Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Brandon Eby

Ted McCormick @tedmccormick.bsky.social · 3h

A striking thing about articles I’ve read claiming to “study the effects” of generative AI on student writing skills and consumption of information is that (1) they nearly always find the effects are negative and (2) most “conclusions” are still written assuming that we must use AI, for some reason.

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Brandon Eby @thebrandoneby.bsky.social · 12h

I am deeply concerned about what affinity is going to do.

Max! @littlepolygon.bsky.social · 16h

Serif has stopped purchases for #Affinity apps in preparation for a "big announcement" and are responding to user concerns about subscriptions or genai with meaningless doublespeak. Feels bad!!

affinity.serif.com/en-us/

Creative Freedom Is Coming - Affinity

Creative Freedom Is Coming. October 30

affinity.serif.com

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Brandon Eby @thebrandoneby.bsky.social · 21h

Americans need to stop pretending like they're not living through a civil war right now. That mindset is getting people killed.

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Reposted by Brandon Eby

Jay Edidin @edidin.bsky.social · 11d

White PDXers, now is the time to reach out to and be ready to close ranks around your BIPOC neighbors. You are the whitest metro city in the US, and that is going to paint instant targets on the backs of anyone who isn’t.

Jay Edidin @edidin.bsky.social · 11d

FUCK. stay safe, my beloveds. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Donald Trump says he is deploying troops to Portland, Oregon

Apparently misled by hyperbolic reporting from conservative outlets on a single small protest, president described peaceful city as ‘war ravaged’

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Brandon Eby

Jon Smejkal @cyberook.bsky.social · 1d

Useful creativity tips, regardless of what you’re working on:

Exeunt Press 💀 @exeunt.press · 1d

10 tips for making daily creations

I asked for your best creativity tips and hacks and you delivered. Here are the top ones received so you can make the most of the #MÖRKTOBER season: omnes.exeunt.press/p/daily-crea...

10 tips for making daily creations

I asked for your best creativity tips and hacks and you delivered. Here are the top ones received so you can make the most of the MÖRKTOBER season. Make it dark. Make it weird.

omnes.exeunt.press

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Reposted by Brandon Eby

Nadia Shammas @nadiashammas.bsky.social · 1d

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Brandon Eby @thebrandoneby.bsky.social · 1d

Sword

A bronze hilted sabre sitting on top of an olive-green jacket

A bronze hilted sabre sitting on top of an olive-green jacket featuring a well-polished blade

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Brandon Eby @thebrandoneby.bsky.social · 1d

so Bluesky is not training your data to create their own LLM or image generation software, their moderation company is.

Brandon Eby @thebrandoneby.bsky.social · 1d

actually gonna stress this point really hard because a lot of people have been saying "well the moderation software deletes data after 14 days". Their affiliates don't, and are not required to. That is the only reason Hive would be sharing data with affiliates.

Brandon Eby @thebrandoneby.bsky.social · 1d

I also recognize that Hive ai's privacy policy states that customer data is deleted after 14 days by default. Which would be fine if they did not also state that they share data with their affiliates (per the Privacy Policy), which do not have the same privacy policy or ethics policy.

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Brandon Eby @thebrandoneby.bsky.social · 1d

I also recognize that Hive ai's privacy policy states that customer data is deleted after 14 days by default. Which would be fine if they did not also state that they share data with their affiliates (per the Privacy Policy), which do not have the same privacy policy or ethics policy.

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Brandon Eby @thebrandoneby.bsky.social · 1d

you can read hive ai's policy on their website at hive.ai

the problem isn't necessarily what is there, it's what isn't.

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Brandon Eby @thebrandoneby.bsky.social · 1d

You data is valuable, and Bluesky is free.

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Brandon Eby @thebrandoneby.bsky.social · 1d

so Bluesky isn't directly creating llms or image generation software, but the third party moderation software they use does not have any policy forbidding using the date they collect in moderation from being used in those models.

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Brandon Eby @thebrandoneby.bsky.social · 1d

After reading the documentation for Hive ai, the software used to do the labelling and moderation on bluesky, it looks very much like all data that Hive "evaluates" in their moderation package is or can be used to train their generative models as well.

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Brandon Eby @thebrandoneby.bsky.social · 1d

so it turns out this was a fucking lie

Bluesky @bsky.app · Nov 15

A number of artists and creators have made their home on Bluesky, and we hear their concerns with other platforms training on their data. We do not use any of your content to train generative AI, and have no intention of doing so.

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Reposted by Brandon Eby

Brandon Eby @thebrandoneby.bsky.social · 2d

Oh yeah, I made a post on the Blog I write on /very occasionally/

This time about the reenactment event I attended

brandoneby.ucalgaryblogs.ca/2025/10/06/d...

Deed of the Red Knight – A Reflection – The Critical Romani Storyteller's Blog

Sociology, anthropology, and activism

brandoneby.ucalgaryblogs.ca

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Reposted by Brandon Eby

Rick Caruso’s Private Fire Crew @amandasmith.bsky.social · 2d

The all-knowing bsky mods gave Erin Biba a 24 hour suspension for a months-old skeet about Christian Zionism, and I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that this happened when she’s been vocally criticizing Jay

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Littleevil0ne *COMMS OPEN* @littleevil0ne.bsky.social · 5d

Trans users: This person is a danger to us please remove him
Bluesky: We built a site with customizable moderation Learn to use it and stop bugging us
Nsfw users: We want to use your custom moderation more please add options
Bluesky: Actually your fictional content is a danger GTFO
#bskycensorship

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Reposted by Brandon Eby

Count Breeedo🩸🔜 PAX U @breeedo.bsky.social · 2d

I fucking hate this so much. I hate this so fucking much, but I can't continue to stay silent anymore while my integrity is continuing to be misconstrued and people keep getting hurt. This statement details my experiences while living with Noir Enigma (@/thenoirenigma) when I was homeless.

My Experience w/ Noir Enigma

01/20/2025 I’m writing about my experience with thenoirenigma, or Noir Enigma. His partner, AJ Fox (pahnita), will be included in this statement, but I want to make clear that I don’t harbor anything ...

docs.google.com

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Reposted by Brandon Eby

Lex McMenamin (they/them) @leximcmenamin.com · 2d

Greta Thunberg, deported to Greece, says the targeting of the Sumud Flotilla is "not the story" @teenvogue.com — instead, she says:

"Israel once again violated international humanitarian law by preventing aid from getting into Gaza while people are being starved.”

Greta Thunberg On Her Detention: I'm "Not The Story" — It's Israel Violating International Humanitarian Law

“I could talk for a very, very long time about our mistreatment and abuses in our imprisonment. Trust me. But that is not the story.”

www.teenvogue.com

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Reposted by Brandon Eby

Robert Evans (the Only Robert Evans) @iwriteok.bsky.social · 2d

I do think it is extremely important for people to know that the NVE label started being used under Biden. This is not a creation of Trump's DOJ.

olive consumer's ambulatory skeleton @machete.gay · 2d

Once again, I will note this claim from Ken is completely untrue and does not comport with causality or the forward motion of linear time.

The term was developed while Biden was in office.

ZADROZNY: Yeah, for sure. You just mentioned nihilistic humor. Does that play into nihilistic violent extremism, the FBI’s terrorism classification that replaced the Biden-era focus on Jan. 6-style anti-government extremism?

KLIPPENSTEIN: Yeah, I won’t pretend not to be proud that I was first to report on this. It’s the Trump administration’s designation.

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Brandon Eby @thebrandoneby.bsky.social · 2d

Oh yeah, I made a post on the Blog I write on /very occasionally/

This time about the reenactment event I attended

brandoneby.ucalgaryblogs.ca/2025/10/06/d...

Deed of the Red Knight – A Reflection – The Critical Romani Storyteller's Blog

Sociology, anthropology, and activism

brandoneby.ucalgaryblogs.ca

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Brandon Eby @thebrandoneby.bsky.social · 2d

#NaGaDeMon 2024 was a super helpful way for me to work through Dieselpunk 1921, and the rad folks in the discord are super helpful and supportive! Definitely recommend checking it out!

Tanya Floaker @floaker.bsky.social · 2d

Less than a week into October and the #NaGaDeMon is starting to stir... Why not join in this November by trying to Make, Play and Talk About a new game, all in a single month? 🐍👹

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Reposted by Brandon Eby

Miriam @miriamboosh.bsky.social · 3d

Let me get this straight: Link, a Black user, got banned for calling out the Bluesky CEO for following a racist. That’s not a good look, especially given Bluesky’s historical treatment of Black users here on bluesky.

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Brandon Eby @thebrandoneby.bsky.social · 3d

Back from Deed of the Red Knight!

I had a great time!

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