Some thoughts, because I write to think. Tech is about to enter a proper wealth extraction phase. One of my annoyances with “enshittification” is the lack of imagination it implies. Tech, as an industry, can be much more extractive than this. There’s ways to the bottom yet. Most large tech software products are, effectively, extremely shoddy...
Back when I relaunched this site in 2010 – switching from a pair of named blogs, Loud for links and Another Quiet Day for essays, to a eponymous blog and site – the point was that it would be a more focused foundation for my career. Unlike the blogs I’d been running up until then, this site has always had a defined purpose. I might digress into...
Went out and followed the local ravens around for a bit. A few more juveniles have joined the ones that arrived the other day. I’m guessing there are at least ten currently in town. They love to perch on streetlights. They were also very good about flying past the sunset. Finally, starlings.
“Your AI code generators are your new net-negative developers”. “A Doc On How Amazon Workers Unionized Drew Critics’ Praise, But No Major Takers to Distribute”. We’re going to see a lot more like this if the US’s vestigal anti-trust efforts get abandoned. “‘Systematic reviews’ that aim to extract broad conclusions from many studies are in peril |...
Five juvenile ravens moved into town during a recent cold spell. They’re a little bit too boisterous to capture easily in groups but will pose for you occasionally. I have an unreasonable liking for the one with the autofocus mishap. And bonus starlings Icelandic horses seem unconcerned by the frost. Apparently they can handle cold and snow, but...
Big link post this time on account of there being ten whole days since the last one. The delay was because I’ve been devoting my writing time to preparing for the release of the second edition of The Intelligence Illusion, which is available with a Black Friday launch discount today and until Monday. “Yes, progressive enhancement is a fucking...
I’m publishing a second edition of my book The Intelligence Illusion (Second Edition): Why generative models are bad for business with a Black Friday launch sale! A new and updated edition – 40% longer, every chapter updated in some way – at almost a 30% discount launch deal from today (28 November 2024) until the end of Monday (2 December 2024)....
The countdown is a tried and true trope in media. The clock is ticking and you know something important will happen. It’s the perfect builder of tension. Unfortunately, we have a real-world countdown happening with the wait for Trump’s presidency to begin and, as with the proverbial ticking bomb, there are things that need to be done before the...
Sometimes photography can work as a coping mechanism – both taking them and viewing can be a way of processing that doesn’t require putting anything into words. Really like this first one. Largely because it was raining, my glasses were foggy, and I couldn’t see a thing, so I was just attemping to line up blurred shapes into something geometric....
“Denmark: AI-powered welfare system fuels mass surveillance and risks discriminating against marginalized groups – report”. “the sweeping use of fraud detection algorithms, paired with mass surveillance practices, has led people to unwillingly –or even unknowingly– forfeit their right to privacy, and created an atmosphere of fear.” This, and not...
Like all genres, queer media has a few recurring themes that are either unique to it or just less common in other media. There’s the coming out story, where the plot deals with the tension and fallout that comes with the revelation that a character doesn’t fit society’s expectations. Prejudice is also a perennial, though hardly unique to queer...
For reasons that should be obvious, quite a few of us are probably going to be reaching for more cozy comfort media over the next while as a way to help us cope and function. So, I figure I might as well make a note of a few of them as I go, in case others need something they can watch without triggering an anxiety attack. And, because I have...
A short list this week because of how delayed last week’s link post was. “Understanding Society: Dewey on habits” “Community building & traditions - annie’s blog” “Bret Victor - De Programmatica Ipsum” “Don’t expect the tech platforms to help us this time.”. “ We only got four years. And the tech barons, having gotten a taste of administrative...
I’m not going to try to analyse what happened in the recent US presidential elections or why. The US has been heading in this direction for decades, so we already know it’s not down to a single cause or event. Nor will I try to predict what’s going to happen there over the next for years. Unpredictability is part of what makes these kinds of...
These horses were not particularly interested in me or my hiking shenanigans Breaking out the emergency kitten photos today, for obvious reasons. These are of my neighbours Grása (the grey and white one) and Loðmundur (the striped one) back when they were kittens. They are considerably fluffier as adults. Finally, the two siblings as adults Turns...
“AI is consolidating corporate power in higher ed (opinion)” “Silicon Valley got what it wanted - by Brian Merchant”. “It’s time to face facts. In Trump, Silicon Valley got what it wanted: A president that will kneecap antitrust efforts, embrace deregulation, and defang labor laws.” “Mind The (Remediation) Gap - TPGi”. “Here’s where things can...
This post announcing the closure of Giant Freakin Robot set me on a bit of a journey into the state of Google. “The End Of Independent Publishing And Giant Freakin Robot” GIANT FREAKIN ROBOT isn’t the first site to shut down. Hundreds of independent publishers have shuttered in the last two years, and thousands more are on the way. I’m in...