James Aylett
@james.tartarus.org
He/him. Thinking about books & art & narrative & drama ... and the future. Previously professionally worried about privacy and AI (now only in a personal capacity).
If I don't follow you it doesn't mean I don't like you.
If I don't follow you it doesn't mean I don't like you.
Reposted by James Aylett
Historian of medicine here. Yes. Yes, they did.
before antibiotics did people just die all the time from everything?
February 17, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Historian of medicine here. Yes. Yes, they did.
Reposted by James Aylett
I'd like the UK government to get even half the flack they're getting for Mandie and Epstein for their ongoing Palantir contracts and connections
Dude is quickly climbing the ranks of Most Dangerous Man Alive
February 16, 2026 at 7:08 PM
I'd like the UK government to get even half the flack they're getting for Mandie and Epstein for their ongoing Palantir contracts and connections
Reposted by James Aylett
It’s easy to think writing is mainly the transcription of ideas you already have—that is, until you try to write something worthwhile, and you find what you thought were saying transform into something far more interesting in the process. This skips that last step, and that is *not* an improvement.
“We plan to hire an AI rewrite specialist to ingest the reporting by Hannah and others and use AI to convert it into stories.”
The editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer said it will use AI to ‘write’ its articles.
www.cleveland.com/news/2025/10...
The editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer said it will use AI to ‘write’ its articles.
www.cleveland.com/news/2025/10...
February 16, 2026 at 2:45 PM
It’s easy to think writing is mainly the transcription of ideas you already have—that is, until you try to write something worthwhile, and you find what you thought were saying transform into something far more interesting in the process. This skips that last step, and that is *not* an improvement.
Reposted by James Aylett
It's Rebecca's birthday, and I want to remind folks that this is an inexpensive and outstanding entry point to her writing. On Demon Wrangling remains one of my top short stories of last year.
Demelza, a world-weary witch, and Uliana, an even more exhausted vampyre, work together to send wayward demons, ghosts and otherworldly creatures back to where they came from. But some jobs are more difficult than others.
🔖 story: mybook.to/RXIIkD
💌 itch.io: rebecca-crunden.itch.io/on-demon-wra...
🔖 story: mybook.to/RXIIkD
💌 itch.io: rebecca-crunden.itch.io/on-demon-wra...
February 16, 2026 at 6:20 PM
It's Rebecca's birthday, and I want to remind folks that this is an inexpensive and outstanding entry point to her writing. On Demon Wrangling remains one of my top short stories of last year.
Reposted by James Aylett
If you are wondering what words the all-male Congress found so "blasphemous" that they felt compelled to literally scrape them off the monument, they were: ''Woman, first denied a soul, then called mindless, now arisen, declared herself an entity to be reckoned.''
On this day in 1921, Congress reluctantly accepted a sculpture memorializing women’s 19th A victory. Congress relegated the memorial to the Capitol’s crypt & painted over the feminist inscription. The statue stayed entombed in the crypt for 76 years. The inscription is still not restored. #WeTheMen
February 16, 2026 at 4:35 PM
If you are wondering what words the all-male Congress found so "blasphemous" that they felt compelled to literally scrape them off the monument, they were: ''Woman, first denied a soul, then called mindless, now arisen, declared herself an entity to be reckoned.''
I had the tube / cylinder Head bag, but in turquoise and ... maybe grey like the colours on this different Head bag (mine had the detachable bit in turquoise, like the red end in the QP): www.ebay.co.uk/itm/16692195...
February 16, 2026 at 6:39 PM
I had the tube / cylinder Head bag, but in turquoise and ... maybe grey like the colours on this different Head bag (mine had the detachable bit in turquoise, like the red end in the QP): www.ebay.co.uk/itm/16692195...
Reposted by James Aylett
I really like when a death makes me go 'Aww' in a sad but also happy for their long and wonderful fulfilled life way.
I love that actually. His memory will be a blessing to so many.
I love that actually. His memory will be a blessing to so many.
Robert Duvall, the legendary actor whose career has spanned over six decades, has died at 95, his wife announced
February 16, 2026 at 6:08 PM
I really like when a death makes me go 'Aww' in a sad but also happy for their long and wonderful fulfilled life way.
I love that actually. His memory will be a blessing to so many.
I love that actually. His memory will be a blessing to so many.
Reposted by James Aylett
I can’t help but think of this story in tandem w the views of JD Vance and his fellow travelers to the effect that people like Parton, who don’t have children of their own, lack a “direct stake” in the country’s future.
The study found that children enrolled in Parton’s Imagination Library “were 5 times more likely to be interested in reading, 11 times more likely to be interested in books, and 15 times more likely to join in during shared reading, compared to children who aren't enrolled.”
February 16, 2026 at 5:36 PM
I can’t help but think of this story in tandem w the views of JD Vance and his fellow travelers to the effect that people like Parton, who don’t have children of their own, lack a “direct stake” in the country’s future.
Reposted by James Aylett
alexander the great, who actually forged an empire, was tutored by a little known athens-educated philosopher named aristotle
What empire did Sparta have? Sparta's military existed mostly to keep their slave population under control. They hegemony after the Peloponnesian War lasted only 30 years. They then got obliterated by the Macedonians, turning their town into a tourist attraction for the Romans.
February 16, 2026 at 4:57 PM
alexander the great, who actually forged an empire, was tutored by a little known athens-educated philosopher named aristotle
Reposted by James Aylett
One thing that I think gets lost in some of this discourse is that we wrote the Stochastic Parrots paper in Sept-Oct of 2020 -- more than two years before ChatGPT was released and the AI hype really took off.
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And you're right that the term stochastic parrots is not derogatory but you are 100% wrong when you claim that we meant it to be.
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February 16, 2026 at 4:53 PM
One thing that I think gets lost in some of this discourse is that we wrote the Stochastic Parrots paper in Sept-Oct of 2020 -- more than two years before ChatGPT was released and the AI hype really took off.
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Reposted by James Aylett
"Invisible whips directing invisible labor." This really gives the game away.The agent-orati are getting a dopamine hit from the power over automation, docile bodies.
"Reading a novel feels indulgent." As if enriching oneself is a waste. You could be exercising your power over something instead.
"Reading a novel feels indulgent." As if enriching oneself is a waste. You could be exercising your power over something instead.
February 16, 2026 at 1:32 AM
"Invisible whips directing invisible labor." This really gives the game away.The agent-orati are getting a dopamine hit from the power over automation, docile bodies.
"Reading a novel feels indulgent." As if enriching oneself is a waste. You could be exercising your power over something instead.
"Reading a novel feels indulgent." As if enriching oneself is a waste. You could be exercising your power over something instead.
Reposted by James Aylett
”I’ll never stop looking for you”
February 15, 2026 at 7:41 PM
”I’ll never stop looking for you”
Reposted by James Aylett
TIL that in Old English the goose/geese tooth/teeth foot/feet alternation for plural nouns also applied to "book", so singular boc became plural bec! I am charmed.
Bring back beek!
Bring back beek!
February 15, 2026 at 5:06 PM
TIL that in Old English the goose/geese tooth/teeth foot/feet alternation for plural nouns also applied to "book", so singular boc became plural bec! I am charmed.
Bring back beek!
Bring back beek!
Reposted by James Aylett
I would love to find a way to connect @SenSanders , @RoKhanna and @AOC to artists orgs and unions who are fighting GenAi companies for their original sin: taking our creative works to build their models without our consent, credit or compensation.
Especially with them hosting events like these
Especially with them hosting events like these
A Townhall w/ Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Ro Khanna on Who Controls the Future of AI: THE OLIGARCHS or THE PEOPLE?
events.stanford.edu
February 16, 2026 at 6:26 AM
I would love to find a way to connect @SenSanders , @RoKhanna and @AOC to artists orgs and unions who are fighting GenAi companies for their original sin: taking our creative works to build their models without our consent, credit or compensation.
Especially with them hosting events like these
Especially with them hosting events like these
Oh fuck I have a completely pointless HOA meeting today where adults have to vote down a bunch of motions because someone gave children access to email and ChatGPT*.
* I mean, I'm assuming. Half the propose amendments can't even be voted on because they are legally impossible or don't make sense.
* I mean, I'm assuming. Half the propose amendments can't even be voted on because they are legally impossible or don't make sense.
February 16, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Oh fuck I have a completely pointless HOA meeting today where adults have to vote down a bunch of motions because someone gave children access to email and ChatGPT*.
* I mean, I'm assuming. Half the propose amendments can't even be voted on because they are legally impossible or don't make sense.
* I mean, I'm assuming. Half the propose amendments can't even be voted on because they are legally impossible or don't make sense.
Why yes thank you, provider A who I moved away from and who sent me a letter confirming that, I absolutely did want you to take more money against the direct debit I haven't closed off yet and in no way do I consider that a fraudulent charge on your part.
February 16, 2026 at 6:57 AM
Why yes thank you, provider A who I moved away from and who sent me a letter confirming that, I absolutely did want you to take more money against the direct debit I haven't closed off yet and in no way do I consider that a fraudulent charge on your part.
Reposted by James Aylett
The thing Pinker doesn't realize is that when looking at long term trends, accusations against him are at a historic low
February 15, 2026 at 3:27 PM
The thing Pinker doesn't realize is that when looking at long term trends, accusations against him are at a historic low
Reposted by James Aylett
Why am I watching #Casablanca ? Because Casablanca is on and when it’s on, you watch it. #TCMparty
February 14, 2026 at 6:21 PM
Why am I watching #Casablanca ? Because Casablanca is on and when it’s on, you watch it. #TCMparty
So Firefox Profiles > Firefox Accounts > Windows > Tabs, and tabs have containers but windows don't have anything comparable, so there seems no way to have a window with window-specific configuration or extensions, beyond coding that into an extension. (This is annoying, but just a note to myself.)
February 14, 2026 at 6:13 PM
So Firefox Profiles > Firefox Accounts > Windows > Tabs, and tabs have containers but windows don't have anything comparable, so there seems no way to have a window with window-specific configuration or extensions, beyond coding that into an extension. (This is annoying, but just a note to myself.)
Source code: /* We hide the body initially to prevent flash of unstyled content (FOUC) */
Me: *screaming*
Me: *screaming*
February 14, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Source code: /* We hide the body initially to prevent flash of unstyled content (FOUC) */
Me: *screaming*
Me: *screaming*
Reposted by James Aylett
Genesis 3:24 says God placed a cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the entrance to the Garden of Eden and Renaissance painters were like, clearly this is a baby we're talking about.
September 30, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Genesis 3:24 says God placed a cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the entrance to the Garden of Eden and Renaissance painters were like, clearly this is a baby we're talking about.
Reposted by James Aylett
I don't think it is only our job to teach students how to read long novels; it may also be our jobs to teach them how to live without an online surveillance state. To learn without intrusive apps. To swap notes. To write in a book's margins. To exist in their communities in slow, clunky, human ways.
February 14, 2026 at 3:41 PM
I don't think it is only our job to teach students how to read long novels; it may also be our jobs to teach them how to live without an online surveillance state. To learn without intrusive apps. To swap notes. To write in a book's margins. To exist in their communities in slow, clunky, human ways.
Unexpected interfaces (number 6 of unknown): you drag games in Steam from "uncategorised" to a category, but you don't drag them back to uncategorised to remove them, you drag them to a magically-appearing box at the top of the screen that I didn't even spot the first time I tried.
February 14, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Unexpected interfaces (number 6 of unknown): you drag games in Steam from "uncategorised" to a category, but you don't drag them back to uncategorised to remove them, you drag them to a magically-appearing box at the top of the screen that I didn't even spot the first time I tried.
Reposted by James Aylett
Beep showing off his floof
February 14, 2026 at 12:18 PM
Beep showing off his floof
Reposted by James Aylett
Interesting. British more emphatic than French or Germans that European autonomy is more important than preserving the US alliance. (Poles still an outlier)
Do Europeans think it's more important to prioritise European autonomy (+) or preserve the US-Europe alliance (-)?
🇬🇧 +20
🇮🇹 +17
🇪🇸 +14
🇩🇪 +11
🇫🇷 +3
🇵🇱 -15
yougov.co.uk/internationa...
🇬🇧 +20
🇮🇹 +17
🇪🇸 +14
🇩🇪 +11
🇫🇷 +3
🇵🇱 -15
yougov.co.uk/internationa...
February 14, 2026 at 9:23 AM
Interesting. British more emphatic than French or Germans that European autonomy is more important than preserving the US alliance. (Poles still an outlier)