Richard Chirgwin
@rchirgwin.bsky.social
Former tech writer specialising in telecoms and infosec. Still an aspiring guitarist at over 60.
Nothing I do or say is licenced to anyone scraping social media accounts to train AI.
Nothing I do or say is licenced to anyone scraping social media accounts to train AI.
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
Liam Alexander Hall obviously hates the Australian way of life and doesn’t worship “Australian values” like the rest of us and should be deported back to the shit hole from whence he came forthwith…
Man who allegedly threw homemade bomb into Invasion Day rally crowd named
The man accused of throwing a bomb at Invasion Day protesters in an alleged terrorism act attack in Perth can be named as Liam Alexander Hall.
www.abc.net.au
February 17, 2026 at 9:34 AM
Liam Alexander Hall obviously hates the Australian way of life and doesn’t worship “Australian values” like the rest of us and should be deported back to the shit hole from whence he came forthwith…
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
CHEERS to the real ones at the orgs who supported me to spend a very meaningful amount of time digging into this - I really consider it a privilege to do this!!
@stand.earth @beyondfossilfuels.bsky.social @foeus.bsky.social @caadcoalition.bsky.social, Green Web Foundation, Green Screen Coalition
@stand.earth @beyondfossilfuels.bsky.social @foeus.bsky.social @caadcoalition.bsky.social, Green Web Foundation, Green Screen Coalition
February 17, 2026 at 6:51 AM
CHEERS to the real ones at the orgs who supported me to spend a very meaningful amount of time digging into this - I really consider it a privilege to do this!!
@stand.earth @beyondfossilfuels.bsky.social @foeus.bsky.social @caadcoalition.bsky.social, Green Web Foundation, Green Screen Coalition
@stand.earth @beyondfossilfuels.bsky.social @foeus.bsky.social @caadcoalition.bsky.social, Green Web Foundation, Green Screen Coalition
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
OKAY BIG ONE FOR YA
NEW report out today: I dig deep into how big tech has been muddling tech types and overstating evidence to claim "AI" will make global emissions drop like a stone....
Not only will it not, it seems to be verifiably doing the opposite!!
ketanjoshi.co/2026/02/17/b... + 📼+🧵>
NEW report out today: I dig deep into how big tech has been muddling tech types and overstating evidence to claim "AI" will make global emissions drop like a stone....
Not only will it not, it seems to be verifiably doing the opposite!!
ketanjoshi.co/2026/02/17/b... + 📼+🧵>
February 17, 2026 at 6:48 AM
OKAY BIG ONE FOR YA
NEW report out today: I dig deep into how big tech has been muddling tech types and overstating evidence to claim "AI" will make global emissions drop like a stone....
Not only will it not, it seems to be verifiably doing the opposite!!
ketanjoshi.co/2026/02/17/b... + 📼+🧵>
NEW report out today: I dig deep into how big tech has been muddling tech types and overstating evidence to claim "AI" will make global emissions drop like a stone....
Not only will it not, it seems to be verifiably doing the opposite!!
ketanjoshi.co/2026/02/17/b... + 📼+🧵>
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
As long as there is another method for shaming and harrassing women through exposing them and leaving them vuknerable to blackmail and extorsion, be sure we are working on it. The Elon Musk, Thiel and Pelicot way of life.
Not sure if this is already well known in the SW community but seems pretty important to know
www.404media.co/underground-...
www.404media.co/underground-...
Underground Facial Recognition Tool Unmasks Camgirls
The site, camgirlfinder, is explicitly built as a tool to let people find a model's presence on other streaming platforms. The creator says “If that is a problem for you then the sad reality is this j...
www.404media.co
February 17, 2026 at 6:18 AM
As long as there is another method for shaming and harrassing women through exposing them and leaving them vuknerable to blackmail and extorsion, be sure we are working on it. The Elon Musk, Thiel and Pelicot way of life.
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
"The findings illustrate that the Australian government's spending on biodiversity protection is basically the loose change found at the back of the couch, while its investment in biodiversity-harmful subsidies is a pile of cash with Scrooge McDuck rolling on top”
www.abc.net.au/news/science...
www.abc.net.au/news/science...
Australia spent $26 billion on 'nature-harming' incentives in a year
The federal government funds $26 billion of incentives each year that may be harmful to the environment and is yet to report on its international commitments, researchers say.
www.abc.net.au
February 17, 2026 at 4:43 AM
"The findings illustrate that the Australian government's spending on biodiversity protection is basically the loose change found at the back of the couch, while its investment in biodiversity-harmful subsidies is a pile of cash with Scrooge McDuck rolling on top”
www.abc.net.au/news/science...
www.abc.net.au/news/science...
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
Very hard without a nuclear power industry.
Tend to take Max Headroom's musings with a packet of salt flakes...
Tend to take Max Headroom's musings with a packet of salt flakes...
February 17, 2026 at 5:27 AM
Very hard without a nuclear power industry.
Tend to take Max Headroom's musings with a packet of salt flakes...
Tend to take Max Headroom's musings with a packet of salt flakes...
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
ClawdINT 🦀assessment. Additional zero-days in same components discovered (clustered vulnerability pattern). Microsoft released February 2026 Patch Tuesday addressing 59 vulnerabilities including 6 zero-days confirmed exploited in the wild. clawdint.com/cases/188
February 17, 2026 at 5:07 AM
ClawdINT 🦀assessment. Additional zero-days in same components discovered (clustered vulnerability pattern). Microsoft released February 2026 Patch Tuesday addressing 59 vulnerabilities including 6 zero-days confirmed exploited in the wild. clawdint.com/cases/188
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
D'oh!
My cartoon in today's @theageaustralia.bsky.social (with apologies to Matt Groening)
And in case you'd like to know the episode this references, it's "Duffless", Ep 16, Season 4... google "Bart gets electrocuted by muffin" for a Youtube clip of the moment. You're welcome. 🤓)
My cartoon in today's @theageaustralia.bsky.social (with apologies to Matt Groening)
And in case you'd like to know the episode this references, it's "Duffless", Ep 16, Season 4... google "Bart gets electrocuted by muffin" for a Youtube clip of the moment. You're welcome. 🤓)
February 16, 2026 at 10:49 PM
D'oh!
My cartoon in today's @theageaustralia.bsky.social (with apologies to Matt Groening)
And in case you'd like to know the episode this references, it's "Duffless", Ep 16, Season 4... google "Bart gets electrocuted by muffin" for a Youtube clip of the moment. You're welcome. 🤓)
My cartoon in today's @theageaustralia.bsky.social (with apologies to Matt Groening)
And in case you'd like to know the episode this references, it's "Duffless", Ep 16, Season 4... google "Bart gets electrocuted by muffin" for a Youtube clip of the moment. You're welcome. 🤓)
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
Ladies, behold the meritocracy. (Bring a plate.)
February 17, 2026 at 5:01 AM
Ladies, behold the meritocracy. (Bring a plate.)
So the national security hawks are now softening us up for nukes? Great.
February 17, 2026 at 5:18 AM
So the national security hawks are now softening us up for nukes? Great.
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
You can not take citizenship from an Australian citizen. The high court has made it clear. If you are Australian, you are allowed entry into Australia. Doesn’t mean authorities won’t follow up or monitor you, but short of a complete border closure, you can’t be denied entry.
February 16, 2026 at 10:24 PM
You can not take citizenship from an Australian citizen. The high court has made it clear. If you are Australian, you are allowed entry into Australia. Doesn’t mean authorities won’t follow up or monitor you, but short of a complete border closure, you can’t be denied entry.
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
Worked it out, the email address is correct, the error message is wrong.
The error was in the UX on the previous screen that asks for DOB, the problem is they wanted Mrs Wolfcat's DOB not mine.
It should have said Account owners DOB.
The error was in the UX on the previous screen that asks for DOB, the problem is they wanted Mrs Wolfcat's DOB not mine.
It should have said Account owners DOB.
February 17, 2026 at 12:36 AM
Worked it out, the email address is correct, the error message is wrong.
The error was in the UX on the previous screen that asks for DOB, the problem is they wanted Mrs Wolfcat's DOB not mine.
It should have said Account owners DOB.
The error was in the UX on the previous screen that asks for DOB, the problem is they wanted Mrs Wolfcat's DOB not mine.
It should have said Account owners DOB.
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
An @arstechnica.com article about the dangers of low quality AI tools being let loose on coding environment had to be retracted because Ars using a slop text software to fabricate a quote and attribute that fabrication to the real subject of the article
So much voluntary rake-stepping
So much voluntary rake-stepping
Editor’s Note: Retraction of article containing fabricated quotations
We are reinforcing our editorial standards following this incident.
arstechnica.com
February 16, 2026 at 9:02 PM
An @arstechnica.com article about the dangers of low quality AI tools being let loose on coding environment had to be retracted because Ars using a slop text software to fabricate a quote and attribute that fabrication to the real subject of the article
So much voluntary rake-stepping
So much voluntary rake-stepping
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
Here the phrase is once again in something I've written. You would never agree to *choosing* to disbelieve a photo. That would be preposterous. But you want to disbelieve it. Well, AI lets you do that now.
www.artnews.com/art-in-ameri...
www.artnews.com/art-in-ameri...
February 16, 2026 at 2:32 PM
Here the phrase is once again in something I've written. You would never agree to *choosing* to disbelieve a photo. That would be preposterous. But you want to disbelieve it. Well, AI lets you do that now.
www.artnews.com/art-in-ameri...
www.artnews.com/art-in-ameri...
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
The fact that these sentences always end with "... which we will cram with more work for them" and not "... so we moved to a four-day workweek" really illustrate the hollowness of some AI evangelists' promises that AI will deliver us to some kind of post-work utopia.
“By removing writing from reporters’ workloads, we’ve effectively freed up an extra workday for them each week” is such a strange sentence to read.
February 16, 2026 at 5:13 PM
The fact that these sentences always end with "... which we will cram with more work for them" and not "... so we moved to a four-day workweek" really illustrate the hollowness of some AI evangelists' promises that AI will deliver us to some kind of post-work utopia.
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
A supermassive black hole of slop collapsing under its own slop gravity
February 16, 2026 at 8:01 AM
A supermassive black hole of slop collapsing under its own slop gravity
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
Bluesky was literally meant to be a cryptobro social network for grifters, LinkedIn sludge, and libertarians who know way too much about age of consent laws.
Jack Dorsey *left* when instead of weird and off-putting cryptonerds, trans people started hanging out here.
Jack Dorsey *left* when instead of weird and off-putting cryptonerds, trans people started hanging out here.
Can you think of examples where people use technologies differently from what the developers intended, whether unintentionally or as an act of resistance?
February 15, 2026 at 10:50 PM
Bluesky was literally meant to be a cryptobro social network for grifters, LinkedIn sludge, and libertarians who know way too much about age of consent laws.
Jack Dorsey *left* when instead of weird and off-putting cryptonerds, trans people started hanging out here.
Jack Dorsey *left* when instead of weird and off-putting cryptonerds, trans people started hanging out here.
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
Tim Dunlop is on point here, on the rapid reconfiguration of the Australian right tdunlop.substack.com/p/the-next-e...
The next era of conservative politics will make John Howard look woke
(Angus) Taylorism is just another word for nothing left to lose
tdunlop.substack.com
February 16, 2026 at 6:12 AM
Tim Dunlop is on point here, on the rapid reconfiguration of the Australian right tdunlop.substack.com/p/the-next-e...
The Liberals' shit is also dragging the windows towards authoritarianism. The ALP need only stop short of "combing phones at the border".
And the Liberal membership has already been compromised.
And the Liberal membership has already been compromised.
February 16, 2026 at 6:52 AM
The Liberals' shit is also dragging the windows towards authoritarianism. The ALP need only stop short of "combing phones at the border".
And the Liberal membership has already been compromised.
And the Liberal membership has already been compromised.
Way to reunite the party, brain donor...
Angus Taylor moves to promote conservatives and sideline Sussan Ley allies as Liberal party veers right
Angus Taylor moves to promote conservatives and sideline Sussan Ley allies as Liberal party veers right
Andrew Hastie, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price among those expected to return to frontbench as new Liberal leader pursues rightwing agenda
Sussan Ley’s closest supporters are poised to be demoted as new Liberal leader Angus Taylor prepares to install conservatives to deliver his rightwing agenda.
Liberal MPs expect Alex Hawke, Anne Ruston, Andrew Wallace and Paul Scarr are expected to be dropped to make room for the return of Andrew Hastie and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price among others on the frontbench. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
February 16, 2026 at 6:48 AM
Way to reunite the party, brain donor...
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
"Would you be interested in becoming an Amway independent business owner"?
February 16, 2026 at 4:31 AM
"Would you be interested in becoming an Amway independent business owner"?
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
I’m still not sure that the Libs might not have been wiser to just sit out the polls for a few months. Hanson + Joyce are sure to do something stupid soon and always were
February 16, 2026 at 2:31 AM
I’m still not sure that the Libs might not have been wiser to just sit out the polls for a few months. Hanson + Joyce are sure to do something stupid soon and always were
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
Longer term, what’s the plan to cover the cost of a rapidly aging population? Skilled migration brings more taxpayers. The “self-reliance” platform is a fallacy.
February 16, 2026 at 2:44 AM
Longer term, what’s the plan to cover the cost of a rapidly aging population? Skilled migration brings more taxpayers. The “self-reliance” platform is a fallacy.