David Alex Lamb 🇨🇦
@davidalexlamb.bsky.social
Scholar, writer, computer geek. Canadian autistic retired professor of Computer Science.
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Scholar, Writer, Computer Geek – David Alex Lamb
davidalexlamb.com
My website and social media bios identify me as “scholar, writer, computer geek.” I figured I should say a bit more about what all of that means, so people have enough information to decide if they want to follow me. #WritingCommunity
davidalexlamb.com/2024/11/24/s...
davidalexlamb.com/2024/11/24/s...
Are very appropriate International American Thanksgiving wish.
Happy “American co-workers are on holiday” day to those who celebrate
November 27, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Are very appropriate International American Thanksgiving wish.
These days, most people treat the word "nemesis" as if it meant a particularly troublesome long-term personal opponent.
It's too bad the Greek deities aren't around. Nemesis was a terrifying unstoppable goddess who brought ruin to the proud and arrogant, including kings.
It's too bad the Greek deities aren't around. Nemesis was a terrifying unstoppable goddess who brought ruin to the proud and arrogant, including kings.
November 27, 2025 at 3:38 PM
These days, most people treat the word "nemesis" as if it meant a particularly troublesome long-term personal opponent.
It's too bad the Greek deities aren't around. Nemesis was a terrifying unstoppable goddess who brought ruin to the proud and arrogant, including kings.
It's too bad the Greek deities aren't around. Nemesis was a terrifying unstoppable goddess who brought ruin to the proud and arrogant, including kings.
Reposted by David Alex Lamb 🇨🇦
I'm old.
If you're not, listen to this.
Get a guitar or some drums, or a trumpet. Pick up a brush, a pencil, some clay or a welder.
Just make shit. It doesn't have to be good (eventually it will be) just make music, art or write or whatever.
It's literally never been more important.
If you're not, listen to this.
Get a guitar or some drums, or a trumpet. Pick up a brush, a pencil, some clay or a welder.
Just make shit. It doesn't have to be good (eventually it will be) just make music, art or write or whatever.
It's literally never been more important.
November 27, 2025 at 4:21 AM
I'm old.
If you're not, listen to this.
Get a guitar or some drums, or a trumpet. Pick up a brush, a pencil, some clay or a welder.
Just make shit. It doesn't have to be good (eventually it will be) just make music, art or write or whatever.
It's literally never been more important.
If you're not, listen to this.
Get a guitar or some drums, or a trumpet. Pick up a brush, a pencil, some clay or a welder.
Just make shit. It doesn't have to be good (eventually it will be) just make music, art or write or whatever.
It's literally never been more important.
Reposted by David Alex Lamb 🇨🇦
If writing is so easy why do people argue that they can’t do it without the pablumatic verbiage extruder
And if it’s so difficult then why do people think it’s not labour and writers are not workers
And if it’s so difficult then why do people think it’s not labour and writers are not workers
November 27, 2025 at 4:10 AM
If writing is so easy why do people argue that they can’t do it without the pablumatic verbiage extruder
And if it’s so difficult then why do people think it’s not labour and writers are not workers
And if it’s so difficult then why do people think it’s not labour and writers are not workers
Shh! Don't tell Hegseth, lest he arrest the plaque for treason.
West Point plaque: "Our code of military obedience requires that, should orders and the law ever conflict, our officers must obey the law."
November 26, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Shh! Don't tell Hegseth, lest he arrest the plaque for treason.
Reposted by David Alex Lamb 🇨🇦
and that's also why there are so many "unfinished" trilogies: the author *wants* to write all three, but you waiting for all 3 to end up on the shelves is also why there *isn't a third one*. you're never going to get it if you don't buy book 1. so go actually buy (or borrow from the library!).
Most publishers (there are always exceptions) decide whether or not to buy a second book (or a third etc) based on how the previous book did. So when you pirate a book in most cases it’s less about the money you just stole from both author and publisher it’s about the future book you just killed.
November 26, 2025 at 6:23 AM
and that's also why there are so many "unfinished" trilogies: the author *wants* to write all three, but you waiting for all 3 to end up on the shelves is also why there *isn't a third one*. you're never going to get it if you don't buy book 1. so go actually buy (or borrow from the library!).
Reposted by David Alex Lamb 🇨🇦
This platform is full of nerds with a conscience: we recognize ecocide-plagiarism-psychosis machines for the radioactive snake oil they are.
Is this platform still massively against AI or has it moved more towards acceptance?
November 26, 2025 at 7:22 AM
This platform is full of nerds with a conscience: we recognize ecocide-plagiarism-psychosis machines for the radioactive snake oil they are.
This is yet another instance of a corporation "externalizing" its costs: pushing some of the cost of its activities onto the public.
democrats/liberals/progressives with any common sense need to get ahead of this electricity cost issue - we need restraint and regulation of ai and data centers, which are driving up costs www.cnbc.com/2025/11/26/a...
AI data center 'frenzy' is pushing up your electric bill — here's why
Energy-hungry data centers that underpin artificial intelligence are contributing to higher residential electricity bills, say experts.
www.cnbc.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:30 PM
This is yet another instance of a corporation "externalizing" its costs: pushing some of the cost of its activities onto the public.
Reposted by David Alex Lamb 🇨🇦
Want to avoid AI writing? Turns out Wikipedia has the answer
The best guide to spotting AI writing comes from Wikipedia | TechCrunch
Wikipedia's guide to “Signs of AI writing” is a great resource for learning to spot LLM-generated prose.
techcrunch.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Want to avoid AI writing? Turns out Wikipedia has the answer
Reposted by David Alex Lamb 🇨🇦
All AI music does is devalue the work done by human artists. It’s not accessibility, it’s exploitation. We need real protections for artists against AI!
BTW — even if you had access to this AI startup as a child, you still wouldn’t know how to make music.
BTW — even if you had access to this AI startup as a child, you still wouldn’t know how to make music.
November 25, 2025 at 10:40 PM
All AI music does is devalue the work done by human artists. It’s not accessibility, it’s exploitation. We need real protections for artists against AI!
BTW — even if you had access to this AI startup as a child, you still wouldn’t know how to make music.
BTW — even if you had access to this AI startup as a child, you still wouldn’t know how to make music.
Reposted by David Alex Lamb 🇨🇦
“Authors need to—“
No, we don’t.
No, we don’t.
November 25, 2025 at 7:23 PM
“Authors need to—“
No, we don’t.
No, we don’t.
Why just farmers, though?
Farmers will lobby Ottawa for $50K guaranteed annual income pilot program. #cdnpoli
www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/politics/far...
www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/politics/far...
Farmers will lobby Ottawa for $50K guaranteed annual income pilot program
HALIFAX - A farmers advocacy group says it plans to lobby the federal government for a guaranteed annual income of $50,000.
www.thecanadianpressnews.ca
November 25, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Why just farmers, though?
Massive reductions in a workforce look a lot like "externalization of costs;" how is having society clean up your pollution different from having your society bear the costs of unemployment?
Mass job loss makes nations unstable long before it makes them broke.
People without income turn restless.
People without direction turn dangerous.
If UBI doesn’t enter the conversation now, the conversation later will be about riots, repression, and regret.
History has already written this pattern.
People without income turn restless.
People without direction turn dangerous.
If UBI doesn’t enter the conversation now, the conversation later will be about riots, repression, and regret.
History has already written this pattern.
November 25, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Massive reductions in a workforce look a lot like "externalization of costs;" how is having society clean up your pollution different from having your society bear the costs of unemployment?
There are plenty of authors for whom small amounts of sales give big amounts of encouragement. Your one theft isn't as trivial as you think.
Ugh, I didn't know about this one. Of course it has all my books. Not only is that money I could use, but every sale helps those of us hanging on in the midlist keep publishing at all. Love to see hundreds of downloads on series that people complain haven't continued with more books. Yeah guess why.
I posted a buy link here to "A Magical Inheritance" a few days ago, and 24 of you immediately went to Anna's Archives and fucking stole it from me.
Yes, stole it.
I do not get paid for your download there because YOU ARE STEALING FROM ME.
🖕
Yes, stole it.
I do not get paid for your download there because YOU ARE STEALING FROM ME.
🖕
November 24, 2025 at 2:15 PM
There are plenty of authors for whom small amounts of sales give big amounts of encouragement. Your one theft isn't as trivial as you think.
Reposted by David Alex Lamb 🇨🇦
Just a friendly reminder as we go into the holidays:
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
November 23, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Just a friendly reminder as we go into the holidays:
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
Reposted by David Alex Lamb 🇨🇦
Massive shoutout out to whoever handles the Royal Canadian Air Force’s social media account. They responded to every single comment on their already very solid Trans Day of Remembrance post and they responded like this…
November 22, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Massive shoutout out to whoever handles the Royal Canadian Air Force’s social media account. They responded to every single comment on their already very solid Trans Day of Remembrance post and they responded like this…
I apologize for my country's bureaucracy.
Almost a year now since I received this absolutely classic burn from the Canadian government.
November 22, 2025 at 4:11 AM
I apologize for my country's bureaucracy.
Reposted by David Alex Lamb 🇨🇦
if your “great ideas” aren’t good enough to dedicate more energy to than just typing in a prompt then maybe they aren’t that great in the first place
November 21, 2025 at 4:50 PM
if your “great ideas” aren’t good enough to dedicate more energy to than just typing in a prompt then maybe they aren’t that great in the first place
Reposted by David Alex Lamb 🇨🇦
Being a writer is like surfing. Always hoping to catch the perfect wave, but most of your time will be spent paddling against the tide or just floating, waiting, eyes on the horizon while you watch other people riding their highs into the sunset. But you have to love the work more than the ride.
November 20, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Being a writer is like surfing. Always hoping to catch the perfect wave, but most of your time will be spent paddling against the tide or just floating, waiting, eyes on the horizon while you watch other people riding their highs into the sunset. But you have to love the work more than the ride.
So often, when I was teaching at university, students struggled because they thought asking questions made them look dumb.
as an MIT-trained science writer: being willing to ask dumb questions is a superpower
The actual secret to why I know stuff is that I ask a question any time I don’t understand literally anything. I don’t care how simple it is. Anybody who makes fun of you for asking a simple question likely doesn’t know the answer either
November 20, 2025 at 6:26 PM
So often, when I was teaching at university, students struggled because they thought asking questions made them look dumb.
Reposted by David Alex Lamb 🇨🇦
as an MIT-trained science writer: being willing to ask dumb questions is a superpower
The actual secret to why I know stuff is that I ask a question any time I don’t understand literally anything. I don’t care how simple it is. Anybody who makes fun of you for asking a simple question likely doesn’t know the answer either
November 20, 2025 at 12:54 AM
as an MIT-trained science writer: being willing to ask dumb questions is a superpower
If you manage any kind of guide to netiquette, add this one.
I want to very gently say something, and I hope nobody will be mad: If somebody on the internet says something that is NOT about politics and NOT about how terrible everything is, it’s a kindness not to reflexively make a comment (in jest or not) that brings it back to those things.
November 20, 2025 at 5:32 PM
If you manage any kind of guide to netiquette, add this one.
It's good that the Trump administration hasn't yet succeeded in replacing all the JAGs with toadies (they're the ones who decide what's an illegal order).
“The JAG at Southern Command specifically expressed concern that strikes against people on boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean…could amount to extrajudicial killings, the six sources said, and therefore legally expose service members involved in the operations.”
Top military lawyer raised legal concerns about boat strikes
The lawyer at U.S. Southern Command, which oversees the operations against alleged drug-smuggling boats near Venezuela, disagreed that the strikes are legal and was overruled, according to six sources...
www.nbcnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:30 PM
It's good that the Trump administration hasn't yet succeeded in replacing all the JAGs with toadies (they're the ones who decide what's an illegal order).
Second best CloudFlare post, after the one about "affecting many worthwhile websites, and also X"
November 18, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Second best CloudFlare post, after the one about "affecting many worthwhile websites, and also X"
I was going to write a FB and BlueSky post about the CloudFlare outage, but my WordPress site is partly borked by the CloudFlare outage.
The public-facing stuff appears to be ok, and I can log into WordPress, but I can't upload redirect link files to get around FB's ban on links to news sites.
The public-facing stuff appears to be ok, and I can log into WordPress, but I can't upload redirect link files to get around FB's ban on links to news sites.
November 18, 2025 at 5:25 PM
I was going to write a FB and BlueSky post about the CloudFlare outage, but my WordPress site is partly borked by the CloudFlare outage.
The public-facing stuff appears to be ok, and I can log into WordPress, but I can't upload redirect link files to get around FB's ban on links to news sites.
The public-facing stuff appears to be ok, and I can log into WordPress, but I can't upload redirect link files to get around FB's ban on links to news sites.