Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Melonie

Garth Marenghi's Catbus @hayao.lol · 1h

this kind of smug bullshit really is the main problem with the site, it's basically impossible to mention another platform without having some weird local life form appear in your mentions going on about how morally superior they are for being there

Count Otter Poppula 🧛🏼 Sr., III @peezkyweezky.bsky.social · 3h

Okay I was wrong there are Two problems with Mastodon

Count Otter Poppula
1 Sr... @peezky... • 26m
The problem with Mastodon is that it makes you feel stupid for not knowing how it works.
That was the real hurdle Facebook and everything that came after cleared, you could just join, it didn't take any debugging or jargon. It just, worked. For a while.
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Trevor Goodchild
@trevorgoodchild.bsky.social
Follow
Yeah you gotta at least try. Put a tiny amount of effort into your experience.
I you cant be bothered to think for yourself just a tiny bit then I guess just stay on this fascist friendly site with the CEO who hates you.

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Jess O'Thomson @jessothomson.co.uk · 4h

It cannot be made clearer.

If you continue to support the Harry Potter franchise in any way, you are directly funding the removal of trans people's human rights in the UK.

JK Rowling pledges to keep up fight against SNP trans policies

Author vows to bankroll campaigners after Scottish government fails to pay group's legal fees in Supreme Court equality case

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Eryk Salvaggio @eryk.bsky.social · 1d

I’ve just learned that John Searle, whose Chinese Room thought experiment is often used to challenge ideas of “understanding” in LLMs, died at age 93 on Sunday. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

John Searle obituary

American philosopher whose Chinese Room thought experiment rebuts the idea that computers can think as humans do

www.theguardian.com

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J.D. Sargan @jdsargan.bsky.social · 23h

It's true: I wrote a book. And what's more, the book is done and soon you'll be able to own a copy. And what's more more, if you want a hard copy you can order one for 50% off now, with the code SAR50. And if you want it digitally, it'll be open access!

www.arc-humanities.org/978180270163...

Trans Histories of the Medieval Book - Arc Humanities Press

Archival collections are political spaces: the decisions that govern whose histories are preserved, when, and by whom are not neutral. They reflect the commu...

www.arc-humanities.org

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staring blankly into the abyss @ianmosby.bsky.social · 11h

I have some genuinely close friendships that came out of random social media interactions. I also think my research managed to reach so many more people than it would have otherwise, and some of those people have become close collaborators and friends. That hasn't happened as much since 2017 or so.

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 1d

Has anything great happened in your life because of social media?

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Melonie @quioui.bsky.social · 11h

I'll contribute a "timeline cleanse" - my cats (RIP boys) when they were babies, under the influence of catnip, having a bit of a tussle www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4Xn...

Hawaii Five-0 Cat Scrap

YouTube video by Melonie Fullick

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Melonie

🇬🇾🗽Sydette The Dreaded Gorgon🗽🇬🇾 @blackamazon.bsky.social · 13h

This is Toronto and it doesn’t matter because when “we” do misinformation it’s funny .

And because the person who did this is a white man

They will not be harangued for days

Eric Alterman @ericalterman.bsky.social · 1d

Ice Fishing in Portland

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Melonie @quioui.bsky.social · 14h

"Actually, too much direct sunlight will kill anyone. Ask a dermatologist."

McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 3d

"I am not pro-vampire and I am not anti-vampire. I am just trying to have an objective discussion here without using loaded words like 'kill.'"

I Am Just Trying to Have a Civil Online Conversation About Vampires

Whoa there! That’s a pretty extreme claim. Surely you don’t mean to call ALL vampires “blood-sucking ghouls?” Have you ever donated to a blood bank...

buff.ly

Reposted by Melonie

ice.cream.assassin @icassassin.bsky.social · 15h

Felt compelled

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andrea bennett (they/them) @akkabah.bsky.social · 15h

Conservatives in my town keep complaining about "the five councillors" who need to go from city council. I just realized today that there are *only six* elected councillors. The sixth is this guy: www.prpeak.com/local-news/c..., globalnews.ca/news/1027506...

Councillor ‘belittled and mocked’ language in Powell River name change debate: First Nation - BC | Globalnews.ca

Councillor Jim Palm was speaking about an opinion poll on whether or not Powell River should change its name at a meeting last Tuesday.

globalnews.ca

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Melonie @quioui.bsky.social · 16h

I'd love to see that chalkboard too!

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Melonie @quioui.bsky.social · 18h

Good lord.

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Saeed Jones @theferocity.bsky.social · 20h

America has single-handedly RUINED new years for me. Like, what are we celebrating??? Another season of American Horror Story?

Gay Dad @gaydad.bsky.social · 20h

2025 is really tiring me OUT

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 1d

i desperately want everyone involved in the destruction of USAID to have to, st the very least, answer to the american people for the suffering and misery they have caused apnews.com/article/myan...

Starving children screaming for food as US aid cuts unleash devastation and death across Myanmar

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly said “no one has died" because of his government’s decision to gut its foreign aid program.

apnews.com

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Melonie @quioui.bsky.social · 22h

Thanks for this, I have been wondering about it!

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Aparna Nair @disabilitystor1.bsky.social · 23h

I’ve met loads of really great people who turned out to be irl friends eventually.
Got invited to give talks at universities around the world, and invited to give book chapters etc
I’m a disabled academic and cant travel to conferences for networking and it’s a huge boon for me.

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 1d

Has anything great happened in your life because of social media?

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Luke LeBrun @lukelebrun.ca · 1d

I've asked Canada Revenue Agency about this issue before, they won't comment on the activities of individual charities due to the "confidentiality provisions of the Income Tax Act"

They note the public can report charities suspected of non-compliant activities here:

www.canada.ca/en/revenue-a...

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Melonie @quioui.bsky.social · 1d

I just want the *option* to be able to *turn off* whatever handy-dandy features have no use for me and impede other things I'm trying to do with software or a platform or whatever. I do not NEED to see a tiny pop-up preview of every link in a Google Sheet, every time my cursor passes over them 😩

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Melonie @quioui.bsky.social · 1d

Jacques Pépin making mashed potatoes: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIgm...

Reposted by Melonie

Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 1d

One of the fundamental truths we need to acknowledge in this moment is that domestic violence is where fascists learned how to get away with their violence.

“What did you do to provoke him?” is exactly what victims hear when they try to seek help in an abusive relationship.

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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Brocky Horror Picture Show 🧟⚗️🪩 @queeralchemy.com · 1d

Write your MNAs to keep the vaccine free!

Here is a template letter and how to find your MNA:

bit.ly/4pqFU1F

#CovidIsNotOver #SanteQC #QCpoli

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Reposted by Melonie

Rich Burroughs @richburroughs.dev · Aug 24

dunk tanks > think tanks

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Melonie @quioui.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, there's a pretty easy solution right there! 🤦🏼‍♀️

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Melonie @quioui.bsky.social · 1d

This is the one case where I would prefer a video: where the only other option is audio-only. Lots of us need things like captions or other visuals to help follow something, or focus on it, or retain anything that was said. Get over it!

Melonie @quioui.bsky.social · 1d

Meanwhile the other replies are all "omg no-one watches podcasts, who would do that"... I do! And I don't understand why someone would have a problem with that. It's not like you are being deprived of the audio.

Kevin (Antifa 414th Moral Support Battalion) @kevinlikesmaps.bsky.social · 1d

I'm mostly deaf and I watch them because I use subtitles and almost no one provides transcripts.

Brendel @brendelbored.bsky.social · 1d

I truly don’t get the appeal of podcasts having to be video now. Podcasts are at their very best when you’re doing something else, working out or playing videogames etc, and no good podcaster has ever been someone who should be shown on screen that’s just not how that works. It’s a goblin job.

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