{
"type": "entry",
"author": {
"name": "Jared White",
"url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
"photo": null
},
"url": "https://jaredwhite.com/links/20250318/tesla-fafo",
"published": "2025-03-18T21:58:24-07:00",
"content": {
"html": "<blockquote>\n <h2><a href=\"https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/tesla-removed-from-vancouver-auto-show/\"></a></h2>\n\n <p>Elon Musk\u2019s company will no longer be an exhibitor and all references to Tesla have been removed from the show\u2019s website, a move that comes as the billionaire faces backlash for his alliance with President Donald Trump amid a trade war between Canada and the U.S.</p>\n\n<p>\u201cThe Vancouver International Auto Show has removed Tesla as a participant in this week\u2019s event, after the automaker was provided multiple opportunities to voluntarily withdraw,\u201d said Eric Nicholl, the show\u2019s executive director, in a statement.</p>\n\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>This is what we in the biz like to call the \u201cFO\u201d part of <strong>FAFO</strong>.</p>\n\n<p>Also in related news: <a href=\"https://www.gurufocus.com/news/2741851/teslas-700-billion-nightmare-short-sellers-strike-gold-as-musk-faces-consumer-revolt?r=caf6fe0e0db70d936033da5461e60141\">Tesla\u2019s $700 Billion Nightmare: Short Sellers Strike Gold as Musk Faces Consumer Revolt</a></p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>With the stock in freefall, analysts are scrambling to reassess Tesla\u2019s future. JPMorgan just slashed its price target to $120, calling the brand\u2019s decline \u201cunprecedented.\u201d Hedge funds are divided\u2014some are doubling down, while others are running for the exits.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>\ud83e\udd21</p>",
"text": "Elon Musk\u2019s company will no longer be an exhibitor and all references to Tesla have been removed from the show\u2019s website, a move that comes as the billionaire faces backlash for his alliance with President Donald Trump amid a trade war between Canada and the U.S.\n\n\u201cThe Vancouver International Auto Show has removed Tesla as a participant in this week\u2019s event, after the automaker was provided multiple opportunities to voluntarily withdraw,\u201d said Eric Nicholl, the show\u2019s executive director, in a statement.\n\n\n\nThis is what we in the biz like to call the \u201cFO\u201d part of FAFO.\n\nAlso in related news: Tesla\u2019s $700 Billion Nightmare: Short Sellers Strike Gold as Musk Faces Consumer Revolt\n\n\n With the stock in freefall, analysts are scrambling to reassess Tesla\u2019s future. JPMorgan just slashed its price target to $120, calling the brand\u2019s decline \u201cunprecedented.\u201d Hedge funds are divided\u2014some are doubling down, while others are running for the exits.\n\n\n\ud83e\udd21"
},
"name": "Link: Tesla\u2019s Gotten the Boot in Vancouver Auto Show",
"post-type": "article",
"_id": "44245432",
"_source": "2783"
}
“Tell me, what are words for?” They are for blogging!
Earlier today during an informal espresso live stream in the #indieweb cafe, Spotify was playing an auto-generated daylist, something like “romantic 80s tuesday morning”, and the 1982 song “Words”¹ by the band Missing Persons came on.
When we heard this lyric:
🎶 What are words for when no one listens? 🎶
I remarked half-jokingly in response:
Words are for blogging, whether anyone is listening, reading, or not.
Another participant noted that blogging sometimes feels like screaming into the void.
I noted it doesn’t matter if anyone is reading (or listening), it’s fine to blog for an audience of one, yourself, even just to have something to refer to or reference in the future.
When I write a post it’s often directed at only a small number of people, who may be part of a larger conversation. The point of publishing it publicly is to assert a level of confidence and credibility by the act of “putting it on the permanent record” (since nearly everything blogged is promptly indexed and archived.) with a permalink.
The lyrics have some quite prescient bits, like this:
“No one notices, I think I'll dye my hair blue Media overload bombarding you with action It’s getting near impossible to cause distraction”
Written and sung more than forty years ago. Long before the web (or #socialWeb) was a thing.
Rewriting the lyrics as a parody could be a fun project, e.g.:
🎶 What are blogs for when no one reads them? 🎶
some existing lyrics barely need any edits, like:
“It’s like the feeling at the end of the page When you realize you don't know what you just read”
{
"type": "entry",
"published": "2025-03-18 18:25-0700",
"url": "https://tantek.com/2025/077/t1/what-are-words-for-blogging",
"category": [
"indieweb",
"socialWeb",
"100PostsOfIndieWeb",
"100Posts"
],
"content": {
"text": "\u201cTell me, what are words for?\u201d They are for blogging!\n\nEarlier today during an informal espresso live stream in the #indieweb cafe, Spotify was playing an auto-generated daylist, something like \u201cromantic 80s tuesday morning\u201d, and the 1982 song \u201cWords\u201d\u00b9 by the band Missing Persons came on.\n\nWhen we heard this lyric:\n\n\ud83c\udfb6 What are words for when no one listens? \ud83c\udfb6\n\nI remarked half-jokingly in response:\n\nWords are for blogging, whether anyone is listening, reading, or not.\n\nAnother participant noted that blogging sometimes feels like screaming into the void.\n\nI noted it doesn\u2019t matter if anyone is reading (or listening), it\u2019s fine to blog for an audience of one, yourself, even just to have something to refer to or reference in the future.\n\nWhen I write a post it\u2019s often directed at only a small number of people, who may be part of a larger conversation. The point of publishing it publicly is to assert a level of confidence and credibility by the act of \u201cputting it on the permanent record\u201d (since nearly everything blogged is promptly indexed and archived.) with a permalink.\n\nThe lyrics have some quite prescient bits, like this:\n\n\u201cNo one notices, I think I'll dye my hair blue \n\u00a0Media overload bombarding you with action \n\u00a0It\u2019s getting near impossible to cause distraction\u201d\n\nWritten and sung more than forty years ago. Long before the web (or #socialWeb) was a thing.\n\nRewriting the lyrics as a parody could be a fun project, e.g.:\n\n\ud83c\udfb6 What are blogs for when no one reads them? \ud83c\udfb6\n\nsome existing lyrics barely need any edits, like:\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s like the feeling at the end of the page\n\u00a0When you realize you don't know what you just read\u201d\n\nperhaps an exercise for the reader for now.\n\nPreviously: \u201cInbox Zero\u201d (parody of The Fixx \u201cSaved by Zero\u201d\u00b2)\n* https://tantek.com/w/InboxZero (2009-01-29 https://twitter.com/t/status/1160324190)\n\n\nThis is post 10 of #100PostsOfIndieWeb. #100Posts\n\n\u2190 https://tantek.com/2025/055/t1/three-steps-indieweb-cybersecurity\n\u2192 \ud83d\udd2e\n\n\nGlossary\n\nblog\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/blog\nblogging\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/blogging\npermalink\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/permalink\nwhy blog\n\u00a0 https://indieweb.org/why_post\n\n\nReferences\n\n\u00b9 https://libre.fm/artist/Missing+Persons/track/Words (YouTube link inside)\n\u00b2 https://libre.fm/artist/The+Fixx/track/Saved+by+Zero (YouTube link inside)",
"html": "\u201cTell me, what are words for?\u201d They are for blogging!<br /><br />Earlier today during an informal espresso live stream in the #<span class=\"p-category\">indieweb</span> cafe, Spotify was playing an auto-generated daylist, something like \u201cromantic 80s tuesday morning\u201d, and the 1982 song \u201cWords\u201d<a href=\"https://tantek.com/#t5b51_note-1\">\u00b9</a> by the band Missing Persons came on.<br /><br />When we heard this lyric:<br /><br />\ud83c\udfb6 What are words for when no one listens? \ud83c\udfb6<br /><br />I remarked half-jokingly in response:<br /><br />Words are for blogging, whether anyone is listening, reading, or not.<br /><br />Another participant noted that blogging sometimes feels like screaming into the void.<br /><br />I noted it doesn\u2019t matter if anyone is reading (or listening), it\u2019s fine to blog for an audience of one, yourself, even just to have something to refer to or reference in the future.<br /><br />When I write a post it\u2019s often directed at only a small number of people, who may be part of a larger conversation. The point of publishing it publicly is to assert a level of confidence and credibility by the act of \u201cputting it on the permanent record\u201d (since nearly everything blogged is promptly indexed and archived.) with a permalink.<br /><br />The lyrics have some quite prescient bits, like this:<br /><br />\u201cNo one notices, I think I'll dye my hair blue <br />\u00a0Media overload bombarding you with action <br />\u00a0It\u2019s getting near impossible to cause distraction\u201d<br /><br />Written and sung more than forty years ago. Long before the web (or #<span class=\"p-category\">socialWeb</span>) was a thing.<br /><br />Rewriting the lyrics as a parody could be a fun project, e.g.:<br /><br />\ud83c\udfb6 What are blogs for when no one reads them? \ud83c\udfb6<br /><br />some existing lyrics barely need any edits, like:<br /><br />\u201cIt\u2019s like the feeling at the end of the page<br />\u00a0When you realize you don't know what you just read\u201d<br /><br />perhaps an exercise for the reader for now.<br /><br />Previously: \u201cInbox Zero\u201d (parody of The Fixx \u201cSaved by Zero\u201d<a href=\"https://tantek.com/#t5b51_note-2\">\u00b2</a>)<br />* <a href=\"https://tantek.com/w/InboxZero\">https://tantek.com/w/InboxZero</a> (2009-01-29 <a href=\"https://twitter.com/t/status/1160324190\">https://twitter.com/t/status/1160324190</a>)<br /><br /><br />This is post 10 of #<span class=\"p-category\">100PostsOfIndieWeb</span>. #<span class=\"p-category\">100Posts</span><br /><br />\u2190 <a href=\"https://tantek.com/2025/055/t1/three-steps-indieweb-cybersecurity\">https://tantek.com/2025/055/t1/three-steps-indieweb-cybersecurity</a><br />\u2192 \ud83d\udd2e<br /><br /><br />Glossary<br /><br />blog<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/blog\">https://indieweb.org/blog</a><br />blogging<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/blogging\">https://indieweb.org/blogging</a><br />permalink<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/permalink\">https://indieweb.org/permalink</a><br />why blog<br />\u00a0 <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/why_post\">https://indieweb.org/why_post</a><br /><br /><br />References<br /><br /><a href=\"https://tantek.com/#t5b51_ref-1\">\u00b9</a> <a href=\"https://libre.fm/artist/Missing+Persons/track/Words\">https://libre.fm/artist/Missing+Persons/track/Words</a> (YouTube link inside)<br /><a href=\"https://tantek.com/#t5b51_ref-2\">\u00b2</a> <a href=\"https://libre.fm/artist/The+Fixx/track/Saved+by+Zero\">https://libre.fm/artist/The+Fixx/track/Saved+by+Zero</a> (YouTube link inside)"
},
"author": {
"type": "card",
"name": "Tantek \u00c7elik",
"url": "https://tantek.com/",
"photo": "https://tantek.com/photo.jpg"
},
"post-type": "note",
"_id": "44244633",
"_source": "2460"
}
{
"type": "entry",
"author": {
"name": "Jared White",
"url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
"photo": null
},
"url": "https://jaredwhite.com/links/20250317/ai-slop-is-destroying-the-internet",
"published": "2025-03-17T22:48:45-07:00",
"content": {
"html": "<blockquote>\n <h2><a href=\"https://www.404media.co/ai-slop-is-a-brute-force-attack-on-the-algorithms-that-control-reality/\"></a></h2>\n\n <p>I think we as a society need to realize that a huge portion of what is being done with generative AI tools is for the type of thing I have described in this article, or for nonconsensual, AI-generated intimate imagery. It is possible that generative AI will bring some of the work efficiencies and breakthroughs that venture capitalists and big tech have been hyping for years, but we must grapple with the fact that the main ways that people encounter generative AI is as brute force internet pollution.</p>\n\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>There have been a handful of truly terrifying things I have read in my life. <em>1984</em> was one of those things\u2026a book I read once decades ago which still feels seared into my brain as one of the most horrendously frightening stories I have ever engaged with.</p>\n\n<p>This essay by Jason Koebler of 404 Media (always a world-class outfit) approaches that level, and is perhaps even more petrifying because\u2014unlike the fiction of <em>1984</em>\u2014<strong>this nightmare is actually happening</strong>.</p>\n\n<p>I see this issue in black and white. There is no nuance for me, no hemming and hawing required. <strong>I think <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/generativeai\">#generativeAI</a> slop should be illegal.</strong> I think it should be banned. Slop is simply a variant of spam, and just as I consider it wrong (and in some cases it is truly unlawful) to have my text messages or my email inbox filled up with spam, I feel exactly the same way about slop. I never want to see it, I will never purchase a product advertised by it, and I consider the people who produce it to be destructive agents who are degrading the integrity of the communications network that is the <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/openweb\">#openweb</a>.</p>\n\n<p>It is utterly absurd <em>in the extreme</em> that commercial social networks allow this spam-slop to be disseminated en masse, and even more brain-melting that they <em>willingly provide tools to produce it and promote it</em>. There is no excuse. <strong>This is villainous.</strong> And while it\u2019s easy to get mad at the people who excitedly thump their chests over their \u201csuccess\u201d at slopifying the Internet and who will gleefully teach others how to exploit algorithms to make their putrid, vile slop go \u201cviral\u201d\u2014ultimately the blame lies squarely at the feet of Big Tech commercial silo platforms who <strong>refuse</strong> to put an absolute and unwavering stop to this madness.</p>\n\n<p>There\u2019s only one way out of this hellscape, only one escape hatch for us all, and that is to <strong>boycott all of these platforms</strong>*. I won\u2019t be subjected to the <em>mental abuse</em> that is consuming this kind of slop because I <em>refuse to frequent</em> the avenues where it appears. I pray you too will find the strength and fortitude to make your hasty exit. <strong>We cannot allow the destruction of the Internet to continue like this, not on our watch!</strong></p>\n\n<p>* I don\u2019t boycott YouTube per se, but I never watch Shorts and I generally subscribe and view certain videos through a third-party interface (Feedbin). Everything else is banned from my devices. <strong>Permanently.</strong></p>",
"text": "I think we as a society need to realize that a huge portion of what is being done with generative AI tools is for the type of thing I have described in this article, or for nonconsensual, AI-generated intimate imagery. It is possible that generative AI will bring some of the work efficiencies and breakthroughs that venture capitalists and big tech have been hyping for years, but we must grapple with the fact that the main ways that people encounter generative AI is as brute force internet pollution.\n\n\n\nThere have been a handful of truly terrifying things I have read in my life. 1984 was one of those things\u2026a book I read once decades ago which still feels seared into my brain as one of the most horrendously frightening stories I have ever engaged with.\n\nThis essay by Jason Koebler of 404 Media (always a world-class outfit) approaches that level, and is perhaps even more petrifying because\u2014unlike the fiction of 1984\u2014this nightmare is actually happening.\n\nI see this issue in black and white. There is no nuance for me, no hemming and hawing required. I think #generativeAI slop should be illegal. I think it should be banned. Slop is simply a variant of spam, and just as I consider it wrong (and in some cases it is truly unlawful) to have my text messages or my email inbox filled up with spam, I feel exactly the same way about slop. I never want to see it, I will never purchase a product advertised by it, and I consider the people who produce it to be destructive agents who are degrading the integrity of the communications network that is the #openweb.\n\nIt is utterly absurd in the extreme that commercial social networks allow this spam-slop to be disseminated en masse, and even more brain-melting that they willingly provide tools to produce it and promote it. There is no excuse. This is villainous. And while it\u2019s easy to get mad at the people who excitedly thump their chests over their \u201csuccess\u201d at slopifying the Internet and who will gleefully teach others how to exploit algorithms to make their putrid, vile slop go \u201cviral\u201d\u2014ultimately the blame lies squarely at the feet of Big Tech commercial silo platforms who refuse to put an absolute and unwavering stop to this madness.\n\nThere\u2019s only one way out of this hellscape, only one escape hatch for us all, and that is to boycott all of these platforms*. I won\u2019t be subjected to the mental abuse that is consuming this kind of slop because I refuse to frequent the avenues where it appears. I pray you too will find the strength and fortitude to make your hasty exit. We cannot allow the destruction of the Internet to continue like this, not on our watch!\n\n* I don\u2019t boycott YouTube per se, but I never watch Shorts and I generally subscribe and view certain videos through a third-party interface (Feedbin). Everything else is banned from my devices. Permanently."
},
"name": "Link: AI Slop is Destroying Online Reality As We Know It",
"post-type": "article",
"_id": "44235735",
"_source": "2783"
}
{
"type": "entry",
"published": "2025-03-17T20:54:05-07:00",
"url": "https://nadreck.me/2025/03/quick-updates/",
"category": [
"errata",
"site-improvement"
],
"name": "Quick Updates",
"content": {
"text": "I have a whole rant-y post that I\u2019m not posting because I\u2019m pretty sure y\u2019all are already aware of how fucked things are right now and me venting my feelings on it won\u2019t really help. So instead, a few quick site updates: \n\n\n\nUpdated the About page a little to catch it up on the fact I\u2019ve moved back to Vermont and am now doing software development rather than technical writing.\n\n\n\nAdded another aphorism to Maynard\u2019s Rules.\n\n\n\nUpdated the Walkabout gallery (now caught up to December 2023 \ud83d\ude05).\n\n\n\nVarious server-side updates that should be invisible to y\u2019all.\nI\u2019m still here.",
"html": "<p>I have a whole rant-y post that I\u2019m not posting because I\u2019m pretty sure y\u2019all are already aware of how fucked things are right now and me venting my feelings on it won\u2019t really help. So instead, a few quick site updates: </p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Updated the <a href=\"https://nadreck.me/about/\">About</a> page a little to catch it up on the fact I\u2019ve moved back to Vermont and am now doing software development rather than technical writing.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Added another aphorism to <a href=\"https://nadreck.me/maynards-rules/\">Maynard\u2019s Rules</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Updated the <a href=\"https://nadreck.me/gallery/walkabout/\">Walkabout</a> gallery (now caught up to December 2023 \ud83d\ude05).</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Various server-side updates that should be invisible to y\u2019all.</li>\n</ul><p>I\u2019m still here.</p>\n\n\n\n<img width=\"1024\" height=\"332\" src=\"https://nadreck.me/backend/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/black-dragon-utah-1024x332.jpeg\" alt=\"Black Dragon rock formation in Utah. Dark red rocks in the midground, with a cloudy sky above and a desert landscape with desert brush in the foreground.\" />"
},
"author": {
"type": "card",
"name": "Nadreck",
"url": "http://nadreck.me",
"photo": null
},
"post-type": "article",
"_id": "44234129",
"_source": "2935"
}
