status

Audio for morning commutes:

Thanks to the open web, it’s more viable than ever for creators to take back ownership and control of their work, their audience, and their livelihood. No one knows this better than Molly White, a researcher, writer and software engineer. This episode was recorded live at SXSW 2025.

Still a bit more than halfway through it, listening on, it's safe to say I enjoy this one also because I agree with a lot of her points, but some things still leave me slightly unsettled. Maybe three issues for now: At first, "we are all content creators" with every piece of stuff we post anywhere on the 'net. Really? There's a reoccurring quote out there I end up with then and now which is more or less like "we tell stories to join the conversation", and in many ways I can relate with this much more. Never seen myself as a content creator, let alone publisher of anything valuable out there - just a mere nerd writing stuff on the interweb to maybe get into this or another conversation. Focussing on ones own role of a content creator, of trying to keep followers and an audience, despite all my agreeing with the idea of digital sovereignty in there, feels way too much like a one-way, like basically being focussed on my own stuff and ensuring people can read all of that easily everywhere - rather than considering the other way 'round and focussing on also making sure I can read stuff others wrote. Then, she somehow lost me with still posting to Twitter even while it sucks and she might be banned there sooner than later. No criticism on my end, I get her point but I just very much disagree with that perspective for a whole load of reasons, digital sovereignty included. And maybe finally, however, talking the other way 'round and practically handling this idea: Hoping for the (AP) Fediverse to somehow get more serious about that. Not just as in being able to somehow move accounts and contacts between instances of the same software but actually by being able to, like, move all my content and conversations and contacts seamlessly from one server to another without losing anything or causing a lot of friction for either myself or server administrators or my friends (refusing to call them readers or followers or contacts at this point). There's still room for improvements here, and I'll now shut up, stop ranting and be listening on. There's a lot of valuable stuff in there anyway.

https://dot-social.simplecast.com/episodes/molly-white-sxsw 

Musik verklang, die des Abends und der Nacht und der Träume dazwischen; seltsame Harmonien machten Platz für Radiostimmen und Überleitungen und es gibt immer genügend Kräfte, die aus dem Bett in die Flure und das Bad treiben. Spiegelselbst, mit einem schwer zu deutenden Gesichtsausdruck. Nurmehr lauwarmes Wasser, einige Etagen weiter unten lärmt die Dusche und die Fantasie wünscht sich schiefen, verschlafenen Gesang zu hören, aber vermutlich bleibt die Realität hinter dieser Idee zurück. (Erster Kaffee. Neue Einladungen, Stapelspiele mit den Blöcken der Stunden, die vom Morgen an durch den Tag fallen, und manchmal scheint dieses Bild gar nicht abwegig. Habt es mild heute.)

After all: Letting pass a day of rain and sun gambling without either one really winning. Trying and struggling to brush off the greasy dust of the hours. Once again, involved into strong disputes with various inner voices, again without either one really winning or making a better point. The model doesn't know any better than echoing the loudest arguments, and maybe that's part of the very issue. (Still about to step out of the flow. Wondering whether that border of being tired enough to sleep has already been crossed again. Have a soft night wherever you are.)

Trübes Licht, merklich später, unter blassem Himmel. Unsicher, woher der Dunst vor den abendlichen Farben kommt. Wieder Küche, das Treiben der Nachbarschaft jenseits des Fensters, Hörspielstimmen in Kinderzimmern, Diskussionen mit Tragweite auf Terrassen. Der Bus rollt durch die Kreuzung, ohne anzuhalten. Heißer Tee, Banane, Kontrastpunkte: Stillleben mit Katze.

Odd dances, small steps, back, forth and out to the side. Very small steps. Watching, waiting, wondering. Grasping the motion of city trees, leaves, branches in the wind, still. No rain, first people to return home for the afternoon, and that familiar feeling again, of another day having gone by without too many items ticked on the list. Breathing against dissatisfactions, pondering communications. And the options forth.