author of Blood in the Machine, tech writer, luddite newsletter: https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/ books: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/contributor/brian-merchant/ kofi link: https://ko-fi.com/brianmerchanthttps://bsky.app/profile/bcmerchant.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/bcmerchant.bsky.social/post/3mk43iozyec2pTruly appreciate it when PR professionals take the time to understand my beat before pitching me stories and important updates for my reportorial coverage22 Apr 2026 18:04 +0000at://did:plc:j7tdfjsbop2oq7cghfbdwvqq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk43iozyec2phttps://bsky.app/profile/bcmerchant.bsky.social/post/3mjzwiykxyc2bThis is truly insane [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Apr 2026 21:29 +0000at://did:plc:j7tdfjsbop2oq7cghfbdwvqq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjzwiykxyc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/bcmerchant.bsky.social/post/3mjzjkr5cek2qThis comes, notably, after Meta's announcement that it will lay off 8,000 workers next month. [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Apr 2026 17:38 +0000at://did:plc:j7tdfjsbop2oq7cghfbdwvqq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjzjkr5cek2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/bcmerchant.bsky.social/post/3mjzisxt5is2qNever underestimate the unifying power of a private equity firm promising to build a thrumming megacomplex and eight giant diesel generators in your backyard for an AI company that has promised to automate everyone's jobs [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Apr 2026 17:24 +0000at://did:plc:j7tdfjsbop2oq7cghfbdwvqq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjzisxt5is2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/bcmerchant.bsky.social/post/3mjzehotlfk2iLast night, after an hours-long public hearing, Monterey Park became the first city in California to pass an ordinance permanently banning data centers. The city council voted unanimously to declare data centers a public nuisance, and to "prohibit all data centers within city limits." My story: https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/monterey-park-becomes-the-first-city21 Apr 2026 16:07 +0000at://did:plc:j7tdfjsbop2oq7cghfbdwvqq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjzehotlfk2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/bcmerchant.bsky.social/post/3mjy27bsskc2mAt a city council meeting in Monterey Park where an ordinance to ban data centers is under consideration. It’s all true—people are extremely fired up about shutting down data centers. Noise, pollution, NIMBY complaints are all in the mix, but residents are calling out big tech and the rich too.21 Apr 2026 03:30 +0000at://did:plc:j7tdfjsbop2oq7cghfbdwvqq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjy27bsskc2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/bcmerchant.bsky.social/post/3mjxkmyy6qc2bFrom the techné pessimists of Ancient Greece to the computer to the loom-breaking Luddites to the firebombers of the Information Age, here's a look at the long—and fruitful—legacy of refusing the machine. By @thomas-dekeyser.bsky.social, for BITM: https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/a-brief-history-of-techno-negativity20 Apr 2026 22:52 +0000at://did:plc:j7tdfjsbop2oq7cghfbdwvqq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjxkmyy6qc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/bcmerchant.bsky.social/post/3mjxirx6bp22iIn honor of Tim Cook's stepping down, here is the story of how I emailed him, not once but twice, with open email tracking enabled, only to discover that, not once but twice, my emails to the CEO of Apple were opened on a computer running Windows. https://www.wired.com/story/how-email-open-tracking-quietly-took-over-the-web/20 Apr 2026 22:19 +0000at://did:plc:j7tdfjsbop2oq7cghfbdwvqq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjxirx6bp22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/bcmerchant.bsky.social/post/3mjphbbd3ec25🤖🔨❤️17 Apr 2026 17:30 +0000at://did:plc:j7tdfjsbop2oq7cghfbdwvqq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjphbbd3ec25https://bsky.app/profile/bcmerchant.bsky.social/post/3mjnhqlmlkk2hbumping this now the website is functional again [contains quote post or other embedded content]16 Apr 2026 22:33 +0000at://did:plc:j7tdfjsbop2oq7cghfbdwvqq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjnhqlmlkk2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/bcmerchant.bsky.social/post/3mjmzd7lfjs22Greetings all. I'm looking for a podcast producer to help do a (much) more regular BLOOD IN THE MACHINE show. I thought I'd start by reaching out here, and to the broader BITM community. If this sounds like it's up your alley, details are in the link below: https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/blood-in-the-machine-is-looking-for16 Apr 2026 18:15 +0000at://did:plc:j7tdfjsbop2oq7cghfbdwvqq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjmzd7lfjs22https://bsky.app/profile/bcmerchant.bsky.social/post/3mjkwyu5q322fThe idea that Geese is only popular because of a psyop is a psyop [contains quote post or other embedded content]15 Apr 2026 22:28 +0000at://did:plc:j7tdfjsbop2oq7cghfbdwvqq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjkwyu5q322f