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🔗 linkblog: Pluralistic: The (real) dead economy theory (17 Jun 2026) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 07:50:21 -0400

Recently, I’ve been thinking about Jacques Ellul’s image/word dichotomy as more broadly applicable than to media—as applicable to the whole technical phenomenon that he criticizes. That is, by virtue of its seeming objectivity, the technical phenomenon enjoys trust that is not warranted when one digs into the details and sees the fuzziness and subjectivities and artifice that prop the whole thing up. Doctorow’s critique here seems firmly in that vein.

🔗 linkblog: How AI Can Lead To False Arrests & Wrongful Convictions

Sat, 30 May 2026 07:25:58 -0400

I don’t mind being a broken record when pointing out Ellulian vibes. Check this paragraph out:

These are unfortunate examples of how AI can lead to mistreatment of people because of technical flaws as well as misplaced human faith in the technology’s supposed objectivity. These cases involve different tools, but the underlying issue is the same. AI systems produce probabilities, and people treat them as certainties.

🔗 linkblog: White House alters arrest photo of ICE protester, says 'the memes will continue'

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:11:44 -0500

🔗 linkblog: White House alters arrest photo of ICE protester, says 'the memes will continue' https://spencergreenhalgh.com/communities/2026-01-23-big-ellulian/

🔗 linkblog: ICE’s Facial Recognition App Misidentified a Woman. Twice

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 07:00:03 -0500

Another story that speaks to the power of Ellul’s “image vs. word” distinction. It must be trustworthy because it comes from a machine…

🔗 linkblog: Grokipedia Is the Antithesis of Everything That Makes Wikipedia Good, Useful, and Human

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 15:09:04 -0400

Easy to dunk on Grokipedia, but this article gets at some ideas that I think are particularly important. If I had more time for blogging this semester, I’d write something up on Ellul’s image vs. word dichotomy and how it aligns with Koebler’s thoughts here.