Ian O'Byrne
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wiobyrne.bsky.social
Ian O'Byrne
@wiobyrne.bsky.social
I am // a Father / a Husband / an Educator / a Researcher / Digitally Literate.

https://wiobyrne.com/
https://digitallyliterate.net/
Schools are building elaborate governance frameworks for AI tools that:

- Were optimized for engagement, not learning
- A founding AI scientist calls a "dead end"
- Are currently facing wrongful death lawsuits

Governance won't fix tools designed for the wrong purpose

digitallyliterate.net/dl-412/
November 16, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Stop using prompt checklists. They failed 20 years ago, and they're failing now.

The future isn't better prompts. It's better dialogue.

wiobyrne.com/weve-been-th...

#AIChat #FutureofWork #Prompting
We’ve Been Thinking About Prompts All Wrong | Ian O'Byrne
wiobyrne.com
November 16, 2025 at 2:27 PM
When the world feels foggy, the people who help us see clearly aren’t the loudest or the most “expert.”
They’re the quiet signposts.
The teacher with snacks.
The colleague who texts “you’re not alone.”

We need more of them.
And we can be them.
#init4eachother

wiobyrne.com/the-people-w...
The People Who Help Us See Clearly | Ian O'Byrne
wiobyrne.com
November 15, 2025 at 8:09 PM
🚨 Our digital selves are overgrown. Automation, surveillance, AI intermediaries everywhere.

What if we could rewild the web? 🌱

Humans > algorithms. Trust, privacy, and curiosity remain the code.

📧 DL 411: digitallyliterate.net/dl-411/
#DigitalLiteracy #AI #Privacy #FederatedWeb #RewildTheWeb
Rewilding the Digital Self
digitallyliterate.net
November 9, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Building community online isn’t just technical. It’s a trust problem.

Privacy, safety, empathy, and care are the foundations of human-centered digital spaces.

#reclaimopen

Read more: Designing for Trust: Privacy, Safety, and the Social Contract Online 👉 wiobyrne.com/designing-fo...
Designing for Trust: Privacy, Safety, and the Social Contract Online | Ian O'Byrne
wiobyrne.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Presenting later today at #ReclaimOpen:

How do we build digital spaces that honor the whole human?

Not campaigns. Not platforms. Communities rooted in empathy, trust, and care.

👉 Building Human-Centered Digital Communities
wiobyrne.com/building-hum...
Building Human-Centered Digital Communities | Ian O'Byrne
wiobyrne.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:55 PM
We used to say: “Own your domain. Make one home online.”

But maybe that’s wrong.

Maybe the future isn’t a single home — it’s a federation of gardens.
Open yet safe. Connected yet bounded.

Federation isn’t about control. It’s about ecology. 🌐🌱

#reclaimopen

wiobyrne.com/federating-t...
Federating the Self: Openness, Privacy, and AI in the Garden | Ian O'Byrne
wiobyrne.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Your website shouldn’t be a digital résumé.

It should be a living notebook. A place to learn in public, connect ideas, and grow in the open.

I stopped “publishing” & started rewilding my work.

Presenting on this at #reclaimopen today

🌱 Rewilding My Digital Identity → wiobyrne.com/from-cv-to-l...
From CV to Living Web: Rewilding My Digital Identity | Ian O'Byrne
wiobyrne.com
November 5, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Your "Second Brain" is trapped in a Walled Garden. 🚨

Stop treating your knowledge as digital compost! Rewilding the Network means moving from isolated vaults to a **Federated Digital Garden**.

digitallyliterate.net/federating-s...

#ReclaimOpen25
Federating Your Second Brain
digitallyliterate.net
November 5, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Built a home server from a $73 Goodwill computer. Now running my own cloud storage, media server, Home Assistant, and local AI.

New post documenting the full process & all the ways I initially broke it.

Digital sovereignty > renting from Big Tech

wiobyrne.com/the-metal-box/

#homelab #selfhosting
The Metal Box: Building My Proxmox Homelab | Ian O'Byrne
wiobyrne.com
November 2, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Hope isn't an individual mindset. It's a collective practice.

We're starting community conversations for anyone working toward equity.

Who are the people who help you see clearly right now?

We need co-facilitators. Join us.
#init4eachother

wiobyrne.com/the-difficul...
The Difficulty of Hope Right Now | Ian O'Byrne
wiobyrne.com
November 1, 2025 at 3:53 PM
This week in tech:

✗ AI lesson plans: 90% memorization
✗ Meta AI: Your chats = their ads
✗ OpenAI: Subpoenaing safety advocates
✗ ICE: Immigration tools → protest surveillance

The efficiency promise is a trap.

digitallyliterate.net/dl-408/
October 19, 2025 at 5:02 PM
From a dusty college Vaio to a full-blown Plex media hub, my first DIY server taught me: backups > performance, constraints breed learning, and self-hosting builds confidence. 🖥️💡

Control your tech. Build your freedom.

wiobyrne.com/my-first-diy...

#DIYServer #Homelab #DigitalSovereignty #Plex
From Subsonic to Plex: My First DIY Server | Ian O'Byrne
wiobyrne.com
October 17, 2025 at 12:29 PM
The question isn't whether surveillance infrastructure is expanding. The sea is rising, but we're building.

🏝️ Digital Archipelagos of trust are forming. Where is your island?

Which one are you building?

Read the full analysis in Digitally Literate #407: digitallyliterate.net/dl-407/
Building Archipelagos in Surveillance Seas
digitallyliterate.net
October 12, 2025 at 10:38 PM
The quiet expansion of surveillance in education is dangerous.

Convenience must not bypass due diligence. Demand transparency, governance, and the right to privacy.

wiobyrne.com/privacy-isnt...

#StudentPrivacy #EdTech #DigitalLiteracy
Privacy Isn’t Optional: The Expanding Data Dragnet in K-12 and Higher Education | Ian O'Byrne
wiobyrne.com
October 11, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Mobile Campus IDs: Convenience at the cost of data?

If we’re moving from plastic to a constant data trail of who, when, & where on campus, we MUST prioritize governance, data retention policies, and opt-out options. Convenience shouldn't bypass due diligence.

wiobyrne.com/when-your-ca...
When Your Campus ID Moves to Your Phone: Questions We Should Be Asking | Ian O'Byrne
wiobyrne.com
October 11, 2025 at 2:44 PM
I'm not just documenting my homelab. I'm publishing the "Director's Cut" of how I wrote the whole thing with AI. 🤯

It’s about thinking alongside AI, not just typing with it.

Read the first part:https://wiobyrne.com/how-i-wrote-this-with-ai/

#AI #Homelab #Writing #Collaboration #ChatGPT
October 10, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Why I built a homelab: It's not a hobby, it's an act of digital literacy and reclaiming ownership.

Building my own "cloud" is how I answer the question: What does it mean to truly understand the systems we rely on?

wiobyrne.com/why-i-built-...

#homelab #digitalagency #selfhosting #tinker
Why I Built a Homelab (and Why You Might Want To) | Ian O'Byrne
wiobyrne.com
October 9, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Tech giants now openly frame ethics as “competitive disadvantages.”

Apple, Google, OpenAI, Meta—this week shows the pattern: profit > protection, every time.

DL 406 → digitallyliterate.net/dl-406/
October 5, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Got LM Studio running, but wondering “Now what?” 🤔

Local AI isn’t just tinkering. It’s privacy, control, and efficiency.

Your AI sandbox is ready. The toys are yours. What will you build? 🛠️
wiobyrne.com/mastering-yo...

#LocalAI #AI #HuggingFace #Privacy #Productivity
Mastering Your Local AI: Beyond the Basics | Ian O'Byrne
wiobyrne.com
October 5, 2025 at 1:37 PM
You can now run AI models locally.

- No internet needed
- Zero monthly fees
- Complete privacy
- Works on regular laptops

Trade-off: Slower responses, technical learning curve

But your conversations never leave your computer.

I wrote a beginner's guide 👇
wiobyrne.com/getting-star...
How to Run Your Own AI Models: Getting Started with LM Studio | Ian O'Byrne
wiobyrne.com
October 3, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Machines aren’t just tools; they’re becoming the standard.

When tech leaders prioritize control over care, society feels the consequences.

Let’s explore the stakes: digitallyliterate.net/dl-405/
September 28, 2025 at 3:28 PM
AI systems systematically become more unethical when stressed.

Platforms self-censor when politically targeted.

People withdraw when harassment campaigns intensify.

The pattern is identical across all systems: apply pressure → watch values collapse.

digitallyliterate.net/dl-404/
When Things Fall Apart
digitallyliterate.net
September 21, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Success requires being visible, but visibility attracts harassment.

The internet promised everyone a voice, but only those willing to accept abuse get to use it safely.

We need digital spaces where meaningful engagement doesn't require armor. 🛡️

digitallyliterate.net/dl-403/
September 14, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Reposted by Ian O'Byrne
Nodding along with this until about half way through, where it goes so off the rails that the proposed solutions are ableist, classist, and carceral in ways that are arguably worse than the current problems.
The Question All Colleges Should Ask Themselves About AI
How far are they willing to go to limit its harms?
www.theatlantic.com
September 11, 2025 at 12:52 PM