Johannes Ernst
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j12t.org
Johannes Ernst
@j12t.org
Engineer, founder, organizer. More: https://j12t.org
Your annual reminder from the experience of this fellow sufferer of seasonal allergies (it has started in California):

The single most effective medication against seasonal allergy symptoms is a good air filter.

I have one two feet from my desk, and it makes all the difference. No med can compete.
February 4, 2026 at 8:02 PM
Reposted by Johannes Ernst
Even if you don't have time to read all 83 pages of Judge Reyes's opinion barring the Trump administration from rescinding Temporary Protected Status for 350,000+ Haitians, please at least check out the four-page introduction.

It's a tour de force:

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 3, 2026 at 1:06 AM
X finally takes off. Into space.

By way of SpaceX acquiring xAI, which acquired what's left of Twitter.

techcrunch.com/2026/...

#X #socialmedia
Elon Musk's SpaceX officially acquires Elon Musk's xAI, with plan to build data centers in space | TechCrunch
The merger creates the world's most valuable private company, and paves the way for Musk to try and prove out the usefulness of space-based data centers.
techcrunch.com
February 2, 2026 at 10:46 PM
Reposted by Johannes Ernst
How do we build more escape hatches from closed Big Tech social media? @fediforum.org is looking for ideas on how to grow the Open Social Web!

Submit a position paper for their Un-workshop by Feb. 16th, hosted by @j12t.org and @mmasnick.bsky.social:

fediforum.org/2026-03-grow...
January 30, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Reposted by Johannes Ernst
The ad-free, algorithm-free, data collection-free TikTok alternative, Loops, is now available in the App Store.

apps.apple.com/us/app/loops...

More about the app: joinloops.org

#loops #fediverse #TikTok
Loops by Pixelfed App - App Store
Download Loops by Pixelfed by Daniel Supernault on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips, and more games like Loops by Pixelfed.
apps.apple.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:10 AM
Next #nokings US-wide protests March 28.

No, you don't have anything better to do that day.
No Kings
As the president escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS non-violent movement continues to rise stronger. We are united once again to remind the world: America has No Kings and the power belongs to the people.
www.nokings.org
January 29, 2026 at 9:51 PM
From the land of the (supposedly) free.
ICE Making List of Anyone Who Films Them
“We have a nice little database and now you’re considered a domestic terrorist.”
www.kenklippenstein.com
January 28, 2026 at 5:38 PM
Anybody have a feel for "Universal Commerce Protocol" see ucp.dev/latest/ ?

Never mind the AI angle and all that, but is this basically an API for making purchases?
Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)
The common language for platforms, agents and businesses.
ucp.dev
January 28, 2026 at 1:15 AM
Reposted by Johannes Ernst
Lately there's been plenty of talk about the state of the "open social web" and why there are still so many people refusing to embrace it. Too much of it has been hand-wringing. It's time to come up with some ideas on how to get more people to embrace what's possible here.
January 23, 2026 at 6:55 PM
Reposted by Johannes Ernst
@rbreich.bsky.social outlines the theory of the case for turning institutions against fascism. In addition to and coordinated with massive peaceful protest, this is what we need to focus on.
How To Mobilize America Against Fascism
What you can do, beyond party politics
robertreich.substack.com
January 17, 2026 at 6:34 PM
The German press reports that the new US ambassador to Iceland introduced himself by describing Iceland as the 52nd US state and himself as governor. That presumably counts Greenland as 51st. Supposedly as a joke.

So … how far can we count?
1/2
January 16, 2026 at 8:40 PM
“Not only did the #AI model now produce insecure code, but it also recommended hiring a hit man to kill your spouse”

Perfectly well understood and being technology, obviously.

www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/12/1...
Meet the new biologists treating LLMs like aliens
By studying large language models as if they were living things instead of computer programs, scientists are discovering some of their secrets for the first time.
www.technologyreview.com
January 16, 2026 at 6:32 AM
Reposted by Johannes Ernst
The main bank account holding revenue from the Venezuelan oil sales is located in Qatar.

“There is no basis in law for a president to set up an offshore account that he controls so that he can sell assets seized by the American military,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

www.semafor.com/article/01/1...
Exclusive: US gets first $500 million Venezuelan oil deal, holding some proceeds in Qatar
The details shared with Semafor mark an initial milestone in the administration’s plan following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro.
www.semafor.com
January 15, 2026 at 4:42 AM
Reposted by Johannes Ernst
A nurse nearly blinded by a tear gas canister. Protesters struggling to breathe.

Under Trump 2.0, federal agents have routinely countered protesters using "less lethal" weapons in ways that some experts say might be criminal.

➡️ Read more (w/ @frontlinepbs.bsky.social): https://propub.li/4qjXYdX
January 16, 2026 at 2:00 AM
ActivityPub standardization is back! The #W3C just announced a new Working Group to evolve #ActivityPub and #ActivityStream and related standards! This is extremely good news. It's not like all the world's federated social media protocol problems were already solved! lists.w3.org/Archive...
January 15, 2026 at 6:13 PM
One of the pitches that is being made about decentralized social media is that it can be censorship resistant.

Iran has been in a situation of maximum censorship for days now, as they simply turned off all communication services.

How would...
1/2
January 13, 2026 at 11:43 PM
Wise words from Anil.
How the hell are you supposed to have a career in tech in 2026? - Anil Dash
A blog about making culture. Since 1999.
www.anildash.com
January 7, 2026 at 5:23 PM
Welcome 2026!

This will be the year of the Open Social Web. The commercial social media platforms are sinking in an ever-growing avalanche of inane ads, AI slop, and political manipulation.

Previously trustworthy organizations are being neutralized or coopted by an unholy alliance of...
1/4
January 5, 2026 at 4:49 PM
This whole Venezuela business increasingly looks to me like it’s even more batshit crazy than the usual stuff the Trump admin is doing. Even if we ignore the illegality, the precedence setting etc …
January 4, 2026 at 9:12 PM