Blaine
@blaine.bsky.social
Sociotechnologist, activist. First employee @ Twitter, built that and pioneered social decentralization, created OAuth. Shy cloud-observer, mostly. Building for Local at @wearenewpublic.
That feeling when six months of intense work becomes real.
November 11, 2025 at 11:43 PM
That feeling when six months of intense work becomes real.
How do we feel about using the term "Cogitarian" to identify as someone who doesn't use AI tools? 😅
November 10, 2025 at 3:55 PM
How do we feel about using the term "Cogitarian" to identify as someone who doesn't use AI tools? 😅
Reposted by Blaine
Bonfire Social is a kind of social network construction kit that federated via ActivityPub and plans bridging via @anew.social
They’re doing a crowdfund bonfirenetworks.org/posts/bonfir...
They’re doing a crowdfund bonfirenetworks.org/posts/bonfir...
Bonfire Social 1.0 is here, back the community‑funded roadmap
We're releasing Bonfire Social 1.0 and launching a crowdfund so communities drive what we build next. Back it, share it, and help move the social web from closed platforms to open networks.
bonfirenetworks.org
November 7, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Bonfire Social is a kind of social network construction kit that federated via ActivityPub and plans bridging via @anew.social
They’re doing a crowdfund bonfirenetworks.org/posts/bonfir...
They’re doing a crowdfund bonfirenetworks.org/posts/bonfir...
This is huge: graze.leaflet.pub/3m4yjmbnyec2c
Journalists are organizers – like political organizers – but of information, knowledge, and culture.
In my most humble opinion, I think journalists _need_ to be using tools like this, on their own terms. It's scary, but so is being a socialist in NYC.
Journalists are organizers – like political organizers – but of information, knowledge, and culture.
In my most humble opinion, I think journalists _need_ to be using tools like this, on their own terms. It's scary, but so is being a socialist in NYC.
About The Other Night... - Graze Newsletter
How Graze is defining the next era of a decentralized, open social attention economy.
graze.leaflet.pub
November 7, 2025 at 12:17 AM
This is huge: graze.leaflet.pub/3m4yjmbnyec2c
Journalists are organizers – like political organizers – but of information, knowledge, and culture.
In my most humble opinion, I think journalists _need_ to be using tools like this, on their own terms. It's scary, but so is being a socialist in NYC.
Journalists are organizers – like political organizers – but of information, knowledge, and culture.
In my most humble opinion, I think journalists _need_ to be using tools like this, on their own terms. It's scary, but so is being a socialist in NYC.
Someone should re-make "Brewster's Millions" as "Brewster's Billions" but make it a horror. The turn comes when it becomes obvious that amount of money can never be spent and Brewster's challenge becomes a Promethean punishment.
November 6, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Someone should re-make "Brewster's Millions" as "Brewster's Billions" but make it a horror. The turn comes when it becomes obvious that amount of money can never be spent and Brewster's challenge becomes a Promethean punishment.
I've been working on this with our amazing team for five months now, and we're getting very close to sharing more about what we've been up to. I'm so excited.
It won’t be easy, but we’re optimistic.
People will always use a bridge — literal or figurative — if it gets them somewhere they need to or want to go.
Learn more here. There’s much more to come, soon!
People will always use a bridge — literal or figurative — if it gets them somewhere they need to or want to go.
Learn more here. There’s much more to come, soon!
Local Lab | New_ Public
Helping local communities create flourishing digital spaces
newpublic.org
October 30, 2025 at 3:49 PM
I've been working on this with our amazing team for five months now, and we're getting very close to sharing more about what we've been up to. I'm so excited.
Reposted by Blaine
As part of our mission, we’re committed to building new online infrastructure to foster community and civic health. But what does that actually look like?
Our Co-Directors, @eli.bsky.social and @deeptidoshi.bsky.social, often turn to IRL public infrastructure for inspiration.
In this case, BRIDGES
Our Co-Directors, @eli.bsky.social and @deeptidoshi.bsky.social, often turn to IRL public infrastructure for inspiration.
In this case, BRIDGES
October 30, 2025 at 2:35 PM
As part of our mission, we’re committed to building new online infrastructure to foster community and civic health. But what does that actually look like?
Our Co-Directors, @eli.bsky.social and @deeptidoshi.bsky.social, often turn to IRL public infrastructure for inspiration.
In this case, BRIDGES
Our Co-Directors, @eli.bsky.social and @deeptidoshi.bsky.social, often turn to IRL public infrastructure for inspiration.
In this case, BRIDGES
A science fiction story about Robo-ICE and JD Vance's face in this database as the spark that starts the first robot-human civil war would be a fun read.
New incredible detail here: ICE says a match in its facial recognition app Mobile Fortify is a "definitive" determination of a person's status, and that this overrides birth certificates. This is an app ICE is using in the field to scan people
www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
October 29, 2025 at 6:45 PM
A science fiction story about Robo-ICE and JD Vance's face in this database as the spark that starts the first robot-human civil war would be a fun read.
I've heard that the AI cognoscenti are calling AGI "extraterrestrial" but that feels wrong – setting aside the debate and making assumptions for the sake of argument, whatever they might be, they're of this place.
I propose: "neoterrestrial" instead.
I propose: "neoterrestrial" instead.
October 29, 2025 at 6:36 PM
I've heard that the AI cognoscenti are calling AGI "extraterrestrial" but that feels wrong – setting aside the debate and making assumptions for the sake of argument, whatever they might be, they're of this place.
I propose: "neoterrestrial" instead.
I propose: "neoterrestrial" instead.
This is so exciting – at @newpublic.org, we're looking forward to building in collaboration with a rich ecosystem of open-standards-based tooling to support healthy online spaces for local communities, and @roost.tools is so inspirational in that regard.
We're excited to announce the result of months of collaboration with OpenAI, gpt-oss-safeguard. This reasoning model is designed for safety workflows where you bring your OWN policy and definitions of safety, and it explains each decision it makes.
Learn more here:
roost.tools/blog/a-new-m...
Learn more here:
roost.tools/blog/a-new-m...
A new milestone for open source safety infrastructure and transparency: gpt-oss-safeguard
Robust Open Online Safety Tools or ROOST is a new non-profit entity designed to address the urgent need for accessible, high-quality safety tools in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
roost.tools
October 29, 2025 at 5:50 PM
This is so exciting – at @newpublic.org, we're looking forward to building in collaboration with a rich ecosystem of open-standards-based tooling to support healthy online spaces for local communities, and @roost.tools is so inspirational in that regard.
I love that things that we're building internally at <Super Not Secret New_ Public Project> are being validated daily in the wider Atmosphere.
This is [roughly] how we're handling pre-moderation, and I'm impressed daily by how easy it is to add behaviours to our system with atproto.
This is [roughly] how we're handling pre-moderation, and I'm impressed daily by how easy it is to add behaviours to our system with atproto.
Built cryptographically-verified endorsements for at://work. The core innovation isn’t just cryptography, it’s the consent model. Both parties must explicitly agree to create a verified attestation. This changes how trust networks form. @atwork.place #ATProtocol
Building Unforgeable Professional Endorsements with ATProtocol - Nick's Blog
Traditional professional endorsements on platforms like LinkedIn lack cryptographic proof—anyone could forge them, and the platform controls the truth. This article introduces a two-record architectur...
ngerakines.leaflet.pub
October 15, 2025 at 4:54 PM
I love that things that we're building internally at <Super Not Secret New_ Public Project> are being validated daily in the wider Atmosphere.
This is [roughly] how we're handling pre-moderation, and I'm impressed daily by how easy it is to add behaviours to our system with atproto.
This is [roughly] how we're handling pre-moderation, and I'm impressed daily by how easy it is to add behaviours to our system with atproto.
I feel this in my bones.
the class divide in tech between research, strategy and making things has always been this way www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
October 12, 2025 at 4:38 PM
I feel this in my bones.
At that point of a project where I'm giving things clever names.
October 5, 2025 at 1:41 AM
At that point of a project where I'm giving things clever names.
Reposted by Blaine
Extant decentralized solutions (Mastodon, etc.) demonstrate that the kinds of social problems that decentralized networks are supposed to resolve simply emerge in different forms due to the properties of the networks in question.
Decentralization isn't a bad thing, it's just not the silver bullet.
Decentralization isn't a bad thing, it's just not the silver bullet.
October 4, 2025 at 4:04 AM
Extant decentralized solutions (Mastodon, etc.) demonstrate that the kinds of social problems that decentralized networks are supposed to resolve simply emerge in different forms due to the properties of the networks in question.
Decentralization isn't a bad thing, it's just not the silver bullet.
Decentralization isn't a bad thing, it's just not the silver bullet.
Reposted by Blaine
Introducing the New_ Public Canon: A non-exhaustive, in-no-particular-order selection of books about communities, technology, and civic life that our team loves and references (almost) every day.
What are we missing? Any recommendations?
What are we missing? Any recommendations?
October 1, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Introducing the New_ Public Canon: A non-exhaustive, in-no-particular-order selection of books about communities, technology, and civic life that our team loves and references (almost) every day.
What are we missing? Any recommendations?
What are we missing? Any recommendations?
Yesterday I learned about this term "Kayfabe" (ikr, application for amnesty under xkcd 053) thanks to this playing on the radio: www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/...
And I'm going to admit, my brain broke a little.
And I'm going to admit, my brain broke a little.
Pro wrestling isn't fake, it's 'kayfabe' — a mix of fiction and reality we all employ | CBC Radio
Despite what you may have heard, professional wrestling isn’t fake. It just has its own way of telling the truth, which insiders call ‘kayfabe.’ Some may consider the suspension of disbelief a sign of...
www.cbc.ca
September 30, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Yesterday I learned about this term "Kayfabe" (ikr, application for amnesty under xkcd 053) thanks to this playing on the radio: www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/...
And I'm going to admit, my brain broke a little.
And I'm going to admit, my brain broke a little.
If I wasn't already 100000% over-committed, I would be organizing a decentralized & distributed @kneecapceol.bsky.social show in my hometown, since their in-person shows were cancelled thanks to deeply broken Canadian politics.
Big screen, Big speakers, Cóisir mór i ngach áit!
Big screen, Big speakers, Cóisir mór i ngach áit!
BCCLA condemns the Liberal government’s unfounded, biased, and authoritarian decision to bar Irish-language rap group @kneecapceol.bsky.social from Canada, preventing them from performing their October shows.
Email your MP and tell them to Reverse Kneecap's Travel Ban! bit.ly/ReverseKneec...
Email your MP and tell them to Reverse Kneecap's Travel Ban! bit.ly/ReverseKneec...
September 22, 2025 at 3:07 PM
If I wasn't already 100000% over-committed, I would be organizing a decentralized & distributed @kneecapceol.bsky.social show in my hometown, since their in-person shows were cancelled thanks to deeply broken Canadian politics.
Big screen, Big speakers, Cóisir mór i ngach áit!
Big screen, Big speakers, Cóisir mór i ngach áit!
A bit of the old ultra-violence ain't got nothin' on this.
September 13, 2025 at 6:34 PM
A bit of the old ultra-violence ain't got nothin' on this.
We can build alternatives, but it doesn't mean anything unless people show up.
Elon, speaking at the Tommy Robinson march today: “This is a government against the people and not for the people, this is why everyone is gathered here today…we don’t have another four years…there’s got to be a dissolution of parliament”
And the government just…continues to use X.
And the government just…continues to use X.
September 13, 2025 at 6:29 PM
We can build alternatives, but it doesn't mean anything unless people show up.
"'Person of Interest' but make it ChatGPT."
August 28, 2025 at 4:20 AM
"'Person of Interest' but make it ChatGPT."
It is very upsetting that Björk's Post was released 30 years ago. Brb, dusting off my Discman so that my music player doesn't share these sorts of "fun facts" going forward. (Mine was a D-145, but damn, the original D-50 looks sick as hell!)
August 21, 2025 at 10:32 PM
It is very upsetting that Björk's Post was released 30 years ago. Brb, dusting off my Discman so that my music player doesn't share these sorts of "fun facts" going forward. (Mine was a D-145, but damn, the original D-50 looks sick as hell!)
I just noticed that GMail has a "manage subscriptions" tool with a list of mailing list subscriptions.
This should have shipped 15+ years ago; all of the standards to enable it have been widely adopted for at least that long. Maybe Cory's crusade against enshittification is paying dividends?!
This should have shipped 15+ years ago; all of the standards to enable it have been widely adopted for at least that long. Maybe Cory's crusade against enshittification is paying dividends?!
August 18, 2025 at 10:14 PM
I just noticed that GMail has a "manage subscriptions" tool with a list of mailing list subscriptions.
This should have shipped 15+ years ago; all of the standards to enable it have been widely adopted for at least that long. Maybe Cory's crusade against enshittification is paying dividends?!
This should have shipped 15+ years ago; all of the standards to enable it have been widely adopted for at least that long. Maybe Cory's crusade against enshittification is paying dividends?!