Issue 013

Welcome to the March newsletter. In this issue we check out designing for healthier outcomes, the real story behind tech layoffs, some things you can't buy at the Apple store, and font smuggling is apparently a thing.

stay ready

via taurean

1 — prosocial design network

Most design pattern libraries are neutral on outcomes, focused on hitting business goals and not much else. The Prosocial Design Network has a different target: healthier online experiences. You can filter by focus areas like inviting participation or promoting thoughtfulness, and every pattern comes tagged with research and a confidence rating that ranges from "convincing" down to "unlikely to be true."

2 — zirp and §174 took your job

We've been getting fed the story of AI eating our job markets for a few years now, but for the American readers in tech, the story is not that simple and Frank Elavsky gets at why. I had loosely heard mention of both ZIRP and §174 independently as factors in the tech job collapse but never quite understood them myself or how they fit together until now. The tax change has since been reverted, but it will take time for the damage to unwind. ZIRP though was an anomaly that is now behind us. One that quietly fueled the "growth at all costs, worry about revenue later" culture of the American startup world. AI may be part of the story still, but it's not the whole one.

3 — ecological computing and the possible futures of the social web

Last week was the 2026 AtmosphereConf in Vancouver and I can't overstate how much I wish I could have been there in person. Despite being a protocol conference, it was filled with people talking about what really matters: governance, community, and consent. Luckily, the protocol provides. Some other standouts: Consent Before Cryptography from Tessa Brown, Landslide/Holdfast by Erin Kissane, and Groundings with my Siblings by Rudy Fraser. But I want to focus in on this talk from Blaine Cook.

The through line across all of them is not "everything is going to be okay." It's closer to "a better world is possible and here is the work." Blaine illustrates the point by starting where you'd least expect: cheese. Pasteurization saved lives and made industrial dairy possible, but it also wiped the microbial slate clean and replaced a living, adapted ecosystem with a handful of standardized starter cultures. Safety through sterilization. He argues we did the same thing with social platforms: top-down prescriptive governance applied globally. But the alternative is not the absence of governance. It's cultivation, creating conditions where healthy communities can develop themselves and form their own permeable boundaries based on consent. We tried sterilization. It's time to try something else.

stay curious

via pedro

1 — when tv was the ultimate analogue experience

As a kid that grew up in the era of peak childhood television, watchings shows like Spongebob, MTV Cribs, or binging late night music videos was part of my routine. My 2000's TV! is a creation made by Joey Cato in an effort to capture that same look and feel of flipping through the channels long ago—spanning multiple decades as early back at the 1950s. Give it a watch.

2 — apple won't sell you these products, but someone will

Have you ever walked into an Apple store and wanted to take home one of those fancy wireless chargers that every iPhone is displayed on? Or some special Apple employee only piece of swag? AppleUnsold is a store that specializes in display models, store exclusives and Apple-only equipment. "We give you access to products you simply can't find anywhere else." Give it a browse, but pray for your wallet.

3 — font smuggling is a thing apparently

Did you know that if you have deep enough pockets, Google allows you to embed your own custom font into Google Docs? Out of reach to us normies, there is one loophole though....the simple trick of copy/pasting. Font Smuggler allows anyone to "copy and paste locked brand fonts into Google Docs, sans permission."

updates

• Next month will be our 13th issue, which means we've officially crossed over 1 year of 3&3! It's been an incredible time these last 12 months, and we have something special planned for next months issue. In the interim, did someone mention 3&3 stickers? Soon™...
• Missed the February issue? View last month’s archive channel on Are.na.
• If there's something that you're working on and you would be open to discussing it with a group, reach out.

One year down, It's been twelve months! …and some extra days, but who's counting. We are extremely grateful for this little community that you have all cultivated and we appreciate that you have chosen to do so, even with our growing pains and life happening around us. Looking forward to catching up with you all in a few weeks.

✌ Pedro & Taurean
bluesky ✦ lu.ma ✦ youtube