Zach McDowell
@zacharymcdowell.bsky.social
Communication and information professor at UIC. Editor of communication +1. Nerd. Wikipedian. Open access advocate.
Lovely to talk with these folks about the problematic ways that crawlers are breaking the Internet lately
🕷️Creepy AI crawlers are haunting the internet🕷️
This Halloween, Tanu I and @ccs.bsky.social ocial explain how AI crawlers are ruining the internet for all of us.
Read this season’s real horror story in @techpolicypress.bsky.social
www.techpolicy.press/creepy-ai-cr...
This Halloween, Tanu I and @ccs.bsky.social ocial explain how AI crawlers are ruining the internet for all of us.
Read this season’s real horror story in @techpolicypress.bsky.social
www.techpolicy.press/creepy-ai-cr...
Creepy AI Crawlers Are Turning the Internet into a Haunted House | TechPolicy.Press
The question is no longer whether AI crawlers are disrupting the internet, but what we can do about it, write Tanu I and Corinne Cath.
www.techpolicy.press
November 10, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Lovely to talk with these folks about the problematic ways that crawlers are breaking the Internet lately
🧊 is actual Gestapo. No ID, masks, improper labels (they're not "police"). And worse - our police (the few that wanna help) can't actually force 🧊 to show ID. Why? Because if they are 🧊 then they're "impeding a federal investigation." They are tying the hands of police to actually protect citizens.
October 6, 2025 at 5:09 PM
🧊 is actual Gestapo. No ID, masks, improper labels (they're not "police"). And worse - our police (the few that wanna help) can't actually force 🧊 to show ID. Why? Because if they are 🧊 then they're "impeding a federal investigation." They are tying the hands of police to actually protect citizens.
I cannot express how absolutely bull this is www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
Officials restrict Chicago airspace, citing 'credible threat' of attacks on agents
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed a temporary flight restriction was put in place “at the request of the Department of Homeland Security."
www.nbcnews.com
October 5, 2025 at 5:02 AM
I cannot express how absolutely bull this is www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
Pretty soon, they're going to ban video altogether; they just haven't figured out how to. It will be labeled as a matter of "security"
chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/10...
chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/10...
FAA restricts private drones over Chicago as feds step up immigration arrests
The Federal Aviation Administration set the sweeping restrictions Wednesday at the request of the Department of Homeland Security.
chicago.suntimes.com
October 2, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Pretty soon, they're going to ban video altogether; they just haven't figured out how to. It will be labeled as a matter of "security"
chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/10...
chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/10...
To be honest I’m not even surprised about this considering everything else.
americanjournalnews.com/tumblr-linke...
americanjournalnews.com/tumblr-linke...
Tumblr linked to Republican John Reid engaged with Nazi porn accounts
Reid denies ownership with the blog.
americanjournalnews.com
October 2, 2025 at 12:26 PM
To be honest I’m not even surprised about this considering everything else.
americanjournalnews.com/tumblr-linke...
americanjournalnews.com/tumblr-linke...
Let me get this right… the “teachers are indoctrinating our kids” group is … creating a propaganda campaign to indoctrinate kids?
www.ed.gov/about/news/p...
www.ed.gov/about/news/p...
U.S. Department of Education, AFPI, TPUSA, Hillsdale College, and Over 40 National and State Organizations Launch America 250 Civics Coalition
The U.S. Department of Education, alongside the America First Policy Institute, Turning Point USA, Hillsdale College, and more than 40 leading national and state-based organizations today announced th...
www.ed.gov
September 18, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Let me get this right… the “teachers are indoctrinating our kids” group is … creating a propaganda campaign to indoctrinate kids?
www.ed.gov/about/news/p...
www.ed.gov/about/news/p...
I’m tired of being upset and tired of all of this. You get DOGE to cancel stuff to fund a 300M ballroom and then destroy $10M birth control? This is the point. Distract.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/h...
$10 Million in Contraceptives Have Been Destroyed on Orders From Trump Officials
www.nytimes.com
September 12, 2025 at 12:27 AM
I’m tired of being upset and tired of all of this. You get DOGE to cancel stuff to fund a 300M ballroom and then destroy $10M birth control? This is the point. Distract.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/h...
What do you do when the President makes a threat of “war” to the city you live in? Asking for all of us. Can the Governor deploy the Illinois national guard to defend its residents against masked thugs?
www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...
www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...
Trump threatens Chicago with ‘Department of War’ and suggests ICE raids imminent
‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning…’ Chicago is about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,’ Trump’s TruthSocial post read
www.the-independent.com
September 6, 2025 at 7:04 PM
What do you do when the President makes a threat of “war” to the city you live in? Asking for all of us. Can the Governor deploy the Illinois national guard to defend its residents against masked thugs?
www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...
www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...
The ignorance of how things work makes me facepalm constantly. WIKIPEDIA IS COMMUNITY GENERATED CONTENT! are they gonna “investigate” 4chan next? Maybe they should just read my open access book…
thehill.com/homenews/hou...
thehill.com/homenews/hou...
Republicans investigate Wikipedia over allegations of organized bias
Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee opened a probe into alleged organized efforts to inject bias into Wikipedia entries and the organization’s responses. Chair …
thehill.com
August 29, 2025 at 8:05 PM
The ignorance of how things work makes me facepalm constantly. WIKIPEDIA IS COMMUNITY GENERATED CONTENT! are they gonna “investigate” 4chan next? Maybe they should just read my open access book…
thehill.com/homenews/hou...
thehill.com/homenews/hou...
I mean we are all pretty tired of yelling “it’s like Hitler” but this is pretty intense. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Trump Has a New Definition of Human Rights
State Department reports portray Germany as more oppressive than El Salvador.
www.theatlantic.com
August 13, 2025 at 11:28 PM
I mean we are all pretty tired of yelling “it’s like Hitler” but this is pretty intense. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
It’s funny that the administration wants to strip nonprofit status from orgs while groups like this remain fine with their tax exempt churches. www.newsweek.com/church-preac...
Church doubles down after preacher encouraged prayers for LGBTQ deaths
A preacher from the Sure Foundation Baptist Church in Indianapolis said LGBTQ+ people "deserve the death penalty."
www.newsweek.com
July 7, 2025 at 5:26 PM
It’s funny that the administration wants to strip nonprofit status from orgs while groups like this remain fine with their tax exempt churches. www.newsweek.com/church-preac...
“If they spit we hit” - Violence as a reaction from an armed force as a response to protest is absolutely authoritarianism. www.axios.com/2025/06/10/l...
Unrestrained Trump flirts with Insurrection Act as Marines deploy to L.A.
Trump already has broken decades of precedent by federalizing California's National Guard without the state's consent.
www.axios.com
June 10, 2025 at 11:57 AM
“If they spit we hit” - Violence as a reaction from an armed force as a response to protest is absolutely authoritarianism. www.axios.com/2025/06/10/l...
Reposted by Zach McDowell
Major General Randy E. Manner, former Acting Vice Chief, National Guard Bureau statement to Fox News:
"This is an inappropriate use of the National Guard and is not warranted.”
"This is an inappropriate use of the National Guard and is not warranted.”
June 9, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Major General Randy E. Manner, former Acting Vice Chief, National Guard Bureau statement to Fox News:
"This is an inappropriate use of the National Guard and is not warranted.”
"This is an inappropriate use of the National Guard and is not warranted.”
Reposted by Zach McDowell
I am in downtown Los Angeles right now and it is completely surreal to hear that Trump is sending Marines here. We are listening to mariachi music. People have dogs. There are teenagers here. It is utterly and completely peaceful. Please tell your friends.
June 9, 2025 at 9:28 PM
I am in downtown Los Angeles right now and it is completely surreal to hear that Trump is sending Marines here. We are listening to mariachi music. People have dogs. There are teenagers here. It is utterly and completely peaceful. Please tell your friends.
Nothing says freedom like state run media that publishes its own “facts”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
RFK Jr threatens ban on federal scientists publishing in top journals
US health secretary calls leading medical journals such as Lancet ‘corrupt’ and pushes to create state-run alternatives
www.theguardian.com
May 28, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Nothing says freedom like state run media that publishes its own “facts”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Between this and the AI provision, this is a circus of nightmares. Im really not sure what stops thid outside of a full blown revolt.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
A hidden measure in the Republican budget bill would crown Trump king | Robert Reich
The bill could stop federal courts from enforcing their rulings, eliminating any restraint on Trump
www.theguardian.com
May 27, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Between this and the AI provision, this is a circus of nightmares. Im really not sure what stops thid outside of a full blown revolt.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
They've always been thinly veiled, but the audacity is really incredible now.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/27/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/27/u...
Trump Pardoned Tax Cheat After Mother Attended $1 Million Dinner
www.nytimes.com
May 27, 2025 at 5:12 PM
They've always been thinly veiled, but the audacity is really incredible now.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/27/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/27/u...
If you don’t think people should take medical advice from you, the country’s top health official…. MAYBE YOU SHOULD STOP OFFERING IT. And also maybe stop influencing policy about it.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/u...
RFK Jr., the Health Secretary, Says Not to Take Medical Advice From Him
www.nytimes.com
May 15, 2025 at 6:55 PM
If you don’t think people should take medical advice from you, the country’s top health official…. MAYBE YOU SHOULD STOP OFFERING IT. And also maybe stop influencing policy about it.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/u...
Look what the "states rights" folks have cooked up here - sneaking in something absolutely ridiculous... again...
This is insane. Republicans have inserted language into the budget reconciliation bill that would ban states from regulating AI in any capacity for 10 years.
from @404media.co
www.404media.co/republicans-...
from @404media.co
www.404media.co/republicans-...
May 13, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Look what the "states rights" folks have cooked up here - sneaking in something absolutely ridiculous... again...
I honestly thought this was a joke until now. www.nytimes.com/live/2025/05...
Trump Administration Live Updates: White South Africans Given Refugee Status Arrive in the U.S.
www.nytimes.com
May 12, 2025 at 6:10 PM
I honestly thought this was a joke until now. www.nytimes.com/live/2025/05...
This alone is huge, but that the Register if Copyrights was canned right after this release is even bigger.
www.copyright.gov/ai/Copyright...
www.copyright.gov/ai/Copyright...
www.copyright.gov
May 12, 2025 at 2:42 PM
This alone is huge, but that the Register if Copyrights was canned right after this release is even bigger.
www.copyright.gov/ai/Copyright...
www.copyright.gov/ai/Copyright...
Reposted by Zach McDowell
We are joining forces with @wikimediauk.bsky.social to tell Trans stories on Wikimedia platforms as part of Trans History Week.
Do you have a Trans story you think should be on wiki? Then join us on the 9th May all day as we edit wiki together.
To register, scan the QR code.
Do you have a Trans story you think should be on wiki? Then join us on the 9th May all day as we edit wiki together.
To register, scan the QR code.
May 7, 2025 at 3:04 PM
We are joining forces with @wikimediauk.bsky.social to tell Trans stories on Wikimedia platforms as part of Trans History Week.
Do you have a Trans story you think should be on wiki? Then join us on the 9th May all day as we edit wiki together.
To register, scan the QR code.
Do you have a Trans story you think should be on wiki? Then join us on the 9th May all day as we edit wiki together.
To register, scan the QR code.