Beth Rennie
@freshstrangemusic.ca
Open source software developer in Toronto, Canada.
she/her 🏳️⚧️
https://kind.social/@beth
https://github.com/freshstrangemusic
she/her 🏳️⚧️
https://kind.social/@beth
https://github.com/freshstrangemusic
Reposted by Beth Rennie
Reposted by Beth Rennie
And on the subject of #realartatters: AI poisoning tool NIGHTSHADE is now free for artists to use: venturebeat.com/ai/nightshad...
Nightshade, the free tool that ‘poisons’ AI models, is now available for artists to use
The tool's creators are seeking to make it so that AI model developers must pay artists to train on data from them that is uncorrupted.
venturebeat.com
August 23, 2025 at 9:17 AM
And on the subject of #realartatters: AI poisoning tool NIGHTSHADE is now free for artists to use: venturebeat.com/ai/nightshad...
Reposted by Beth Rennie
Trans women threatening this dynamic, not because we were "raised men" or whatever but because we infiltrated men's social spaces from birth and have enough examples of the contrary to prove the lie.
August 24, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Trans women threatening this dynamic, not because we were "raised men" or whatever but because we infiltrated men's social spaces from birth and have enough examples of the contrary to prove the lie.
Reposted by Beth Rennie
Being a trans author is fucking weird right now. Hell is actively unfolding all around us but I still need to be like, "hey, everyone, wanna buy my silly little queer book? It won't make anything better, but it's kinda fun?"
So....hey, everyone, wanna buy my silly little queer book?
So....hey, everyone, wanna buy my silly little queer book?
Looking for a supernatural queer read?
🏳️🌈 F/F friends to lovers
💀 Evil cult serving a fallen god
🦅 Weird birds
👼 Queers with wings and claws
🌲 Cursed forest
🌎 Lesbians vs god for the fate of reality
Ghost Flower by Jessica Conwell
Available here:
a.co/d/bufFU4f
🏳️🌈 F/F friends to lovers
💀 Evil cult serving a fallen god
🦅 Weird birds
👼 Queers with wings and claws
🌲 Cursed forest
🌎 Lesbians vs god for the fate of reality
Ghost Flower by Jessica Conwell
Available here:
a.co/d/bufFU4f
February 22, 2024 at 3:56 PM
Being a trans author is fucking weird right now. Hell is actively unfolding all around us but I still need to be like, "hey, everyone, wanna buy my silly little queer book? It won't make anything better, but it's kinda fun?"
So....hey, everyone, wanna buy my silly little queer book?
So....hey, everyone, wanna buy my silly little queer book?
Reposted by Beth Rennie
(Someone who barely has a mind) large language models are mind blowing
August 9, 2025 at 9:42 PM
(Someone who barely has a mind) large language models are mind blowing
Reposted by Beth Rennie
People forget that lesbians were the subject of locker room panics as recently as 2002: www.chicagotribune.com/2002/12/18/l...
The gender-conservative project is one of declaring queer existence obscene, of hounding us out of public life because we are sexualized by bigots.
The gender-conservative project is one of declaring queer existence obscene, of hounding us out of public life because we are sexualized by bigots.
August 6, 2025 at 10:40 AM
People forget that lesbians were the subject of locker room panics as recently as 2002: www.chicagotribune.com/2002/12/18/l...
The gender-conservative project is one of declaring queer existence obscene, of hounding us out of public life because we are sexualized by bigots.
The gender-conservative project is one of declaring queer existence obscene, of hounding us out of public life because we are sexualized by bigots.
Reposted by Beth Rennie
When politicians pass laws restricting "pornography," this is what they actually restrict:
video games
romantasy
drag
sex education
healthcare
LGBTQ+ sites
young adult novels
sexual assault resources
dating apps
contraception
social media
Wikipedia
wifi access
video games
romantasy
drag
sex education
healthcare
LGBTQ+ sites
young adult novels
sexual assault resources
dating apps
contraception
social media
Wikipedia
wifi access
Blocking Access to Harmful Content Will Not Protect Children Online, No Matter How Many Times UK Politicians Say So
The UK is having a moment. In late July, new rules took effect that require all online services available in the UK to assess whether they host content considered harmful to children, and if so, these services must introduce age checks to prevent children from accessing such content. Online...
www.eff.org
August 5, 2025 at 7:54 PM
When politicians pass laws restricting "pornography," this is what they actually restrict:
video games
romantasy
drag
sex education
healthcare
LGBTQ+ sites
young adult novels
sexual assault resources
dating apps
contraception
social media
Wikipedia
wifi access
video games
romantasy
drag
sex education
healthcare
LGBTQ+ sites
young adult novels
sexual assault resources
dating apps
contraception
social media
Wikipedia
wifi access
Reposted by Beth Rennie
Folks talking about if different things are art and it'd be rude to jump into their discussions with my personal definition of "art", but I'm reposting it here because I feel like it and I need the gremlin out of my head:
Art is perspective expressed through a medium.
That's it.
Art is perspective expressed through a medium.
That's it.
August 4, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Folks talking about if different things are art and it'd be rude to jump into their discussions with my personal definition of "art", but I'm reposting it here because I feel like it and I need the gremlin out of my head:
Art is perspective expressed through a medium.
That's it.
Art is perspective expressed through a medium.
That's it.
Reposted by Beth Rennie
If you're using AI to write essays, eulogies, a text to your wife, I do think less of you as a person. Ceding your mental and creative abilities to a machine is an embarrassing thing and people should be ashamed to admit doing it in public.
![[quoting a tweet by fractalcounty that reads, “today I learned that there are actual people irl who get genuinely upset if they catch you using chatgpt. like they view it as a serious moral failing in certain circles”]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:hppum4l25hcczzffastsicpq/bafkreihjvnz2ttxl7z4a2b3a4kylubobgvqxmjhwz6yuetuztzoc4g2s4y@jpeg)
August 2, 2025 at 6:19 PM
If you're using AI to write essays, eulogies, a text to your wife, I do think less of you as a person. Ceding your mental and creative abilities to a machine is an embarrassing thing and people should be ashamed to admit doing it in public.
Reposted by Beth Rennie
As for validity, well.
My 'preferred' pronouns, & my 'chosen' gender, and my 'dignity & respect' aren't much good on their own.
I need HRT.
I need access to civil society, without harassment & violence.
I need legal recognition.
I have material needs validity does not touch.
It's a platitude.
My 'preferred' pronouns, & my 'chosen' gender, and my 'dignity & respect' aren't much good on their own.
I need HRT.
I need access to civil society, without harassment & violence.
I need legal recognition.
I have material needs validity does not touch.
It's a platitude.
July 20, 2025 at 7:49 PM
As for validity, well.
My 'preferred' pronouns, & my 'chosen' gender, and my 'dignity & respect' aren't much good on their own.
I need HRT.
I need access to civil society, without harassment & violence.
I need legal recognition.
I have material needs validity does not touch.
It's a platitude.
My 'preferred' pronouns, & my 'chosen' gender, and my 'dignity & respect' aren't much good on their own.
I need HRT.
I need access to civil society, without harassment & violence.
I need legal recognition.
I have material needs validity does not touch.
It's a platitude.
@chrismoise.ca I am a resident of Toronto Centre. I broke both my arms in 2021 due to a lack of safe cycling infrastructure. Why are you wasting time and tax dollars installing decals when you could be working towards safer streets? If the streets were safe people wouldn't ride on the sidewalk.
July 30, 2025 at 5:12 AM
@chrismoise.ca I am a resident of Toronto Centre. I broke both my arms in 2021 due to a lack of safe cycling infrastructure. Why are you wasting time and tax dollars installing decals when you could be working towards safer streets? If the streets were safe people wouldn't ride on the sidewalk.
Reposted by Beth Rennie
to the people that would go "if you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to worry about": plenty of people have harmless things they need to hide from the state, b/c the state will mistreat them over it, and, our actual government is currently calling everyone who dislikes this law a child abuser
July 29, 2025 at 1:12 PM
to the people that would go "if you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to worry about": plenty of people have harmless things they need to hide from the state, b/c the state will mistreat them over it, and, our actual government is currently calling everyone who dislikes this law a child abuser
Reposted by Beth Rennie
Bringing this back to LLMs:
An LLM is incapable of lying.
It is also incapable of being honest.
Both of those are intentions.
An LLM outputs words, with no regard for whether they are true or not. Such a regard is beyond its scope and capabilities.
An LLM is incapable of lying.
It is also incapable of being honest.
Both of those are intentions.
An LLM outputs words, with no regard for whether they are true or not. Such a regard is beyond its scope and capabilities.
July 16, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Bringing this back to LLMs:
An LLM is incapable of lying.
It is also incapable of being honest.
Both of those are intentions.
An LLM outputs words, with no regard for whether they are true or not. Such a regard is beyond its scope and capabilities.
An LLM is incapable of lying.
It is also incapable of being honest.
Both of those are intentions.
An LLM outputs words, with no regard for whether they are true or not. Such a regard is beyond its scope and capabilities.
Reposted by Beth Rennie
I wrote this column and I'll just say that the original headline was much meaner. The piece itself, though, is still very angry and very mean, I assure you.
I’m Starting To Worry This Industry Has No Respect For The People Who Work In It
Once your stock options were fully vested, did you sell off all the shares in your humanity?
www.thegamer.com
July 14, 2025 at 3:40 PM
I wrote this column and I'll just say that the original headline was much meaner. The piece itself, though, is still very angry and very mean, I assure you.
Reposted by Beth Rennie
We ran a randomized controlled trial to see how much AI coding tools speed up experienced open-source developers.
The results surprised us: Developers thought they were 20% faster with AI tools, but they were actually 19% slower when they had access to AI than when they didn't.
The results surprised us: Developers thought they were 20% faster with AI tools, but they were actually 19% slower when they had access to AI than when they didn't.
July 10, 2025 at 7:47 PM
We ran a randomized controlled trial to see how much AI coding tools speed up experienced open-source developers.
The results surprised us: Developers thought they were 20% faster with AI tools, but they were actually 19% slower when they had access to AI than when they didn't.
The results surprised us: Developers thought they were 20% faster with AI tools, but they were actually 19% slower when they had access to AI than when they didn't.
Reposted by Beth Rennie
So, I've put this off for a while (I've spent the better part of the last decade trying to not be deported so I'm very broke) but I desperately need FFS. This would be life changing and life saving for me. Any little bit helps me, so please consider helping out ❤️
gofund.me/306ebd2b
gofund.me/306ebd2b
Donate to Support Aria's Gender Affirming Surgery, organized by Aria Balraj
Hi! My name is Aria, and I'm trying to raise funds so I can finally fix up my face… Aria Balraj needs your support for Support Aria's Gender Affirming Surgery
gofund.me
February 8, 2025 at 4:34 PM
So, I've put this off for a while (I've spent the better part of the last decade trying to not be deported so I'm very broke) but I desperately need FFS. This would be life changing and life saving for me. Any little bit helps me, so please consider helping out ❤️
gofund.me/306ebd2b
gofund.me/306ebd2b
Reposted by Beth Rennie
do you believe me now that the new york times is and always was your enemy
do you FINALLY believe trans women about the times
do you FINALLY believe trans women about the times
Beyond parody at this point; the week these guys picked sex predators and warmongers over your future
June 23, 2025 at 1:16 AM
do you believe me now that the new york times is and always was your enemy
do you FINALLY believe trans women about the times
do you FINALLY believe trans women about the times
Reposted by Beth Rennie
This is really important. Email - like RSS is an open standard. This is good for both writers and readers, like RSS is good for podcast makers and listeners. Spotify and YouTube are attempting to enclose audio, and Substack is trying to do the same with writing. Don't let them.
Substack's attempt to pivot away from email-based newsletters to an app with a walled garden is an attack on the whole concept of newsletters.
It's partly about trapping you in their ecosystem, but also the company wants to end newsletters as we know them.
It's partly about trapping you in their ecosystem, but also the company wants to end newsletters as we know them.
June 21, 2025 at 9:29 PM
This is really important. Email - like RSS is an open standard. This is good for both writers and readers, like RSS is good for podcast makers and listeners. Spotify and YouTube are attempting to enclose audio, and Substack is trying to do the same with writing. Don't let them.
Reposted by Beth Rennie
shel silverstein on the LLM, 1981
June 10, 2025 at 7:34 PM
shel silverstein on the LLM, 1981
Reposted by Beth Rennie
bad news: the study was on both american and danish mbas, it's pretty large
also bad news: "technically there's still water in poisoned well" not the intellectual riposte you had hoped for
also bad news: "technically there's still water in poisoned well" not the intellectual riposte you had hoped for
sources:
wage cuts:
www.nber.org/system/files...
self serving:
hbr.org/2016/12/mbas...
pollution and risk taking:
www.iimb.ac.in/sites/defaul...
promotion bias:
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
vs unionised market performance:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
wage cuts:
www.nber.org/system/files...
self serving:
hbr.org/2016/12/mbas...
pollution and risk taking:
www.iimb.ac.in/sites/defaul...
promotion bias:
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
vs unionised market performance:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
May 31, 2025 at 4:37 AM
bad news: the study was on both american and danish mbas, it's pretty large
also bad news: "technically there's still water in poisoned well" not the intellectual riposte you had hoped for
also bad news: "technically there's still water in poisoned well" not the intellectual riposte you had hoped for
Reposted by Beth Rennie
fun facts:
mbas don't increase profit or returns, they just cut wages
in fact, ceos tend to be more self serving than other people, and this correlates to childhood exposure to pollution
'superfund ceos' tend to get promoted more too, even though unionised places perform better in stock market
mbas don't increase profit or returns, they just cut wages
in fact, ceos tend to be more self serving than other people, and this correlates to childhood exposure to pollution
'superfund ceos' tend to get promoted more too, even though unionised places perform better in stock market
May 31, 2025 at 3:45 AM
fun facts:
mbas don't increase profit or returns, they just cut wages
in fact, ceos tend to be more self serving than other people, and this correlates to childhood exposure to pollution
'superfund ceos' tend to get promoted more too, even though unionised places perform better in stock market
mbas don't increase profit or returns, they just cut wages
in fact, ceos tend to be more self serving than other people, and this correlates to childhood exposure to pollution
'superfund ceos' tend to get promoted more too, even though unionised places perform better in stock market
Reposted by Beth Rennie
Congratulations on being good at your job! As a reward, please enjoy all the tasks your coworkers are bad at!
April 28, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Congratulations on being good at your job! As a reward, please enjoy all the tasks your coworkers are bad at!
Reposted by Beth Rennie
As someone at a recent protest said (paraphrased) "we need to get rid of this word, 'valid'. A parking ticket is valid, until it isn't. Something is valid until it's invalidated by the people in power. Validity isn't what we should be striving for, human dignity is."
"trans women are women, trans men are men, non-binary people are valid"
You know what, this isn't fucking roll call.
Why don't you try "Trans people deserve dignity, autonomy, and freedom from discrimination"? "Trans people deserve access to healthcare without gatekeeping"? "Trans people matter"?
You know what, this isn't fucking roll call.
Why don't you try "Trans people deserve dignity, autonomy, and freedom from discrimination"? "Trans people deserve access to healthcare without gatekeeping"? "Trans people matter"?
April 27, 2025 at 5:40 PM
As someone at a recent protest said (paraphrased) "we need to get rid of this word, 'valid'. A parking ticket is valid, until it isn't. Something is valid until it's invalidated by the people in power. Validity isn't what we should be striving for, human dignity is."
Reposted by Beth Rennie
BUT DID YOU KNOOOOOOW
It's not illegal to discuss salaries.
Most companies prohibit (often illegally) and discourage it (not illegal) because they want to maintain unequal wages.
Companies that are transparent (very few) have pay gaps...vanish.
If you make a wage, you need to know.
It's not illegal to discuss salaries.
Most companies prohibit (often illegally) and discourage it (not illegal) because they want to maintain unequal wages.
Companies that are transparent (very few) have pay gaps...vanish.
If you make a wage, you need to know.
April 27, 2025 at 1:55 AM
BUT DID YOU KNOOOOOOW
It's not illegal to discuss salaries.
Most companies prohibit (often illegally) and discourage it (not illegal) because they want to maintain unequal wages.
Companies that are transparent (very few) have pay gaps...vanish.
If you make a wage, you need to know.
It's not illegal to discuss salaries.
Most companies prohibit (often illegally) and discourage it (not illegal) because they want to maintain unequal wages.
Companies that are transparent (very few) have pay gaps...vanish.
If you make a wage, you need to know.
Reposted by Beth Rennie
just because something is clever and technically interesting does not mean you should fucking do it. This is how you get nazi rocket scientists.
April 24, 2025 at 7:22 PM
just because something is clever and technically interesting does not mean you should fucking do it. This is how you get nazi rocket scientists.