Below are posts associated with the “techdirt.com” source.
🔗 linkblog: Big Tech’s Promise Never To Block Access To Politically Embarrassing Content Apparently Only Applies To Democrats'
Worth reading (and bookmarking). I’ve been hesitant to make the “no, actually, Big Tech is biased against liberals” argument, but this seems a compelling datum for that conclusion…
🔗 linkblog: Second Circuit Says Libraries Disincentivize Authors To Write Books By Lending Them For Free'
Deeply appreciate Masnick’s writeup. I don’t know the ins and outs of the law, and that’s given me some pause in being upset about the ruling. To see a lawyer find fault with so much gives me greater confidence in my own frustration.
The most dangerous part, though, doesn’t require a law degree to understand. The logic of the findings poses a threat to all libraries, not just this one.
🔗 linkblog: Is Your Google Scholar Profile Looking A Bit Empty? Need To Bulk Up Your Citations? Simple – Buy Some'
Interesting read wirh important implications for how we think about research quality.
🔗 linkblog: AI Checkers Forcing Kids To Write Like A Robot To Avoid Being Called A Robot'
I am way more pessimistic about AI than Masnick is, but we agree on this sort of thing. Algorithmic surveillance is no more appropriate in response to AI concerns than it is to cheating concerns.
🔗 linkblog: Zuckerberg’s Spineless Surrender: Rehashing Old News To Enable False GOP Narratives'
This is one of these stories where I’ve been waiting to get Masnick’s take on it, and he does not disappoint.
🔗 linkblog: Elon Musk’s SuperPAC Is Misleading (Some) Voters Into Thinking They Registered To Vote; Collecting Tons Of Data'
Finally read up on this, and it’s worrying.
🔗 linkblog: YouTuber Has Video Demonitized Over Washing Machine Chime'
Bookmarking so I have enraging examples to show my students.
🔗 linkblog: Decentralized Systems Will Be Necessary To Stop Google From Putting The Web Into Managed Decline'
Some good thoughts here by Masnick.
🔗 linkblog: The Story Behind The XZ Backdoor Is Way More Fascinating Than It Should Be'
I’ve been meaning to read more about this story, so I’m grateful for Masnick’s summary here.
🔗 linkblog: Even The Most Well-Meaning Internet Regulations Can Cause Real Harm'
I’ve only skimmed this so far, but while I firmly believe that the fetishizing of freedom of expression is causing real issues in our world, I appreciate Masnick’s critique. I expect I’ll always be more keen on regulation than he is, but that doesn’t make him wrong in the points he’s making here.
🔗 linkblog: Elon Discovers When Content Moderation Makes Sense: When He Can Use It To Protect Racist Bigots From Being Called Out'
“Mentioning names both is and isn’t allowed. It’s a quantum superposition of content moderation that only collapses when observed by Musk himself.” 😂😂😂
🔗 linkblog: As The US Freaks Out About TikTok, It’s Revealed That The CIA Was Using Chinese Social Media To Try To Undermine The Gov’t There'
Oh, so the moral panic is hypocritical, too.
🔗 linkblog: When Viral Advocacy Fails: TikTok’s Call Flood To Congress Backfires'
Masnick puts this better than I could. This legislation is dumb, but this advocacy feels dumber.
🔗 linkblog: ALPR Maker Flock Broke Laws Repeatedly While Installing Cameras, Courting Cop Shops'
Flock provides the ALPRs here in Lexington, which makes this especially frustrating.
🔗 linkblog: Elon Only Started Buying Up Twitter Shares After Twitter Refused To Ban Plane Tracking Account'
Musk’s pettiness knows no bounds.
🔗 linkblog: Bill Ackman: Nazis On ExTwitter Are Just The Price Of Free Speech; But Marxist Theory Or Anti-Israel Claims On Campus Are Beyond The Pale'
Masnick’s perspectives on free speech are always helpful.
🔗 linkblog: Substack Realizes Maybe It Doesn’t Want To Help Literal Nazis Make Money After All (But Only Literal Nazis) | Techdirt'
As usual, I find Masnick’s recap of this recent nonsense helpful in terms of summary and interpretation.
🔗 linkblog: Community Notes Is Great Until It Challenges Elon, And Then It’s Being ‘Manipulated’ By State Actors | Techdirt'
Is this the same feature Elon says will be sufficient for keeping Alex Jones in check?
🔗 linkblog: Apple’s Nonsensical Attack On Beeper For Making Apple’s Own Users Safer | Techdirt'
Good observations by Masnick here.
🔗 linkblog: You Still Don’t Own What You Bought: Purchased TV Shows From PS Store Go Bye Bye | Techdirt'
The digital could have been used to expand access to content, but we’re using it to actually restrict that access. What a crappy future.
🔗 linkblog: ‘Free Speech Absolutist’ Elon Musk Promises To Sue Media Matters To Silence Their Speech | Techdirt'
Masnick’s frustration here is fun to read.
🔗 linkblog: As Elon Musk Endorses Bigoted Nonsense, Advertisers Find Their Ads On Nazi Content | Techdirt'
I’ve been waiting for Masnick’s response to this, and it’s good.
🔗 linkblog: Publisher Wants $2,500 To Allow Academics To Post Their Own Manuscript To Their Own Repository | Techdirt'
I bristle a bit at Moody’s suggestion that academics are dumb for signing over copyright—it’s dumb that we have to, but there are systemic issues at play here. Yet, especially now with tenure taken care of, I do wonder if we consent too readily to the system.