Chris James
@chris.whywhatsnext.com
+ indie web presence | - walled gardens
+ creating art to share | - commodified content
+ intentional futureshaping | - being tossed by algos
+ decentralization | - society's eggs in a single basket
+ creating art to share | - commodified content
+ intentional futureshaping | - being tossed by algos
+ decentralization | - society's eggs in a single basket
Are there other possible operations in the spec? Not just changing, but a join/link/unlink?
Link: I might want two pseudonymous accounts that aren't publicly linked. Later down the road I might want to verify that I am indeed both accounts.
Unlink: Brand account temporary delegation. (e.g. POTUS?)
Link: I might want two pseudonymous accounts that aren't publicly linked. Later down the road I might want to verify that I am indeed both accounts.
Unlink: Brand account temporary delegation. (e.g. POTUS?)
January 19, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Are there other possible operations in the spec? Not just changing, but a join/link/unlink?
Link: I might want two pseudonymous accounts that aren't publicly linked. Later down the road I might want to verify that I am indeed both accounts.
Unlink: Brand account temporary delegation. (e.g. POTUS?)
Link: I might want two pseudonymous accounts that aren't publicly linked. Later down the road I might want to verify that I am indeed both accounts.
Unlink: Brand account temporary delegation. (e.g. POTUS?)
In the case of did:plc, does the DID issuer also retain the ability to exercise control (e.g. deletion/transfer) over the keys?
(I'm not an IT guy, but I *think* the question is essentially, does the issuer also have the private key to the account? or just the hash, to verify?)
(I'm not an IT guy, but I *think* the question is essentially, does the issuer also have the private key to the account? or just the hash, to verify?)
January 19, 2026 at 11:17 AM
In the case of did:plc, does the DID issuer also retain the ability to exercise control (e.g. deletion/transfer) over the keys?
(I'm not an IT guy, but I *think* the question is essentially, does the issuer also have the private key to the account? or just the hash, to verify?)
(I'm not an IT guy, but I *think* the question is essentially, does the issuer also have the private key to the account? or just the hash, to verify?)
He just articulated it:
It's because he didn't get the Nobel Prize. "Oh, I wasn't peaceful enough for you? Let's see how you like non-peace!" Typical abuser move.
It's because he didn't get the Nobel Prize. "Oh, I wasn't peaceful enough for you? Let's see how you like non-peace!" Typical abuser move.
![President Trump has asked that the following message, shared with Prime
Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, be forwarded to your [named head of
government/state]
"Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel
Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation
to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now
think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.
Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they
have a "right of ownership" anyway? There are no written documents, it's
only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats
landing there, also. I have done more for NATO than any other person since
its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The
World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of
Greenland. Thank you! President
DJT"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ua5vxnuxebjtxw4ymtwkotdz/bafkreihiphrll7236qpgmzdalpr7xkohvpkm4xjxif32u2hlrnrg5nvhfi@jpeg)
January 19, 2026 at 11:10 AM
He just articulated it:
It's because he didn't get the Nobel Prize. "Oh, I wasn't peaceful enough for you? Let's see how you like non-peace!" Typical abuser move.
It's because he didn't get the Nobel Prize. "Oh, I wasn't peaceful enough for you? Let's see how you like non-peace!" Typical abuser move.
IMHO the hardest parts of 'identity' are: - 'central authority issuance and maintenance' ( with the ability to lose my keys and not be able to regenerate them) and going forward: 'proof of personhood'
Solve those, and we can solve app-interoperability and botspam. Best attempt so far is World Orb 😬
Solve those, and we can solve app-interoperability and botspam. Best attempt so far is World Orb 😬
January 19, 2026 at 8:50 AM
IMHO the hardest parts of 'identity' are: - 'central authority issuance and maintenance' ( with the ability to lose my keys and not be able to regenerate them) and going forward: 'proof of personhood'
Solve those, and we can solve app-interoperability and botspam. Best attempt so far is World Orb 😬
Solve those, and we can solve app-interoperability and botspam. Best attempt so far is World Orb 😬
Very helpful write up!
But I'm still bothered by the last, hardest problem of identity - the ownership and final authority. IIUC, we're still trusting a central authority to issue and maintain the DID authentication?
And if I lose my keys or pw, the central authority won't let me back in. Correct?
But I'm still bothered by the last, hardest problem of identity - the ownership and final authority. IIUC, we're still trusting a central authority to issue and maintain the DID authentication?
And if I lose my keys or pw, the central authority won't let me back in. Correct?
January 19, 2026 at 8:31 AM
Very helpful write up!
But I'm still bothered by the last, hardest problem of identity - the ownership and final authority. IIUC, we're still trusting a central authority to issue and maintain the DID authentication?
And if I lose my keys or pw, the central authority won't let me back in. Correct?
But I'm still bothered by the last, hardest problem of identity - the ownership and final authority. IIUC, we're still trusting a central authority to issue and maintain the DID authentication?
And if I lose my keys or pw, the central authority won't let me back in. Correct?
Sounds like Jesse Welles' "Join ICE":
"Well, I failed the academy, the cops weren't havin' me
The Army didn't sound that fun
So I found me a paramilitary operation
That was keen to hand me a gun"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=61I4...
"Well, I failed the academy, the cops weren't havin' me
The Army didn't sound that fun
So I found me a paramilitary operation
That was keen to hand me a gun"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=61I4...
"Join ICE" - Jesse Welles (LIVE on The Late Show)
YouTube video by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
www.youtube.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:44 AM
Sounds like Jesse Welles' "Join ICE":
"Well, I failed the academy, the cops weren't havin' me
The Army didn't sound that fun
So I found me a paramilitary operation
That was keen to hand me a gun"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=61I4...
"Well, I failed the academy, the cops weren't havin' me
The Army didn't sound that fun
So I found me a paramilitary operation
That was keen to hand me a gun"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=61I4...
Hmmm. I think it was always making fun of the perspective it was writing from...
Complaining about 'Y'all don't know what it's like
Being male, middle-class and white' was satire a bit ahead of its time.
Or am I missing something?
Complaining about 'Y'all don't know what it's like
Being male, middle-class and white' was satire a bit ahead of its time.
Or am I missing something?
January 15, 2026 at 2:46 PM
Hmmm. I think it was always making fun of the perspective it was writing from...
Complaining about 'Y'all don't know what it's like
Being male, middle-class and white' was satire a bit ahead of its time.
Or am I missing something?
Complaining about 'Y'all don't know what it's like
Being male, middle-class and white' was satire a bit ahead of its time.
Or am I missing something?
But I fear it would be hard for an academic to seriously entertain any rigorous philosophizing about that without it seeming way to far off in left field. (And would attract the wrong crowd of followers.)
December 16, 2025 at 5:00 PM
But I fear it would be hard for an academic to seriously entertain any rigorous philosophizing about that without it seeming way to far off in left field. (And would attract the wrong crowd of followers.)
Unfortunately, I think that brings an uncomfortable implication: if understanding _is_ essentially equivalent to (or emerges from) the embedded relationship between concepts, then we really do need to contend LLMs vector spaces, and whether 'processing' a prompt constitutes an 'experience'.
December 16, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Unfortunately, I think that brings an uncomfortable implication: if understanding _is_ essentially equivalent to (or emerges from) the embedded relationship between concepts, then we really do need to contend LLMs vector spaces, and whether 'processing' a prompt constitutes an 'experience'.
In simple terms: If the man has the lookup in his head, then he _does_ by definition understand. But If the rules of Chinese are in a book in the room, then we might say that the Room understands Chinese, the person does not. Much like my tongue does not understand English, but my brain does.
December 16, 2025 at 4:53 PM
In simple terms: If the man has the lookup in his head, then he _does_ by definition understand. But If the rules of Chinese are in a book in the room, then we might say that the Room understands Chinese, the person does not. Much like my tongue does not understand English, but my brain does.
The Chinese room is helpful, but it sidesteps an important possibility. It assumes the possibility that "true understanding" can be separate from the "ability to do the lookups".
That model precludes the possibility of consciousness/understanding being emergent from the structure of data processing.
That model precludes the possibility of consciousness/understanding being emergent from the structure of data processing.
December 16, 2025 at 4:47 PM
The Chinese room is helpful, but it sidesteps an important possibility. It assumes the possibility that "true understanding" can be separate from the "ability to do the lookups".
That model precludes the possibility of consciousness/understanding being emergent from the structure of data processing.
That model precludes the possibility of consciousness/understanding being emergent from the structure of data processing.
That is a very sneakily clever showcase of what bases is capable of.
Gotta dive into it now.
Obsidian has been my favorite piece of software in the past years. Thank you!
Gotta dive into it now.
Obsidian has been my favorite piece of software in the past years. Thank you!
September 10, 2025 at 4:54 PM
That is a very sneakily clever showcase of what bases is capable of.
Gotta dive into it now.
Obsidian has been my favorite piece of software in the past years. Thank you!
Gotta dive into it now.
Obsidian has been my favorite piece of software in the past years. Thank you!
That's actually much longer of a runway than I expected!
However, I can't help but worry that the '10% growth forever' model that the developed world's economic system is based on, has been subsidized by the pop growth rate. And when the demographic pyramid inverts, the GDP gears start grinding.
However, I can't help but worry that the '10% growth forever' model that the developed world's economic system is based on, has been subsidized by the pop growth rate. And when the demographic pyramid inverts, the GDP gears start grinding.
August 11, 2025 at 3:51 PM
That's actually much longer of a runway than I expected!
However, I can't help but worry that the '10% growth forever' model that the developed world's economic system is based on, has been subsidized by the pop growth rate. And when the demographic pyramid inverts, the GDP gears start grinding.
However, I can't help but worry that the '10% growth forever' model that the developed world's economic system is based on, has been subsidized by the pop growth rate. And when the demographic pyramid inverts, the GDP gears start grinding.
Ah, I think we might be talking about diff problems.
I'm concerned about the 150-year global problem. I agree that immigration solves it for select countries, coming from developing countries. All dev. countries have followed the low tfr trajectory, then we run out.
The Earth is a closed system.
I'm concerned about the 150-year global problem. I agree that immigration solves it for select countries, coming from developing countries. All dev. countries have followed the low tfr trajectory, then we run out.
The Earth is a closed system.
August 11, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Ah, I think we might be talking about diff problems.
I'm concerned about the 150-year global problem. I agree that immigration solves it for select countries, coming from developing countries. All dev. countries have followed the low tfr trajectory, then we run out.
The Earth is a closed system.
I'm concerned about the 150-year global problem. I agree that immigration solves it for select countries, coming from developing countries. All dev. countries have followed the low tfr trajectory, then we run out.
The Earth is a closed system.
But isn't this time different? 19th c. childhood mortality meant eff. replacement rates were higher, right?
Worries then were about going below 2.5 or 3. But we offset that with good healthcare, so 2.1 is a good rate.
Can't offset sub-2.0 birthrate with healthcare. Only immortality. Where am I off?
Worries then were about going below 2.5 or 3. But we offset that with good healthcare, so 2.1 is a good rate.
Can't offset sub-2.0 birthrate with healthcare. Only immortality. Where am I off?
August 10, 2025 at 6:23 PM
But isn't this time different? 19th c. childhood mortality meant eff. replacement rates were higher, right?
Worries then were about going below 2.5 or 3. But we offset that with good healthcare, so 2.1 is a good rate.
Can't offset sub-2.0 birthrate with healthcare. Only immortality. Where am I off?
Worries then were about going below 2.5 or 3. But we offset that with good healthcare, so 2.1 is a good rate.
Can't offset sub-2.0 birthrate with healthcare. Only immortality. Where am I off?
Caricature in US. Tuesday here in Hungary.
bsky.app/profile/szab...
At least US has a culture where that is outrageous. It means there's still hope.
bsky.app/profile/szab...
At least US has a culture where that is outrageous. It means there's still hope.
Sounds familiar. Two years ago, Donald Trump’s Hungarian fanboy, Viktor Orbán, had his government fire the head of the National Meteorological Service after forecasted storms missed Budapest—causing an unnecessary cancellation of fireworks.
August 1, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Caricature in US. Tuesday here in Hungary.
bsky.app/profile/szab...
At least US has a culture where that is outrageous. It means there's still hope.
bsky.app/profile/szab...
At least US has a culture where that is outrageous. It means there's still hope.
Thanks, will check the reference. I can't help but wonder if that statement will hold much past 2040 though.
Not saying if that's good or bad, I just think that 1000s of years of legal framework and theory is based on humans being the primary agents. The future is weirdly different.
Not saying if that's good or bad, I just think that 1000s of years of legal framework and theory is based on humans being the primary agents. The future is weirdly different.
August 1, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Thanks, will check the reference. I can't help but wonder if that statement will hold much past 2040 though.
Not saying if that's good or bad, I just think that 1000s of years of legal framework and theory is based on humans being the primary agents. The future is weirdly different.
Not saying if that's good or bad, I just think that 1000s of years of legal framework and theory is based on humans being the primary agents. The future is weirdly different.
The question of 1st Am. rights to 'express' is a hairy one when code is speech and corporations are people (thus corpo AI is people) - The 21st century needs to see a new framework. With pieces of current patent and copyright/license law reconfigured to a new bucket of "compuright."
August 1, 2025 at 7:15 PM
The question of 1st Am. rights to 'express' is a hairy one when code is speech and corporations are people (thus corpo AI is people) - The 21st century needs to see a new framework. With pieces of current patent and copyright/license law reconfigured to a new bucket of "compuright."
Curious to hear your examples. Other than tech-tree (describing path-dependance), what is there? 4X genre of game?
August 1, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Curious to hear your examples. Other than tech-tree (describing path-dependance), what is there? 4X genre of game?
Most people mentioning cadence and tone, but the biggest IMHO is sentence structure. When writing, you get a chance to (re)package a thought. Speaking extemp is riding a wave of linear thought unfolding one semantic cluster at a time.
That produces cadence diffs, yes, but also forces structure diffs
That produces cadence diffs, yes, but also forces structure diffs
July 31, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Most people mentioning cadence and tone, but the biggest IMHO is sentence structure. When writing, you get a chance to (re)package a thought. Speaking extemp is riding a wave of linear thought unfolding one semantic cluster at a time.
That produces cadence diffs, yes, but also forces structure diffs
That produces cadence diffs, yes, but also forces structure diffs
Vivaldi has a built in RSS reader. For those who don't want to switch browsers, Inoreader has great extensions for Chromium and Mozilla browsers.
July 31, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Vivaldi has a built in RSS reader. For those who don't want to switch browsers, Inoreader has great extensions for Chromium and Mozilla browsers.
See other reply in thread about our brains being bad at math too. Different type of computation.
The new types of computation that AI uses makes things possible that we couldn't compute before - because it wasn't efficient and feasible for a CPU to generate images or songs or videos. Now GPUs can.
The new types of computation that AI uses makes things possible that we couldn't compute before - because it wasn't efficient and feasible for a CPU to generate images or songs or videos. Now GPUs can.
July 28, 2025 at 5:11 PM
See other reply in thread about our brains being bad at math too. Different type of computation.
The new types of computation that AI uses makes things possible that we couldn't compute before - because it wasn't efficient and feasible for a CPU to generate images or songs or videos. Now GPUs can.
The new types of computation that AI uses makes things possible that we couldn't compute before - because it wasn't efficient and feasible for a CPU to generate images or songs or videos. Now GPUs can.