John Leonard
@johnleonard.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Tech journo interested in technological evolution and the way tech is changing the world - and us. Searchable tfr
Also #crapjokes #guitars #cycling #dogs […]
[bridged from https://mastodon.social/@johnleonard on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
Also #crapjokes #guitars #cycling #dogs […]
[bridged from https://mastodon.social/@johnleonard on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
Reposted by John Leonard
During the Iraq war I let people gaslight me into thinking I didn't know enough about "foreign policy" and "global politics" to say the war was a bad idea.
I would hesitate because, I'm not an expert on those things.
But I was right then and I'm right now.
You don't need to be an expert, it's […]
I would hesitate because, I'm not an expert on those things.
But I was right then and I'm right now.
You don't need to be an expert, it's […]
Original post on sauropods.win
sauropods.win
January 3, 2026 at 12:06 PM
During the Iraq war I let people gaslight me into thinking I didn't know enough about "foreign policy" and "global politics" to say the war was a bad idea.
I would hesitate because, I'm not an expert on those things.
But I was right then and I'm right now.
You don't need to be an expert, it's […]
I would hesitate because, I'm not an expert on those things.
But I was right then and I'm right now.
You don't need to be an expert, it's […]
Reposted by John Leonard
Happy holidays, fediverse!
I got you a megathrust earthquake, soil liquefaction, spine-tingling papers about the way our networks confound knowledge, and a PDF in a pear tree. It's my wrap on a year of trying to make sense of how we make sense of what's happening to us […]
I got you a megathrust earthquake, soil liquefaction, spine-tingling papers about the way our networks confound knowledge, and a PDF in a pear tree. It's my wrap on a year of trying to make sense of how we make sense of what's happening to us […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
December 23, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Happy holidays, fediverse!
I got you a megathrust earthquake, soil liquefaction, spine-tingling papers about the way our networks confound knowledge, and a PDF in a pear tree. It's my wrap on a year of trying to make sense of how we make sense of what's happening to us […]
I got you a megathrust earthquake, soil liquefaction, spine-tingling papers about the way our networks confound knowledge, and a PDF in a pear tree. It's my wrap on a year of trying to make sense of how we make sense of what's happening to us […]
A 2006 contract between the Post Office and Fujitsu shows that both parties were aware of bugs in the Fujitsu’s Horizon accounting software, and also that Fujitsu could take control over the system, contradicting statements by the Post Office in its action against hundreds of sub-postmasters […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 23, 2025 at 1:44 PM
A 2006 contract between the Post Office and Fujitsu shows that both parties were aware of bugs in the Fujitsu’s Horizon accounting software, and also that Fujitsu could take control over the system, contradicting statements by the Post Office in its action against hundreds of sub-postmasters […]
Welcome to Computing's weekly roundup of tech news in Asia. This time we look at Japan’s oddly retro (to Western eyes) websites, China’s reverse engineering of top-spec chipmaking equipment and North Korea’s ill-gotten crypto hoard […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 19, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Welcome to Computing's weekly roundup of tech news in Asia. This time we look at Japan’s oddly retro (to Western eyes) websites, China’s reverse engineering of top-spec chipmaking equipment and North Korea’s ill-gotten crypto hoard […]
Reposted by John Leonard
I understand the urge to pretend Xitter doesn’t exist, but it does exist. And you all need to know just how much toxic nonsense is being broadcast to millions every day. It’s carpet bombing the world with MAGA bullshit every hour of every day. THIS IS JUST 3 […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
December 18, 2025 at 10:26 PM
I understand the urge to pretend Xitter doesn’t exist, but it does exist. And you all need to know just how much toxic nonsense is being broadcast to millions every day. It’s carpet bombing the world with MAGA bullshit every hour of every day. THIS IS JUST 3 […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
Plans for a massive new #oracle datacentre in the US state of Michigan have been left in limbo after funding talks with its key financial partner broke down.
https://www.computing.co.uk/news/2025/ai/oracle-datacentre-plans-uncertain-funding-talks-collapse
#aibubble #blueowlcapital #datacenter
https://www.computing.co.uk/news/2025/ai/oracle-datacentre-plans-uncertain-funding-talks-collapse
#aibubble #blueowlcapital #datacenter
Oracle datacentre plans uncertain after key funding talks collapse
Plans for a massive new Oracle datacentre in the US state of Michigan have been left in limbo after funding talks with its key financial ...
www.computing.co.uk
December 18, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Plans for a massive new #oracle datacentre in the US state of Michigan have been left in limbo after funding talks with its key financial partner broke down.
https://www.computing.co.uk/news/2025/ai/oracle-datacentre-plans-uncertain-funding-talks-collapse
#aibubble #blueowlcapital #datacenter
https://www.computing.co.uk/news/2025/ai/oracle-datacentre-plans-uncertain-funding-talks-collapse
#aibubble #blueowlcapital #datacenter
The #matrix protocol is designed to facilitate collaboration and exchange while preserving national sovereignty. Computing Deutschland spoke with Dr Patrick Alberts, product manager and MD for Germany at #element, the commercial arm of the Open Matrix project […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 18, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Reposted by John Leonard
Labeling is censorship. Fact-checking is censorship. Since the EU fined X, transparency & data access are censorship too.
Anything that moderately inconveniences a right-wing populist is censorship — even as MAGA increasingly realizes that X is riddled with scams.
open.substack.com/pub/agentsof...
Anything that moderately inconveniences a right-wing populist is censorship — even as MAGA increasingly realizes that X is riddled with scams.
open.substack.com/pub/agentsof...
December 13, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Labeling is censorship. Fact-checking is censorship. Since the EU fined X, transparency & data access are censorship too.
Anything that moderately inconveniences a right-wing populist is censorship — even as MAGA increasingly realizes that X is riddled with scams.
open.substack.com/pub/agentsof...
Anything that moderately inconveniences a right-wing populist is censorship — even as MAGA increasingly realizes that X is riddled with scams.
open.substack.com/pub/agentsof...
Reposted by John Leonard
Tell your MP to attend the debate on the Online Safety Act https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-attend-debate-online-safety-act #onlinesafetyact
December 11, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Tell your MP to attend the debate on the Online Safety Act https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-attend-debate-online-safety-act #onlinesafetyact
Report suggests datacentre firms embrace flexible connection agreements, allowing grid operators to temporarily curtail their loads during peak demand or emergencies.
https://www.computing.co.uk/news/2025/datacentres-hoarding-power-capacity-ai-demand
#datacenter #datacentre #powergrid #uk #ai […]
https://www.computing.co.uk/news/2025/datacentres-hoarding-power-capacity-ai-demand
#datacenter #datacentre #powergrid #uk #ai […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 9, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Report suggests datacentre firms embrace flexible connection agreements, allowing grid operators to temporarily curtail their loads during peak demand or emergencies.
https://www.computing.co.uk/news/2025/datacentres-hoarding-power-capacity-ai-demand
#datacenter #datacentre #powergrid #uk #ai […]
https://www.computing.co.uk/news/2025/datacentres-hoarding-power-capacity-ai-demand
#datacenter #datacentre #powergrid #uk #ai […]
In another about-turn, Trump has approved Nvidia H200 chip sales to China. It will make the chipmaker billions of dollars, but Democrats say it risks eroding America’s edge in the AI race and strengthening Beijing’s military and cyber capabilities […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 9, 2025 at 1:13 PM
In another about-turn, Trump has approved Nvidia H200 chip sales to China. It will make the chipmaker billions of dollars, but Democrats say it risks eroding America’s edge in the AI race and strengthening Beijing’s military and cyber capabilities […]
SAP has listened to customers on cloud migration, but it could still be clearer on communicating the 'why', and it should use some apps as loss-leaders, says UK and Ireland SAP User Group chair Conor Riordan […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 9, 2025 at 1:10 PM
SAP has listened to customers on cloud migration, but it could still be clearer on communicating the 'why', and it should use some apps as loss-leaders, says UK and Ireland SAP User Group chair Conor Riordan […]
Reposted by John Leonard
Zuckerberg has blown 77 billion – enough money to revitalize entire countries – on an idea so overwhelmingly, obviously stupid that I have never once heard anyone, from the Thanksgiving avuncular table to the most wretched depths of social media, say they liked it or even tried it. He was so […]
Original post on infosec.exchange
infosec.exchange
December 7, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Zuckerberg has blown 77 billion – enough money to revitalize entire countries – on an idea so overwhelmingly, obviously stupid that I have never once heard anyone, from the Thanksgiving avuncular table to the most wretched depths of social media, say they liked it or even tried it. He was so […]
A Home Office study by on the facial recognition system used by UK police forces has found that it is significantly less reliable with certain ethnic groups and genders.
https://www.computing.co.uk/news/2025/ai/police-facial-recognition-biased-against-certain-groups-study
#facialrecognition […]
https://www.computing.co.uk/news/2025/ai/police-facial-recognition-biased-against-certain-groups-study
#facialrecognition […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 8, 2025 at 2:49 PM
A Home Office study by on the facial recognition system used by UK police forces has found that it is significantly less reliable with certain ethnic groups and genders.
https://www.computing.co.uk/news/2025/ai/police-facial-recognition-biased-against-certain-groups-study
#facialrecognition […]
https://www.computing.co.uk/news/2025/ai/police-facial-recognition-biased-against-certain-groups-study
#facialrecognition […]
The global market for memory chips, particularly DRAM and NAND Flash, is experiencing significant price increases, primarily attributed to the explosive demand from operators of AI, who are buying up these essential components in enormous quantities […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 8, 2025 at 2:51 PM
The global market for memory chips, particularly DRAM and NAND Flash, is experiencing significant price increases, primarily attributed to the explosive demand from operators of AI, who are buying up these essential components in enormous quantities […]
Reposted by John Leonard
A study of 28 million people found no increased #mortality risk in #COVID vaccinated individuals, supporting the safety of mRNA #vaccines. Vaccinated individuals had a 74% lower risk of #death from severe #COVID-19 and a 25% lower risk of all-cause mortality: doi.org/10.1001/jama... #vaccination
doi.org
December 5, 2025 at 6:43 PM
A study of 28 million people found no increased #mortality risk in #COVID vaccinated individuals, supporting the safety of mRNA #vaccines. Vaccinated individuals had a 74% lower risk of #death from severe #COVID-19 and a 25% lower risk of all-cause mortality: doi.org/10.1001/jama... #vaccination
Reposted by John Leonard
“Censorship” is a thought-terminating cliché. These people want you to believe that:
- labeling is censorship
- fact-checking is censorship
- transparency is censorship
- research is censorship
What they’re doing is redefining anything that might inconvenience a hard-right populist as censorship.
- labeling is censorship
- fact-checking is censorship
- transparency is censorship
- research is censorship
What they’re doing is redefining anything that might inconvenience a hard-right populist as censorship.
american reporters, you've got to call bullshit on this. vance, purveyor of hate/propaganda, wants the public to believe rules on, for instance, transparency in advertising and forms of deception on X are censorship.
don't fall for it.
don't fall for it.
December 5, 2025 at 12:31 AM
“Censorship” is a thought-terminating cliché. These people want you to believe that:
- labeling is censorship
- fact-checking is censorship
- transparency is censorship
- research is censorship
What they’re doing is redefining anything that might inconvenience a hard-right populist as censorship.
- labeling is censorship
- fact-checking is censorship
- transparency is censorship
- research is censorship
What they’re doing is redefining anything that might inconvenience a hard-right populist as censorship.
https://www.thebookseller.com/news/sarah-wynn-williams-wins-whistleblowing-prize-for-extraordinary-courage
#meta #sarahwynnwilliams #whistleblower #gag
#meta #sarahwynnwilliams #whistleblower #gag
Sarah Wynn-Williams wins whistleblowing prize
Sarah Wynn-Williams, former Meta executive and author of Careless People (Macmillan), has won Blueprint’s Asia-Pacific Whistleblowing Prize 2025.
www.thebookseller.com
December 4, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Reposted by John Leonard
Update. The French 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘦 𝘭𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦 (#cnrs) is canceling the #webofscience and encouraging its affiliates to use #OpenAlex. It cancelled #scopus last year.
https://www.cnrs.fr/en/update/cnrs-breaking-free-web-science
#clarivate #elsevier #france #opensource #wos
https://www.cnrs.fr/en/update/cnrs-breaking-free-web-science
#clarivate #elsevier #france #opensource #wos
December 2, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Update. The French 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘦 𝘭𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦 (#cnrs) is canceling the #webofscience and encouraging its affiliates to use #OpenAlex. It cancelled #scopus last year.
https://www.cnrs.fr/en/update/cnrs-breaking-free-web-science
#clarivate #elsevier #france #opensource #wos
https://www.cnrs.fr/en/update/cnrs-breaking-free-web-science
#clarivate #elsevier #france #opensource #wos
Reposted by John Leonard
The reason why people believe in the "prosperity gospel" is because the alternative to believing that God rewards Good people with wealth is acknowledging that unconstrained free-market capitalism inevitably enriches the worst people. Since people have been brainwashed since birth to believe in […]
Original post on federate.social
federate.social
December 3, 2025 at 3:04 PM
The reason why people believe in the "prosperity gospel" is because the alternative to believing that God rewards Good people with wealth is acknowledging that unconstrained free-market capitalism inevitably enriches the worst people. Since people have been brainwashed since birth to believe in […]
The director of IBM's Research Lab has some bold takes on the future of computation.
We're on the cusp of two simultaneous technological revolutions - #ai and #quantum - that will fundamentally change how the world uses computers to solve difficult problems.
There have only been two comparable […]
We're on the cusp of two simultaneous technological revolutions - #ai and #quantum - that will fundamentally change how the world uses computers to solve difficult problems.
There have only been two comparable […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 3, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Not sure what to make of this survey given its sponsors, but it's true that water management in the UK is a mess. We have no clue who's using what. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/30/water-shortages-could-derail-uk-net-zero-plans-study-finds
#uk #water #netzero
#uk #water #netzero
November 30, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Not sure what to make of this survey given its sponsors, but it's true that water management in the UK is a mess. We have no clue who's using what. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/30/water-shortages-could-derail-uk-net-zero-plans-study-finds
#uk #water #netzero
#uk #water #netzero
Reposted by John Leonard
🔴Morgan McSweeney, 'The Fraud' and The Takeover of the Labour Party
Investigative journalist Paul Holden joins @ollyhaynes.bsky.social to talk about his new book, 'The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Democracy'
www.bylinesupplement.com/p/morgan-mcs...
Investigative journalist Paul Holden joins @ollyhaynes.bsky.social to talk about his new book, 'The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Democracy'
www.bylinesupplement.com/p/morgan-mcs...
Morgan McSweeney, 'The Fraud' and The Takeover of the Labour Party
Investigative journalist Paul Holden joins Olly Haynes to talk about his new book, 'The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Democracy'
www.bylinesupplement.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:01 PM
🔴Morgan McSweeney, 'The Fraud' and The Takeover of the Labour Party
Investigative journalist Paul Holden joins @ollyhaynes.bsky.social to talk about his new book, 'The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Democracy'
www.bylinesupplement.com/p/morgan-mcs...
Investigative journalist Paul Holden joins @ollyhaynes.bsky.social to talk about his new book, 'The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Democracy'
www.bylinesupplement.com/p/morgan-mcs...
Reposted by John Leonard
Everybody go read "Termination Shock" by Neal Stephenson, because apparently that whole scenario is actually about to start happening: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/11/21/stardust-geoengineering-janos-pasztor-regulations-00646414
November 24, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Everybody go read "Termination Shock" by Neal Stephenson, because apparently that whole scenario is actually about to start happening: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/11/21/stardust-geoengineering-janos-pasztor-regulations-00646414
Reposted by John Leonard
I'm so excited the #fediverse has passed the "you see other people's posts about the massive outage before you get a chance to post about it yourself" tipping point.
#cloudflare #outage
#cloudflare #outage
November 18, 2025 at 1:20 PM
I'm so excited the #fediverse has passed the "you see other people's posts about the massive outage before you get a chance to post about it yourself" tipping point.
#cloudflare #outage
#cloudflare #outage