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John the Librarian (he/him)

@johnthelibrarian.bsky.social
509 followers 49 following 229 posts

I work in the field of applied epistemology. Personal account. All opinions are only my own, unless you want to borrow them.

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Reposted by John the Librarian (he/him)
John Scalzi @scalzi.com · 05/10/2026
This is your occasional reminder that generative "AI" in particular could have been developed on public domain materials and/or licensed and compensated works but the major players intentionally, methodically and systemically chose to steal labor from working creative folks instead
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Electronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 17h
The big tech companies want you to believe that their default software offerings are the only option, but spoiler alert, there’s a wide array of fantastic software out there. www.eff.org/pages/i-wan...
eff.org
How to Opt Out of Software Made by Big Tech
Big tech companies make the devices we use and the operating systems that come on them. They also make the bulk of the default software that comes packed into those operating systems. But spend even
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Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
🚨BREAKING: In a win for voters, the Kansas Court of Appeals Friday denied Secretary of State Scott Schwab’s (R) latest request to revive a GOP-backed law that would throw out mail-in ballots received after Election Day, even if they were cast on time. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
democracydocket.com
GOP bid to scrap Kansas mail ballot grace period fails again
The ruling means Kansas election officials must continue counting ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within the following three days, including in the upcoming November elections.
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EveryLibrary @everylibrary.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Florida Amendment 3 could mean a $20 million loss for Miami-Dade libraries, about 16% of the system’s operating budget. buff.ly/gZGMqif
buff.ly
What a $20 Million Library Cut Looks Like in Real Life
The projected problems for Miami-Dade libraries make the Amendment 3 debate very concrete. This is not only about budgets, tax policy, or local government accounting. It is about people who use the…
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WIRED @wired.com · 02/10/2026
DHS agents not only tracked and intimidated people observing ICE activity in Maine, but stored information about them in a Palantir-built database, newly unsealed court filings say.
wired.com
ICE Has Been Dumping Protester Photos Into a Palantir Database
DHS agents not only tracked and intimidated people observing ICE activity in Maine, but stored information about them in a Palantir-built database, newly unsealed court filings say.
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Electronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 02/10/2026
EFF and @aclu-norcal.bsky.social have demanded records from the Marin County Sheriff’s Office following a news report that it has shared Flock data with out-of-state and federal agencies – a violation of the 2022 settlement of our lawsuit, and of state law.
eff.org
We Demand More Information on How Marin Cops Illegally Shared Flock ALPR Data
The Marin County Sheriff’s Office is the latest California law enforcement agency to get caught sharing automated license plate reader (ALPR) data from their Flock Safety system with out-of-state and ...
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Electronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 02/10/2026
"Surveillance is not safety," EFF's Rindala Alajaji said, via @nbcbayarea.com. "That’s why EFF and the ACLU of Northern California are suing the city of San Jose on behalf of SIREN and CAIR - because in a single year, San Jose PD ran over 250,000 warrantless searches on this location data."
nbcbayarea.com
'Surveillance is not safety': Protesters push San Jose to shut down Flock camera network
Protesters issued a renewed call for San Jose to shut down its network of roughly 500 automated license plate reading cameras.
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evacide @evacide.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
This company makes a cute little tool for silencing AirTags and they absolutely do not care that they are helping people to create perfect stalking devices. sixcolors.com/post/2026/10...
sixcolors.com
Silencing AirTags enables stalkers and domestic violence
ElevationLab has released an AirTag product I find appalling, and I strongly urge they immediately withdraw it from sale and recall all inventory. The AirTag Silencer is a simple device: remove the…
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Gwendolyn Corvid @gwendolyn-corvid.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Transphobia is not popular www.erininthemorning.com/p/new-poll-f...
erininthemorning.com
New Poll From The 19th News Shows Public Turning Against Republican Anti-Trans Healthcare Bans
The poll even shows faltering Republican support for such bans.
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Electronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 01/10/2026
Today we’re launching Opt Out October, our guide for opting out of certain features and finding alternatives to products made by big tech companies. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
eff.org
Happy Opt Out October! Let’s Find Real Alternatives to the Tech Giants
Over the years, the major tech companies have found all sorts of ways to embed themselves into our lives. We often use their software, their AI tools, their social media, and their operating systems
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EveryLibrary @everylibrary.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The Senate Education Committee REFUSED to hear opposition to book-banning legislation in order to push it through. That means they need to hear from you, RIGHT NOW. buff.ly/tTNdgMJ #library #libraries #read #reading #book #books #librarianship #lit
buff.ly
They silenced opposition to book banning in Louisiana
The Senate Education Committee REFUSED to hear opposition to the SB7 in order to push it through. That means they need to hear from you, RIGHT NOW.
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EveryLibrary @everylibrary.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Amendment 3 is not only about one department, one service, or one line item. It is about whether local governments will have enough stable revenue to maintain the public systems that residents rely on every day. buff.ly/SoMXlD8
buff.ly
Jacksonville’s Amendment 3 Warning Is About More Than One Budget Line
The warnings about Amendment 3 are not only coming from libraries, local governments, first responders, and nonprofit organizations. They are also coming from business and civic leaders who…
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Electronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 01/10/2026
“Right now, the public backlash is so strong against Flock, and the public is not as well aware of the concerns with Axon and some of the other surveillance companies,” EFF’s Beryl Lipton told @thorbenson.bsky.social for @prospect.org.
prospect.org
License Plate and Switch - The American Prospect
Cities are succumbing to public pressure and removing Flock license plate readers. But they are substituting alternatives with the same capabilities.
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EveryLibrary @everylibrary.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Would you believe that even the latest poll from Fox News shows that 77% of parents are concerned about book bans? Of course, we already knew that. Nearly every poll conducted has produced nearly identical results. buff.ly/nSrUUdq #library #libraries #read #reading #book #books #librarianship
buff.ly
Even FOX NEWS is reporting that parents are against book bans
Would you believe that even the latest poll from Fox News shows that 77% of parents are concerned about book bans?
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WIRED @wired.com · 01/10/2026
The attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, was not conducted mainly by extremists or fringe militia groups. It was, according to the data, the work of normal Americans.
wired.com
The Real Threat to the Midterms Is Regular Americans Thinking Violence Is the Answer
Robert A. Pape, a leading authority on political violence, wants Americans to understand that the threat is coming not from the fringes, but from the mainstream.
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John the Librarian (he/him) @johnthelibrarian.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The problem with defining consent as “no means no” is the assumption that it’s safe for women to say no to men.
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maura quint @mauraquint.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Yes every woman has been harassed, many assaulted. But every woman has also experienced invisible loss from moments she avoided harassment. She felt a space becoming unsafe, so she left, while men stayed on. And in leaving, she lost: opportunities, experiences, learning, promotions, even simply fun.
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EveryLibrary @everylibrary.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
With every news cycle and legislative session, it seems that a new facet of book banning finds its way into the media. Take a look at the latest efforts to ban books and what people are doing to fight back... buff.ly/GW0k31g #library #libraries #read #reading #book #books #librarianship #lit
buff.ly
Book Banning Challenges throughout the US
How are you supporting your libraries in the fight against book banning?
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Saeed Jones @theferocity.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
This will be a thread of essays I recommend to students in my creative nonfiction workshop:
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EveryLibrary @everylibrary.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Spotsylvania, Virginia, is the latest battleground where a community has pushed back against banning books, and the answer from politicians has been to just close the school libraries altogether. buff.ly/1QxmRVf #library #libraries #read #reading #book #books #librarianship #lit
buff.ly
Unqualified Superintendents Want to Close Libraries and Burn Books
Spotsylvania, Virginia is the latest battleground where a community has pushed back against banning books, and the answer from politicians has been to just close the school libraries altogether.
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Joey Politano🏳️‍🌈 @josephpolitano.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
NEW from me: Over the last 4 years, America has lost more than 200k jobs in creative fields like publishing, film, TV, or graphic design. It's the worst stretch for arts jobs outside of recessions. How much is AI to blame? And can the arts' business model survive?🧵 www.apricitas.io/p/ai-and-the...
apricitas.io
AI and the Fall? of the Creative Class
America is Losing Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs in Media, Film & the Arts. How Much is AI to Blame?
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Joey Politano🏳️‍🌈 @josephpolitano.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Perhaps the best evidence for AI-driven arts job loss is that all digital arts industries are losing jobs while most live arts still chug along Sectors like graphic design, streaming, & movie recording have experienced historically unusual job loss since ChatGPT's launch
a graph showing job losses of between 20-5% in all digital arts and gains of 15% in most live arts
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Joey Politano🏳️‍🌈 @josephpolitano.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Still, it's extremely difficult to predict how tech will interact with arts businesses Take US novel sales, which had been declining for decades up to 2020. Would anyone have anticipated that short-form video apps like TikTok would reverse this trend and send book sales soaring?
a graph of recreational book sales
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Jillian @bookworm17.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
We need more men calling out misogyny, willing to stand with women, and take action. goodlawproject.org/s/748822
goodlawproject.org
It’s time for men to speak up - and act | Good Law Project
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404 Media @404media.co · 30/09/2026
The idea is that, since USPS trucks are constantly traveling anyway, they can be used as a way to collect data, eventually potentially across the nation.
404media.co
USPS To Put Cameras in Trucks That Scan Roads for ‘Community Safety’
USPS says the cameras, put on USPS truck dashboards, will scan roads, signs, and more.
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Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 30/09/2026
A new poll from The 19th News shows faltering Republican support for gender-affirming care bans for trans youth. It also shows that anti-trans ads might be backfiring, with respondents increasingly saying Republicans are talking about trans people too much. Subscribe to support our journalism.
erininthemorning.com
New Poll From The 19th News Shows Public Turning Against Republican Anti-Trans Healthcare Bans
The poll even shows faltering Republican support for such bans.
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John the Librarian (he/him) @johnthelibrarian.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Amen baptistnews.com/article/dear...
baptistnews.com
Dear men, it is time to wake the hell up
All this is horrible, but there’s one fact about this case that ought to keep you awake at night worried about the future of the world:
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Reposted by John the Librarian (he/him)
404 Media @404media.co · 30/09/2026
BREAKING: The Trump administration is using a grant program from the 1980s to force cities around the US to funnel their ongoing collection of Flock, Axon, and other ALPR data into large federal surveillance centers that fall under the White House’s jurisdiction, 404 Media has learned
404media.co
How Cities Are Forced to Funnel License Plate Data to a Massive Federal Surveillance Program
How the federal government built a massive database of license plate reader data through an anti-drug trafficking program.
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John the Librarian (he/him) @johnthelibrarian.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Tech oligarchs literally don’t understand that most people don’t want machines to do people things. We want machines to do machine things, so we can do more people things for ourselves.
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John the Librarian (he/him) @johnthelibrarian.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Say you’re in the woods & you see a bear. Chances are this bear isn’t dangerous: most bears want nothing to do with you. But sometimes, a bear could be aggressive, violent, dangerous. Can you tell which is which just by looking? Are you sure? Best to treat all bears as a potential threat.
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The Florida Trib @thefloridatrib.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is plowing ahead with officially designating a leading Muslim civil rights nonprofit and more than 100 other groups as “domestic terrorist organizations,” in a move critics say is unprecedented and unconstitutional. floridatrib.org/2026/09/29/d...
floridatrib.org
DeSantis exercises ‘unprecedented’ power to label groups ‘domestic terrorists’
Gov. DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet voted to advance the terrorist designations Tuesday, approving the proposal in just over 30 seconds and with no discussion.
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EveryLibrary @everylibrary.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Did you know that many politicians and far-right groups are attempting to deny your freedom to simply check out a book by defunding libraries over books and programs? It's true, and they may be coming for your library next. buff.ly/TMxtf5F #library #libraries #read #reading #book #books
buff.ly
They're coming for your public library (updated)
They aren't stopping with Llano County, Texas or the state of Missouri. They'll be coming for your public library next.
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GeorgiaBlue @georgiablue.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
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Bennett @sleightedge.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The problem is even more fundamental. LLMs do not understand causation or logic. They only understand correlation. Which means, even with full token context, they will always have the chance to hallucinate.
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Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Stop telling women what to do. Stop telling us to do all of the work. Stop acting like you know more about our struggle than we do. Stand up for your fellow human being without any reward because that’s what we’re supposed to do. Ffs.
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EveryLibrary @everylibrary.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Many people are unaware that book banning has escalated to the point that librarians and educators could be targeted for prosecution if they distribute “offensive” materials. Read on to learn more... buff.ly/sLEKgwr #library #libraries #read #reading #book #books #librarianship #lit
buff.ly
New Laws Make Banned Books a Crime
Are new obscenity laws crossing a line? Teachers and librarians could face jail time for providing access to banned books.
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conifergirl.bsky.social @conifergirl.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Part 1 Cornell Knew. Cornell Punished. So Why Did the Criminal Case Die? By Tony Pentimalli I am sick to death of reading some version of this story because we have been here before, frankly far too many times,
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conifergirl.bsky.social @conifergirl.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
happening and chose laughter, encouragement, silence or indifference instead of stepping in deserves condemnation too. Rotten cultures survive because too many men decide another man's behavior is not their problem.
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By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 28/09/2026
Digital rights activists have long railed at the use of the term "IP," criticizing it for being deceptively imprecise and also rhetorically dishonest. I get where these objections are coming from, but I think they're misguided.
A pastoral landscape with a cablecar system running overhead. A procession of old-timey cash registers are being moved through the sky on it.
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John the Librarian (he/him) @johnthelibrarian.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
@doctorow.pluralistic.net nails it. As usual. pluralistic.net/2026/07/24/s...
pluralistic.net
Pluralistic: AI solipsists and AI cynics (24 Jul 2026) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow
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Karly Kingsley @karlykingsley.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
If you’ve never told a man you were in a relationship and he still wouldn’t stop texting you or leave you alone, even after you said stop or walked alone at night with your keys between your fingers
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Qasim Rashid, Esq. @qasimrashid.com · 28/09/2026
To the people complaining these sex abuse cases have created a world where men now have to think 10 times before they touch a woman. Yes, that's the point. It's called consent. Welcome to human decency.
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John the Librarian (he/him) @johnthelibrarian.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
What if the solution to the Fermi paradox isn’t that technological species wipe themselves out? What if real intelligence, true wisdom, is recognizing the world you’ve built is unhealthy & destructive and you choose to reject it? To walk away from it and rebuild a world healthier & more humane?
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EveryLibrary @everylibrary.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Rather than ban books, consider strategies that support your child’s needs while allowing others the freedom to read. Here are three steps you can take to give you peace of mind while still ensuring that your child gets the benefits of reading... buff.ly/SxnxJgl #library #libraries #read
buff.ly
A 3-Step Approach to Protecting Your Child without Banning Books
Communicating with your child about what they're reading can be a better approach than banning books at the library.
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EveryLibrary @everylibrary.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Volusia County, FL, said the library would lose about 30% of the budget if Amendment 3 passes in November. “ All options are on the table at this point in terms of closures of libraries, reduction in force, charging for programs that we’ve traditionally offered at no charge." buff.ly/qXFgLxB
buff.ly
Volusia County Would Lose $7 Million from the Library Budget
MyNews 13 is reporting that the Volusia County library system is projected to lose $7 million in funding if Amendment 3 passes in November.
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Electronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 27/09/2026
What DraftKings is doing with their targeted promotions is just one example of how online behavioral advertising causes real harm to real people.
eff.org
DraftKings Is Using AI to Supercharge the Harms of Online Behavioral Advertising
Online sports betting company DraftKings is using AI to target customers who are most likely to place losing bets and respond to gambling promotions. This kind of targeting is a form of online behavio...
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John the Librarian (he/him) @johnthelibrarian.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
My doctor asked me if was dealing with depression or anxiety I said both. He asked if I had a sense of what’s causing it. I just gestured to world in general. He said, “Fair.”
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Rebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Campus rape is really widespread; statistics suggest a significant percent of women who go to college will be raped there; feminism opened up a good conversation about it around 2012-13; it's weird when people treated Cornell like an isolated rather than dramatic example of a pervasive problem.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 27/09/2026
Tennessee is set to execute Christa Pike on September 30. Christa has spent nearly three decades in solitary confinement after committing her crime as an 18-year-old girl with severe, untreated mental illness stemming from childhood abuse. Tell Governor Lee to stop her execution now.
mercyforchrista.org
Petition | Christa Pike
Sign the petition to support Christa Pike's clemency campaign in Tennessee.
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James Hughes @dystopian-fashion.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Why Can’t the Mainstream Media Say “Psychopathic Narcissist”? www.counterpunch.org/2026/09/25/w...
counterpunch.org
Why Can’t the Mainstream Media Say “Psychopathic Narcissist”?
Narcissism: Marked by grandiosity, pride, arrogance, and a constant need for attention and admiration. Psychopathy: Characterized by high impulsivity,
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