Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
@vortexegg.com
Sociotechnical gremlin. Swarm intelligence egregore. Magitek knight. Combat librarian. Bearer of the cursed knowledge.
Rogue information scientist, researcher, & technologist. MLIS. Opinions my own.
Rogue information scientist, researcher, & technologist. MLIS. Opinions my own.
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
ICE and Minneapolis never trended on Bluesky today despite that seeming like one of the most talked about things
January 8, 2026 at 3:10 AM
ICE and Minneapolis never trended on Bluesky today despite that seeming like one of the most talked about things
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
When FBI agents killed white separatist Vicki Weaver while trying to take her criming husband into custody, it fueled the anti-government militia movement that formed one tributary into today's MAGA right, which is shrugging off today's state murder of Renee Good.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Ri...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Ri...
Ruby Ridge standoff - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
January 8, 2026 at 4:21 AM
When FBI agents killed white separatist Vicki Weaver while trying to take her criming husband into custody, it fueled the anti-government militia movement that formed one tributary into today's MAGA right, which is shrugging off today's state murder of Renee Good.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Ri...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Ri...
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
This story kinda came and went but the fact that the government is explicitly and vocally thanking all the major media outlets for adhering to the bro code feels very relevant right now!!
Democracy Dies In Darkness apnews.com/article/vene...
Trump administration thanks the media for keeping quiet before the strike that captured Maduro
News organizations have gotten a rare “thank you” from the Trump administration for not putting its military action in Venezuela in jeopardy by reporting on it before it happened.
apnews.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:19 AM
This story kinda came and went but the fact that the government is explicitly and vocally thanking all the major media outlets for adhering to the bro code feels very relevant right now!!
Once again noting the absolute alarm at the notion of deepfakes creating confusion about evidentiary reality of political events misses the shape of the actual problem; which looks more like widespread participatory lying *despite* copious availability of actual and easily verifiable media evidence.
I used to think ‘Well thank god we all have cameras, at least we can maybe get ahead of the lies’ but if this is how the paper of record describes an event captured from like 4 different angles alongside dozens of eye witness accounts corroborating, I just don’t know anymore man
"Was the officer struck by the vehicle, as President Trump insists, or did the car pass by or around him?"
If we only had some trusted institution that could adjudicate between competing claims by relying on facts.
If we only had some trusted institution that could adjudicate between competing claims by relying on facts.
January 8, 2026 at 4:28 AM
Once again noting the absolute alarm at the notion of deepfakes creating confusion about evidentiary reality of political events misses the shape of the actual problem; which looks more like widespread participatory lying *despite* copious availability of actual and easily verifiable media evidence.
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
In Berlin there is a room in a building and in that room at any given time are contents of some of the 16,000 bags of shredded paper recovered from the Stasi headquarters after the wall came down. These documents are still being reconstructed. These documents identify collaborators, victims, agents.
January 8, 2026 at 4:12 AM
In Berlin there is a room in a building and in that room at any given time are contents of some of the 16,000 bags of shredded paper recovered from the Stasi headquarters after the wall came down. These documents are still being reconstructed. These documents identify collaborators, victims, agents.
This is because America is a conflict zone and schools are often targets of attacks in countries that have internal armed conflicfs
It’s absolutely the right call and fucking surreal that our public schools have to close because of the threat posed by OUR OWN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. I am beyond livid.
This the right call.
Please check in with neighbors who may need support with childcare.
Please check in with neighbors who may need support with childcare.
January 8, 2026 at 4:03 AM
This is because America is a conflict zone and schools are often targets of attacks in countries that have internal armed conflicfs
One must be cautious with this generalization. Group thinking doesn’t necessarily lead to a wisdom of the crowds. Confabulation is also a team sport. Metacognition buddies can easily be runaway make-believe bouncing ideas group think buddies.
There is an essential & extremely generalizable point here.
Critical thinking is a team sport. We all need metacognition buddies because human brains. It doesn't matter how quote unquote smart you are. Especially in the slop times.
The most pernicious aspect of ChatGPT is how it isolates minds.
Critical thinking is a team sport. We all need metacognition buddies because human brains. It doesn't matter how quote unquote smart you are. Especially in the slop times.
The most pernicious aspect of ChatGPT is how it isolates minds.
The thing that jumps out to me here is that the article says the doctor’s *colleague* went looking for the fake studies.
It suggests the doctor who used ChatGPT didn’t check for himself and uncritically assumed they were real.
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/hosp...
It suggests the doctor who used ChatGPT didn’t check for himself and uncritically assumed they were real.
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/hosp...
January 8, 2026 at 3:37 AM
One must be cautious with this generalization. Group thinking doesn’t necessarily lead to a wisdom of the crowds. Confabulation is also a team sport. Metacognition buddies can easily be runaway make-believe bouncing ideas group think buddies.
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
i think it is ok to reiterate that the victim as a us citizen. yes, noncitizens are equally entitled to human rights. but also, it's important to illustrate how ice isn't about immigration at all
January 8, 2026 at 1:41 AM
i think it is ok to reiterate that the victim as a us citizen. yes, noncitizens are equally entitled to human rights. but also, it's important to illustrate how ice isn't about immigration at all
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
The surprise invasion of Venezuela isn't imperial expansion driven by the dictates of capitalism; it is somehow even sicker. The Trump administration is behaving like gambling addicts chasing clout in an attention economy. Venezuela is a fucking meme stock. www.theverge.com/policy/85807...
Snatching Maduro was all about the spectacle
Kidnapping a world leader for online clout
www.theverge.com
January 7, 2026 at 11:40 PM
The surprise invasion of Venezuela isn't imperial expansion driven by the dictates of capitalism; it is somehow even sicker. The Trump administration is behaving like gambling addicts chasing clout in an attention economy. Venezuela is a fucking meme stock. www.theverge.com/policy/85807...
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
Another reason it’s so important that people understand that generative AI is not magic: how many people seem to think that it can discern exactly what someone’s face looks like under a mask. :-/
January 8, 2026 at 1:37 AM
Another reason it’s so important that people understand that generative AI is not magic: how many people seem to think that it can discern exactly what someone’s face looks like under a mask. :-/
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
David Barton, the self-described "amateur historian" whose debunked work has been central to mainstreaming claims that the US was founded as a Christian nation, says he and his son have been directly involved in the Trump administration's efforts to stop "woke propaganda" at the Smithsonian.
January 7, 2026 at 6:59 PM
David Barton, the self-described "amateur historian" whose debunked work has been central to mainstreaming claims that the US was founded as a Christian nation, says he and his son have been directly involved in the Trump administration's efforts to stop "woke propaganda" at the Smithsonian.
So, the thing is, it is simultaneously true that the US government, tech companies, and legacy and new media have created a disinformation and censorship vortex AND that the hypermediated amplification of videos of violence against civilians is being used as a terror tactic against civilians.
Sincere question for the
"do not watch the video do not traumatize yourself"
folks:
Why do you think the US gov't cracked down so hard on unregulated video correspondents after the Viet Nam war?
"do not watch the video do not traumatize yourself"
folks:
Why do you think the US gov't cracked down so hard on unregulated video correspondents after the Viet Nam war?
January 8, 2026 at 12:03 AM
So, the thing is, it is simultaneously true that the US government, tech companies, and legacy and new media have created a disinformation and censorship vortex AND that the hypermediated amplification of videos of violence against civilians is being used as a terror tactic against civilians.
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
This is the ninth shooting by ICE since September (I did not know that). All of them were into vehicles.
Deadly Minneapolis Encounter Is the 9th ICE Shooting Since September
www.nytimes.com
January 7, 2026 at 10:45 PM
This is the ninth shooting by ICE since September (I did not know that). All of them were into vehicles.
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
I wonder why the thing the whole Bluesky has been talking about for the past several hours is not appearing in trending topics.
January 7, 2026 at 11:42 PM
I wonder why the thing the whole Bluesky has been talking about for the past several hours is not appearing in trending topics.
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
This is more than imperialism. It's apocalypticism.
Trump wants to boost the U.S. military budget from the already record ~$1 trillion per year to $1.5 trillion. (He says it can be done while paying down debt, which is not based in mathematical reality: national debt has risen by ~$2 trillion since Trump was sworn in a year ago.)
January 7, 2026 at 11:35 PM
This is more than imperialism. It's apocalypticism.
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
Syllabus help: Looking for an article about eugenics history that can help introduce students (especially upper level undergrads) to the history of eugenics in the 19th-20th c in the US.
It’s for a class where students’ main competencies are mostly not humanities/social sciences.
Suggestions?
It’s for a class where students’ main competencies are mostly not humanities/social sciences.
Suggestions?
January 5, 2026 at 6:35 AM
Syllabus help: Looking for an article about eugenics history that can help introduce students (especially upper level undergrads) to the history of eugenics in the 19th-20th c in the US.
It’s for a class where students’ main competencies are mostly not humanities/social sciences.
Suggestions?
It’s for a class where students’ main competencies are mostly not humanities/social sciences.
Suggestions?
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
We don’t need to compare what happened in Minneapolis to Nazi Germany. We can compare it to what has happened in Minneapolis before.
January 7, 2026 at 10:00 PM
We don’t need to compare what happened in Minneapolis to Nazi Germany. We can compare it to what has happened in Minneapolis before.
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
I'm already seeing people on here use AI face tools to try to identify the masked ICE agent in Minneapolis. It's a truly terrible idea and here's why
January 7, 2026 at 10:15 PM
I'm already seeing people on here use AI face tools to try to identify the masked ICE agent in Minneapolis. It's a truly terrible idea and here's why
And all of the attempts to address any of it were attacked and disabled by those whose power and wealth stood to benefit from the planned transition to a spectacular fascist fantasy reality society, and their army of participant-propagandists and useful idiots, claiming there was no such problem.
not saying it can't get worse but this week really feels like a straightforward depiction of what worst-case 'post truth' information apocalypse ppl were warning of in the late 2010s
January 7, 2026 at 10:50 PM
And all of the attempts to address any of it were attacked and disabled by those whose power and wealth stood to benefit from the planned transition to a spectacular fascist fantasy reality society, and their army of participant-propagandists and useful idiots, claiming there was no such problem.
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
not saying it can't get worse but this week really feels like a straightforward depiction of what worst-case 'post truth' information apocalypse ppl were warning of in the late 2010s
January 7, 2026 at 10:43 PM
not saying it can't get worse but this week really feels like a straightforward depiction of what worst-case 'post truth' information apocalypse ppl were warning of in the late 2010s
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
New: DHS is lying to you.
At least four videos show what really happened when ICE shot a woman in Minneapolis. Shots clearly fired while vehicle already turning away from the officer. But DHS lied. Trump lied. Noem lied. Even judges have catalogued DHS' serial lying
www.404media.co/dhs-is-lying...
At least four videos show what really happened when ICE shot a woman in Minneapolis. Shots clearly fired while vehicle already turning away from the officer. But DHS lied. Trump lied. Noem lied. Even judges have catalogued DHS' serial lying
www.404media.co/dhs-is-lying...
DHS Is Lying To You About ICE Shooting a Woman
At least four videos show what really happened when ICE shot a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday. DHS has established itself as an agency that cannot be trusted to live in or present reality.
www.404media.co
January 7, 2026 at 10:27 PM
New: DHS is lying to you.
At least four videos show what really happened when ICE shot a woman in Minneapolis. Shots clearly fired while vehicle already turning away from the officer. But DHS lied. Trump lied. Noem lied. Even judges have catalogued DHS' serial lying
www.404media.co/dhs-is-lying...
At least four videos show what really happened when ICE shot a woman in Minneapolis. Shots clearly fired while vehicle already turning away from the officer. But DHS lied. Trump lied. Noem lied. Even judges have catalogued DHS' serial lying
www.404media.co/dhs-is-lying...
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
This is an administration that is quite simply indifferent to the lives of anyone it considers a political enemy
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2026/01/know...
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2026/01/know...
Knowing lies are foundational to authoritarianism - Lawyers, Guns & Money
Trump has responded to the murder of a civilian by an ICE agent in Minneapolis by defending an entirely fictious scenario with no resemblance to the facts that are easily observable on video: This is ...
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com
January 7, 2026 at 9:56 PM
This is an administration that is quite simply indifferent to the lives of anyone it considers a political enemy
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2026/01/know...
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2026/01/know...
Reposted by Cybersocial skandhamara appreciator
This is what many of us have been saying for years now, that the Israeli genocide is the same thing as cops in the US is the same thing as cops anywhere. Israel and the US in a closed feedback loop testing the boundaries and giving each other permission back and forth, liberal and conservative alike
January 7, 2026 at 10:24 PM
This is what many of us have been saying for years now, that the Israeli genocide is the same thing as cops in the US is the same thing as cops anywhere. Israel and the US in a closed feedback loop testing the boundaries and giving each other permission back and forth, liberal and conservative alike
The ICE murder of Renee Good and the failure of any cessation of the Grok CSAM and nonconsensual image generation are part of the same broader story about the establishment of elite impunity for transgressing all moral boundaries of a humanist civil society with individual rights
January 7, 2026 at 10:12 PM
The ICE murder of Renee Good and the failure of any cessation of the Grok CSAM and nonconsensual image generation are part of the same broader story about the establishment of elite impunity for transgressing all moral boundaries of a humanist civil society with individual rights