Ben Werdmuller
@werd.io
Senior Director of Technology at ProPublica. I write speculative fiction and think about the future of news and technology at https://werd.io.
Pinned
Ben Werdmuller
@werd.io
· Mar 22
There is no such thing as neutral technology.
Reposted by Ben Werdmuller
Hate to be posting this on a holiday, but there's been renewed interest in the CIA-backed Zero Units in Afghanistan. Here's a good summary of @propublica.org's 2022 reporting on the units and just some of the civilian casualties they were responsible for:
What We Know About U.S.-Backed Zero Units in Afghanistan
Deadly night raids. Faulty U.S. intelligence. A “classified” war loophole. Reporter Lynzy Billing’s investigation offers an unprecedented insight into the civilian casualties of Afghanistan’s Zero Uni...
www.propublica.org
November 28, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Hate to be posting this on a holiday, but there's been renewed interest in the CIA-backed Zero Units in Afghanistan. Here's a good summary of @propublica.org's 2022 reporting on the units and just some of the civilian casualties they were responsible for:
I’m thankful for many things this year. One of them is that there are people out there who stand up for justice and the well-being of vulnerable people, rather than sticking to whatever is popular or easy; who push back against war, oppression, oligarchy, nationalism, and isolationism. Thank you.
November 28, 2025 at 1:57 AM
I’m thankful for many things this year. One of them is that there are people out there who stand up for justice and the well-being of vulnerable people, rather than sticking to whatever is popular or easy; who push back against war, oppression, oligarchy, nationalism, and isolationism. Thank you.
I’m making my mother’s signature stuffing. The one she always made. It’s not a holiday without it.
I find myself constantly wanting to ask her if I’m doing it right. I’m not, but I’m trying. In this and everything.
I find myself constantly wanting to ask her if I’m doing it right. I’m not, but I’m trying. In this and everything.
November 27, 2025 at 6:53 PM
I’m making my mother’s signature stuffing. The one she always made. It’s not a holiday without it.
I find myself constantly wanting to ask her if I’m doing it right. I’m not, but I’m trying. In this and everything.
I find myself constantly wanting to ask her if I’m doing it right. I’m not, but I’m trying. In this and everything.
Feeling pretty good about how the day’s gone so far. Time for (1) a cup of tea, (2) to make some stuffing.
November 27, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Feeling pretty good about how the day’s gone so far. Time for (1) a cup of tea, (2) to make some stuffing.
What a parade of ridiculous, inflated characters whose platforms are kept moving with fossil fuels
And there’s also a Thanksgiving parade going on, amirite
And there’s also a Thanksgiving parade going on, amirite
November 27, 2025 at 3:03 PM
What a parade of ridiculous, inflated characters whose platforms are kept moving with fossil fuels
And there’s also a Thanksgiving parade going on, amirite
And there’s also a Thanksgiving parade going on, amirite
No, *you’re* up late making pumpkin pies that won’t be ready until past 11pm.
November 27, 2025 at 3:45 AM
No, *you’re* up late making pumpkin pies that won’t be ready until past 11pm.
Reposted by Ben Werdmuller
We're excited to announce that Bluesky PBC included us in a round of grants to help foster the ATmosphere! Their generous grant will support infrastructure costs for Bridgy Fed and Bounce.
We're so lucky to be included among so many phenomenal builders 🙏🏼
Here are a few we're excited about:
1/🧵
We're so lucky to be included among so many phenomenal builders 🙏🏼
Here are a few we're excited about:
1/🧵
November 26, 2025 at 5:59 PM
We're excited to announce that Bluesky PBC included us in a round of grants to help foster the ATmosphere! Their generous grant will support infrastructure costs for Bridgy Fed and Bounce.
We're so lucky to be included among so many phenomenal builders 🙏🏼
Here are a few we're excited about:
1/🧵
We're so lucky to be included among so many phenomenal builders 🙏🏼
Here are a few we're excited about:
1/🧵
Still riding high on Halloween 2024 when a four year old girl said we had the scariest house in the neighborhood.
What is the best compliment you ever received? Putting aside whether or not you believed it.
November 26, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Still riding high on Halloween 2024 when a four year old girl said we had the scariest house in the neighborhood.
Not so bendy now, are you
So this happened in Oslo yesterday. Four articulated buses got stuck in a roundabout.
November 26, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Not so bendy now, are you
I kind of miss the era of the tech industry when everyone loved a guy who made a bingo card creator because he made something people found useful and turned it into a tidy indie business for himself.
November 26, 2025 at 4:13 AM
I kind of miss the era of the tech industry when everyone loved a guy who made a bingo card creator because he made something people found useful and turned it into a tidy indie business for himself.
I think the EFF has an outsized role to play in ensuring technology doesn’t become an instrument of powerful people to subjugate the rest of us. I wrote about how it can meet the current moment: werd.io/the-eff-we-n...
The EFF we need now
Why the next era of digital civil liberties requires a tighter mission, a bolder strategy, and a clearer view of how power works.
werd.io
November 25, 2025 at 10:39 PM
I think the EFF has an outsized role to play in ensuring technology doesn’t become an instrument of powerful people to subjugate the rest of us. I wrote about how it can meet the current moment: werd.io/the-eff-we-n...
"Civil rights and weapons experts cite the consequences of federal agents’ use of crowd control weapons: religious leaders shot with pepper balls and noxious chemicals. A nurse nearly blinded by tear gas. Protestors trapped, struggling to breathe." www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
Trump’s Immigration Forces Deploy “Less Lethal” Weapons in Dangerous Ways, Skirting Rules and Maiming Protesters
Civil rights and weapons experts cite the consequences of federal agents’ use of crowd control weapons: religious leaders shot with pepper balls and noxious chemicals. A nurse nearly blinded by tear g...
www.propublica.org
November 25, 2025 at 9:03 PM
"Civil rights and weapons experts cite the consequences of federal agents’ use of crowd control weapons: religious leaders shot with pepper balls and noxious chemicals. A nurse nearly blinded by tear gas. Protestors trapped, struggling to breathe." www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
Reposted by Ben Werdmuller
"Viola Fletcher, the oldest living survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, has died at 111. In the final years of her life, she and other survivors shared their stories publicly, bringing a more nuanced awareness about the legacy of that day." More: 19thnews.org/2025/11/viol...
Viola Fletcher, oldest survivor of 1921 Tulsa massacre, dies at 111
“I have been blessed with a long life – and have seen the best and worst of this country. I think about the horrors inflicted upon Black people in this country every day.”
19thnews.org
November 25, 2025 at 5:02 PM
"Viola Fletcher, the oldest living survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, has died at 111. In the final years of her life, she and other survivors shared their stories publicly, bringing a more nuanced awareness about the legacy of that day." More: 19thnews.org/2025/11/viol...
Reposted by Ben Werdmuller
This is what I spent most of last week working on with other people who cannot leave this stuff alone. Gotta put the facts in order in a stable place and then see what meaning emerges.
The fight against authoritarianism has many fronts. At Unbreaking, we choose to work against information overload and for collective understanding. On our Immigration timeline, we track major and representative events from across the US—now filterable by legal case:
unbreaking.org/issues/immig...
unbreaking.org/issues/immig...
November 25, 2025 at 4:48 PM
This is what I spent most of last week working on with other people who cannot leave this stuff alone. Gotta put the facts in order in a stable place and then see what meaning emerges.
The threats to digital civil liberties aren’t secret rooms in AT&T buildings anymore. They’re AI systems, data brokers, and privatized surveillance sold as products.
The EFF has spent 35 years fighting for rights and freedoms. Here’s my take on how it should evolve to fight back.
The EFF has spent 35 years fighting for rights and freedoms. Here’s my take on how it should evolve to fight back.
The EFF we need now
Why the next era of digital civil liberties requires a tighter mission, a bolder strategy, and a clearer view of how power works.
werd.io
November 25, 2025 at 3:52 PM
The threats to digital civil liberties aren’t secret rooms in AT&T buildings anymore. They’re AI systems, data brokers, and privatized surveillance sold as products.
The EFF has spent 35 years fighting for rights and freedoms. Here’s my take on how it should evolve to fight back.
The EFF has spent 35 years fighting for rights and freedoms. Here’s my take on how it should evolve to fight back.
These Mamdani transition committees are seriously impressive. Hiring @ruha9.bsky.social for the technology committee is very smart. And so many more. www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news...
NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announces transition committees
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced Monday the creation of 17 transition advisory committees made up of more than 400 people.
www.cbsnews.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:09 PM
These Mamdani transition committees are seriously impressive. Hiring @ruha9.bsky.social for the technology committee is very smart. And so many more. www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news...
"This year ICE has sent more immigrant children into the federal shelter system than in the previous four years combined. New data suggests families are being separated." www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
ICE Sent 600 Immigrant Kids to Detention in Federal Shelters This Year. It’s a New Record.
Under a zero tolerance policy, the first Trump administration separated immigrant children from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border. New data suggests separations are happening all over the count...
www.propublica.org
November 24, 2025 at 7:54 PM
"This year ICE has sent more immigrant children into the federal shelter system than in the previous four years combined. New data suggests families are being separated." www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
"These days people use the term "web" to mean basically something you can view in a web browser. But that does not mean it is *of* the web." werd.io/of-the-web/
Of the web
"These days people use the term "web" to mean basically something you can view in a web browser. But that does not mean it is *of* the web."
werd.io
November 24, 2025 at 3:12 PM
"These days people use the term "web" to mean basically something you can view in a web browser. But that does not mean it is *of* the web." werd.io/of-the-web/
Adding Tab Wrangler to Zen. Some people keep and garden their tabs. I want them gone at the end of the day.
November 24, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Adding Tab Wrangler to Zen. Some people keep and garden their tabs. I want them gone at the end of the day.
62 years. Nice work, Sydney, Verity, Waris, Bill, Carole, Jacqueline, William, Delia, Ron, Anthony, David, and everyone else who worked on An Unearthly Child - and everyone who has followed them ever since. Still the best show ever made.
November 23, 2025 at 3:07 PM
62 years. Nice work, Sydney, Verity, Waris, Bill, Carole, Jacqueline, William, Delia, Ron, Anthony, David, and everyone else who worked on An Unearthly Child - and everyone who has followed them ever since. Still the best show ever made.
Just got an email from Boardy Boardman asking me to join the seed round for a startup making an AI dog collar that translates from dog into English
The hell list did I make it onto this time
The hell list did I make it onto this time
November 23, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Just got an email from Boardy Boardman asking me to join the seed round for a startup making an AI dog collar that translates from dog into English
The hell list did I make it onto this time
The hell list did I make it onto this time
I actually like this a lot. Don’t hire jerks. (I’ll save you a click: she asks the receptionist whether the candidates treated them well. I agree that it speaks volumes.) www.cnbc.com/2025/11/05/f...
Former Netflix chief talent officer: The No. 1 red flag that signals a 'disastrous' hire
"How'd they treat you?" Former Netflix chief talent officer Jessica Neal asked the receptionist this question about every candidate after they interviewed.
www.cnbc.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:32 PM
I actually like this a lot. Don’t hire jerks. (I’ll save you a click: she asks the receptionist whether the candidates treated them well. I agree that it speaks volumes.) www.cnbc.com/2025/11/05/f...
It turns out I have one more “if I ran …” post in me.
While I put that together, here’s the series:
While I put that together, here’s the series:
November 22, 2025 at 5:50 PM
It turns out I have one more “if I ran …” post in me.
While I put that together, here’s the series:
While I put that together, here’s the series:
Interesting to revisit our 9 month baby stack at the 3+ years mark. We haven’t bought anything new. Same car seat, same stroller. We’ve added some potties; that’s it. But we don’t track via Huckleberry, use silicone tableware, etc. Changing pad still in occasional use. werd.io/the-baby-sta...
The baby stack at 9 months
Here's what we use to care for our 9 month old baby.
werd.io
November 22, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Interesting to revisit our 9 month baby stack at the 3+ years mark. We haven’t bought anything new. Same car seat, same stroller. We’ve added some potties; that’s it. But we don’t track via Huckleberry, use silicone tableware, etc. Changing pad still in occasional use. werd.io/the-baby-sta...
I wish I could read the Republican Signal group chats right about now.
November 22, 2025 at 12:10 AM
I wish I could read the Republican Signal group chats right about now.