ejr
@elisjr4.bsky.social
Library tech manatee in a mermaid world.
Listening and learning
Listening and learning
Reposted by ejr
Glad Rolling Stone published this, especially given the loud silence from the rest of the media on this grim watershed moment in US political history.
Melissa Hortman Died in a Shocking Act of Political Violence. This Is the Story of Her Life
The Minnesota Speaker’s closest friends and family open up for the first time.
Read @stephenrodrick.bsky.social's exclusive: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
The Minnesota Speaker’s closest friends and family open up for the first time.
Read @stephenrodrick.bsky.social's exclusive: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
December 18, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Glad Rolling Stone published this, especially given the loud silence from the rest of the media on this grim watershed moment in US political history.
Reposted by ejr
My response to anything over the next two weeks
December 18, 2025 at 6:10 PM
My response to anything over the next two weeks
Reposted by ejr
Also, congratulations everyone who made something this year. A comic, a song, a film, a novel, a painting, a poem, a short story, a sculpture, crochet, embroidery, whatever it is. In this era of slop and theft, if you *make* something you are a shining jewel and I am so grateful for you.
December 11, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Also, congratulations everyone who made something this year. A comic, a song, a film, a novel, a painting, a poem, a short story, a sculpture, crochet, embroidery, whatever it is. In this era of slop and theft, if you *make* something you are a shining jewel and I am so grateful for you.
Yep. So much wasted time.
“AI models not only point some users to false sources but also cause problems for researchers and librarians, who end up wasting their time looking for requested nonexistent records…”
AI Slop Is Spurring Record Requests for Imaginary Journals
The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that artificial intelligence models are making up research papers, journals and archives
www.scientificamerican.com
December 9, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Yep. So much wasted time.
Reposted by ejr
On AI cannibalism:
"Calculators expanded reasoning; the printing press spread knowledge. ChatGPT, by contrast, doesn’t extend cognition—it automates it, turning thinking itself into a service. Rather than democratizing learning, it privatizes the act of thinking under corporate control."
"Calculators expanded reasoning; the printing press spread knowledge. ChatGPT, by contrast, doesn’t extend cognition—it automates it, turning thinking itself into a service. Rather than democratizing learning, it privatizes the act of thinking under corporate control."
"the very programs best equipped to study the social and ethical implications of AI were being defunded, even as the university promoted the use of OpenAI’s products across campus. This isn’t innovation—it’s institutional auto-cannibalism."
www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-d...
www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-d...
AI is Destroying the University and Learning Itself
Students use AI to write papers, professors use AI to grade them, degrees become meaningless, and tech companies make fortunes. Welcome to the death of higher education.
www.currentaffairs.org
December 8, 2025 at 6:36 AM
On AI cannibalism:
"Calculators expanded reasoning; the printing press spread knowledge. ChatGPT, by contrast, doesn’t extend cognition—it automates it, turning thinking itself into a service. Rather than democratizing learning, it privatizes the act of thinking under corporate control."
"Calculators expanded reasoning; the printing press spread knowledge. ChatGPT, by contrast, doesn’t extend cognition—it automates it, turning thinking itself into a service. Rather than democratizing learning, it privatizes the act of thinking under corporate control."
This!!!👇🏼👇🏼
If some guy stole my shit and made millions off it while wiping out my job prospects, and you, as my friend, bought that guy's cheap mass market replica of my shit, you and i would for obvious reasons have a problem. It being a massive company, not a guy, actually makes it even more of a problem.
December 8, 2025 at 5:55 PM
This!!!👇🏼👇🏼
Reposted by ejr
Amazon is helping fund a $300 million build of a ballroom for the White House.
Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity.
They are not the same.
Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity.
They are not the same.
October 30, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Amazon is helping fund a $300 million build of a ballroom for the White House.
Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity.
They are not the same.
Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity.
They are not the same.
Reposted by ejr
Every word of this.
October 24, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Every word of this.
Reminder that just because CA seems blue and has decent consumer protections rn, doesn't mean we should expect it to stay that way without a fight.
CA governor Gavin Newsom vetoed both of the major AI bills on his desk that Silicon Valley meaningfully opposed—one making it illegal for bosses to use AI to fire workers with no oversight, one requiring chatbot sellers to ensure their products do not harm children before marketing to them.
Silicon Valley's capture of our political institutions is all but complete
The tech lobby kills off two key California AI bills, and why it matters. Plus: How Sam Altman played Hollywood with Sora 2, organized mass social media deletions, and more.
www.bloodinthemachine.com
October 16, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Reminder that just because CA seems blue and has decent consumer protections rn, doesn't mean we should expect it to stay that way without a fight.
Reposted by ejr
First sentence says it all: "Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed legislation that would have required data centers to report how much water they use." Read the rest of the story though. from @ianjames.bsky.social: www.latimes.com/environment/...
California cracks down on water theft but spares data centers from disclosing how much they use
Gov. Newsom vetoed a bill that would have required data centers to report their projected water use when applying for a business license.
www.latimes.com
October 14, 2025 at 4:19 PM
First sentence says it all: "Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed legislation that would have required data centers to report how much water they use." Read the rest of the story though. from @ianjames.bsky.social: www.latimes.com/environment/...
Reposted by ejr
I am writing this because it has swiftly become crystal clear to me that many people have no idea what is happening or how this works. Here is a thread for non-academics to put into context what just happened to Dr. Mark Bray, a fellow historian.
October 10, 2025 at 4:45 PM
I am writing this because it has swiftly become crystal clear to me that many people have no idea what is happening or how this works. Here is a thread for non-academics to put into context what just happened to Dr. Mark Bray, a fellow historian.
Oh good old ALA 🙄 what's that org racial demographic again?
You're telling me that when the majority of books under attack are books by and about BIPOC and queer identities, and that this present wave of bans is an attempt to erase marginalized representation entirely, that ALA chose to theme Banned Books Week around George Orwell's 1984?
September 25, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Oh good old ALA 🙄 what's that org racial demographic again?
Reposted by ejr
‘Booty’ and ‘butt’ are synonyms.
‘Call’ and ‘dial’ are synonyms.
But, a ‘booty call’ and a ‘butt dial’ are VERY different things.
‘Call’ and ‘dial’ are synonyms.
But, a ‘booty call’ and a ‘butt dial’ are VERY different things.
September 12, 2025 at 3:18 PM
‘Booty’ and ‘butt’ are synonyms.
‘Call’ and ‘dial’ are synonyms.
But, a ‘booty call’ and a ‘butt dial’ are VERY different things.
‘Call’ and ‘dial’ are synonyms.
But, a ‘booty call’ and a ‘butt dial’ are VERY different things.
Reposted by ejr
For everyone saying political violence has no place in this country…
Remember two Democratic legislators were shot in Minnesota just this year.
And America shrugged and moved on.
Remember two Democratic legislators were shot in Minnesota just this year.
And America shrugged and moved on.
September 10, 2025 at 8:53 PM
For everyone saying political violence has no place in this country…
Remember two Democratic legislators were shot in Minnesota just this year.
And America shrugged and moved on.
Remember two Democratic legislators were shot in Minnesota just this year.
And America shrugged and moved on.
Reposted by ejr
This should be illegal.
Ghost jobs are a real danger for people living paycheck to paycheck. Someone teetering on the edge of poverty may spend precious hours, transportation money, and emotional energy applying to positions that don’t exist or are already filled.
More than 80% of recruiters admit to posting ‘ghost jobs’ to juice their talent pool and business reputation
Companies are trying to improve their reputation at the detriment of job-seekers.
fortune.com
September 10, 2025 at 2:56 AM
This should be illegal.
Reposted by ejr
That's bc it doesn't "know" they've been retracted. Bc it cannot think, analyze, or evaluate.
“The study authors asked GPT 4o-mini to evaluate the quality of 217 papers. The tool didn’t mention in any of the reports that the papers being analyzed had been retracted or had validity issues.
In 190 cases, GPT described the papers as world leading, internationally excellent, or close to that”
In 190 cases, GPT described the papers as world leading, internationally excellent, or close to that”
ChatGPT tends to ignore retractions on scientific papers
Study finds the chatbot doesn’t acknowledge concerns with problematic studies
cen.acs.org
August 25, 2025 at 4:55 PM
That's bc it doesn't "know" they've been retracted. Bc it cannot think, analyze, or evaluate.
Reposted by ejr
CA is the kind of state where in 1847 our acting governor could say "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, unless for punishment of crimes, shall ever be tolerated in this State" then 1 year later we have slave auctions in Gold Country and legalized Indigenous slavery.
I think a lot of people daydreaming about California (or what have you) seceding are not thinking about the fact that California looks like this.
August 20, 2025 at 2:55 AM
CA is the kind of state where in 1847 our acting governor could say "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, unless for punishment of crimes, shall ever be tolerated in this State" then 1 year later we have slave auctions in Gold Country and legalized Indigenous slavery.
Reposted by ejr
They’ve tried to erase us for centuries. Didn’t work then, won’t work now. Black history IS American history.
August 20, 2025 at 3:29 AM
They’ve tried to erase us for centuries. Didn’t work then, won’t work now. Black history IS American history.
Reposted by ejr
To my 10th grade English teacher, who said, “Make the conclusion count.”
August 20, 2025 at 11:49 AM
To my 10th grade English teacher, who said, “Make the conclusion count.”
Reposted by ejr
“We need a massive movement of higher ed workers & students...As higher ed goes, so goes democracy. But the converse isn’t absolutely true. Higher ed alone cannot save democracy, but we’re a critical part.
We need a broader societal movement to save our country.”
— Todd Wolfson, AAUP President
We need a broader societal movement to save our country.”
— Todd Wolfson, AAUP President
AAUP President: “Higher Ed Alone Cannot Save Democracy”
More than a year into his presidency of the American Association of University Professors—including nearly seven months of Trump’s targeting of universities—Todd Wolfson is calling for a “multisector”...
www.insidehighered.com
August 19, 2025 at 2:22 PM
“We need a massive movement of higher ed workers & students...As higher ed goes, so goes democracy. But the converse isn’t absolutely true. Higher ed alone cannot save democracy, but we’re a critical part.
We need a broader societal movement to save our country.”
— Todd Wolfson, AAUP President
We need a broader societal movement to save our country.”
— Todd Wolfson, AAUP President
Reposted by ejr
"Solving" the digital divide with AI bootcamps is like "solving" food insecurity with restaurant etiquette lessons.
It doesn't touch the deeper inequities. It risks creating a culture of blame if kids don't use what they learn. And it risks reifying the idea that private wealth always knows best.
It doesn't touch the deeper inequities. It risks creating a culture of blame if kids don't use what they learn. And it risks reifying the idea that private wealth always knows best.
Yes, we need more equity in computer science education and employment. Yes, we need more diversity in tech.
But...that's doesn't mean media coverage like this doesn't help the white male tech bros make more $$ and entrench their power...
But...that's doesn't mean media coverage like this doesn't help the white male tech bros make more $$ and entrench their power...
An AI divide is growing in schools. This camp wants to level the playing field
For years, research has shown a digital divide when it comes to schools teaching about new technologies. Educators worry that this could leave some students behind in an AI-powered economy.
www.npr.org
August 20, 2025 at 12:42 PM
"Solving" the digital divide with AI bootcamps is like "solving" food insecurity with restaurant etiquette lessons.
It doesn't touch the deeper inequities. It risks creating a culture of blame if kids don't use what they learn. And it risks reifying the idea that private wealth always knows best.
It doesn't touch the deeper inequities. It risks creating a culture of blame if kids don't use what they learn. And it risks reifying the idea that private wealth always knows best.
Reposted by ejr
One of the things you learned at 18F and USDS is that government isn’t like a business: it has to serve everybody and not just specific market segments that are the most convenient.
August 20, 2025 at 12:49 PM
One of the things you learned at 18F and USDS is that government isn’t like a business: it has to serve everybody and not just specific market segments that are the most convenient.
Reposted by ejr
More work the public libraries will have to take on, even as they do their own recovery work. The library is pretty much the only place left where you can get free tech help and training on computer skills. Staff will have to manage personal recovery, employer recovery, and now patron recovery.
FEMA now requires disaster victims to have an email address if they want aid. But what happens to the tens of millions of Americans who don't have internet access in the first place? from @mollytaft.com
FEMA Now Requires Disaster Victims to Have an Email Address
Workers at FEMA worry that demanding disaster survivors access services using email could shut out people without internet connectivity from receiving government aid.
www.wired.com
August 20, 2025 at 1:24 PM
More work the public libraries will have to take on, even as they do their own recovery work. The library is pretty much the only place left where you can get free tech help and training on computer skills. Staff will have to manage personal recovery, employer recovery, and now patron recovery.
Reposted by ejr
Again, why else do you think they're pushing so hard into education, esp K-12? You get subscribers by hooking them in young. AI EdTech is about locking in future consumers, not about better pedagogy.
OpenAI's $500 billion valuation is based on the assumption they will have 2 billion - yes, 2 billion - paid-up users. www.wired.com/story/openai...
August 20, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Again, why else do you think they're pushing so hard into education, esp K-12? You get subscribers by hooking them in young. AI EdTech is about locking in future consumers, not about better pedagogy.
Reposted by ejr
Because banning social media for kids is not about protecting kids or making their lives better. It flies in the face of research, data, and what kids are telling us. It’s about controlling them, isolating them, and keeping them uninformed. It’s part of the fascist playbook.
having thought about this for three days, my current status is:
what the FUCK are we doing trying to ban social media for kids and not banning AI use? we are literally telling them not to use the computer to talk to their real friends but instead to the imaginary technology monetisable 'friends'.
what the FUCK are we doing trying to ban social media for kids and not banning AI use? we are literally telling them not to use the computer to talk to their real friends but instead to the imaginary technology monetisable 'friends'.
this makes me suspect that one of the routes that AI companies are aiming at is targeting young people. anything that existed when you were a kid feels normal and indispensable. especially if you always used AI to write all your essays for you. and to comfort you when your parents were arguing.
August 20, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Because banning social media for kids is not about protecting kids or making their lives better. It flies in the face of research, data, and what kids are telling us. It’s about controlling them, isolating them, and keeping them uninformed. It’s part of the fascist playbook.