Alan Martin
@alanpmartin.bsky.social
Freelance writer of tech, games and politics. www.alanpmartin.com
Reposted by Alan Martin
Reposted by Alan Martin
We don’t yet know who killed Kirk or why. Not that you’d know it from the endless numbers of accounts on X with huge follower numbers, including British politicians, making as yet unknowable claims about the motivations behind the murder.
Exhibit A. Extraordinary stuff.
Exhibit A. Extraordinary stuff.
September 11, 2025 at 5:43 AM
We don’t yet know who killed Kirk or why. Not that you’d know it from the endless numbers of accounts on X with huge follower numbers, including British politicians, making as yet unknowable claims about the motivations behind the murder.
Exhibit A. Extraordinary stuff.
Exhibit A. Extraordinary stuff.
Reposted by Alan Martin
For those with a hangover from yesterday's Hannan Day celebrations.
Good Morning.
Good Morning.
June 25, 2025 at 6:25 AM
For those with a hangover from yesterday's Hannan Day celebrations.
Good Morning.
Good Morning.
Reposted by Alan Martin
Don’t think I’ve ever muttered the words “fuck me sideways” quite so much reading a story as this one.
They Asked an A.I. Chatbot Questions. The Answers Sent Them Spiraling.
www.nytimes.com
June 13, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Don’t think I’ve ever muttered the words “fuck me sideways” quite so much reading a story as this one.
It strikes me that the UK government is never going to have a better opportunity to ban X than right now. Trump would actively approve!
If it wanted to be really cynical, it could write a statement about tackling disinformation, "including disgusting fake news about the Great President of the US."
If it wanted to be really cynical, it could write a statement about tackling disinformation, "including disgusting fake news about the Great President of the US."
June 7, 2025 at 9:13 AM
It strikes me that the UK government is never going to have a better opportunity to ban X than right now. Trump would actively approve!
If it wanted to be really cynical, it could write a statement about tackling disinformation, "including disgusting fake news about the Great President of the US."
If it wanted to be really cynical, it could write a statement about tackling disinformation, "including disgusting fake news about the Great President of the US."
Real lessons for 2025 in the 1891 Factory and Workshop Act
March 17, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Real lessons for 2025 in the 1891 Factory and Workshop Act
This trip just got interesting.
March 17, 2025 at 8:54 AM
This trip just got interesting.
Reposted by Alan Martin
Brilliant satirical cover from Private Eye, mocking spineless media organisations and journalists who submit and cower in the face of power 👏
January 22, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Brilliant satirical cover from Private Eye, mocking spineless media organisations and journalists who submit and cower in the face of power 👏
Reposted by Alan Martin
Elon Musk yet again claiming this guy was jailed for “social media posts”. Worth reading in detail what he actually did 👇🏻
The man who set up a Telegram account used to organise and incite riots following the Southport attack has been jailed
Andrew McIntyre, 39, started "Southport Wake Up" and also attended disorder in Southport on 30 July and in Liverpool on 3 August himself. He was jailed for seven-and-a-half years
Andrew McIntyre, 39, started "Southport Wake Up" and also attended disorder in Southport on 30 July and in Liverpool on 3 August himself. He was jailed for seven-and-a-half years
January 13, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Elon Musk yet again claiming this guy was jailed for “social media posts”. Worth reading in detail what he actually did 👇🏻
A political tragedy in three acts.
January 11, 2025 at 2:10 PM
A political tragedy in three acts.
Reposted by Alan Martin
The scale of the decline of Google search in quality, relevance, usability and more should have triggered a full-scale alarm in Alphabet’s boardroom months ago.
The fact the company is just plodding on while its core product is visibly worse than it was is a disaster.
The fact the company is just plodding on while its core product is visibly worse than it was is a disaster.
This is a particularly bad case-study in how badly AI summarization can go when its exposed to the wilds of the internet - posted some notes on my blog: simonwillison.net/2024/Dec/29/...
December 29, 2024 at 8:45 PM
The scale of the decline of Google search in quality, relevance, usability and more should have triggered a full-scale alarm in Alphabet’s boardroom months ago.
The fact the company is just plodding on while its core product is visibly worse than it was is a disaster.
The fact the company is just plodding on while its core product is visibly worse than it was is a disaster.
This actually feels like a discarded plotline for a Rev Christmas special.
Love this story: vicar tells primary school pupils that Father Christmas isn’t real, their parents give them the presents in engagingly ill-judged sermon at school.
Vicar’s Santa sermon ‘ruins Christmas’ for sobbing school pupils
The Rev Dr Paul Chamberlain has had to apologise for his Nativity talk that left teachers scrambling to ‘bring the magic back’
www.thetimes.com
December 14, 2024 at 2:40 PM
This actually feels like a discarded plotline for a Rev Christmas special.
Reposted by Alan Martin
It's a tricky award this year for the Spectator really. You see, Keir Starmer took his party from one of its worst results of all time to a landslide majority. Ed Davey multiplied his party's seats by a factor of 9. Nigel Farage put his party on the map in a way it hadn't been before. Who to pick
December 4, 2024 at 11:16 AM
It's a tricky award this year for the Spectator really. You see, Keir Starmer took his party from one of its worst results of all time to a landslide majority. Ed Davey multiplied his party's seats by a factor of 9. Nigel Farage put his party on the map in a way it hadn't been before. Who to pick
At first glance this looks a bit silly (and it is) but there's something interesting going on.
The word "woke" only appears in the headline. The copy itself doesn't use it at all, delivering a fairly bland, straight reading of a press release. Which means it was likely added in the subbing process.
The word "woke" only appears in the headline. The copy itself doesn't use it at all, delivering a fairly bland, straight reading of a press release. Which means it was likely added in the subbing process.
December 4, 2024 at 12:12 PM
At first glance this looks a bit silly (and it is) but there's something interesting going on.
The word "woke" only appears in the headline. The copy itself doesn't use it at all, delivering a fairly bland, straight reading of a press release. Which means it was likely added in the subbing process.
The word "woke" only appears in the headline. The copy itself doesn't use it at all, delivering a fairly bland, straight reading of a press release. Which means it was likely added in the subbing process.
Still a net drain on my income, but the cats have begun to pull their weight a bit, allowing me to write this. www.theguardian.com/thefilter/20...
First-time cat owner? The essentials you need, from quality food to pet insurance
Our cat expert guides you through everything you need to keep your feline friends purrfectly happy – and the kit that’s not worth your money
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2024 at 10:49 AM
Still a net drain on my income, but the cats have begun to pull their weight a bit, allowing me to write this. www.theguardian.com/thefilter/20...
Reposted by Alan Martin
It was the Busta Rhymes
It was the Wusta Rhymes
It was the Wusta Rhymes
November 20, 2024 at 4:27 PM
It was the Busta Rhymes
It was the Wusta Rhymes
It was the Wusta Rhymes
Finally decided to sign up, after initially betting on Threads. 👋
Amazing that Meta managed to screw up such an open goal so badly with its weird timelines and constant, twee engagement bait shoved in your face...
Amazing that Meta managed to screw up such an open goal so badly with its weird timelines and constant, twee engagement bait shoved in your face...
November 14, 2024 at 2:59 PM
Finally decided to sign up, after initially betting on Threads. 👋
Amazing that Meta managed to screw up such an open goal so badly with its weird timelines and constant, twee engagement bait shoved in your face...
Amazing that Meta managed to screw up such an open goal so badly with its weird timelines and constant, twee engagement bait shoved in your face...