I've been here since the 2022 Great Twitter Exodus, and I've apparently never posted an #introduction, so…
I'm a #GenX techie who's lived in #Boston since the late 80's.
My 15 minutes of fame were being fired by #DOGE from #USDS early in 2025 and sounding the alarm in every media outlet that'd listen since nobody else was doing it. I'm not a fan of limelight, so I stopped when others took up the baton.
My politics are aggressively progressive and antifascist, and I post about them a lot.
(1/2)

@hakendran

Haken dran – das Social-Media-Update der c't: Ein Wort-Lüge-Verhältnis von 1:1 (mit Torsten Beeck)

Kapitelmarken, KI-unterstützt 00:00:25 - Nachhak 00:03:27 - #TikTok #USDS JV unter Druck 00:12:42 - Upscrolled und Skylight Social 00:28:08 - #Threads findet #FIFA "gefährlich" 00:31:19 - #WhatsApp wird zum #VLOP 00:36:32 - #Meta pausiert #KI-Avatare für Teenager 00:39:52 - EU leitet zweite #DSA-Untersuchung gegen #X ein 00:51:55 - Social-Media-Verbote für Minderjährige in #UK und #Frankreich 00:57:11 - Funktionen und Emotionen 01:03:52 - Wie kommt der Graue Haken 2025 zu Markus #Söder?

Webseite der Episode: https://hakendran.podigee.io/531-ein-wort-luge-verhaltnis-von-1-1-mit-torsten-beeck

Mediendatei: https://audio.podigee-cdn.net/2327694-m-3a36fab909ac4d017dfe475683bf0719.mp3?source=feed

Ein Wort-Lüge-Verhältnis von 1:1 (mit Torsten Beeck)

Was halten wir vom amerikanischen TikTok? Unklar. Wir wissen nur: Die neuen Betreiber halten uns offenbar für blöd, denn deren Erklärung, wieso bestimmte Videos und Begriffe verschwinden, ist ein angeblicher Stromausfall - in einem Rechenzentrum einer der größten Rechenzentrumsbetreiber der Welt. Ahja. Dass diese Videos ausgerechnet das ICE zum Thema haben und dass DMs mit dem Wort “epstein” ausgerechnet die sind, die nicht weitergeschickt werden können, ist dabei ein eventuell sehr wichtiger Teil der Wahrheit. Apropos Wahrheit: Wir müssen auch über Meta sprechen, über X, über die EU und über Frankreich. ➡️ The Verge über VISA und X: [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/867874/stripe-visa-mastercard-amex-csam-grok](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/867874/stripe-visa-mastercard-amex-csam-grok) ➡️ Mit der "Haken Dran"-Community ins Gespräch kommen könnt ihr am besten im Discord: [http://hakendran.org](http://www.hakendran.org⁠) Kapitelmarken, KI-unterstützt 00:00:25 - Nachhak 00:03:27 - TikTok USDS JV unter Druck 00:12:42 - Upscrolled und Skylight Social 00:28:08 - Threads findet FIFA "gefährlich" 00:31:19 - WhatsApp wird zum VLOP 00:36:32 - Meta pausiert KI-Avatare für Teenager 00:39:52 - EU leitet zweite DSA-Untersuchung gegen X ein 00:51:55 - Social-Media-Verbote für Minderjährige in UK und Frankreich 00:57:11 - Funktionen und Emotionen 01:03:52 - Wie kommt der Graue Haken 2025 zu Markus Söder? ℹ️ Hinweis: Dieser Podcast wird von einem Sponsor unterstützt. Alle Infos zu unseren Werbepartnern findet ihr [hier: https://wonderl.ink/%40heise-podcasts](https://wonderl.ink/%40heise-podcasts)

Haken dran – das Social-Media-Update der c't

Attracting technical talent into state and local government is a good thing, especially after the destruction of #USDS and #18F, but… volunteer? C’mon, #Virginia.

The proposal allocates nearly half a million dollars to go to an advisory board and the cops to collect biometric data on volunteers. 🤦🏻‍♂️

https://virginiamercury.com/2026/01/26/virginia-to-consider-joining-states-creating-volunteer-cyber-civilian-corps/

Virginia to consider joining states creating volunteer cyber civilian corps • Virginia Mercury

A proposal to create a volunteer cybersecurity incident response team, investigating and troubleshooting threats targeting digital systems around the commonwealth, will be considered again in this year’s General Assembly session.

Virginia Mercury
Former #USDS Leaders Launch Tech Reform Project to Fix What #DOGE Broke
The plan, which is still in its early stages, is spearheaded by former USDS administrator #MikeyDickerson.
Called #TechViaduct its goal is to create complete reboot how #US delivers services to citizens. Viaduct cadre of experienced federal tech officials is in process of cooking up specifics on how to remake government, aiming to produce initial recommendations by the spring.
https://www.wired.com/story/former-usds-leaders-launch-tech-reform-project-doge/
https://archive.ph/aUptk
Former USDS Leaders Launch Tech Reform Project to Fix What DOGE Broke

The plan, which is still in its early stages, is spearheaded by former USDS administrator Mikey Dickerson.

WIRED
"The value of tech expertise in #government is real. That’s why #USDS and #18F existed and succeeded for over a decade.
This isn’t that…They gutted the #institutionalknowledge, fired the people who knew how to do this right, and replaced it with a system where people from private companies get guaranteed access to government data and decision-making through employees who are explicitly planning to return to those same companies." @mmasnick.bsky.social
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/12/23/trump-admin-reinvents-us-digital-services-program-after-elon-musk-fired-all-their-actual-tech-experts/
Trump Admin Reinvents US Digital Services Program After Elon Musk Fired All Their Actual Tech Experts

Here’s a fun game the Trump administration keeps playing: destroy a successful government program, wait a few months, then breathlessly announce you’ve “invented” the exact …

Techdirt
Trump Admin Reinvents US Digital Services Program After Elon Musk Fired All Their Actual Tech Experts

Here’s a fun game the Trump administration keeps playing: destroy a successful government program, wait a few months, then breathlessly announce you’ve “invented” the exact …

Techdirt

#US government launches 'Tech Force' to replace #IT staff #DOGE fired
Washington rediscovers that modern IT doesn’t run itself
https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/15/us_government_tech_force/

If ONLY we had something like a US Digital Service... we could call it #USDS and they could help modernize IT across #FederalGovernment.... why has NO ONE thought of this?!?!? </s>

US gov't launches 'Tech Force' to replace IT staff DOGE fired

: Washington rediscovers that modern IT doesn’t run itself

The Register
Also, some #MSPB actions currently in process are frozen. For example, the #USDS employees illegally fired on February 14 reached a settlement with the government immediately before the shutdown, and that settlement has a specific timeline for payout, but the clock is frozen until the shutdown ends.
That's small potatoes for me since I found a new job pretty quickly, but a big deal for my colleagues who didn't or who may even be still unemployed nine months later.
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#politics #USPol #shutdown
TLDR The former U.S. Digital Service (USDS) employees who were improperly fired by DOGE on February 14 have been certified as a class by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and have reached a settlement with the government over their firing. I am a member of the class and stand to benefit from this settlement. Read the whole thread for additional details. Feel free to reply with any questions you have after reading the thread.
#politics #USPol #USDS #DOGE #MSPB
🧵1/9
Sitting in the shade, wearing my favorite #USDS T shirt, waiting for the #AllstonBrightonParade to pass by. Hoping for a selfie with #MichelleWu.
#Allston #Brighton #Boston #BostonMA #BrightonMA #parade