{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1", "title": "Manton Reece", "icon": "https://avatars.micro.blog/avatars/2025/22/3.jpg", "home_page_url": "https://www.manton.org/", "feed_url": "https://www.manton.org/feed.json", "items": [ { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/20/its-a-little-mesmerizing-watching.html", "content_html": "

It’s a little mesmerizing watching Waymo track all the cars around an intersection.

\n\"\"\n", "date_published": "2026-07-20T16:34:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/20/its-a-little-mesmerizing-watching.html", "tags": ["Photos"] }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/20/federico-viticci-blogs-in-detail.html", "content_html": "

Federico Viticci blogs in detail about Open Minis. Looks like a really impressive app that combines frontier models with a Linux shell on iOS so it can run like an agent with tools. Sort of like putting a mini OS inside a sandbox, and it can still reach out with local APIs when it needs data.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-20T12:50:41-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/20/federico-viticci-blogs-in-detail.html" }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/20/tennessee-vs-meta-trial-starts.html", "content_html": "

Tennessee vs. Meta trial starts this week:

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The state alleges founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was repeatedly ​warned by some Meta employees about research that found a negative impact on teens, but declined to fund efforts to minimize those harms and made misleading ​public statements about the amount of harmful content on the platforms.

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There’s really no fixing Meta’s business model. It is hard to take an ad-based business hell-bent on engagement and align it with users’ best interests.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-20T09:20:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/20/tennessee-vs-meta-trial-starts.html" }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/20/working-on-a-new-bluesky.html", "content_html": "

Working on a new Bluesky starter pack discovery interface inside Micro.blog. It’s not comprehensive, but I think I will launch it soon as an experiment. Then later, need to figure out how to integrate it with blogrolls and (maybe) Mastodon collections.

\n\"Screenshot\n", "date_published": "2026-07-20T08:36:35-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/20/working-on-a-new-bluesky.html", "tags": ["Photos"] }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/19/i-thought-our-standardsite-support.html", "content_html": "

I thought our Standard.site support was broken, but then remembered it only works when Micro.blog is configured to embed previews for links. Updated the help page of Bluesky technical bits to document this.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-19T11:22:24-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/19/i-thought-our-standardsite-support.html" }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/19/this-morning-while-listening-to.html", "content_html": "

This morning while listening to random music on the Echo, I realized that OpenAI’s smart speaker is going to obviously need music too, even if it’s primarily a voice assistant. Maybe a partnership with Spotify.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-19T09:54:31-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/19/this-morning-while-listening-to.html" }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/19/john-gruber-has-a-blog.html", "content_html": "

John Gruber has a blog post covering a few angles of the Apple vs. OpenAI lawsuit, including some “What would Steve Jobs do?” questions. Really good post.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-19T09:50:58-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/19/john-gruber-has-a-blog.html" }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/18/openai-has-made-some-improvements.html", "content_html": "

OpenAI has made some improvements to the ChatGPT + Codex mashup app, but it’s still not right. Here’s a mockup that I think fixes all of the problems. Three modes, uncluttered sidebar that works like the old app when needed.

\n\"A\n", "date_published": "2026-07-18T10:03:03-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/18/openai-has-made-some-improvements.html", "tags": ["Photos"] }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/18/social-web-disconnect.html", "title": "Social web disconnect", "content_html": "

Sometimes there’s a disconnect in the social web community between political values and open web principles. They are not the same thing.

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Politics can inspire us to build a better world. That’s certainly how I felt after the 2016 election, leading to the Micro.blog launch. But without a foundation in open web principles, there’s no lasting direction or strategy. There are only reactions to whoever or whatever we oppose.

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Let’s say you leave a large social network because you dislike the person in charge, then create a Mastodon community where everyone feels safe and is mostly aligned on ideology. The software is decentralized, but identity and culture remain centralized around a single domain.

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Often this works out great. I’ve been writing for years about the benefits of small communities. But with impulsive leadership, it can also create filter bubbles and mob behavior. Then you’ve recreated the thing you were trying to escape.

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Opposition is not a principle. The political winds will inevitably shift, leaving polarization behind. Building a better web is much more universal. Empowering people to own their identity, publish more freely, form many kinds of communities, and leave without losing everything.

\n", "summary": "A short essay on political values and open web principles.", "date_published": "2026-07-18T09:14:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/18/social-web-disconnect.html", "tags": ["Essays"] }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/17/hoping-to-finish-reading-a.html", "content_html": "

Hoping to finish reading a book or two this weekend. I probably need a short break from the internet too. Whew, it’s a lot sometimes.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-17T21:33:09-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/17/hoping-to-finish-reading-a.html" }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/17/cant-decide-about-seeing-the.html", "content_html": "

Can’t decide about seeing The Odyssey this weekend at Alamo, or waiting for time to go to San Antonio for 70mm IMAX. Feel like spoilers don’t matter so we wait. Or maybe it’s just a movie and I’m seriously overthinking it. 🍿

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-17T16:39:09-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/17/cant-decide-about-seeing-the.html" }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/17/i-flipped-through-this-book.html", "content_html": "

I flipped through this book while at BookPeople the other day. Didn’t end up buying it but snapped a photo to remember. It brought back a lot of memories of going to Liberty Lunch. A special place and time in hindsight, simpler and uncorrupted. No phones, no cameras.

\n\"\"\n", "date_published": "2026-07-17T13:42:13-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/17/i-flipped-through-this-book.html", "tags": ["Photos"] }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/17/love-that-joanna-stern-is.html", "content_html": "

Love that Joanna Stern is still making these kind of videos now that she’s indie. Wearing cameras to train future robots feels demeaning and maybe not even useful.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-17T12:06:52-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/17/love-that-joanna-stern-is.html" }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/17/sharing-this-headsup-about-downtime.html", "content_html": "

Sharing this heads-up about downtime for Lillihub as it is migrated. If you haven’t checked out Lillihub before, it’s an alternative web interface to Micro.blog with a bunch of features. (Also look at the design of @heyloura’s blog!)

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-17T11:45:09-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/17/sharing-this-headsup-about-downtime.html" }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/17/working-on-an-author-screen.html", "content_html": "

Working on an author screen in Epilogue. Our database of books is pretty cluttered, as you can see in this video, but overall I think this UI is going to work. I’ll ship it soon.

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\n", "date_published": "2026-07-17T09:30:15-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/17/working-on-an-author-screen.html", "tags": ["Videos"] }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/17/moral-busybodies.html", "title": "Moral busybodies", "content_html": "

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” — C.S. Lewis

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I came across this quote recently, in a different context, and I keep getting drawn back to it. I think it captures something that I’ve tried to write about several times over the last year.

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What do we do when we encounter someone who is so convinced of their own righteousness that they justify attacking people, even to the point of lying, painting a false picture of us and the people we work with? I honestly don’t know.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-17T08:46:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/17/moral-busybodies.html", "tags": ["Essays"] }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/17/recorded-a-short-demo-of.html", "content_html": "

Recorded a short demo of the new book calendar interface in Micro.blog. I put the video on YouTube.

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Still partly an experiment, especially the backgrounds, which I’ve already dialed back since the video. Also added a background images preference. Totally optional feature. Use if you like it!

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-17T07:53:39-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/17/recorded-a-short-demo-of.html" }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/16/the-difference-between-pretty-good.html", "content_html": "

The difference between “pretty good” transcription and “great” still matters a lot.

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As an example, my daughter left me a voicemail today starting with, “Hi dad, this isn’t an emergency…” because she doesn’t want me to worry. Apple’s transcript: “Hi dad, this is an emergency.” Quite different!

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-16T19:12:55-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/16/the-difference-between-pretty-good.html" }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/16/signed-into-auphonic-for-the.html", "content_html": "

Signed into Auphonic for the first time in a while. Nice minor UI cleanup here and there since I last used it. The best web apps just get a little bit better over time without dramatically changing everything.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-16T15:25:12-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/16/signed-into-auphonic-for-the.html" }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/16/theres-going-to-be-a.html", "content_html": "

There’s going to be a lot of work to do in this country after Trump is gone. We knew that in November 2024. But the long-term fallout from Iran is hard to predict. Potentially years or decades of backlash and terrorism. A costly blunder. 🇺🇸

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-16T13:54:45-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/16/theres-going-to-be-a.html" }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/16/im-getting-back-to-working.html", "content_html": "

I’m getting back to working on Ghost sync, similar to the WordPress support we added last month. The Ghost API is very different and there were a number of holes I had to fix in my first pass implementation.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-16T11:23:52-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/16/im-getting-back-to-working.html" }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/16/the-new-chatgpt-for-mac.html", "content_html": "

The new ChatGPT for Mac (Codex) is updated about once a day, and each time I click the update button I expect them to have added a dedicated “Chat” section with a list of previous, searchable chats. But nope! Really hard to explain UI regression.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-16T10:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/16/the-new-chatgpt-for-mac.html" }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/16/new-york-data-center-pause.html", "title": "New York data center pause", "content_html": "

Governor Kathy Hochul has paused data center construction. Reporting from WXXI:

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The governor’s order follows a bill passed by the State Legislature last month, which also contains a one-year moratorium. Members of the governor’s team say that bill is complicated and will take some time to work through, and Hochul feels the state needs to act sooner to address concerns.

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And some details from the executive order itself:

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The Department of Public Service (DPS) is directed to examine the impacts associated with the interconnection of data centers to the electric distribution network through its proceeding under Case 26-E-0045, Proceeding on Motion of the Commission to Address Interconnection Reforms for Large Loads. In connection with such proceeding, DPS is further directed to initiate a formal public process, including public comment and a public hearing, to create a Generic Environmental Impact Statement in accordance with the requirements of the State Environmental Quality Review Act at Article 8 of the Environmental Conservation Law and the regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, SEQRA), to assess the potential environmental impacts of the construction and operation of data centers in the State, including energy demand, water use and quality, air quality, disproportionate impacts on disadvantaged communities, and noise levels.

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Too-long-didn’t-read summary: let’s get our shit together on energy and environmental impact. I agree, that needs to happen. But as I’ve blogged about before, I’m still skeptical of a pause.

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We are going to have to build these data centers eventually. If that’s true, the important question isn’t when, but how. And the how should include requirements like using a certain percentage of renewable energy. Passing laws now with those requirements would effectively pause construction, yet do it while giving data centers an environmentally sustainable path forward.

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A blanket pause like in the executive order also benefits the companies (OpenAI, Microsoft, Google…) that went all-in on construction a year before everyone else. Anyone who needs compute soon and was considering New York will abandon those plans and look to other states.

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At the same time this week, Google announced a massive solar farm project in Arkansas. Sounds pretty good:

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As both an anchor investor and an offtaker, Google will support the development of the first two phases of the project, which will add 1.6 GWdc of solar generation and 1.9 GWh of battery storage to the regional grid. The full three-phase project will deliver 2.5 GWdc of new solar generation and 2.9 GWh of new battery storage to the regional grid once the facility is fully operational in 2029.

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The project will also use steel manufactured in Arkansas, so it has local benefits beyond energy.

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The crazy amount of money flowing into the AI labs still feels like a once-a-generation chance to invest in something good. Instead of saying, “Don’t spend your money yet”, I’d like to see, “Spend your money on this.”

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-16T09:11:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/16/new-york-data-center-pause.html", "tags": ["Essays"] }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/16/one-thing-i-look-for.html", "content_html": "

One thing I look for when listening or reading someone’s commentary, is their opinion the most obvious conclusion from a very surface-level reading of the source material? The obvious is often wrong, otherwise we’d never have anything interesting or surprising happen in the world! Gotta go deeper.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-16T08:54:19-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/16/one-thing-i-look-for.html" }, { "id": "http://manton.micro.blog/2026/07/16/on-the-latest-pivot-kara.html", "content_html": "

On the latest Pivot, Kara and Scott seem way off on their AI take. OpenAI wouldn’t have leaked the hardware details to Bloomberg this week if the product wasn’t going to be revealed. I just can’t imagine Jony Ive personally hyping a vision for something that we never see.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-16T08:48:10-05:00", "url": "https://www.manton.org/2026/07/16/on-the-latest-pivot-kara.html", "tags": ["Artificial Intelligence"] } ] }