Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · 1h

The thing that surprises me most about this statement is that Facebook has a privacy and data policy beyond "you have no privacy" and "we're harvesting your data."

Jathan Sadowski @jathansadowski.com · 12d

What an unsurprising decision by corporations that desperately need to make money with AI. If every other company with a chatbot isn't already doing this, then expect them to be following Meta's lead soon. The chatbot is not your friend; it's a corporate listening device. www.ft.com/content/22f7...

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https://www.ft.com/content/22f7afc3-8ac0-4ca1-9877-fd3f8ddcc986?desktop=true&segmentId=7c8f09b9-9b61-4fbb-9430-9208a9e233c8#myft:notification:daily-email:content

Meta will use conversations people have with its chatbots to personalise advertising and content across its platforms, in a sign of how tech companies plan to make money from artificial intelligence.

The owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp on Wednesday said it would use the content of chats with its Meta AI to create advertising recommendations across its suite of apps.

“People will already expect that their Meta AI interactions are being used for these personalisation purposes,” said Christy Harris, privacy and data policy manager at Meta.

Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · 2d

"I am afraid my rights might end."
"You betcha life, my Hindu friend!"
"What about us brain-dead slobs?!"
"All the immigrants took your jobs."

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Reposted by Ben Stockman

Frankiam @frankiam.bsky.social · 29d

Here’s the truth: Twitter no longer exists. X is something else entirely.

It’s a megaphone for extremism, controlled by a deranged oligarch who has declared his hostility to sane, democratic politics.

writesbright.substack.com/p/why-you-sh...

Why you should leave X

A rallying cry to progressives everywhere...

writesbright.substack.com

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Reposted by Ben Stockman

Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 26d

Do you have a lot of annoying admin tasks or household chores you need to accomplish, but never seem to find the time for? Then may I suggest: setting aside a day to do nothing but write, you will be amazed at how many such tasks you can accomplish.

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Reposted by Ben Stockman

Jason Kirk @jasonkirk.fyi · Sep 12

Discovering computer as an adult makes you go crazy. Discovering computer as a baby makes you go crazy. In all of human history, there will only ever be one generation to discover computer at the correct age: 13

The Ass is the father of the legs @internethippo.bsky.social · Nov 10

The problem with every post-Millennial generation is they got to go straight to high speed internet. Of course you'll get computer madness that way. Make them start with those old screeching modems and work their way up

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Reposted by Ben Stockman

Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · Sep 12

The Nigel Farage who wrote this about Charlie Kirk's murder will be furious at the Nigel Farage who made Lucy Connolly a star of the Reform conference

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Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · Sep 8

We need to prosecute this fucking grifter

Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · Sep 8

EXCLUSIVE - Today the Guardian is publishing the Boris Files

A trove of leaked data from the office of Boris Johnson.

It reveals how Johnson is using the relationships forged in the UK’s highest elected office to facilitate his personal enrichment.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

What are the Boris Files and what do they reveal about former PM’s conduct?

Leaked material from Johnson’s private office raises serious questions relating to his time in No 10 and since he resigned

www.theguardian.com

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Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · Sep 1

Once again Keir Starmer is nothing but a windsock, flapping in whichever direction the breeze flows, somehow blissfully unaware that the breeze is Farage's noxious eggy farts.

Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · Aug 30

Big Christmas Eve vibes here this morning

a man in a top hat and bow tie says the suspense is terrible and i hope it 'll last

Alt: Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, saying "the suspense is terrible! I hope it'll last."

media.tenor.com

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Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · Aug 15

Not for the first time, I ask "how do we prosecute these thieving 'investors' and claw back every last ill-gotten dividend?" @goodlawproject.bsky.social

aiteall.bsky.social @aiteall.bsky.social · Aug 15

‘Millionaires factory’
This is the outfit that asset stripped Thames Water, loaded it with debt, paid huge dividends yeti shareholders/directors, made little or no investment and then sold it back to the public. Questions arise about it auditors. Now Thames Water is bankrupt. Capitalism!

‘Millionaires factory’ under pressure: Macquarie reckons with investor revolt

Shareholder backlash over pay puts focus on corporate culture that has long encouraged risk taking

on.ft.com

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Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · Aug 12

Thanks very much Ben, I'll reach out to them

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Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · Aug 12

Hi Ben! As a huge fan of your work I wondered if you might be kind enough to consider writing a cover quote for a debut fantasy/ adventure novel that I'm about to publish? It would mean a great deal to me to have your endorsement.

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Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · Jul 12

The first recorded use of the name "Redwood" in English dates back to the mid-1500s, though long before this it was used as an adjective in Scotland to mean "completely deranged".

Nick Pettigrew @nick-pettigrew.bsky.social · Jul 11

"Can't believe it's been nearly 959 years since them slags smashed into Hastings. It still freaks my nut out to this day."

John Redwood getting all emosh about the battle of Hastings, the dessicated tit.

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Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · Jul 10

Petition for a new council of Nicea to make the bible more like an action movie. Should read like it was directed by Michael Bay.

"In the beginning was the word, and the word was with god, and the word was god. And he was PISSED you guys."

Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · Jul 10

"Look out!" shouted Jesus. "It's Pontius Pilate, and he hath come to smite us in his chopper!"
Benjamin 10:22

Anthony Oliveira @meakoopa.bsky.social · Jul 9

AI slop now making up saccharine Bible verses that do not exist

HOLY BIBLE
Holy Bible ©
@Holy_Bible1
Follow
Matthew 18:19
MATTHEW 18:19
"He prayed for her, she prayed for him and God smiled knowing that their names are already written next to each other."

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Reposted by Ben Stockman

Dr. Sabrina Mittermeier @smittermeier.bsky.social · Jul 9

I did this before in German but I guess today is a good day to compile English resources on why AI isn‘t actually intelligent and also a real danger: 🧵

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Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · Jul 8

OPTIMISM. Taxing the assets of the billionaire class is the only way out of growing inequality. Let's tax land ownership while we're at it, including everything owned by the church and crown.

Gabriel Zucman @gabrielzucman.bsky.social · Jul 7

An international call for action just got louder:

Today, 7 Nobel Laureates have issued a powerful call for a minimum tax on the ultra-wealthy in Le Monde

Here’s a quick breakdown of the debate—and where things stand globally

🧵

www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/a...

Tax on ultra-rich: 'France has the opportunity to lead the way,' say Nobel Prize-winning economists

OP-ED. As public deficits balloon and extreme wealth explode, creating a minimum tax on the assets of billionaires should be a priority, argue seven Nobel Prize-winning economists in an op-ed for Le M...

www.lemonde.fr

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Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · Jun 30

Paging @andrewkeithwalker.bsky.social

Ken Jennings @kenjennings.bsky.social · Jun 30

TIRED: “learn to code!”
WIRED:

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Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · Jun 28

I've always loved Venice, but I love it more now I've seen their reaction to the Bezos wedding.

The tower of St Mark's square in Venice with the words "No kings, No Bezos" projected onto it. Fuck yeah, Venice.

An eerily accurate representation of Bezos in a tuxedo with his pants down, sitting on a pile of Amazon parcels that extend right up his butt. Venice does not like Jeff.

Dummy Jeff Bezos sits in a gondola with his dummy bride, carrying a sign saying 'just married'. The cold, dead eyes of dummy Jeff are somehow warmer and less terrifying than the cold, dead eyes of actual Jeff.

Dummy Jeff floats past a ferry, clinging to an Amazon parcel and a fistful of money. The irony of this is that this will be how actual Jeff ends his days, clinging to his cash floating in the detritus of the world his company helped destroy.

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Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · Jun 25

@parthenoid.bsky.social Hi Sian! Would it be ok to DM you about a work-related thing please?

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Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · Jun 1

Preach! And the less said about who the next Doctor will be the better. In a show with limitless storytelling potential he sure has taken a lot of backwards steps.

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Reposted by Ben Stockman

Simon Brew @simonbrew.bsky.social · May 24

My plans for a major retail emporium are being threatend by wholesalers who won't let me steal the stock.

A headline from The Times, with Nick Clegg saying that requiring permission from copyright holders to train AI on their word would 'kill' the AI industry. Boo fecking hoo.

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Ben Stockman @benstockman.bsky.social · May 20

Apparently it is summer because one of my neighbours is blasting Enya (?!) across the Lambeth evening

Reposted by Ben Stockman

Louie Stowell @louiestowell.bsky.social · May 3

God bless stoke Newington and all who sail in her

R @rchlcze.bsky.social · May 1

Omg

A poster for a workshop for Trans+ people to turn Harry Potter books into mushrooms

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Reposted by Ben Stockman

Ed Morrish @edmorrish.bsky.social · May 2

“average person has fewer than 3 friends" factoid actualy just statistical error. average person has lots of friends. mark zuckerberg, who lives on a private island & is hated by over 100,000,000 people, is an outlier adn should not have been counted

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