The American Dream: A Tech Founder's Urgent Plea

2025-01-09

Jeff Atwood, co-founder of Stack Overflow and Discourse, expresses deep concern about the fading American Dream. He cites soaring costs of housing, healthcare, and education, widening wealth inequality, and low voter turnout as threats to its survival. In response, he announces his family's commitment to donate a significant portion of their wealth: immediate aid to vulnerable groups and long-term investment in projects aiming for social equity and democratic reform. The article weaves together his personal journey, highlighting the challenges and hopes facing American society, and urges collective action to safeguard the ideal of the American Dream.

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Beyond the Billions: Reimagining the American Dream in a Decentralized World

2025-01-07

Jeff Atwood's blog post reflects on the current state of the American Dream and the impact of tech giants on society. He shares his personal journey from humble beginnings to success through Stack Overflow and Discourse, ultimately realizing that wealth shouldn't be the sole measure of achievement. The post calls for addressing social inequality and advocates for building a fairer society through decentralized platforms (like Mastodon) and charitable giving, sharing the American Dream. He's donated substantial funds to charities and plans to donate half his family's wealth over the next five years to support democratic institutions and promote social equity.

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