Alex Russell
@infrequently.org
Trying to make a web that works for everyone.
Also at https://toot.cafe/@slightlyoff
For more: https://infrequently.org/about-me/
https://infrequently.org/
Also at https://toot.cafe/@slightlyoff
For more: https://infrequently.org/about-me/
https://infrequently.org/
Pinned
Alex Russell
@infrequently.org
· Oct 27
Platform Strategy and Its Discontents - Infrequently Noted
Alex Russell on browsers, standards, and the process of progress.
infrequently.org
Platforms are competitions, and the web is losing. We can do simple, straightforward things to combat that decline...but contemporary frontend isn't doing those things.
Why not?
A consolidated thread from last week:
infrequently.org/2024/10/platform…
Why not?
A consolidated thread from last week:
infrequently.org/2024/10/platform…
Reposted by Alex Russell
What the Democrats can learn from the UK Labour Party's complete implosion after moving right on immigration
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/the-cost-o...
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/the-cost-o...
December 17, 2025 at 1:01 PM
What the Democrats can learn from the UK Labour Party's complete implosion after moving right on immigration
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/the-cost-o...
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/the-cost-o...
Reposted by Alex Russell
For 2026, media could commit to not laundering the administration’s talking points in their headlines. The EU bans were not triggered by censorship but about misleading X users.
December 25, 2025 at 3:55 PM
For 2026, media could commit to not laundering the administration’s talking points in their headlines. The EU bans were not triggered by censorship but about misleading X users.
Reposted by Alex Russell
The State department continues to use false allegations of "censorship" to censor people, or in this case sanction them
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/t...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/t...
U.S. Bars 5 European Tech Regulators and Researchers
www.nytimes.com
December 24, 2025 at 2:01 AM
The State department continues to use false allegations of "censorship" to censor people, or in this case sanction them
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/t...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/t...
Reposted by Alex Russell
"The reason so many of yesterday’s free-speech champions transitioned so easily into today’s pro-Trump censors is that their definition of free speech never included the right of others to talk back." @adamserwer.bsky.social www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
The Triumph of Free-Speech Hypocrisy
What the 60 Minutes scandal reveals
www.theatlantic.com
December 23, 2025 at 5:01 PM
"The reason so many of yesterday’s free-speech champions transitioned so easily into today’s pro-Trump censors is that their definition of free speech never included the right of others to talk back." @adamserwer.bsky.social www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Reposted by Alex Russell
This keeps happening. In yesterday's announcement about the State Dept pulling visas, a State Dept spokesperson claimed that they were stopping "Murthy-style speech suppression" leaving out that Amy Coney Barrett's ruling said there was no evidence of any such speech suppression...
I have the “In Covid’s Wake” PDF and this section floored me. Here is some of the surrounding content — and citations. The professors cited laundered Twitter Files claims in their discussion of the Murthy v Missouri case — they stuck the *outcome of the case* in a footnote while centering the lies.
December 24, 2025 at 11:12 PM
This keeps happening. In yesterday's announcement about the State Dept pulling visas, a State Dept spokesperson claimed that they were stopping "Murthy-style speech suppression" leaving out that Amy Coney Barrett's ruling said there was no evidence of any such speech suppression...
Reposted by Alex Russell
The people who profited most from the cancel culture/free speech panic were less interested in actual freedom of speech than establishing their own control over public discourse. You don't even have to take my word for it. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
December 23, 2025 at 6:17 PM
The people who profited most from the cancel culture/free speech panic were less interested in actual freedom of speech than establishing their own control over public discourse. You don't even have to take my word for it. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Reposted by Alex Russell
Do we charge for this? Or is it a free service we provide to friendly dictators?
The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts as it moves to reshape the U.S. diplomatic posture abroad.
Trump removes nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial positions
www.inquirer.com
December 23, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Do we charge for this? Or is it a free service we provide to friendly dictators?
Reposted by Alex Russell
People are rightly disgusted by this speech, but it’s a measure of fascism’s normalization that many see this as more of the awful same rather than what I think most of us who’ve been reporting this beat hear it as: a significant calculated escalation. Full alert stuff.
JD Vance gets the biggest applause of his speech so far when he says "by the grace of God we always will be a Christian nation"
December 21, 2025 at 9:57 PM
People are rightly disgusted by this speech, but it’s a measure of fascism’s normalization that many see this as more of the awful same rather than what I think most of us who’ve been reporting this beat hear it as: a significant calculated escalation. Full alert stuff.
Reposted by Alex Russell
This is totally underreported. Trump is not just going after "illegals." He's going after people who were here legally, by changing their status.
These are people who entered the US the right way, and never broke a law. Now they are subject to Trump's whim, his ICE goons, and inhuman detention.
These are people who entered the US the right way, and never broke a law. Now they are subject to Trump's whim, his ICE goons, and inhuman detention.
Trump has revoked legal status for at least 1.6 million immigrants over the past year by cancelling programs like TPS and student visas.
Remember: these are people who entered the country legally.
Trump never cared about “legal immigration" — just inflicting cruelty.
Remember: these are people who entered the country legally.
Trump never cared about “legal immigration" — just inflicting cruelty.
December 23, 2025 at 7:24 PM
This is totally underreported. Trump is not just going after "illegals." He's going after people who were here legally, by changing their status.
These are people who entered the US the right way, and never broke a law. Now they are subject to Trump's whim, his ICE goons, and inhuman detention.
These are people who entered the US the right way, and never broke a law. Now they are subject to Trump's whim, his ICE goons, and inhuman detention.
Reposted by Alex Russell
The “free speech” and “cancel culture” panics have led to overt state censorship because that was always their purpose. (Gift link) www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
December 23, 2025 at 4:54 PM
The “free speech” and “cancel culture” panics have led to overt state censorship because that was always their purpose. (Gift link) www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Reposted by Alex Russell
Year 1 data on congestion pricing in Manhattan…
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
December 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Year 1 data on congestion pricing in Manhattan…
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
I'm not Canadian, but if you are, please consider this petition to keep revanchist CA provincial govts from gutting trans youth healthcare:
ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Pet…
ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Pet…
Sign this Petition - Petitions
www.ourcommons.ca
December 23, 2025 at 1:35 AM
I'm not Canadian, but if you are, please consider this petition to keep revanchist CA provincial govts from gutting trans youth healthcare:
ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Pet…
ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Pet…
Reposted by Alex Russell
Reposted by Alex Russell
Inside CECOT (the banned 60 minutes special)
YouTube video by roterote
youtu.be
December 23, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Reposted by Alex Russell
I'm sure Bari Weiss will react to the 60 minutes episode being circulated very reasonably and maturely.
December 23, 2025 at 12:55 AM
I'm sure Bari Weiss will react to the 60 minutes episode being circulated very reasonably and maturely.
Reposted by Alex Russell
This has been made available, so for purposes of commenting on Bari Weiss's decision to spike the story, here's a live-post of that segment.
It begins with a "you may recall" summary of the deportation to el Salvador. Describes the admin's claim that it could deport the men without due process
It begins with a "you may recall" summary of the deportation to el Salvador. Describes the admin's claim that it could deport the men without due process
December 22, 2025 at 10:16 PM
This has been made available, so for purposes of commenting on Bari Weiss's decision to spike the story, here's a live-post of that segment.
It begins with a "you may recall" summary of the deportation to el Salvador. Describes the admin's claim that it could deport the men without due process
It begins with a "you may recall" summary of the deportation to el Salvador. Describes the admin's claim that it could deport the men without due process
Reposted by Alex Russell
13. Franklin Roosevelt once addressed the Daughters of American Revolution and saluted them as "fellow immigrants." As Allan Bloom once explained, this was a cheeky tweak at the group's ethnic chauvinism (from Bloom's Giants and Dwarfs).
December 22, 2025 at 6:21 PM
13. Franklin Roosevelt once addressed the Daughters of American Revolution and saluted them as "fellow immigrants." As Allan Bloom once explained, this was a cheeky tweak at the group's ethnic chauvinism (from Bloom's Giants and Dwarfs).
Reposted by Alex Russell
"energy independence"
Burgum: "Today we're sending notifications to the 5 large offshore wind projects that are under construction that their leases will be suspended due to national security concerns ... the Dept of War has come back conclusively that these large offshore wind programs create radar interference"
December 22, 2025 at 8:41 PM
"energy independence"
Reposted by Alex Russell
I have never, once in my career, heard of a news org responding to a decline-to-comment with, “Well, we’ll hold it until you do.”
The reason is obvious — it gives the subject of your story a pocket veto.
The reason is obvious — it gives the subject of your story a pocket veto.
December 22, 2025 at 2:48 AM
I have never, once in my career, heard of a news org responding to a decline-to-comment with, “Well, we’ll hold it until you do.”
The reason is obvious — it gives the subject of your story a pocket veto.
The reason is obvious — it gives the subject of your story a pocket veto.
Reposted by Alex Russell
Almost every story Weiss greenlit at the Free Press lacked sufficient context. It's kinda their entire schtick.
December 22, 2025 at 5:05 AM
Almost every story Weiss greenlit at the Free Press lacked sufficient context. It's kinda their entire schtick.
Reposted by Alex Russell
Censoring a story about the outsourced regime gulag is not consistent with freedom of speech. But it is consistent with the belief that “free speech” is when conservatives can say what they want and when you can say what they want.
December 22, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Censoring a story about the outsourced regime gulag is not consistent with freedom of speech. But it is consistent with the belief that “free speech” is when conservatives can say what they want and when you can say what they want.
Reposted by Alex Russell
The next reporter to interview vance should ask him to explain what the joke is here. bsky.app/profile/atru...
JD Vance: "They are not sending their best. Omar Fateh was Ilehan [sic] Omar's candidate for mayor of Mogadishu-- I mean Minneapolis. Little Freudian slip there."
December 22, 2025 at 4:57 AM
The next reporter to interview vance should ask him to explain what the joke is here. bsky.app/profile/atru...
Reposted by Alex Russell
“These men risked their lives to speak with us. We have a moral and professional obligation to the sources who entrusted us with their
stories. Abandoning them now is a betrayal of the most basic tenet of journalism: giving voice to the voiceless.”
stories. Abandoning them now is a betrayal of the most basic tenet of journalism: giving voice to the voiceless.”
Per NY Times’s Michael Grynbaum on X, this is Sharyn Alfonsi’s email to her “60 Minutes” colleagues in full:
December 22, 2025 at 3:42 AM
“These men risked their lives to speak with us. We have a moral and professional obligation to the sources who entrusted us with their
stories. Abandoning them now is a betrayal of the most basic tenet of journalism: giving voice to the voiceless.”
stories. Abandoning them now is a betrayal of the most basic tenet of journalism: giving voice to the voiceless.”