Janet D. Stemwedel
@docfreeride.bsky.social
Academic philosopher, lapsed chemist, occasional science writer, perpetual ethics booster. All views my own. (she/her)
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
The only "good" AI is doing in Software Engineering is exposing the people who cut corners to get their jobs
If people are wondering why everything is getting enshittified:
If people are wondering why everything is getting enshittified:
Hi, I'm a Bacherlors in Software Engineering
You tech bros are grifting tools and I wish you'd stop
You are the antithesis of engineering
You tech bros are grifting tools and I wish you'd stop
You are the antithesis of engineering
February 10, 2026 at 11:40 PM
The only "good" AI is doing in Software Engineering is exposing the people who cut corners to get their jobs
If people are wondering why everything is getting enshittified:
If people are wondering why everything is getting enshittified:
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
Enslaved persons did often work on ships but 1) All three cultures used sails to maximize wind power 2) most Roman rowers were not enslaved & thetes in Athens were poor but free men 3) most Punic rowers were freeborn. Slavery is so important to understand but let’s be intentional and factual.
February 11, 2026 at 1:05 PM
Enslaved persons did often work on ships but 1) All three cultures used sails to maximize wind power 2) most Roman rowers were not enslaved & thetes in Athens were poor but free men 3) most Punic rowers were freeborn. Slavery is so important to understand but let’s be intentional and factual.
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
"With that in mind, any serious push to account for the actions of this government — to abolish the president’s private army, restructure immigration enforcement and punish anyone responsible for wrongdoing — must include recompense and repair for its victims. " www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/o...
Opinion | We Have to Face What ICE Has Done to Us
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:09 PM
"With that in mind, any serious push to account for the actions of this government — to abolish the president’s private army, restructure immigration enforcement and punish anyone responsible for wrongdoing — must include recompense and repair for its victims. " www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/o...
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
Flu kills half a million people every year
FDA refuses to review Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine arstechnica.com/health/2026/...
FDA refuses to review Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine
The move comes amid RFK Jr.'s relentless efforts to enact his anti-vaccine agenda.
arstechnica.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Flu kills half a million people every year
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
The El Paso airport borders Mexico-which Trump previously threatened to invade-and is used by ICE to run deportation flights
The airport is now closed, with the area designated as “national defense airspace”
Are we going to attack Mexico
Will we see mass deportation flights
This is very ominous
The airport is now closed, with the area designated as “national defense airspace”
Are we going to attack Mexico
Will we see mass deportation flights
This is very ominous
February 11, 2026 at 12:59 PM
The El Paso airport borders Mexico-which Trump previously threatened to invade-and is used by ICE to run deportation flights
The airport is now closed, with the area designated as “national defense airspace”
Are we going to attack Mexico
Will we see mass deportation flights
This is very ominous
The airport is now closed, with the area designated as “national defense airspace”
Are we going to attack Mexico
Will we see mass deportation flights
This is very ominous
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
Since learning the acronym DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim & Offender), I've taught it to students in my 'Environmental Communication' class because it's also used by climate-change deniers. Regardless of why it's deployed, knowledge of DARVO as a method protects against its intended effects.
TIL what DARVO means, a helpful term for this hearing:
"An acronym for 'Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender,' a reaction that perpetrators of wrongdoing, such as abusers or sexual offenders, may display in response to being held accountable for their behavior."
"An acronym for 'Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender,' a reaction that perpetrators of wrongdoing, such as abusers or sexual offenders, may display in response to being held accountable for their behavior."
February 11, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Since learning the acronym DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim & Offender), I've taught it to students in my 'Environmental Communication' class because it's also used by climate-change deniers. Regardless of why it's deployed, knowledge of DARVO as a method protects against its intended effects.
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
Grand jury fails to indict Democratic lawmakers who urged service members to disobey any illegal orders from President Trump. https://cnn.it/4apwQ6u
February 11, 2026 at 3:04 AM
Grand jury fails to indict Democratic lawmakers who urged service members to disobey any illegal orders from President Trump. https://cnn.it/4apwQ6u
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
The Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building looms in the background of the camp at Coldwater Spring, or Mni Owe Sni, at Fort Snelling along the Mississippi River — where the U.S. government in the mid-1800s killed hundreds of Dakota people and imprisoned more than 1,600 in a concentration camp.
Native activists set up prayer camp outside Minneapolis ICE detention center • Minnesota Reformer
Tribal members and descendents set up tipis and a fire at a Fort Snelling Park for four days of prayer for those detained by ICE
minnesotareformer.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:30 AM
The Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building looms in the background of the camp at Coldwater Spring, or Mni Owe Sni, at Fort Snelling along the Mississippi River — where the U.S. government in the mid-1800s killed hundreds of Dakota people and imprisoned more than 1,600 in a concentration camp.
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
I am generally dismissive of these things but this actually feels scary. This isn't just a scam email, it is an elaborately worked out and callous deception scheme, enabled by AI, and it is hard not to feel targeted.
Be careful out there, authors. Be *very* careful.
Be careful out there, authors. Be *very* careful.
February 11, 2026 at 12:08 PM
I am generally dismissive of these things but this actually feels scary. This isn't just a scam email, it is an elaborately worked out and callous deception scheme, enabled by AI, and it is hard not to feel targeted.
Be careful out there, authors. Be *very* careful.
Be careful out there, authors. Be *very* careful.
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
And then you get to a whacking great page of Respurces for Writers offering model contracts, helpful articles on rights, complete guide to self publishing etc, all of which lead to the contact form that will tell them you're an easy mark.
It's a long con, only AI did the work for them
It's a long con, only AI did the work for them
February 11, 2026 at 12:05 PM
And then you get to a whacking great page of Respurces for Writers offering model contracts, helpful articles on rights, complete guide to self publishing etc, all of which lead to the contact form that will tell them you're an easy mark.
It's a long con, only AI did the work for them
It's a long con, only AI did the work for them
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
This is genuinely scary now. The plausibility still falls apart like wet paper as soon as you look into it, but considering how far this scam has evolved in what, three months, I absolutely dread where we'll be by this time next year.
February 11, 2026 at 11:59 AM
This is genuinely scary now. The plausibility still falls apart like wet paper as soon as you look into it, but considering how far this scam has evolved in what, three months, I absolutely dread where we'll be by this time next year.
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
I cannot overstate that this is a multi page website that has been created out of *nothing at all* in order to look plausible to the author half-arsing her due diligence. It would have been days of work before AI.
February 11, 2026 at 11:57 AM
I cannot overstate that this is a multi page website that has been created out of *nothing at all* in order to look plausible to the author half-arsing her due diligence. It would have been days of work before AI.
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
Not fake like 'this is an AI generated review of a book', fake like *the book doesn't exist*. The author being interviewed doesn't exist, and nor does the book she's being interviewed about.
February 11, 2026 at 11:55 AM
Not fake like 'this is an AI generated review of a book', fake like *the book doesn't exist*. The author being interviewed doesn't exist, and nor does the book she's being interviewed about.
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
The website looks completely plausible at first glance. It's got publishing news, reviews, craft pieces, interviews, plus clickable Amazon and Goodreads links on the reviews. Proper stuff, right?
IT IS ALL FAKE.
IT IS ALL FAKE.
February 11, 2026 at 11:53 AM
The website looks completely plausible at first glance. It's got publishing news, reviews, craft pieces, interviews, plus clickable Amazon and Goodreads links on the reviews. Proper stuff, right?
IT IS ALL FAKE.
IT IS ALL FAKE.
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
The book club scam has taken an exciting new leap forward. I got one today from a "curated literary platform and newsletter" that, unusually, offered a link to its website. I'm in edits, so obviously I took the opportunity to procrastinate. /1
February 11, 2026 at 11:50 AM
The book club scam has taken an exciting new leap forward. I got one today from a "curated literary platform and newsletter" that, unusually, offered a link to its website. I'm in edits, so obviously I took the opportunity to procrastinate. /1
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
Pilots aboard a United Airlines flight where three flight attendants were seriously injured were not warned about turbulence reported by a plane in front of them, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded.
Turbulence warning was not relayed to plane before flight attendants were seriously injured | CNN
Pilots aboard a United Airlines flight where three flight attendants were seriously injured were not warned about turbulence reported by a plane in front of them, the National Transportation Safety Bo...
www.cnn.com
February 11, 2026 at 7:03 AM
Pilots aboard a United Airlines flight where three flight attendants were seriously injured were not warned about turbulence reported by a plane in front of them, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded.
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
“The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently rolled out a new policy that permits university officials to record classes without notifying the instructor. It’s a practice administrators have used in the past to investigate professors but have now formalized in writing.”
UNC Admin Can Now, Officially, Secretly Record Faculty
The new policy prohibits students from recording class without permission but explicitly allows administrators to surveil professors for any “lawful purpose.”
www.insidehighered.com
February 11, 2026 at 12:58 PM
“The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently rolled out a new policy that permits university officials to record classes without notifying the instructor. It’s a practice administrators have used in the past to investigate professors but have now formalized in writing.”
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
I think maybe the remarkable part is that the US Attorney tried to indict six Democratic elected officials (and veterans) who made a video saying that everyone should follow the law.
Breaking News: Prosecutors failed to secure an indictment against six Democrats who posted a video reminding members of the military to refuse illegal orders.
Prosecutors Fail to Bring Charges Against Democrats Involved in Illegal Orders Video
The rejection was a remarkable rebuke, suggesting that ordinary citizens did not believe that the lawmakers had committed any crimes.
nyti.ms
February 11, 2026 at 2:00 AM
I think maybe the remarkable part is that the US Attorney tried to indict six Democratic elected officials (and veterans) who made a video saying that everyone should follow the law.
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
The biggest risk in this moment is something sociologists call “symbolic compliance.”
That’s when an institution that is violating civil rights gives the public just enough symbolic victories that accountability efforts lose steam before there has been any meaningful change.
That’s when an institution that is violating civil rights gives the public just enough symbolic victories that accountability efforts lose steam before there has been any meaningful change.
January 26, 2026 at 11:35 PM
The biggest risk in this moment is something sociologists call “symbolic compliance.”
That’s when an institution that is violating civil rights gives the public just enough symbolic victories that accountability efforts lose steam before there has been any meaningful change.
That’s when an institution that is violating civil rights gives the public just enough symbolic victories that accountability efforts lose steam before there has been any meaningful change.
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
My inexpert evaluation is that their "neutral tools" analysis doesn't hold water. Grok actively participates in the co-creation of images. They cite Dyroff, but in that case, it was " the users’ voluntary inputs that create the content on [the site], not [the platform's] proprietary algorithms".
Dinking around in the St. Clair v. xAI docket, I found that xAI is indeed raising Section 230 as a defense to liability for Grok's bikini pics, as previewed in its opposition to a PI. ("Does 230 apply to gen AI outputs?" is a Q courts haven't answered yet.) storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Memorandum of Law in Opposition – #17 in St. Clair v. X.AI Holdings Corp. (S.D.N.Y., 1:26-cv-00386) – CourtListener.com
MEMORANDUM OF LAW in Opposition re: 7 Proposed Order to Show Cause With Emergency Relief, . Document filed by X.AI Holdings Corp...(Shuster, Michael) (Entered: 01/21/2026)
storage.courtlistener.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:18 AM
My inexpert evaluation is that their "neutral tools" analysis doesn't hold water. Grok actively participates in the co-creation of images. They cite Dyroff, but in that case, it was " the users’ voluntary inputs that create the content on [the site], not [the platform's] proprietary algorithms".
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
Those who weren’t resigned to the Math Idiot Garbage Bin as kids may not grasp how much “if you’re bad at math, you’ll die in a ditch and all will be better off for it” sentiment was floating around in the 90s and 2000s, but it sure felt real to me.
(my parents are great! It didn’t come from them!)
(my parents are great! It didn’t come from them!)
February 11, 2026 at 1:46 AM
Those who weren’t resigned to the Math Idiot Garbage Bin as kids may not grasp how much “if you’re bad at math, you’ll die in a ditch and all will be better off for it” sentiment was floating around in the 90s and 2000s, but it sure felt real to me.
(my parents are great! It didn’t come from them!)
(my parents are great! It didn’t come from them!)
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
Funny story: my career in drones exists because I have a arithmetic learning disability, tested awfully in math and couldn’t study STEM in college, and became so angered by how normal it was to look down upon non-tech people in the 2010s that I decided to master a hard tech field out of pure spite.
February 11, 2026 at 1:46 AM
Funny story: my career in drones exists because I have a arithmetic learning disability, tested awfully in math and couldn’t study STEM in college, and became so angered by how normal it was to look down upon non-tech people in the 2010s that I decided to master a hard tech field out of pure spite.
Reposted by Janet D. Stemwedel
