Bill Hunt :blue_lantern:

US Gov Civic Technologist & Policy Nerd. PublicInterest.Town admin #Cyberpunk #Govpunk #Hopepunk :blue_lantern: Web1.1 enthusiast. he/him

Richmond, VA, US

Views expressed are personal and NOT official positions or policy.

:move_carefully: "Move carefully and fix things"

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npub1pugr6jnamey7udcdq4cz9yjfl5n434r4469gxhg3rv6eeh0nf9pq2e549f

NIP-05 Address

krusynth@mastodon-publicinterest-town.mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsq7ypaff7auj0wxuxs2upzjfyl6f6c6366az5rt5g3kdvumhe5jsspzpmhxue69uhkummnw3ezuamfdejsz9rhwden5te0wfjkccte9ejxzmt4wvhxjmc7ng9hl

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nostr.wine

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

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npub1pugr6jnamey7udcdq4cz9yjfl5n434r4469gxhg3rv6eeh0nf9pq2e549f

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Last Notes

2026-07-10 12:49:48 UTC

I was in #DC for a conference last week and I had completely forgotten that the city is still under armed occupation by federal forces. It was so shocking to see this place I called home for a decade with roaming bands of armed military on every street corner. Horrifying.
Don't close your eyes, don't look away, it's still happening on US soil today.

2026-07-03 10:49:26 UTC

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@nprofile…8clk @nprofile…nqgz Thought exercises are irrelevant. In the U.S. at least, we have case law already setting the precedent here, see Thaler v. Perlmutter. The Copyright office states that only human-authored works are eligible.

2026-07-02 22:31:21 UTC

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@nprofile…nqgz No. AI-created content is not eligible for copyright and thus is public domain. GPL has ownership rights based in copyright, and is not the same thing. It’s effectively the same issue as with the Federal government creating code/etc.

2026-01-26 01:00:53 UTC

Somehow telework is supposedly an absolute productivity killer but the second we have inclement weather it’s required.
It used to be that when we had bad weather businesses and the government would just close down. We ended up with the worst of both.

2026-01-23 02:33:27 UTC

Whenever I watch Peacock I get this ad for New York Life [insurance] about a woman who wants to be a chef as a kid and grows up to be one, and I cannot stop staring at her holding her knife wrong. 😖

2026-01-22 15:12:37 UTC

I pet six cats in one day this week which is a new all-time personal best!

2025-12-27 19:41:17 UTC

The whole point of society - all of this - is so that we are all enriched together, that collectively our lives should be better. We invented farms so folks wouldn’t starve.
But a couple thousand years ago a few assholes decided that personal enrichment is the most important thing. For the most part, we’re still going along with that bullshit.
The only way we survive is if we move back to shared enrichment. This coming year, think carefully about how you’re spending your money and labor.

2025-12-22 17:22:15 UTC

Hey babe are you alright? You’ve barely touched the cyberpunk dystopia you fantasized about throughout most of the 90s that you’re currently trapped in.

2025-12-12 16:52:27 UTC

I don't know who needs to hear this right now, but you can just put dill on things and make them tastier.
It's easy to grow but a $3 jar of dried dill will give you 100000 points in flavor.
Mayo on your basic sandwich? Add dill. Mac and cheese from a box? Add dill. Grilled chicken or tofu? Add dill. The list goes on and on.
Most folks only think of it in pickle terms, but it's an amazing herb that goes overlooked.

2025-11-10 17:10:24 UTC

I no longer believe that pure open source licenses serve a public good, as our tools can easily be used to do harm - we are building weapons for our oppressors.
Building on the work of many others, I've cobbled together my own Ethical Software License from a variety of sources.
My own addition is a prohibition on using the software for building AI, crypto, or any similar technology.
I'd appreciate any and all feedback on this! (Sharing is OK!)
https://codeberg.org/krusynth/Valvalis/src/branch/release/LICENSE
#opensource #oss

2025-10-26 13:45:26 UTC

You cannot both have a personal, non-corporate social media environment and also have a constant, pre-curated stream of momentary entertainment.
It’s not unlike moving from fast food to a healthy diet.
You either get slop, or you start doing the work to share good things and curate your own consumption.
#SocialWeb

2025-10-19 22:52:46 UTC

#AI investment by companies is currently projected by Gartner to top $1.5 TRILLION this year, 2 next. Where is that sort of revenue going to come from to pay it off?
Microsoft only pulls in $45 *billion* on office software, and they're the biggest player in the game. The math doesn't add up for this to be a tool for consumers.
Someone on LinkedIn pointed out that selling that data for surveillance is the MOST likely way that the bills get paid.
Keep this in mind before you use these tools.

2025-05-11 17:30:26 UTC

Saw this and thought of @nprofile…62wc
https://media.publicinterest.town/media_attachments/files/114/490/375/938/264/149/original/a50fe290090ff86c.webp

2025-04-30 15:29:51 UTC

Fellow #Govpunk friends - check out these fantastic shirts supporting the CFPB Union! I just bought a bunch!
https://cfpbunion.shop
https://media.publicinterest.town/media_attachments/files/114/427/628/992/701/965/original/7dc3b0d48e2d0334.jpeg

2025-04-10 19:27:11 UTC

In my last post, I talked about what we, as consumers, must do to save our world from the shitgoblins.
Today, I'd like to start a conversation about how we, as creators, must save the world.
Let's Build Small, Together:
https://billhunt.dev/blog/2025/04/10/build-small/

2025-03-26 16:52:43 UTC

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@nprofile…4tpe Or at least auto-mute replies. 😖

2025-03-24 15:32:02 UTC

https://media.publicinterest.town/media_attachments/files/114/218/123/654/853/493/original/309bcc514c82d1c4.jpg

2025-03-13 19:59:56 UTC

I know everyone is struggling to find new jobs right now. I just relaunched my tiny microsite to help keep track of all the positions you're applying for:
https://job.hunt.works
It's not a jobs board, just an easy way to keep tabs on all of the various steps in the process of applying and responding.
I built this the last time I was unemployed and just freshened it up - I hope some folks find it useful.
https://media.publicinterest.town/media_attachments/files/114/156/891/334/962/005/original/5dbabe06dfc78377.jpg

2025-03-06 20:12:46 UTC

I'm sorry, but I'm just going to keep reposting this because it's the most critically important thing I've ever written.
Five Actions to Save Democracy
https://billhunt.dev/blog/2025/03/02/five-actions-to-save-democracy/

2025-02-26 17:10:03 UTC

Just a reminder that the return to office / mandatory commute policy *IS* an anti-DEI measure, as telework allows a wider variety of folks to work, including those with young children, disabilities, etc. that make in-office work difficult or impossible.

2025-02-13 14:12:16 UTC

The market is already flooded with unemployed software developers and engineers in America. The gov gleeful joining the fray by gutting the civil service will only drive unemployment up. Don't stop talking about this.
We cannot toot or code our way out of the current environment. But that's a lot of hands to lay to new civic infrastructure projects.
We need to start building ethical companies to replace the current Valley-centric VC-based bullshit, to reclaim capital from oligarchs. 1/3

2025-01-28 17:01:17 UTC

I'm a fan of the concept of webmentions, but the spec is a mess. Having to parse HTML just to get likes out? Ugh.
The only alternative is the web annotation spec (which I contributed to!), and that's all linked data garbage.
There really just needs to be a simpler, middle-of-the-road standard with an easy API.

2025-01-15 14:13:26 UTC

With ProtonMail emerging as another milkshake duck, what's the best option for secure mail these days other than self-hosting?
(Ideally something that doesn't require a bridge just to check your email.)
(I've run my own mail before and do not want to repeat the experience thank you very much.)

2025-01-14 16:36:36 UTC

I was watching a movie on a popular streaming service, whose parent company has invested heavily in AI, and was presented this classic image at the beginning.
And friends, I swear, I nearly died of irony right then.
https://media.publicinterest.town/media_attachments/files/113/827/674/552/722/807/original/35a834b69ee6b7d1.jpeg

2024-12-20 23:27:28 UTC

My partner got me the coolest present ever, a signed 3.5” floppy from Renoly Santiago (Phantom Phreak)!!! #HackThePlanet
https://media.publicinterest.town/media_attachments/files/113/687/738/722/641/749/original/acc97da2a469962b.jpeg

2024-12-07 01:59:26 UTC

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@nprofile…7nxw would the Recipe Filter plugin help them for this?

2024-12-06 18:26:19 UTC

I just saw that GSA quietly changed their policy on Login.gov - now any state, local, or tribal gov organization can use it, even without spending federal funding!
Now that they're also IAL2 compliant, this is HUGE! Finally, a single login to use for every government service! Spread the word!
https://billhunt.dev/blog/2024/12/06/login-gov-for-everyone-even-more/

2024-12-04 00:36:24 UTC

Just a reminder that it's still #GivingTuesday for a few more hours. I strongly recommend donating to food banks and similar orgs that help those who have the greatest need.
If you do, let me know and I'll send you a sticker!
https://billhunt.dev/stickers/

2024-11-18 18:06:06 UTC

It really doesn't matter if Mastodon adds better abuse controls because ActivityPub is literally structured in a way that makes abuse easy. A popular account can DDoS itself just by existing. We should be figuring out the next thing, not wasting time on something that's inherently broken.

2024-11-07 17:10:02 UTC

My tiny instance has had to do more moderation in the last 48 hours than the last year in total. Folks are feeling emboldened to be shitty.
Also just a reminder that the Mastodon moderation tools remain absolute fucking dogshit. This is a platform built for abuse.

2024-09-21 17:42:53 UTC

LIFE HACK: Forget crypto, did you know you can literally take food from the store, stick it in the ground, and it’ll make more food FOR FREE!?!?
https://media.publicinterest.town/media_attachments/files/113/176/775/074/633/845/original/e68badfd162f9ae4.jpeg

2024-09-10 15:34:28 UTC

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@npub18c7…er9d I am both very excited and very upset that ALL of my mods are now broken 😁😭

2024-07-23 14:37:17 UTC

The absolute darkest UI pattern that is used everywhere is the no-reply email address blackhole that every service uses. I'm struggling to think of anything more anti-user than "here's some information - now talk to the hand."
Make it easy for people to talk to a real human. If that's not cost-effective for you, you're prioritizing the wrong things in your service.

2024-07-19 12:58:56 UTC

The 90s were a simpler time.
https://media.publicinterest.town/media_attachments/files/112/813/270/126/595/314/original/a68c507b9fd418bb.jpg

2024-07-10 16:08:22 UTC

July 11th at 2PM Eastern is the next Agile Community of Practice meeting under the Federal CIO Council! This is open to all US gov staff: federal, state, local, & tribal!
FDIC explains the basics of Agile, IRS talks about their journey, and I'll be recapping our community survey!
If you'd like to join the CoP just send an email to Agile-subscribe-request@listserv.gsa.gov and we'll add you to the mailing list! Drop me a comment if you have trouble.
Likes and reposts are greatly appreciated!

2024-07-05 18:00:30 UTC

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@npub1xed…yg9w ohhhhhh this is very good.

2024-06-05 18:27:10 UTC

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@npub1f6a…pnql I think the *training* phrase is the key here. So, no, I would assume A* path finding wouldn't count.

2024-06-05 18:07:46 UTC

Oh hey look, I found a whole repository of open source licenses that have been modified to explicitly prevent AI usage: https://github.com/non-ai-licenses/non-ai-licenses

2024-05-31 14:57:02 UTC

For any of you who still don't think sex work is real work, a sex worker just took down the leader of facism in the U.S., and that took some fucking work.
(Post is muted so don't bother replying.)

2024-05-22 16:37:56 UTC

It’s #WorldGothDay so some things you can do to support your goth friends is:
* ask them what their favorite Sisters of Mercy song is
* buy them a Diet Coke
* donate in their honor to your local SPCA or reptile rescue
* compliment them on their winged eyeliner
* buy them a lint roller
* invite them over to watch The Crow or Queen of the Damned

2024-05-20 22:50:32 UTC

It remains fucking absurd that the U.S. sold off most of its rail lines, so Amtrak has to *pull over* and let freight trains pass, as those are the companies who bought them. I’m sitting here stuck outside of town for the last 30 minutes because of this fuckery.

2024-05-08 22:41:45 UTC

At long last, I’ve released *SIX* new shirt designs for my series three in my shop, which including the AI design i posted earlier! Check ‘em out! #GovPunk
https://billhunt.dev/shop/
https://media.publicinterest.town/media_attachments/files/112/407/758/385/609/093/original/48f0f3be547f60c0.jpeg

2024-04-23 20:50:41 UTC

Working on a new t-shirt design. What do y'all think?
https://media.publicinterest.town/media_attachments/files/112/322/503/463/831/756/original/9c62a25e65c72a62.jpg

2023-09-04 11:17:49 UTC

Just to put that factoid in context, if the minimum wage tracked inflation, it would be $26/hr.
That means that billionaires are stealing $40K per year from minimum wage earners! And even more from the rest of us!
You know who *has* seen that kind of income growth? The folks who are already wealthy.
#LaborDay
https://media.publicinterest.town/media_attachments/files/111/006/594/392/762/278/original/4e77df1a9d6cd965.jpeg

2023-08-18 12:52:49 UTC

Trying to get my friends to play Minecraft with me by promising to create arcane bureaucratic rules for building things. 🙃

2023-07-31 18:58:39 UTC

Cloud is just someone else's technical debt.