I gotta say, as a place for getting undifferentiated and breathless “ALL AI BAD” takes, Mastodon as a whole remains peerless. Bluesky is a close second.
\nIt’s fucking exhausting, because any semblance of nuance is gone.
\nOn one side, there are the hyperactive “AI RULES EVERYTHING AROUND ME” motherfuckers who want to disrupt/steamroll all the things, and who, for some reason that escapes me, assume they’re immune to the ongoing and coming shifts in both society and markets. (They’re very likely wrong.) You know the type: the dudes1 who still think that tech will solve every problem, contrary to empirical evidence from the last 50-500 years.
\nTBF, I guess I was one of them, 20-30 years ago, but I’ve evolved as a person.
\nOn the other side, there’s the “never AI” & “all AI is fascist”2 crowd, whose majority flat-out refuses to entertain the notion that the tech in question might be excessively useful to others and is already enabling many people all over the globe to participate more fully in life. I’m not talking just about devs like me but about people like my own mother (who suffers from clinically deteriorating eyesight) and less fluent folks who have to deal with fields they’re not trained for, like, say, any type of bureaucracy. For example, having tech translate German gov’t documents into your native tongue in the blink of an eye and for free, that’s helpful. Having an infinitely patient something help you understand what’s asked of you in those documents, now that’s a goddamn game changer.
\nI know AI is neither a panacea for all our ills nor without flaws (and often questionable training), but at the same time I see it as very useful. Both those things can be true at the same time. You know, because nuance.
\nBut the FUD and vitriol from both sides is exhausting AF, and not helpful in any way.
\nTIL a neat Xcode trick!
\nSo my apps contain app intents. Those won’t show up in Shortcuts unless the app is anywhere in /Applications. For months now I’ve been using a post-build scheme script to move the DEBUG build there, w/ a symlink to the app in its original place in derived data.
This worked well but was a whole thing because I had to make sure cleaning the build would wipe the moved app etc.
\nTurns out I was overthinking it! All I needed to do was to add this in the right .xcconfig:
DEPLOYMENT_LOCATION = YES\nDSTROOT = /Applications/Dev Builds\nINSTALL_PATH = /\nNow Xcode takes care of all the things, I don’t need those scripts anymore, and Xcode even correctly cleans the built when necessary.
\nSo that’s that. The more you know!
\n", "date_published": "2026-01-24T02:12:20+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2026/01/24/til-how-to-automove-xcode.html" }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2026/01/22/aller-deutschsprachigen-kommentare-zu-jedwedem.html", "content_html": "83% aller deutschsprachigen Kommentare zu jedwedem Thema sind “Das haben wir noch nie so gemacht”, “Sie können hier nicht parken” und “Hier wird nicht gerannt”, nur halt mit Hut und Trenchcoat und aufgeklebtem Schnauzbart.
\n", "date_published": "2026-01-22T19:18:06+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2026/01/22/aller-deutschsprachigen-kommentare-zu-jedwedem.html", "tags": ["de"] }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2026/01/01/quoting-craig-mod-on-the.html", "content_html": "Quoting Craig Mod, on the correct way of handling the garbage we create:
\n\n\nA funny thing happens when a Snickers bar goes from whole to eaten — the wrapper transmogrifies from useful to toxic. Suddenly, this thing that was keeping germs and dirt off your chocolate sugar log is now “useless” and with this comes the heaviest burden a modern person unencumbered by genocide or famine can hold: garbage responsibility. […]
\nThere are no garbage cans in Kamakura, and, indeed, if you are buying a coffee to go, you will be responsible for that receptacle for, potentially, a very long time. This is your grandé-sized hair shirt to bear. […]
\nThis obsession with the immediate “unburdening” of a thing you created is common in non-Japanese contexts, but I posit: The Japanese way is the correct way. Be an adult. Own your garbage. Garbage responsibility is something we’ve long since abdicated not only to faceless cans on street corners (or just all over the street, as seems to be the case in Manhattan or Paris), but also faceless developing countries around the world. Our oceans teem with the waste from generations of averted eyes. And I believe the two — local pathologies and attendant global pathologies — are not not connected.
\n
I’m slowly starting to believe I’m secretly Japanese.
\n", "date_published": "2026-01-01T22:40:41+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2026/01/01/quoting-craig-mod-on-the.html", "tags": ["Link posts"] }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2026/01/01/toleranz-ist-kein-moralisches-gebot.html", "title": "Toleranz ist kein moralisches Gebot, sondern ein Friedensvertrag", "content_html": "Das Essay Tolerance is not a moral precept von Yonatan Zunger ist eines, das ich regelmäßig auf Mastodon teile, denn es ist sehr gut. Yonatan löst das scheinbare Paradoxon der Toleranz sehr elegant auf, indem er das Framing zurechtrückt, und das Konzept “Toleranz” schärfer definiert.
\nDa ich es als sehr klug empfinde, aber keine Möglichkeit gefunden habe, den Autor zu kontaktieren1, um ihn zu fragen, ob ich es liebevoll ins Deutsche übersetzen darf, möchte ich hier auf seinen frei zugänglichen Post in der (sehr lesbaren) Auto-Übersetzung hinweisen.2
\n→ Toleranz ist kein moralisches Gebot | von Yonatan Zunger:
\n\n\nToleranz ist kein absoluter moralischer Wert, sondern ein Friedensvertrag. Toleranz ist eine soziale Norm, weil sie es verschiedenen Menschen ermöglicht, friedlich zusammenzuleben. Sie bedeutet, dass wir akzeptieren, dass Menschen anders sein können als wir – in ihren Bräuchen, ihrem Verhalten, ihrer Kleidung, ihrem Sexualleben – und dass uns das nichts angeht, solange es unser Leben nicht direkt betrifft. Doch das Modell eines Friedensvertrags unterscheidet sich von einem moralischen Gebot in einem einfachen Punkt: Der Schutz eines Friedensvertrags gilt nur für diejenigen, die bereit sind, sich an seine Bedingungen zu halten. Es ist eine Vereinbarung, in Frieden zu leben, nicht eine Vereinbarung, unabhängig vom Verhalten anderer friedlich zu sein. Ein Friedensvertrag ist kein Selbstmordpakt.
\n
Ich wünsche Euch ein gutes neues Jahr. Bleibt tolerant, aber nicht passiv.
\n#FCKNZS `#FCKAFD
Links:
\n\nAn interesting question posed by Sam Holden:
\n\n\nRobert Macfarlane’s Is A River Alive? asks what would it mean for our understanding of the natural world and our relationship to it if we saw rivers not just as ecosystems containing life, but as truly alive. In beautifully animistic prose, Macfarlane ventures to the frontier of the rights of nature movement, where rivers are treated as subjective entities that think, feel and are endowed with legal protections. The book also inspires a related thought experiment: is a city alive?
\n
My personal view, one that I held for years, is that a city is an organism – so yes, it is alive. Its citizens are its cells, its genome, its flesh, its live blood. Remove those, and the organism will die and wither. Remove the stones, however, the steel and glass, the asphalt, and you’re left with half an organism quickly regrowing the missing parts of its body.
\n", "date_published": "2025-12-25T01:21:33+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2025/12/25/cities-are-organisms.html" }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2025/12/07/quoting-jon-worth-from-a.html", "content_html": "Quoting Jon Worth from a Bluesky thread:
\n\n\n", "date_published": "2025-12-07T23:51:59+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2025/12/07/quoting-jon-worth-from-a.html", "tags": ["Link posts"] }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2025/12/02/quoting-louis-rosenberg-in-other.html", "content_html": "\nAfter […] Musk’s statement to abolish the EU (after the Commission fined X), let’s ask ourselves simply:
\nHOW ARE EUROPEAN COMMISSIONERS USING X NOW? […]
\nIf European Digital Sovereignty is to mean anything, it ought to mean NOT posting on a platform owned and run by a fascist intent on undermining the EU!
\nAnd don’t give me the bullshit you have to be there for “balance” or “reach” - the rules are stacked against you from the outset
\n
\n\nIn other words, we are not watching a bubble expand with blustery vapors. We are watching a planet form from churning magma, and it will solidify into a new framework for society. Denial will only make us unprepared. This is not an AI bubble. This is real.
\n
I agree with several of his points, but I also take the whole post with a grain of salt, mind. The guy is a computer scientist but also the CEO of a AI company which I suspect colors/ informs his POV and predictions.
\n", "date_published": "2025-12-02T14:22:34+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2025/12/02/quoting-louis-rosenberg-in-other.html", "tags": ["Link posts"] }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2025/11/27/november-sale-off-of-barcuts.html", "title": "November Sale! 25% off of BarCuts and Browser Actions", "content_html": "I recently released updates to both my contextual macOS Shortcuts launcher, BarCuts, and Browser Actions, which let you automate Google Chrome, Vivaldi, Microsoft Edge, and other browsers. 🚀
\nAnd since it’s November, I’ve also decided to join the fray and run a sale for them:
\n✨They’re 25% off with code FCKNZS2025 until end of the month!✨
(People asked me whether Actions For Obsidian will go on sale, but given it’s been “Pay What You Think Is Fair” since the very beginning, I feel like it’s kind of always been on sale.😉)
\n🖖🏼
\n", "date_published": "2025-11-27T15:07:10+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2025/11/27/november-sale-off-of-barcuts.html" }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2025/11/19/a-quick-story-about-how.html", "title": "A quick story about how a LLM saved me €100+ today", "content_html": "I have this setup: XLR mic → ext. USB audio interface → Mac. The name of the audio interface (UMC22) has a trailing space, which macOS gets confused by every other day. It sanitizes the stored name, can’t find the device anymore, removes it, then finds a “new” device it doesn’t know and re-adds it. The mic works fine, but setting the audio interface as the default for anything doesn’t, because macOS keeps forgetting it.
\nThis has been going on forever, but it has gotten progressively worse with every major macOS update. (Don’t at me; I’ll keep using macOS because I write software for it-this is how I make my money.) Since macOS 26 rolled around, it happens every two days — basically every time I dock the MBP.
\nI finally got fed up and started looking into a new USB mic — €100+ for quality products, naturally — which pissed me off because I like my existing mic; it’s good, and it works. It’s just that shitty interface issue + macOS, damn it.
\nIn the past, I’d tried setting up an aggregate (virtual) audio device that contained the audio interface, but that didn’t change anything. The interface would vanish and reappear as a new device, and the aggregate device wouldn’t know about it. I had to manually add the new device to the aggregate — no good.
\nAnyway. Today I asked Claude to research that problem for me. It did and came back with a lot of technical detail, which boiled down to “Carlo, you were right about what’s going on."
\nBut all my describing the issue, plus the research, gave Claude a metric shit-ton of insight, so I then asked it to write me a Swift CLI tool that would let me add a named device to an existing aggregate device. And it did! When it was almost done, the 5-hour limit window struck, so I handed the prototype script over to Kimi K2 Thinking1, and it hammered out the rest for me.
\nFrens, I was tickled fancy, let me tell you.
\nNow I have a script that runs automatically in the background every time the USB device is connected. And since the aggregate doesn’t change (it’s just updated!), I can use that as the default device.
\nSure, without Claude and K2, I could’ve written that script myself, but it probably would have taken several days of my free time (since I have a day job) for research, trial, and error. This way, it took less than an hour to fix this specific issue.
\nAnd I can keep using my old stuff. Win!
\nIt’s a monster! A slow, slow monster. ↩︎
\nWhy Solarpunk is already happening in Africa:
\n\n\nWhat’s happening across Sub-Saharan Africa right now is the most ambitious infrastructure project in human history, except it’s not being built by governments or utilities or World Bank consortiums. It’s being built by startups selling solar panels to farmers on payment plans. And it’s working.
\nOver 30 million solar products sold in 2024. 400,000 new solar installations every month across Africa. 50% market share captured by companies that didn’t exist 15 years ago. Carbon credits subsidizing the cost. IoT chips in every device. 90%+ repayment rates on loans to people earning $2/day.
\nAnd if you understand what’s happening in Africa, you understand the template for how infrastructure will get built everywhere else for the next 50 years.
\n
Really, really cool.
\n", "date_published": "2025-11-16T21:16:58+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2025/11/16/why-solarpunk-is-already-happening.html", "tags": ["Link posts"] }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2025/11/15/restarting-macosios-continuity-handoff.html", "title": "Restarting macOS/iOS Continuity \u0026 Handoff", "content_html": "After updating both my Mac and iPhone to the latest OS 26 versions, Continuity/Handoff wasn’t working anymore, meaning no more cross-device copy-n-paste etc. Rebooting either device didn’t change anything.
\n15 mins of searching brought me to a Reddit post by /u/shesabadone which suggested resetting macOS' useractivityd:
defaults delete com.apple.coreservices.useractivityd\nkillall useractivityd\nIt did the trick!
\n", "date_published": "2025-11-15T13:19:23+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2025/11/15/restarting-macosios-continuity-handoff.html" }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2025/11/12/linearis-v.html", "title": "Linearis v2025.11.2", "content_html": "Yesterday, I released Linearis v2025.11.2, a new version of my CLI tool1 that lets you (and your LLM) work with the very good project management and ticketing system, Linear2. The headliner features for this update are:
\nShout-out to @ryanrozich for the patch that added both cycles and project milestones. 🤘🏼
\nAlso, I’m happy to announce that the tool is now a standard npm package, meaning that it’s installable with a simple npm install -g linearis call. (Up until now, you could only install it directly from the GitHub repo, but that brought some issues with updating.)
And ICYMI: the previous update, v2025.11.1, added support for downloading screenshots and documents that are embedded in a ticket description or a comment. So now your agent of choice gets to look everything! For example, to read one of my test tickets, it’d do this:
\n❯ linearis issues read ZCO-1569\n{\n "id": "de732438-8ae2-4f9e-95a9-85a614b04816",\n "identifier": "ZCO-1569",\n "title": "File embed testing grounds",\n "description": "The Earth was small, light blue, and so touchingly alone, our home that must be defended like a holy relic. The Earth was absolutely round. I believe I never knew what the word round meant until I saw Earth from space.\\n\\nThe dreams of yesterday are the hopes of today and the reality of tomorrow.\\n\\n\\n\\nIt suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.\\n\\n",\n "embeds": [\n {\n "label": "Confident Man and Futuristic Car.png",\n "url": "https://uploads.linear.app/7df2165d-5920-4338-950f-f2b7152a3c02/8a8adc83-0609-4bb7-9c2d-6450bd2e20a5/db4145e5-6499-45cd-b35c-9aa621bfde51?signature=<signature_omitted>",\n "expiresAt": "2025-11-12T14:19:59.963Z"\n },\n {\n "label": "i-swear-to-god-connor.gif",\n "url": "https://uploads.linear.app/7df2165d-5920-4338-950f-f2b7152a3c02/571bf0bf-3586-4f92-9427-a88c13d3c7e4/00d4a028-2053-452c-8da4-a55930943868?signature=<signature_omitted>",\n "expiresAt": "2025-11-12T14:19:59.963Z"\n }\n ],\n "state": {\n "id": "0d744059-bc97-4dc2-82d0-5bac53673c26",\n "name": "Done"\n },\n "assignee": {\n "id": "cef0517b-cd50-48d9-80d6-8ad34007458a",\n "name": "Carlo Zottmann"\n },\n "team": {\n "id": "413e044c-d008-4bcb-b48d-1ef45ada89f4",\n "key": "ZCO",\n "name": "ZCo"\n },\n "project": {\n "id": "904984cc-eb35-4e4d-9caf-aa21f9f7daa7",\n "name": "Linearis"\n },\n "cycle": {\n "id": "bbde6b5b-c5fe-4319-9bbc-9081746e6660",\n "name": null,\n "number": 110\n },\n "projectMilestone": {\n "id": "38cb29af-af9e-493c-b935-205b31396a4b",\n "name": "2025.11.1",\n "targetDate": "2025-11-06"\n },\n "priority": 0,\n "labels": [],\n "parentIssue": {\n "id": "d2d0ad4d-8ad6-4e6d-8ab0-cb9b748d21e8",\n "identifier": "ZCO-1441",\n "title": "Implement Linear API File Download Capabilities"\n },\n "subIssues": [],\n "comments": [],\n "createdAt": "2025-11-06T16:09:46.447Z",\n "updatedAt": "2025-11-09T18:45:35.964Z"\n}\nWhat’s great about that is that e.g. Claude is clever enough to understand that result without any further explanations. For me, that means that I had to teach Claude four things:
\nlinearis to work with tickets.linearis usage once to learn how to use it.And that’s it. The output is structured enough, and Claude knows how to extract what it needs and how to look up anything else related to that ticket using linearis!
No MCP server eating 16k tokens at rest, just a CLI tool. (I recommend that approach in general.)
\nQuoting HN user yanhangyhy’s comment about Kimi K2 Thinking:
\n\n\n[…] China’s open-source strategy has many significant effects—not only because it aligns with the spirit of open source. For domestic Chinese companies, it also prevents startups from making reckless investments to develop mediocre models. Instead, everyone is pushed to start from a relatively high baseline. Of course, many small companies in the U.S., Japan, and Europe are also building on Qwen. Kimi is similar: before DeepSeek and others emerged, their model quality was pretty bad. Once the open-source strategy was set, these companies had no choice but to adjust their product lines and development approaches to improve their models.
\nMoreover, the ultimate competition between models will eventually become a competition over energy. China’s open-source models have major advantages in energy consumption, and China itself has a huge advantage in energy resources. They may not necessarily outperform the U.S., but they probably won’t fall too far behind either.
\n
(Emphasis mine.)
\n", "date_published": "2025-11-07T14:19:26+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2025/11/07/hn-user-yanhangyhy-on-a.html", "tags": ["Link posts"] }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2025/11/05/wild-wild-space-hbo-original.html", "content_html": "Wild Wild Space: “HBO Original Documentary that chronicles the fierce competition to tackle humanity’s next great frontier and the dark side of capitalism’s insatiable appetite for profit”
\n\n\n\n\n YouTube Video\n
![\"YouTube](\"https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/Q50dAiKB4lI/sddefault.webp\"\n)
\nA cool documentary to watch if you’re interested in the current commercial space race (like I am), showing some key players, and telling the story how it came to be. Based on Ashlee Vance’s book “When the Heavens Went on Sale” which I’ve yet to read.
\n", "date_published": "2025-11-05T19:15:00+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2025/11/05/wild-wild-space-hbo-original.html", "tags": ["Link posts"] }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2025/11/05/bbc-radio-live-bugzy-malones.html", "content_html": "BBC Radio 5 Live - Bugzy Malone’s Grandest Game
\nA loving look at the GTA series by BBC’s Chris Warburton and UK rapper Bugzy Malone. “It’s the game that shocked and thrilled the world: Grand Theft Auto. Its rise to domination is an incredible story." They look at how GTA came to be, how it grew, its controversies, and what it meant to different people. They talked with ex-Rockstar devs, modders, games journalists, players. Seven episodes, nicely produced, ace little treats right before bed time.
\n", "date_published": "2025-11-05T19:04:12+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2025/11/05/bbc-radio-live-bugzy-malones.html", "tags": ["Link posts"] }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2025/11/03/peter-leyden-why-is-the.html", "content_html": "Peter Leyden: Why 2025 is the single most pivotal year in our lifetime
\n\n\n\n\n YouTube Video\n
![\"YouTube](\"https://img.youtube.com/vi/w5k72A30kUc/maxresdefault.jpg\"\n)
\nThat was an interesting 15 min watch. What I liked a lot was that it briefly touched on massive inequality, too, it didn’t just ignore it – in fact, I think inequality’s very much part of Mr Leyden’s prediction:
\n\n\n", "date_published": "2025-11-03T01:22:24+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2025/11/03/peter-leyden-why-is-the.html", "tags": ["Link posts"] }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2025/10/25/adding-some-vygotsky-to-my.html", "title": "Adding some Vygotsky to my LLM system prompt ", "content_html": "The economic system […] that has worked for essentially the top 10% for sure and certainly for the top 1% has not been working for 80%. And it’s gotten to the point where they just have had it.
\n
Anders Thoresson came up with a good addition to LLM system prompts (Claude, Codex, GLM et al). I’ve been using it for the last few weeks, and it definitely feels like I get better interactions out of Claude when tasking it with research, helping me think things through, or have it explain new concepts to me.
\nThe prompt:
\n\n\nMeet me where I am (Vygotsky’s theory of zone of proximal development): Gauge my understanding from what I write. If unclear, ask one question about my current knowledge level, then proceed.
\n
Since Anders' post is a good read which explains the theory and how he arrived at the prompt, I think you should just go there to learn more.
\n", "date_published": "2025-10-25T12:52:19+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2025/10/25/adding-some-vygotsky-to-my.html" }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2025/10/12/quoting-craig-mod-once-more.html", "content_html": "Quoting Craig Mod once more:
\n\n\nEveryone was uniquely nuts. Each human contained their own special crazy. This was humanity’s gift to the universe. Humans were the “sensory organs” of the cosmos. The walker liked this framing — the purpose of humans was to meta-cognitize the universe itself. So to be, to observe, was to fulfill. If you thought about it like that, things were a lot less pressing.
\n
Another excerpt from his ongoing (and lovely) pop-up newsletter, Between Two Mountains.
\nBTW, I think the origin of that framing is Carl Sagan: “We are a way for the universe to know itself”.
\nI am also reminded of a video short by Jason Silva that I watched about ten years ago (and which lived rent-free in my mind ever since for some reason), “Humans are the Sex Organs of Technology”. Different topic, sure, yet equally wild.
\nThe ideas of humanity as a witness, or a parent/ midwife for something else to emerge are kind of mindbending.
\n", "date_published": "2025-10-12T19:34:16+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2025/10/12/quoting-craig-mod-once-more.html" }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2025/10/05/ein-wirklich-interessantes-interview-mit.html", "content_html": "Ein wirklich interessantes Interview mit dem Autoren Thomas Chatterton Williams beim ZEITmagazin: “Ein Klima, in dem viele lieber schwiegen. Das machte Woke so wirksam”. Ich finde es in Gänze sehr lesenswert, und hätte die Hälfte des gesamten Artikels zitieren können, daher hier nur ein kurzer Auszug:
\n\n\n", "date_published": "2025-10-05T19:56:58+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2025/10/05/ein-wirklich-interessantes-interview-mit.html", "tags": ["de"] }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2025/10/03/quoting-craig-mod-tiny-men.html", "content_html": "ZEITmagazin: Was war das Gute an Wokeness?
\nWilliams: Wokeness benannte vieles richtig. Ein Beispiel ist MeToo: Als heterosexueller Mann hatte ich nie darüber nachgedacht, mit welchen subtilen Hürden Frauen am Arbeitsplatz konfrontiert sind, etwa beim Netzwerken oder Bewerben. Wokeness machte solche Unsichtbarkeiten sichtbar. […] Problematisch wurde Wokeness dort, wo sie über das Ziel hinausschoss: Wenn Unschuldige durch bloße Anschuldigungen ruiniert wurden und das als Preis fürs größere Ganze galt. Ein Kurator des San Francisco Museum of Modern Art wurde zum Rückzug gedrängt, nachdem er gesagt hatte, er wolle weiterhin Kunst von weißen Künstlern kaufen. Der Präsident und der Vorstandsvorsitzende der Poetry Foundation mussten zurücktreten, weil sie zwar Black Lives Matter unterstützten, aber nicht entschieden genug.
\nZEITmagazin: Black Lives Matter war der sichtbarste Ausdruck dieser neuen Sensibilität. Wo genau hat sich die Bewegung aus Ihrer Sicht verrannt?
\nWilliams: Der ursprüngliche Impuls von Black Lives Matter war berechtigt. Die Zahl der tödlichen Polizeieinsätze in den USA ist skandalös. Aber schnell verlagerte sich der Fokus von der Gewalt selbst auf die Gruppenzugehörigkeit der Opfer. Das hat viele Menschen entfremdet. Es gibt etwa den Fall von Tony Timpa, einem weißen Mann, der 2016 in Dallas fast auf dieselbe Weise starb wie George Floyd: Polizisten knieten auf ihm, während er um Atem rang, sie lachten – und er starb. Doch das Video ging nicht viral. Warum? Weil der identitätspolitische Fokus fehlte. Genau das war langfristig kontraproduktiv: Statt sich gemeinsam gegen Polizeigewalt zu wenden, wurde alles durch eine identitätspolitische Brille betrachtet.
\n
Quoting Craig Mod:
\n\n\nTiny men with big sticks upend sanity the world ‘round and all you can do is try to find your footing and push back.
\n
From the first missive of his current pop-up newsletter, Between Two Mountains.
\n", "date_published": "2025-10-03T19:02:49+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2025/10/03/quoting-craig-mod-tiny-men.html" }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2025/09/08/ios-icloud-drive-synchronization-deep.html", "title": "iOS iCloud Drive Synchronization Deep Dive", "content_html": "Today I was pondering a feature idea for my macOS/iOS app Actions For Obsidian. That idea is loosely related to iCloud Drive. But ever since AFO’s release a few years back, I have received dozens of support requests from people who ran into issues while attempting to use iCloud Drive as a means of synchronizing their Obsidian vaults between their devices.
\nUsually my one-word answer to these questions is “Don’t”, followed by a link to a FAQ entry that I wrote a while back: “Can I use iCloud Sync with Obsidian and Actions for Obsidian?" (Spoiler: Yes, you can, but it’ll be painful at one point or another… or several.)
\nI had a pretty good mental model of iCloud Drive’s behavior built up already, but as I was thinking about that aforementioned feature idea, I figured that Claude Opus 4.1’s “research mode” might speed up the process a bit. So I tasked it to dive deep into researching how iCloud Drive synchronization works, particularly focusing on iOS behavior and specific scenarios with Obsidian vaults and the “Keep Downloaded” feature.
\nThe resulting doc is what you’ll find below. Enjoy. #sharingIsCaring
\nApple’s iCloud Drive synchronization on iOS operates as a system-controlled process that prioritizes device performance and battery life over real-time sync, fundamentally changing how third-party apps like Obsidian must approach data synchronization. Unlike traditional file sync services, iOS maintains strict control over when, how, and under what conditions synchronization occurs, creating both powerful integration opportunities and significant technical challenges for developers and users.
\nThe core architectural principle revealed through Apple’s official documentation is that applications cannot force synchronization1 - the iOS system decides all sync timing based on complex algorithms that consider network conditions, battery state, thermal management, and learned user behavior patterns23. This system-first approach means that apps like Obsidian must work within iOS’s scheduling constraints rather than implementing direct sync control.
\nApple’s iCloud Drive uses a sophisticated two-stage synchronization process where files move from app containers to system-managed directories, then propagate to iCloud servers “as soon as possible”4 - but timing remains entirely system-controlled. All file operations must use NSFileCoordinator objects to prevent conflicts between applications and the sync daemon, creating a coordination layer that acts as a locking mechanism567.
The system implements intelligent throttling mechanisms designed to protect both device resources and server infrastructure. CloudKit throttles requests when it determines the request rate is too high, with 30-second minimum intervals between rapid operations567. This throttling serves as protection against overwhelming system resources and maintains server stability.
\nFile coordination requirements create significant technical complexity for developers. Every file access requires coordination to prevent race conditions, and file presenters are “very expensive objects” requiring extensive inter-process communication8. Context switches occur between the reading process, presenting process, and file coordination daemon, risking depletion of system resources if too many presenters are registered.
\nAutomatic triggers include app foreground events, network state changes, system resource availability, and device wake cycles. When an app comes to the foreground, especially on macOS, sync often triggers immediately9. Network connectivity changes - particularly switching from cellular to WiFi - initiate sync attempts. The system also monitors storage conditions, pausing sync when iCloud storage is full or device storage is constrained1011.
\nManual sync triggers are limited but exist through specific user actions. Users can force sync by toggling iCloud Drive settings off and on, signing out and back into iCloud accounts, or using app-specific refresh mechanisms like pull-to-refresh in Contacts and Calendar apps1011. However, these methods don’t guarantee immediate sync - they merely request that the system prioritize sync operations.
\nBackground app refresh plays a critical enabling role for sync operations. Apps must be granted Background App Refresh permission, and iOS uses machine learning to determine optimal sync timing based on user behavior patterns, available system resources, network quality, battery level, and time-of-day patterns121314. The system can take “seven days for Apple’s on-device ML to pick up that the user really wants to use the app,"15 affecting sync frequency during this learning period.
\nSynchronization frequency varies dramatically based on system conditions rather than following fixed intervals. Apple’s documentation explicitly states that “CloudKit synchronization isn’t real time” and timing is “as-designed to better balance the use of system resources and achieve the best overall user experience."16 The system implements no guaranteed timing - sync operates on an opportunistic basis when conditions are favorable171.
\nPriority scheduling follows a clear hierarchy: foreground app operations receive highest priority, followed by critical system functions, user-initiated sync requests, scheduled background sync tasks, and finally opportunistic background sync. iOS uses BGTaskScheduler (iOS 13+) to replace legacy background fetch with more sophisticated scheduling based on device usage patterns learned over time181920.
\nBackground execution limitations significantly impact sync behavior. Background App Refresh provides only limited execution time - typically 30 seconds for BGAppRefreshTask and longer durations for BGProcessingTask, but only when external power is available for heavy operations2122. Apps cannot force specific sync intervals and must work within iOS scheduling constraints where background execution is “cooperative” and can be terminated at any time.
\nObsidian’s vault synchronization exemplifies the challenges third-party apps face with iCloud Drive integration. User reports consistently describe unidirectional sync failures where “creating new notes in macOS syncs immediately to iOS, but editing notes in iOS doesn’t sync back to macOS."232425 Files frequently get “stuck uploading” with cloud icons showing indefinitely, and the app lacks native conflict resolution, leading to silent overwrites when notes are edited on multiple devices while offline.
\nDeveloper implementation challenges stem from iCloud’s low-level API requirements. Developers report that “the iCloud API is too low level,” requiring extensive code for basic operations with no single function for putting files into or removing them from iCloud26. The asynchronous, cooperative, lock-based nature creates “implications that are often not easy to grasp,"27 leading many developers to prefer alternatives like Dropbox for reliability.
\nDocument-based versus file-based sync creates different user experiences. Document-based apps using NSDocument/UIDocument protocols benefit from automatic conflict resolution, while file-based sync (like Obsidian) relies on basic iCloud Drive file synchronization without built-in conflict handling28. Advanced apps must implement custom conflict resolution UIs to match user expectations29.
\nNetwork-dependent behavior shows strong WiFi preference with cellular serving as a heavily throttled fallback. Even with cellular enabled, iOS implements intelligent throttling where sync only occurs over cellular when WiFi hasn’t been available for extended periods3031. Low Data Mode specifically pauses iCloud sync operations3233, and users report that iCloud Drive downloads often fail over cellular connections even when uploads work34.
\nPower management creates definitive sync boundaries. Low Power Mode automatically pauses all iCloud sync operations when battery drops below 20% and remains paused even when the device is charged until manually disabled353637. iOS displays “Optimizing Battery Power” messages when pausing sync to preserve battery life, and thermal management pauses operations when devices overheat with “Device Needs to Cool Down” messages38.
\nStorage conditions create hard stops for synchronization. Sync completely halts when iCloud storage quota is exceeded, and iOS pauses sync when device storage drops below critical thresholds3940. The system displays specific status messages including “Low Data Mode,” “Poor Network Connection,” and “Device Needs to Cool Down” to communicate sync pause reasons41.
\n“Keep Downloaded” versus normal cloud storage creates two distinct sync behaviors. Files marked “Keep Downloaded” remain local even when storage optimization is active, while normal cloud storage uses on-demand download where files exist as placeholders until accessed4243. The system provides visual indicators through cloud/download status icons, and users can manually set Keep Downloaded status via context menus.
\nSync prioritization algorithms aren’t fully documented by Apple, but research reveals patterns: the system prioritizes based on system resources first, then user experience considerations, data integrity requirements, and server load management. Large files are often deprioritized in favor of smaller, more critical data, and iOS may selectively sync metadata before file contents when storage is constrained.
\nBackground versus foreground sync behavior creates dramatically different user experiences. Foreground sync typically works “within seconds” with immediate updates, while background sync can take “minutes or even up to an hour” depending on iOS scheduling decisions44. macOS apps sync continuously while running, but iOS apps depend entirely on system wake-ups that follow learned usage patterns.
\nWiFi versus cellular sync patterns show strong system bias toward WiFi connections. Users must explicitly enable cellular data for iCloud Drive in Settings > Cellular > iCloud Drive45464748, but even with cellular enabled, iOS implements aggressive throttling. The “Documents & Sync” system service can consume substantial cellular data (1-8GB reported cases)4950, leading iOS to discourage cellular sync through power management restrictions.
\nBattery state management creates multiple intervention points. Beyond Low Power Mode’s complete sync pause, iOS implements “Optimizing System Performance” states that pause sync to prioritize foreground tasks51. The system preferentially schedules heavy sync operations when devices are connected to power, with iCloud Photos specifically requiring power connection, WiFi, and locked screen for backup operations52.
\nThermal management adds another layer of sync control where operations pause automatically when devices overheat. System-level thermal protection takes priority over sync completion, and users report that sync issues can persist even after cooling if the thermal event triggered system resource reallocation.
\nBackground execution architecture through BGTaskScheduler provides the foundation for non-foreground sync operations. The system grants limited execution time with tasks running when iOS determines optimal conditions exist: device charging, stable WiFi, learned usage patterns, and available system resources535455. Machine learning algorithms determine which apps deserve background execution time, with new devices requiring iOS to “relearn” app usage patterns56.
\nApp-specific background sync behavior varies significantly between foreground and background states. Active apps can immediately respond to file changes and trigger downloads, while backgrounded apps rely on silent push notifications and Background App Refresh scheduling57. Suspended apps cannot perform any sync operations, and force-quit apps will not receive background wake-ups at all58.
\nBackground sync limitations create user experience challenges where sync can appear unreliable or delayed. iOS provides “opportunistic” scheduling rather than guaranteed execution, and background tasks are treated as “low priority” with delivery not guaranteed59. Some apps implement “Incremental Sync” strategies to be more energy-efficient within these constraints.
\nWiFi versus cellular behavior differences extend beyond data usage to sync reliability and speed. WiFi connections enable full-featured sync with immediate file downloads and uploads, while cellular connections often experience partial sync where uploads succeed but downloads fail. Users report that toggling between airplane mode and cellular can sometimes restart stalled uploads, suggesting iOS manages cellular sync more conservatively.
\nVPN and network security impacts create additional sync complications. Some VPN configurations block iCloud traffic entirely, and network security applications may interfere with sync operations60. Enterprise MDM profiles often include restrictions that disable cloud sync6162, and corporate firewalls can selectively block iCloud synchronization traffic.
\nNetwork transition handling reveals system sophistication in managing connectivity changes. iOS automatically pauses sync during poor network conditions and resumes when connectivity improves. The system displays “Poor Network Connection” status messages and implements intelligent retry algorithms that avoid overwhelming weak connections63.
\nApple’s official technical documentation emphasizes that iCloud Drive operates as a system-managed service rather than application-controlled sync. WWDC sessions explicitly state “the system decides when to synchronize data” and “there is no API for app developers to force an iCloud Drive synchronization."64 This architectural decision prioritizes overall device performance over individual app sync requirements.
\nFile coordination requirements mandate that all iCloud operations use NSFileCoordinator objects and NSFilePresenter protocols. Apple’s Technical Note TN3162 reveals that CloudKit throttles applications when request rates are too high, with 30-second minimum intervals between rapid operations6566. These constraints protect system resources but create complexity for developers building sync-dependent applications.
\nConflict resolution frameworks provide automatic handling for document-based apps but require custom implementation for file-based sync. Apple mandates that apps resolve conflicts “quietly whenever possible” and only prompt users when automatic resolution isn’t feasible676869. The system provides NSFileVersion frameworks for conflict detection but requires app-level logic for resolution70.
\nMost frequent problems include “Syncing with iCloud Paused” errors71, files stuck “Waiting to Upload/Download,"72 partial sync where some files sync while others remain pending, and “Zero KB of XGB” upload progress displays73. Users also report missing files across devices, duplicate files with number suffixes during conflicts, and grayed-out files with exclamation mark cloud icons747576.
\nDiagnostic approaches range from basic connectivity checks to advanced terminal commands on macOS. Users can check sync status in Photos app status messages, monitor iCloud storage usage, verify app-specific sync settings, and test with small files to verify basic functionality. Mac power users employ terminal commands like brctl log -w --shorten for real-time sync monitoring and brctl status for container sync status777879.
Recovery strategies include both official Apple solutions and community-developed workarounds. Official methods involve device restarts, iCloud Drive setting toggles, and complete iCloud account refresh808182. Community solutions include VPN cycling, router restarts, time zone changes, and systematic network cycling routines83. Advanced users employ mass file download scripts and automated sync health checks using command-line tools8485.
\nApps like Obsidian face inherent challenges working within iOS sync constraints. The vault-based file structure requires reliable bidirectional sync, but iCloud Drive’s system-controlled timing creates user experience issues where edits made on iOS devices don’t propagate reliably to other platforms86878889. Users frequently report directional sync failures and recommend keeping apps in foreground during critical sync operations.
\nDeveloper alternatives often include migrating away from iCloud Drive toward more predictable sync solutions. Many developers prefer Dropbox for its reliability and traditional file/folder approach, while others migrate to CloudKit for better control over structured data90. Third-party sync solutions like Simperium offer more predictable behavior but require custom infrastructure.
\nIntegration best practices that emerge from developer experiences include designing UIs to gracefully handle sync delays and failures, providing manual sync triggers for user-initiated operations, implementing proper state restoration for interrupted sync processes, and educating users about iOS sync limitations and optimal usage patterns9192.
\niCloud Drive synchronization on iOS represents a sophisticated system-managed approach that prioritizes device performance, battery life, and user experience over application-controlled real-time sync. While this creates powerful integration capabilities within Apple’s ecosystem, it fundamentally changes how developers and users must approach cloud synchronization.
\nThe key insight is that iOS treats sync as a system service rather than an application feature, implementing intelligent scheduling, resource management, and conflict prevention that operates beyond direct application control. This approach succeeds in protecting device resources and providing generally reliable sync for most users, but creates significant challenges for applications requiring predictable, real-time synchronization behavior.
\nFor users of apps like Obsidian, understanding these system limitations helps set appropriate expectations and develop workflows that work within iOS constraints rather than against them. The future of iOS sync will likely continue emphasizing system intelligence over application control, making adaptation to these patterns essential for both developers and users relying on iCloud Drive synchronization.
\nApple Developer Forums - Develop a piece of code to force iCloud Drive sync ↩︎
\nApple Developer - Syncing model data across a person’s devices ↩︎
\nSnowdog - How to manage background tasks with the Task Scheduler in iOS 13? ↩︎
\nApple Developer Forums - CloudKit error - CKErrorRequestRat… ↩︎
\nApple Developer - Technical Note TN2336: Handling version conflicts in the iCloud environment ↩︎
\nSnowdog - How to manage background tasks with the Task Scheduler in iOS 13? ↩︎
\nApple Developer Forums - CloudKit sync refresh problem when… ↩︎
\nApple Support - If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders won’t sync ↩︎
\nSnowdog - How to manage background tasks with the Task Scheduler in iOS 13? ↩︎
\nApple Developer Forums - Collaboration of iCloud Drive docu… ↩︎
\nApple Developer Forums - Develop a piece of code to force iCloud Drive sync ↩︎
\nStack Overflow - BGTaskScheduler: Is it possible to schedule a background task inside a background task? ↩︎
\nApple Developer Forums - IOS Development - Background sync… ↩︎
\nStack Overflow - BGTaskScheduler: Is it possible to schedule a background task inside a background task? ↩︎
\nObsidian Forum - iCloud Drive iOS and MacOS Sync Inconsistencies - Serious ↩︎
\nObsidian Forum - iCloud Drive iOS and MacOS Sync Inconsistencies - Serious ↩︎
\nApple Developer - Technical Note TN2336: Handling version conflicts in the iCloud environment ↩︎
\nApple Community - Cellular vs WiFi causing the iCloud sync… ↩︎
\nApple Support - Use Low Data Mode on your iPhone and iPad ↩︎
\nEskimo - What is Low Data Mode on iPhone and How to Turn It Off ↩︎
\nEskimo - What is Low Data Mode on iPhone and How to Turn It Off ↩︎
\nGbyte - Syncing with iCloud Paused: Complete Guide to Fix It ↩︎
\nApple Support - Check your iCloud Drive file and folder status on Mac ↩︎
\nApple Support - Work with folders and files in iCloud Drive ↩︎
\nApple Support - Work with folders and files in iCloud Drive (SA) ↩︎
\nAsk Different - On iOS, is there any way to see what the “Documents & Sync” system service is using cellular data for? ↩︎
\nApple Community - Why Documents & Sync use my Cellular Data… ↩︎
\nStack Overflow - BGTaskScheduler: Is it possible to schedule a background task inside a background task? ↩︎
\nSnowdog - How to manage background tasks with the Task Scheduler in iOS 13? ↩︎
\nMacRumors Forums - iCloud sync photos on battery (possible?) ↩︎
\nMicrosoft Community Hub - Changes to applications' backup and restore behavior on iOS/iPadOS and macOS devices ↩︎
\nApple Developer - Sync files to the cloud with FileProvider on macOS - WWDC21 ↩︎
\nApple Developer - TN3162: Understanding CloudKit throttles ↩︎
\nApple Developer - Technical Note TN2336: Handling version conflicts in the iCloud environment ↩︎
\nApple Developer - Technical Note TN2336: Handling version conflicts in the iCloud environment ↩︎
\nApple Developer - Technical Note TN2336: Handling version conflicts in the iCloud environment ↩︎
\nAirDroid - Fix “Syncing With iCloud Paused” Error Within Minutes ↩︎
\nApple Support - If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders won’t sync ↩︎
\nArchit Chandra - A Side Effect of Storing a Git Repository in iCloud Drive ↩︎
\nApple Developer Forums - SwiftData iCloud sync breaks after… ↩︎
\nObsidian Forum - iCloud Drive iOS and MacOS Sync Inconsistencies - Serious ↩︎
\nObsidian Forum - iCloud Drive iOS and MacOS Sync Inconsistencies - Serious ↩︎
\nApple Developer Forums - SwiftData iCloud sync breaks after… ↩︎
\nApple Developer Forums - SwiftData iCloud sync breaks after… ↩︎
\nI use Linear daily, in all my projects. It just such a nice piece of thoughtful software. It’s fast, well-laid out, flexible without being overwhelming, and respectful of my time both as a planner and a dev. And it looks good.
\nIt’s the anti-JIRA.
\nThe last few months I’ve also been using Claude Code, sst/opencode, and charmbracelet/crush a lot. (Primarily CC.) And naturally, during that time, I wanted to be able to tell the agent to work on this ticket or update that ticket, so I used the official Linear MCP server. It worked great, no complaints.
\nThen one day I discovered the /context command in Claude, Code which gives a nice overview of what’s currently occupying its memory. Of the available 200k tokens, roughly 13k were taken up by the Linear MCP server alone – just by connecting and providing its tool definitions.
Now 13k tokens isn’t much if you’re working with models that have million-token context windows (hello, Gemini Pro). But when you’re dealing with 100k or 200k token limits, that’s a significant chunk of your available context – gone before you even start doing actual work.
\nThinking about it, I realized that I am only using maybe three or four tools out of the 20+ that the Linear MCP server offers. Why spend tokens on project-management and workspace-setup features when I’m never going to use them? On top of that, I can’t use that MCP server in shell scripts.1
\nI finally decided to scratch my own itch and build something focused on what I actually do with Linear on the command line and in agent prompts:
\nWhat I don’t do in these contexts is project management, workspace creation, or administrative setup. That stuff I handle manually in the UI when needed.
\nSo I wrote Linearis, a CLI tool for Linear.app with JSON output, smart ID resolution, and optimized GraphQL queries. I designed it for LLM agents and humans who prefer structured data.
\nIt’s a command-line tool that outputs JSON, resolves ticket IDs smartly, and keeps token usage light.
\nnpm install -g --install-links czottmann/linearis\nOnce installed, authenticate yourself, and then you’re good to go.
\n# Show usage\nlinearis\n\n# Show *everything* the agent needs to know\nlinearis usage\n\n# Create tickets with full context\nlinearis issues create "Fix login timeout" --team Backend \\\n --assignee user123 --labels "Bug,Critical" --priority 1\n\n# Create bare-bones sub-issues \nlinearis issues create "Fix login timeout" --parent-ticket ABC-234\n\n# Smart ID resolution - works with ABC-123 format\nlinearis issues read DEV-456\nlinearis issues update ABC-123 --state "In Review"\n\n# JSON output plays nice with other tools, like jq\nlinearis issues list -l 5 | jq '.[] | .identifier + ": " + .title'\n\n# Add comments to track progress\nlinearis comments create ABC-123 --body "Fixed in PR #456"\nIt’s agent-friendly by design. The key idea was making it dead simple for LLM agents to understand and use the tool:
\nlinearis usage\nThis single command returns comprehensive yet concise usage information for all available tools. Agents can pipe this directly into their context and immediately understand everything the tool can do.
\nThe flags and options are well-documented and consistently structured, so agents can easily call it through their Bash tools without any special integration.
\nSo I put this in my CLAUDE.md:
\n\nWe track our tickets and projects in Linear (https://linear.app), a project management tool. We use the
\nlinearisCLI tool for communicating with Linear. Use your Bash tool to call thelinearisexecutable. Runlinearis usageto see usage information.The ticket numbers follow the format “ZCO-
\n”. Always reference tickets by their number. If you create a ticket, and it’s not clear which project to assign it to, prompt the user. When creating sub-issues, use the project of the parent ticket by default.
\nWhen the the status of a task in the ticket description has changed (task → task done), update the description accordingly. When updating a ticket with a progress report that is more than just a checkbox change, add that report as a ticket comment.
\n
That’s probably overly verbose, I guess. 😉 Some examples for prompts I use daily:
\nI’ve been using Linearis for a while now, both manually and with my agentic tools. It does exactly what I need it to do without the overhead I don’t need. The agents can create tickets, update them, add comments, and manage labels efficiently. And when I need to do project setup or workspace management, I just use Linear’s web UI.
\nSometimes the best tool is the one that doesn’t try to do everything – just the things you actually need, done well. Linearis solves my particular requirements, but I think it might be helpful to you, too.
\n\nI know I could, technically, but I’m not an insane person. 😉 ↩︎
\nI finally pulled the trigger on booking the Danish language course (level A1) at our fine local Dansk Centralbibliotek 🎉
\n2 weeks, 40h – the “pressure-cooker” version to get started!
\nWhy? Well, Denmark is right around the corner, we moved here 3+ years ago, and at this point, me still not being able to speak the language feels rude somehow. 😉 Also, it opens up opportunities. I mean, we’re still toying with the idea of moving farther North. Who knows?
\n", "date_published": "2025-09-01T16:34:27+02:00", "url": "https://zottmann.org/2025/09/01/i-finally-pulled-the-trigger.html" }, { "id": "http://czottmann.micro.blog/2025/08/27/dear-creators-i-am-judging.html", "title": "Dear creators, I am judging your Nazi-enabling", "content_html": "Hosting your newsletter on Substack or posting on X says “I am fine with my Nazi neighbours”. Because that’s what these platforms are: Nazi bars, run by right-wing people and fascists.
\nUsing them as a creator means that you are actively helping them grow and succeed. Your brain power and creations are propping up their Klan crosses. There’s no two sides to seeing this, there simply isn’t. Whatever your reasons, you are not only tolerating what they do, you directly and indirectly help legitimize their shit, and help them make money.
\nAnd for that I do judge you. Yes, I might dig your personal blog or tech newsletter or whathaveyou, but you are part of the problem. Both those things can be true. Because it’s 2025, and we’re way past beyond the “I didn’t know they are bad” phase. We all know. You don’t get a pass anymore.
\nBecause the thing is: There’s no reason anymore to use those bad actors and their platforms. You do not have to. Yes, we heard your arguments about reach and whatnot, but right now, a big ass portion of your reach is bot accounts and fans of fascism.1 There are a great many viable alternatives for pretty much all your use cases, including social media and blog + newsletter hosting – and believe me, among your friends, readers, and followers there are folks who will help you move. Just ask around, FFS.
\nAnd if you don’t find anyone, send me an email or a skeet or a toot, I’ll help you get going.
\nAnd if you happen to like this part of your fanbase, then by all means, fuck the fuck off. ↩︎
\n