I’m increasing intrigued by what’s happening with the AT Protocol and Bluesky. I’m finding myself on Bluesky more often as the user base grows. I like the basic concept of storing your data on a personal data server (PDS), with social apps filtering relevant data from a “firehose.” I’m fascinated by the idea of using the AT Protocol as a foundation of open science and academic publishing, even if I have lots of questions. I like where Standard.Site is going. Eurosky is doing interested things with some different AT Protocol apps.
I’m interested in Bluesky, but I don’t have the bandwidth right now to tinker with all of it. Micro.Blog creator Manton Reece has built a platform that interfaces with everything with an open API.1 Bluesky rolls out support for Standard.Site. Manton supports it. Bluesky starts to allow 12 pictures, Manton supports it. I’m not quite ready to spin up my own PDS, so hosting everything on Micro.Blog gives me the next best option.
The reality is that AT Protocol advocates see a world where everything is based on their vision of the open social web. I like their vision, but I’m not sure we’ll ever have one dominate protocol. (And as Dave Winer points out, Bluesky isn’t 100% billionaire-proof yet.) It’s best to cast a wide net and bet on interoperability. I host everything with Micro.Blog on bobwertz.com, but my content automatically crossposts to Bluesky (plus Threads and Mastodon).
And that’s why Micro.Blog is the perfect solution for people who want to experiment with different platforms, but maintain a centralized web presence. Manton’s built something amazing at Micro.Blog and I’m still surprised how few people know about it. Plans start at $5/month, but I pay $10/month for the premium plan, which includes multiple blogs, email newsletters, an alternative social media feed that allows me to follow people on Mastodon, bookmarking, an RSS reader, short video hosting an independent Goodreads alternative, and more. I can use it with desktop apps like MarsEdit and Ulysses. It’s phenomenal, and the best solution for me as we collectively figure out what’s next in social media.
Bob Wertz is a type designer, Ph.D. student and researcher living in Columbia, South Carolina. He’s been blogging since 2008.
When I switched jobs at the university, my parking spot moved from a surface lot to a parking garage. And while I pay more for the reserved garage spot, I have to say that it’s nice to have my car in the shade when it is 95°F outside.
Similarly, it seems unlikely that AI is a technological genie that will be fully returned to its bottle. Much like early PCs, there is too much untapped convenience to be ignored. But as we struggle to figure out how to think about the promise of these tools, it’s worth remembering that in the digital world, productivity doesn’t always match our expectations.
The comparison to early PCs is good. The rise of AI also seems similar to the advent of desktop publishing. Incredible promise, but the true productivity payoff might be decades away.
What a wild ending to the Cubs vs. Brewers game. Glad the Cubs could hold on…
I’ve used Glyphs for type design since 2011. Love the new features coming with Glyphs 4 in July. Such a great application and it keeps getting better.
Sigh. I waited too long to buy my daughter’s laptop for college. I was waiting for Apple’s annual back to school promotion, but the MacBook Neo she wants is now $100 more.
I don’t need a car right now, but in year or so, my daughter will need her car at college and I will need a car to take me back and forth to work. My wife won’t let me get a mini truck from local importer Japan Direct Motors, so maybe a Slate is the next best thing.
I’ve wanted an EV for a long while, but the timing just hasn’t been right. In a perfect world, I’d support Scout Motors which is building a factory outside of my hometown of Columbia, South Carolina. I love the way the Scouts look, but the starting price for a their very nice EV pickup is around $60,000. I’ve also eyeballed other cars like the Rivian R3, but who knows when that will finally hit the market. I like a small car, but many of the smallest EVs aren’t going to make it to the United States market.
And then there is the Slate. I’ve been interested in the bare bones basic truck since they announced it. I love the idea of an infinitely customizable vehicle that starts at a low price. Then add the features you want over time.
I think the price is right at $25,000. (Imagine if the $7,500 EV tax credit was still available!) They originally planned to offer two battery packs, but settled on a single option with a range of just over 200 miles. That will work for my daily commute with plenty of range anxiety cushion to spare.
I’d want to add some options of course… Probably a full body vinyl wrap, some speakers and maybe a center console. I also really like the look of the fastback, which adds $6,000 to the cost of the car. Browsing the Slate online configuration app, you can see how large the accessory ecosystem could become.
I still have questions. I want to see the crash test results and some more reviews. But after all of the announcements today, I’m absolutely still interested.
Bob Wertz is a type designer, Ph.D. student and researcher living in Columbia, South Carolina. He’s been blogging since 2008.
I love the potential of Slate and the idea of an extremely customizable vehicle. I remember catalogs of accessories to customize old Jeep CJ-7s. I just don’t know how big the market is today for a $25K EV truck with crank windows.
Fun Father’s Day. Drove up to Asheville to see Norah. Headed to Looking Glass Falls. Stopped by Dolly’s on the way out of Pisgah to get some ice cream.
Just spent most of my Saturday working on my dissertation. Made some really good progress today. Lots still to do, but feeling good about the direction for the first time in a while.
I don’t visit Facebook much, but I do occasionally check in. Late last night, after working on a typeface, I randomly decided to log into Facebook. I was startled to find out that a person I knew in college died unexpectedly. I was concerned about a friend and Lutheran pastor resigned from his call after 17 years. And I was happy to learn that a friend and her children saw my daughter at the camp she works at. And then, I was overwhelmed with ads and sponsored posts.
I haven’t had the Facebook app on my phone for six or seven years and I’ve maintained my Instagram pause since May. The side effect of focusing on more independent social media, though, is that I am detached from friends who are only on mainstream platforms. While I love Micro.Blog and Bluesky,1 most of the people I know in real life just aren’t active there. The reality is that I can’t completely leave Facebook and Instagram without losing connections to my friends and family.
Bob Wertz is a type designer, Ph.D. student and researcher living in Columbia, South Carolina. He’s been blogging since 2008.
I use Threads regularly, but I don’t love Threads. ↩︎
Old sign outside a state government building that isn’t currently occupied. I see skateboarders on these stairs frequently.
Fun to hear Gruber talk about Markdown on the Vergecast.
I was scheduled for jury duty this morning, but the trial was canceled. I really don’t mind serving on a jury. I think this is only the 8th time I’ve been called in over 30 years of being a registered voter.
Survived Ryan’s lacrosse tournament in Mt. Pleasant this weekend. The heat was brutal, especially on Saturday. Ryan played well, and the team got a couple of wins. But honestly, I’m glad we are done with travel ball for the rest of the summer. It’s just too hot.
We have accidentally found ourselves in the middle of a Brazil vs Morocco watch party in Charleston, SC. I’m not a soccer fan, but damn, this is incredible.
Voted today in South Carolina. And we got to take Jill so she could vote for the first time. 💙🇺🇸
Trying to work on my dissertation tonight and it’s coming together so slowly. I basically know where I want it to go, but with so many variables and factors, it’s tough to tie it all together into a cohesive narrative.
The State Newspaper in Columbia, SC shares a news story on Threads about a fatal car accident. The picture that is included is a photo of the author of the article… who was not in an accident and is very much alive. This is an ongoing problem with automated posting and vague clickbait headlines.
