Far from disrupting power structures, the rise and spread of consumer technology over the last thirty years has on balance done more to make power easier to grow, concentrate, and defend3

s21e01: Things Could Have Been Different; LLMs as LitTech, Their Use as Response to Mass Functional Illiteracy

0.0 Context Setting

Wednesday, 7 January 2026 in Portland, Oregon where it is wet (but not too wet) and cold (but not too cold), merely a typical brisk dreary day that recalls the less tumultuous and blissfully ignorant late 2009s/early 2010s.

I accidentally words this time -- started writing them yesterday as long-form versions of things that caught my attention and were shat out onto Bluesky.

0.1 Events

Hallway Track

I am rearranging my schedule and hope to bring Hallway Track back this year, and maybe even experimenting with some other event formats.

Other Events

Ted Han and I host a podcast, Han to Hon Combat, most Fridays. We talk about the promise of ATProto and a humane internet (“what are we using this technology for, anyway, and are we succeeding?”). You can see previous episodes on YouTube. We have great guests.

With Ted, I’m also running the media and