Mastodon Feed: Posts

baldur@toot.cafe ("Baldur Bjarnason") wrote:

"Millions of people are using AI! It's the world's most popular technology. People clearly want it."

Tech companies have been using every dark pattern available, every business deal and agreement, every subsidy they could find to jazz up numbers, so none of these user numbers can actually be trusted

Anybody who trots out the "this is an incredibly popular tech used by millions, be careful about regulating its harms" is being a manipulative dick. They know it, so you should remember it too.

baldur@toot.cafe ("Baldur Bjarnason") wrote:

"Guest Gist: 2026, Our Already Rotting Future"

https://www.thegist.ie/guest-gist-2026-our-already-rotting-future/

> The difference is I’ve not yet encountered a calculator which asks its users, every single time it is switched on: “how about 43 x 756 today?”, or “want to know the square root of 7,568?”. The idea would be preposterous, even if we could guarantee the numbers would be correct.

baldur@toot.cafe ("Baldur Bjarnason") wrote:

“Our frail thoughts. — Ethan Marcotte”

https://ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/our-frail-thoughts/

> I remain dismayed by what’s currently happening in tech, and at the same time I’m incredibly inspired by the people fighting for a better vision of it

Many of us are mourning the industry we thought we were part of, careers we thought we had, and the societies we believed we were building

Boosted by baldur@toot.cafe ("Baldur Bjarnason"):
xgranade@wandering.shop ("Cassandra is only carbon now") wrote:

RE: https://wandering.shop/@xgranade/115772870672213549

I could offer a similar "theorem" for replies to this toot:

• Bad-faith replies from AI boosters trying to pull a fast one.
• "Moderates" who believe at least some of the outlandish claims made by AI boosters, and who like to pretend that they are not also boosters.
• Reasonable people who are legitimately uninformed or confused by bullshit put out by AI boosters.
• Reasonable people angrily agreeing.

Boosted by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
diemkay@hachyderm.io ("Andreea") wrote:

🧵 My sense of justice was triggered by #Palantir corporate gaslighting two Swiss investigative journalists on LinkedIn.

This is something most people won’t even see, but I was angry, so I looked while my kid was still asleep.

Here’s what it looks like when tech bros attack journalists while you and I have too much food over Christmas.

Two Swiss journalists spent a year filing 59 #FOIA requests to document Palantir’s 7-year campaign to sell surveillance software to Swiss authorities (army and health services in particular).

📄: https://www.republik.ch/2025/12/09/warum-palantir-zum-risiko-fuer-die-schweiz-wird

The Swiss army’s internal report concluded they couldn’t rule out US intelligence accessing data through Palantir systems, despite reassurances.

Their story hit The Guardian, and #UK MPs are now questioning £825M in Palantir contracts.

📄: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/22/mps-question-uk-palantir-contracts-security-concerns-investigation

The journalists were rejoicing on LinkedIn. It’s a big deal to have your story picked up by mainstream UK media, especially after a year of hard work.

This is where it gets ugly.

slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell") wrote:

TIL:

https://youtu.be/dutpBSKj8JY?si=01OpWcFyCdKQq6C5

Boosted by ChrisWere@toot.wales ("Chris Were ⁂🐧🌱☕"):
ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us ("Emeritus Prof Christopher May") wrote:

The politics of London's place in the UK is demonstration of how the right captures an issue & then retunes it to race.

Many of us who live outside London complain about how it capture resources, controls the UK to its own ends & promotes (entrenches) regional inequalities & powerlessness.

But, the Right has taken that negativity & made it about the racial make-up of London communities, misapplying a complaint about political economy into an attack on multiculturalism.

#London #politics

Boosted by ChrisWere@toot.wales ("Chris Were ⁂🐧🌱☕"):
rufustheduck ("Rufus") wrote:

Its my first day on Mastodon, so I'm starting by introducing my cats.

This is Max. He's a black cat so photos are tricky - but here's one where he looks like he does in reality: the single most beautiful cat in the world (if you don't count all the other beautiful cats, which is all cats)

Boosted by taral ("JP Sugarbroad"):
MicroSFF@mastodon.art ("Micro SF/F by O. Westin") wrote:

"Can you open one of these?" the treasure hunter asked.

He showed the witch an egg shell, with an intricate pattern of silk thread knotted around it.

"Put that back!"

"There's something inside, it must be valuable. But when-"

"Someone locked their grief away. Break one, and it's yours."

"Oh..."

#TootFic #MicroFiction #SmallStories

Boosted by ChrisWere@toot.wales ("Chris Were ⁂🐧🌱☕"):
dannotdaniel@hellions.cloud ("ɹ uɐp :antifascism:") wrote:

when you delete your LinkedIn, you level up on the fedi :fediverse:

Boosted by taral ("JP Sugarbroad"):
paulisci@mstdn.ca ("Paul Fairie") wrote:

🎆🎇WINNER🎇🎆
2025 HEADLINE OF THE YEAR

Boosted by taral ("JP Sugarbroad"):
augieray ("Augie Ray") wrote:

I don't normally ask for this, but if you are concerned about #COVID19, please share my latest post with others. I'd like it to reach folks who AREN'T already COVID-aware.

I’ve Read 3,000 Studies About COVID: Here’s What You’re Ignoring That Could (Still) Harm You or a Loved One

I share some simple conclusions, along with over 100 links to research. My goal is to urge more awareness and commonsense caution.

https://medium.com/@augieray%5F66704/ive-read-3-000-studies-about-covid-here-s-what-you-re-ignoring-that-could-still-harm-you-or-a-accafe0f7c66

Boosted by ChrisWere@toot.wales ("Chris Were ⁂🐧🌱☕"):
alternativeto@mas.to ("AlternativeTo") wrote:

Shotcut 25.12 has been released, introducing support for 10- and 12-bit video effects, linear color processing outside GPU, a visual preset browser for the image/video from HTML generator, a more convenient filters menu, and more.
https://alternativeto.net/news/2026/1/shotcut-25-12-adds-10-bit-video-cpu-pipeline-linear-color-processing-and-ui-upgrades/

Boosted by ChrisWere@toot.wales ("Chris Were ⁂🐧🌱☕"):
itsfoss ("It's FOSS") wrote:

Powerful open source apps that run right in your browser!

https://itsfoss.com/open-source-apps-from-web-browser/

#opensource

Boosted by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
anne@toot.cat ("Annie") wrote:

@MadAsAHatter @rufustheduck

Oh, and I just read a very thought provoking thread by @fromjason, talking about the inherent differences between mastodon and social media platforms. They articulate many things I think about a lot.

https://toot.cat/deck/@fromjason@mastodon.social/115806120188107609

Boosted by jwz:
ryanwatkins wrote:

Zohran Mamdani's first Executive Order as Mayor of NYC - revoking all executive orders by Eric Adams signed after Sept 26, 2024, the date of Adams indictment.

Plans to reissue ones determined to be necessary, but making a statement.

This is how you do it.

https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/01/executive-order-01

Mastodon wrote:

On Mastodon, decentralised means no mobs, no outrage algorithms, and no incentives to tear each other down.

Here, community and context come first.

Support a social web that puts people before profits: ​Donate #SupportMastodon

https://joinmastodon.org/sponsors#donate

Boosted by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
vij@sfba.social ("Manish Vij") wrote:

Mamdani better than Dem prez nominees *on day one*

Boosted by jwz:
johnrogers.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy ("John Rogers") wrote:

The two divisions in the US right now are quite clearly “Hey, we’ve got to do our best learn to love other people and love ourselves” and “see that guy? hate that fucking guy! HATE HIM HARDER!” These sprawl over all other cultural and political factions.

Boosted by adam@social.lol ("Adam :prami:"):
twistedtranssister@social.lol ("The Angry Leftist") wrote:

I am growing more and more disenchanted with Internet Discourse as time goes on. I am seeing once somewhat sane spheres being over ran with Racist, Homophobic, Antisemitic (legitimate cases), Islamphobic and Misogynistic vitriol and very little push back if any from the platforms anymore. So I need this space. I need this platform @adam has created here to escape to and be in a place where that crap wont fly.

Boosted by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
Heidiknits wrote:

I've ingested an impressive amount of sugar, fat, gluten and prosecco over the last 48 hours. Detoxing from this is not going to be pretty.

#food

isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:") wrote:

RE: https://mastodon.social/@oaklandprivacy/115821386928190034

FIVE. HUNDRED. DATA. BROKERS??? Never realized how insane this rotten industry has become…

Boosted by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
Jdm2@boriken.social ("jdm2 🇵🇷") wrote:

“The story of post-2008 liberalism is one of betrayal, as the ideals forged in the collapse of 2008 proved to just be a passing fad with many in the liberal commentariat who clearly just wanted to return to a 1990s status quo that is one of the most obvious political anomalies in American history.”

https://www.jezebel.com/jon-stewart-is-a-symbol-of-a-crumbling-america

#USPol

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

It makes me think about The Garden and The Stream by Mike Caulfield who goes into great detail about how we tend to stay in "the stream" and how we could stand to use a little more "gardening" in our lives.

It's a great read:

https://hapgood.us/2015/10/17/the-garden-and-the-stream-a-technopastoral/

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

And my friend's movie, We're So Dead. It's a fun comedy about the restaurant biz.

https://www.weresodeadmovie.com/

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

Kareem's movie:

https://linktr.ee/orsomething

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

What they don't know is the same thing those influencers don't know. People don't leave the content stream. For one, Meta, Tiktok, etc. really don't like its users hoping off the platform to convert into a sale somewhere else.

But more important than that, clicking a link to another site when you're locked into an FYP feels like a million miles away.

There are exceptions, mostly altruistic (gofundmes, helping a closing restaurant, etc). But mostly, people don't like leaving the stream.

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

I used to make a decent amount of my income consulting medium sized businesses on social media strategy. I had to stop.

Not one of them didn't come to me with this "unique" scheme to create an Instagram account like Fuck Jerry, then use that vitality to sell their product or service to their audience. All this, of course, by next quarter.

I had to routinely break their heart.

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

Apropos of nothing, I've seen so many influencer / internet celebrity types spend their life savings on making a feature film starring themselves, thinking it will launch them into the next stratosphere of their career, only to realize that it doesn't translate.

Their audience, who had hyped them up for years by this point, really couldn't care less about their venture that exists a click away outside the content stream they share.

pzmyers@freethought.online ("pzmyers 🕷") wrote:

Sure, I can summarize my atheism in 4 minutes or less.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/01/01/an-atheist-creed/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPGsMsrS3fE