I’m the founder and editor of Techdirt, one of the longest-running technology blogs, exploring the intersection of technology, innovation, policy, law, civil liberties, and economics since 1998.
I’m also the founder of the Copia Institute, a Silicon Valley think tank, and a board member of Bluesky, the decentralized social network.
The New York Times once called me “something of a Silicon Valley oracle.” I’ll take it.
You Might Remember Me From These Various Internet Phenomena
Protocols, Not Platforms — My 2019 paper proposing a new approach to social media was cited by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey as the inspiration for exploring a fundamental shift in strategy, which led to the creation of Bluesky.
Masnick’s Impossibility Theorem — Content moderation at scale is impossible to do well. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, but at scale, it’s never going to be done well, either because everyone has different opinions/motivations, or just because mistakes get made.
The Streisand Effect — I coined this term to describe how attempts to suppress information online often backfire, drawing far more attention to it instead. Barbra Streisand was not amused.
SOPA/PIPA Coverage — According to a Harvard Berkman Klein Center study, Techdirt was the most linked-to media source during the 2012 debate over the SOPA copyright bill.
Ctrl-Alt-Speech — The weekly podcast Ben Whitelaw and I do all about the latest news regarding online speech, content moderation, and internet regulations.
Section 230 & Internet Policy — Techdirt and the Copia Institute have been key voices in debates over Section 230, net neutrality, encryption, and anti-SLAPP laws. My writings have been cited by the U.S. Congress and EU Parliament.
Games & Simulations — Through Copia, I’ve pioneered using games and simulations to explain complex policy issues and explore future possibilities. And via Techdirt we’ve now done two fun, thematic card games: CIA: Collect it All and One Billion Users.
Otherwise Objectionable — I did a whole podcast about the past, present, and future of Section 230.
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About This Site
This is my personal corner of the web, separate from Techdirt. Here you’ll find personal blog posts and archives from my earlier blogging days.
This site is currently connecting to Bluesky via Brid.gy, though I’m exploring deeper integrations in the open social web as well. Stay tuned.