Refusing to Censor Myself

A less-discussed problem with book bans: publishers will self-censor, as they did here by requiring the removal of the word "racism" in the context of internment camps.  #Culture [Link]

Who blocks OpenAI?

“The 392 news organizations listed below have instructed OpenAI’s GPTBot to not scan their sites, according to a continual survey of 1,119 online publishers conducted by the homepages.news archive. That amounts to 35.0% of the total.”  #AI [Link]

Never Remember

The best thing I read on the anniversary of 9/11 by far. It feels cathartic to read. But it's also so, so sad.  #Democracy [Link]

Bush's legacy

Twenty-two years ago, I sat in the office — actually the bottom two floors of a Victorian home with creaking, carpeted floorboards and an overstuffed kitchen — at Daily Information, the local paper where I worked in Oxford. It was mid-afternoon, and I probably had Dreamweaver open; I can’t remember exactly

Writer Sarah Rose Etter on not making things harder than they need to be

I found this interview fascinating: definitely a writer I look up to, whose work I both enjoy and find intimidatingly raw. And who happens to have a very similar day job to me.  #Culture [Link]

The Anti-Vax Movement Isn’t Going Away. We Must Adapt to It

Depressing. I agree that vaccine denial is not going away, and that we need to find other ways to mitigate outbreaks. But what a sad situation to be in.  #Health [Link]

An AI capitalism primer

Claire Anderson (hi Claire!) asked me to break down the economics of AI. How is it going to make money, and for whom? In this post I’m not going to talk too much about how the technology works, and the claims of its vendors vs the actual limitations of

Microsoft announces new Copilot Copyright Commitment for customers

“As customers ask whether they can use Microsoft’s Copilot services and the output they generate without worrying about copyright claims, we are providing a straightforward answer: yes, you can, and if you are challenged on copyright grounds, we will assume responsibility for the potential legal risks involved.” #Technology [Link]

Some newsletter changes

I’m making some experimental updates to my newsletter: Starting next week, this newsletter will come in several flavors: Technology, Media, and Society: technology and its impact on the way we live, work, learn, and vote. Late Stage: personal reflections on living and surviving in the 21st century. The Outmap:

Silicon Valley's Slaughterhouse

“Andreessen wasn’t advocating for a tech industry that accelerates the development of the human race, or elevates the human condition. He wanted to (and succeeded in creating) a Silicon Valley that builds technology that can, and I quote, “eat markets far larger than the technology industry has historically been

In defense of being unfocused

I spent a little time updating my resumé, which is a process that basically sits at the top of all the things I least like to do in the world. This time around I tried to have an eye towards focus: what about the work I do might other organizations

New Elon Musk biography offers fresh details about the billionaire's Ukraine dilemma

If I was building technology to let people watch Netflix and check their email from remote locations, I would also be upset about it being used for drone strikes. But if that's the case, you shouldn't be deploying your tech to the military in the first