Clive Thompson

@clive@saturation.social

hometown 4.5.7+hometown-1.2.0

Writer, musician/songwriter, hobbyist coder. Contributing writer to New York Times Magazine and Wired. Author of "Coders". Blogging at clivethompson.medium.com, archive of writing at www.authory.com/clivethompson -- email: clive@clivethompson.net; Signal: @clivethompson.98 -- #science #technology #coding #software #writing #literature #poetry clive@clivethompson.net

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Joined October 31, 2022

Blogging:

https://medium.com/@clivethompson

Music:

https://lipstickdriver.bandcamp.com

Writing archive:

https://authory.com/clivethompson

Newsletter:

https://buttondown.email/clivethompson

Posts

Clive Thompson

@clive@saturation.social

Writer, musician/songwriter, hobbyist coder. Contributing writer to New York Times Magazine and Wired. Author of "Coders". Blogging at clivethompson.medium.com, archive of writing at www.authory.com/clivethompson -- email: clive@clivethompson.net; Signal: @clivethompson.98 -- # science # technology # coding # software # writing # literature # poetry clive@clivethompson.net

saturation.social

Clive Thompson

@clive@saturation.social

Writer, musician/songwriter, hobbyist coder. Contributing writer to New York Times Magazine and Wired. Author of "Coders". Blogging at clivethompson.medium.com, archive of writing at www.authory.com/clivethompson -- email: clive@clivethompson.net; Signal: @clivethompson.98 -- # science # technology # coding # software # writing # literature # poetry clive@clivethompson.net

saturation.social

@clive@saturation.social · Mar 07, 2026

"Boy was I wrong about the fediverse"

a fun and funny essay: https://matduggan.com/boy-i-was-wrong-about-the-fediverse/

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Clive Thompson

@clive@saturation.social

Writer, musician/songwriter, hobbyist coder. Contributing writer to New York Times Magazine and Wired. Author of "Coders". Blogging at clivethompson.medium.com, archive of writing at www.authory.com/clivethompson -- email: clive@clivethompson.net; Signal: @clivethompson.98 -- # science # technology # coding # software # writing # literature # poetry clive@clivethompson.net

saturation.social

Clive Thompson

@clive@saturation.social

Writer, musician/songwriter, hobbyist coder. Contributing writer to New York Times Magazine and Wired. Author of "Coders". Blogging at clivethompson.medium.com, archive of writing at www.authory.com/clivethompson -- email: clive@clivethompson.net; Signal: @clivethompson.98 -- # science # technology # coding # software # writing # literature # poetry clive@clivethompson.net

saturation.social

@clive@saturation.social · Mar 02, 2026

(UPDATE: I think i've got this one answered, thank you everyone!)

People of mastodon!

Super weird question, but ...

... is anyone out there conversant in Assembly for a 1960s-era IBM 7090, or machines of that lineage?

I'm working on an article that includes some Assembly of that vintage ...

... and want to make sure I'm describing what it does correctly

if this describes you or someone you know ...

... hit me up, I'd love to tap your expertise!

clive@clivethompson.net is the fastest

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219

Clive Thompson

@clive@saturation.social

Writer, musician/songwriter, hobbyist coder. Contributing writer to New York Times Magazine and Wired. Author of "Coders". Blogging at clivethompson.medium.com, archive of writing at www.authory.com/clivethompson -- email: clive@clivethompson.net; Signal: @clivethompson.98 -- # science # technology # coding # software # writing # literature # poetry clive@clivethompson.net

saturation.social

Clive Thompson

@clive@saturation.social

Writer, musician/songwriter, hobbyist coder. Contributing writer to New York Times Magazine and Wired. Author of "Coders". Blogging at clivethompson.medium.com, archive of writing at www.authory.com/clivethompson -- email: clive@clivethompson.net; Signal: @clivethompson.98 -- # science # technology # coding # software # writing # literature # poetry clive@clivethompson.net

saturation.social

@clive@saturation.social · Mar 02, 2026

every once in a while I crack up when look at a computer keyboard with a "return" button

over a century after manual typewriters became common, we're still hitting a button inspired by the carriage return

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Clive Thompson

@clive@saturation.social

Writer, musician/songwriter, hobbyist coder. Contributing writer to New York Times Magazine and Wired. Author of "Coders". Blogging at clivethompson.medium.com, archive of writing at www.authory.com/clivethompson -- email: clive@clivethompson.net; Signal: @clivethompson.98 -- # science # technology # coding # software # writing # literature # poetry clive@clivethompson.net

saturation.social

Clive Thompson

@clive@saturation.social

Writer, musician/songwriter, hobbyist coder. Contributing writer to New York Times Magazine and Wired. Author of "Coders". Blogging at clivethompson.medium.com, archive of writing at www.authory.com/clivethompson -- email: clive@clivethompson.net; Signal: @clivethompson.98 -- # science # technology # coding # software # writing # literature # poetry clive@clivethompson.net

saturation.social

@clive@saturation.social · Jan 19, 2026

If you haven't read @anildash@me.dm's fantastic essay on Markdown -- its history, its impact, and what it tells us about truly useful bottom-up innovation -- then you really should

here 'tis: https://www.anildash.com/2026/01/09/how-markdown-took-over-the-world/

View on saturation.social

Clive Thompson

@clive@saturation.social

Writer, musician/songwriter, hobbyist coder. Contributing writer to New York Times Magazine and Wired. Author of "Coders". Blogging at clivethompson.medium.com, archive of writing at www.authory.com/clivethompson -- email: clive@clivethompson.net; Signal: @clivethompson.98 -- # science # technology # coding # software # writing # literature # poetry clive@clivethompson.net

saturation.social

Clive Thompson

@clive@saturation.social

Writer, musician/songwriter, hobbyist coder. Contributing writer to New York Times Magazine and Wired. Author of "Coders". Blogging at clivethompson.medium.com, archive of writing at www.authory.com/clivethompson -- email: clive@clivethompson.net; Signal: @clivethompson.98 -- # science # technology # coding # software # writing # literature # poetry clive@clivethompson.net

saturation.social

@clive@saturation.social · Dec 01, 2024

Since there’s been a resurgence lately of the “mastodon is mostly just for folks who use Linux” thing …

… i’m now curious about my community here

(i’m offering intentionally crude and ungranular options in this poll)

“I use Linux …”

(Please boost!)

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