media and can involve thousands.
Instagram Part 2
First posted on Blogger 31/10/25 the second of three posts I wrote about Instagram. Image heavy again.
Adopting standard.site
RSS is back, and it's atmospheric
The UK’s New Under-16 Social Media Ban Will Cause More Harm Than It Prevents
Recently, politicians in the UK pushed forward with plans to eviscerate privacy and free speech on the internet by announcing a ban on social media for users under 16 that is set to take effect in Spring 2027. The UK government continues to falsely characterize this policy as a necessary response to growing concerns about...
A Full Guide to Properly Delete Corporate Social Media Accounts
Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Threads, X, Reddit, Discord. Eight platforms, eight different deletion policies. A full technical walkthrough of what 'delete' actually means on each one, the prep work nobody tells you to do first, and the human-side work the documentation doesn't mention.
First posted on Blogger 05/04/25. First of three posts I wrote about my Instagram use, I wasn't going to bother reposting this first one as it's no longer relevant but sod it, in for a penny.
Being Online is Worth It Sometimes
A couples of months, I got some stickers from this platform thanks to . As of now, they're both plastered on my laptop and water bottle. This isn't the first that I got sent something from anyone online, but this definitely got me thinking about my presence all over the place, digitally. A good chunk of my time online has just been me expanding that digital footprint by feeding it the growth I had throughout my upbringing. All the lessons learned, all the changes in different parts of my identit...
We have reached augmented inteligence before AI
We had that at our fingerprints and we never knew about it
hi gay
hey! look! listen!
Entering the Atmosphere
Not an exciting post, but theoretically, this blog post should cross-post to Bluesky and exist in some way in the AT Protocol atmosphere. Maybe that is exciting!
W Social and the ancient art of neighbourliness
Good behaviour matters more than good code
The Case Against Share Buttons
Back in The New Leaf Journal's early days, I had share buttons on my articles. I eventually removed them in part because I did not think they added anything useful to my site and in part because of a certain Pinterest incident. I had not thought about them in some time, but I nevertheless read...
W Social is TruthSocial with a European accent.
Different politics, identical structure: wealthy insiders, community infrastructure they didn't build, and openness performed just long enough to matter. The establishment always wants its own internet.
Why We Need Devices for Children
All-out social media bans are harmful for kids and adults, but there's a more effective, privacy-respecting option...
AI Slop About Medieval London
I was linked to a site called Fake History Hunter a few weeks ago. The author, a former historical consultant, uses her site to debunk fake history in media. In AI review: Time Witnessed, she takes apart, frame-by-frame, some AI-generated TikTok monstrosity purportedly placing the influencer in a fictional version of Medieval London conjured by...