Jan Janes
@janjanes.bsky.social
Idea incubator & communications creative w/ a slice of geek.
Photojournalist, multimedia producer, educator, wordista.
Photojournalist, multimedia producer, educator, wordista.
Pinned
Jan Janes
@janjanes.bsky.social
· Nov 25
Go out and make a difference. Even the smallest actions may be profound and extend far beyond what you intend or perceive.
Reposted by Jan Janes
Time to tell (again) how I once checked an article cited by a student and (1) the list of authors existed, but those authors had never written that article; (2) article title was fabricated, no such article; (3) journal, issue and page numbers were real, but not for that title or those authors
Do not cite an academic paper unless you’ve read it
AI Is Inventing Academic Papers That Don't Exist -- And They're Being Cited in Real Journals
Academic articles from authors using large language model are creating an ecosystem of fake research that threatens human knowledge itself.
www.rollingstone.com
December 19, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Time to tell (again) how I once checked an article cited by a student and (1) the list of authors existed, but those authors had never written that article; (2) article title was fabricated, no such article; (3) journal, issue and page numbers were real, but not for that title or those authors
Reposted by Jan Janes
🧵Speaking truth to power is never easy. I haven't spoken publicly much about the personal toll of my choice to speak out about my time working on election integrity issues at Facebook. But I was willing to share some details here. Despite the ensuing challenges, I say unequivocally: No regrets. 1/4
December 15, 2025 at 6:00 PM
🧵Speaking truth to power is never easy. I haven't spoken publicly much about the personal toll of my choice to speak out about my time working on election integrity issues at Facebook. But I was willing to share some details here. Despite the ensuing challenges, I say unequivocally: No regrets. 1/4
Reposted by Jan Janes
This is a great list (and don't forget Marisa herself).
NEW — I put together a list of independent journalism subscriptions that would make great holiday gifts. From music to politics, astronomy to alcohol, tech to social justice, there’s something for [almost] everyone. Support indie media *and* surprise and delight your loved ones!
My guide:
My guide:
Giving the gift of independent journalism: a guide
The Handbasket has subscription suggestions for almost everyone on your list.
www.thehandbasket.co
December 6, 2025 at 5:53 PM
This is a great list (and don't forget Marisa herself).
Reposted by Jan Janes
This is really important. Both in the fact of IMLS reinstating grants. (Which have been *crucial* for libraries and civic life across the country. Notably in rural areas.)
And in the example that the overall stalwartness and rigor of federal district/circuit courts has made a huge difference.
And in the example that the overall stalwartness and rigor of federal district/circuit courts has made a huge difference.
IMLS announces "upon further review" that it is reinstating all federal grants to libraries. It leaves out that it's doing this because a federal court told them a few weeks ago that the Trump admin's decision to destroy libraries was not legal.
www.imls.gov/news/stateme...
www.imls.gov/news/stateme...
Statement of Agency’s Reinstatement of Terminated IMLS Grants
Statement of Agency’s Reinstatement of Terminated IMLS Grants Washington, DC– Upon further review, the Institute of Museum and Library Services has reinstated all federal grants. This action supersede...
www.imls.gov
December 3, 2025 at 10:43 PM
This is really important. Both in the fact of IMLS reinstating grants. (Which have been *crucial* for libraries and civic life across the country. Notably in rural areas.)
And in the example that the overall stalwartness and rigor of federal district/circuit courts has made a huge difference.
And in the example that the overall stalwartness and rigor of federal district/circuit courts has made a huge difference.
Reposted by Jan Janes
“The decision was made to exclude me from the filmed production of Swan Lake because I was told my brown skin would disrupt the aesthetic.” ~ Misty Copeland
When folks gripe about DEI, remind them who benefited from shutting out dancers like Copeland. That pattern runs through our whole history.
When folks gripe about DEI, remind them who benefited from shutting out dancers like Copeland. That pattern runs through our whole history.
December 4, 2025 at 1:22 AM
“The decision was made to exclude me from the filmed production of Swan Lake because I was told my brown skin would disrupt the aesthetic.” ~ Misty Copeland
When folks gripe about DEI, remind them who benefited from shutting out dancers like Copeland. That pattern runs through our whole history.
When folks gripe about DEI, remind them who benefited from shutting out dancers like Copeland. That pattern runs through our whole history.
Reposted by Jan Janes
Boston's Mayor Wu playing with Yo-Yo Ma at Symphony Hall
November 23, 2025 at 5:11 AM
Boston's Mayor Wu playing with Yo-Yo Ma at Symphony Hall
Reposted by Jan Janes
Journalist challenge: Use “Machine Learning” when you mean machine learning and “LLM” when you mean LLM. Ditch “AI” as a catch-all term, it’s not useful for readers and it helps companies trying to confuse the public by obscuring the roles played by different technologies. 🧪
November 22, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Journalist challenge: Use “Machine Learning” when you mean machine learning and “LLM” when you mean LLM. Ditch “AI” as a catch-all term, it’s not useful for readers and it helps companies trying to confuse the public by obscuring the roles played by different technologies. 🧪
Reposted by Jan Janes
Google has started automatically opting you in to let it read your stuff to train AI. You need to turn this off in SEVERAL places in your settings (not just for Gmail), if you want to maintain privacy and confidentiality.
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
Gmail can read your emails and attachments to train its AI, unless you opt out
A new Gmail update may allow Google to use your private messages and attachments for AI training. Here's how to turn it off.
www.malwarebytes.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Google has started automatically opting you in to let it read your stuff to train AI. You need to turn this off in SEVERAL places in your settings (not just for Gmail), if you want to maintain privacy and confidentiality.
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
Reposted by Jan Janes
Here is what I came across for anyone who can’t find it
November 20, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Here is what I came across for anyone who can’t find it
Reposted by Jan Janes
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
November 20, 2025 at 5:32 PM
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
Reposted by Jan Janes
Hey authors! Check to see if Anthropic stole your book to train their slop generator on. You’re entitled to $1500 per stolen Work.
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Submit a Claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Hey authors! Check to see if Anthropic stole your book to train their slop generator on. You’re entitled to $1500 per stolen Work.
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Reposted by Jan Janes
wow. WOW.
Breaking: Marion County agrees to pay out $3M for newspaper raid, express regret kansasreflector.com/2025/11/11/m...
Marion County agrees to pay out $3M for newspaper raid, express regret • Kansas Reflector
A handful of county-level officials who were involved in a small-town Kansas newspaper raid in 2023 will pay a cumulative $3 million to three journalists and a city councilor.
kansasreflector.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:53 PM
wow. WOW.
Reposted by Jan Janes
An LLM-produced essay is tangible proof that a student doesn’t care, and yet responding to it properly requires hour upon hour of careful work. It’s asymmetrical and overwhelming.
October 28, 2025 at 12:57 PM
An LLM-produced essay is tangible proof that a student doesn’t care, and yet responding to it properly requires hour upon hour of careful work. It’s asymmetrical and overwhelming.
Reposted by Jan Janes
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
June 19, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
Reposted by Jan Janes
When a chatbot gets something wrong, it’s not because it made an error. It’s because on that roll of the dice, it happened to string together a group of words that, when read by a human, represents something false. But it was working entirely as designed. It was supposed to make a sentence & it did.
June 19, 2025 at 11:28 AM
When a chatbot gets something wrong, it’s not because it made an error. It’s because on that roll of the dice, it happened to string together a group of words that, when read by a human, represents something false. But it was working entirely as designed. It was supposed to make a sentence & it did.
Reposted by Jan Janes
Why did Indiana University attack and cut its own student newspaper?
Well, in a twist of irony any English professor would call clichéd, it turns out IU did it because they were angry about the students' reporting on a FIRE report naming IU as the worst public university for free speech in the US.
Well, in a twist of irony any English professor would call clichéd, it turns out IU did it because they were angry about the students' reporting on a FIRE report naming IU as the worst public university for free speech in the US.
October 25, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Why did Indiana University attack and cut its own student newspaper?
Well, in a twist of irony any English professor would call clichéd, it turns out IU did it because they were angry about the students' reporting on a FIRE report naming IU as the worst public university for free speech in the US.
Well, in a twist of irony any English professor would call clichéd, it turns out IU did it because they were angry about the students' reporting on a FIRE report naming IU as the worst public university for free speech in the US.
Reposted by Jan Janes
“Universities that encourage students to use ChatGPT? That stuns me.” —Luc Steels, a pioneer of AI research in Belgium, quoted in: apache.be/2025/10/24/b...
Belgian AI scientists resist the use of AI in academia
Several AI scientists have published an open letter calling for a ban on AI use by students.
apache.be
October 25, 2025 at 2:19 PM
“Universities that encourage students to use ChatGPT? That stuns me.” —Luc Steels, a pioneer of AI research in Belgium, quoted in: apache.be/2025/10/24/b...
Reposted by Jan Janes
If i did it right, this is a gift article.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/o...
Opinion | Chris Hayes: The Democrats’ Main Problem Isn’t Their Message
www.nytimes.com
October 19, 2025 at 1:03 PM
If i did it right, this is a gift article.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/o...
Reposted by Jan Janes
the kids are alright
Three high schoolers founded a book club that reads some of the country's most frequently banned books after a state law removing books with sexual content was signed in 2023. Two years later, many of the books have been reshelved and parts of the law can't be enforced.
When books were being pulled from Iowa classrooms, these teens started an after-school club to read them
Three Iowa City West high schoolers founded a book club that reads some of the country's most frequently banned books after a state law removing books with sexual content was signed in 2023. Two years later, many of the books have been reshelved and parts of the law can't be enforced.
n.pr
October 20, 2025 at 3:31 PM
the kids are alright
Student journalists showing how it's done.
“The Purdue student newspaper owns its own presses” is the sound of engines revving
Purdue to the rescue of IU student newspaper, whose institution was attempting censorship. Details in alt!
October 20, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Student journalists showing how it's done.
Reposted by Jan Janes
“The Purdue student newspaper owns its own presses” is the sound of engines revving
Purdue to the rescue of IU student newspaper, whose institution was attempting censorship. Details in alt!
October 18, 2025 at 10:32 PM
“The Purdue student newspaper owns its own presses” is the sound of engines revving
Reposted by Jan Janes
After 2024, pundits brushed off the Resistance as cringe. I submit: Yes, it was. And cringe is good. Cringe, in fact, will save democracy.
Resistance Is Cringe
But it’s also effective.
www.theatlantic.com
October 18, 2025 at 1:53 PM
After 2024, pundits brushed off the Resistance as cringe. I submit: Yes, it was. And cringe is good. Cringe, in fact, will save democracy.
Reposted by Jan Janes
Kinda handy when these people sign the papers and identify themselves, don't you think? www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
October 17, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Kinda handy when these people sign the papers and identify themselves, don't you think? www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Reposted by Jan Janes
Administrators at Indiana University baselessly fired the student media director and ordered the student paper to cease its print edition, so it'd sure be a shame if this excellent digital front page were to be widely shared today
issuu.com/idsnews/docs...
issuu.com/idsnews/docs...
October 17, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Administrators at Indiana University baselessly fired the student media director and ordered the student paper to cease its print edition, so it'd sure be a shame if this excellent digital front page were to be widely shared today
issuu.com/idsnews/docs...
issuu.com/idsnews/docs...
Reposted by Jan Janes
Impossible to overstate the role she had on radio and the many many lives of the people who make it. Just a genuinely good soul and one of a kind artist www.npr.org/2025/10/16/1...
NPR 'founding mother' Susan Stamberg has died
Susan Stamberg, an original National Public Radio staffer who went on to become the first U.S. woman to anchor a nightly national news program, has died.
www.npr.org
October 16, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Impossible to overstate the role she had on radio and the many many lives of the people who make it. Just a genuinely good soul and one of a kind artist www.npr.org/2025/10/16/1...