Pluralistic: Semantic drift versus ethical drift (14 Jul 2025)

Today's links

Semantic drift versus ethical drift: Locking things open vs locking in freedom.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: Riepl's law; video patents; NSA global surveillance; Smart speaker triggers; roller derby covid mitigations.
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.

Cleantech has an enshittification problem: Who's gonna make a 25-year purchase from a startup with six months' worth of runway?
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
This day in history: 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019
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.

Microsoft pinky swears that THIS TIME they'll make security a priority: The monopolist's bargain was made to be broken.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
This day in history: 2004, 2009, 2013, 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.

Palantir's NHS-stealing Big Lie: And the everyday miracle of Trusted Research Environments.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
This day in history: 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019, 2023
Upcoming appearances: Where to find me.
Recent appearances: Podcasts, events and more.
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.

"Open" "AI" isn't: Not "open," nor "artificial," and certainly not "intelligent."
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
This day in history: 2008, 2018
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Orphaned neurological implants: When the company that powers your nervous system decides to 'pivot.'
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

Monopoly's event-horizon: The true capitalist singularity.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
This day in history: 2012
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Stockholm's war on interoperability: An object lesson in how (not) to resolve the tension between comcom and privacy.
This day in history: 2006, 2011, 2016, 2020
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading

A simple, incomplete ransomware defense: Attribution is hard, but whatever works.
Community Health Services sued its way through the pandemic: When health is a business, medical debt is an asset.
Apple's complicity in Chinese state oppression: Corporations don't have character, they have incentives.
What Would Open Source Look Like If It Were Healthy: Sumana Harihareswara's Github talk.
This day in history: 2206, 2011, 2016, 2020
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading

How Big Oil lied about "recyclable" plastics: Who killed the world?
Levels of Interoperability: More clarity from Ian Brown.
Podcasting "IP": My latest and most substantial Locus column.
This day in history: 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading