Sasha Akhavi @sakhavi@qoto.org
Reasonably happy almost all the time, somehow. Extremely lucky father & husband; 20+ year software veteran / exec now studying the software industry as Ph.D @York University Science and Technology Studies. Blog at https://sakhavi.wordpress.com
Joined Oct 2022
Sasha Akhavi
boosted
Person walks into a Gender Studies class, asks what the class is about and when informed, they attack the professor with a knife.
https://bird.makeup/users/RohanMaitzen/statuses/1674190518756990980
🎵It’s not the full moon
That delights me
That arraigns and indicts me
Oh no,
It’s just the allegations of youuu🎵 #trump #trumpindictment
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/06/28/trump-gop-2024-desantis/
Sasha Akhavi
boosted
Trolls win by making the difference between lies and truth seem like a matter of opinion.
Don't take the debate bait!
Engaging someone with zero credibility or validity only helps them to gain status and spread lies. By trying to negate their false ideas, you'll end up activating them. More at FrameLab: https://framelab.substack.com/p/why-its-silly-to-debate-robert-f
Sasha Akhavi
boosted
HOLY SHIT. @wsj is reporting that ~80% of the ads @youtube serves across the web have violated their own terms of service — and are therefore subject to refunds.
This is...a devastatingly huge deal. @googleads is about to be out billions of $$.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-violated-its-standards-in-ad-deals-research-finds-3e24e041
Today is the day the #supremecourt finally became president.
Shocked! Shocked, I tell you.
From: @ruha9
https://bird.makeup/users/ruha9/statuses/1673262460667609090
Sasha Akhavi
boosted
We're going to post something that isn't allowed on Twitter: a brief history of the term "cisgender"...
Sasha Akhavi
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One of our most cherished researchers @citizenlab - @nouraaljizawi - has been subjected to horrible mistreatment by Cdn authorities over her immigration status
🇨🇦 talks loud about welcoming refugees; the reality is different. Shame on @citimmcanada
This sure does look bad. Protests that it shouldn’t have been released seem lame and deflective. Great chance for my party to put the truth and the law above itself.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/06/22/hunter-biden-whistleblower-transcript-garland/
Even if it impoverished *everybody*, 1) the alternative is planetary collapse, and 2) the existing system impoverishes nearly everybody. But no, tossing fossil fuels would only mildly de-rich the richest among us, which we treat like the worst possible outcome.
From: @CelloMomOnCars
https://mastodon.social/@CelloMomOnCars/110590385751398975
@Pat “hit me up.”
If you’re in Canada and want to talk to someone who ditched their #fossilbanks for a credit union, hmu
From: @greenpeaceca
https://bird.makeup/users/greenpeaceca/statuses/1670845213013622784
following
Sasha Akhavi
boosted
Don't take the bait! Debating someone with zero credibility or validity only helps them to gain status and spread lies.
By trying to negate their false ideas, you'll end up activating them. They win by making the difference between lies and truth seem like a matter of opinion.
Sasha Akhavi
boosted
"Reddit represents one of the largest data sets of just human beings talking about interesting things," Huffman said. "We are not in the business of giving that away for free."
You and me, we're just data sets. Years of interaction with fellow human beings, building community, sharing insight and creativity…it’s all just data. Data to be mined and monetized.
Huffman's not mad Reddit was scraped for a chatbot. He's mad he wasn't paid for the privilege. It's his data, you see. His. Not yours.
Sasha Akhavi
boosted
A key part of the enshitification cycle is when a platform permanently takes away user value for itself. Examples include Amazon & Google deciding ads were more important to show as top results and Twitter going to war with 3rd party clients in 2012.
Reddit crosses that line this year.
Sasha Akhavi
boosted
This is beyond chilling.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott bans DEI offices in public colleges, universities https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/06/15/texas-gov-greg-abbott-signs-ban-on-dei-offices-in-public-universities/70327387007/ #HigherEd
Sasha Akhavi
boosted
Integrating a chatbot w no connection to truth into search, a service people use to learn new info, is a wretchedly bad call that will likely have serious consequences.
IMO we'll look back at this moment with the same cringe we now reserve for NFTs.
@GeePawHill Yeah, what is the endgame there? “Maybe if we make it really tough the world will see that ours is the only platform they need?” It’s like harassing someone in hope that they fall in love with you.
Reasonably happy almost all the time, somehow. Extremely lucky father & husband; 20+ year software veteran / exec now studying the software industry as Ph.D @York University Science and Technology Studies. Blog at https://sakhavi.wordpress.com
Joined Oct 2022
