midnitemikewrites - Network

Right ideologues, which includes billionaires, seem to have poor media literacy. Though in the case of “Torment Nexus” builders, I...

Right ideologues, which includes billionaires, seem to have poor media literacy. Though in the case of “Torment Nexus” builders, I suspect it’s not unintentional.

https://www.vox.com/culture/413502/iain-banks-culture-series-elon-musk-jeff-bezos-mark-zuckerberg

#sciencefiction #scifi #IainBanks #billionaires #oligarchy

Well before markets “compute” allocative distributions, they are instantiated (through laws, norms, institutions, etc.). This determines...

Well before markets “compute” allocative distributions, they are instantiated (through laws, norms, institutions, etc.). This determines what the market “computes” if you subscribe to that metaphor. Most configurations provide market actors with exploits (arbitrage, profit opportunities) outside markets. This is unavoidable.

Rather than assume markets are “efficient” at allocative distribution until proven otherwise, we have to understand the world we’re in.

#QT https://mamot.fr/@pluralistic/114541092377943335

@pluralistic has uncanny timing publishing things I'm thinking about.Market Truthers have laundered aristocracy, not realizing market...

@pluralistic has uncanny timing publishing things I'm thinking about.

Market Truthers have laundered aristocracy, not realizing market capitalism is a metastable system capable of producing everything from chattel slavery to the Nordic states. A naive understanding of capitalism gets you closer to the former, which undermines the system.

- Wealth is good for capitalists; bad for markets.

- We need more than profit motive to drive innovation

- Trustbustin' is good

https://pluralistic.net/2025/05/20/big-cornflakes-energy/

Just learned about Toxic Docs which hosts the largest repository of previously classified documents on industrial poisons used in industry....

Just learned about Toxic Docs which hosts the largest repository of previously classified documents on industrial poisons used in industry. Over 19M+ documents and counting. This is phenomenal for tracking if & when companies knew about environmental and health harms.

https://www.toxicdocs.org/

#publichealth #environmentaljustice #environment #legal #capitalism

This is probably my new favorite #youtube video. It allows us to briefly imagine that wealth hoarding were a DSM-identified pathology that...

This is probably my new favorite #youtube video. It allows us to briefly imagine that wealth hoarding were a DSM-identified pathology that affects not just the patient but the entire society around them.

#capitalism #inequality #psychology

https://youtu.be/nOsL-1RN0lQ

(2/2) What sucks is that there generally is space to pontificate on the role of automation in restructuring the job market for new grads...

(2/2) What sucks is that there generally is space to pontificate on the role of automation in restructuring the job market for new grads (and everyone else). Even if we won’t have AG/SI this technology will absolutely replace people because it’s a cost cutter that disciplines labor. But rather than assume there’s an “intelligence explosion” going on, journalists should learn the technical limitations of AI and, you know, investigate what’s actually going on.

#technews #tech

(1/2) Somewhat disappointing article by Derek Thompson at The Atlantic. Thompson is generally a thoughtful writer (as are several others on...

(1/2) Somewhat disappointing article by Derek Thompson at The Atlantic. Thompson is generally a thoughtful writer (as are several others on staff) but this is a good illustration of how to keep AI hype going in ways unwarranted.

Titled “Something Alarming Is Happening to the Job Market” the article leads with the suggestion of AI displacement of entry level jobs. Then in its last third basically says, lol just kidding.

#ai #media #technology #aihype

An informative lesson in French by Ars Technica commenter Erbium68.#GPT #openai #ai #french

An informative lesson in French by Ars Technica commenter Erbium68.

#GPT #openai #ai #french

Finished my first #python program, it's a totally original (but tiny) ~150 line console word game that taught me a lot. Still have a lot...

Finished my first #python program, it's a totally original (but tiny) ~150 line console word game that taught me a lot. Still have a lot more to learn, and excited to keep going.

#programming #coding

Despite writing for pay for years (and having a love of written word since I was 4), I still feel like every time I put words to page...

Despite writing for pay for years (and having a love of written word since I was 4), I still feel like every time I put words to page I'm still trying to discover my voice. I can't tell if this is impostor syndrome or if this is just what it feels like to be a writer.

#writing #blogging #creativity

I can’t believe I’m already on the 6th post for my blog. This one is about the types of optimization failures that lead to wicked...

I can’t believe I’m already on the 6th post for my blog. This one is about the types of optimization failures that lead to wicked problems like antibiotic resistance and and climate change, a set up for future discussions about progress traps.

https://misaligned.markets/when-optimization-goes-wrong-caught-in-mammons-grasp/

#blog #philosophy #capitalism #technology #policy

Has anyone worked out an #althistory where TCP/IP and/or HTTP(s) were proprietary? Could the internet meaningful exist in such a...

Has anyone worked out an #althistory where TCP/IP and/or HTTP(s) were proprietary? Could the internet meaningful exist in such a world?

Working through some reflections on progress and private property for my blog Misaligned Markets and this topic came up with friends.

Maybe the question just boils down to what size network effect do you need for the internet to facilitate communications and commerce and does fragmenting it change that?

#internet #openweb #tech #InternetHistory

With everything going on it’s hard to know what to keep track of. But this NLRB story is crazy… if what this whistleblower says is true...

With everything going on it’s hard to know what to keep track of. But this NLRB story is crazy… if what this whistleblower says is true then DOGE is giving Russia direct access to US government systems.

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/15/nx-s1-5355895/doge-musk-nlrb-takeaways-security

#InfoSec #cybersecurity #databreach

I’m trying to learn Flask to deploy applications at home. I think I really just need to sit down for a few months and learn Python fully...

I’m trying to learn Flask to deploy applications at home. I think I really just need to sit down for a few months and learn Python fully lol.

#CodingForBeginners #python #programming

Great article on the political economy of automation. Specifically love the how the Luddites were used to illustrate the role that the state...

Great article on the political economy of automation. Specifically love the how the Luddites were used to illustrate the role that the state played in ensuring uneven gains from productivity. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/04/21/how-to-survive-the-ai-revolution

#artificialintelligence #laborhistory #capitalism

When I think of capitalism stuff like this is most often what comes to mind. Doubling down on negative externalities because they’re...

When I think of capitalism stuff like this is most often what comes to mind. Doubling down on negative externalities because they’re profitable.

https://www.wired.com/story/states-banning-pfas-forever-chemicals-industry-fighting-back/

#ForeverChemicals #cancer

User on subreddit r/enoughtrumpspam alleges their employer (probably Amazon Web Services) has been contacted by the Trump admin to remove...

User on subreddit r/enoughtrumpspam alleges their employer (probably Amazon Web Services) has been contacted by the Trump admin to remove books from a book marketplace.

OP here doesn't do much to elaborate on any details or share it beyond this sub. However David Packman, one of the authors listed in the email, has independently reached out to contacts affiliated with Amazon and finds this likely credible. Chilling if true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtEymx55dnU

#freespeech #Amazon #AWS #bookBans #Trump

America always had the most tenuous democracy given its history. But I’m surprised how quickly we’ve plunged into some anocratic...

America always had the most tenuous democracy given its history. But I’m surprised how quickly we’ve plunged into some anocratic purgatory. Not quite full autocracy but woefully short of a robust democracy. #QT https://mastodon.social/@tzimmer_history/114257348546749843

Yay!#QT https://glammr.us/@jessamyn/114252471373516331

Yay!

#QT https://glammr.us/@jessamyn/114252471373516331

FWIW, Trump to me is adversarial so none of his actions appear like mistakes even if they rely on broad misapplication of the tools he’s...

FWIW, Trump to me is adversarial so none of his actions appear like mistakes even if they rely on broad misapplication of the tools he’s using. There’s a broader question of whether he knows enough to efficiently pull off his agenda. Don’t care about that though because I want to stop him regardless.

I liken Trump to a scrip kiddie w/ tenuous understanding of the underlying infrastructure being attacked & exploits being run. I know he knows enough to be dangerous.

#QT https://mastodon.social/@heidilifeldman/114242508398059662