repost
· · to read

WE DID IT! The Texas Observer will remain open!

Our board just voted to rescind both the layoffs and the closure. We’ll have more news soon, but we believe this is the start of a very positive transformation at our publication—and you were a huge part of it. THANK YOU! You proved to the world that #TexasNeedsAnObserver!

https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-observer-no-layoffs-remains-open-board-vote/

#Fediverse #Mastodon #WeWin

—@TexasObserver

repost
· · to read

God damn it. I’ve literally been warning FOR YEARS that LLMs will cause someone to commit suicide. I use this example in all my talks on why we need more research on safe NLP systems. The example I literally use is that a chatbot will reinforce someone’s suicide ideation and they will act on it. Now it’s happened. Now it’s real.

“Belgian man dies by suicide following exchanges with chatbot”

https://www.brusselstimes.com/430098/belgian-man-commits-suicide-following-exchanges-with-chatgpt

—@Riedl

repost
· · to read

Bing Chat has ads now, so it’s just like that person you know who tries to work their MLM scheme into every conversation.

Google ruins every good thing it does with twisted incentives that mean they shut it down in its infancy. Microsoft ruins every good thing it does by trying to cram ads into it.

—@Kye

note
· · to read

In other words, the board got owned thoroughly by the big kids, it knows it got owned, so instead of just quietly slinking away it's going to flop around in court to try to save face. This is going to be awesome because Florida has an amazing public records law. Pass the popcorn.

repost
· · to read

Yes! @TexasObserver is saved!

But this story is bigger than any one publication.

What we’ve just demonstrated:

* journalism can survive beyond Google, Meta, and Twitter
* private equity firms don’t get to decide what journalism matters
* big media conglomerates aren’t the only voices that matter

Journalists, are you seeing this? The Fediverse might be your future!

https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-observer-no-layoffs-remains-open-board-vote/

@fediversenews

—@atomicpoet

repost
· · to read

The fact that it is 2023 and we still must use sighted people to fill out paper forms when they originated in soft copy is unacceptable. And the fact that these uneducated overly paid paper pushers send and expect it returned in print when someone is being sent braille because they can’t read said print is beyond ridiculous! It must take barely one working brain cell to work for the social insecurity administration. We’re not in the wrong here. They are.

—@amy0223

repost
· · to read

Kentucky Republicans voted to override Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto –

This means republicans have effectively forced children to detransition while increasing their rates of suicide by 70%

No gender affirming care. No puberty blockers. No choice in which restroom to use

When a republican talks about protecting children…

They’re the party of child labor. The party of keeping child marriage. The party of demonizing certain children to force their agenda.

#TransRightsAreHumanRights

—@flexghost

repost
· · to read

news announcement at @fediforum: #flipboard has launched their Mastodon integration on Android!

This means you can follow Mastodon posts via Flipboard, and add them to your magazine, or share articles from your magazines directly to Mastodon.

Even better, full #ActivityPub integration is coming for the coming months, so it can work with the full fediverse (Pixelfed, anyone?).

https://about.flipboard.com/inside-flipboard/mastodon-on-android-flipboard-integration-is-here/

—@fediversereport