Matt Stein

Former designer, somewhat web developer, nearly writer, not quite artist, and aspiring humorist. Expect dog photos and sporadic drivel.

Blog: https://mattstein.com
Photos: https://photos.mattstein.com
Location: Bend, Oregon
Relocation: OH → NY → WA → FL → WA → TX → OR

Public Key

npub1te4hq0aqafm5qkf7dkwpv9plg64gav4s0jurygkcekh56m0rmzjqq8sm5h

NIP-05 Address

mattrambles_at_t00t.cloud@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs9u6ms87sw5a6qtylxm8qkzsl5d25wk2c8ewpjytvvmt6ddh3a3fqprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0d4hhxarj9ecxjmntqyt8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnswf5k6ctv9ehx2aql5mrg5

Publishing to

relay.momostr.pink

relay.primal.net

offchain.pub

Author Public Key

npub1te4hq0aqafm5qkf7dkwpv9plg64gav4s0jurygkcekh56m0rmzjqq8sm5h

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Last Notes

2026-09-03 17:20:05 UTC

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Noooooooo! I’m sorry. I hope the better parts of the experience make up for the lip-busting part.

2026-09-01 17:57:03 UTC

If anybody out there adores their coworkers and gets paid to improve peoples’ lives in a substantive way (education, art, healthcare, public services) and they could use a friendly designer-developer-writer type nerd that valiantly fights technical debt and miscommunication, I’d love to say hi!
Not ideal: VC-funded startup full ham with AI
Perfect: vibrant, passionate weirds wearing a lot of hats
Thanks in advance for any boosts, recommendations, or sassy DMs. ❤️
https://mattstein.com/work/

2026-07-06 17:18:18 UTC

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I probably should know, but I’ve never been around pups before so conversationally I was a bit of potato. 😅

2026-07-06 04:44:32 UTC

I got to meet some corgi puppies and I’m still squealing in my heart.
https://files.t00t.cloud/media_attachments/files/116/871/204/574/986/461/original/c533a48e956efcfe.jpeg
https://files.t00t.cloud/media_attachments/files/116/871/205/261/508/104/original/e015cd001f9df1db.jpeg

2026-06-07 19:09:35 UTC

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🤩 Your lower “x” is so sassy! This is very fun.

2026-06-07 15:08:22 UTC

After another unplanned and unnecessary adventure, I have a fun little custom handwriting font!
https://mattstein.com/thoughts/handwriting-font/

2026-05-19 14:33:43 UTC

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I don’t know exactly where this comes from either, but I can relate and I hope you get some surprise laughter and/or peace. 🙌

2026-05-18 21:31:22 UTC

If you woke up today hoping you’d find out that the U.S. Department of Agriculture commissioned botanical illustrations from 1886–1942 and made high-quality scans available online, I have some great news for you.
https://search.nal.usda.gov/discovery/collectionDiscovery?vid=01NAL_INST:MAIN&collectionId=81279629860007426

2026-04-20 14:09:36 UTC

I just discovered Bubbles and it’s a lovely sort of Hacker News for indie blogs!
https://bubbles.town

2026-04-18 15:54:01 UTC

Just for fun!
https://mattstein.com/thoughts/hand-drawn-favicons/

2026-04-13 17:40:25 UTC

I’m unreasonably proud that I my first paid standup set went really well! Got to open with a good friend for a great crowd in sold-out room.
https://cdn.m7n.foo/mastodon/media_attachments/files/116/398/621/694/637/555/original/e37b0bc037594de4.jpeg
https://cdn.m7n.foo/mastodon/media_attachments/files/116/398/622/077/992/695/original/a8d77f7ca8512bdd.jpeg

2026-02-25 16:08:54 UTC

Added a new slash page for self-hosted projects: https://mattstein.com/self-hosted/
As megaplatforms expand, I take more pleasure self hosting projects on my own dinky little servers.
There’s a lovely newsletter, too! https://selfh.st

2025-12-26 19:48:27 UTC

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I honestly can’t wait, thank you for the encouragement! Obviously tell no-one, please.

2025-12-26 18:21:38 UTC

My inner youth cringed today when my inner present self thought “you know, a shoehorn would be really nice.”

2025-12-20 20:38:56 UTC

TIL that “curb weight” is American English and British English spells it “kerb weight.”
My head’s spinning trying to imagine Curmit the Frog and Kerb Your Enthusiasm.

2025-12-13 01:45:56 UTC

The sky was gorgeous at sunset tonight with light clouds and a layer of smoke from controlled burns in the mountains.
https://cdn.m7n.foo/mastodon/media_attachments/files/115/709/729/374/738/630/original/959454f5168ed3e9.jpeg

2025-10-19 18:28:41 UTC

Sunday morning.
https://cdn.m7n.foo/mastodon/media_attachments/files/115/402/245/138/433/737/original/91282e033600f8b3.jpeg

2025-07-03 14:02:59 UTC

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Why hello! Reply registered, thank you.

2025-07-03 13:49:25 UTC

I migrated my Mastodon instance to a Coolify server, so if you’re seeing this I think we can agree I’m pretty good at computers.
If you’re not seeing this ... um ... it must be something on your end.

2025-04-14 16:07:33 UTC

I haven’t been on Mastodon much lately.
Part of me wants to free up the brain cycles it takes and just bail for a quieter social-media-free online life, and the other part feels like it’s missing out on hearing from a bunch of cool nerds I like.
Nobody’s demanding participation so I guess I could just chill and pop by at whatever strange intervals I end up with.
I miss all of you though. That’s what I’m saying.

2025-02-13 20:38:55 UTC

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[doles out three that never touched the floor]

2025-02-13 20:13:43 UTC

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[waves from other side of bus, also drops a chocolate on the floor and then picks it up and eats it anyway]
👋 🤗

2025-01-06 23:09:05 UTC

Next free idea: e-reader with bellows, so you can roughly feel when you’ve got one of those long ones to get through.
Since I know you’re going to ask: yes—it makes a wheezing, honking sound if you collapse it quickly for travel and/or amusement.
https://cdn.masto.host/t00tcloud/media_attachments/files/113/783/927/033/962/278/original/12e1a8f0ba14367e.jpeg

2024-11-22 23:35:06 UTC

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Ooooh had to look up pictures and those are cool and distinctive-looking!
I’m trying to imagine what’s distinctive about where I was born and I think I‘d be pretty happy with a tattoo of a casserole. 🤔

2024-11-22 22:53:17 UTC

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Don’t tell anybody though, I know a lot of people are very good at tattoos and tattoo ideas so I’m glad this is a completely private conversation.

2024-11-22 22:52:15 UTC

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1. “Valar Morghulis” (Game of Thrones / all men must die) because the show died a horrific death (funny/imperfect) and when I’m at my worst my most centering thought is “everyone dies” (laugh or cry, but don’t waste time overthinking)
2. “no ragrets” because living with the typo seems funny and on brand
My partner gave me a good reason to not rush into #1 and I’m not totally sold on either, but they’re my contenders for having the same general vibe.

2024-11-22 22:49:36 UTC

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Haha, I’ve learned enough that I know I can’t take my little controlled graphic-designery idea and refuse to let an artist do what they’re good at. But I need an idea that’ll be meaningful for me so I don’t end up with a poop emoji.
Two ideas in the running…

2024-11-22 22:44:12 UTC

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Oh gosh, never perfect—just more excited about the mess than afraid of it.
I’m so anxious about committing an idea to skin that’s why I feel like I have to as a rite of passage. That’s been the theme of whatever life phase I’m going through.

2024-11-22 19:56:08 UTC

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Thank you, Sara. :)
He’ll have more than zero chill, it’ll just be hard to tell because he will not shut up about the tattoo.

2024-11-22 16:32:55 UTC

Writing Month #4: Future Self Awaits
https://garden.mattstein.com/notes/future-self-awaits

2024-11-19 19:58:23 UTC

Please disable your ad blocker so we can include animated banner ads, fifty extra megabytes of JavaScript, unrelated autoplaying videos that follow you down the page, elements that load asynchronously and move the text you’re trying to read, and sponsored Taboola promotions that are eight times the length of the article and leave you grateful that tabloid newspapers can’t leave their stands and follow you out of the store.

2024-11-01 17:57:41 UTC

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I like this direction! Pin that calendar to the top of a festivus pole that sits on a prayer mat next to a menorah and then say “thoughts, children?”
@npub1jpy…yfwv

2024-11-01 03:34:07 UTC

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This is a frequent topic in our house, along with wondering how much it costs to print all the flyers that go straight into the recycling bin.
Can unsolicited messages be crazy expensive or illegal, or are there people that can’t get enough of them whose good time would be ruined?

2024-10-21 20:39:12 UTC

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Credit to @npub1nsp…ahke for helping me realize this! 🙏

2024-10-21 20:37:59 UTC

Finally figured out I can ignore a bunch of gross web server SSH attempts using Tailscale.
https://mattstein.com/thoughts/vps-ssh-tailscale/

2024-09-30 15:45:25 UTC

Feed Canary got Livewired this weekend, and status pages include the ability to manually re-check a feed instead of waiting for the next cycle.
I’ve been noting these things on a secret “Updates” page: https://feedcanary.com/updates
https://cdn.masto.host/t00tcloud/media_attachments/files/113/227/275/984/738/704/original/a0981b89a90f2ef7.png

2024-09-27 17:51:27 UTC

Free idea giveaway:
https://garden.mattstein.com/notes/free-ideas

2024-09-19 14:16:23 UTC

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Oooh, I meant exchanging emailed notes on writing, but actual penpals would be fun too! Only non-negotiable requirements are having thoughts and being a person that is not me.

2024-09-17 02:48:01 UTC

Just took me three tries to convince a captcha I was human, and for a second there I was worried because you bet I remember Blade Runner.

2024-09-09 19:41:29 UTC

I’m having fun moving back to Alfred and just published a little Coolify workflow I made.
https://github.com/mattstein/alfred-coolify-workflow
If I find out it works on a computer that’s *not* mine, I’ll graduate it to v1.0. 😅

2024-09-06 14:02:33 UTC

If anybody wants to be penpals exchanging critique of strange personal writing, please DM me!
My ideal person would be inclined to argue about everything I say, and how I say it, while somehow also being very funny.
If you’ve read any of my posts and thought “there was a really nice, coherent thought there between the turds,” I’m basically asking you.