cool links VIII: bearblog trending, the technical future, disruption
What I recently read or watched worth sharing:
Gaming the Bearblog Discovery Feed by Jeff Ruane. I actually read this when it was posted last year, but I searched it up again after specific, blogging-for-profit posts have been rising to the top of the Trending page for the past 2-3 weeks or so, because it reminded me of that so much. Like Jeff says: "the article consists entirely of vague, borderline meaningless platitudes. It's bland, unchallenging, and lacks a distinctive voice." At first, I wanted to write a rebuttal too like some others did in the meantime, but after I remembered this post by Jeff, I felt like it wasn't worth my time to respond to someone whose most successful output can be imitated by AI in seconds (or is AI) or demonstrate why it's bullshit. Just remember Jeff's experiment and post next time you scroll the feed. Aside from this, I wanna send a lot of love, hope and kindness to Jeff <3
Big Tech Has Disrupted the Social Contract by Eddie Huang. A lot of this article describes an awful experience with renting a car, then arrives at the conclusion of the title. I really like the anger, the catharsis, and I agree: "Big Tech has sold people on the dream of becoming their own business knowing that most people are incapable. That’s why we’re left to fend for ourselves when there are disputes. [...] These tech companies used lobbies to destroy the enterprise structure of our civilization from taxi cab medallions to hotels to brick-and-mortar businesses. They gutted every industry of jobs held by individuals, they robbed us of our protections, and left us to fend for ourselves. When people and corporations told us that they would disrupt industry, did any of us ask what would happen after that disruption? Would anyone actually take possession and be held responsible?"
Make Your Own Website by Shannon. Very sweet, selfmade website building tutorial for their 12-year old daughter! I loved to see it, maybe others want to use it, too.
MODERN-DAY ORACLES or BULLSHIT MACHINES? by Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West. Warning, annoying parallax effect at times. It aims to dispel some myths laypeople have about AI and what it can do through 18 (freely accessible) lessons right on the website that you click through and scroll, with video examples and making you guess some things. Quote: "The purpose of this course is to explore how a system that is fundamentally a bullshit machine can appear to be a powerful oracle."
The Future Will Be Technical by Zach Mandeville. I wanna share it here because while some parts may not be relatable or deemed too utopian, I love the imagination of the author(s), the hopefulness, the willingness to transform tech for good, and I love the choice of presentation. It basically proposes that instead of shunning and retreating from tech and having the big guys have it and dominate it, we should get more comfortable with making our own solutions. I've seen it a couple times online before: People who made their own Snapchat or Instagram equivalent just between friends and family, so they can freely use this mode of communication and information without being reliant on the companies behind them. With the reliance on several App Stores on iOS, this is not possible now, but with .apk's on Android, you can already do this. You can also build a small social network website for you and whoever you choose to invite, without opening it to the public or wanting to grow it into a business. Anyway, I would love if you gave this little presentation a shot, even if some ideas might seem too out there, even if it's just skipping to the conclusion. It gave me a new perspective on digital detoxes, too. Quote: "The optimal user is an anxious dullard, who alternates between catatonic depression and a stress-induced breakdown. It is someone who does not want the burden of choice, or feels they do not have the time to make their own decisions. It is for this person that the modern web is designed, and it is this type of person the modern web encourages all of us to be."
Demolishing the Billionaire Scam by A.R. Moxon. Long read, but in my opinion, worth it. Help dismantling the Billionaire Scam by playing the right game, facing the worst, imagining the best, embracing the best, and play to win. "Cheat the cheaters. Lie to the liars. To those who tell you false stories about their intentions, tell false stories about your own. Understand that those aligned with the billionaire system use the rules only insofar as they allow them to demolish humanity. Liars should not expect the truth from us; those who refuse to participate in our democracy should not expect our participation in it with them; those who refuse to attend to reality should not expect our agreement with them on any point. [...] Never celebrate the brutalization or consumption of another by the machine that devours people. Never accept the fascist offer to see such consumption and brutality as something that secures your own safety."
The Cyber Cleanse by Janet Vertesi. It's part of the Opt Out Project, helping people take control over their online/digital lives. May be of use to some of you :)
Cobalt Tools downloads videos and audio for you from a variety of services. Since YouTube downloaders always disappear and not everyone can make yt-dlp work, this may be an alternative for you.
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Published 21 Feb, 2025