Notices by Matthew Reinbold (matthew@opinuendo.com)

@molly0xfff All of this is true, but I'd guess that most of those making that complaint have a small enough number of subscribers that they're "free" on the substack plan. To move from $0 to even a $50/month Ghost Pro entry level plan for the same number of users is a prohibitive jump in out-of-pocket costs.

I just backed TechDirt's founder @mmasnick and his new card game, One Billion Users.

It promises to be a competitive card game to build the biggest and best #socialMedia platform. And maybe, just maybe, we might learn a little bit about our current internet affliction in the process.

I'm really looking forward to this one. #games #moderation

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mmasnick/one-billion-users-the-social-media-card-game?ref=thanks-copy

"I can't be an influencer on Mastodon" is a feature, not a bug.

#socialMedia #Mastodon

There are "only" 801 billionaires based in the United States.

They should not have outsized influence on deciding the affairs and governance concerning 346 *million* Americans.

Wealth is not indicative of an ability to lead. Account might does not equal right. But, boy howdy, there is a tiny minority of folks that - in so many ways - are trying to convince the rest of us that they know best, even if that means destroying traditional institutions that might stand in their way.

More reporting on the GOP mega-donor funded coordinated scheme to undermine democracy. . Gift link: https://www.threads.net/@amandalitm/post/DBrSbudxogr

Just some examples from the last week:

- Washington Post declines to endorse a candidate, Bezos "cowardice": https://flipboard.com/@salon/news-politics-vjnjnsc9z/-/a-m2wmN8c4RXSH2M1xm3OhFA%3Aa%3A3199680-%2F0
- LA Editor resigns after ownership interference: https://www.cjr.org/business_of_news/los-angeles-times-editorials-editor-resigns-after-owner-blocks-presidential-endorsement.php
- Musk "lottery" to buy votes deemed illegal - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/22/elon-musk-is-trying-to-buy-the-us-election-for-donald-trump-what-does-he-want-in-return

@mmasnick cutting to the quick on billionaire bs, media trust, and what happened at the Washington Post:

https://www.techdirt.com/2024/10/29/dear-jeff-bezos-the-hard-truth-is-that-cowardice-like-yours-is-why-people-dont-trust-the-media/

"One reason why credibility is so low is because it’s believed that the wealthy elite billionaires “control” the news and push their personal beliefs. Jeff, you know what helps reinforce that belief? You, the billionaire, elite owner of the Washington Post, stepping in to overrule your editorial team on a political endorsement..."

#QOTD: "A system is never the sum of its parts. It is the product of the interactions of its parts." - Russell L. Ackoff

#QOTD: "A jumbo jet is complicated, a good mayonnaise is complex. No-one wants to fly in a plane with emergent properties." - Paul Cilliers

#QOTD: "Software is done the way that the dishes are done. You can only consider it finished if you never plan on using it again." - Dave Cheney

@inthehands Has there ever been the full white paper treatment of the Best Buy/Accenture story published anywhere?