"A possible source of new information"--GB
@vpterson.bsky.social
Philosophy & politics. #Technology, #Edtech, #Linux, & #highereducation policy.♥️📚🇺🇦🇨🇦🇩🇰🇺🇸
Stop looking for a "mind" inside the GenAI model. Start looking at the model as a mirror that reflects the genre, tone, and context of the text you provide.
Remember when people had to be taught that just because they saw something in print that didn’t make it true?
Remember when people had to be taught that just because they saw something in print that didn’t make it true?
February 9, 2026 at 4:46 AM
Stop looking for a "mind" inside the GenAI model. Start looking at the model as a mirror that reflects the genre, tone, and context of the text you provide.
Remember when people had to be taught that just because they saw something in print that didn’t make it true?
Remember when people had to be taught that just because they saw something in print that didn’t make it true?
"Let it rip!" --Sam Darnold
February 8, 2026 at 10:59 PM
"Let it rip!" --Sam Darnold
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I wrote about the Epstein files (gift link) www.theverge.com/tech/874721/...
How the men in the Epstein files defeated #MeToo
The emails show the “anti-woke” crusaders are afraid of accountability.
www.theverge.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:09 PM
I wrote about the Epstein files (gift link) www.theverge.com/tech/874721/...
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I don’t get how it’s “free expression” if there are certain things you now aren’t allowed to say that 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago you could say without looking over your shoulder a bit.
February 8, 2026 at 3:56 PM
I don’t get how it’s “free expression” if there are certain things you now aren’t allowed to say that 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago you could say without looking over your shoulder a bit.
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Europe is more moral than the USA.
February 7, 2026 at 7:31 PM
Europe is more moral than the USA.
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"Does using AI do harm? If so, should we stop using it?"
A mini personal essay in my student-facing OER text AI and College Writing: An Orientation that references @jonippolito.net and @kconrad.bsky.social
human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/...
A mini personal essay in my student-facing OER text AI and College Writing: An Orientation that references @jonippolito.net and @kconrad.bsky.social
human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/...
2.5: Does using AI do harm? If so, should we stop using it?
Energy, water, IP violations, and exploitative labor are among the harms caused by AI. Deciding what actions individuals and society can take to address this is challenging.
human.libretexts.org
February 7, 2026 at 7:22 PM
"Does using AI do harm? If so, should we stop using it?"
A mini personal essay in my student-facing OER text AI and College Writing: An Orientation that references @jonippolito.net and @kconrad.bsky.social
human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/...
A mini personal essay in my student-facing OER text AI and College Writing: An Orientation that references @jonippolito.net and @kconrad.bsky.social
human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/...
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The boring work of procurement and the need for public scrutiny of proposed contracts with tech companies are essential safeguards against the uncritical adoption of GenAI in K-12 schools.
As a parent and educator, if my district leaders did something like this, I would be furious.
As a parent and educator, if my district leaders did something like this, I would be furious.
SFUSD Approves OpenAI Contract, Bypassing School Board
The San Francisco Unified School District signed a contract with OpenAI three weeks before seeking approval from its school board.
www.sfpublicpress.org
February 7, 2026 at 5:07 PM
The boring work of procurement and the need for public scrutiny of proposed contracts with tech companies are essential safeguards against the uncritical adoption of GenAI in K-12 schools.
As a parent and educator, if my district leaders did something like this, I would be furious.
As a parent and educator, if my district leaders did something like this, I would be furious.
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Reposted by "A possible source of new information"--GB
also, when you undermine the rule of law, it's much easier to steal
The legacy of populist parties is rich in stories of embezzlement and graft, because their leaders have a strong drive for self-enrichment and little interest in actual governance. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reform-run Kent council accused of fabricating £40m net zero savings
Exclusive: Disclosures show figures cited by council leader rested on unfunded ideas listed briefly in budget papers
www.theguardian.com
February 7, 2026 at 2:47 PM
also, when you undermine the rule of law, it's much easier to steal
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The Epstein files are turning into one of those accidental historical archives of preserved records like the Oxyrhynchus Papyri Manuscript (fragments from 32BC–640AD found in an Egyptian rubbish dump). But instead of shopping lists, bills and horoscopes it’s the elite manipulating the system.
This is bleak: Jes Staley, currently CEO of Barclays, reassuring Epstein that popular revolt against financial elites is unlikely because capitalism and pop culture have defanged social movements, leaving people more invested in consumption than justice.
February 7, 2026 at 7:53 AM
The Epstein files are turning into one of those accidental historical archives of preserved records like the Oxyrhynchus Papyri Manuscript (fragments from 32BC–640AD found in an Egyptian rubbish dump). But instead of shopping lists, bills and horoscopes it’s the elite manipulating the system.
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In Ukraine, when a funeral procession with a fallen soldier goes by, everyone stops whatever they are doing to stand silently. Traffic stops. Public transportation stops. Conversation stops.
In Lviv, people take this tradition a step further. Most people the procession passes take a knee.
In Lviv, people take this tradition a step further. Most people the procession passes take a knee.
February 7, 2026 at 12:55 PM
In Ukraine, when a funeral procession with a fallen soldier goes by, everyone stops whatever they are doing to stand silently. Traffic stops. Public transportation stops. Conversation stops.
In Lviv, people take this tradition a step further. Most people the procession passes take a knee.
In Lviv, people take this tradition a step further. Most people the procession passes take a knee.
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In a democracy, we are supposed to feel like we have control over our lives because the people control the government.
But in the U.S., people feel like our lives are out of control because the people don’t control the federal government.
But in the U.S., people feel like our lives are out of control because the people don’t control the federal government.
February 6, 2026 at 4:57 PM
In a democracy, we are supposed to feel like we have control over our lives because the people control the government.
But in the U.S., people feel like our lives are out of control because the people don’t control the federal government.
But in the U.S., people feel like our lives are out of control because the people don’t control the federal government.
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I'm sure people don't mean to reveal how needy they are for a dopamine hit when they post outragebait and trash takes for clicks and engagement.
But they do. We see you. It's sad you don't have other ways to feel good.
But they do. We see you. It's sad you don't have other ways to feel good.
February 7, 2026 at 2:47 AM
I'm sure people don't mean to reveal how needy they are for a dopamine hit when they post outragebait and trash takes for clicks and engagement.
But they do. We see you. It's sad you don't have other ways to feel good.
But they do. We see you. It's sad you don't have other ways to feel good.
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it's really, really nuts that our scrappy lil' non-profit media website employs more people in Kyiv than the Washington Post.
Also follow @lapatina.bsky.social she is awesome and smart and so brave
Also follow @lapatina.bsky.social she is awesome and smart and so brave
The Washington Post—for which I wrote editorials for nearly a decade—has closed its Kyiv bureau.
@lawfaremedia.org has not—and we will not.
We now employ more people in Kyiv than the Washington Post.
Let me tell you about what we have done in Ukraine over the past year and why we are not leaving
@lawfaremedia.org has not—and we will not.
We now employ more people in Kyiv than the Washington Post.
Let me tell you about what we have done in Ukraine over the past year and why we are not leaving
February 6, 2026 at 9:41 PM
it's really, really nuts that our scrappy lil' non-profit media website employs more people in Kyiv than the Washington Post.
Also follow @lapatina.bsky.social she is awesome and smart and so brave
Also follow @lapatina.bsky.social she is awesome and smart and so brave
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Reposted by "A possible source of new information"--GB
The historian and Gulag archivist, Yuri Dmitriev, remains in prison in Russia
www.lemonde.fr/idees/articl...
www.lemonde.fr/idees/articl...
« La libération de l’historien Iouri Dmitriev est particulièrement urgente, c’est une question de survie ! »
TRIBUNE. L’un des plus anciens prisonniers politiques de Vladimir Poutine est détenu en raison de son travail sur l’histoire de la terreur stalinienne, au sein de l’association russe Memorial. Dans un...
www.lemonde.fr
February 6, 2026 at 1:38 PM
The historian and Gulag archivist, Yuri Dmitriev, remains in prison in Russia
www.lemonde.fr/idees/articl...
www.lemonde.fr/idees/articl...
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I just published:
10 Simple Questions for Congress to Ask Immigration Officials
- Overstaying a visa is not a crime (that's nearly 50% of all undocumented migrants)
- Unlawful entry (18 usc 1325) is only a misdemeanor. For vast majority of those, the statute of limitations expired long ago
- more
10 Simple Questions for Congress to Ask Immigration Officials
- Overstaying a visa is not a crime (that's nearly 50% of all undocumented migrants)
- Unlawful entry (18 usc 1325) is only a misdemeanor. For vast majority of those, the statute of limitations expired long ago
- more
Ten Simple Questions for Congress to Ask Senior Immigration Officials in Public Hearings
Ten questions to inform conversations over immigration enforcement policy.
www.justsecurity.org
February 6, 2026 at 1:27 PM
I just published:
10 Simple Questions for Congress to Ask Immigration Officials
- Overstaying a visa is not a crime (that's nearly 50% of all undocumented migrants)
- Unlawful entry (18 usc 1325) is only a misdemeanor. For vast majority of those, the statute of limitations expired long ago
- more
10 Simple Questions for Congress to Ask Immigration Officials
- Overstaying a visa is not a crime (that's nearly 50% of all undocumented migrants)
- Unlawful entry (18 usc 1325) is only a misdemeanor. For vast majority of those, the statute of limitations expired long ago
- more
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"Moving forward, Oklahoma institutions without R1 status must offer fixed-term, renewable contracts. ... Tenured faculty members at Oklahoma’s two R1 institutions — the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University — will be subject to post-tenure review every five years."
Breaking, from me: An executive order from Oklahoma's governor directs most of the state's public colleges to "phase out tenure." #AcademicSky #HigherEd @chronicle.com
www.chronicle.com/article/tenu...
www.chronicle.com/article/tenu...
Tenure Will Be Eliminated at Most of Oklahoma’s Public Colleges, Governor Says
Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, directed the state’s two-dozen regional universities and community colleges to phase out the practice. Existing faculty members will be grandfathered in.
www.chronicle.com
February 5, 2026 at 11:40 PM
"Moving forward, Oklahoma institutions without R1 status must offer fixed-term, renewable contracts. ... Tenured faculty members at Oklahoma’s two R1 institutions — the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University — will be subject to post-tenure review every five years."
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JUST IN: A federal judge has barred ICE and DHS from using taxpayer information provided by the IRS.
Judge Talwani says that DHS' view that noncitizens lack 4th amendment rights — combined with ICE use of administrative warrants — is a recipe for abuse.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Judge Talwani says that DHS' view that noncitizens lack 4th amendment rights — combined with ICE use of administrative warrants — is a recipe for abuse.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 5, 2026 at 9:55 PM
JUST IN: A federal judge has barred ICE and DHS from using taxpayer information provided by the IRS.
Judge Talwani says that DHS' view that noncitizens lack 4th amendment rights — combined with ICE use of administrative warrants — is a recipe for abuse.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Judge Talwani says that DHS' view that noncitizens lack 4th amendment rights — combined with ICE use of administrative warrants — is a recipe for abuse.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
“And that you sit as kings in your desires,
Authority quite silent by your brawl,
And you in ruff of your opinions clothed;
What had you got? I’ll tell you:
Authority quite silent by your brawl,
And you in ruff of your opinions clothed;
What had you got? I’ll tell you:
February 6, 2026 at 1:42 AM
“And that you sit as kings in your desires,
Authority quite silent by your brawl,
And you in ruff of your opinions clothed;
What had you got? I’ll tell you:
Authority quite silent by your brawl,
And you in ruff of your opinions clothed;
What had you got? I’ll tell you:
Reposted by "A possible source of new information"--GB
i am trying not to joke about the Epstein stuff because it's so horrible but there's also this ridiculous element where it's like... discovering Dracula is real, he's taken over human society at the highest levels, he's involved in tons of evil and also he's a huge dipshit
February 5, 2026 at 3:43 AM
i am trying not to joke about the Epstein stuff because it's so horrible but there's also this ridiculous element where it's like... discovering Dracula is real, he's taken over human society at the highest levels, he's involved in tons of evil and also he's a huge dipshit
They do not imagine themselves ever exiles and strangers. We can.
Problem is that those ICE monkeys would never understand it.
February 5, 2026 at 11:24 PM
They do not imagine themselves ever exiles and strangers. We can.
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Sir Ian McKellen performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More on the Stephen Colbert show. Never have I heard this monologue performed with such a keen sense of prescience. Nor have I ever been in this exact historical moment.TY Sir Ian, for reaching us once again.
#Pinks #ProudBlue
#Pinks #ProudBlue
February 5, 2026 at 11:50 AM
Sir Ian McKellen performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More on the Stephen Colbert show. Never have I heard this monologue performed with such a keen sense of prescience. Nor have I ever been in this exact historical moment.TY Sir Ian, for reaching us once again.
#Pinks #ProudBlue
#Pinks #ProudBlue
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Sharing "Agentic AI: Considerations for Educators," a brief slide-deck introduction to where we are now with browser agents and digital learning spaces, based on my recent and upcoming presentations. Input and corrections welcome!
link.annarmills.com/agentslides
link.annarmills.com/agentslides
February 5, 2026 at 7:57 PM
Sharing "Agentic AI: Considerations for Educators," a brief slide-deck introduction to where we are now with browser agents and digital learning spaces, based on my recent and upcoming presentations. Input and corrections welcome!
link.annarmills.com/agentslides
link.annarmills.com/agentslides
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I'm no legal expert, but it seems like a slam dunk to me given that the president is on tape telling the student McCoul was not going to be fired, only for her to dismissed later as a sop to the political forces in the state. Every ex post facto rationale is transparently B.S.
Melissa McCoul, a former lecturer at Texas A&M, filed a lawsuit against the university on Wednesday. She argues her right to free speech and due process were violated when she was terminated in the fall.
https://chroni.cl/4qk3Q6f
https://chroni.cl/4qk3Q6f
An Instructor Was Fired After a Viral Recording of a Gender Lesson. Now She’s Suing the University.
Melissa McCoul, who had taught at Texas A&M University’s flagship for nine years, says her First Amendment rights were violated. Her case sparked widespread concern about classroom censorship.
chroni.cl
February 5, 2026 at 8:19 PM
I'm no legal expert, but it seems like a slam dunk to me given that the president is on tape telling the student McCoul was not going to be fired, only for her to dismissed later as a sop to the political forces in the state. Every ex post facto rationale is transparently B.S.