Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Aaahh! bstract Tesseract @abstracttesseract.bsky.social · 11h

"Do you remember George Santos?"

I had forgotten and no thank you for reminding me lmao

Great episode, really interesting to see the cracks forming in these alliances

Tech Won’t Save Us @techwontsave.us · 6d

Donald Trump and Silicon Valley have formed an alliance — but that doesn’t mean the MAGA base thinks it’s a good idea.

This week @tinanguyen.bsky.social joins @parismarx.com to discuss the many ways the MAGA movement isn’t on side with Big Tech.

Full ep: techwontsave.us/episode/296_...

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Saeed Jones @theferocity.bsky.social · 1d

“We don’t have to approach and criticize this album as art, because it isn’t art. The Life of a Showgirl is made of Shein quality rip-offs of other people’s songs that are constructed shoddily and sold in ginormous quantities. Art takes time and care. This is profit. It’s content.”

WHEW.

No Good Art Comes From Greed | Defector

The packages arrived square and thin and carefully wrapped on Saturday afternoon. There were three of them, but only one was mine. If I could have rejected my package, sent it back from whence it came...

defector.com

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Aaahh! bstract Tesseract @abstracttesseract.bsky.social · 1d

Honestly same! My friend has a guinea pig who is always SUPER EXCITED to receive lettuce and I just...cannot relate

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Aaahh! bstract Tesseract @abstracttesseract.bsky.social · 1d

I can't decide if I want to interpret this as "salads should have less lettuce" or "lettuce should be distributed more equitably among dishes that aren't salad"

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Preorder Read This When Things Fall Apart @mskellymhayes.bsky.social · 1d

Y'all who keep lecturing protesters to "not give them an excuse" need to pause for a minute. Imagine yourself telling a DV victim, "Be sure not to mouth off or make any mistakes so he won't hit you. Don't give him an excuse! It's what he wants!" That's what you fools sound like.

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 1d

NEW from me:

CBS News staffers literally rolled their eyes after new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss delivered a "cringey" rallying cry during today's editorial call, exclaiming: "Let's do the fucking news!"

"She's cosplaying as a broadcast journalist," one said.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

‘Let’s do the f***ing news’: Bari Weiss causes ‘eye rolls’ with CBS News rallying cry

EXCLUSIVE: Multiple CBS News staffers told The Independent that Bari Weiss’ ‘cringey’ comments on the editorial call literally caused eyes to roll.

www.independent.co.uk

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Derek Fox @partialobserver.bsky.social · 1d

“I had to flat out tell [the Microsoft sales team] VP we're not buying any fucking copilot - whereupon she revealed that the only thing she is being measured on for Q4 is sales of copilot, so if that's off the table the conversation is not interesting. LMAO”

your #3 source for absurdist true crime 🔨 @davidgerard.co.uk · 2d

youtube comment

> Lol the timing; I work in IT for a large publishing company - and my god the meetings with microsoft sales team is all AI AI AI COPILOT COPILOT COPILOT.
> I had to flat out tell their VP we're not buying any fucking copilot - whereupon she revealed that the only thing she is being measured on for Q4 is sales of copilot, so if that's off the table the conversation is not interesting. LMAO

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Anna Merlan @annamerlan.bsky.social · 2d

Let it never again be said that a woman with no real reporting experience who fell for a Twitter account called "Official Antifa" cannot be the head of a huge news organization

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Lewis Muirhead @bringthenoise.bsky.social · 2d

Hiring Bari Weiss to bring down the temperature of the discourse is like hiring Animal from the Muppets to reduce workplace noise

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David Forbes @davidforbes.bsky.social · 2d

Whenever anarchism — or any idea more radical than the status quo — gets dismissed as unserious, it's worth remembering the current system runs on things like "we put all the money on a scam machine that tells rich dipshits they're god."

Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 2d

"The hundreds of billions of dollars companies are investing in AI now account for an astonishing 40 per cent share of US GDP growth this year... In a way, then, America has become one big bet on AI."

America is now one big bet on AI

It’s seen as the magic fix for every threat to the US economy

www.ft.com

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Sasha the Furious Ghost 👻 @sashafury.blackskycomra.de · 2d

Historians will one day specialize in this one specific decade that we are living in and they will walk into the classroom and be like "Welcome to an Introduction to the Greatest Shitstorm of Allllll Time. Hang on to your butts."

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Gretchen Felker-Martin 🍉 @scumbelievable.bsky.social · 3d

In so many cases, the solution to a frustrating interaction online is to take a deep breath and remind yourself that the person being deranged to you is not someone whose opinion you would care about if they screamed it in your face on the street, and you're deforming your nature by listening at all

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Aaahh! bstract Tesseract @abstracttesseract.bsky.social · 2d

"This initiative aims to improve efficiency while maintaining the highest standards of scientific rigor and human oversight."

"Highest standards" according to...??????

Emily M. Bender @emilymbender.bsky.social · 2d

Oh FFS. Because what overburdened peer review systems really need is more noise between the reviewers & ACs. Yeah, that's the ticket.

aaai.org/aaai-launche...

>>

Screenshot of AAAI automated review announcement reading:

1. Supplementary First-Stage Reviews: LLM-generated reviews will be included as one component of the
initial review stage, providing an additional perspective alongside traditional human expert evaluations.
2. Discussion Summary Assistance: LLMs will assist the Senior Program Committee (SPC) members by
summarizing reviewer discussions, helping to highlight key points of consensus and disagreement among
human reviewers.

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Aaahh! bstract Tesseract @abstracttesseract.bsky.social · 2d

ok it would be hilarious if Twitch just suddenly overflowed with a bunch of people streaming their pds migration journeys with helpful encouragement from chat

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ali alkhatib @ali-alkhatib.com · 3d

while link (@spacelawshitpost.me) is being tossed around by jay and aaron, i'm listening to aj link's episode on Pale Blue Pod from June (i mean, unless bluesky mods want to block links to his voice as well)

Space Law with AJ Link

Moiya asks AJ to explain how law works in space. Like, who owns it? Who can send things there? Can you get away with draining your wife's bank account if you're above the atmosphere? Listen here for h...

art19.com

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Paris Marx @parismarx.com · 5d

they’re a bunch of crypto/web3 nerds, we shouldn’t have expected any better tbh

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ali alkhatib @ali-alkhatib.com · 2d

it'd be less duplicitous if they said they were exercising their thin-skinned prerogative to make people who embarrass them disappear. citing the charlie kirk meme is so dishonest it borders on pathetic. nobody is this credulous and it's a little embarrassing for them that they thought anyone was.

Aveta👾🇭🇹 @aliafonzy.blacksky.app · 2d

Unfortunate update: Link reached out to BlueSky and got email back now on reason.

His appeal is denied. He will remain permanently banned on BlueSky’s side.

Here are the screenshots he just sent me as of 8:22 AM EST(my time)

A screenshot of an email from the Bluesky Moderation Team with the subject line “Bluesky Account Behavior” sent at 22:15. The email states that a Bluesky account controlled by the recipient, with the handle @spacelawshitpost.me, posted a reply with an image where the alt text reads: Charlie Kirk sitting in a white T-shirt that says “Freedom.” A negative consequence follows. The email indicates this post violates Community Guidelines regarding violent or threatening speech, specifically listing threats of violence or physical harm against individuals, groups, institutions, or the general public, and incitement of self-harm or suicide.

A screenshot of an email continuation from the Bluesky Moderation Team displaying a bulleted list of Community Guidelines violations. The first bullet point describes threats of violence or physical harm as including threats or encouragement of violence against individuals, groups, institutions, or the general public. The second bullet point defines incitement of self-harm or suicide as content that encourages self-harm or suicide. The third bullet point explains wishes of harm as expressions of a desire for harm directed at a specific person or group. Below the bullets, a paragraph states that users may not use Bluesky to break the law or cause harm to others and that all users must be treated with respect. The next paragraph informs the recipient that as a result of these violations, your account has been taken down. A closing paragraph thanks the user for doing their part to keep Bluesky a welcoming and empowering place for all users and instructs them to email moderation@blueskyweb.xyz if they have questions or wish to appeal the decision. The email ends with the signature Bluesky Moderation Team.

A screenshot of an email from the Bluesky Moderation Team sent at 08:11 with the subject line Re: Bluesky Account Behavior addressed To: Hide My Email. The email reads:

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to appeal the takedown of your account on Bluesky. We have carefully reviewed your case, including the information you provided and the activity that led to the suspension of your account.

After investigating, we have determined that your account activity was in violation of our community guidelines, specifically promoting hateful content or being disruptive to other users. We take these guidelines seriously to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all our users.

As a result, we regret to inform you that your appeal has been denied, and your account will remain suspended. This decision is final and cannot be reversed. We understand that this may be disappointing news, but we must prioritize the well-being of our community and maintain a consistent enforcement of our policies. We encourage you to review our community guidelines to better understand the expectations we have for user behavior on our platform. Please do not create new accounts, since those will be taken down for ban evasion.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

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Dr. Casey Fiesler @cfiesler.bsky.social · 2d

In a great piece of work @404media.co (via @jasonkoebler.bsky.social ) analyzed court records "where a lawyer offered a formal explanation or apology" for problematic AI use: www.404media.co/18-lawyers-c... There is more blame on overwork than lack of knowledge, though...

Dr. Casey Fiesler @cfiesler.bsky.social · Aug 12

A lawyer in my social media comments is telling me that it's "cruel" to suggest that lawyers should be ethically accountable for mistakes introduced by AI because the weight of technology's flaws shouldn't be on burned out lawyers.

And like, all sympathy to junior associates, but also...

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Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 2d

Whenever someone running a news org talks about representing "all... perspectives" or throws around phrases like "diversity of opinion," ask if they regularly hire and include the viewpoints of abolitionists and socialists.

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 2d

BREAKING— David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance, just sent out this email to Paramount employees re: The Free Press acquisition/Bari Weiss. Says she has passion for "rigorous, fact-based reporting & a relentless commitment to amplifying voices from all corners of the spectrum."

Text shared w me:

Dear Team Paramount:

I think we can all agree that the temperature of our nation's social discourse feels higher than ever. Too often, the space once reserved for thoughtful dialogue has been consumed by partisan division and hostile disputes. If we are to move forward, we must find our way back to the ideals that shaped both our country and civilization itself: open exchange of ideas, vigorous yet respectful debate, and a genuine regard for the beliefs and traditions of others.

This challenge extends to the media. While it was founded with the mission of informing the public and fostering discussion on the issues of the day, too often it has become a platform that amplifies the very partisanship tearing our society apart. George Washington warned that the primary danger in politics is partisanship. Today, that danger extends far beyond politics - threatening the fabric of our communities. When we reduce every issue to "us vs. them" or "my way vs. the wrong way," we close ourselves off from listening, learning, and ultimately growing, both as individuals and as a society.

I don't pretend to have a solution to this challenge. But I do believe we each have a responsibility to do our part. At Paramount, we have both a unique opportunity and an obligation as stewards of one of the most iconic and respected news organizations in the world. We are challenging ourselves to do better - recognizing that we have the ability to reach a broad audience and demonstrate constructive, respectful, and bipartisan dialogue in our own work.
Our mission is clear: to ensure that this global platform remains a place where people can seek the truth, gain understanding, and engage with the facts. That is our purpose.

With this in mind, I am excited to share that The Free Press is joining our Company. Since its launch just five years ago, The Free Press, under cofounder Bari Weiss' leadership,

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Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 5d

🫡

How to Turn Off AI Tools Like Gemini, Apple Intelligence, Copilot, and More - Consumer Reports

AI features are crowding into Google search, Gmail, iPhones, Windows laptops, and other products. If you're suffering from AI overload, these settings can help.

www.consumerreports.org

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Dr. Damien P. Williams Wants A Better Sociotechnical Paradigm @wolvendamien.bsky.social · 2d

This is genuinely some bullshit on bsky's part. A reaction meme of charlie kirk gets a Black person a permanent suspension, but people who actively doxx and spread hate against marginalized people not only get to stay, but het followed by mods?

We see you, bsky, and it's pretty fucking disgusting.

Aveta👾🇭🇹 @aliafonzy.blacksky.app · 2d

Unfortunate update: Link reached out to BlueSky and got email back now on reason.

His appeal is denied. He will remain permanently banned on BlueSky’s side.

Here are the screenshots he just sent me as of 8:22 AM EST(my time)

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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 3d

I don’t really understand the people who think we shouldn’t situate the current moment in context of the last 25 years in American politics, including the actions of the three Democrats who were president during that time

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Anne H. Charity Hudley @acharityhudley.bsky.social · 2d

It is the honor of my lifetime to share that @universitypress.cambridge.org will publish the @lingsocam.bsky.social's new Journal of Black Language & Culture. www.lsadc.org/content.asp?...

JBLAC fosters a transdisciplinary conversation on Black language & culture through a global, diasporic lens.

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Rita, antifascist🏴 @oldsquida.bsky.social · 3d

a reminder

theanarchistlibrary.org/library/unsa...

graphic of protesters with question bubbles following a guy with a megaphone text read
RED FLAGS: BEFORE YOU JOIN THAT ORG...
JOIN THE PEOPLE'S PARTY!
A PRIMER ON AUTHORITARIAN 3 VANGUARD COMMUNIST GROUPS
WHAT YOU CAN DO INSTEAD

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Dr. Damien P. Williams Wants A Better Sociotechnical Paradigm @wolvendamien.bsky.social · 3d

Fiona Apple's 'Extraordinary Machine' turned 25 yesterday, so here's a few reminders, for you and for me
www.youtube.com/watch?v=adaX...

Waltz (Better Than Fine)

YouTube video by Fiona Apple - Topic

www.youtube.com

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