Justin Pot

🗞️ Writes words (WIRED/The Atlantic/PopSci/PCMag/The Wall Street Journal).
🍺 Brews beer.
🍂 Explores nature.

I believe that tech is a tool, not a way of life, and that we should use it to connect with each other. Let's hang out.

Public Key

npub1lnmz4uq7jphu7sy23x8tz5frqvlqfzqeaxlgaxdf0x0s6q5wzn5sumdj59

NIP-05 Address

jhpot_at_mastodon.social@mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs0ea327q0fqm70gz9gnr432y3sx0sy3qv7n05wnx5hn8cdq28pf6gpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43qu7e2f2

Publishing to

relay.mostr.pub

Author Public Key

npub1lnmz4uq7jphu7sy23x8tz5frqvlqfzqeaxlgaxdf0x0s6q5wzn5sumdj59

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Last Notes

2024-08-28 16:29:00

There's a moment in most zombie movies where a character needs to kill the zombie of a loved one while another character says that he's already dead. And that's what I'm here to say: Twitter is already dead. https://lifehacker.com/tech/i-quit-twitter-heres-how-it-went?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-08-28 16:11:22

At some point I just kinda stopped using an email signature. Do people use those anymore?

2024-08-27 18:14:14

wow the fedi really likes articles about leaving twitter

2024-08-27 14:18:29

I left zombie Twitter and so can you! Thoughts on mourning and online community: https://lifehacker.com/tech/i-quit-twitter-heres-how-it-went?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-08-27 03:02:26

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@npub1w9a…04m0 Okay but link to the laptops here

2024-08-26 14:13:47

The ability to follow hashtags and have posts show up in your timeline was so so useful during #xoxofest and is a great way to find interesting people on here in general.

2024-08-07 20:18:57

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@npub198t…hasj but how do you afford your rock and roll lifestyle

2024-08-06 20:22:18

some of you aren’t reading all of my blog posts which is illegal and i’m going to sue you

2024-08-02 22:34:02

I wonder what an extremist who was radicalized on Mastodon would look like. I imagine they’d, like, break into government buildings and install Linux on all the computers.

2024-07-25 20:21:54

I feel like everyone has forgotten about user profiles https://lifehacker.com/tech/your-computer-can-have-multiple-user-accounts?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-07-16 14:42:26

If you want the files on your computer to be readable in thirty years you need to convert them to open formats. I talked to an actual archivist about why: https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-properly-archive-your-digital-files/?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-07-11 18:50:29

Turn any newsletter into an RSS feed. https://lifehacker.com/tech/rss-feed-for-newsletters?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-07-10 21:27:44

This is the best thing you will read today https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/drew-magary-cybertruck-review-sf-19561381.php

2024-07-05 15:55:01

Focus on what you're using tools for, not how long you're using them. https://lifehacker.com/tech/stop-worrying-about-screen-time?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-07-03 14:29:35

On the one hand AI is causing every tech company to drastically increase their energy usage but on the other hand it’s useless for most tasks and on the other other hand it’s built on theft of intellectual property so yeah i’m not sure how i feel about it

2024-07-01 16:16:21

i’ve been in a forest since thursday morning did i miss anything

2024-06-24 23:38:55

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@npub1w9a…04m0 I don’t think anyone wants this to be a spectacle dying an election year

2024-06-24 18:58:42

You can't set a homepage for Safari on mobile. This little app fixes that. https://lifehacker.com/tech/set-homepage-safari-on-your-iphone-or-ipad?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-06-24 14:32:40

Old Maps Online is one of the best online learning tools I've seen in a while. You can scroll through history and watch the borders change and even overlay old maps over everything. https://www.popsci.com/diy/old-maps-online/?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-06-21 14:59:18

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@npub1w9a…04m0 man that ending hits hard

2024-06-17 17:18:10

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@npub198t…hasj It gets so much better in the later seasons. Enjoy.

2024-06-15 14:42:22

"Productivity, Without Privilege" is an excellent resource for any marginalized worker—you should subscribe (and I'm not just saying this because I got a shout out this week) https://buttondown.email/alanhenry/archive/when-being-indispensable-means-youre-being/?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-06-15 14:38:01

AI isn’t a solution looking for a problem—it’s a market strategy made by people who aren’t even thinking about problems. https://justinpot.com/tech-is-cool-business-is-boring/?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-06-11 15:16:26

Applite is an alternative app store for Macs built on Homebrew. https://lifehacker.com/tech/applite-for-mac?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-06-09 17:40:42

When you argue with strangers on a corporate social network no one benefits except the social network. When you argue with strangers on the fediverse no one benefits. That’s why the fediverse is better.

2024-06-07 17:39:15

Want to leave Google behind entirely? It's going to be a process, according to noted Google leaver Janet Vertesi. I asked her for tips; here's what I learned: https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-quit-google-according-to-a-privacy-expert?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-05-28 22:00:10

Weird request: I need to interview a sandwich expert to talk about the best way to cut a sandwich. Who would you reach out to?

2024-05-25 03:02:16

An AI is only the average of the data it takes im: garbage in garbage out. Our minds work the same way, on some level, which is why it’s worth thinking carefully about what you’re paying attention to.

2024-05-24 17:39:46

What are the best Substack alternatives these days? I’m updating my old WIRED article and want to make sure I don’t miss anything. I’ve go Buttondown, Beehiiv, and Ghost in the list already

2024-05-13 18:03:14

nothing has made me more interested in bluesky than Jack Dorsey saying he doesn’t like it

2024-05-04 01:58:36

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@npub1zle…38k8 This is how it should be.

2024-05-03 15:12:46

Human curation beats algorithmic recommendations, and that's why I still listen to the radio. https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/the-radio-is-still-better-than-the-spotify-algorithm?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-05-01 14:40:21

Nostalgic for the classic Mac OS, or just want to see what it was like? You can try it out right in your browser. https://lifehacker.com/tech/try-old-versions-of-mac-os-in-your-browser?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-04-26 15:48:44

Here's how to install Windows 11 without any of the bullshit. No Edge, no Copilot, no need for a Microsoft account, and no upsells—just an operating system. https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-install-windows-11-without-extra-junk?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-04-23 15:38:30

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@npub198t…hasj How do you like being on a single user instance? I promised I’d leave The Big Instance someday but never worked out what it is I want to do

2024-04-20 13:30:27

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@npub198t…hasj Sure Neil, there’s a birthday party. You didn’t just buy this for yourself. Nope. There’s a party.

2024-03-28 15:24:27

Stop sending your every thought to some server somewhere—run large language models on your own computer instead. Jan is open source and easy to use. https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-use-ai-offline-with-jan?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-03-21 14:05:53

Working at a culty tech company can make you feel like you're alone, incompetent, and crazy. You're not—you just feel that way. https://lifehacker.com/work/how-to-stay-sane-at-a-culty-tech-company?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-03-20 22:05:47

Oh good Amazon added a tool that uses AI to generate product descriptions what could go wrong https://lifehacker.com/tech/shopping-on-amazon-is-about-to-get-even-worse?ref=jhpMastodon

2024-03-18 21:32:02

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@npub1wcu…9j6s i promise i did not steal your toot

2024-03-18 17:51:48

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@npub1xzm…eykm It’s not a bad idea! I might add something like that going forward.

2024-03-18 17:45:51

I don’t want to put tracking data in my links on Mastodon because fuck tracking but also my articles do so well here and I bet editors would be interested to know how much traffic comes from this social network they’re ignoring. Not sure what to do about that.

2024-03-18 17:44:39

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@npub1hpc…hjn3 I don’t pick the art, or even see it before the article is published, rbut that’s cool! Beautiful library.

2024-03-18 14:28:27

Cancel your online subscriptions and get a library card instead. https://www.popsci.com/diy/free-services-public-library/

2024-03-14 15:51:17

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@npub1v52…qu8a @npub1eaa…u6mp Any decent mesh routers should do the trick, or you could run a wire if possible

2024-03-13 16:40:34

It sure looks like TikTok is launching a dedicated photos app: https://lifehacker.com/tech/tiktoks-new-dedicated-photos-app

2024-03-11 16:15:59

Tired of getting Spotify links you can't open? Here's a tool that redirects album and song links to other services: https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-open-spotify-links-if-you-dont-have-spotify/

2024-03-05 15:09:04

In honor of Reddit's upcoming IPO here's how to delete your account and all of your posts https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-delete-your-reddit-account

2024-02-27 21:29:54

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@npub1de7…r7gn Yeah, it feels like some kind of cleanup process is stuck and has been for days.

2024-02-27 21:26:52

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@npub1de7…r7gn Okay! I still don’t see a tab like that.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/005/559/836/659/217/original/09303f1a2f23aef0.png

2024-02-27 21:24:50

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@npub1de7…r7gn Wait, I don’t see a tab called that! What am I missing?

2024-02-27 20:59:49

Mac-using friends: a process called "deleted_helper" is consistently using up around 90 % CPU in Activity Monitor. Googling isn't much help and manually deleting my caches did nothing. What's going on?

2024-02-15 15:03:15

AI chatbots aren’t your friends and your conversations with them are not private. https://lifehacker.com/tech/your-conversations-with-chatbots-are-not-private

2024-02-12 16:52:34

The most important article I've ever written: how to get the classic Word Art back in Microsoft Office. You're welcome.
https://www.popsci.com/diy/how-to-get-the-retro-wordart-back-in-microsoft-word/

2024-01-26 18:27:33

Does anyone have a working WordPress to Fediverse setup going? Do you like it? I'm thinking of setting this up but I'm not sure how useful it would be.

2024-01-11 19:11:03

This is the best take I’ve seen on the silly AI rabbit box. https://aftermath.site/why-would-i-buy-this-useless-evil-thing

2024-01-07 04:43:52

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@npub1efv…4jx2 I just switched the other way after ten years on android and regret nothing

2024-01-06 15:54:08

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@npub1efv…4jx2 Oh man I had something like this for android and loved it. I should check this out.

2023-12-22 18:39:49

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@npub198t…hasj why is there so much talk about piss

2023-12-22 18:38:12

who is in charge of the fediverse

2023-12-22 17:19:39

The thing about Substack no one is talking about is how freaking annoying that subscribe pop-up is. I guess I’m talking about it but only because i’m so brave and cool

2023-12-21 18:35:01

Hey! Here's an article I wrote last year that I'm re-posting now for no particular reason. https://www.wired.com/story/best-substack-alternatives/

2023-12-21 12:23:51

The PR team for an email app I criticized for piling on too many features just emailed asking if they could be included in a best of roundup. When I explained that the roundup is based on the review scores they told me about some new features they added. Bonus points: it was AI, a feature I’ve separately argued doesn’t belong in email apps.
It’s so hard to not just troll PR people all day.

2023-11-29 19:21:55

How do you keep a smartphone running for as many years as possible? I'm looking for experts to quote in a WSJ section cover, please boost and let me know if you can think of anyone authoritative on the subject. Thanks fediverse friends!

2023-11-27 15:06:53

Mobile versions of websites are getting worse and worse—here's how to use the desktop version on your phone instead. https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-switch-desktop-version-mobile-site/

2023-11-10 22:16:52

An underrated thing about there not being an algorithm here is you can basically be inactive for two months and then write a message that’s seen by tens of thousands of people. You don’t need to keep gaming the system in order to get visibility.

2023-11-07 22:02:54

Sometimes I wonder if I'm a bot—but only when I'm solving CAPTCHAs. Here's why AI is going to make them a lot more annoying: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/11/captcha-test-security-robot-ai/675931/

2023-11-06 18:33:01

"Grok" being the name for an AI chatbot is just the latest example of tech bros not understanding science fiction. In "Strangers In a Strange Land", the famous 1950's novel the term comes from, to "grok" something is to understand it on a deep level. AI chatbots, as we all know by now, do not grok—they bullshit.
I'm really tired of sci-fi terms being used by people who read the books and got nothing from them beyond “lol this word sounds cool”. (See also: “metaverse”.)

2023-11-03 13:21:26

The cool thing about the age of AI is every freemium app is locking the AI features behind the paywall so it's pretty easy to just ignore it

2023-10-27 14:42:08

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@npub1hw3…apg6 Must be all that crypto money

2023-10-06 15:47:46

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@npub15x4…3p3l gotta read it extremely offline apparently

2023-09-14 15:25:23

Hey remember your ancient LiveJournal? It's owned by a company with alleged ties to the Russian security service now. Here's how to back up and delete your old posts: https://www.popsci.com/diy/delete-livejournal-account/

2023-09-08 16:31:30

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@npub1d40…u7lw I’m honoured to use up your free slots (secret tip: reader mode usually gets around paywalls)

2023-09-08 14:39:50

Turn off YouTube's algorithm entirely so you stop getting sucked into rabbit holes against your will. https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-turn-off-youtube-algorithm/

2023-08-31 15:08:52

It's raining all of a sudden and feels like November. Who hit the "start autumn" button? We're not mad we just want to know... #pdx

2023-08-30 15:59:22

I started my morning reading this over-researched article about a bridge and have zero regrets. https://tylervigen.com/the-mystery-of-the-bloomfield-bridge

2023-08-22 21:39:46

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@npub1u5h…9wm3 I’ve been messing with Apple Maps lately and I like how it makes it easy to make “folders” of pins and to move objects from one to the other. I hope Google copies something like it.

2023-08-22 21:36:36

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@npub1u5h…9wm3 it looks like you just love everything

2023-08-22 21:35:30

This article argues that Windows 11 is so cluttered that the idea of a “clean install” is obsolete: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/windows-11-has-made-the-clean-windows-install-an-oxymoron/
I wonder, though: are there any tools out there that can clean up all of this crap after an installation?

2023-08-21 14:24:14

I know this makes me a communist or whatever but I like it better when the air doesn’t taste like smoke

2023-08-15 15:54:18

Pixelfed, a decentralized alternative to Instagram, added a migration feature for grabbing your images. I tried it out and wrote a guide: https://www.wired.com/story/migrate-move-instagram-to-pixelfed-no-tracking-fediverse/

2023-08-14 14:42:03

Every Mastodon account has an RSS feed, meaning you can follow people without getting an account. Here's how: https://www.popsci.com/diy/mastodon-social-rss/

2023-08-07 16:11:12

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@npub1efv…4jx2 @npub12dd…jscn Thank you! That means a lot.

2023-08-07 14:31:52

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@npub1efv…4jx2 @npub12dd…jscn Thanks for sharing! I’m happy this one is resonating with people.

2023-08-01 17:07:19

This week I'm researching CAPTCHAs. Do any of you know anyone who works in that space? I'd love to talk to someone who is trying to keep these things working in the age of AI.

2023-08-01 16:22:28

if an outrage troll says something stupid and no one's around to hear does it still make money?
https://www.salon.com/2023/08/01/they-need-us-we-dont-need-them-the-fall-of-twitter-is-making-the-and-grifters-desperate/

2023-07-28 16:32:27

My two least favorite classes in college were Spanish and running. Now, twenty years later, I start most weekdays by going for a couple mile run and practicing Spanish. I do not understand how this happened.

2023-07-17 15:37:23

still the best wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_ducks

2023-07-05 14:53:48

What are your favorite still-active corners of the retro internet?

2023-06-09 18:22:14

I outlined a bunch of really simple computer tips for The Wall Street Journal. Share it with your less tech savvy friends! Here's a link that gets around Rupert's paywall: https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-use-gmail-slack-zoom-teams-easy-shortcuts-8f27579c?st=c4q5s5atzkno2ij&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink'
Or, wait until tomorrow's print edition: it's the cover story of the Off Duty section (!!!)

2023-06-01 16:06:59

Attention all cool and attractive nerds: what are some actually useful things you use ChatGPT or Google Bard for right now? I'm looking for practical things, not hype.
I, for example, sometimes use it to brainstorm headlines or to summarize privacy policies.

2023-05-18 22:27:46

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@npub15c8…fal0 I wrote an article about this I’m still proud of over at The Old Job https://zapier.com/blog/why-people-read-best-mac-content/

2023-05-18 22:25:34

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@npub15c8…fal0 this is such a common example! The reason sites with recipes have so much crap is Google doesn’t rank sites that don’t have that highly, so writers have to add a bunch of crap or it won’t rank.

2023-05-18 22:21:54

We all think Google’s search results kind of suck now, right? What are the best examples you’ve seen?

2023-04-13 00:29:30

An absolutely unhinged Product Hunt post said that in the future people will have more bot friends than human friends. I had no choice but to rant about it. https://buttondown.email/justinpot/archive/are-the-tech-brosokay-pls-dont-replace-your/

2023-04-04 15:05:23

Canary is a solid cross-platform email client with built-in support for encryption and an AI feature that can write emails for you. Full review: https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/canary-mail