Mastodawn

Richard Reisman Jul 2, 2025

How to Reclaim Social Media from Big Tech:
Middleware, an idea whose time has come.
Now in @francis.fukuyama's Persuasion - by @Noupside and me. #FreeOurFeeds
https://www.persuasion.community/p/how-to-reclaim-social-media-from
#FreeOurFeeds

The conclusion and some key ideas in this thread on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@rreisman.nyc/post/DLndYhzvjmi

How to Reclaim Social Media from Big Tech

“Middleware” is an idea whose time has come.

Persuasion

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Richard Reisman Dec 11, 2024

Thanks to Richard Whitt, coauthor on AI piece, @lukethorburn + many coauthors/participants on Symposium piece,
+ many, including early voices: @mmasnick, Francis Fukuyama, @daphnehk
+ @ethanz @mchris @Noupside
+ @justinhendrix at @techpolicypress
+ @knightcolumbia for events and discussions that helped crystallize the broadening and crossover framings in the two recent pieces: @jameeljaffer @aviv @sethlazar
+ FAI: Zach Graves, Luke Hogg

Richard Reisman Dec 11, 2024

My earlier overview of the foundational principles that apply here, with a proactive vision toward powerful and beneficial "bicycles for our minds" is in this policy brief in support of CIGI's Freedom of Thought project.
https://www.cigionline.org/publications/new-logics-for-governing-human-discourse-in-the-online-era/

New Logics for Governing Human Discourse in the Online Era

The democratization of access to online media tools is driving a transformation of human discourse that is disrupting freedom of thought. Governance is needed to restore individual and community agency, which could re-energize the vision of technology as “bicycles for our minds.”

Centre for International Governance Innovation

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Richard Reisman Dec 11, 2024

Both build on MIDDLEWARE (betw users, platforms) to enable INTEROP w/ platforms to control feeds & recommenders. White paper out soon reviews the case for middleware + roadmap for developers, investors, & policymakers, drawing on this symposium of leading thinkers.
https://www.thefai.org/posts/symposium-announcement-shaping-the-future-of-social-media-with-middleware

Symposium Announcement: Shaping the Future of Social Media with Middleware | The Foundation for American Innovation

The Foundation for American Innovation.

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Richard Reisman Dec 11, 2024

That extends framings derived from social media in this recent companion.
It broadens case for "middleware" that gives users choice over feeds/recommenders (with open market): how USER AGENCY is primary, but must be guided by SOCIAL MEDIATION and REPUTATION.
https://www.techpolicy.press/three-pillars-of-human-discourse-and-how-social-media-middleware-can-support-all-three/

Three Pillars of Human Discourse (and How Social Media Middleware Can Support All Three) | TechPolicy.Press

Human discourse is a social process, writes Richard Reisman, that depends on three pillars: agency, mediation, and reputation.

Tech Policy Press

Richard Reisman Dec 11, 2024

Re-aligning SOCIAL MEDIA & AI: "Whom does it serve?
That is the overarching issue as we confront "enshittification" & threats to democracy. Subject of 4 publications covered in this thread. 🧵
Most recent applies to PERSONAL AI AGENTS - "Have your AI call my AI"
https://www.techpolicy.press/new-perspectives-on-ai-agentiality-and-democracy-whom-does-it-serve/

New Perspectives on AI Agentiality and Democracy: "Whom Does It Serve?" | TechPolicy.Press

Richard Reisman and Richard Whitt write that interoperability will enable agential relationships that serve individuals and communities faithfully.

Tech Policy Press

Richard Reisman Nov 11, 2024

Justin Hendrix Nov 10, 2024

New podcast! Justin Hendrix spoke to Greg Epstein, who drew on lessons from his vocation as a humanist chaplain at Harvard and MIT to write a new book, just out from MIT Press, called Tech Agnostic: How Technology Became the World's Most Powerful Religion, and Why It Desperately Needs a Reformation. https://www.techpolicy.press/salvation-abundance-apocalypse-is-technology-the-worlds-most-powerful-religion/

Salvation, Abundance, Apocalypse: Is Technology the World's Most Powerful Religion? | TechPolicy.Press

A conversation with Greg Epstein, author of Tech Agnostic, a new book just out from MIT Press.

Tech Policy Press

Richard Reisman Nov 10, 2024

Gary Marcus Nov 10, 2024

The contrast between the breaking news from at least two “frontier” labs and the hype and bravado that we have seen over the last two years from @sama and @elonMusk and others is simply breathtaking.

𝘼𝙂𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙣.

Richard Reisman Oct 31, 2024

Don’t Let Liberal Purity Elect Trump. History teaches us the cost of protest votes or not voting at all. (Gift article.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/30/opinion/gaza-harris-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.WU4.v2BV.jzb9jBghWLIA&smid=em-share

Opinion | Trump Would Be Worse for Palestinians

Even if you think Harris is flawed on the Middle East, don’t try to punish the Democratic Party and risk a Trump election.

The New York Times

Richard Reisman Oct 23, 2024

Justin Hendrix Oct 23, 2024

“Pressure is mounting on state and federal prosecutors to investigate tech billionaire Elon Musk’s $1 million lottery-style giveaway to registered voters in seven battleground states.A Justice Department spokesperson said Tuesday that it had received a letter from 11 former government officials including several Republican ex-prosecutors urging the department to investigate whether Musk’s daily prizes violate a federal law prohibiting paying people to register to vote.” https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/elon-musk-petition-million-swing-state-giveaway-money-legal-rcna176568

Pressure mounts on prosecutors to review Elon Musk’s $1 million swing-state petition giveaway

Prosecutors are facing pressure around payments that Elon Musk's America PAC made to people who signed a petition supporting free speech and gun rights.

NBC News