Social media platforms: what's wrong, and what's next
(scottgoci.com)
I think we need a new social media platform to emerge from the web.
I think we need a new social media platform to emerge from the web.
A Major Newspaper Publishes a Summer Reading List–But the Books Don't Exist
(honest-broker.com)
Critics aren’t perfect.
Critics aren’t perfect.
It's Breathtaking How Fast AI Is Screwing Up the Education System
(gizmodo.com)
The AI industry has promised to “disrupt” large parts of society, and you need look no further than the U.S. educational system to see how effectively it’s done that.
The AI industry has promised to “disrupt” large parts of society, and you need look no further than the U.S. educational system to see how effectively it’s done that.
If Everyone Has Trauma, Everyone Has Trauma
(freddiedeboer.substack.com)
This weekend I read Jamie Hood’s new book Trauma Plot: A Life. The book combines memoir and literary criticism, using real horrific experiences to examine how we should think about the deployment of such experiences in our narrative art and criticism.
This weekend I read Jamie Hood’s new book Trauma Plot: A Life. The book combines memoir and literary criticism, using real horrific experiences to examine how we should think about the deployment of such experiences in our narrative art and criticism.
In Defense of Screens
(chrbutler.com)
Screens get a lot of blame these days. They’re accused of destroying attention spans, ruining sleep, enabling addiction, isolating us from one another, and eroding our capacity for deep thought.
Screens get a lot of blame these days. They’re accused of destroying attention spans, ruining sleep, enabling addiction, isolating us from one another, and eroding our capacity for deep thought.
Bill Gates tears into Elon Musk for 'the deaths of the poorest children'
(theverge.com)
Gates calls out the ‘stunning’ reductions in USAID funding during an interview with The New York Times.
Gates calls out the ‘stunning’ reductions in USAID funding during an interview with The New York Times.
Army infantry officer calls new XM7 'unfit for use as a modern service rifle'
(taskandpurpose.com)
An Army infantry officer has made a series of criticisms of the Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle, which is meant to replace the M4A1 carbine.
An Army infantry officer has made a series of criticisms of the Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle, which is meant to replace the M4A1 carbine.
MCP Is Not Good, Yet
(cra.mr)
Something’s been bothering me lately surrounding the conversation of MCP servers. Everyone, seemingly, is talking about how MCPs are great, and we should be building MCPs, and adopting MCPs, and rethinking UIs with MCPs, becoming best friends with MCPs, getting married to MCPs, you know, the works.
Something’s been bothering me lately surrounding the conversation of MCP servers. Everyone, seemingly, is talking about how MCPs are great, and we should be building MCPs, and adopting MCPs, and rethinking UIs with MCPs, becoming best friends with MCPs, getting married to MCPs, you know, the works.
Gnome – The Insanity Never Ends
(medium.com)
After publishing three articles about the gems produced by GNOME, I thought I couldn’t be surprised anymore. But their team is relentless. In this fourth article, we’re going to dive into their latest messy actions and try once again to understand how it’s possible that, after so many years developing their desktop environment and side projects, they continue to deliver crap software.
After publishing three articles about the gems produced by GNOME, I thought I couldn’t be surprised anymore. But their team is relentless. In this fourth article, we’re going to dive into their latest messy actions and try once again to understand how it’s possible that, after so many years developing their desktop environment and side projects, they continue to deliver crap software.
More Everything Forever
(nytimes.com)
In “More Everything Forever,” the science journalist Adam Becker subjects Silicon Valley’s “ideology of technological salvation” to critical scrutiny.
In “More Everything Forever,” the science journalist Adam Becker subjects Silicon Valley’s “ideology of technological salvation” to critical scrutiny.
I passionately hate hype, especially the AI hype
(unixdigest.com)
I truly and passionately hate hype. From the fakeness of it to the sheer stupidity it represents, but perhaps most of all, because of the devastating consequence it often results in.
I truly and passionately hate hype. From the fakeness of it to the sheer stupidity it represents, but perhaps most of all, because of the devastating consequence it often results in.
Mastodon Exit Interview
(v.cx)
I am currently winding down the Mastodon bots I used to post sunrise and sunset times. The precipitating event is that the admin of the instance hosting the associated accounts demanded they be made nigh-undiscoverable, but the underlying cause is that it’s become increasing clear that Mastodon isn’t, and won’t ever be, a good platform for “asynchronous ephemeral notifications of any kind”. I’d also argue (more controversially) that it’s simply not good infrastructure for social networking of any kind.
I am currently winding down the Mastodon bots I used to post sunrise and sunset times. The precipitating event is that the admin of the instance hosting the associated accounts demanded they be made nigh-undiscoverable, but the underlying cause is that it’s become increasing clear that Mastodon isn’t, and won’t ever be, a good platform for “asynchronous ephemeral notifications of any kind”. I’d also argue (more controversially) that it’s simply not good infrastructure for social networking of any kind.
All of Apple's services are abysmal
(coryd.dev)
All of them. Seriously. Except iMessage. Everything else? They range from mediocre to outright unusable and none of them are reliable. I've written about Apple Music. That one launched and cost me a phone battery. Duplicate tracks, halting playback and heat.
All of them. Seriously. Except iMessage. Everything else? They range from mediocre to outright unusable and none of them are reliable. I've written about Apple Music. That one launched and cost me a phone battery. Duplicate tracks, halting playback and heat.
In retrospect, DevOps was a bad idea
(rethinkingsoftware.substack.com)
In retrospect, DevOps was a bad idea.
In retrospect, DevOps was a bad idea.
Switch 2's new "Game-Key Cards" are the worst of digital and physical
(sethmlarson.dev)
So the Switch 2 got announced in a Nintendo Direct yesterday. The event itself was essentially an unending series of incredible new information about the Switch 2 console and games. Here are my mixed thoughts, especially about things that weren't included in the live stream.
So the Switch 2 got announced in a Nintendo Direct yesterday. The event itself was essentially an unending series of incredible new information about the Switch 2 console and games. Here are my mixed thoughts, especially about things that weren't included in the live stream.
It's Unreal Just How Awful 'Real ID' Is (2020)
(zocalopublicsquare.org)
Do you love this country, this state, and your freedoms?
Do you love this country, this state, and your freedoms?
We need a better term for GenAI output – "slop" is too benign
(rockpapershotgun.com)
Earlier this month, Snail Games put out a widely and justifiably clowned-on genAI trailer for Ark: Survival Evolved's Aquatica DLC.
Earlier this month, Snail Games put out a widely and justifiably clowned-on genAI trailer for Ark: Survival Evolved's Aquatica DLC.
Why MCP Is Mostly Bullshit
(lycee.ai)
If you follow the AI space closely, you’ve surely noticed the increased interest in MCP (Model Context Protocol).
If you follow the AI space closely, you’ve surely noticed the increased interest in MCP (Model Context Protocol).
The Mediocrity of Modern Google
(om.co)
These days, whenever I think about Google, I recall a line from Madame Bovary. “She wanted to die, but she also wanted to live in Paris,” Flaubert writes, capturing Emma Bovary’s provincial reality and her romanticized dreams of escape. That is Google in a nutshell, isn’t it?
These days, whenever I think about Google, I recall a line from Madame Bovary. “She wanted to die, but she also wanted to live in Paris,” Flaubert writes, capturing Emma Bovary’s provincial reality and her romanticized dreams of escape. That is Google in a nutshell, isn’t it?
Nobody should be a "content creator"
(christianheilmann.com)
As part of my job, I have to keep up with the social media space and I’m worried, bored and annoyed in equal measures. There is not much social about it any longer. Instead it’s become a race to the bottom of lowest common denominator content. And interaction bait. Or rage bait. Or just obvious spam disguised in seemingly sophisticated sound bites generated by AI.
As part of my job, I have to keep up with the social media space and I’m worried, bored and annoyed in equal measures. There is not much social about it any longer. Instead it’s become a race to the bottom of lowest common denominator content. And interaction bait. Or rage bait. Or just obvious spam disguised in seemingly sophisticated sound bites generated by AI.
Tim, don't kill my vibe
(irace.me)
Recent criticism of Apple’s AI efforts has been juicy to say the least, but this shouldn’t distract us from continuing to criticize one of Apple’s most deserving targets: App Review. Especially now that there’s a perfectly good AI lens through which to do so.
Recent criticism of Apple’s AI efforts has been juicy to say the least, but this shouldn’t distract us from continuing to criticize one of Apple’s most deserving targets: App Review. Especially now that there’s a perfectly good AI lens through which to do so.
When writing, don't mention people who've criticized you
(twitter.com)
Something went wrong, but don’t fret — let’s give it another shot.
Something went wrong, but don’t fret — let’s give it another shot.
Who Is Free Software For?
(tante.cc)
For a while I have been arguing that maybe there are some issues with the whole “Open*” movements, their founding myths and ideologies (see for example my talk at Fluconf). This criticism comes from a place of love.
For a while I have been arguing that maybe there are some issues with the whole “Open*” movements, their founding myths and ideologies (see for example my talk at Fluconf). This criticism comes from a place of love.
Something Is Rotten in the State of Cupertino
(daringfireball.net)
In the two decades I’ve been in this racket, I’ve never been angrier at myself for missing a story than I am about Apple’s announcement on Friday that the “more personalized Siri” features of Apple Intelligence, scheduled to appear between now and WWDC, would be delayed until “the coming year”.
In the two decades I’ve been in this racket, I’ve never been angrier at myself for missing a story than I am about Apple’s announcement on Friday that the “more personalized Siri” features of Apple Intelligence, scheduled to appear between now and WWDC, would be delayed until “the coming year”.
Something Is Rotten in the State of Cupertino
(daringfireball.net)
In the two decades I’ve been in this racket, I’ve never been angrier at myself for missing a story than I am about Apple’s announcement on Friday that the “more personalized Siri” features of Apple Intelligence, scheduled to appear between now and WWDC, would be delayed until “the coming year”.
In the two decades I’ve been in this racket, I’ve never been angrier at myself for missing a story than I am about Apple’s announcement on Friday that the “more personalized Siri” features of Apple Intelligence, scheduled to appear between now and WWDC, would be delayed until “the coming year”.