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humphrey ✨

@hoctopi.bsky.social
66 followers 104 following 53 posts

cities, technology, and democracy | Oakland, CA

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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
saving for later digging: the Institute of Global Communication, which helped thousands of progressive organizers learn how to use mailing lists, threaded discussions, and other early network technologies in the 80s-00s –– igc.apc.org
igc.apc.org
IGC Internet -- The Progressive Community
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
we had a blast!!! more pictures and reflections soon but wow, incredible to gather people who care about people gathering in place
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
feeling a strange nostalgia for alt-weeklies even though I was never really there for them
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Atrios @eschatonblog.com · 10/07/2025
Every "tech" guy is just a VC guy in a subculture that gets called "tech" for no particular reason. Most real "tech" - like, i dunno, cutting edge materials research - doesn't get called that while "a new pizza delivery app" does
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
making a tiny monthly zine for my neighborhood… plus a way to distribute them (zine/postcard holders that attach to existing public infrastructure)
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 21/06/2025
found on pole (temescal, oakland)
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Holly Allen @hollyallen.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
Absolutely stellar reporting by @missionlocal.org these past 100 days on Mayor Lurie’s promise to transform 16th St and Mission, and the on the ground reality of open air drug use and illegal vending. This final article in the series is a must read for SF residents. missionlocal.org/2025/06/100-...
missionlocal.org
100 days after S.F. pledged to clean up 16th St., drugs and vending rage on
“I love the Mission,  and I have never seen this,” he said. “I don’t understand it. I don’t know what we’re supposed to do.”
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Scott Feeney @graue.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
Maybe capitalism just works like organized crime now? Before AI, "gig" companies like Uber/Lyft didn't work without breaking the law. They spent $200m to change the law. 5 years later, they're still fighting in court to stiff workers back pay from before the change.
calmatters.org
California negotiating with Lyft, Uber in massive wage-theft case
Uber and Lyft drivers rallied at three California city halls today, calling attention to a long-running lawsuit against the companies over thousands of wage-theft claims that could be worth billions o...
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
claude screenshot from a project
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Shannon Mattern @shannonmattern.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
Another Library Newsroom meeting tonight — so heartening to hear how everyday folks navigate local bureaucracy, tap local contacts to investigate their stories (when will the rec center re-open?!), and to watch them translate their neighborhood identity into a graphic design
A table full of large sheets of paper where people can register their local stories, a local field guide, and a mock-up of the newsletter with post-its registering participants feedbackA whiteboard reading: MISSION
THE SUNSET PARK LIBRARY NEWSROOM IS A PLACE WHERE NEIGHBORS COME TOGETHER TO SHARE, PRESERVE AND EXPLORE STORIES THAT REFLECT THEIR LINES AND COMMUNITY.A recap of session 4, with a worksheet that reads as follows: How to Be Curious
Strengthening Listening, Interviewing & Storytelling Skills & Keep In Mind
Good wontelling begins with curlosity and listening, Keep these tipe la mlod:
Ask open ended questions - Encourage detale, not just 'yes" ce "Do" anver
0 Listen without interrupting - Let the story safold saturally.
2 Take notes - Capture key moeeots, emotions, and detaile
9 Step 1: Group Interviews
11 Form groups of three and rotate roles so everyone gets to:
El Be Interviewed - Share your story
El Be the interslewer - Ack thoughtful goenticen
B te the note-taker - Suppert the latericet, capture detalk and nad bolo supe
/ Interview Questions (Use these or create your own!)
O Do you have a Sunset Park ot seipotted tory to share?
O Whats sothing about te untold story die sore people shoeld know?
DIsent belight one untold story toe you experience here, etut woold it hat
sessión yA worksheet for session 5 that reads as follows: Curiosity Challenge: Find a Neighborhood Story or Question
Before our next session, take some time to notice, ask, and explore your neighborhood.
• Step 1: Choose Your Approach
Pick at least one way to exploce:
12 Talk - Ask a neighbor or local basiness owner about their experiences.
E Observe - Notice what's happening in a public space or event.
1 Research - Look into a community issue or questico people are discussing
≤ Step 2: Capture Your Curiosity
Use whatever works best for you:
W Notebook - Jot down notes and bring them to the session.
• Voice Memo - Record your thoughts on your phoce.
1 Text us - Send your response to 718-866-8674
Email us - newsroom@bklynlibrary.org
Step 3: What Stood Out?
Think about why your story or question matters:
• If you talked to someone: Wbo? What did they share?
* If you observed something: Where? What details stood out?
2 If you had a question: What was it? Did you research it? What did you learn? What's stil
• Step 4: Why Does This Matter?
* What does this tell us about our community?
* Who else might care? Why?
* How could this be shared in the bulletin?
2 Bring Your Notes to the Next Session!
We'll use them to shape the next issue of the bulletin.
A Bonus: If you can, take a poto or sketch something related to your story!
Session S
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
nothing like a good night of not looking at the time, opening up three browser windows, and doing a deep dive on "online discourse architecture"
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Bryan Culbertson 🥄 @bryanculbertson.com · 12/04/2025
Here we have a real world experiment of a single lane Grand handling traffic with ease When you visit it is very obvious that only one car lane is needed here, even during evening "rush hour" We can make Grand safe for pedestrians to cross without worrying about congestion. Everyone can win!
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Dan Hon @danhon.com · 08/04/2025
... I've started to be depressed about the ways in which federal government is just kind of... going along with the administration. It feels like there are high level holdouts eg at the DOJ. I bet there are more at other agencies and depts. But now I'm worried it's the same 5/85/10 ratio...
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Dare Obasanjo @carnage4life.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
Another chapter in AI biting the hand that feeds it: Wikipedia’s bandwidth surged 50% since January thanks to AI crawlers. Unlike search engines, they send no traffic back so no new users, no new donors. Just rising costs and a shrinking audience. A raw deal for a cornerstone of the free web.
diff.wikimedia.org
How crawlers impact the operations of the Wikimedia projects
Since the beginning of 2024, the demand for the content created by the Wikimedia volunteer community – especially for the 144 million images, videos, and other files on Wikimedia Commons – has grow…
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 22/03/2025
did a sidewalk screenprinting pop-up to get folks’ thoughts on what should go in Oakland’s empty storefronts!!
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Warren Wells, AICP @warrenjwells.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
Thanks to the work of @safestreetrebel.bsky.social, @sfbike.org and countless others, we now have a 6-mile (nearly) car-free route from the south end of the Upper Great Highway to the east end of the Panhandle. It is truly a gift to future generations.
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
this is an extremely tasty and useful guide (from firsthand experience alongside the author)
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
this is maybe my favorite thing I’ve seen all week
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
~from idea to reality~ a little nfc holder specifically designed for transit poles! idea is to make it easy to tap into local websites for hyperlocal info, conversations, etc. while waiting for the bus or walking around the neighborhood
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
Just published an essay on addressing power imbalances in democratic deliberation! Been a pleasure to dig into this, and got to cite a lot of my favorite practitioners & scholars in the field ⭐️ carnegieendowment.org/posts/2025/0...
carnegieendowment.org
Addressing Power Imbalances in Deliberation
Care and forethought are needed to manage societal inequalities in community discussions.
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
no to american dynamism 👎🏾🙅🏾‍♂️❌ yes to Deweyan Pragmatism 💖🎉☀️
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Shannon Mattern @shannonmattern.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
We dedicated a week to the post office, one of my favorite institutions — its foundational mission, its vital civic roles, its incremental disenfranchisement, its ideal potential — in our Local Media class (relevant slides start at #48) localmedia.wordsinspace.net/spring2024/p...
A screenshot of our class website featuring a collaged image — a Philadelphia map, archival post office images — and the title: “The Post Office”
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
*chaotically scheduling an email for 7:43AM*
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Alfred Twu @alfredtwu.com · 20/02/2025
In many ways it's fitting that the showdown between monarchy and democracy ends up being over NYC congestion pricing. Cities are where the power of kings were first challenged, and few things are more fundamental to government than control of public space. The cameras are staying on!
A cartoon with a sign that looks like a classic NYC no parking sign but is modified to say "No King Any Time", above a cartoon showing a cybertruck with a crown on it running over speed bumps and sawhorse barricades labeled Congress, Executive Branch, and Courts. It is stopped in front of bollards with a Congestion Pricing sign above it. In the background on the left is the Washington DC skyline with tire tracks coming out of a building. On the right behind the congestion pricing sign are the Statue of Liberty in front of the Jersey City skyline, an NYC walkup apartment with a bodega, people on bikes and walking, the Manhattan skyline, a subway train, and a bus in a bus only lane, and Pizza Rat.
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
despite zuck being a digital dictator and totally Not Cool, facebook marketplace still has soul
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
the best part of grad school has been seeing my personal library (in zotero, notion, etc) utterly BALLOON i have read so many things now, and have so many references for things i love thinking about!! life is good!!
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Shannon Mattern @shannonmattern.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Public Hearings! posters, c. 1965-70, from the Emergency Committee on the Transportation Crisis Records in the People’s Archive at the DC Public Library
A yellow poster, with hand lettering that reads PUBLIC HEARINGS!” A faded salmon poster with hand lettering that reads: Volunteer here for
Committee WorK:
Secretarial
TYPING, FILING, MAILINGS, CORRESPONDENCE, MIMEO, DUPLICATING, etc.
Research
ENGINEERING, AIRPOLLUTION, TRAFFIC & TRANSIT, SOCIOLOGICAL & ECONOMIC FACTORS, etC.
Legal PERPARANONE ARMATARIAN
PREPARATION, FORMULATION & PRESENTATION OF
Financial
RAISING & HANDLING OF FUNDS NECESSARY FOR CONDUCTING THE CAMPAIGN
Coordination GROUPS TO COORDINATE ACTION
CONTACTING ALL MARYLAND, VIRGINIA AND D.C.
Publicity
NEWSPAPER & RADIO/TV COVERAGE, LEAFLETS, BOOKLETS, POSTERS, LOUDSPEAKERS, etc.
Political
CONTACTING LEGISLATORS & ADMINISTRATORS AT MUNICIPAL, COUNTY, STATE, NAT'L LEVELS
SPEAKERS
CARRY MESSAGE TO NEIGHBORHOODS, FRATERNAL, CHURCH, SOCIAL GROUPS etc.
YOUTh CIVIC INVOLVEMENT, etC.
PROMOTE PARTICIPATION ON BASIS OF SAVING PARKLAND,
Business
WORK WITH SERVICE CLUBS, BUSINESSMEN & LOCAL FIRMS TO PRESERVE & PROMOTE TAKOMA PARK
OR SIGN UP FOR ANY OTHER WORK YOU FEEL IS IMPORTANT
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
spent my formative adult years in the mission. it will always have my heart ❤️🧡💛
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
Interesting to read more on the origins of the “professional organizer” and all the things we associate with that in today’s unions, nonprofits, etc Notable quote: “Alinsky was not known for his governance skills.” tribunemag.co.uk/2020/02/the-...
tribunemag.co.uk
The Problem with Alinsky
Saul Alinsky's work formed the intellectual basis of what we call community organising today – but his ideas were deeply hostile to the Left, and should be treated with caution.
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
this has been sitting on my desktop for over a year, posting here so I don't lose it and for others' enjoyment
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
love this mini-paper on "feral computing," or alternative communication devices and networks found in public urban spaces dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
dl.acm.org
Feral Screens | Proceedings of the 2016 ACM Conference Companion Publication on Designing Interactive Systems
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
are we?
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Bless @davekarpf.bsky.social for doing the lord’s work by actually reading/critiquing The Network State
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
weird that there isn’t a good synonym for “neighbor” that describes people who live in the same city
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Mushtaq Bilal, PhD @mushtaqbilalphd.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
Meta illegaly downloaded 80+ terabytes of books from LibGen, Anna's Archive, and Z-library to train their AI models. In 2010, Aaron Swartz downloaded only 70 GBs of articles from JSTOR (0.0875% of Meta). Faced $1 million in fine and 35 years in jail. Took his own life in 2013.
“Torrenting from a corporate laptop doesn’t feel right”: Meta emails unsealedA photo of Aaron Swartz (1986-2013) when he was 19.
Last month, Meta admitted to torrenting a controversial large dataset known as LibGen, which includes tens of millions of pirated books. But details around the torrenting were murky until yesterday, when Meta's unredacted emails were made public for the first time. The new evidence showed that Meta torrented "at least 81.7 terabytes of data across multiple shadow libraries through the site Anna’s Archive, including at least 35.7 terabytes of data from Z-Library and LibGen," the authors' court filing said. And "Meta also previously torrented 80.6 terabytes of data from LibGen."
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
nonsense term that i might want to break down later: “deliberative anarchopragmatism” 🥴👀😤
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
marking as a "must read"
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404 Media @404media.co · 05/02/2025
You can’t post your way out of fascism Authoritarians and tech CEOs now share the same goal: to keep us locked in an eternal doomscroll instead of organizing against them 🔗 www.404media.co/you-cant-pos...
404media.co
You Can’t Post Your Way Out of Fascism
Authoritarians and tech CEOs now share the same goal: to keep us locked in an eternal doomscroll instead of organizing against them, Janus Rose writes.
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
“gossip is power” doesn’t mean spreading unfounded rumors! but it does mean chit-chatting about unspoken rules, gathering intel, making sense of social dynamics, and understanding where power is unduly concentrated
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
i documented all the vacant storefronts in a 2x3 block of downtown oakland (combination of assessor's office data, google maps/search, and a lot of walking around) still some cleaning to be done but learning a lot:
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
Spending a lot of time recently with one of my favorite resources – SF Chronicle's Property Owner Map: www.sfchronicle.com/projects/202... Been using it to understand who exactly all owns the various vacant properties in downtown Oakland and SF and making some interesting discoveries
sfchronicle.com
This map reveals who owns every property in the Bay Area
This property map tells you who owns any building in the San Francisco Bay Area. Just type in any address.
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depths of wikipedia @depthsofwikipedia.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
if you've noticed a lot of chocolate on the main page of wikipedia it's because 6 mo ago one random person started cranking out a tooooon of amazing overhauls to chocolate articles and now the quality of chocolate content has literally never been better. thank you chocolate hero whoever you are
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
this is the way
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Erika Hall @erikahall.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
We bought a radio for our kitchen and tuned it to KEXP. Now, in the morning, I just turn it on and good music comes out. Sometimes a friendly human talks about the music. The radio isn’t sending data to anyone. Total lifestyle upgrade.
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
Whoever is doing construction in this part of downtown Oakland has been leaving their concrete blocks everywhere… so naturally, they’ve been reclaimed as graffiti galleries and bulletin boards. Not mad at it (though I would much rather the blocks be gone)
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
“[Participatory budgeting] stopped challenging the status quo and was used instead to legitimise it – promoting transparency and accountability, but not challenging the unequal political economy. So, we need to think about entire processes of change.” www.resilience.org/stories/2025...
resilience.org
A governance commons to support the commons economy? Conversation with Dr Sonia Bussu
Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org and Stroud Commons in conversation with Sonia Bussu, Associate Professor in Public Policy at the University of Birmingham and project lead for INSPIRE (looking at democrati...
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
Same with the word “vibrant” in anything dealing with cities/neighborhoods. Feels more like you’re trying to force a shiny utopian vision of a place rather than support an actual community.
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humphrey ✨ @hoctopi.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
Just starting to spend more time here! Transition will be slow, but let me know if there folks I should follow talking about technology, participatory governance, democracy, Bay Area politics, etc. :)
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Cyd Harrell @cydharrell.bsky.social · 12/01/2025
USDS becoming the new host to DOGE. I'm sure the DS has hosted its share of naive parachuters over the years (though folks I've known there were serious, ready to listen, & often stayed in govt) but this is different. these are wreckers, & it's awful to see something created to help turn this way
screenshot from the NY Times article: "DOGE leaders have told others that the minority of people not detailed to agencies would be housed within the Executive Office of the President at the US Digital Service, which was created in 2014 by former President Barack Obama to "change our government's approach to technology"

DOGE is also expected to have an office in the Office of Management and Budget, and officials have also considered forming a think tank outside the government in the future.
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