@alifox.bsky.social
Trying to be a decent human, although birds are more interesting than most people. Academic librarian. Tangata Tiriti. Aotearoa/New Zealand
Reposted
I don’t talk about this a lot because there’s some stigma, but my Day job is engineering and I am using AI nonstop and let me tell you what I experienced as a practitioner and what the purveyor of this technology are claiming a light years apart.
October 27, 2025 at 9:01 AM
I don’t talk about this a lot because there’s some stigma, but my Day job is engineering and I am using AI nonstop and let me tell you what I experienced as a practitioner and what the purveyor of this technology are claiming a light years apart.
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Living Streets Aotearoa Walking Summit
Register for the 2025 Walking Summit, 6 November 2025 | Living Streets Aotearoa Inc. Held online.
Register:
www.livingstreets.org.nz/node/5224
Draft Programme:
www.livingstreets.org.nz/node/4978
Register for the 2025 Walking Summit, 6 November 2025 | Living Streets Aotearoa Inc. Held online.
Register:
www.livingstreets.org.nz/node/5224
Draft Programme:
www.livingstreets.org.nz/node/4978
October 12, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Living Streets Aotearoa Walking Summit
Register for the 2025 Walking Summit, 6 November 2025 | Living Streets Aotearoa Inc. Held online.
Register:
www.livingstreets.org.nz/node/5224
Draft Programme:
www.livingstreets.org.nz/node/4978
Register for the 2025 Walking Summit, 6 November 2025 | Living Streets Aotearoa Inc. Held online.
Register:
www.livingstreets.org.nz/node/5224
Draft Programme:
www.livingstreets.org.nz/node/4978
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Manawatū Estuary Trust Welcome the Birds
Sep 27, 2025, 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Full info on Facebook.
Sep 27, 2025, 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Full info on Facebook.
September 25, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Manawatū Estuary Trust Welcome the Birds
Sep 27, 2025, 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Full info on Facebook.
Sep 27, 2025, 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Full info on Facebook.
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Silicon Valley’s alliance with Donald Trump was a mask off moment and showed the world we can’t depend on US tech companies.
For the past few months, I’ve been trying to get off US tech and I put together a guide so you find alternatives too. I hope you find it helpful!
For the past few months, I’ve been trying to get off US tech and I put together a guide so you find alternatives too. I hope you find it helpful!
Getting off US tech: a guide
I’m in the process of dropping US tech services. Here’s how I did it, and options you should consider.
www.disconnect.blog
July 18, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Silicon Valley’s alliance with Donald Trump was a mask off moment and showed the world we can’t depend on US tech companies.
For the past few months, I’ve been trying to get off US tech and I put together a guide so you find alternatives too. I hope you find it helpful!
For the past few months, I’ve been trying to get off US tech and I put together a guide so you find alternatives too. I hope you find it helpful!
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Having just watched a report on the increasing number of people turning to AI agents for relationship advice, we can't be far away (if not already there) from a significant slice of voters asking ChatGPT/Grok/Siri/Whatever to tell them for whom they should vote. Take a moment to think about that.
July 19, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Having just watched a report on the increasing number of people turning to AI agents for relationship advice, we can't be far away (if not already there) from a significant slice of voters asking ChatGPT/Grok/Siri/Whatever to tell them for whom they should vote. Take a moment to think about that.
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LET THEM READ
July 19, 2025 at 10:40 AM
LET THEM READ
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NZ's new AI strategy is long on 'economic opportunity' but short on managing ethical and social risk www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa... Good critique by Dr Andrew Lensen.
NZ's new AI strategy is long on 'economic opportunity' but short on managing ethical and social risk
While the government talks up AI-driven productivity, its strategy offers little protection for jobs, ethics, or equity.
www.rnz.co.nz
July 13, 2025 at 2:30 AM
NZ's new AI strategy is long on 'economic opportunity' but short on managing ethical and social risk www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa... Good critique by Dr Andrew Lensen.
Reposted
July 13, 2025 at 2:07 AM
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New blog post on ACRLog, "AI Refusal in Libraries: A Starter Guide." Got a lot of comments during a recent presentation that people hadn't heard of the concept of AI refusal, so here's some places to start. 📚 acrlog.org/2025/06/11/a...
AI Refusal in Libraries: A Starter Guide - ACRLog
This week I was on a panel at the Generative AI in Libraries (GAIL) virtual conference. Along with my fellow panelists Andrea Baer and Emily Zerrenner, I joined moderator Sarah Appedu to discuss the c...
acrlog.org
June 11, 2025 at 7:15 PM
New blog post on ACRLog, "AI Refusal in Libraries: A Starter Guide." Got a lot of comments during a recent presentation that people hadn't heard of the concept of AI refusal, so here's some places to start. 📚 acrlog.org/2025/06/11/a...
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On top of humanities and social sciences being cut from eligibility for the Marsden Fund, changes to 're-balance' the histories curriculum, attacks on the Waitangi Tribunal, etc, it seems clear the government would prefer we remain in ignorance about our history.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
More cuts proposed at Ministry for Culture and Heritage
The axe is hovering over historians and staff who create digital content used by schools and the public.
www.rnz.co.nz
June 14, 2025 at 5:59 AM
On top of humanities and social sciences being cut from eligibility for the Marsden Fund, changes to 're-balance' the histories curriculum, attacks on the Waitangi Tribunal, etc, it seems clear the government would prefer we remain in ignorance about our history.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
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And if non-white, chased down the street by photographers.
Suppose it were a woman MP who was caught on camera, maggoted and ranting at an event.
She'd be gearing up for a fortnight-long news cycle in which she'd be forced to admit having an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, encouraged to divulge personal information, and made to apologise repeatedly.
She'd be gearing up for a fortnight-long news cycle in which she'd be forced to admit having an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, encouraged to divulge personal information, and made to apologise repeatedly.
May 30, 2025 at 11:58 PM
And if non-white, chased down the street by photographers.
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For NZ, declaring it an epidemic in the later part of last year seems to have helped keep control of things, so Pertussis is at a broadly 2018 level
(also this is raw numbers, population adjusted to a rate it is looking a bit better compared to more than a decade ago)
Graph from ESR dashboard.
(also this is raw numbers, population adjusted to a rate it is looking a bit better compared to more than a decade ago)
Graph from ESR dashboard.
May 8, 2025 at 12:06 AM
For NZ, declaring it an epidemic in the later part of last year seems to have helped keep control of things, so Pertussis is at a broadly 2018 level
(also this is raw numbers, population adjusted to a rate it is looking a bit better compared to more than a decade ago)
Graph from ESR dashboard.
(also this is raw numbers, population adjusted to a rate it is looking a bit better compared to more than a decade ago)
Graph from ESR dashboard.
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Just another "urgent" law change being rushed through in the dead of night. Sorry Freddy, you're dead. And about those kiwi we fought so hard to save from extinction, who cares about them anyways.
BREAKING
Luxon Government to pass law TONIGHT that legalises killing kiwi www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/pre...
#nzpol #WarOnNature
Luxon Government to pass law TONIGHT that legalises killing kiwi www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/pre...
#nzpol #WarOnNature
Luxon Government to pass law tonight that legalises killing Kiwi - Greenpeace Aotearoa
The Luxon Government has just introduced a bill into the House that would make it legal to kill protected wildlife. Greenpeace understands the Bill is being rushed through all stages…
www.greenpeace.org
May 6, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Just another "urgent" law change being rushed through in the dead of night. Sorry Freddy, you're dead. And about those kiwi we fought so hard to save from extinction, who cares about them anyways.
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Just a reminder that on 22 May 7–8pm I'm running a brand-new, free, online webinar on how Wikipedia works, why it's potentially the highest-impact platform you can use to get a message out, and how activists can learn to use it responsibly. Sign up here: wikipedia-for-activists-may-2025.lilregie.com
May 7, 2025 at 5:04 AM
Just a reminder that on 22 May 7–8pm I'm running a brand-new, free, online webinar on how Wikipedia works, why it's potentially the highest-impact platform you can use to get a message out, and how activists can learn to use it responsibly. Sign up here: wikipedia-for-activists-may-2025.lilregie.com
Bluesky post of the day/year/century
Apparently the Kiwi accent is being voted the sexiest in the world again and all I have to say about that is these people have obviously never been to a pub in Hamilton East and had a 57 year old dairy farmer in redbands proposition them for a “root in the ute”
May 5, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Bluesky post of the day/year/century
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What article doesn't capture is transfer of Covid-19 anti-vaxx beliefs. Studied sentiments in comments against post by NZH on Facebook linking to this article. There are a few taking risk seriously, but overwhelming majority dismiss measles as cause for concern, & decry vaccination. Folks will die.😪
April 17, 2025 at 3:48 AM
What article doesn't capture is transfer of Covid-19 anti-vaxx beliefs. Studied sentiments in comments against post by NZH on Facebook linking to this article. There are a few taking risk seriously, but overwhelming majority dismiss measles as cause for concern, & decry vaccination. Folks will die.😪
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Shane Jones invited $70k campaign donor Texel Air to his regional summit on the Chathams, as it takes on the local airline. The boss of Air Chathams tells me he's dismayed at the ‘showboating’. So, which planes had to make way on the tarmac, yesterday? @newsroom.co.nz newsroom.co.nz/2025/04/17/n...
NZ First donor launches airline war on Chatham Islands
Newcomer Texel Air helped supply Shane Jones' showcase regional summit this week; locally-owned Air Chathams is dismayed at the 'showboating'. Jonathan Milne reports from the islands.
newsroom.co.nz
April 17, 2025 at 4:24 AM
Shane Jones invited $70k campaign donor Texel Air to his regional summit on the Chathams, as it takes on the local airline. The boss of Air Chathams tells me he's dismayed at the ‘showboating’. So, which planes had to make way on the tarmac, yesterday? @newsroom.co.nz newsroom.co.nz/2025/04/17/n...
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What the world thinks of the US now - poll of 9.5k NZers:
April 14, 2025 at 1:00 AM
What the world thinks of the US now - poll of 9.5k NZers:
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our vets made a training day for student veterinary surgeons.
It's very important for us to pass on all our gained knowledge,so that the future of veterinary services advances and covers small animals and pets as well as livestock.
It was a successful day and we hope to make more of these sessions.
It's very important for us to pass on all our gained knowledge,so that the future of veterinary services advances and covers small animals and pets as well as livestock.
It was a successful day and we hope to make more of these sessions.
April 9, 2025 at 9:35 PM
our vets made a training day for student veterinary surgeons.
It's very important for us to pass on all our gained knowledge,so that the future of veterinary services advances and covers small animals and pets as well as livestock.
It was a successful day and we hope to make more of these sessions.
It's very important for us to pass on all our gained knowledge,so that the future of veterinary services advances and covers small animals and pets as well as livestock.
It was a successful day and we hope to make more of these sessions.
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in case you're wondering, "what's the harm in claiming an extinct species has been brought back from the dead" when it most certainly has not, our interior secretary is already using it to justify taking animals off the endangered species list
April 8, 2025 at 7:59 PM
in case you're wondering, "what's the harm in claiming an extinct species has been brought back from the dead" when it most certainly has not, our interior secretary is already using it to justify taking animals off the endangered species list
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For @us.theguardian.com, I interviewed librarians about the impact of Trump’s administration, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services being gutted, experiences at work, & the incredible importance of library resources, programming, and support: “We get everyone at the library.”
Being a librarian was already hard. Then came the Trump administration
Already facing burnout and book bans, librarians face a ‘catastrophe’ for institutions deemed central to democracy
www.theguardian.com
April 7, 2025 at 4:41 PM
For @us.theguardian.com, I interviewed librarians about the impact of Trump’s administration, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services being gutted, experiences at work, & the incredible importance of library resources, programming, and support: “We get everyone at the library.”
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Honestly did not have America becoming a hermit kingdom on my bingo card
April 8, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Honestly did not have America becoming a hermit kingdom on my bingo card