iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Sam Backer

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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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Wrote a piece for "Computational History" trying to think through some of the intellectual + experiential implications of trying and, ultimately, failing to effectively use AI for historical research.

computationalhistory.substack.com

Just One More Turn

Or why giving up is sometimes the best decision

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

This is going to sound weird, but I recently spent a few hours watching old episodes of MTV's TRL. and what shocked me was the extent to which "the internet" was being SHOVED down viewers' throats. There was a segment where stars would come on, and have to awkwardly pretend to use a computer??

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Crazy to think that the Incredible String Band was somehow doing their thing before loop pedals. Although....maybe the lack of limitations would have ruined their strange magic? Anyways, happy October everyone. youtu.be/KN84ld5xM9M?...

youtu.be

October Song (2010 Remaster)

YouTube video by The Incredible String Band - Topic

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I think his is a v. important point but argued from the other direction. AI critics often leave themselves open to "what about the future cancer treatment" arguments, which fundamentally confuse the possibilities of the tech w/ the political economy in which it is being created.

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

incredibly bad—and borderline irresponsible—reporting from @nytimes.com about the Ellison/Warner deal. They credit David's rise to an "almost inconceivable run of dealmaking and brinkmanship" and not that he's bankrolled by his dad (+ Oracle). It's pure oligarchy. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/b...

nytimes.com

The ‘Kid’ Takes Over: David Ellison Becomes a Hollywood Colossus

With Paramount and Warner Bros. under his control, Mr. Ellison will be “the Hollywood equivalent of Superman, Caesar and Midas combined.” But challenges remain.

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

uhoh! Theodore Adorno learned about guitar tabs!

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Just learned that there was another Jack White and he + his overall vibe were extremely @officialjackwhite.bsky.social coded.

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Reading "The End Of History" for the first time, and while I knew it was going to be rough, I was NOT prepared for the part where Fukuyama just confidently states that people from Burkina Faso + Albania aren't part of the "common ideological heritage of mankind"

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Reposted by Sam Backer

Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 23/04/2026

1. In a draconian new policy, Texas Tech is banning writing about LGBTQ+ topics. The ban is the first don't say gay or trans policy to apply to students themselves. It applies to any thesis/dissertation moving forward. They are using AI to scan everything. Subscribe to support our journalism.

erininthemorning.com

Texas Tech Issues Ban On Students Writing On LGBTQ+ Topics

The ban applies to theses and dissertations, and is expected to begin going into effect on a rolling basis.

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

deeply deeply creeped-out that google is now suggesting highly-personalized email responses that *VERY* much in my voice, and seemingly correspondent-specific.

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Ok -- I'm reading that during the "summer of love" in 67, 100,000 people moved to san francisco. There's...no actual way that's true right? That would mean that the city grew roughly 14% in 3 months...I believe lots of people came, and the haight got over-crowded but that seems ridiculous

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Reposted by Sam Backer

Daniel van Strien @danielvanstrien.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

There is no best VLM OCR model - rankings can flip completely by document type. I built ocr-bench: run open OCR models on YOUR documents, get a per-collection leaderboard. VLM-as-judge with Bradley-Terry ELO, all running on @hf.co. No local GPU needed.

Screenshot of plot showing ELO vs paramter count for different OCR models

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Reading some Walter Lippmann and holy shit, I am so glad that guy died before social media.

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Reposted by Sam Backer

Popehat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Your Ring camera can scam passing dogs and compare them to databases of missing dogs and that’s heartwarming and there are absolutely no sinister implications that’s why the guy in the button-down and Dockers is soothing

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

Unrelated to literally anything, but wild that the Whigs elected two presidents, and BOTH of them died early in their terms.

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Reposted by Sam Backer

Johanna Winant @johannawinant.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

everyone knows that Starbucks workers are on strike and until there's a contract, don't buy anything there, right?!?!

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Really pleased with the latest episode of Money 4 Nothing—why the major labels are settling with Suno & Udio, what the history of Spotify suggests is happening, and what might come next. #ai #music #capitalism

open.substack.com

AI Music Onslaught

Chatting with Replicants at the Metaverse Bonnaroo Campsite

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Reposted by Sam Backer

Ed Zitron @edzitron.com · 07/12/2025

Two weeks ago I said that there were likely millions of uninstalled Blackwell GPUs sitting in warehouses as there is neither the data center capacity nor the power to turn them on. Michael Burry is looking into it and it looks like he’s got evidence I’m right. www.wheresyoured.at/the-haters-g...

Cassandra Unchained & @michaeljburry
X.com
Calling for pics and proof of Nvidia GPUs being warehoused in mass quantities In the US but also overseas. Some have reached out to me already. And it is getting interesting. But I need more.
Kakashii
@kakashiii111• 8h
To give a little more context ahead of my post next week, here is some rough simple math:
Let's assume everything Jensen says is true (including reading thousands of emails a day):
Jensen said 6 million Blackwell GPUs have shipped.
Since Blackwell is out, Nvidia reported 111B x.com/kakashiii111/s... Show more
w Generation In-Service (New Build and Expansi
ally Strong Demand for e Blackwell NVL72
en by Two Exponentials
more than half a trillion dollars in Blackwell and Rubin revenue ough CY2026 (so far)
5X Hopper's lifetime revenue
$0.5T+
20M GPUs
Shipped
6M GPUS
August 2025
January - August 2025
Cumulative
of ts
Installed
Capacity (MW)
No. of
Installed
Units
Capacity (MW)

0
3
-40

888
61
3,095

0
0

3
20

0
1
4

474
27
3,775

0
1
3

712688747

Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

Fascinated by the timeline where like... AI really is remarkable, but it is being pushed by financial scam artists that are (likely) going to crash and burn. I mean...honestly, that's exactly like Railroads, not sure why I'm surprised, but gosh it's weird to really live it, you know?

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Reposted by Sam Backer

Adam Gurri @adamgurri.liberalcurrents.com · 06/12/2025

Just a reminder that Aaron Swartz was threatened with 50 years of jail time for downloading public domain documents and meanwhile AI companies bulk download copyrighted works

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

Wet Tuna is the funniest band name in Rock, and their new EP is maybe my favorite thing I've heard from them yet? Dubbed out demi-choogle of the highest degree. wettuna.bandcamp.com/album/epic-v...

wettuna.bandcamp.com

Epic View EP, by WET TUNA

3 track album

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

A small indignity in a world full of them — Spotify (for all SORTS of ideologically nefarious reasons) still doesn't have release dates for albums. When in the calendar year did X come out (in relation to Y)? no one who uses this platform will ever know.

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Not to be that guy but...just got a chance to look through the final project topics for my 400 level class on "Modern American Capitalism" and there are some absolute BARNBURNERS. The kids are more than alright.

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

Rereading Havey's "A Brief History of Neoliberalism" for the first time since like...2012. It's fascinating how, despite a retreat from certain elements of its "high ideology," so much of what he's describing here has just accelerated in the last decade.

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

"If you can't have peace with yourself, how in the hell are you gonna have peace with somebody else"

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

Is pissgrave ambient music? And if not...why not?

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

King is 81. Bets on him ever running again?

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

this Cuomo speech is generally shocking -- no real "good job" no "good luck" -- just partisan attacks and self-congratulations. Vs. Sliwa weirdo class-fest.

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

fascinating...is there really not a map out there of the US banking system characterized by charter type in the mid 19th century? you'd think that would...just exist, but maybe not?

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

today in the "the past is a different country"

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

books -- they used to look cooler.

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Reposted by Sam Backer

Ryan Cordell @ryancordell.org · 07/07/2025

The academic’s mid-summer crisis is a mid-life crisis in miniature: You realize summer is half gone, & not only that: you see that the longest & least burdened days came early, & they are well past. You compare all you thought you’d do against the days remaining & grieve for what never will be

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

lol -- forgot that Dylan 100% ripped off his friend on this song, while producing a clearly better version. open.spotify.com/track/3q1Bx4...

open.spotify.com

Who's Gonna Buy You Ribbons

Paul Clayton · Paul Clayton Sings Home Made Songs And Ballads · Song · 1960

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Reposted by Sam Backer

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

this is the level of funding where all the possibilities for American politics that have been described as hyperbolic over the past decades - the comparisons to Nazi Germany and other nightmares of the 20th century - become logistically possible and politically likely

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

brad landers position right now is a fascinating new result of ranked choice — he didn’t win, but his team did, and he’s clearly going to get some political juice out of his role.

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

The federal govt. deciding who can write and research history is definitely a good step towards a society built on "free speech"

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Reposted by Sam Backer

Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Oh, no! @hagleycenter.bsky.social if you're around and can reach out, please blink?

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

I don't want to point fingers, because I actually don't think you need to use the tools to write like this, but...does this sound like its by an llm??

nytimes.com

Men, Where Have You Gone? Please Come Back.

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Sam Backer @volumecontrol10.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

absolutely insane to me that people, at this late date, are still trying to push the belief that violently overthrowing a regime from the outside will somehow result in the creation of a vibrant western-aligned democracy (esp. because...we seem to be giving up on the idea here??)

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