Today's links
- Bottled water monopolist admits recycling is bullshit: "Personal responsibility" and "caveat emptor."
- This day in history: 2012, 2017
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Author: Cory Doctorow
Pluralistic: 25 Apr 2022
Today's links
- Up Against It, an "essential," action-adventure sf tale of bureaucrats and colonizers: Laura J Mixon's fast-paced space-opera.
- This day in history: 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Automation is Magic
The Messy Business of Security Economics.
There is no such thing as security.
I’m not being a realist here (“there are no sure bets”) nor is this mere nihilism (“you will never be safe!”).
There is no such thing as security in the abstract.You cannot be generically secure — you can only be secure from something. A sprinkler system increases your security from fires, but not burglars. Not only that, but a sprinkler system reduces your security from water-damage.
Pluralistic: 22 Apr 2022
Today's links
- Don't believe Obama's Big Tech criti-hype: They're not evil geniuses (they're not geniuses, period).
- Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
- This day in history: 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Pluralistic: 20 Apr 2022
Today's links
- Undetectable backdoors for machine learning models: Classifiers considered harmful.
- Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
- This day in history: 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Pluralistic: 18 Apr 2022
Today's links
- Podcasting "Big Tech Isn’t Stealing News Publishers’ Content": "…It's stealing their money."
- Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
- This day in history: 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Revenge of the Chickenized Reverse-Centaurs
Algorithms and worker power
In AI circles, a “centaur” describes a certain kind of machine/human collaboration, in which “decision-support” systems (which the field loves to call “AI”s) are paired with human beings for results that draw upon the strengths of each, such as when a human chess master and a chess-playing computer program collaborate to smash their competition.
In labor circles, “chickenization” refers to exploitative working arrangements that resemble the plight of the American poultry farmer. The U.S. poultry industry has been taken over by three monopolistic packers, who have divided the nation up into exclusive territories, so that each chicken farmer has only one buyer for their birds.
Continue reading "Revenge of the Chickenized Reverse-Centaurs"
Pluralistic: 16 Apr 2022
Today's links
- Ryan North's 'How to Take Over the World': Popular science as a series of supervillainous thought-experiments.
- This day in history: 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Pluralistic: 13 Apr 2022
Today's links
- America's 400 top earners pay less tax than you: Propublica continues to mine the IRS Files.
- Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
- This day in history: 2002, 2012, 2017, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Pluralistic: 12 Apr 2022
Today's links
- Daniel Pinkwater's "Crazy in Poughkeepsie": Another Pinkwater masterpiece, in which we sojourn to whale heaven.
- Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
- This day in history: 2012, 2017, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading