Mike Holderness
@holdernesseu.bsky.social
Among the things I edit is www.londonfreelance.org
Photo © @rosesrebellion.bsky.social
Photo © @rosesrebellion.bsky.social
Reposted by Mike Holderness
Innocent people end up in our criminal courts.
Completely, terrifyingly innocent.
And all that stands between them and losing everything is a fair trial.
Politicians would do well to remember this when they tell us that justice is all about processing “criminals” swiftly.
Completely, terrifyingly innocent.
And all that stands between them and losing everything is a fair trial.
Politicians would do well to remember this when they tell us that justice is all about processing “criminals” swiftly.
December 11, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Innocent people end up in our criminal courts.
Completely, terrifyingly innocent.
And all that stands between them and losing everything is a fair trial.
Politicians would do well to remember this when they tell us that justice is all about processing “criminals” swiftly.
Completely, terrifyingly innocent.
And all that stands between them and losing everything is a fair trial.
Politicians would do well to remember this when they tell us that justice is all about processing “criminals” swiftly.
Reposted by Mike Holderness
Computer scientists: "So with machine learning we can extract subtle patterns from massive datasets. What shall we do with it?"
Business school professors, every single time: "You know, I think phrenology got a raw deal in the late 1800s."
Business school professors, every single time: "You know, I think phrenology got a raw deal in the late 1800s."
Can Your Face Predict Your Salary? Using AI Personality Assessments in Hiring
A new study from Wharton faculty explores how AI can extract personality traits from facial images — and what that means for your career.
knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu
December 11, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Computer scientists: "So with machine learning we can extract subtle patterns from massive datasets. What shall we do with it?"
Business school professors, every single time: "You know, I think phrenology got a raw deal in the late 1800s."
Business school professors, every single time: "You know, I think phrenology got a raw deal in the late 1800s."
Reposted by Mike Holderness
Long shot, but does anyone in Switzerland have an emergency Theremin to loan tomorrow night ( Friday 12 December )?
#ViaMardot is playing a show in St Gallen, and the airline lost her equipment!!!
We can help pay for a courier if needed, please share to get this message out!!
#theremin #switzerland
#ViaMardot is playing a show in St Gallen, and the airline lost her equipment!!!
We can help pay for a courier if needed, please share to get this message out!!
#theremin #switzerland
December 11, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Long shot, but does anyone in Switzerland have an emergency Theremin to loan tomorrow night ( Friday 12 December )?
#ViaMardot is playing a show in St Gallen, and the airline lost her equipment!!!
We can help pay for a courier if needed, please share to get this message out!!
#theremin #switzerland
#ViaMardot is playing a show in St Gallen, and the airline lost her equipment!!!
We can help pay for a courier if needed, please share to get this message out!!
#theremin #switzerland
Reposted by Mike Holderness
Exclusive: Google faces EU fine next year for favouring own services, sources say reut.rs/4rOa949
Exclusive: Google faces EU fine next year for favouring own services, sources say
Alphabet's Google is expected to be fined by EU antitrust regulators next year for not doing enough to comply with EU rules against favouring its own services and products in search results, people familiar with the matter said.
reut.rs
December 11, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Exclusive: Google faces EU fine next year for favouring own services, sources say reut.rs/4rOa949
Reposted by Mike Holderness
Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252:
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
December 11, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252:
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
Reposted by Mike Holderness
Has the CJEU removed the immunity of online platforms for material posted on them?
Analysis of the recent Russmedia judgment, by Prof Lorna Woods - eulawanalysis.blogspot.com/2025/12/imag...
Analysis of the recent Russmedia judgment, by Prof Lorna Woods - eulawanalysis.blogspot.com/2025/12/imag...
Image Rights and False Claims, Data Protection and Intermediary Immunity: the case of Russmedia
Lorna Woods , Professor Emerita, University of Essex Image credit : US Department of Defense This Grand Chamber judgment o...
eulawanalysis.blogspot.com
December 11, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Has the CJEU removed the immunity of online platforms for material posted on them?
Analysis of the recent Russmedia judgment, by Prof Lorna Woods - eulawanalysis.blogspot.com/2025/12/imag...
Analysis of the recent Russmedia judgment, by Prof Lorna Woods - eulawanalysis.blogspot.com/2025/12/imag...
Reposted by Mike Holderness
Is the antifa hq in the room with you right now?
GLASHEEN: Antifa is our primary concern right now. That's the most immediate violent threat we're facing
BENNIE THOMPSON: Where is antifa headquartered?
GLASHEEN: ... ... ... we are building out the infrastructure right now
THOMPSON: What does that mean?
BENNIE THOMPSON: Where is antifa headquartered?
GLASHEEN: ... ... ... we are building out the infrastructure right now
THOMPSON: What does that mean?
December 11, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Is the antifa hq in the room with you right now?
Reposted by Mike Holderness
MAGAZINER: How many veterans have you deported?
NOEM: We haven't deported veterans
MAGAZINER: We are now joined on Zoom by a combat veteran you deported to Korea
NOEM: We haven't deported veterans
MAGAZINER: We are now joined on Zoom by a combat veteran you deported to Korea
December 11, 2025 at 4:22 PM
MAGAZINER: How many veterans have you deported?
NOEM: We haven't deported veterans
MAGAZINER: We are now joined on Zoom by a combat veteran you deported to Korea
NOEM: We haven't deported veterans
MAGAZINER: We are now joined on Zoom by a combat veteran you deported to Korea
Reposted by Mike Holderness
Looks an interesting read
And we wrote an article “Generative AI and the (Re)turn to Luddism” tracing three waves of Luddism to consider "what lessons, and cautions, they hold for how education research and practice might confront generative AI". Find the article at:
Generative AI and the (Re)turn to Luddism
This article examines the historical and contemporary mobilizations of ‘Luddism’ as a mode of resistance to technological inevitability, particularly in response to the integration of generative AI...
www.tandfonline.com
December 11, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Looks an interesting read
Reposted by Mike Holderness
Yesterday Lisa Nandy said there were no plans for Leverson 2 because things had changed. Leverson 2 was to investigate ‘the extent of unlawful or improper conduct’ within the press and any links to the police.
Still think there's no need for Leverson 2?
Still think there's no need for Leverson 2?
🔴 REVEALED 🔴
The Institute of Economic Affairs – the anti-state, anti-climate pressure group that "incubated" Liz Truss – was bankrolled by oil giants and Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.
📝 Exclusive findings from @desmog.com 👇
The Institute of Economic Affairs – the anti-state, anti-climate pressure group that "incubated" Liz Truss – was bankrolled by oil giants and Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.
📝 Exclusive findings from @desmog.com 👇
The Institute of Economic Affairs Banked £640,000 from Oil Giants and Murdoch
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) – the anti-state, anti-climate pressure group – received more than £640,000 from fossil fuel companies and Rupert Murdoch’s media conglomerate between 1957 and ...
www.desmog.com
December 11, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Yesterday Lisa Nandy said there were no plans for Leverson 2 because things had changed. Leverson 2 was to investigate ‘the extent of unlawful or improper conduct’ within the press and any links to the police.
Still think there's no need for Leverson 2?
Still think there's no need for Leverson 2?
Reposted by Mike Holderness
Northern Ireland continues show off just how broken UK counter-terrorism law has become...
Judge Kerr said he accepted that this was not a terrorist case but that the pipe bombs had been left to "cause fear and distress and in order to achieve a sectarian aim of stopping the GAA using public pitches".
Pipe bombs not terrorism, holding signs in support of Palestine Action however, is.
Pipe bombs not terrorism, holding signs in support of Palestine Action however, is.
A man who left pipe bombs at a Co Down sports ground in an attempt to intimidate a newly formed GAA club into leaving, has been given a three year sentence.
December 10, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Northern Ireland continues show off just how broken UK counter-terrorism law has become...
Reposted by Mike Holderness
Freelance Dec25: No to impunity - full report of a London Freelance Branch symposium to mark the UNESCO day calling for an end to impunity for crimes against journalists
www.londonfreelance.org/fl/2512un-da...
www.londonfreelance.org/fl/2512un-da...
No to impunity - London Freelance Branch symposium
We mark the UNESCO day to end impunity for crimes against jouurnalists
www.londonfreelance.org
December 10, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Freelance Dec25: No to impunity - full report of a London Freelance Branch symposium to mark the UNESCO day calling for an end to impunity for crimes against journalists
www.londonfreelance.org/fl/2512un-da...
www.londonfreelance.org/fl/2512un-da...
Reposted by Mike Holderness
On #HumanRightsDay we reiterate that human rights cannot be applied selectively.
#OurEverydayRights are also the rights of Palestine Refugees. What is at stake are the values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international law.
Human Rights must be upheld without exception.
#OurEverydayRights are also the rights of Palestine Refugees. What is at stake are the values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international law.
Human Rights must be upheld without exception.
December 10, 2025 at 6:00 AM
On #HumanRightsDay we reiterate that human rights cannot be applied selectively.
#OurEverydayRights are also the rights of Palestine Refugees. What is at stake are the values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international law.
Human Rights must be upheld without exception.
#OurEverydayRights are also the rights of Palestine Refugees. What is at stake are the values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international law.
Human Rights must be upheld without exception.
Reposted by Mike Holderness
10-12-1956 HUNGARY: General strike begins in Hungary.
December 10, 2025 at 10:09 AM
10-12-1956 HUNGARY: General strike begins in Hungary.
Not philosophically deep, but a useful glimpse of how ‘AI’ can focus attention on the difficulty of saying what it means for anyone (or anything) to be ‘objective’.
I thought at first that OpenAI was breaking its promise of objectivity. Then I realized it’s just redefining how objectivity functions — something that’s happened over and over. (Gift link!)
ChatGPT’s Self-Serving Optimism
OpenAI’s new guidelines ask its chatbot to celebrate ‘innovation,’ contradicting its stated goal of objectivity—and raising questions about what objectivity even means.
www.theatlantic.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Not philosophically deep, but a useful glimpse of how ‘AI’ can focus attention on the difficulty of saying what it means for anyone (or anything) to be ‘objective’.
Reposted by Mike Holderness
What a coward.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison “offered assurances” he would drastically transform CNN if he bought Warner Bros. Discovery www.wsj.com/business/med...
December 9, 2025 at 3:56 AM
What a coward.
Reposted by Mike Holderness
Elon’s Crying Censorship Over An #EU Fine That Has Nothing To Do With Censorship - www.techdirt.com/2025/12/08/e... "#Musk isn’t just misrepresenting the fine. He’s responding with a series of escalating tantrums designed to feed his false censorship narrative."
Elon’s Crying Censorship Over An EU Fine That Has Nothing To Do With Censorship
Elon Musk is now calling for the dissolution of the European Union because it fined him $140 million for violating a law he once said was “exactly aligned” with his vision for (what was…
www.techdirt.com
December 8, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Elon’s Crying Censorship Over An #EU Fine That Has Nothing To Do With Censorship - www.techdirt.com/2025/12/08/e... "#Musk isn’t just misrepresenting the fine. He’s responding with a series of escalating tantrums designed to feed his false censorship narrative."
Reposted by Mike Holderness
I've been trying to use AI to support a narrative review. Has worked well in many aspects of the work. But it's screwed up royally in three ways:
1. Failed to suspect a study with 100% response rate and 100% agreement by >6000 participants to have a blood test. Saw this as a "quality feature".
1. Failed to suspect a study with 100% response rate and 100% agreement by >6000 participants to have a blood test. Saw this as a "quality feature".
December 8, 2025 at 8:16 PM
I've been trying to use AI to support a narrative review. Has worked well in many aspects of the work. But it's screwed up royally in three ways:
1. Failed to suspect a study with 100% response rate and 100% agreement by >6000 participants to have a blood test. Saw this as a "quality feature".
1. Failed to suspect a study with 100% response rate and 100% agreement by >6000 participants to have a blood test. Saw this as a "quality feature".
Reposted by Mike Holderness
NUJ members at STV have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action (94% on turnout on 82%) and for action short of strike (98%) over plans for compulsory redundancies and to cut the STV North edition of the News at 6. Strike action is not yet planned www.nuj.org.uk/resource/nuj...
NUJ members at STV vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike action
NUJ members at STV have voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action over the Scottish broadcaster’s plans to make compulsory redundancies and to axe the STV North edition of the News at 6.
www.nuj.org.uk
December 8, 2025 at 6:07 PM
NUJ members at STV have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action (94% on turnout on 82%) and for action short of strike (98%) over plans for compulsory redundancies and to cut the STV North edition of the News at 6. Strike action is not yet planned www.nuj.org.uk/resource/nuj...
Reposted by Mike Holderness
Freelance Dec25: Defend Adil Raja! - Pakistan presses UK to extradite him
www.londonfreelance.org/fl/2512adil-...
www.londonfreelance.org/fl/2512adil-...
Defend Adil Raja! - Pakistan presses UK to extradite him | The Freelance
He must be allowed to say in the UK in safety
www.londonfreelance.org
December 8, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Freelance Dec25: Defend Adil Raja! - Pakistan presses UK to extradite him
www.londonfreelance.org/fl/2512adil-...
www.londonfreelance.org/fl/2512adil-...
Reposted by Mike Holderness
Blogged
The EU Commission has finally fined X - the Digital Services Act's main character
My analysis - eulawanalysis.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-...
The EU Commission has finally fined X - the Digital Services Act's main character
My analysis - eulawanalysis.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-...
The Digital Service’s Act Main Character: the EU Commission finally fines X
Steve Peers , Professor of Law, Royal Holloway University of London Photo credit : Animated Heaven, via Wikimedia Commons Intr...
eulawanalysis.blogspot.com
December 8, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Blogged
The EU Commission has finally fined X - the Digital Services Act's main character
My analysis - eulawanalysis.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-...
The EU Commission has finally fined X - the Digital Services Act's main character
My analysis - eulawanalysis.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-...
Reposted by Mike Holderness
The US State Department is instructing its staff to deny visas to those engaged in activities like combatting misinformation, disinformation or false narratives, fact-checking, content moderation, compliance, and trust and safety.
www.npr.org/2025/12/04/n...
www.npr.org/2025/12/04/n...
State Department to deny visas to fact checkers and others, citing 'censorship'
The order is focused on applicants for H-1B visas, which are frequently used by tech companies and is part of a campaign by the Trump administration against online content moderation.
www.npr.org
December 6, 2025 at 2:15 PM
The US State Department is instructing its staff to deny visas to those engaged in activities like combatting misinformation, disinformation or false narratives, fact-checking, content moderation, compliance, and trust and safety.
www.npr.org/2025/12/04/n...
www.npr.org/2025/12/04/n...
Reposted by Mike Holderness
Alessandra Sampaio, the widow of murdered climate journalist Dom Phillips, is helping prepare a new generation of Indigenous journalists to continue their fight to defend the rainforest and report the truth.
Read more👇
Read more👇
Widow of murdered reporter Dom Phillips empowers young Indigenous leaders to defend the rainforest - Committee to Protect Journalists
After British climate journalist Dom Phillips was found dead in Amazonas’ state Javary Valley region on June 15, 2022, his widow, Alessandra Sampaio, set out to finish his most important work,…
cpj.org
December 6, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Alessandra Sampaio, the widow of murdered climate journalist Dom Phillips, is helping prepare a new generation of Indigenous journalists to continue their fight to defend the rainforest and report the truth.
Read more👇
Read more👇
Reposted by Mike Holderness
Apparently Shirley said something to Marilyn about a man you'd had who was very good - I must borrow him.
December 6, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Apparently Shirley said something to Marilyn about a man you'd had who was very good - I must borrow him.