Tackiness and tyranny go hand in hand

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The Federal Trade Commission removed several blog posts in recent months about open source and potential risks to consumers from the rapid spread of commercial AI tools.

Argentina: A very Trumpy debacle

I am not celebrating the end of the ‘war’ because this was not a war – and it’s not over, either

Let's Talk About The Water Crisis That Has Been Hiding in Plain Sight

Public approval of labor unions remains historically strong at 68%, marking the fifth consecutive year with nearly 70% support.

Nearly 28,000 people relied on Glenn Medical center for its services, but now they will have to travel more than 30 miles for care

Forget about “soft autocracy”

Today's links Announcing the Enshittification tour: Come say hi, why dontcha? Hey look at this: Delights to delectate. Object permanence: HP defeat device; It Gets Better; OPM hack endangers CIA in Beijing; Self-driving cars crash. Upcoming appearances: Where to find me. Recent appearances: Where I've been. Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em. Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em. Colophon: All the rest. Announcing the Enshittification tour (permalink) Next Monday, I'll be departing for a 24-city, three-month book tour for my new book, Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Went Wrong and What To Do About It: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374619329/enshittification/ This is a big tour! I'll be doing in-person events in the US, Canada, the UK and Portugal, and a virtual event in Spain. I'm also planning an event in Hamburg, Germany for December, but that one hasn't been confirmed yet, so it doesn't appear in the schedule below. You'll notice that there are events that are missing their signup and ticketing details; I'll be keeping the master tour schedule up to date at pluralistic.net/tour. If there's an event you're interested in that hasn't had its details filled in yet, please send an email to doctorow@craphound.com with the name of the event in the subject line. I'm going to create one-shot mailing lists that I'll update with details when they're available (please forgive me if I fumble this – book tours are pretty intensive affairs and I'll be squeezing this into the spare moments). Here's that schedule! Cambridge, MA: Harvard Books presents a conversation with Randall "XKCD" Munroe at the Brattle Theater (Oct 7, 6PM) https://www.harvard.com/event/cory-doctorow Washington, DC: In conversation with former CFPB chair and FTC commissioner Rohit Chopra at Politics & Prose at the Wharf (Oct 8, 7PM) https://politics-prose.com/cory-doctorow-10825 Brooklyn, NY: Greenlight Bookstore presents a conversation with former FTC chair Lina Khan at the Brooklyn Public Library (Oct 9, 7PM) https://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/cory-doctorow-discusses-central-library-dweck-20251009-0700pm New Orleans, LA: Guest of Honor at DeepSouthCon at the New Orleans Airport Hilton (Oct 10-12) http://www.contraflowscifi.org/ New Orleans, LA: Enshittification at Octavia Books (Oct 12, 1PM) https://www.octaviabooks.com/event/enshittification-cory-doctorow Chicago, IL: In conversation with Rick Perlstein at the University Club (Oct 14, 12PM) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-platforms-die-with-cory-doctorow-tickets-1747916117159 Los Angeles, CA: In conversation with The American Prospect's David Dayen at Diesel Books (Oct 16, 6:30PM) https://dieselbookstore.com/event/2025-10-16/cory-doctorow-enshittification Calgary, AB: Literary Death Match at Wordfest (Oct 17, 7:30PM) https://wordfest.com/2025/imaginarium/show/literary-death-match/ Calgary, AB: Big Tech’s Betrayal—and How to Break Free! at Wordfest (Oct 18, 1PM) https://wordfest.com/2025/imaginarium/show/big-techs-betrayaland-how-to-break-free/ San Francisco, CA: In conversation with Jenny Odell, author of How To Do Nothing at Public Works, presented by Booksmith (Oct 20, 7PM) https://app.gopassage.com/events/29638 Portland, OR: Enshittification at Powell's City of Books (Oct 21, 7PM) https://www.powells.com/events/cory-doctorow-10-21-25 Seattle, WA: In conversation with Ed Zitron of Where's Your Ed At at the Seattle Public Library, presented by Clarion West (Oct 22, 7PM) https://www.spl.org/programs-and-services/authors-and-books/authors-and-books-calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D188210978 Vancouver, BC: In conversation with David Moscrop at the Vancouver Writers Festival (Oct 23, 530PM) https://www.showpass.com/2025-festival-39/ Montreal, PQ: Keynote for the Attention Forum (Oct 24) https://www.attentionconferences.com/conferences/2025-forum Montreal, PQ: Enshittification at Librarie Drawn and Quarterly (Oct 24) https://mtl.drawnandquarterly.com/events/3757420251024 Ottawa, ON: Enshittification at the Ottawa Writers Festival (Oct 25, 8PM) https://writersfestival.org/events/fall-2025/enshittification Toronto, ON: Enshittification with Dan Werb at Type Books in the Junction (Oct 27, 7PM) https://www.instagram.com/p/DO81_1VDngu/?img_index=1 Barcelona, ES: Virtual keynote for Conferencia EUROPEA 4D (Oct 28) https://4d.cat/es/conferencia/ New York City, NY: Keynote for Columbia-Hertie Digital Governance for Democratic Renewal Conference @The Forum, Columbia University (Oct 29) https://worldprojects.columbia.edu/our-work/research-and-engagement/democratic-renewal/digital-governance Miami, FL: Enshittification at Books & Books (Nov 5, 7PM) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-cory-doctorow-tickets-1504647263469 Miami, FL: Keynote for Cloudfest (Nov 6, 9:45AM) https://www.cloudfest.com/usa/ Burbank, CA: Signing at the Burbank Book Festival (Nov 8, 2PM) https://www.burbankbookfestival.com/ Lisbon, PT: A post-American, enshittification-resistant internet, with Rabble at Web Summit (Nov 12, 1040AM) https://websummit.com/sessions/lis25/92f47bc9-ca60-4997-bef3-006735b1f9c5/a-post-american-enshittification-resistant-internet/ Cardiff, UK: Hay Festival After Hours at Wales Millennium Centre, Bute Place (Nov 13, 7PM) https://www.hayfestival.com/c-203-hay-festival-after-hours.aspx Oxford, UK: Joint event with Tim Wu, author of "The Age of Extraction," sponsored by the Oxford Internet Institute (Nov 14, evening) Details and ticket link to come London, UK: Enshittification with Sarah Wynn-Williams, author of Careless People and Chris Morris (Brass Eye, Four Lions) (Nov 15, 7PM) Details and ticket link to come London, UK: Novara Live (Nov 17, evening) Details and ticket link to come London, UK: Frontline Club (Nov 18, evening) Details and ticket link to come Vancouver, BC: Virtual event for the Vancouver Public Library (Nov 21, 12PM) Details and link to come Seattle, WA: AI Lecture for the University of Washington's series on Neuroscience, AI and Society (Dec 4, 7PM) https://compneuro.washington.edu/news-and-events/neuroscience-ai-and-society/ Madison, CT: Enshittification at RJ Julia (Dec 8, 7PM) Details and ticket link to come Hey look at this (permalink) The Case Against Generative AI https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-case-against-generative-ai/ Day 5: Another Bad Day for Google as the Spirit of De Tocqueville Looms https://www.bigtechontrial.com/p/day-5-another-bad-day-for-google On Free Speech, Jacobin Has Always Been Consistent https://jacobin.com/2025/09/first-amendment-cancel-culture-kirk-kimmel/ Landlords Demand Tenants’ Workplace Logins to Scrape Their Paystubs https://www.404media.co/landlords-demand-tenants-workplace-logins-to-scrape-their-paystubs/ *The Great Awakening: Competition Commissioner Matthew Boswell (I bought an annual sub) https://donotpassgo.substack.com/p/the-great-awakening-competition-commissioner Object permanence (permalink) #20yrsago Four and Twenty Blackbirds: great goth scary novel discovered on LJ https://memex.craphound.com/2005/09/30/four-and-twenty-blackbirds-great-goth-scary-novel-discovered-on-lj/ #20yrago Last Unicorn author ripped off by filmmaker, struggling and penniless https://web.archive.org/web/20051201203719/http://www.conlanpress.com/youcanhelp/ #20yrsago Copyright scholars and publishers on crazy auctorial theories about books and tech https://web.archive.org/web/20060302133925/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/28/opinion/28oreilly.html?ex=1285560000&en=aa457b249728c229&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss #20yrsago Tim O’Reilly profiled by Steven Levy https://web.archive.org/web/20051013083044/https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.10/oreilly_pr.html #15yrsago Welcome to Bordertown: the first Borderlands book in decades! https://web.archive.org/web/20111201160812/https://ellen-kushner.livejournal.com/326691.html #15yrsago It Gets Better: video postcards to isolated queer kids from happy queer adults https://www.thestranger.com/blogs/2010/09/28/4996088/sf-says-it-gets-better #10yrsago Icelanders school their PM on solidarity with Syrian refugees https://www.icelandreview.com/news/icelanders-want-welcome-refugees-pm-responds/ #10yrsago Lemony Snicket gives Planned Parenthood $1M https://x.com/DanielHandler/status/648468194215243776 #10yrsago Wisconsin is a paradise for white kids, but a hell for black kids https://web.archive.org/web/20150928230209/https://fusion.net/story/203830/wisconsin-african-americans-juvenile-arrests/ #10yrsago After OPM hack, CIA pulls agents from Beijing for their safety https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/cia-pulled-officers-from-beijing-after-breach-of-federal-personnel-records/2015/09/29/1f78943c-66d1-11e5-9ef3-fde182507eac_story.html #5yrsago Self-driving cars crashing https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/30/death-to-all-monopoly/#pogo-stick-problem #5yrsago Leaked EU Big Tech rules https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/30/death-to-all-monopoly/#whither-structural-separation #5yrsago The Anti-Monopoly War Song https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/30/death-to-all-monopoly/#victims-of-vile-subsidies #5yrsago How I write https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/30/death-to-all-monopoly/#process-notes #1yrago A sexy, skinny defeat device for your HP ink cartridge https://pluralistic.net/2024/09/30/life-finds-a-way/#ink-stained-wretches Upcoming appearances (permalink) Boston: Enshittification with Randall Munroe (Brattle Theater), Oct 7 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cory-doctorow-at-the-brattle-theatre-tickets-1591235180259?aff=oddtdtcreator DC: Enshittification with Rohit Chopra (Politics and Prose), Oct 8 https://politics-prose.com/cory-doctorow-10825 NYC: Enshittification with Lina Khan (Brooklyn Public Library), Oct 9 https://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/cory-doctorow-discusses-central-library-dweck-20251009-0700pm New Orleans: DeepSouthCon63, Oct 10-12 http://www.contraflowscifi.org/ New Orleans: Enshittification at Octavia Books, Oct 12 https://www.octaviabooks.com/event/enshittification-cory-doctorow Chicago: Enshittification with Anand Giridharadas (Chicago Humanities), Oct 15 https://www.oldtownschool.org/concerts/2025/10-15-2025-kara-swisher-and-cory-doctorow-on-enshittification/ Los Angeles: Enshittification with David Dayen (Diesel), Oct 16 https://dieselbookstore.com/event/2025-10-16/cory-doctorow-enshittification San Francisco: Enshittification at Public Works with Jenny Odell (The Booksmith), Oct 20 https://app.gopassage.com/events/doctorow25 PDX: Enshittification at Powell's, Oct 21 https://www.powells.com/events/cory-doctorow-10-21-25 Seattle: Enshittification and the Rot Economy, with Ed Zitron (Clarion West), Oct 22 https://www.clarionwest.org/event/2025-deep-dives-cory-doctorow/ Madrid: Conferencia EUROPEA 4D (Virtual), Oct 28 https://4d.cat/es/conferencia/ Miami: Enshittification at Books & Books, Nov 5 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-cory-doctorow-tickets-1504647263469 Miami: Cloudfest, Nov 6 https://www.cloudfest.com/usa/ Burbank: Burbank Book Festival, Nov 8 https://www.burbankbookfestival.com/ Lisbon: A post-American, enshittification-resistant internet, with Rabble (Web Summit), Nov 12 https://websummit.com/sessions/lis25/92f47bc9-ca60-4997-bef3-006735b1f9c5/a-post-american-enshittification-resistant-internet/ Cardiff: Hay Festival After Hours, Nov 13 https://www.hayfestival.com/c-203-hay-festival-after-hours.aspx Recent appearances (permalink) Why Everything Is Getting Worse (Majority Report) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQW6UxY144Q Enshittification (Cornell) https://ecornell.cornell.edu/keynotes/view/K091225/ Escaping Big Tech, Privacy Battles & “Enshittification” (Revolution.social) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exvpetQRSVo Latest books (permalink) "Picks and Shovels": a sequel to "Red Team Blues," about the heroic era of the PC, Tor Books (US), Head of Zeus (UK), February 2025 (https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865908/picksandshovels). "The Bezzle": a sequel to "Red Team Blues," about prison-tech and other grifts, Tor Books (US), Head of Zeus (UK), February 2024 (the-bezzle.org). "The Lost Cause:" a solarpunk novel of hope in the climate emergency, Tor Books (US), Head of Zeus (UK), November 2023 (http://lost-cause.org). "The Internet Con": A nonfiction book about interoperability and Big Tech (Verso) September 2023 (http://seizethemeansofcomputation.org). Signed copies at Book Soup (https://www.booksoup.com/book/9781804291245). "Red Team Blues": "A grabby, compulsive thriller that will leave you knowing more about how the world works than you did before." Tor Books http://redteamblues.com. "Chokepoint Capitalism: How to Beat Big Tech, Tame Big Content, and Get Artists Paid, with Rebecca Giblin", on how to unrig the markets for creative labor, Beacon Press/Scribe 2022 https://chokepointcapitalism.com Upcoming books (permalink) "Canny Valley": A limited edition collection of the collages I create for Pluralistic, self-published, September 2025 "Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It," Farrar, Straus, Giroux, October 7 2025 https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374619329/enshittification/ "Unauthorized Bread": a middle-grades graphic novel adapted from my novella about refugees, toasters and DRM, FirstSecond, 2026 "Enshittification, Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It" (the graphic novel), Firstsecond, 2026 "The Memex Method," Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2026 "The Reverse-Centaur's Guide to AI," a short book about being a better AI critic, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2026 Colophon (permalink) Today's top sources: Currently writing: "The Reverse Centaur's Guide to AI," a short book for Farrar, Straus and Giroux about being an effective AI critic. FIRST DRAFT COMPLETE AND SUBMITTED. A Little Brother short story about DIY insulin PLANNING This work – excluding any serialized fiction – is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. That means you can use it any way you like, including commercially, provided that you attribute it to me, Cory Doctorow, and include a link to pluralistic.net. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Quotations and images are not included in this license; they are included either under a limitation or exception to copyright, or on the basis of a separate license. Please exercise caution. How to get Pluralistic: Blog (no ads, tracking, or data-collection): Pluralistic.net Newsletter (no ads, tracking, or data-collection): https://pluralistic.net/plura-list Mastodon (no ads, tracking, or data-collection): https://mamot.fr/@pluralistic Medium (no ads, paywalled): https://doctorow.medium.com/ Twitter (mass-scale, unrestricted, third-party surveillance and advertising): https://twitter.com/doctorow Tumblr (mass-scale, unrestricted, third-party surveillance and advertising): https://mostlysignssomeportents.tumblr.com/tagged/pluralistic "When life gives you SARS, you make sarsaparilla" -Joey "Accordion Guy" DeVilla READ CAREFULLY: By reading this, you agree, on behalf of your employer, to release me from all obligations and waivers arising from any and all NON-NEGOTIATED agreements, licenses, terms-of-service, shrinkwrap, clickwrap, browsewrap, confidentiality, non-disclosure, non-compete and acceptable use policies ("BOGUS AGREEMENTS") that I have entered into with your employer, its partners, licensors, agents and assigns, in perpetuity, without prejudice to my ongoing rights and privileges. You further represent that you have the authority to release me from any BOGUS AGREEMENTS on behalf of your employer. ISSN: 3066-764X

Launching an updated Doughnut that monitors trends in social shortfall and ecological overshoot over the 21st century