Yet even as the developers heroically sprinted to save Yglesias, the service was straining under something that would become known as “the hellthread” — an unending series of stringed replies fueled by auto-replying bot accounts and users who were incredibly amused by the prospect of jumping headfirst into a JSON error.
Participating in the hellthread would sign you up for an unspeakable number of notifications, and attempts to mute the thread for yourself were mostly futile since something about the AI accounts would unmute them anyway. Users tried to bait each other by tagging them in. (This, of course, meant they themselves were now in hell.) Delighted in part by seeing the CEO herself good-naturedly participate before publicly notifying her devs of what kind of bugs she was seeing, others began to post their nudes right into the hellthread until it was nothing but asses and errors.
So many jaw-dropping moments in this piece, you’ve really just got to go read the whole thing. None of it makes me want to set up shop on Bluesky. I’m very happy with my stable, friendly, calm, and also Fediverse-compatible home on Micro.blog, thank you very much.
When things settle down and Bluesky opens up publicly, I may consider cross-posting there if it does indeed reach a critical mass and it’s where non-nerds end up. But it just doesn’t sound very appealing yet, despite their best efforts with the exclusive invitation system.
I noticed this evening while perusing the App Store — yes, some of us still do that from time-to-time; usually after manually initializing app updates, which is also weird, I know — that Warner Bros. Discovery is featured for the pre-order of their upcoming Max app. Using the pre-order mechanism is a smart move to get more word out ahead of the confusing merger/name-change/whatsit. Although, it’s not clear to me why they don’t instead update the existing HBO Max app to whatever new functionality is needed for Max, swap the app name, and call it a day. Seems like that would be more seamless for customers.
How to get it. Pre-order the Max app now to have it download to your device when the app launches May 23. If you already have an HBO Max subscription, it’ll automatically transfer to Max, along with all of your profiles and watch history. No action needed!
I figured it would be table stakes that logging in to the Max app with my HBO Max account would bring along profiles and watch history, but I’m curious about how the subscription transfer will work. I’m subscribed via an in-app subscription to HBO Max, and I wasn’t aware that those subscriptions could be moved or shared between different apps. Is this a special case in which Apple has intervened?
Perhaps it is a standard feature, since I suppose that’s how Microsoft has their Microsoft 365 subscription work between the various Office apps like Word and PowerPoint. And Flexibits allows you to subscribe to Flexibits Premium with an in-app through either Cardhop or Fantastical, unlocking functionality for both apps.
But I still wonder what will happen when I eventually delete the old HBO Max app. Will it offer to cancel the subscription I initiated through it? I know that happens when you delete other apps with an active subscription. Or will it be smart enough to know there’s another app installed that relies on it? And suppose I did cancel the subscription. Will the Max app effectively communicate the problem and provide a resolution itself? Or will I be steered toward Max.com (boy, that must have been an expensive domain!) to subscribe so that Warner Bros. Discovery can avoid Apple’s cut of the in-app purchase?
I have so many questions that I’m giddy about doing some testing on launch day! But the fear of disrupting the flow of entertainment to my household makes a strong counterargument. We’ll see what’s more compelling when it all shakes out come May 23rd.
2️⃣ Jason Snell’s got a good tip for hiding things, like article comments, from webpages if you don’t want to see them. I also loved his cheeky rule for hiding the Yankees logo on Daring Fireball when they’re in the playoffs. 😂 [🔗 Jason Snell // sixcolors.com]
3️⃣ Without the NYT branding, I would have guessed that these promos were for Wikipedia. Engaging ad spots, though. [🔗 kottke.org]
5️⃣ A member of The Decemberists had ChatGPT write a Decemberists song, with chord progressions, and then recorded it. It’s…not half bad, but also not half good. [🔗 Colin Meloy // colinmeloy.substack.com]
6️⃣ Can bad people make good art? This excellent articles helped me consider that perhaps the premise is flawed. [🔗 Charles McGrath // nytimes.com]
7️⃣ It’s been a bit like watching a game of Pong to keep up with Jeff Perry’s internet home saga, but you owe it to yourself to check out his latest site. It’s like playing with a fidget toy to navigate around! (Be quick about it though; I can’t guarantee it won’t change again!) [🔗 jeffperry.me]
We’re now in our fourth year, and we’ve had remarkably little churn — people who subscribe to Dithering tend to stay subscribed, which warms my heart. It’s a fun show and everyone loves the enforced brevity and regularity.
Dithering is one of just three podcasts that are marked as ‘priority’ in my Overcast playlists. Meaning they jump to the top of the queue as soon as they’re published. I do, indeed, love the “enforced brevity and regularity”. Ben and John’s friendly debates often bring a smile to my face.
But what I really wanted to say in response to John’s post tonight is “Wow!” I can’t believe I’ve been listening to the show for four years already. I still think of Dithering as the new podcast on the block.
For the PenPals project this month, I’ll be corresponding with José Muñoz. You’ll be able to follow along with the Letters project here and on his site at josemunozmatos.com
Here’s a brief look at my first letter to José, as summarized by ChatGPT:
Jarrod initiates a letter to José, expressing gratitude for participating in a letter exchange project inspired by Jason Becker. Having exchanged emails briefly in the past, Jarrod is eager to learn more about Jose through these public messages. Jarrod provides a glimpse into his life, describing his transition from Michigan to upstate New York, his role as an outdoor recreation professional, and his blog’s focus on diverse interests. He shares recent events, including a vacation to the Outer Banks and the passing of his aunt, reflecting on life’s poignant moments. Jarrod ends the letter with thoughts on housework and Ed Sheeran’s new album, inviting José to share his own experiences and interests.
If you’d like to be a penpal for this project, please reach out! I’d love to get you on the schedule.
It’s time to try something new! I’ve been inspired by Jason Becker’s Letters project this year. Each month, he’s been emailing back and forth with someone he’s met on the internet. It’s been fascinating to see these, usually private, letters in public. It’s kind of like getting to see friendships blossom before my very eyes.
Right from the start, I was intrigued by Jason’s project since I’ve always thought of blogging, more or less, as just emails sent to the world. Well, now I’m kicking off my own version of the Letters project and I’ll literally be publishing emails to the web. And you — yes, you! — could be part of it. More on that below.
Here’s how it’ll work: Each week, I’ll write or respond to an email from an internet acquaintance. I’ll publish the conversation as it stands each week, referencing the previous message. And we’ll chat back and forth like that for a whole month. Again, you should check out Jason’spostssofar for examples.
Here’s where you come in, Dear Reader. If you think you’d like to be part of this project, please get in touch! Feel free to provide a short introduction or a link to your home on the internet, and let me know which month or two you’re available (let’s leave the good stuff for the actual letters 😉). There will be no pressure on topics, just whatever’s on your mind. Here are some general guidelines that I’m also borrowing (with permission) from Jason Becker:
The person I’m corresponding with will write the first letter.
I will respond during the same week. They do not have to write again until the next week.
Each letter will be at least 250 words.
I will post the correspondent’s letter followed by my response on my blog. If they have a blog, they can do the same and I will gladly link to them.
I’m thrilled to announce that José Muñoz has agreed to be my first correspondent. I’ll be kicking that one off with the first letter and we’ll be chatting throughout May. You’ll be able to follow along between his site and mine. But that leaves all future months wide open (see here). I’d love to get to know you, what makes you tick, your hopes and dreams, or just what’s going on in your neck of the woods.
It’ll be fun, I promise. Just let me know if you want to be a part of it. 😄✉️
A weekly list of interesting things I found on the internet, posted on Sundays. Sometimes themed, often not.
1️⃣ Defining clips in human history that are in the public domain, but not available in the public realm. License from organizations that own them, strung together into a short film, and released to the public. [▶️ Richard Misek // vimeo.com] (Via kottke.org)
2️⃣ Matt Birchler released an enlightening video showing off how ChatGPT helped him make improvement to his Quick Reviews web app code with ease just by asking natural language questions. [▶️ A Better Computer // youtube.com]
3️⃣ Matt also released version 2.0 of his handy Quick Reviews web app this week. It’s an easy-to-use tool to create, well, quick reviews of media that also look great! Version 2.0 brings an image export option, keyboard shortcuts, and more flexibility for getting poster images in. [🔗 Matt Birchler // birchtree.me]
4️⃣ Perhaps the best article I read all week. I kept wanting to quote the whole thing, so you might as well just go and read the entire piece about how even an investor in Snap thinks all social media is destined to fail. And why they think social media is anything but social these days. [🔗 Ellis Hamburger // theverge.com]
5️⃣ Congrats to BasicAppleGuy who just celebrated three years of running his (hugely inspirational) site. [🔗 basicappleguy.com]
7️⃣ Watching some do their thing really, really well is something that gives me the most joy in life. Their complete mastery — no matter the subject or skill, really — enthralls me. For example, this exquisitely intimate video of Ed Sheeran performing I Don’t Care, acoustic and solo, at Abbey Road in 2019. An instant classic. [▶️ Ed Sheeran // youtube.com]
I met a buddy, Lucas, and a new friend, Nancy, today to go rock climbing after a lazy morning mindlessly scrolling in bed. I’d been stoked about getting out on this beautiful day off in the warm weather but on the hour-ish drive to the crag, I started feeling nervous. For no particular reason. I wasn’t planning on leading anything out of my comfort zone and had climbed with Lucas many times before. There was no good reason that I should feel scared the way I did, and yet it happened anyway. My palms were sweaty before reaching the crag, and though I put on a good face, I knew I wasn’t really feeling it.
Maybe it was something about going back to this crag that I’d visited, but hadn’t actually climbed yet. I’d had months to think about it and build it up in my mind. Regardless, I sucked it up and, after watching Lucas and Nancy both lead the warm-up 5.7, I hoped on the sharp end. It went well enough, but I definitely felt more scared than I usually would for the grade and less coordinated than I would have hoped. It was thought-provoking climbing the whole way up, without any obviously easy sections. I felt a bit better when Lucas said, unprompted, that he also felt a little spooked on the route, and he’s a much stronger climber than I am.
For the next couple of hours, I top roped on some harder climbs and certainly didn’t feel on top of my game. I fell, several times, on routes that I know I could have normally cruised. But I tried everything that the others hopped on, always got back on after my falls, and got in a good workout.
But I knew I wouldn’t feel satisfied with the day if I didn’t push myself just a little bit more, so, despite feeling pretty worked, I racked up to lead the classic 5.6 route that had been on my tick list. Nancy had led it just a few days before and assured me that, despite how it looked, there were plenty of spots to place protection and that I’d love the airy face climbing. She was right. And while I still didn’t feel like I was climbing very smoothly or that my mental game was strong during it, I was glad to finish the day with a successful lead on an inspiring line.
Reflecting at the crag, we three chatted about how personal an experience it is to be climbing. We discussed how it doesn’t really matter if you get to the top, or if you take a fall. It’s all about how you feel about the climb. And sometimes — when there’s rational fear or exhaustion — you should listen to your body when it’s telling you that today isn’t your day. But other times, like today, when the fear bites without rhyme or reason, it’s helpful to push yourself past it and give it your all anyway. Because it’s in those sharp, heart-pounding moments when you step just outside your comfort zone that you’re able to grow.
And I’m proud of myself for doing that today. I didn’t climb my best, but I did climb the best I could.
Yours truly, leading Bozeman Bullet (5.6) at Deadwater Cliff. ⌘
(By the way, the climbing community is made of — bar none — the most supportive, accepting, kind, and quietly badass people I’ve ever met. Check out a climbing gym or outdoor crag sometime. I doubt you’ll regret it.)
Imagine pulling out a rubber band to its full extent. In that moment the rubber band is being rightfully employed in its primary function, it is living its best life, it is right in the groove of what makes a rubber band a rubber band. Then imagine releasing the rubber band and letting it fall loose again. Now the rubber band finds itself without direction and is aware that in the process of its useful employ it has been altered slightly, that it is now slightly looser.
That feeling can be hard to shake. I felt it each August after living and breathing Summer Camp as Director for three months straight. David writes about his habit of escaping to nature on long hikes or camping trips after releasing big software updates to the world. A drastic change to the daily routine like that would help, I think, since it’d feel more normal to jump back into work upon return. If you’re going to lose a few days of productivity anyway, best to make it worthwhile and really disconnect and do something different and fun.
