A lot this week. There is a cold going around the house so I have been more sluggish than usual, and hence reading more.
Made of lies (and more lies) - Charlie's Diary (antipope.org): Charlie Stross demonstrates that imitative AI doesn’t really know facts.
How Google perfected the web (theverge.com): Excellent look at how Google has destroyed the web, with fantastic visualizations.
AI firms’ pledges to defend customers from IP issues have real limits | Ars Technica: Good overview of the limitations of the indemnification pledges AI companies are making.
What I learned from using a Raspberry Pi 5 as my main computer for two weeks | Ars Technica: The good and bad of the low powered device. More good than I would have thought.
Instacart: Smart Shopping Carts With Tailored Ads Are Coming (businessinsider.com): I wonder how many of these screens survive a year?
Did an Abortion Ban Cost a Young Texas Woman Her Life? | The New Yorker: Spoiler: yes, yes it did.
Adopting rightwing policies ‘does not help centre-left win votes’ | Politics | The Guardian: This surprises only professional politicians and consultants.
Also, the Cat | Tor.com: Excellent story.
Just Say No to Artificial Intelligence In Your Creative Pursuits, Please, JFC, WTAF – Chuck Wendig: Terribleminds: Wendig is a touch over the top, because that is who he is, but the point remains good. The work is what makes a hing, not the idea.
Bears Discover Fire - Lightspeed Magazine: In honor of the recently passed Terry Bison, his second-best story.
It sure looks like X (Twitter) has a Verified bot problem | TechCrunch: The most interesting aspect of this article, to me, is the idea that X is fine wiht this since it inflates their numbers.
(1) Why Republicans turnout in Iowa will likely be lower than it was for Democrats in 2020 (substack.com): I mean, besides the fact that it is colder than the surface of the moon.
(1) The Craziest S**t that Happened on Planes in 2023 (piratewires.com): Trains are better.
How a $300 Million Flop Turned Into an Improbable Hit - WSJ: Good read on how a company turned a disaster around.
They're Made Out of Meat by Terry Bisson | CommonLit: In further honor of the recently deceased Terry Bison, his best story.