Pluralistic: The Big Con (19 Jun 2026)

Today's links

The Big Con: Making the pile of shit bigger won't increase the number of ponies underneath it.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: TVA v SETI@Home; Telemarketers v DHS batphones; Matt Stone's MPAA censorship memo; Stonehenge pocket watch; W3C v security research; Congressional mass-shooting response simulator; Dynastic wealth; Gig economy astroturf; Meta publishes your AI prompts.
Upcoming appearances: LA, Menlo Park, Toronto, NYC, Philadelphia, Chicago, London, Edinburgh, Sydney, Melbourne, Brighton, London, South Bend.
Recent appearances: Where I've been.
Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

The (real) dead economy theory: Vibes and memestocks, all the way down.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: Jim Baen has had a stroke; Blame Apple for iTunes DRM; France v the internet; "Rotters"; 1901 undersea cables; Washington Post wants Trump coverage blackout; Taxes are for the little people; Gamer lifecycle; Ghanian postal song; "What Lies Beneath the Clock Tower": Murder of Jo Cox; 12 year old doxed by anti-vaxers; Hong Kong bookseller recants forced confession.
Upcoming appearances: LA, Menlo Park, Toronto, NYC, Philadelphia, Chicago, London, Edinburgh, Brighton, South Bend.
Recent appearances: Where I've been.
Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

The AI bubble isn't like the internet bubble: No one had to force-feed the web to workers.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: Website graveyard; Anti-librarian witch-hunt; Denmark v Marmite; The unnecessariat.
Upcoming appearances: London, Kansas City, LA, Menlo Park, Toronto, NYC, Edinburgh.
Recent appearances: Where I've been.
Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

Sorry, eh: I sincerely regret that all my ideas will not lose billions of dollars, destroy jobs or make your country more dependent on American tech.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: 20 years a blogger; Woz on Network Neutrality; Moveon endorses Bernie.
Upcoming appearances: Where to find me.
Recent appearances: Where I've been.
Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

The AI that we'll have after AI: Cheap GPUs, unemployed engineers, and open source models.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: FBI confuses KISS and Dr Who; How the NSA breaks crypto: Bricked Ferrari; Taxing billionaires.
Upcoming appearances: Where to find me.
Recent appearances: Where I've been.
Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

Maga's boss class think they are immune to American carnage: They're in for a surprise.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: Paradox of choice (screens); Perpetual Lenovo crapware; Trump's Solicitor General: "bribery is legal"; Marvel's 10¢ comics; Snatched postal sorting-machines; Failed State; Kenk; Glass Houses; Caveman SF; My origin story; FBI vs George Carlin.
Upcoming appearances: Where to find me.
Recent appearances: Where I've been.
Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

AI's pogo-stick grift: The hard part is operating in an unpredictable, adversarial, unstructured world.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: Galaksija, TSA shock-wand, Reverse-centaur apocalypse.
Upcoming appearances: Where to find me.
Recent appearances: Where I've been.
Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

The housing emergency and the second Trump term: Weaponized shelter gave us Trump II; can we fix it despite Trumpism?
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
This day in history: 2009, 2014, 2019, 2023
Upcoming appearances: Where to find me.
Recent appearances: Where I've been.
Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

How America's oligarchs lull us with the be-your-own-boss fairy tale: Temporarily embarrassed millionaires aren't born, they're made.
Come see me on tour!: LA, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary, Phoenix, Portland, Providence, Boston, New York City, Toronto, San Diego, Salt Lake City, Tucson, Chicago, Amherst, Torino, Tartu.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
This day in history: 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading