Ontario Research Chair of Digital Governance for Social Justice, York University. My latest book, "Move Slowly and Build Bridges: Mastodon, the Fediverse, and the Struggle […] 🌉 bridged from ⁂ https://aoir.social/@rwg, follow @ap.brid.gy to interacthttps://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gyhttps://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mttlqxyucr62My latest FOSSAcademic post is another Goal 3 post about my "content creators" project. This time it's the year in content creators, 1997, which seems to me to be a pivotal year. https://fossacademic.tech/2026/08/24/years-in-content-creators-1997.html #FOSSAcademic #contentCreators24 Aug 2026 15:13 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mttlqxyucr62https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mttecuk2bdl2[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] In the previous chapter, we already saw one consequence of this view: the harassment of queer and trans Mastodon members by users of GNU social, who took private posts and openly shared them online, much like a bully might […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11715060712158876624 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mttecuk2bdl2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mtqttnj5d2h2[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] Shork is in their late 20s, working in software development in Germany. They move data around for corporations – “it’s not as fun as it sounds,” they wryly tell me. Shork likes video games – particularly retro games on old […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11714494486123491323 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtqttnj5d2h2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mtodfiiqojf2[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] Looking over the discussions that have taken place on the fediverse, on blogs, in tech reporting, and across the wider internet, there are many arguments offered in favor of Meta joining the fediverse and against the […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11713928253444126022 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtodfiiqojf2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mtlsvsvnrdl2[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] When Rochko started Mastodon in 2016, he had a humble goal: to make an alternative to another already-existing Twitter alternative called GNU social.... https://moveslowlybuildbridges.com #MoveSlowlyAndBuildBridges #bot21 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtlsvsvnrdl2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mtjzijtjcds2me, a few hours ago: oh, wow, this place I'm staying has a laundry washer/dryer combo! That's so innovative! me, now: I hate this thing with the passion of 10,000 suns20 Aug 2026 19:52 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtjzijtjcds2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mtjegwslgsf2Hey, fedi: can anyone point me to movies or TV shows that are either whole or in part comprised of #generativeAI video? I'm not looking for YouTube or other social media videos, but something that people would watch on their TVs. I had heard through @404mediaco reporting that companies were […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11712809806709323520 Aug 2026 13:35 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtjegwslgsf2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mtjcgvrasgh2[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] But those early waves of growth would pale in comparison to the stress to come: the influx millions of people in late 2022, when Elon Musk finalized his purchase of Twitter.... https://moveslowlybuildbridges.com […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11712795790081860320 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtjcgvrasgh2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mtgrxy36idd2[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] This is not to suggest that the SocialWG didn’t try to get these corporations to participate. Noting that Facebook had an excellent social API, Open Graph, the SocialWG asked Facebook to bring it to the standardization […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11712229558829814719 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtgrxy36idd2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mteicakqdcg2My son, I know I prohibited you from using generative AI. I'm glad to say that this situation is no more. I'd like to introduce you to ChatGPT... for Teens. I trust it implicitly. Enjoy it, my child...18 Aug 2026 15:01 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mteicakqdcg2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mtebj5iho5l2[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] And, as media coverage of the Twitter exodus grew in late 2022, Twitter did something that further promoted Mastodon: Twitter blocked the mention of Mastodon on Twitter.... https://moveslowlybuildbridges.com […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11711663327650748318 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtebj5iho5l2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mtbr24uvl3y2[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] Musk’s Twitter takeover prompted Rowbottom to shift to the fediverse. She decided to self-host her own Mastodon server, blop.social. As a queer performer, she chose self-hosting for safety purposes – she didn’t want to be […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11711097096808320417 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtbr24uvl3y2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mt7al5sx5ab2[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] As for the three features of covenantal federalism, the fediverse demonstrates those, as well. The fediverse is noncentralized – it is allergic to powerful centers. An instance’s members consent to abide by a code of […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11710530864372310616 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mt7al5sx5ab2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mt4q4cmqije2[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] Some of these are forks. If people call for a feature in Mastodon and Rochko decides it should not be implemented, they may make alternative versions (called “forks”) of Mastodon and include those safety and privacy […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11709964632483402215 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mt4q4cmqije2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mt27nduuxdy2[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] With the most powerful walled garden opening up, many on the fediverse argue that Meta’s adoption of ActivityPub would bring massive amounts of new content for fediverse members. “My wife is looking forward to deleting her […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11709398401195839114 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mt27nduuxdy2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3msxp6ti3k2y2[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] In contrast, the #fedipact argues that communities (in the form of instances) have the right to not associate with Threads because Meta’s previous behavior strongly suggests that Threads will not comport to the ethical […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11708832168972688913 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3msxp6ti3k2y2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3msv6poae6fd2[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] First, it is false to argue that the #fedipact members are against openness. As I have argued across this bok, the covenantal fediverse is open to people who want to become members. They just have to do a few things: see […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11708265944399693112 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3msv6poae6fd2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mssrp44ofn52The latest FOSS Academic post is: The Year of Content Creator, 1996. Yes, there's a lot of Microsoft/Netscape stuff, but the big thing that stuck in my craw from 1996? Herbie Hancock being called a "content creator." https://fossacademic.tech/2026/08/10/years-in-content-creators-1996.html11 Aug 2026 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mssrp44ofn52https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mssoall44tu2[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] There is another reason to refer to Mastodon as noncentralized: Mastodon isn’t the only federated social media available. In his 2018 eruption, Rochko pointed to “the alternatives.” He wasn’t telling people to go back to […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11707699712197923311 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mssoall44tu2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mssnjy2fa2e2The world's leading tautologist was asked about the secret to their success. "I'm successful because I have had success," they replied without hesitation. You, too, can be a successful tautologist.11 Aug 2026 12:47 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mssnjy2fa2e2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3msq5rubgk3w2[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] During that influx of former Twitter users fleeing during the Elon Musk takeover, when hundreds of thousands of people signed up for Mastodon in late 2022, I heard the same thing from many instance admins: we have to scale […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11707133481231898010 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3msq5rubgk3w2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3mspusg6wsbh2Them: We would value and feedback you could provide. Me: https://youtu.be/FaYlumKMZm4?si=Y9JCgEbcAA8gGDEQ&t=18510 Aug 2026 10:19 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mspusg6wsbh2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3msnncpst4cz2[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] And frankly, that is their right. There is no rule that says a FOSS social media project must specify ethical behavioral practices. In the world of Free Software, “Freedom 0” – the freedom to use software for whatever […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11706567247453856709 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3msnncpst4cz2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3msl4tsq2ox32[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] Taken as a whole, Mastodon’s early period is a key example of what I call “critical reverse engineering” – the process of critically analyzing other media systems and using the resulting knowledge to produce something […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11706001015511750808 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3msl4tsq2ox32https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3msiyfgeijmt2[academic gripe] why do I feel like all these invitations to contribute to various journals, particularly as a special issue editor, is just a way to get me to hustle and score publishing fees for those journals? Academic publishing just seems like one long spam chain letter at this point07 Aug 2026 16:35 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3msiyfgeijmt2https://bsky.app/profile/rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy/post/3msimewvhag22[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] Revoy’s funding model is to crowdfund each issue of Pepper&Carrot, and to do that, he has relied on working in public on social media, posting frequently and sharing videos about his work. He sees this as replicating the […] https://aoir.social/@rwg/11705434789178813207 Aug 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7oniuuol23faearwamgtwmg/app.bsky.feed.post/3msimewvhag22