When Computers Became Appliances
Computers became easier to use when they started acting like appliances, but that convenience came with a loss of control.
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Dispatches
Technology, the independent web, and assorted dead protocols.
AI Slop Isn’t the Same Thing as AI-Assisted Work
AI slop is not defined by whether a machine was involved. It is defined by the absence of judgment, responsibility, and human intent.
The Case for Owning Your Online Identity
Owning your online identity starts with having a home on the Internet that is not rented from a platform.
Why Old Software Sometimes Feels Better
Old software often feels better because it was smaller, more direct, and less interested in managing the user.
What Is Gemini and Why Would Anyone Use It?
Gemini is a small Internet protocol for people who want reading, linking, and publishing without dragging the whole modern web along with it.
The Strange Persistence of IRC
IRC keeps surviving because it does one old Internet job plainly, without pretending to be a platform.
Can You Still Use an Old OS on the Modern Web?
Old operating systems can still be useful, but the modern web is often the hardest and least forgiving job we ask them to do.
What We Lost When Websites Became Platforms
Platforms made publishing and communication much easier, but we gave up ownership, interoperability and some control over how we find and share information online.
Why RSS Never Really Died
RSS never died; it quietly kept working while the rest of the web became more centralized, algorithmic, and controlled.
Why I Left Cloudflare
Cloudflare makes running a website easier, but that convenience comes with a level of centralization and dependency I no longer want.