ersatzGrace
@ersatzgrace.bsky.social
IA/UXer, always thinking, often making. systems delight.
www.lenthic.com
www.smudgingthebinary.com
www.lenthic.com
www.smudgingthebinary.com
Reposted by ersatzGrace
Help us preserve at-risk data at our next hybrid datathon! February 11, 2-5pm ET.
Register here to attend online or in-person: libcal.library.harvard.edu/event/161867...
We hope to see you there!
Register here to attend online or in-person: libcal.library.harvard.edu/event/161867...
We hope to see you there!
January 26, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Help us preserve at-risk data at our next hybrid datathon! February 11, 2-5pm ET.
Register here to attend online or in-person: libcal.library.harvard.edu/event/161867...
We hope to see you there!
Register here to attend online or in-person: libcal.library.harvard.edu/event/161867...
We hope to see you there!
A bulleted, categorized list of reasons (and even the bullets are chunked, not granular) why people don't like LLM's -- since there's a push to be "nice".
Most of them are society-level impacts. All of them can be traced back to profit>people and system design.
Full and chunked to fit alt text.
Most of them are society-level impacts. All of them can be traced back to profit>people and system design.
Full and chunked to fit alt text.
January 22, 2026 at 11:50 AM
A bulleted, categorized list of reasons (and even the bullets are chunked, not granular) why people don't like LLM's -- since there's a push to be "nice".
Most of them are society-level impacts. All of them can be traced back to profit>people and system design.
Full and chunked to fit alt text.
Most of them are society-level impacts. All of them can be traced back to profit>people and system design.
Full and chunked to fit alt text.
As we go into the weekend, remember:
Caring about people is the root of our goodness.
Caring about people is smart.
Caring about people builds business that will weather mistakes.
Caring about people IS government for the people.
The counter-rhetoric is wrong.
Just care.
Caring about people is the root of our goodness.
Caring about people is smart.
Caring about people builds business that will weather mistakes.
Caring about people IS government for the people.
The counter-rhetoric is wrong.
Just care.
Just care
We won't get a chance to fix systems if we can't touch them.
www.smudgingthebinary.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:42 PM
As we go into the weekend, remember:
Caring about people is the root of our goodness.
Caring about people is smart.
Caring about people builds business that will weather mistakes.
Caring about people IS government for the people.
The counter-rhetoric is wrong.
Just care.
Caring about people is the root of our goodness.
Caring about people is smart.
Caring about people builds business that will weather mistakes.
Caring about people IS government for the people.
The counter-rhetoric is wrong.
Just care.
Minnesota,Venezuela, Greenland: all these and more are following abuser playbooks. To give up at any point empowers them.
The big, key pattern to understanding abusers is that it's all about their sense of their power.
They will escalate. They will expand. The only check is external.
The big, key pattern to understanding abusers is that it's all about their sense of their power.
They will escalate. They will expand. The only check is external.
January 15, 2026 at 11:37 AM
Minnesota,Venezuela, Greenland: all these and more are following abuser playbooks. To give up at any point empowers them.
The big, key pattern to understanding abusers is that it's all about their sense of their power.
They will escalate. They will expand. The only check is external.
The big, key pattern to understanding abusers is that it's all about their sense of their power.
They will escalate. They will expand. The only check is external.
Caring about people is the root of our goodness
Caring about people is smart.
Caring about people builds business that will weather mistakes.
Caring about people IS the burden of government.
Fuck the rhetoric that caring is evil/stupid/bad business/burdensome government.
Just care.
Caring about people is smart.
Caring about people builds business that will weather mistakes.
Caring about people IS the burden of government.
Fuck the rhetoric that caring is evil/stupid/bad business/burdensome government.
Just care.
Just care
We won't get a chance to fix systems if we can't touch them.
www.smudgingthebinary.com
January 12, 2026 at 11:40 AM
Caring about people is the root of our goodness
Caring about people is smart.
Caring about people builds business that will weather mistakes.
Caring about people IS the burden of government.
Fuck the rhetoric that caring is evil/stupid/bad business/burdensome government.
Just care.
Caring about people is smart.
Caring about people builds business that will weather mistakes.
Caring about people IS the burden of government.
Fuck the rhetoric that caring is evil/stupid/bad business/burdensome government.
Just care.
Reposted by ersatzGrace
WSJ investigation: In the past 6 months ICE agents have fired at vehicles 13 times, leading to:
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
Videos Show How ICE Vehicle Stops Can Escalate to Shootings
A WSJ visual investigation found that the Minneapolis ICE killing is one of 13 incidents where federal immigration agents have used deadly force against civilians in vehicles since July.
www.wsj.com
January 10, 2026 at 3:44 PM
WSJ investigation: In the past 6 months ICE agents have fired at vehicles 13 times, leading to:
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
it's hard to remember you like people when the assholes have the microphone.
remind yourself, preferably in situations without expectations or hope for some kind of transaction.
remind yourself, preferably in situations without expectations or hope for some kind of transaction.
January 10, 2026 at 1:58 PM
it's hard to remember you like people when the assholes have the microphone.
remind yourself, preferably in situations without expectations or hope for some kind of transaction.
remind yourself, preferably in situations without expectations or hope for some kind of transaction.
All of what's most stressing people out -- X / grok, Trump, jobs, healthcare, prices overall, tariffs, war mongering -- is in lock step with abuse behavior, at mass and writ large.
Lie, threaten, posture, hit. Psychological, emotional, physical, economic. Over and over again.
Lie, threaten, posture, hit. Psychological, emotional, physical, economic. Over and over again.
January 9, 2026 at 3:29 PM
All of what's most stressing people out -- X / grok, Trump, jobs, healthcare, prices overall, tariffs, war mongering -- is in lock step with abuse behavior, at mass and writ large.
Lie, threaten, posture, hit. Psychological, emotional, physical, economic. Over and over again.
Lie, threaten, posture, hit. Psychological, emotional, physical, economic. Over and over again.
It seems this is the week of gloves off in the Trump admin, being more transparent and vocal about the intended social shifts. Comply in advance with ICE *or else*, and we don't want students thinking for themselves, potentially outside our paradigm.
Call Senators about ACA. Chink their armor.
Call Senators about ACA. Chink their armor.
Linda McMahon: "We want to make sure they are not rabble rousers, they are not coming in to be activists, but they are coming in to academia"
January 9, 2026 at 1:12 PM
It seems this is the week of gloves off in the Trump admin, being more transparent and vocal about the intended social shifts. Comply in advance with ICE *or else*, and we don't want students thinking for themselves, potentially outside our paradigm.
Call Senators about ACA. Chink their armor.
Call Senators about ACA. Chink their armor.
Reposted by ersatzGrace
There are many fearless journalists telling the truth we just have to work a lot harder to find them now that so much of the national media has been corrupted by MAGA coded owners & operators.
COMMENTARY: It seems an increasing number of Americans, including elected leaders and journalists, are afraid to tell the truth about what happened on January 6. That's dangerous.
January 7, 2026 at 6:37 PM
There are many fearless journalists telling the truth we just have to work a lot harder to find them now that so much of the national media has been corrupted by MAGA coded owners & operators.
This is horrific, and escalation.
The *tarnished* silver lining is that they really are idiots to think they can wage war internally, 3 known fronts (Venezuela, Nigeria 12/25, Syria 12/19), 4 threats (Greenland, Iran, Cuba, Mexico, Columbia), and an ongoing annex narrative about Canada.
The *tarnished* silver lining is that they really are idiots to think they can wage war internally, 3 known fronts (Venezuela, Nigeria 12/25, Syria 12/19), 4 threats (Greenland, Iran, Cuba, Mexico, Columbia), and an ongoing annex narrative about Canada.
January 7, 2026 at 6:35 PM
This is horrific, and escalation.
The *tarnished* silver lining is that they really are idiots to think they can wage war internally, 3 known fronts (Venezuela, Nigeria 12/25, Syria 12/19), 4 threats (Greenland, Iran, Cuba, Mexico, Columbia), and an ongoing annex narrative about Canada.
The *tarnished* silver lining is that they really are idiots to think they can wage war internally, 3 known fronts (Venezuela, Nigeria 12/25, Syria 12/19), 4 threats (Greenland, Iran, Cuba, Mexico, Columbia), and an ongoing annex narrative about Canada.
We don't need another plate spinning in the air. But in some months we're likely going to be getting some gestalt confusion around the use of 'determinism', and there are threads that are highly relevant even now. So I brain-dumped.
Determinism and shifting taxonomy
As more companies move to "determined algorithms", we need to talk about deterministic software. It's been around. We have some people enamored with it, some people angry at it, and lots of tangled me...
www.smudgingthebinary.com
January 7, 2026 at 2:36 PM
We don't need another plate spinning in the air. But in some months we're likely going to be getting some gestalt confusion around the use of 'determinism', and there are threads that are highly relevant even now. So I brain-dumped.
I'm trying a new offering: 1-3 strategy days, leveraging IA, design, systems thinking, decades of cross-functional integration, to figure out what a problem is and how it can be approached bottom-up, and what skills / role is best positioned to do.
That's very rich info. :) Feel free to ??
That's very rich info. :) Feel free to ??
strategy days
Information architecture focused on human cognition. UX design and design systems when needed. All grounded in systems thinking.
www.lenthic.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:41 PM
I'm trying a new offering: 1-3 strategy days, leveraging IA, design, systems thinking, decades of cross-functional integration, to figure out what a problem is and how it can be approached bottom-up, and what skills / role is best positioned to do.
That's very rich info. :) Feel free to ??
That's very rich info. :) Feel free to ??
Reposted by ersatzGrace
Yeah, it has long been the case that adult-oriented businesses have to be careful or risk the wrath of everyone from prosecutors to payment-processing companies, but "prominent social media company owned by world's richest person swiftly became world's largest CSAM producer" produces no reaction.
Elon Musk chatbot repeatedly making CSAM on demand should be one of the single biggest stories right now and it's effectively a collective shrug instead
January 5, 2026 at 1:49 PM
Yeah, it has long been the case that adult-oriented businesses have to be careful or risk the wrath of everyone from prosecutors to payment-processing companies, but "prominent social media company owned by world's richest person swiftly became world's largest CSAM producer" produces no reaction.
You may NOT have the warm & fluffy, she says. They covet my nubbles and curves. COVET. {wiggles deeper}
January 3, 2026 at 2:24 AM
You may NOT have the warm & fluffy, she says. They covet my nubbles and curves. COVET. {wiggles deeper}
explain your username:
I like the way 'ersatz' feels when I say it. Yes, I also ran around singing/saying "Kwisatz Haderach" ad nauseam when I was a kid. Often with dance. >Nerd<
Others have sometimes commented on my grace, always about something I overthought to get there.
I like the way 'ersatz' feels when I say it. Yes, I also ran around singing/saying "Kwisatz Haderach" ad nauseam when I was a kid. Often with dance. >Nerd<
Others have sometimes commented on my grace, always about something I overthought to get there.
explain your username:
it's my actual name and it rules and i finally grew into it in my late teens and have been camping on 'dorian' everywhere i can since efnet
it's my actual name and it rules and i finally grew into it in my late teens and have been camping on 'dorian' everywhere i can since efnet
December 25, 2025 at 11:23 AM
explain your username:
I like the way 'ersatz' feels when I say it. Yes, I also ran around singing/saying "Kwisatz Haderach" ad nauseam when I was a kid. Often with dance. >Nerd<
Others have sometimes commented on my grace, always about something I overthought to get there.
I like the way 'ersatz' feels when I say it. Yes, I also ran around singing/saying "Kwisatz Haderach" ad nauseam when I was a kid. Often with dance. >Nerd<
Others have sometimes commented on my grace, always about something I overthought to get there.
The administration is assuming that people are more focused on their family, and that time will have normalized this when people look around again.
I urge people to read Cadwalladr's piece and repost from her post. Remember: this is the person who broke the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
I urge people to read Cadwalladr's piece and repost from her post. Remember: this is the person who broke the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
NEW: last night, the US govt launched an assault on the ‘global censorship industrial complex’, aka European tech researchers/campaigners.
It’s a deeply chilling move & speaks as to why we need international solidarity more than ever.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
It’s a deeply chilling move & speaks as to why we need international solidarity more than ever.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
A message to America: we are not your enemy
Last night, the US launched an all-out assault on the "global censorship industrial complex", I respond with some deep breaths, solidarity and a vibey video (it's all I have)
open.substack.com
December 24, 2025 at 1:44 PM
The administration is assuming that people are more focused on their family, and that time will have normalized this when people look around again.
I urge people to read Cadwalladr's piece and repost from her post. Remember: this is the person who broke the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
I urge people to read Cadwalladr's piece and repost from her post. Remember: this is the person who broke the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
So, we have a taxonomy/meaning issue. It's not only the far right (ahem), but business. There are certain words in biz that have shifting meaning: UX, discovery, AI are top of mind. They basically become whatever a biz wants them to be to satisfy marketing to get that bandwagon effect, and are...
December 24, 2025 at 11:33 AM
So, we have a taxonomy/meaning issue. It's not only the far right (ahem), but business. There are certain words in biz that have shifting meaning: UX, discovery, AI are top of mind. They basically become whatever a biz wants them to be to satisfy marketing to get that bandwagon effect, and are...
Reposted by ersatzGrace
here's the 60 minutes cecot video part 1 of 5 - recorded/uploaded by and all credit to @jasonparis.bsky.social
I just reduced background noise, chopped the 14 minutes into 3 minute segments each compressed under 100 mb for bsky's limits, cropped and rotated a few degrees for easier viewing on here
I just reduced background noise, chopped the 14 minutes into 3 minute segments each compressed under 100 mb for bsky's limits, cropped and rotated a few degrees for easier viewing on here
December 22, 2025 at 10:58 PM
here's the 60 minutes cecot video part 1 of 5 - recorded/uploaded by and all credit to @jasonparis.bsky.social
I just reduced background noise, chopped the 14 minutes into 3 minute segments each compressed under 100 mb for bsky's limits, cropped and rotated a few degrees for easier viewing on here
I just reduced background noise, chopped the 14 minutes into 3 minute segments each compressed under 100 mb for bsky's limits, cropped and rotated a few degrees for easier viewing on here
Bully swears peace if you just do what he says.
Scorpion vows no more stinging if frog treats him with respect.
December 20, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Bully swears peace if you just do what he says.
We have to care about information.
AI is not funny, or time-saving, or the next do-or-die service.
It's poisoning information. It's sundering our confidence and creating psychosis. It's clearing the path for people to abdicate responsibility.
It's setting us up for failure on a massive scale.
AI is not funny, or time-saving, or the next do-or-die service.
It's poisoning information. It's sundering our confidence and creating psychosis. It's clearing the path for people to abdicate responsibility.
It's setting us up for failure on a massive scale.
Closing out my year with a journal editor shocker 🧵
Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...
Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...
December 20, 2025 at 11:24 AM
We have to care about information.
AI is not funny, or time-saving, or the next do-or-die service.
It's poisoning information. It's sundering our confidence and creating psychosis. It's clearing the path for people to abdicate responsibility.
It's setting us up for failure on a massive scale.
AI is not funny, or time-saving, or the next do-or-die service.
It's poisoning information. It's sundering our confidence and creating psychosis. It's clearing the path for people to abdicate responsibility.
It's setting us up for failure on a massive scale.
Reposted by ersatzGrace
So we don't have a reasonable expectation of privacy in our data because it is "common knowledge" that tech companies harvest and sell our data. But tech companies can only do so because we have sheltered them from any data regulation that might stifle innovation. /1
therecord.media/google-searc...
therecord.media/google-searc...
Pa. high court rules that police can access Google searches without a warrant
In a decision that only affects Pennsylvanians but could have privacy implications elsewhere, the state's Supreme Court ruled that police did not need a warrant to access a rape suspect's Google searc...
therecord.media
December 19, 2025 at 3:07 PM
So we don't have a reasonable expectation of privacy in our data because it is "common knowledge" that tech companies harvest and sell our data. But tech companies can only do so because we have sheltered them from any data regulation that might stifle innovation. /1
therecord.media/google-searc...
therecord.media/google-searc...
Reposted by ersatzGrace
"This promise of an AI future, is really just a collective anxiety that wealthy people have about how well they're gonna be able to control us in the future."
- @tressiemcphd.bsky.social with an absolute mic drop moment about AI bullshit.
Incredible words.
Listen to all of it!
- @tressiemcphd.bsky.social with an absolute mic drop moment about AI bullshit.
Incredible words.
Listen to all of it!
December 19, 2025 at 12:24 PM
"This promise of an AI future, is really just a collective anxiety that wealthy people have about how well they're gonna be able to control us in the future."
- @tressiemcphd.bsky.social with an absolute mic drop moment about AI bullshit.
Incredible words.
Listen to all of it!
- @tressiemcphd.bsky.social with an absolute mic drop moment about AI bullshit.
Incredible words.
Listen to all of it!
So, the vanguard idea of capitalism is that we get to specialize, to sit and grow our understanding and knowledge in one particular area, and then sell what we've learned. It might be a product, or a process, or artifacts after a process.
December 19, 2025 at 12:11 PM
So, the vanguard idea of capitalism is that we get to specialize, to sit and grow our understanding and knowledge in one particular area, and then sell what we've learned. It might be a product, or a process, or artifacts after a process.