Jonathan Bellack
@bellack.com
Author of the Platformocracy newsletter, Advisory Fellow at Harvard's Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, 30-year Internet veteran, Xoogler, grilling/smoking, an old house, and many, many comic books.
Pinned
Jonathan Bellack
@bellack.com
· Jun 6
Bluesky trust and safety is too important to be left to Bluesky
Bluesky is open about almost everything, except setting and enforcing their community guidelines. They have an opportunity to lead the Internet forward with a democratic alternative.
www.platformocracy.com
I love almost everything about @bsky.app. I don’t love that despite an admirable layer of open moderation, the company retains final power over setting and enforcing rules on its app. I propose separating @safety.bsky.app & @moderation.bsky.app from the Bluesky company, under community control.
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
I really wish we'd stop calling them climate "skeptics" or "vaccine skeptics", if you jump off a cliff we don't call you a "gravity skeptic"
November 25, 2025 at 8:18 PM
I really wish we'd stop calling them climate "skeptics" or "vaccine skeptics", if you jump off a cliff we don't call you a "gravity skeptic"
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
Are we not even making our own disinformation? What happened to American manufacturing?
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
November 24, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Are we not even making our own disinformation? What happened to American manufacturing?
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
November 23, 2025 at 7:13 PM
I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
Sill's bookmarks have a new update! By using the community lexicon for bookmarks, you can publish Sill bookmarks to your PDS and interoperate with other bookmarking apps across the ATmosphere!
Some new Sill features
Launching tagged bookmarks, more link metadata, and a rearchitecture
blog.euphonos.studio
November 24, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Sill's bookmarks have a new update! By using the community lexicon for bookmarks, you can publish Sill bookmarks to your PDS and interoperate with other bookmarking apps across the ATmosphere!
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.
November 23, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
Good to know your options while you’re still in control. Being able to take your data & identity across platforms really matters now. But @bellack.com’s piece also hits the real question - who’s watching the watcher?
#Decentralization #DigitalRights #OpenSocialWeb #ActivityPub #ATProto #SocialMedia
#Decentralization #DigitalRights #OpenSocialWeb #ActivityPub #ATProto #SocialMedia
Exit and Interoperability Exist Today, If You Know Where To Look
Outside the big walled gardens, the open social web is making Exit and interoperability a reality. I review a few projects that I’m excited about, and where I think they could take us next.
www.platformocracy.com
November 23, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Good to know your options while you’re still in control. Being able to take your data & identity across platforms really matters now. But @bellack.com’s piece also hits the real question - who’s watching the watcher?
#Decentralization #DigitalRights #OpenSocialWeb #ActivityPub #ATProto #SocialMedia
#Decentralization #DigitalRights #OpenSocialWeb #ActivityPub #ATProto #SocialMedia
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
@andytseng.bsky.social @bellack.com
>Fediverse doesn’t use DIDs
>There is a proposal out there for a Fediverse-specific DID, but I am not aware of it being implemented anywhere yet.
There is another proposal that has 3 implementations: https://fediverse.codeberg.page/fep/fep/ef61/
>Fediverse doesn’t use DIDs
>There is a proposal out there for a Fediverse-specific DID, but I am not aware of it being implemented anywhere yet.
There is another proposal that has 3 implementations: https://fediverse.codeberg.page/fep/fep/ef61/
FEP-ef61: Portable Objects - Fediverse Enhancement Proposals
Portable ActivityPub objects with server-independent IDs.
fediverse.codeberg.page
November 23, 2025 at 8:49 PM
@andytseng.bsky.social @bellack.com
>Fediverse doesn’t use DIDs
>There is a proposal out there for a Fediverse-specific DID, but I am not aware of it being implemented anywhere yet.
There is another proposal that has 3 implementations: https://fediverse.codeberg.page/fep/fep/ef61/
>Fediverse doesn’t use DIDs
>There is a proposal out there for a Fediverse-specific DID, but I am not aware of it being implemented anywhere yet.
There is another proposal that has 3 implementations: https://fediverse.codeberg.page/fep/fep/ef61/
Great piece by my friend @scottstein.bsky.social about how everyone wants screaming these days but it's OK, and even important, to push back and want to not be screaming. Definitely captures something hard about existing these days. Read this.
Intertwixt 13: Do You Want Me To Scream?
Ranting against ranting
intertwixt.beehiiv.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Great piece by my friend @scottstein.bsky.social about how everyone wants screaming these days but it's OK, and even important, to push back and want to not be screaming. Definitely captures something hard about existing these days. Read this.
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
I see a lot of Paidchecks on X didn’t realize that a whole lot of people on social media lie about their location to grift off the naïveté of the rage-addled American right.
Turns out this problem is real and it’s a thing those of us who worked on “disinformation” pointed out.
Turns out this problem is real and it’s a thing those of us who worked on “disinformation” pointed out.
November 23, 2025 at 5:11 AM
I see a lot of Paidchecks on X didn’t realize that a whole lot of people on social media lie about their location to grift off the naïveté of the rage-addled American right.
Turns out this problem is real and it’s a thing those of us who worked on “disinformation” pointed out.
Turns out this problem is real and it’s a thing those of us who worked on “disinformation” pointed out.
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
anyone who can help with this
November 21, 2025 at 6:33 PM
anyone who can help with this
I've talked a lot about the need for Exit from big social platforms. The good news is Exit and interoperability exist today, if you know where to look! In this week's Platformocracy, I go on a whirlwind tour of technologies and projects that make this possible. Here are a few to know. 1/6
Exit and Interoperability Exist Today, If You Know Where To Look
Outside the big walled gardens, the open social web is making Exit and interoperability a reality. I review a few projects that I’m excited about, and where I think they could take us next.
www.platformocracy.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:13 PM
I've talked a lot about the need for Exit from big social platforms. The good news is Exit and interoperability exist today, if you know where to look! In this week's Platformocracy, I go on a whirlwind tour of technologies and projects that make this possible. Here are a few to know. 1/6
🤯
Wow!
This is actually *really* useful as a teaching tool.
This is actually *really* useful as a teaching tool.
November 20, 2025 at 4:45 PM
🤯
These are good changes. The commitment to transparency with the user and more gradations of enforcement action are really positive steps. Thanks @safety.bsky.app !
Updates to Our Moderation Process - Bluesky
We're improving our in-app reporting and introducing new moderation systems and processes to better serve the Bluesky community.
bsky.social
November 19, 2025 at 8:19 PM
These are good changes. The commitment to transparency with the user and more gradations of enforcement action are really positive steps. Thanks @safety.bsky.app !
Magnificent.
November 17, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Magnificent.
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
The GUARD Act may look like a child-safety bill, but in practice it’s an age-gating mandate that could impose a mass censorship and surveillance regime on nearly every public-facing AI chatbot. Tell Congress to oppose the GUARD Act today. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
A Surveillance Mandate Disguised As Child Safety: Why the GUARD Act
A new bill sponsored by Sen. Hawley (D-MO), Sen. Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. Britt (R-AL), Sen. Warner (D-VA), and Sen. Murphy (D-CT) would require AI chatbots to verify all users’ ages, prohibit minors
www.eff.org
November 16, 2025 at 4:58 PM
The GUARD Act may look like a child-safety bill, but in practice it’s an age-gating mandate that could impose a mass censorship and surveillance regime on nearly every public-facing AI chatbot. Tell Congress to oppose the GUARD Act today. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
Sigh. I want to like these folks but I wish they would stop stepping on rakes. *taps sign, again*
Bluesky trust and safety is too important to be left to Bluesky
Bluesky is open about almost everything, except setting and enforcing their community guidelines. They have an opportunity to lead the Internet forward with a democratic alternative.
www.platformocracy.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Sigh. I want to like these folks but I wish they would stop stepping on rakes. *taps sign, again*
It's a home and away series today! @robleathern.bsky.social and I have traded newsletters to continue our reaction to @jeffhorwitz.bsky.social article about Meta's shockingly high fraud rates. 1/3
November 14, 2025 at 2:00 PM
It's a home and away series today! @robleathern.bsky.social and I have traded newsletters to continue our reaction to @jeffhorwitz.bsky.social article about Meta's shockingly high fraud rates. 1/3
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
one to be aware of, browsers allow any website to go full screen, so now ClickFix are faking Windows update reboot prompts to get remote access for ransomware groups.
cyberplace.social/@GossiTheDog...
cyberplace.social/@GossiTheDog...
Kevin Beaumont (@[email protected])
Attached: 1 image
Interesting one spotted by Daniel B in the NHS - ClickFix (fake browser adverts to encourage people to run commands which provide remote access) have a new technique - they use brow...
cyberplace.social
November 13, 2025 at 12:15 PM
one to be aware of, browsers allow any website to go full screen, so now ClickFix are faking Windows update reboot prompts to get remote access for ransomware groups.
cyberplace.social/@GossiTheDog...
cyberplace.social/@GossiTheDog...
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both."
Justice Louis Brandeis, born on this day in 1856
Justice Louis Brandeis, born on this day in 1856
November 13, 2025 at 11:08 AM
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both."
Justice Louis Brandeis, born on this day in 1856
Justice Louis Brandeis, born on this day in 1856
This is why doing moderation in secret is bad. You can’t learn and correct for context if you won’t let anyone know what you’re doing.
This is why I crash out about “cultural competency”
Here’s why .
Article was about Johnny Cash .
And it’s a prime non racialized example of why context matters and moderation that rewrites culture along power lines misss a critical facets
Also AAVE Becoming “Gen z” slang
Here’s why .
Article was about Johnny Cash .
And it’s a prime non racialized example of why context matters and moderation that rewrites culture along power lines misss a critical facets
Also AAVE Becoming “Gen z” slang
The account owner of @sarahkendzior.bsky.social was suspended for 72 hours for expressing a desire to shoot the author of an article. The post, made 11/10, stated: "I want to shoot the author of this article just to watch him die." 1/2
November 13, 2025 at 1:22 AM
This is why doing moderation in secret is bad. You can’t learn and correct for context if you won’t let anyone know what you’re doing.
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
In a closed ecosystem the system’s creator has to come up with the killer use case.
In an open ecosystem anyone can come up with the killer use case.
In an open ecosystem anyone can come up with the killer use case.
November 12, 2025 at 12:00 AM
In a closed ecosystem the system’s creator has to come up with the killer use case.
In an open ecosystem anyone can come up with the killer use case.
In an open ecosystem anyone can come up with the killer use case.
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
The thing to understand about this is that this catastrophe in the UK has redounded to the political benefit of the very same people and political movement that pushed for it! Extremely perverse.
I wonder if the United States can learn anything from the last time a major industrialized country decided to isolate itself from the rest of the world?
Almost a decade after the Brexit vote, GDP in the UK is around 6-8% lower relative to peer countries. (Source: www.nber.org/papers/w34459)
Almost a decade after the Brexit vote, GDP in the UK is around 6-8% lower relative to peer countries. (Source: www.nber.org/papers/w34459)
November 11, 2025 at 5:23 PM
The thing to understand about this is that this catastrophe in the UK has redounded to the political benefit of the very same people and political movement that pushed for it! Extremely perverse.
Sigh. Secret courts are bad, actually. In the real world, the right to a public trial is guaranteed in the US 6th Amendment and the European Convention on Human Rights.
[To be clear, the big platforms are also wreaking secret justice constantly. I just think Bluesky is a chance to do better.]
[To be clear, the big platforms are also wreaking secret justice constantly. I just think Bluesky is a chance to do better.]
Our policy has been not to comment on individual accounts. You end up having to litigate every case in public, and we don’t have the capacity for infinite debates in public.
Then there’s also the consequences such as the increased litigation and bad actors gaming your systems.
Then there’s also the consequences such as the increased litigation and bad actors gaming your systems.
November 11, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Sigh. Secret courts are bad, actually. In the real world, the right to a public trial is guaranteed in the US 6th Amendment and the European Convention on Human Rights.
[To be clear, the big platforms are also wreaking secret justice constantly. I just think Bluesky is a chance to do better.]
[To be clear, the big platforms are also wreaking secret justice constantly. I just think Bluesky is a chance to do better.]
Reposted by Jonathan Bellack
