@virski.bsky.social
Alien sent by an advanced civ to observe humanity. Plays video games and watches anime, for uhh research purposes. Sci-fi is cool. Knows some things about computers. Proud owner of a laser gun and UFO.
It's good to see Bluesky add drafts.
February 15, 2026 at 4:11 AM
It's good to see Bluesky add drafts.
It's interesting how Macross (which, in fairness, was originally released in the 80s) and a few other sci-fi (i.e. Star Trek) have world governments. I have doubts about that happening.
February 15, 2026 at 4:09 AM
It's interesting how Macross (which, in fairness, was originally released in the 80s) and a few other sci-fi (i.e. Star Trek) have world governments. I have doubts about that happening.
Someone seems surprised that Big Tech are no longer marketing their moderation practices as they once did.
I'm not really surprised. They ended up getting blamed for every questionable decision, even when it was a government pushing it.
I'm not really surprised. They ended up getting blamed for every questionable decision, even when it was a government pushing it.
February 15, 2026 at 2:22 AM
Someone seems surprised that Big Tech are no longer marketing their moderation practices as they once did.
I'm not really surprised. They ended up getting blamed for every questionable decision, even when it was a government pushing it.
I'm not really surprised. They ended up getting blamed for every questionable decision, even when it was a government pushing it.
I've said it before but it's not like Anthropic makes any "hard" decisions.
They just crank the censorship all the way up.
However, talking as if what they do is "obviously" what someone ought to do isn't really helpful to any discourse.
They just crank the censorship all the way up.
However, talking as if what they do is "obviously" what someone ought to do isn't really helpful to any discourse.
February 15, 2026 at 1:53 AM
I've said it before but it's not like Anthropic makes any "hard" decisions.
They just crank the censorship all the way up.
However, talking as if what they do is "obviously" what someone ought to do isn't really helpful to any discourse.
They just crank the censorship all the way up.
However, talking as if what they do is "obviously" what someone ought to do isn't really helpful to any discourse.
"He is such a skilled pilot."
There's this line in a show. The mecha is built to be almost invulnerable and has a sophisticated auto-assist program.
I'm not so sure it is skill.
There's this line in a show. The mecha is built to be almost invulnerable and has a sophisticated auto-assist program.
I'm not so sure it is skill.
February 14, 2026 at 6:07 PM
"He is such a skilled pilot."
There's this line in a show. The mecha is built to be almost invulnerable and has a sophisticated auto-assist program.
I'm not so sure it is skill.
There's this line in a show. The mecha is built to be almost invulnerable and has a sophisticated auto-assist program.
I'm not so sure it is skill.
Interestingly, one of the lunar habitat design proposals reminds me a bit of a nuclear bunker. They look for a hole on the Moon and they put it in there (allowing them to save on materials).
February 14, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Interestingly, one of the lunar habitat design proposals reminds me a bit of a nuclear bunker. They look for a hole on the Moon and they put it in there (allowing them to save on materials).
There's a bit of discourse about how someone shouldn't post everything about their life on the Internet. I agree with that.
February 14, 2026 at 4:15 PM
There's a bit of discourse about how someone shouldn't post everything about their life on the Internet. I agree with that.
While sci-fi stories often talk about colonizing Mars, or at least building a base there, they talk less about building something on Mars' moons. Presumably, that would happen.
February 13, 2026 at 11:58 AM
While sci-fi stories often talk about colonizing Mars, or at least building a base there, they talk less about building something on Mars' moons. Presumably, that would happen.
I personally have an issue with shows that have more potential. For instance, when someone withholds the character development until episode 100 or something.
It's not so much that they are necessarily bad.
It's not so much that they are necessarily bad.
February 12, 2026 at 8:18 AM
I personally have an issue with shows that have more potential. For instance, when someone withholds the character development until episode 100 or something.
It's not so much that they are necessarily bad.
It's not so much that they are necessarily bad.
When I saw Wataten a number of years ago, I saw it was entirely dark humor, and I stopped watching it after the first episode. I didn't continue watching it to complain about it (like one person did with a show that was clearly furry stuff).
This isn't a moral speech that it shouldn't be a thing.
This isn't a moral speech that it shouldn't be a thing.
February 12, 2026 at 8:14 AM
When I saw Wataten a number of years ago, I saw it was entirely dark humor, and I stopped watching it after the first episode. I didn't continue watching it to complain about it (like one person did with a show that was clearly furry stuff).
This isn't a moral speech that it shouldn't be a thing.
This isn't a moral speech that it shouldn't be a thing.
Why watch it then if you don't like whatever brand of dark humor the author is pitching?
February 12, 2026 at 7:22 AM
Why watch it then if you don't like whatever brand of dark humor the author is pitching?
What on earth is going on with Melanie Dawes.
Ofcom: “pay up, lest we provisionally decide again!”
https://alecmuffett.com/article/145209
#4chan #OnlineSafety #OnlineSafetyAct #censorship #ofcom
https://alecmuffett.com/article/145209
#4chan #OnlineSafety #OnlineSafetyAct #censorship #ofcom
Ofcom: “pay up, lest we provisionally decide again!”
Sigh.
alecmuffett.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:15 AM
What on earth is going on with Melanie Dawes.
Since there's apparently puritanism in New South Wales #NSW, here's a thread of porn science. #australia #auspol #civilliberties
I'll add that dealing with something potentially offensive via censorship is simply not sustainable.
I'll add that dealing with something potentially offensive via censorship is simply not sustainable.
Porn science:🧵 #iepol #irishsky #ireland #freespeech #anime
No link between porn and sexism.
Kohut, T., Baer, J. L., & Watts, B. (2015). Is Pornography Really about “Making Hate to Women”? Pornography Users Hold More Gender Egalitarian Attitudes Than Nonusers in a Representative American Sample.
No link between porn and sexism.
Kohut, T., Baer, J. L., & Watts, B. (2015). Is Pornography Really about “Making Hate to Women”? Pornography Users Hold More Gender Egalitarian Attitudes Than Nonusers in a Representative American Sample.
Is Pornography Really about “Making Hate to Women”? Pornography Users Hold More Gender Egalitarian Attitudes Than Nonusers in a Representative American Sample
According to radical feminist theory, pornography serves to further the subordination of women by training its users, males and females alike, to view women as little more than sex objects over who...
doi.org
February 12, 2026 at 7:11 AM
Since there's apparently puritanism in New South Wales #NSW, here's a thread of porn science. #australia #auspol #civilliberties
I'll add that dealing with something potentially offensive via censorship is simply not sustainable.
I'll add that dealing with something potentially offensive via censorship is simply not sustainable.
Reposted
Porn science:🧵 #iepol #irishsky #ireland #freespeech #anime
No link between porn and sexism.
Kohut, T., Baer, J. L., & Watts, B. (2015). Is Pornography Really about “Making Hate to Women”? Pornography Users Hold More Gender Egalitarian Attitudes Than Nonusers in a Representative American Sample.
No link between porn and sexism.
Kohut, T., Baer, J. L., & Watts, B. (2015). Is Pornography Really about “Making Hate to Women”? Pornography Users Hold More Gender Egalitarian Attitudes Than Nonusers in a Representative American Sample.
Is Pornography Really about “Making Hate to Women”? Pornography Users Hold More Gender Egalitarian Attitudes Than Nonusers in a Representative American Sample
According to radical feminist theory, pornography serves to further the subordination of women by training its users, males and females alike, to view women as little more than sex objects over who...
doi.org
August 23, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Porn science:🧵 #iepol #irishsky #ireland #freespeech #anime
No link between porn and sexism.
Kohut, T., Baer, J. L., & Watts, B. (2015). Is Pornography Really about “Making Hate to Women”? Pornography Users Hold More Gender Egalitarian Attitudes Than Nonusers in a Representative American Sample.
No link between porn and sexism.
Kohut, T., Baer, J. L., & Watts, B. (2015). Is Pornography Really about “Making Hate to Women”? Pornography Users Hold More Gender Egalitarian Attitudes Than Nonusers in a Representative American Sample.
We have seen quite a few cases of these platforms using tools that are wildly inaccurate, so it wouldn't be surprising, if these are the tools in question.
Why don't they roll it on another platform of theirs? Probably because of that.
Why don't they roll it on another platform of theirs? Probably because of that.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02... The "tools" are probably wildly inaccurate.
Online safety watchdog says tech giants failing to detect child abuse
Major tech companies including Apple, Google, Meta and Microsoft are still failing to do enough to detect and stop child sexual abuse, eSafety has claimed.
www.abc.net.au
February 10, 2026 at 2:48 AM
We have seen quite a few cases of these platforms using tools that are wildly inaccurate, so it wouldn't be surprising, if these are the tools in question.
Why don't they roll it on another platform of theirs? Probably because of that.
Why don't they roll it on another platform of theirs? Probably because of that.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02... The "tools" are probably wildly inaccurate.
Online safety watchdog says tech giants failing to detect child abuse
Major tech companies including Apple, Google, Meta and Microsoft are still failing to do enough to detect and stop child sexual abuse, eSafety has claimed.
www.abc.net.au
February 10, 2026 at 2:43 AM
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02... The "tools" are probably wildly inaccurate.
www.eff.org/deeplinks/20... Frankly, it's misguided to think that unleashing meritless lawsuits against platforms is the way to go.
Op-ed: Weakening Section 230 Would Chill Online Speech
Enacted 30 years ago through careful legislative deliberation, Section 230 remains the internet’s strongest bulwark for free expression, protecting the services—and users—that make online speech possi...
www.eff.org
February 10, 2026 at 2:28 AM
www.eff.org/deeplinks/20... Frankly, it's misguided to think that unleashing meritless lawsuits against platforms is the way to go.
This is why I don't like Silicon Valley points like "Someone used our algorithm in a good-faith way, they must be evil because it's been designed / operates in a manner they couldn't have foreseen, and might involve specific data scraping practices."
www.eff.org/deeplinks/20... "Many users may not understand how AI works, what it is programmed to do, and how to fact check it. Companies have chosen to release these tools widely without adequate information about how to use them properly and what their limitations are."
Smart AI Policy Means Examing Its Real Harms and Benefits
The phrase "artificial intelligence" has been around for a long time, covering everything from computers with "brains"—think Data from Star Trek or Hal 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey—to the autocompl...
www.eff.org
February 5, 2026 at 7:00 AM
This is why I don't like Silicon Valley points like "Someone used our algorithm in a good-faith way, they must be evil because it's been designed / operates in a manner they couldn't have foreseen, and might involve specific data scraping practices."
www.eff.org/deeplinks/20... "Many users may not understand how AI works, what it is programmed to do, and how to fact check it. Companies have chosen to release these tools widely without adequate information about how to use them properly and what their limitations are."
Smart AI Policy Means Examing Its Real Harms and Benefits
The phrase "artificial intelligence" has been around for a long time, covering everything from computers with "brains"—think Data from Star Trek or Hal 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey—to the autocompl...
www.eff.org
February 5, 2026 at 6:42 AM
www.eff.org/deeplinks/20... "Many users may not understand how AI works, what it is programmed to do, and how to fact check it. Companies have chosen to release these tools widely without adequate information about how to use them properly and what their limitations are."
www.eff.org/deeplinks/20... I feel like applications of machine learning which are more, hype-proof, as it were, are going to be ones using smaller specialty datasets.
Gobbling up more and more data doesn't feel sustainable.
Gobbling up more and more data doesn't feel sustainable.
Smart AI Policy Means Examing Its Real Harms and Benefits
The phrase "artificial intelligence" has been around for a long time, covering everything from computers with "brains"—think Data from Star Trek or Hal 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey—to the autocompl...
www.eff.org
February 5, 2026 at 4:06 AM
www.eff.org/deeplinks/20... I feel like applications of machine learning which are more, hype-proof, as it were, are going to be ones using smaller specialty datasets.
Gobbling up more and more data doesn't feel sustainable.
Gobbling up more and more data doesn't feel sustainable.
If it's clearly identifiable, that would count as a deepfake (that's the whole point of one). There's no need to overthink it.
February 5, 2026 at 1:42 AM
If it's clearly identifiable, that would count as a deepfake (that's the whole point of one). There's no need to overthink it.
www.techdirt.com/2026/01/09/c... "This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Oversight Board. To sponsor a Spotlight episode of Ctrl-Alt-Speech, get in touch via email" Sigh.
Ctrl-Alt-Speech Spotlight: Five Years Of The Oversight Board, From Experiment To Essential Institution
Ctrl-Alt-Speech is a weekly podcast about the latest news in online speech, from Mike Masnick and Everything in Moderation’s Ben Whitelaw. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, …
www.techdirt.com
February 5, 2026 at 1:03 AM
www.techdirt.com/2026/01/09/c... "This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Oversight Board. To sponsor a Spotlight episode of Ctrl-Alt-Speech, get in touch via email" Sigh.
There is a sci-fi novel with a Kardashev Scale of sorts which covers both energy and technology. That is, a civilization has an overall energy rating and a technology rating. Rather than Type, they use Level, which is intuitive if you are familiar with levels in games or power levels in TV shows.
February 4, 2026 at 2:08 PM
There is a sci-fi novel with a Kardashev Scale of sorts which covers both energy and technology. That is, a civilization has an overall energy rating and a technology rating. Rather than Type, they use Level, which is intuitive if you are familiar with levels in games or power levels in TV shows.
Also, his takes are getting progressively worse, getting closer and closer to writing apologia for censorship, and I'm not fond of that.
February 4, 2026 at 10:23 AM
Also, his takes are getting progressively worse, getting closer and closer to writing apologia for censorship, and I'm not fond of that.
It has been jarring at times, because Facebook has made bad decisions over the years, and he's been fairly happy to defend them.
I'd take anything he says about Twitter with a pinch of salt. Remember, he is on Bluesky's board, and he rubbishes Twitter about *anything* he can come up with.
He even took Julie Inman Grant at her word once, even though she seems to use really broad terms and is considered censorious.
He even took Julie Inman Grant at her word once, even though she seems to use really broad terms and is considered censorious.
February 4, 2026 at 10:11 AM
It has been jarring at times, because Facebook has made bad decisions over the years, and he's been fairly happy to defend them.