Jonathan Bellack
@bellack.com
Author of the Platformocracy newsletter, 30-year Internet veteran, Xoogler, grilling/smoking, an old house, and many, many comic books.
Pinned
Jonathan Bellack
@bellack.com
· Jun 6
Bluesky trust and safety is too important to be left to Bluesky
Bluesky is open about almost everything, except setting and enforcing their community guidelines. They have an opportunity to lead the Internet forward with a democratic alternative.
www.platformocracy.com
I love almost everything about @bsky.app. I don’t love that despite an admirable layer of open moderation, the company retains final power over setting and enforcing rules on its app. I propose separating @safety.bsky.app & @moderation.bsky.app from the Bluesky company, under community control.
Why is Meta still feeding us garbage in response to their scam ads scandal? @jeffhorwitz.bsky.social reported more embarrassing leaked documents about Meta’s fraud problems on New Year’s Eve. Comms VP Andy Stone didn’t handle this batch any better than last time. Why is he so bad at this? 1/10
Why is Meta still feeding us garbage in response to their scam ads scandal?
A new set of embarrassing documents about Meta’s fraud problems leaked on New Year’s Eve. Comms VP Andy Stone didn’t handle this batch any better than last time. Why can’t he get it right?
www.platformocracy.com
January 9, 2026 at 3:12 PM
Why is Meta still feeding us garbage in response to their scam ads scandal? @jeffhorwitz.bsky.social reported more embarrassing leaked documents about Meta’s fraud problems on New Year’s Eve. Comms VP Andy Stone didn’t handle this batch any better than last time. Why is he so bad at this? 1/10
“Grok doesn’t appear to have the means or the will to stop its AI model from producing the nonconsensual content it is fundamentally capable of producing.”
what people are able to do with Grok at the moment is far far far worse than putting people in bikinis www.404media.co/inside-the-t...
Inside the Telegram Channel Jailbreaking Grok Over and Over Again
Putting people in bikinis is just the tip of the iceberg. On Telegram, users are finding ways to make Grok do far worse.
www.404media.co
January 7, 2026 at 5:33 PM
“Grok doesn’t appear to have the means or the will to stop its AI model from producing the nonconsensual content it is fundamentally capable of producing.”
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
Much of the dysfunction you find in organizations, and most of the problems you find in software development, come from the fact that people—engineers in particular—believe that complex systems (in the Cynefin sense) can be understood and controlled. They can not.
1/7
1/7
January 6, 2026 at 7:33 PM
Much of the dysfunction you find in organizations, and most of the problems you find in software development, come from the fact that people—engineers in particular—believe that complex systems (in the Cynefin sense) can be understood and controlled. They can not.
1/7
1/7
Thought on The Odyssey — If people are this mad about Christopher Nolan getting Greek armor wrong for the time period, they are going to be beyond furious when they see how far away his Polyphemus is from the latest findings in cyclops biology. Did he even consult with a single cryptozoologist?
December 24, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Thought on The Odyssey — If people are this mad about Christopher Nolan getting Greek armor wrong for the time period, they are going to be beyond furious when they see how far away his Polyphemus is from the latest findings in cyclops biology. Did he even consult with a single cryptozoologist?
YUP
Honestly sick of people telling me they "have to" stay on X "for the reach."
"It's where the people I need to reach are." No, it's not. You can bring them here.
"The people I want to follow are there." You can bring them here too.
Lots of other people have. You can too.
"It's where the people I need to reach are." No, it's not. You can bring them here.
"The people I want to follow are there." You can bring them here too.
Lots of other people have. You can too.
This has always been a Bluesky-first campaign. But as of today, we will no longer be using Twitter. At all.
And I'm calling on other candidates to follow suit.
And I'm calling on other candidates to follow suit.
December 22, 2025 at 11:29 PM
YUP
The future!
made this real quick just bc i couldn't get it out my head. obviously it could be prettier, might change based on dev / community /user discussion / research, etc etc etc.
Unified ATProtocol Signup/Create Account UI Mockup
just one right now. might add more later.
notesbyarielm.leaflet.pub
December 22, 2025 at 10:12 PM
The future!
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
Rare footage of St Paul’s Cathedral testing its giant flamethrower
December 21, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Rare footage of St Paul’s Cathedral testing its giant flamethrower
Ongoing scandals at Meta and OpenAI prove that platform safety needs real independence. If your leadership is amoral, greedy, or corrupt, there is no internal fix that will lead to good behavior. We need representation in the critical safety decisions that affect us and our communities. More here:
Scandals At Meta And OpenAI Prove It: Safety Needs Real Independence
We can’t trust big tech platforms to make the right safety decisions of their own accord. Back in June, I called on Bluesky to spin off its safety team. To end the year, I generalize the argument. Let...
www.platformocracy.com
December 19, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Ongoing scandals at Meta and OpenAI prove that platform safety needs real independence. If your leadership is amoral, greedy, or corrupt, there is no internal fix that will lead to good behavior. We need representation in the critical safety decisions that affect us and our communities. More here:
It's almost like these companies don't think of accounts as someone's online identity, but just as replaceable database records, some of which might get corrupted from time to time, with a shrug, as long as the aggregate data looks good.
It's honestly kinda terrifying that the locked account thing still isn't resolved after it got shared widely in the Apple community…
Posts updated today:
macOS 26.2
mjtsai.com/blog/2025/12...
Locked Out of Apple Account Due to Gift Card
mjtsai.com/blog/2025/12...
Photoshop Source Code
mjtsai.com/blog/2013/02...
Runaway Spotlight With Pages Document
mjtsai.com/blog/2025/12...
#mjtsaiupdate
macOS 26.2
mjtsai.com/blog/2025/12...
Locked Out of Apple Account Due to Gift Card
mjtsai.com/blog/2025/12...
Photoshop Source Code
mjtsai.com/blog/2013/02...
Runaway Spotlight With Pages Document
mjtsai.com/blog/2025/12...
#mjtsaiupdate
December 17, 2025 at 9:15 PM
It's almost like these companies don't think of accounts as someone's online identity, but just as replaceable database records, some of which might get corrupted from time to time, with a shrug, as long as the aggregate data looks good.
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
Bluesky folks came up with a fundamentally new and privacy-protecting method of doing this unlike every other service. Almost every negative response is based on how people assume Bluesky is doing this based on how bad everyone else does it. Bad actors have so poisoned the entire market...
v1.112 is live!
We’re launching Find Friends, a contact import feature that helps you find people you know on Bluesky.
Try it! In the mobile app, go to Settings → Find friends from contacts.
Read how we took a more secure approach to this than other platforms: bsky.social/about/blog/1...
We’re launching Find Friends, a contact import feature that helps you find people you know on Bluesky.
Try it! In the mobile app, go to Settings → Find friends from contacts.
Read how we took a more secure approach to this than other platforms: bsky.social/about/blog/1...
December 17, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Bluesky folks came up with a fundamentally new and privacy-protecting method of doing this unlike every other service. Almost every negative response is based on how people assume Bluesky is doing this based on how bad everyone else does it. Bad actors have so poisoned the entire market...
This, 100%. @montclairlocalnews.bsky.social
"In journalism, scale is a false god, and generative AI is Big Tech’s latest siren song. The only viable path to local news sustainability runs through genuine service to community and human engagement. "
And, some related thoughts:
kiesow.net/a-few-things...
And, some related thoughts:
kiesow.net/a-few-things...
A few things I believe about journalism, business and tech (and yes, AI)
1. Trust and human authenticity are the last defensible moats available to knowledge creators. The internet and then mobile phones eliminated the marginal costs of distribution and consumption of info...
kiesow.net
December 16, 2025 at 6:23 PM
This, 100%. @montclairlocalnews.bsky.social
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
At this point, I can't really imagine joining a completely new social network that's not on an open protocol - what's the point? It would be like walking freely into a cage…
if it's not built on AT Protocol it's pretty hard to get excited about another closed system
December 12, 2025 at 5:16 PM
At this point, I can't really imagine joining a completely new social network that's not on an open protocol - what's the point? It would be like walking freely into a cage…
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
Indianapolis Star, November 22, 1918
December 12, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Indianapolis Star, November 22, 1918
Despite the ongoing efforts of dedicated individuals & safety teams, and the soothing words of their PR teams, I remain convinced that we will look back on today's Internet safety problems with the same chagrin as the pollution of the Hudson River in the decades before the advent of the EPA. 1/5
Inside My Battles With Google Trust & Safety
Welcome to the two-week Platformocracy Holiday Party! Today I play the Grinch and share a few anecdotes in which I complain about my difficult relationship with Google Trust and Safety.
www.platformocracy.com
December 12, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Despite the ongoing efforts of dedicated individuals & safety teams, and the soothing words of their PR teams, I remain convinced that we will look back on today's Internet safety problems with the same chagrin as the pollution of the Hudson River in the decades before the advent of the EPA. 1/5
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
We all know Clarke's "sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"
Well we have corollary:
Well we have corollary:
December 12, 2025 at 2:25 AM
We all know Clarke's "sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"
Well we have corollary:
Well we have corollary:
😦
New! We worked with the Public Interest Research Group to test a bunch of LLM-driven toys ahead of the Christmas. That sexual talking teddy bear wasn't a one-off; it turns out disturbing behavior is deeply built into these toys across the board.
AI toys for kids talk about sex and issue Chinese Communist Party talking points, tests show
New research from Public Interest Research Group and tests conducted by NBC News found that a wide range of AI toys have loose guardrails.
www.nbcnews.com
December 12, 2025 at 12:03 PM
😦
Late to this but gotta share
December 12, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Late to this but gotta share
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
ATPROTO GAMES ITS HAPPENING
December 11, 2025 at 1:54 PM
ATPROTO GAMES ITS HAPPENING
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
there is more than interest, there are like, very aggressive plans. ;) just a complicated thing to do when you have a 15 year archive and lots of dependencies. if we were starting over today i think we'd start a bsky server instead of a website
December 8, 2025 at 4:49 PM
there is more than interest, there are like, very aggressive plans. ;) just a complicated thing to do when you have a 15 year archive and lots of dependencies. if we were starting over today i think we'd start a bsky server instead of a website
It's happening! Original Star Wars, official and on the big screen!
It's Official: The Original Theatrical Cut of 'Star Wars' Is Coming Back to Theaters
Lucasfilm is celebrating the film's 50th anniversary on February 17, 2027, in the best possible way.
gizmodo.com
December 5, 2025 at 9:00 PM
It's happening! Original Star Wars, official and on the big screen!
I finally rewatched Rogue One after finishing Andor, and good lord, it all hits so much harder.
December 5, 2025 at 6:50 PM
I finally rewatched Rogue One after finishing Andor, and good lord, it all hits so much harder.
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
GreenGale is a WhiteWind-compatible markdown blog platform on AT protocol. Supports per-post theme presets and inline KaTeX. Choose between WhiteWind and GreenGale lexicons in the composer. Closed beta starting soon.
December 5, 2025 at 1:37 PM
GreenGale is a WhiteWind-compatible markdown blog platform on AT protocol. Supports per-post theme presets and inline KaTeX. Choose between WhiteWind and GreenGale lexicons in the composer. Closed beta starting soon.
Platformocracy reader mailbag no. two covers three cool Fediverse tools for Exit that I missed last time. Thanks to @wake.st for pointing them out. Plus, my first reader poll -- tell me what you want to read about between now and winter break! 1/5
Reader mailbag #2 - my first poll, and I missed a bunch of Fediverse tools for Exit
Your chance to pick my end-of-year articles, and a review of Exit coolness I overlooked from the world of ActivityPub.
www.platformocracy.com
December 5, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Platformocracy reader mailbag no. two covers three cool Fediverse tools for Exit that I missed last time. Thanks to @wake.st for pointing them out. Plus, my first reader poll -- tell me what you want to read about between now and winter break! 1/5
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
A few neat things about selfhosted.social
- Supports 2FA via email codes like Bluesky's PDS
- No invite codes needed, protected by a captcha
- Backups every 4 hours, and if you migrate with PDS MOOver can create a rotation key to recover your account if we're never not here
- Supports 2FA via email codes like Bluesky's PDS
- No invite codes needed, protected by a captcha
- Backups every 4 hours, and if you migrate with PDS MOOver can create a rotation key to recover your account if we're never not here
Selfhosted.social
Landing page for selfhosted.social, an ATProto PDS
selfhosted.social
December 4, 2025 at 12:47 AM
A few neat things about selfhosted.social
- Supports 2FA via email codes like Bluesky's PDS
- No invite codes needed, protected by a captcha
- Backups every 4 hours, and if you migrate with PDS MOOver can create a rotation key to recover your account if we're never not here
- Supports 2FA via email codes like Bluesky's PDS
- No invite codes needed, protected by a captcha
- Backups every 4 hours, and if you migrate with PDS MOOver can create a rotation key to recover your account if we're never not here
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
We are officially open to the public! selfhosted.social is an independent ATProto PDS managed by @baileytownsend.dev
No invite codes required. Everyone is welcome. We just ask that you read over and agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
selfhosted.social/legal
No invite codes required. Everyone is welcome. We just ask that you read over and agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
selfhosted.social/legal
Selfhosted.social
Landing page for selfhosted.social, an ATProto PDS
selfhosted.social
December 3, 2025 at 6:09 PM
We are officially open to the public! selfhosted.social is an independent ATProto PDS managed by @baileytownsend.dev
No invite codes required. Everyone is welcome. We just ask that you read over and agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
selfhosted.social/legal
No invite codes required. Everyone is welcome. We just ask that you read over and agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
selfhosted.social/legal