barbex 🌈 🚫AI
@barbex.bsky.social
writing, reading, gaming, fanfic. occasional raging. not acting my age since before the internet. angry engineer. feminist. german she\her. 🔗 AO3/barbex, on tumblr: the960writers, the-wip-project, barbex, on threads: @barbarabecc
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
Thread. “AI is patching up the holes in conspiracy theories and so making them seem more reasonable, making them easier to spread and more resilient to collapse” was not on my bingo card.
AI relieves the pressure of cognitive dissonance. That’s … not great.
AI relieves the pressure of cognitive dissonance. That’s … not great.
Bellingcat’s contact email has always been a magnet for people with fairly unusual views; paranoid delusions, sprawling conspiracies, the works. But recently, the pattern has shifted, we’re seeing more and more emails clearly written with ChatGPT.
November 19, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Thread. “AI is patching up the holes in conspiracy theories and so making them seem more reasonable, making them easier to spread and more resilient to collapse” was not on my bingo card.
AI relieves the pressure of cognitive dissonance. That’s … not great.
AI relieves the pressure of cognitive dissonance. That’s … not great.
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
electrons
I laughed at loud. These people are so pathetic; our enemies are numbskulls. They will kill us all and still not know hs physics.
COWEN: The stupidest question possible: Why don’t we just make more GPUs?
ALTMAN: Because we need to make more electrons.
conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/sam...
COWEN: The stupidest question possible: Why don’t we just make more GPUs?
ALTMAN: Because we need to make more electrons.
conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/sam...
November 19, 2025 at 11:25 AM
electrons
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
Human brains produce new ideas every second of every day. Sit down with a tiny child and ask them to explain something they're doing and you will hear half a dozen of them. Ideas are what humans *do*. The idea is by far the easiest part of any creative process.
But the point (there is a point) is, people fetishise the idea over the hard work of plotting and character development and research and internal consistency and just writing the fucker, because the Idea is the sparkly magic bit.
And this is what makes them put value in the AI prompt.
And this is what makes them put value in the AI prompt.
November 19, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Human brains produce new ideas every second of every day. Sit down with a tiny child and ask them to explain something they're doing and you will hear half a dozen of them. Ideas are what humans *do*. The idea is by far the easiest part of any creative process.
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
Makes my stomach hurt every time I see it, knowing not one cowardly, feckless piece of garbage journalist colleague spoke up for her. Not one.
Why should I pay attention to any of these desperate social climbing gizzards when they allow that, and so much else?
Why should I pay attention to any of these desperate social climbing gizzards when they allow that, and so much else?
can’t stop thinking about “quiet piggy” and what an uproar that would’ve caused in any other news environment
November 18, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Makes my stomach hurt every time I see it, knowing not one cowardly, feckless piece of garbage journalist colleague spoke up for her. Not one.
Why should I pay attention to any of these desperate social climbing gizzards when they allow that, and so much else?
Why should I pay attention to any of these desperate social climbing gizzards when they allow that, and so much else?
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
lol people need to stop getting okey doked by people who would GLADLY sacrifice your well being to make a buck.
MTG is no different than the man she pledged allegiance to. She's no longer getting the spoils of her loyalty and this is her revenge tour.
MTG is no different than the man she pledged allegiance to. She's no longer getting the spoils of her loyalty and this is her revenge tour.
I'd be really curious if someone better versed in feminist theory wrote about what's happening on the right. Because between Greene, Mace, and Bobert, we've got this bloc forming of women who seem tired of serving a patriarchy of sex criminals. And their rhetoric is starting to lean that direction.
Marjorie Taylor Greene: "I was called a traitor by a man that I fought for 6 years for. I gave him my loyalty for free. I've never owed him anything. Let me tell you what a traitor is -- a traitor is an American that serves foreign countries."
November 18, 2025 at 11:31 PM
lol people need to stop getting okey doked by people who would GLADLY sacrifice your well being to make a buck.
MTG is no different than the man she pledged allegiance to. She's no longer getting the spoils of her loyalty and this is her revenge tour.
MTG is no different than the man she pledged allegiance to. She's no longer getting the spoils of her loyalty and this is her revenge tour.
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
Absolutely egregious from the people who bought the three oldest magazines in SFF and are attempting to convert them into a giant funnel of monetizable IP
This postscript is so telling of what trying to negotiate with MRM is like. Massive respect for Scott in sticking to his principles and not allowing them to bully or gaslight him into signing. I'm disgusted that this is still happening to authors. No market is worth this.
Did you read my post from last week about how contract woes caused me to withdraw an accepted story from F&SF, ending my 54-year quest to be published in that magazine? But wait (as the saying goes) — there's more! Scroll down at the link for an update. www.scottedelman.com/wordpress/20...
November 19, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Absolutely egregious from the people who bought the three oldest magazines in SFF and are attempting to convert them into a giant funnel of monetizable IP
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
As they say, every accusation is a confession. The man is a pig.
I don't know why the "Piggy" thing is bothering me so much. It's one more unforgivable thing in a list of 20,000 unforgivable things, but I've been mad about it for like 12 straight hours.
November 19, 2025 at 3:46 AM
As they say, every accusation is a confession. The man is a pig.
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
I’ve been thinking and it’s kind of exceptional that not a single person said “Hey now” after the piggy comment.
November 19, 2025 at 1:36 AM
I’ve been thinking and it’s kind of exceptional that not a single person said “Hey now” after the piggy comment.
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
Condé Nast emptied out every single trans and Black journalist from Teen Vogue while clearing a six figure salary for a woman who slept with people she was covering while she mocked real concerns about their fitness
Lord knows I need money but this is SYSTEMIC
Lord knows I need money but this is SYSTEMIC
And they're taking up space that could be better used by other people, people who have fucking integrity.
People like Sydette.
People like Sydette.
Nuzzi may be a joke or punchline , but she got into position by being constantly excused for being an abusive manipulative ass.
And falling back to the same schtick of being “seduced “ by men and”jealous es” by women
And you know someone like her right the fuck now
Who you’re NOT stopping
And falling back to the same schtick of being “seduced “ by men and”jealous es” by women
And you know someone like her right the fuck now
Who you’re NOT stopping
November 19, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Condé Nast emptied out every single trans and Black journalist from Teen Vogue while clearing a six figure salary for a woman who slept with people she was covering while she mocked real concerns about their fitness
Lord knows I need money but this is SYSTEMIC
Lord knows I need money but this is SYSTEMIC
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
This postscript is so telling of what trying to negotiate with MRM is like. Massive respect for Scott in sticking to his principles and not allowing them to bully or gaslight him into signing. I'm disgusted that this is still happening to authors. No market is worth this.
Did you read my post from last week about how contract woes caused me to withdraw an accepted story from F&SF, ending my 54-year quest to be published in that magazine? But wait (as the saying goes) — there's more! Scroll down at the link for an update. www.scottedelman.com/wordpress/20...
A dream denied: My 54-year quest to publish a short story in F&SF ‹ Scott Edelman
www.scottedelman.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:05 PM
This postscript is so telling of what trying to negotiate with MRM is like. Massive respect for Scott in sticking to his principles and not allowing them to bully or gaslight him into signing. I'm disgusted that this is still happening to authors. No market is worth this.
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
I don’t want to seem out of touch but I don’t actually understand the economy anymore.
November 18, 2025 at 3:23 AM
I don’t want to seem out of touch but I don’t actually understand the economy anymore.
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
"Microsoft warns that Windows 11's agentic AI could install malware on your PC: 'Only enable this feature if you understand the security implications.'"
bro what--
what are we doing here, exactly, how can you--anyone be okay with this?
bro what--
what are we doing here, exactly, how can you--anyone be okay with this?
November 18, 2025 at 3:42 PM
"Microsoft warns that Windows 11's agentic AI could install malware on your PC: 'Only enable this feature if you understand the security implications.'"
bro what--
what are we doing here, exactly, how can you--anyone be okay with this?
bro what--
what are we doing here, exactly, how can you--anyone be okay with this?
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
Unsolicited writing advice, no. 42:
No one *needs* to work every day. But doing so - even for only a few minutes - ensures that you *think* about your work every day; solving problems away from your desk; keeping the plates spinning.
No one *needs* to work every day. But doing so - even for only a few minutes - ensures that you *think* about your work every day; solving problems away from your desk; keeping the plates spinning.
November 17, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Unsolicited writing advice, no. 42:
No one *needs* to work every day. But doing so - even for only a few minutes - ensures that you *think* about your work every day; solving problems away from your desk; keeping the plates spinning.
No one *needs* to work every day. But doing so - even for only a few minutes - ensures that you *think* about your work every day; solving problems away from your desk; keeping the plates spinning.
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
Techbros: “We reinvented money and now it’s computer money and it’s totally better than old money except also it’s value is still technically calculated by the standard of old money oh ALSO it needs more power than many countries, does your inferior dollar bill need to be plugged in? I THINK NOT.”
Bitcoin now consuming as much energy as the entire country of Pakistan.
That seems bad.
That seems bad.
The people at CBECI were kind enough to send me a copy of their updated Bitcoin power consumption data
At the end of 2024, Bitcoin's total consumption for 2024 *did* end up matching that of Pakistan. 2024 saw the biggest jump in power consumption ever. Absolutely wild stuff ->
ccaf.io/cbnsi/cbeci
At the end of 2024, Bitcoin's total consumption for 2024 *did* end up matching that of Pakistan. 2024 saw the biggest jump in power consumption ever. Absolutely wild stuff ->
ccaf.io/cbnsi/cbeci
November 17, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Techbros: “We reinvented money and now it’s computer money and it’s totally better than old money except also it’s value is still technically calculated by the standard of old money oh ALSO it needs more power than many countries, does your inferior dollar bill need to be plugged in? I THINK NOT.”
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
Publishing strategy:
Observe lots of people like romance in fantasy
Label everything romantasy
Observe lots of people like fantasy without romance
Label everything anti-romantasy
Observe lots of people like romance in fantasy
Label everything anti-anti-romantasy...
Observe lots of people like romance in fantasy
Label everything romantasy
Observe lots of people like fantasy without romance
Label everything anti-romantasy
Observe lots of people like romance in fantasy
Label everything anti-anti-romantasy...
This week, I was sent a proof from one of the big publishers. In their pack, they described it as an "anti romantasy".
An anti romantasy.
I have so many thoughts about this, I honestly don't know where to begin.
An anti romantasy.
I have so many thoughts about this, I honestly don't know where to begin.
November 17, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Publishing strategy:
Observe lots of people like romance in fantasy
Label everything romantasy
Observe lots of people like fantasy without romance
Label everything anti-romantasy
Observe lots of people like romance in fantasy
Label everything anti-anti-romantasy...
Observe lots of people like romance in fantasy
Label everything romantasy
Observe lots of people like fantasy without romance
Label everything anti-romantasy
Observe lots of people like romance in fantasy
Label everything anti-anti-romantasy...
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
Never forget that just a week ago, Ross Douthat and the NYTimes were asking if women ruined the workplace.
November 17, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Never forget that just a week ago, Ross Douthat and the NYTimes were asking if women ruined the workplace.
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
-looks up Gen Z protests in Mexico-
-finds out it isn't Gen Z-
-finds out it is far right folks spray painting calling their president a Jewish whore-
-asking trump and marco to save them from communism-
And once again news media sucks
-finds out it isn't Gen Z-
-finds out it is far right folks spray painting calling their president a Jewish whore-
-asking trump and marco to save them from communism-
And once again news media sucks
November 17, 2025 at 1:50 AM
-looks up Gen Z protests in Mexico-
-finds out it isn't Gen Z-
-finds out it is far right folks spray painting calling their president a Jewish whore-
-asking trump and marco to save them from communism-
And once again news media sucks
-finds out it isn't Gen Z-
-finds out it is far right folks spray painting calling their president a Jewish whore-
-asking trump and marco to save them from communism-
And once again news media sucks
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
My wokest opinion is that every community deserves an extremely well-funded library that’s open to everyone and that librarians and teachers should make like ten times what they make now.
"my least woke opinion is---"
That's enough. We've had enough people indulging in the "thrill of a little conservatism", as a treat. Of considering reactionary thought to be a salacious and taboo in a world descending into reactionary mania.
Give me your MOST woke opinions. We're bringing it back.
That's enough. We've had enough people indulging in the "thrill of a little conservatism", as a treat. Of considering reactionary thought to be a salacious and taboo in a world descending into reactionary mania.
Give me your MOST woke opinions. We're bringing it back.
November 16, 2025 at 10:19 PM
My wokest opinion is that every community deserves an extremely well-funded library that’s open to everyone and that librarians and teachers should make like ten times what they make now.
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
And throughout he’s like ugh she’s very smart and assertive and she is so focused on her presentation that I can’t even fuck her right now!!!!! What’s a guy gotta do!!! I told her my marriage sucked and she didn’t hop into bed.
November 16, 2025 at 4:03 PM
And throughout he’s like ugh she’s very smart and assertive and she is so focused on her presentation that I can’t even fuck her right now!!!!! What’s a guy gotta do!!! I told her my marriage sucked and she didn’t hop into bed.
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
The sense I am getting through all of this is that Larry Summers used his position to get a substantially junior colleague to listen to him whine about his marriage, then tried to get her to “have a drink with him” and stormed off when she was like no thanks I have a presentation tomorrow.
The emails have Summers reporting to Epstein about his attempts to date a Harvard economics student & to hit on her during a seminar she was giving.
November 16, 2025 at 4:00 PM
The sense I am getting through all of this is that Larry Summers used his position to get a substantially junior colleague to listen to him whine about his marriage, then tried to get her to “have a drink with him” and stormed off when she was like no thanks I have a presentation tomorrow.
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
That was the entire point of #metoo. That one woman wasn't even enough. That a man had to derail the careers of dozens before people started saying "oh yeah maybe we shouldn't let him ruin the careers of so many people."
November 16, 2025 at 9:51 PM
That was the entire point of #metoo. That one woman wasn't even enough. That a man had to derail the careers of dozens before people started saying "oh yeah maybe we shouldn't let him ruin the careers of so many people."
Reposted by barbex 🌈 🚫AI
This idea that #metoo was a temporary piece of insanity that happened because America was too woke...
Fuck you. It was a temporary moment in time when people decided, for the first time, that 20 women were finally equal to one man.
Fuck you. It was a temporary moment in time when people decided, for the first time, that 20 women were finally equal to one man.
November 16, 2025 at 9:50 PM
This idea that #metoo was a temporary piece of insanity that happened because America was too woke...
Fuck you. It was a temporary moment in time when people decided, for the first time, that 20 women were finally equal to one man.
Fuck you. It was a temporary moment in time when people decided, for the first time, that 20 women were finally equal to one man.