Richard Reisman
@rreisman.bsky.social
Sociotechnical network/systems thinker, visionary, inventor, pioneer | Author: @TechPolicyPress, FairPay | Nonresident Senior Fellow, Foundation for American Innovation
Pinned
Richard Reisman
@rreisman.bsky.social
· Oct 24
Human discourse is a social process, writes @rreisman.bsky.social , that depends on three pillars: agency, mediation, and reputation. But without strong pillars and middleware enabling open innovation and interoperation, social media will likely struggle to balance chaos and control.
Three Pillars of Human Discourse (and How Social Media Middleware Can Support All Three) | TechPolicy.Press
Human discourse is a social process, writes Richard Reisman, that depends on three pillars: agency, mediation, and reputation.
www.techpolicy.press
Reframing the issues of governing social media.
Human discourse is a social process that depends on three pillars: agency, mediation, & reputation. Without these three strong pillars, + middleware enabling open innovation and interoperation, social media will struggle to balance chaos and control.
Human discourse is a social process that depends on three pillars: agency, mediation, & reputation. Without these three strong pillars, + middleware enabling open innovation and interoperation, social media will struggle to balance chaos and control.
Reposted by Richard Reisman
What is deliberative democracy and how can it help?
youtu.be/IkTMr9Z6Kjk
youtu.be/IkTMr9Z6Kjk
Deliberative Polling and Democracy
YouTube video by Frankly Fukuyama
youtu.be
November 14, 2025 at 9:13 PM
What is deliberative democracy and how can it help?
youtu.be/IkTMr9Z6Kjk
youtu.be/IkTMr9Z6Kjk
“Who controls your attention?” Battles rage over freedom of EXPRESSION, but in the digital era, the real problem is freedom of ATTENTION. Everyone desiring freedom and democracy should be fighting for that!
Thanks to @frankfukuyama.bsky.social for supporting this movement. #FreeOurFeeds
Thanks to @frankfukuyama.bsky.social for supporting this movement. #FreeOurFeeds
November 13, 2025 at 4:41 PM
“Who controls your attention?” Battles rage over freedom of EXPRESSION, but in the digital era, the real problem is freedom of ATTENTION. Everyone desiring freedom and democracy should be fighting for that!
Thanks to @frankfukuyama.bsky.social for supporting this movement. #FreeOurFeeds
Thanks to @frankfukuyama.bsky.social for supporting this movement. #FreeOurFeeds
“Who controls your attention?” Battles rage over freedom of EXPRESSION, but in the digital era, the real problem is freedom of ATTENTION. Everyone desiring freedom and democracy should be fighting for that!
Thanks to @mchangama.bsky.social at @futurefreespeech.org for inviting this. #FreeOurFeeds
Thanks to @mchangama.bsky.social at @futurefreespeech.org for inviting this. #FreeOurFeeds
Can free expression survive if we’ve lost the freedom to choose what we hear?
A new guest post from @rreisman.bsky.social argues that censoring harmful ideas distracts from the root problem: platforms are in charge of what conversations we engage in.
A new guest post from @rreisman.bsky.social argues that censoring harmful ideas distracts from the root problem: platforms are in charge of what conversations we engage in.
November 4, 2025 at 7:33 PM
“Who controls your attention?” Battles rage over freedom of EXPRESSION, but in the digital era, the real problem is freedom of ATTENTION. Everyone desiring freedom and democracy should be fighting for that!
Thanks to @mchangama.bsky.social at @futurefreespeech.org for inviting this. #FreeOurFeeds
Thanks to @mchangama.bsky.social at @futurefreespeech.org for inviting this. #FreeOurFeeds
The arc of reality may bend slowly, but bends toward biting back.
“Earlier this month, a federal judge appointed by President Trump in 2019, did the worst thing you can do to Trump in a court of law: She took him seriously. She read his words, found them disconnected from reality and acted accordingly.” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/12/o...
Opinion | How a Trump Judge Exposed the Trump Con
www.nytimes.com
October 13, 2025 at 2:07 PM
The arc of reality may bend slowly, but bends toward biting back.
What most people think of as @bsky.app is just the tip of the @atprotocol.dev iceberg -- and this iceberg is growing -- from the top and bottom!
i wrote about atproto and why it matters
Open Social — overreacted
The protocol is the API.
overreacted.io
September 30, 2025 at 2:32 PM
What most people think of as @bsky.app is just the tip of the @atprotocol.dev iceberg -- and this iceberg is growing -- from the top and bottom!
Wow. Great work @danabra.mov!
Recruiting devs to the atproto ecosystem is a massive part of how atproto/Bluesky will win.
Great educational posts like this one doing well on HN is the most effective tactic available.
Many more devs still need to learn how much the atproto network has to offer.
Recruiting devs to the atproto ecosystem is a massive part of how atproto/Bluesky will win.
Great educational posts like this one doing well on HN is the most effective tactic available.
Many more devs still need to learn how much the atproto network has to offer.
i wrote about atproto and why it matters
September 30, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Reposted by Richard Reisman
We're excited to share the new Graze! Completely redesigned look, same powerful tooling. Check it out at graze.social ✨
Bluesky Custom Feeds - Built By You
Design, deploy, and grow custom feeds of any complexity on Bluesky with Graze.social.
graze.social
September 29, 2025 at 4:50 PM
We're excited to share the new Graze! Completely redesigned look, same powerful tooling. Check it out at graze.social ✨
Looking forward to the Global Free Speech Summit on October 3-4 in Nashville, with an impressive slate of speakers. Here are some thoughts going in, as I hope for added insights at the Summit. Thanks to @futurefreespeech.org and @mchangama.bsky.social. #FreeSpeechSummit2025
In 25 days, we’ll come together in Nashville to discuss resilient solutions to today’s most pressing free speech challenges, both online and offline.
🔗 Apply to the #FreeSpeechSummit2025, hosted with @vanderbilt.edu: https://globalfreespeechsummit.com/
🔗 Apply to the #FreeSpeechSummit2025, hosted with @vanderbilt.edu: https://globalfreespeechsummit.com/
September 29, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Looking forward to the Global Free Speech Summit on October 3-4 in Nashville, with an impressive slate of speakers. Here are some thoughts going in, as I hope for added insights at the Summit. Thanks to @futurefreespeech.org and @mchangama.bsky.social. #FreeSpeechSummit2025
Happy to see renewed attention to the innovative ideas of #FairPay revenue strategies in this thread by @kissane.bsky.social & @bmann.ca (with some comments added by me).
“But why can’t I pay per article??”
Because you won’t. You think you will and that other people will too but you won’t and they won’t. People hate them.
rreisman.medium.com/the-case-aga...
Because you won’t. You think you will and that other people will too but you won’t and they won’t. People hate them.
rreisman.medium.com/the-case-aga...
“The Case Against Micropayments” — From Fear and Surprise to The Comfy Chair
Micropayment hope springs eternal. Clay Shirky and Andrew Odlyzko drove a stake in its heart way back in the dot-com era, but here it is…
rreisman.medium.com
September 13, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Happy to see renewed attention to the innovative ideas of #FairPay revenue strategies in this thread by @kissane.bsky.social & @bmann.ca (with some comments added by me).
Reposted by Richard Reisman
Blueskyism: Nate Silver's argument (pro AND con) about the “vibe” of Bluesky as a "wokeist" “lib Twitter” misses the really important potential of Bluesky/ATproto's intrinsic ability to “Free Our Feeds” to let every user to filter for their own vibe - now in just early stages of emergence.🧵
September 5, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Blueskyism: Nate Silver's argument (pro AND con) about the “vibe” of Bluesky as a "wokeist" “lib Twitter” misses the really important potential of Bluesky/ATproto's intrinsic ability to “Free Our Feeds” to let every user to filter for their own vibe - now in just early stages of emergence.🧵
Reposted by Richard Reisman
Bluesky has been critical to Democracy Docket's growth and reach. Nate Silver is an idiot.
"Blueskyism" helped make The Onion one of the largest newspapers in the world in less than a year. If we had spent all of our time on Twitter, we'd be poorer, dumber and terminally ill with internet poisoning. He's just angry he's wasting away over there in a nazi agnostic lane that doesn't exist.
“Blueskyism”
Rent free lmao
Rent free lmao
September 1, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Bluesky has been critical to Democracy Docket's growth and reach. Nate Silver is an idiot.
Reposted by Richard Reisman
Unfortunately, Bluesky is unavailable in Mississippi right now, due to a new state law that requires age verification for all users.
While intended for child safety, we think this law poses broader challenges & creates significant barriers that limit free speech & harm smaller platforms like ours.
While intended for child safety, we think this law poses broader challenges & creates significant barriers that limit free speech & harm smaller platforms like ours.
August 22, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Unfortunately, Bluesky is unavailable in Mississippi right now, due to a new state law that requires age verification for all users.
While intended for child safety, we think this law poses broader challenges & creates significant barriers that limit free speech & harm smaller platforms like ours.
While intended for child safety, we think this law poses broader challenges & creates significant barriers that limit free speech & harm smaller platforms like ours.
Thoughts for discussion at 2nd day of #protocolsforpublishers, as perhaps the one thinking about these directions longest (for what it's worth) - some links 🧵:
- Directions for protocols
- Directions for publishers
- Big picture dynamics of online discourse
- Biz models for AI info agent services
- Directions for protocols
- Directions for publishers
- Big picture dynamics of online discourse
- Biz models for AI info agent services
August 21, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Thoughts for discussion at 2nd day of #protocolsforpublishers, as perhaps the one thinking about these directions longest (for what it's worth) - some links 🧵:
- Directions for protocols
- Directions for publishers
- Big picture dynamics of online discourse
- Biz models for AI info agent services
- Directions for protocols
- Directions for publishers
- Big picture dynamics of online discourse
- Biz models for AI info agent services
Nice summary of exciting gathering at the cusp of our still-possible future, via @werd.io
Really enjoying the talks at the #protocolsforpublishers showcase at @betaworks.com. 🧵
@bmann.ca gave a great introduction to the publishers and technologists in the room.
@bmann.ca gave a great introduction to the publishers and technologists in the room.
August 21, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Nice summary of exciting gathering at the cusp of our still-possible future, via @werd.io
Right on what is wrong and how to fix it! Must read. Via @rhodesben.bsky.social
How Short-Term Thinking Is Destroying America www.nytimes.com/2025/08/11/o...
Opinion | How Short-Term Thinking Is Destroying America
www.nytimes.com
August 17, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Right on what is wrong and how to fix it! Must read. Via @rhodesben.bsky.social
Reposted by Richard Reisman
Some observations on the agreement Brown struck with the administration. It is nine pages if anyone wants to read it. www.brown.edu/sites/defaul...
This are some things that jumped out to me as an alum and a lawyer. It's not a complete overview. 1/
This are some things that jumped out to me as an alum and a lawyer. It's not a complete overview. 1/
July 31, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Some observations on the agreement Brown struck with the administration. It is nine pages if anyone wants to read it. www.brown.edu/sites/defaul...
This are some things that jumped out to me as an alum and a lawyer. It's not a complete overview. 1/
This are some things that jumped out to me as an alum and a lawyer. It's not a complete overview. 1/
Very interesting reframing (and my comment suggests there may be market pricing mechanisms to drive toward capability-based pricing).
Victoria Sgarro and Madhav Tipu Ramachandran argue that the current state of digital platforms is not only a consequence of market forces or technological limitations, but also of the philosophical assumptions that guide the design of these platforms.
It’s Time to Rethink the Assumptions That Guide the Design of Tech Platforms | TechPolicy.Press
Victoria Sgarro and Madhav Tipu Ramachandran argue that the current state of platforms is a consequence of philosophical assumptions that need to be challenged.
www.techpolicy.press
August 10, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Very interesting reframing (and my comment suggests there may be market pricing mechanisms to drive toward capability-based pricing).
Insightful take on important governance issues...
I filed a comment in this Council of Europe consultation. It's in my best European regulator-ese, which is to say the writing is not punchy. But it gets into a bunch of topics I've been thinking about. 1/
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
August 10, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Insightful take on important governance issues...
Reposted by Richard Reisman
Thx Richard .. love your idea of "filtering for serendipity"!!
July 22, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Thx Richard .. love your idea of "filtering for serendipity"!!
Busy Times! @techpolicypress.bsky.social - increasingly essential reading, increasing energy in "issues & ideas at intersection of tech & democracy." This blog post ties my latest to others: @urbanz.bsky.social & @josemarichal.bsky.social (+ @robin.berjon.com)
ucm.teleshuttle.com/2025/07/tech...
ucm.teleshuttle.com/2025/07/tech...
Tech and Democracy: Busy Times in Tech Policy Press
[Working notes in progress, as I try to drink from and reflect on this firehose...] Tech Policy Press has become increasingly essential rea...
ucm.teleshuttle.com
July 22, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Busy Times! @techpolicypress.bsky.social - increasingly essential reading, increasing energy in "issues & ideas at intersection of tech & democracy." This blog post ties my latest to others: @urbanz.bsky.social & @josemarichal.bsky.social (+ @robin.berjon.com)
ucm.teleshuttle.com/2025/07/tech...
ucm.teleshuttle.com/2025/07/tech...
Humanity now faces a fateful choice:
Will AI help us think & work better, or make things worse, perhaps irreversibly?
Will our tools support us, or their builders—manipulating & exploiting us & our data?
As I explain in @techpolicypress.bsky.social the key question is “Who does it serve?”
Will AI help us think & work better, or make things worse, perhaps irreversibly?
Will our tools support us, or their builders—manipulating & exploiting us & our data?
As I explain in @techpolicypress.bsky.social the key question is “Who does it serve?”
AI can help protect democracies or empower those who threaten freedom: corporations, oligarchs, or governments. The key question is: who does AI serve? We should all care about the answer, writes Richard Reisman (@rreisman.bsky.social).
To Make Sure AI Advances Democracy, First Ask, ‘Who Does It Serve?’ | TechPolicy.Press
AI must serve the people who use it to engage in free expression and make democratic decisions, writes Richard Reisman.
www.techpolicy.press
July 16, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Humanity now faces a fateful choice:
Will AI help us think & work better, or make things worse, perhaps irreversibly?
Will our tools support us, or their builders—manipulating & exploiting us & our data?
As I explain in @techpolicypress.bsky.social the key question is “Who does it serve?”
Will AI help us think & work better, or make things worse, perhaps irreversibly?
Will our tools support us, or their builders—manipulating & exploiting us & our data?
As I explain in @techpolicypress.bsky.social the key question is “Who does it serve?”
Great thread by @katestarbird.bsky.social explains the problem—
AND an essential urgent step toward solution is to #FreeOurFeeds with #middleware to rebuild communities and how they mediate our sensemaking, as my comment explains.
AND an essential urgent step toward solution is to #FreeOurFeeds with #middleware to rebuild communities and how they mediate our sensemaking, as my comment explains.
Vital point here. The frames of political discourse — which are shaped by the structure of the info environment and by both strategic & organic communication — shape how people interpret their own experiences. We're not dealing with a problem of bad "facts" ... but one of corrupted sensemaking.
What many of us warned, & what is unavoidably clear now, is that there is no privileged sphere of "real life" that is sheltered, separate from the information environment. It's narratives all the way down -- even to the point that they shape *how people experience their own material circumstances*.
July 3, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Great thread by @katestarbird.bsky.social explains the problem—
AND an essential urgent step toward solution is to #FreeOurFeeds with #middleware to rebuild communities and how they mediate our sensemaking, as my comment explains.
AND an essential urgent step toward solution is to #FreeOurFeeds with #middleware to rebuild communities and how they mediate our sensemaking, as my comment explains.
How to Reclaim Social Media from Big Tech:
Middleware, an idea whose time has come.
Now in @frankfukuyama.bsky.social's Persuasion Community - by @noupside.bsky.social and me. #FreeOurFeeds
The conclusion and some key ideas in this thread... 🧵 1/10
www.persuasion.community/p/how-to-rec...
Middleware, an idea whose time has come.
Now in @frankfukuyama.bsky.social's Persuasion Community - by @noupside.bsky.social and me. #FreeOurFeeds
The conclusion and some key ideas in this thread... 🧵 1/10
www.persuasion.community/p/how-to-rec...
How to Reclaim Social Media from Big Tech
“Middleware” is an idea whose time has come.
www.persuasion.community
July 2, 2025 at 4:47 PM
How to Reclaim Social Media from Big Tech:
Middleware, an idea whose time has come.
Now in @frankfukuyama.bsky.social's Persuasion Community - by @noupside.bsky.social and me. #FreeOurFeeds
The conclusion and some key ideas in this thread... 🧵 1/10
www.persuasion.community/p/how-to-rec...
Middleware, an idea whose time has come.
Now in @frankfukuyama.bsky.social's Persuasion Community - by @noupside.bsky.social and me. #FreeOurFeeds
The conclusion and some key ideas in this thread... 🧵 1/10
www.persuasion.community/p/how-to-rec...
Yes! @freeourfeeds.com, @robin.berjon.com, @rudyfraser.com's @moderation.blacksky.app.
This is why I argue for Three Pillars: Individual Agency, Social Mediation Ecosystem (= Communities), and Reputation.
www.techpolicy.press/three-pillar...
This is why I argue for Three Pillars: Individual Agency, Social Mediation Ecosystem (= Communities), and Reputation.
www.techpolicy.press/three-pillar...
June 29, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Yes! @freeourfeeds.com, @robin.berjon.com, @rudyfraser.com's @moderation.blacksky.app.
This is why I argue for Three Pillars: Individual Agency, Social Mediation Ecosystem (= Communities), and Reputation.
www.techpolicy.press/three-pillar...
This is why I argue for Three Pillars: Individual Agency, Social Mediation Ecosystem (= Communities), and Reputation.
www.techpolicy.press/three-pillar...