October 3, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Resist much, obey little, wrote Walt Whitman. Liberty, once lost, he believed, would not readily be recovered.
akakensmith.com/2025/09/25/r...
akakensmith.com/2025/09/25/r...
September 26, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Resist much, obey little, wrote Walt Whitman. Liberty, once lost, he believed, would not readily be recovered.
akakensmith.com/2025/09/25/r...
akakensmith.com/2025/09/25/r...
Buy it nice or buy it twice, the advice goes. Advice that is useless to a person living on the edge.
Jess Piper reflects.
open.substack.com/pub/jesspipe...
Jess Piper reflects.
open.substack.com/pub/jesspipe...
The Boots Theory
A literal interpretation
open.substack.com
August 29, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Buy it nice or buy it twice, the advice goes. Advice that is useless to a person living on the edge.
Jess Piper reflects.
open.substack.com/pub/jesspipe...
Jess Piper reflects.
open.substack.com/pub/jesspipe...
"We think in hypertext. We have been speaking hypertext all our lives and never known it."
Ted Nelson paraphrasing Vannevar Bush.
Ordinary writing, Nelson said, "is a process of making the tree of thought into a picket fence."
But linking reasserts the tree nature of thinking and speaking.
Ted Nelson paraphrasing Vannevar Bush.
Ordinary writing, Nelson said, "is a process of making the tree of thought into a picket fence."
But linking reasserts the tree nature of thinking and speaking.
August 27, 2025 at 12:38 PM
"We think in hypertext. We have been speaking hypertext all our lives and never known it."
Ted Nelson paraphrasing Vannevar Bush.
Ordinary writing, Nelson said, "is a process of making the tree of thought into a picket fence."
But linking reasserts the tree nature of thinking and speaking.
Ted Nelson paraphrasing Vannevar Bush.
Ordinary writing, Nelson said, "is a process of making the tree of thought into a picket fence."
But linking reasserts the tree nature of thinking and speaking.
In the 1989 founding document, Berners-Lee spoke of "Human-readable information linked together in an unconstrained way." So it's always been about freedom to make connections. In the next paragraph he says it doesn't have to be limited to texts.
What is the web? It's a Tim Berners-Lee kind of space.
And staying true to TB-L’s vision, extending and refining it, naming it precisely, and protecting it, is of immense importance in this perilous time.
akakensmith.com/2025/08/26/i...
And staying true to TB-L’s vision, extending and refining it, naming it precisely, and protecting it, is of immense importance in this perilous time.
akakensmith.com/2025/08/26/i...
August 26, 2025 at 7:22 PM
In the 1989 founding document, Berners-Lee spoke of "Human-readable information linked together in an unconstrained way." So it's always been about freedom to make connections. In the next paragraph he says it doesn't have to be limited to texts.
What is the web? It's a Tim Berners-Lee kind of space.
And staying true to TB-L’s vision, extending and refining it, naming it precisely, and protecting it, is of immense importance in this perilous time.
akakensmith.com/2025/08/26/i...
And staying true to TB-L’s vision, extending and refining it, naming it precisely, and protecting it, is of immense importance in this perilous time.
akakensmith.com/2025/08/26/i...
August 26, 2025 at 4:02 PM
What is the web? It's a Tim Berners-Lee kind of space.
And staying true to TB-L’s vision, extending and refining it, naming it precisely, and protecting it, is of immense importance in this perilous time.
akakensmith.com/2025/08/26/i...
And staying true to TB-L’s vision, extending and refining it, naming it precisely, and protecting it, is of immense importance in this perilous time.
akakensmith.com/2025/08/26/i...
If conditions grow worse in the United States, what pathways for independent publishing might remain open? What publishing and reading tools might still be available?
Is there a chance for a 21st century samizdat, an American-style samizdat?
akakensmith.com/2025/08/24/s...
Is there a chance for a 21st century samizdat, an American-style samizdat?
akakensmith.com/2025/08/24/s...
August 25, 2025 at 1:46 AM
If conditions grow worse in the United States, what pathways for independent publishing might remain open? What publishing and reading tools might still be available?
Is there a chance for a 21st century samizdat, an American-style samizdat?
akakensmith.com/2025/08/24/s...
Is there a chance for a 21st century samizdat, an American-style samizdat?
akakensmith.com/2025/08/24/s...
July 29, 2025 at 12:05 PM
A space for writing is different.
"I understand WordPress so far has a steady workflow through the block editor, but these are workflows for designers and programmers. WordLand is the flow for writers," writes Dave Winer.
canada.wordcamp.org/2025/why-i-n...
"I understand WordPress so far has a steady workflow through the block editor, but these are workflows for designers and programmers. WordLand is the flow for writers," writes Dave Winer.
canada.wordcamp.org/2025/why-i-n...
Why I need WordLand
I’m primarily a writer, my podcasts reflect that, so most of the work I do on each podcast, beyond recording the audio, is in writing the show notes. I have a template the writing and audio flow t…
canada.wordcamp.org
July 29, 2025 at 11:46 AM
A space for writing is different.
"I understand WordPress so far has a steady workflow through the block editor, but these are workflows for designers and programmers. WordLand is the flow for writers," writes Dave Winer.
canada.wordcamp.org/2025/why-i-n...
"I understand WordPress so far has a steady workflow through the block editor, but these are workflows for designers and programmers. WordLand is the flow for writers," writes Dave Winer.
canada.wordcamp.org/2025/why-i-n...
Reposted by Ken Smith
"Sheer political noise" -- how @GregTSargent describes the sounds a political group makes getting serious about an existential threat.
We're not seriously involved in activism or politics if we don't know how to create sheer political noise.
newrepublic.com/article/1908...
We're not seriously involved in activism or politics if we don't know how to create sheer political noise.
newrepublic.com/article/1908...
January 30, 2025 at 1:36 PM
"Sheer political noise" -- how @GregTSargent describes the sounds a political group makes getting serious about an existential threat.
We're not seriously involved in activism or politics if we don't know how to create sheer political noise.
newrepublic.com/article/1908...
We're not seriously involved in activism or politics if we don't know how to create sheer political noise.
newrepublic.com/article/1908...
After a long, careful analysis of something in the news, a tiny paragraph at the end a few general, link-free action items.
Or, write and publish in web-savvy ways. We're crazy not to.
akakensmith.com/2025/07/21/w...
Or, write and publish in web-savvy ways. We're crazy not to.
akakensmith.com/2025/07/21/w...
July 21, 2025 at 3:47 PM
After a long, careful analysis of something in the news, a tiny paragraph at the end a few general, link-free action items.
Or, write and publish in web-savvy ways. We're crazy not to.
akakensmith.com/2025/07/21/w...
Or, write and publish in web-savvy ways. We're crazy not to.
akakensmith.com/2025/07/21/w...
Why most social media posts and op-eds are utterly forgettable, but do not have to be.
In this crisis, there are only two kinds of social media posts, two kinds of op-eds.
akakensmith.com/2025/07/21/o...
akakensmith.com/2025/07/21/o...
July 21, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Why most social media posts and op-eds are utterly forgettable, but do not have to be.
In this crisis, there are only two kinds of social media posts, two kinds of op-eds.
akakensmith.com/2025/07/21/o...
akakensmith.com/2025/07/21/o...
July 21, 2025 at 1:53 PM
In this crisis, there are only two kinds of social media posts, two kinds of op-eds.
akakensmith.com/2025/07/21/o...
akakensmith.com/2025/07/21/o...
Getting specific about the methods of tyranny -- reading another book by Timothy Snyder.
akakensmith.com/2025/07/17/b...
akakensmith.com/2025/07/17/b...
July 17, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Getting specific about the methods of tyranny -- reading another book by Timothy Snyder.
akakensmith.com/2025/07/17/b...
akakensmith.com/2025/07/17/b...
The American laboratory for subjugation — from a brief new blog post by Stephen Kuusisto.
All the clues are in the policing we see around us.
akakensmith.com/2025/07/17/t...
All the clues are in the policing we see around us.
akakensmith.com/2025/07/17/t...
July 17, 2025 at 4:05 PM
The American laboratory for subjugation — from a brief new blog post by Stephen Kuusisto.
All the clues are in the policing we see around us.
akakensmith.com/2025/07/17/t...
All the clues are in the policing we see around us.
akakensmith.com/2025/07/17/t...
“No more 1000 page bills passed overnight and signed into law the next day,” writes Dave Winer. Far-reaching items never brought up into view for public consideration. That’s how the national Republican Party likes to do business.
shownotes.scripting.com/scripting/20...
shownotes.scripting.com/scripting/20...
Rebooting the Democratic Party
shownotes.scripting.com
July 15, 2025 at 1:39 PM
“No more 1000 page bills passed overnight and signed into law the next day,” writes Dave Winer. Far-reaching items never brought up into view for public consideration. That’s how the national Republican Party likes to do business.
shownotes.scripting.com/scripting/20...
shownotes.scripting.com/scripting/20...
July 2, 2025 at 12:19 AM
My new radio piece starts in Manhattan and ends in Matthew 25.
Big city dilemma -- text and audio.
www.wvpe.org/wvpe/2025-06...
Big city dilemma -- text and audio.
www.wvpe.org/wvpe/2025-06...
Michiana Chronicles: Big city dilemma
Ken Smith considers encounters with those in need.
www.wvpe.org
June 20, 2025 at 2:03 AM
My new radio piece starts in Manhattan and ends in Matthew 25.
Big city dilemma -- text and audio.
www.wvpe.org/wvpe/2025-06...
Big city dilemma -- text and audio.
www.wvpe.org/wvpe/2025-06...
The silence of the comfortable isn't good enough.
Times so urgent require speech so plain and emphatic that every person, of any background and training, will plainly understand.
akakensmith.com/2025/04/18/2...
Times so urgent require speech so plain and emphatic that every person, of any background and training, will plainly understand.
akakensmith.com/2025/04/18/2...
Urgent times, plain speech
Sometime after the war, Albert Camus was invited to speak at a conference about religion. He mentioned that during those terrible years it would have been very good to hear the Pope condemn the Naz…
akakensmith.com
June 11, 2025 at 1:55 PM
The silence of the comfortable isn't good enough.
Times so urgent require speech so plain and emphatic that every person, of any background and training, will plainly understand.
akakensmith.com/2025/04/18/2...
Times so urgent require speech so plain and emphatic that every person, of any background and training, will plainly understand.
akakensmith.com/2025/04/18/2...
Two ways to love one's country, two ways to create personal identity as citizens. One way is proud no matter what, and the other is proud of the struggle to do something worth being proud of. Starting with a few sentences written in wartime by Albert Camus.
akakensmith.com/2025/05/12/t...
akakensmith.com/2025/05/12/t...
May 12, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Two ways to love one's country, two ways to create personal identity as citizens. One way is proud no matter what, and the other is proud of the struggle to do something worth being proud of. Starting with a few sentences written in wartime by Albert Camus.
akakensmith.com/2025/05/12/t...
akakensmith.com/2025/05/12/t...
In this crisis, don't count on the alienated to take much interest in restoring just-as-it-was the pre-Trump system that alienated them in the first place.
akakensmith.com/2025/05/11/d...
akakensmith.com/2025/05/11/d...
May 11, 2025 at 5:21 PM
In this crisis, don't count on the alienated to take much interest in restoring just-as-it-was the pre-Trump system that alienated them in the first place.
akakensmith.com/2025/05/11/d...
akakensmith.com/2025/05/11/d...
Journalists who used to mock bloggers weren't playing nice but they also weren't thinking clearly about what they were observing.
akakensmith.com/2025/05/11/m...
akakensmith.com/2025/05/11/m...
May 11, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Journalists who used to mock bloggers weren't playing nice but they also weren't thinking clearly about what they were observing.
akakensmith.com/2025/05/11/m...
akakensmith.com/2025/05/11/m...
"Software isn't a thing, it isn't finished, it's a process as it gets invented by the users. It's a performing art."
scripting.com/2025/05/10/1...
scripting.com/2025/05/10/1...
Software isn't a thing
Dave Winer, OG blogger, podcaster, developed first apps in many categories. Old enough to know better. It's even worse than it appears.
scripting.com
May 11, 2025 at 3:38 PM
"Software isn't a thing, it isn't finished, it's a process as it gets invented by the users. It's a performing art."
scripting.com/2025/05/10/1...
scripting.com/2025/05/10/1...
At @PosterHouseNYC, a current exhibit of activist and propaganda posters about the atomic age shows how society struggles to make sense of its greatest challenges. To find words and images that will serve us going forward . . .
akakensmith.com/2025/05/11/p...
akakensmith.com/2025/05/11/p...
May 11, 2025 at 3:28 PM
At @PosterHouseNYC, a current exhibit of activist and propaganda posters about the atomic age shows how society struggles to make sense of its greatest challenges. To find words and images that will serve us going forward . . .
akakensmith.com/2025/05/11/p...
akakensmith.com/2025/05/11/p...