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Greg Linden

Greg Linden

@glinden.bsky.social

1.6K followers 290 following 1.2K posts

an internet relic, linkedin.com/in/glinden

Business 56%

Economics 33%

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Greg Linden @glinden.bsky.social · 10h

Second, I think self-driving taxis aren't cost effective and can't be with current technology, so I think we're headed down a path where cost-cutting causes safety issues and traffic disruptions, eventually leading to a political fight over whether the companies can push costs onto society. 2/2

Greg Linden @glinden.bsky.social · 10h

Let me add my opinions on a couple things. First, I think it'll prove fragile to box in LLMs -- it's applying band-aid after band-aid until it's a pile of crufty stop words and rules -- so I think useful and successful products using LLMs will be only ones where the cost of mistakes is low. 1/2

Greg Linden @glinden.bsky.social · 15h

Must read from AI guru Rodney Brooks with tech predictions on self-driving taxis, LLMs, AI, quantum computing, humanoid robots, human spaceflight, electric helicopters (so-called "flying cars"), and more. Some teasers in the thread below. 🧵 1/5

Rodney Brooks @rodneyabrooks.bsky.social · 1d

Just published my annual predictions update, tracking from Jan 1st 2018, with new commentary and new ten year predictions. It is long. rodneybrooks.com/predictions-...

Reposted by Paul Matthews, Iñaki Aldasoro, Greg Linden , and 1 more Paul Matthews, Iñaki Aldasoro, Greg Linden, Gilles Louppe

Melanie Mitchell @melaniemitchell.bsky.social · 11h

2020s: AI "System Prompts" are lengthy, carefully constructed sets of expert rules about a particular domain, created by "prompt engineers".

1980s: AI "Expert Systems" were lengthy, carefully constructed sets of expert rules about a particular domain, created by "knowledge engineers".

Reposted by Greg Linden

Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 14h

Russian central bank greatly increases short-term loans to banks, indicating a liquidity shortage.

Usual caveats that Russia's economy isn't going to collapse tomorrow. But this highlights how they're operating beyond capacity and their aggression against Ukraine is unsustainable. The costs add up.

Post with text: "The Central Bank of Russia issued repo loans to banks worth 4.7 trillion rubles.
Term: 14 days
Rate: 16.2%
Russian banks are experiencing a severe liquidity shortage."

Plus a graph visualizing that.

Original: https://x.com/evgen1232007/status/2006013278141448332

Reposted by Aaron Sojourner, Greg Linden

Social Media Lab @socialmedialab.ca · 14h

Just so you’re aware, most platforms typically do not refund ad fees collected from advertisers who are later banned for scams.

There ought to be a law requiring platforms to turn over this illegal windfall... a disgorgement. This way, platforms would no longer profit from delayed enforcement.

Greg Linden @glinden.bsky.social · 15h

LLMs: "We all know we need guard rails around LLMs to make them useful ... keep them boxed in ... add explainability ... so that human users can oversee what they are being fed ... Those that can control their LLMs will be able to deliver useable product." 5/5

Greg Linden @glinden.bsky.social · 15h

Humanoid robots: "currently unsafe for humans to be close to ... battery life measured in minutes ... are tele-operated ... not demonstrated any practical work ... pinch grasp [only] ... I do not share the hype that surrounds humanoid robotics today. Some of it is downright delusional." 4/5

Greg Linden @glinden.bsky.social · 15h

SF blackout revealed the problem with self-driving taxis: "Waymo clearly did not have enough humans on duty to handle the volume of requests that were coming in ... It is worth noting that current generation Waymos need a lot of human help to operate as they do." 3/5

Greg Linden @glinden.bsky.social · 15h

Self-driving taxis: "In the US the players that will determine whether self driving cars are successful or abandoned are #1 Waymo (Google) and #2 Zoox (Amazon). No one else matters. The key metric will be human intervention rate as that will determine profitability." 2/5

Greg Linden @glinden.bsky.social · 15h

Must read from AI guru Rodney Brooks with tech predictions on self-driving taxis, LLMs, AI, quantum computing, humanoid robots, human spaceflight, electric helicopters (so-called "flying cars"), and more. Some teasers in the thread below. 🧵 1/5

Rodney Brooks @rodneyabrooks.bsky.social · 1d

Just published my annual predictions update, tracking from Jan 1st 2018, with new commentary and new ten year predictions. It is long. rodneybrooks.com/predictions-...

Predictions Scorecard, 2026 January 01 – Rodney Brooks

rodneybrooks.com

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Greg Linden

Rodney Brooks @rodneyabrooks.bsky.social · 1d

Just published my annual predictions update, tracking from Jan 1st 2018, with new commentary and new ten year predictions. It is long. rodneybrooks.com/predictions-...

Predictions Scorecard, 2026 January 01 – Rodney Brooks

rodneybrooks.com

Reposted by Greg Linden, Daxton R. Stewart

Techdirt @techdirt.com · 1d

Use The Failures Of The Past As Inspiration For A Better Future

Look, I get it. The world is a mess. Important institutions are crumbling. It feels like both the tech and political worlds are collaborating to squeeze all remaining humanity out of all of us. Cynicism is ascendant. Nihilism is the…

Use The Failures Of The Past As Inspiration For A Better Future

Look, I get it. The world is a mess. Important institutions are crumbling. It feels like both the tech and political worlds are collaborating to squeeze all remaining humanity out of all of us. Cynicism is ascendant. Nihilism is the new black. And yet: I remain optimistic. Not the naive, everything-will-work-out-fine kind of optimism. The kind grounded in seeing what's actually happening beneath the surface-level chaos.

www.techdirt.com

Reposted by Greg Linden

James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 1d

3/
And here is illustration number three million of why the GOP refused to allow Jack Smith's deposition to be carried live, on TV.

Testimony from Jack Smith:

Q So taking all these cases you described, I heard cases about, you know, gang -- about gangs in New York, it sounds like. There were war crimes cases. There were domestic violence cases you just described.

Taking all that experience, when you finished your investigation of Special Counsel's Office, you believed that you had sufficient evidence in this case to prove Donald Trump committed those crimes after the 2020 election?

A I did.

Q And you believed that you had enough evidence to get a conviction with Donald Trump taking or willfully taking the classified documents after he left office in 2020 and returned to Florida in 2021?

A That is correct.

Q So we've heard a word a lot from this administration from the majority, Republicans, and that word is "transparency." And yet, Mr. Smith, we're in a closed-door deposition today, meaning that members of the public and even congressional Members and staff who are not part of the Judiciary Committee are not permitted to attend this proceeding.

Reposted by Eric Goldman, Kate Starbird, Greg Linden , and 2 more Eric Goldman, Kate Starbird, Greg Linden, Andrew Rudalevige, David Darmofal

James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 1d

On Jack Smith deposition, now released:

100% obvious why GOP refused to allow this as open testimony, aired live. It's damning.

Testimony from John Dean or Alex ("wiretaps") Butterfield in Watergate days would have 1/10th the impact if just in print.

What Smith says is far more incriminating.

Excerpt from Jack Smith deposition:

For nearly three decades I have been a career prosecutor. I have served during both Republican and Democratic administrations and I've been guided by those principles in every role I've held. I continued to honor those principles when I was appointed to serve as special counsel in November of 2022.

The decision to bring charges against President Trump was mine, but the basis for those charges rests entirely with President Trump and his actions, as alleged in the indictments returned by grand juries in two different districts.

Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election and to prevent the lawful transfer of power.

Our investigation also developed powerful evidence that showed that President Trump willfully retained highly classified documents after he left office in January of 2021, storing them at his social club, including in a ballroom and a bathroom. He then repeatedly tried to obstruct justice to conceal his continued retention of those documents.

I remain grateful for the counsel, judgment, and advice of my team as I executed my responsibilities. I am both saddened and angered that President Trump has sought revenge against career prosecutors, FBI agents, and support staff simply for doing their jobs and for having worked on those cases.

Reposted by Kate Starbird, Greg Linden

Casey Newton @caseynewton.bsky.social · 1d

Another great @jeffhorwitz.bsky.social investigation into Meta, this one about the company's secret playbook for deceiving and manipulating the regulators investigating its massive scam problem www.reuters.com/investigatio...

https://www.reuters.com/investigations/meta-created-playbook-fend-off-pressure-crack-down-scammers-documents-show-2025-12-31/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social

Reposted by Greg Linden

e.w. niedermeyer @niedermeyer.online · 1d

treat yourself, give it a look, even if you've been paying attention you'll be shocked at how much bullshit he's promised and not delivered over the years

Reposted by Christian Odendahl, Rosemary A. Joyce, Paul E. Smaldino , and 2 more Christian Odendahl, Rosemary A. Joyce, Paul E. Smaldino, Trevor A. Branch, Greg Linden

Michael Li (李之樸) @mcpli.bsky.social · 1d

The final Calvin and Hobbes, which appeared in papers 30 years ago today.

Reposted by Rebecca Solnit, Axel Bruns, Will Jennings , and 4 more Rebecca Solnit, Axel Bruns, Will Jennings, Steve Peers, American Library Association, Greg Linden, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

Matt Binder @mattbinder.bsky.social · 1d

Elon Musk promised a lot of things by 2025

- colonists arriving on Mars
- xAI achieving AGI
- Tesla robotaxis serving half the U.S.
- completely driverless robotaxis
- a Tesla Roadster demo
- DOGE cutting trillions

none of them happened
mashable.com/article/elon-mus...

Everything Elon Musk promised in 2025, but didn't deliver

Musk is now infamous for his false promises, but even this is excessive.

Reposted by David Lazer, Steve Peers, Serge Egelman , and 5 more David Lazer, Steve Peers, Serge Egelman, Bessma Momani, Greg Linden, Ryan Calo, David Darmofal, Pieter Vantieghem

Jeff Horwitz @jeffhorwitz.bsky.social · 1d

We got Meta’s “general global playbook” for defeating advertiser verification regulations, which the company knows would reduce scams. It includes making scam ads “not findable” for regulators searching Meta’s ad library through targeted scrubbing.

www.reuters.com/investigatio...

Meta created ‘playbook’ to fend off pressure to crack down on scammers, documents show

As regulators pressure Meta to verify the identity of advertisers on Facebook and Instagram, the social media giant has drafted a “playbook” to stall them. A Reuters investigation examines its tactics...

www.reuters.com

Reposted by Aaron Sojourner, Greg Linden

Caitlin Gilbert @caitlingilbert.bsky.social · 1d

You can also use the map in the story to look up vaccination rates in your local schools! This was a HUGE data lift: we reviewed and mapped tens of thousands of individual schools’ data, assembling the most comprehensive public database. And we published this data here: github.com/washingtonpo...

Screenshot of interactive look-up tool map where you can see the vaccination rates of individual schools as well as county and statewide rates

Greg Linden @glinden.bsky.social · 2d

When you fill the product with ads. When most of the stuff you sell is crap. When you allow AI slop. When you optimize for clicks. When you degrade customer service and product quality. All of these yield short increases in revenue and profits, but cause customers to leave and never come back.

Greg Linden @glinden.bsky.social · 2d

As Ed does here, worth emphasizing enshittification doesn't work out for shareholders. Enshittification is not profit-maximizing. As Cory Doctorow originally said, the last stage of enshittification is: "Then, they die." Enshittification is execs grabbing short-term gains but killing the company.

Ed Zitron @edzitron.com · 3d

My final newsletter of 2025: We're in The Enshittifinancial Crisis, the fourth stage of enshittification, where companies turn on their shareholders. Unprofitable, unsustainable AI threatens future of venture capital, private equity and the markets themselves.
www.wheresyoured.at/the-enshitti...

The Enshittifinancial Crisis

Soundtrack: Lynyrd Skynyrd — Free Bird This piece is over 19,000 words, and took me a great deal of writing and research. If you liked it, please subscribe to my premium newsletter. It’s $70 a year, ...

www.wheresyoured.at

Reposted by Greg Linden

Cheryl Rofer @cherylrofer.bsky.social · 2d

You know what actually makes women happy? Bank accounts. Voting rights. The ability to leave a bad marriage, and not have a miscarriage kill us.

Participating in these "debates" is agreeing that our rights are not important.

Debating Away Our Humanity

CBS News wants to know if "feminism failed women." Here's what they're really asking.

jessica.substack.com

Reposted by Diarmid Campbell‐Lendrum, Greg Linden, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Doghouse Reilly @chadstanton.blacksky.app · 2d

“South Africans like Dr. Booley have found a remedy for power cuts that have plagued people in the developing world for years. Thanks to swiftly falling prices of Chinese made solar panels and batteries, they now draw their power from the sun.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/12/30/c...

Cheap Solar Is Transforming Lives and Economies Across Africa

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Greg Linden, Daxton R. Stewart

Jessica Lussenhop @jlussenhop.bsky.social · 2d

This is a tired strategy: accuse journalists seeking response and more information of "stalking" and "harassment"... rather than engage even to simply offer a "no comment." People in power, especially taxpayer-funded ones, should have to answer questions: www.propublica.org/article/prop...

Our Reporters Reached Out for Comment. They Were Accused of Stalking and Intimidation.

Our journalists reach out to people they’re writing about to ensure fairness. But in this environment, they’ve found their efforts to do so are more likely to be vilified than appreciated.

www.propublica.org

Reposted by Greg Linden

Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 2d

The worst technology of 2025, according to @shiraovide.bsky.social: AI agents

Reposted by Greg Linden

Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 2d

AI should be "useful, private and optional," contends DuckDuckGo founder @yegg13.bsky.social.

It's one reason @shiraovide.bsky.social declares the privacy-focused search engine "the best technology company of 2025" in her year-end column: www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

Analysis | The best and worst technologies of 2025

Your Elon Musk-free guide to actually good things that happened in technology in 2025.

www.washingtonpost.com

Greg Linden @glinden.bsky.social · 2d

Apparently fake? But he didn't delete the top level post, just added a comment, not sure why he thinks that's enough. Anyway sounds like it's not real:
bsky.app/profile/jake...

Jacob Weindling @jakeweindling.bsky.social · 2d

Since this is starting to spread, I actually dug into it a bit and it's fake. Usually the "that I believed it is real is telling" response is babybrained bullshit, but Eric Adams really does make any allegation believable

Reposted by Greg Linden

Jacob Weindling @jakeweindling.bsky.social · 2d

Since this is starting to spread, I actually dug into it a bit and it's fake. Usually the "that I believed it is real is telling" response is babybrained bullshit, but Eric Adams really does make any allegation believable

Reposted by Greg Linden

Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 2d

"US stocks have been eclipsed by market gains in the rest of the world in 2025, as worries about high valuations, a Chinese AI breakthrough and Donald Trump’s radical economic policies contributed to a rare year of underperformance for Wall Street." h/t @carlquintanilla.bsky.social

US stocks eclipsed by rest of world in 2025 as investors diversify

Chinese artificial intelligence advances and effects of Trump’s trade war have boosted markets outside the US

giftarticle.ft.com