michael lascarides
@mlascarides.bsky.social
Art tinkerer, library dweller, immigrant. Thinking a lot about how to prove libraries are worth keeping around. Ōtepoti.
Soooo many dark patterns. I went to change this setting in gmail and the sparkle Gemini button in the toolbar loaded after the other buttons, meaning that when I went to hit the Settings icon, it *jumped to the left and I was suddenly pointing at the sparkle button*.
Also make sure to turn off smart workspace settings (the button right below the first setting which shows up after you reload to turn off the first one)
Unfortunately this will also turn off some basic formerly non-AI functionality like, y'know, spellcheck. 💀 As if this wasn't already a dick move.
Unfortunately this will also turn off some basic formerly non-AI functionality like, y'know, spellcheck. 💀 As if this wasn't already a dick move.
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
November 20, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Soooo many dark patterns. I went to change this setting in gmail and the sparkle Gemini button in the toolbar loaded after the other buttons, meaning that when I went to hit the Settings icon, it *jumped to the left and I was suddenly pointing at the sparkle button*.
Reposted by michael lascarides
remember when their slogan was "don't be evil"
the fact that turning AI scraping off in gmail also turns off the sorting feature and makes everything one big inbox…. ooohhhhhhhh that’s evil
November 20, 2025 at 7:47 PM
remember when their slogan was "don't be evil"
Reposted by michael lascarides
I'll just note this inquiry has noted that with 20/20 hindsight the UK should have acted... pretty much exactly as New Zealand did.
Which a good portion of NZ's media and political class have spent 5 revisionist years trying to paint as an overreaction. Overwhelmingly, it wasn't.
Which a good portion of NZ's media and political class have spent 5 revisionist years trying to paint as an overreaction. Overwhelmingly, it wasn't.
‘Chaotic and indecisive’: key findings of report on UK’s Covid response under Tories
Second pandemic report focuses on decision-making, organisation and messaging by senior politicians including Boris Johnson
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:06 PM
I'll just note this inquiry has noted that with 20/20 hindsight the UK should have acted... pretty much exactly as New Zealand did.
Which a good portion of NZ's media and political class have spent 5 revisionist years trying to paint as an overreaction. Overwhelmingly, it wasn't.
Which a good portion of NZ's media and political class have spent 5 revisionist years trying to paint as an overreaction. Overwhelmingly, it wasn't.
Reposted by michael lascarides
Exactly this. This is both an act of deliberate cruelty towards a marginalised, vulnerable community and a trial balloon to see how far they can push, and how fast.
(Going by the last two years and the pace and volume of erosion, and active targeting of vulnerable people - very far, and very fast.)
(Going by the last two years and the pace and volume of erosion, and active targeting of vulnerable people - very far, and very fast.)
November 20, 2025 at 3:30 AM
Exactly this. This is both an act of deliberate cruelty towards a marginalised, vulnerable community and a trial balloon to see how far they can push, and how fast.
(Going by the last two years and the pace and volume of erosion, and active targeting of vulnerable people - very far, and very fast.)
(Going by the last two years and the pace and volume of erosion, and active targeting of vulnerable people - very far, and very fast.)
Reposted by michael lascarides
Previously, these belief systems tended to collapse under their own weight. Contradictions and memory gaps made them hard to sustain. Now the AI removes that friction, it produces timelines, summaries, and "forensic" explanations on demand.
November 19, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Previously, these belief systems tended to collapse under their own weight. Contradictions and memory gaps made them hard to sustain. Now the AI removes that friction, it produces timelines, summaries, and "forensic" explanations on demand.
Reposted by michael lascarides
Great to see this fantastic library profiled by Radio New Zealand last week.
Brent McIntyre and his team were interviewed by RNZ here:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/578498/the-house-behind-the-scenes-at-the-parliamentary-library
Brent McIntyre and his team were interviewed by RNZ here:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/578498/the-house-behind-the-scenes-at-the-parliamentary-library
The House: Behind the scenes at the Parliamentary library
The House chats with three members of the Parliamentary library. More than just books and periodicals - it's a research powerhouse.
www.rnz.co.nz
November 19, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Great to see this fantastic library profiled by Radio New Zealand last week.
Brent McIntyre and his team were interviewed by RNZ here:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/578498/the-house-behind-the-scenes-at-the-parliamentary-library
Brent McIntyre and his team were interviewed by RNZ here:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/578498/the-house-behind-the-scenes-at-the-parliamentary-library
Reposted by michael lascarides
I'm really happy that The Bad Newsletter has a new home at Emily Writes Weekly, and really unhappy that my first piece is about the ultra-munted weirdness that the Chaos Coalition is doing to the new school curriculum www.emilywrites.co.nz/what-the-hel...
What the HELL is happening with the new school curriculum?
Over and over again, I've had emails and messages from parents asking me about the new curriculum. I tried to get my head around it, but just had more questions than answers. So I teamed up with my fr...
www.emilywrites.co.nz
November 19, 2025 at 4:27 AM
I'm really happy that The Bad Newsletter has a new home at Emily Writes Weekly, and really unhappy that my first piece is about the ultra-munted weirdness that the Chaos Coalition is doing to the new school curriculum www.emilywrites.co.nz/what-the-hel...
Serious question: Are LLMs being used as critical infrastructure… anywhere? Not "this is a useful application", but more "this is the only way we can keep this important part of the electrical grid going". If we turned off ChatGPT, would any part of society break irrevocably?
November 19, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Serious question: Are LLMs being used as critical infrastructure… anywhere? Not "this is a useful application", but more "this is the only way we can keep this important part of the electrical grid going". If we turned off ChatGPT, would any part of society break irrevocably?
Reposted by michael lascarides
I am increasingly of the opinion that people who change menus and look and feel of computer software just so that you know it's a new version should be personally forced to play tech support to my mother for five months.
November 19, 2025 at 4:10 AM
I am increasingly of the opinion that people who change menus and look and feel of computer software just so that you know it's a new version should be personally forced to play tech support to my mother for five months.
Reposted by michael lascarides
An update to the article I shared yesterday.
Puberty blockers banned: The reality of raising a trans child in 2025
A parent shares their experience and fears as public submissions are sought on the use of puberty blockers for gender-affirming care.
thespinoff.co.nz
November 19, 2025 at 5:41 PM
An update to the article I shared yesterday.
Reposted by michael lascarides
Turns out the way you stop it is that it costs more than double to produce basic plagiarism than people are willing to pay.
November 14, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Turns out the way you stop it is that it costs more than double to produce basic plagiarism than people are willing to pay.
Reposted by michael lascarides
Our most vulnerable young people are endangered by this Government's decision to restrict access to puberty blockers.
Wellington Pride Festival condemns this latest attack on the rainbow community by NZ First. We urge the Ministry of Health to listen to actual medical experts instead.
Wellington Pride Festival condemns this latest attack on the rainbow community by NZ First. We urge the Ministry of Health to listen to actual medical experts instead.
November 19, 2025 at 5:46 AM
Our most vulnerable young people are endangered by this Government's decision to restrict access to puberty blockers.
Wellington Pride Festival condemns this latest attack on the rainbow community by NZ First. We urge the Ministry of Health to listen to actual medical experts instead.
Wellington Pride Festival condemns this latest attack on the rainbow community by NZ First. We urge the Ministry of Health to listen to actual medical experts instead.
Reposted by michael lascarides
My residency at State Library Victoria LAB is wrapping up in a few weeks! Here's a blog post that pulls together links to the things I've been working on, and gives a peek at what's coming. https://updates.timsherratt.org/2025/11/19/counting-down-to-the-end.html #glam #libraries #openglam […]
Original post on hcommons.social
hcommons.social
November 19, 2025 at 5:10 AM
My residency at State Library Victoria LAB is wrapping up in a few weeks! Here's a blog post that pulls together links to the things I've been working on, and gives a peek at what's coming. https://updates.timsherratt.org/2025/11/19/counting-down-to-the-end.html #glam #libraries #openglam […]
Reposted by michael lascarides
It's not a foolproof plan but every political debate from now on should be a Normal Guy competition. Ask them to describe grocery shopping in detail. Talk about what it's like to have a friend
November 19, 2025 at 2:13 AM
It's not a foolproof plan but every political debate from now on should be a Normal Guy competition. Ask them to describe grocery shopping in detail. Talk about what it's like to have a friend
Reposted by michael lascarides
"In short, there is an awful lot going on in this country’s schools. So, in case you blinked, here’s a rundown of the recent education changes worth having on your radar."
#NZPol #AoPol #NZSchools #Aotearoa #Education #NCEA
#NZPol #AoPol #NZSchools #Aotearoa #Education #NCEA
A crash course in the many changes shaking up education in Aotearoa
A crash course in the many changes shaking up education in Aotearoa
Struggling to get your head around the recent barrage of education-related headlines? Here's a rundown....
thespinoff.co.nz
November 18, 2025 at 9:46 PM
"In short, there is an awful lot going on in this country’s schools. So, in case you blinked, here’s a rundown of the recent education changes worth having on your radar."
#NZPol #AoPol #NZSchools #Aotearoa #Education #NCEA
#NZPol #AoPol #NZSchools #Aotearoa #Education #NCEA
Reposted by michael lascarides
I won't consider Starlink for the same reason I won't buy a Tesla and why I'm no longer on the former Twitter: I won't willingly give money to (or be an advertising base for) a Nazi salute-throwing fascist who actively tried to destroy our democracy
November 19, 2025 at 1:07 AM
I won't consider Starlink for the same reason I won't buy a Tesla and why I'm no longer on the former Twitter: I won't willingly give money to (or be an advertising base for) a Nazi salute-throwing fascist who actively tried to destroy our democracy
Reposted by michael lascarides
why do people not understand they have to do the work for our 'doing the work for you' tool
The casual way this techbro talks about the "error-prone" products they are throwing out into the world, the necessity for the consumer to accept, train for, and correct for these, and the impending economic chaos wrought by the frenzy they are creating as though it's normal and natural: holy hell.
Don’t blindly trust everything AI tools say, warns Alphabet boss
Sundar Pichai says artificial intelligence models are ‘prone to some errors’ and warns of impact if AI bubble bursts
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:20 PM
why do people not understand they have to do the work for our 'doing the work for you' tool
Reposted by michael lascarides
"... from an AI Ethics standpoint, academic librarians should always question their use of AI and, if it is not necessary or morally beneficial, opt out of using it to help stop the erosion of human dignity and work to ensure environmental survivability."
📚
www.ala.org/acrl/publica...
📚
www.ala.org/acrl/publica...
Keeping Up With… AI Ethics
www.ala.org
November 18, 2025 at 6:45 PM
"... from an AI Ethics standpoint, academic librarians should always question their use of AI and, if it is not necessary or morally beneficial, opt out of using it to help stop the erosion of human dignity and work to ensure environmental survivability."
📚
www.ala.org/acrl/publica...
📚
www.ala.org/acrl/publica...
I collect studies like this and have never found one that has arrived at a figure less than $2 in value generated for every dollar spent on libraries, with some as high as $9.
November 18, 2025 at 3:01 AM
I collect studies like this and have never found one that has arrived at a figure less than $2 in value generated for every dollar spent on libraries, with some as high as $9.
Reposted by michael lascarides
One girl said “it doesn’t matter if you ban a book because everyone can find that information online” and then I blew their minds by talking about how your search history can be monitored and sold to the government without your permission, but your library borrowing history requires a warrant.
November 18, 2025 at 1:26 AM
One girl said “it doesn’t matter if you ban a book because everyone can find that information online” and then I blew their minds by talking about how your search history can be monitored and sold to the government without your permission, but your library borrowing history requires a warrant.
Having just recently gone down a Clyfford Still rabbithole, this is really lovely to read.
November 17, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Having just recently gone down a Clyfford Still rabbithole, this is really lovely to read.
Reposted by michael lascarides
The AI bubble may be about to bust.
Peter Thiel has sold all of his Nvidia stock.
We all need to say this very clearly:
NO BAILOUTS FOR THEFT-TECH!
Expropriate their asses instead.
They stole from all of us and fully plan to burn the planet.
They owe us - not the other way around. 1/3
Peter Thiel has sold all of his Nvidia stock.
We all need to say this very clearly:
NO BAILOUTS FOR THEFT-TECH!
Expropriate their asses instead.
They stole from all of us and fully plan to burn the planet.
They owe us - not the other way around. 1/3
November 17, 2025 at 6:37 AM
The AI bubble may be about to bust.
Peter Thiel has sold all of his Nvidia stock.
We all need to say this very clearly:
NO BAILOUTS FOR THEFT-TECH!
Expropriate their asses instead.
They stole from all of us and fully plan to burn the planet.
They owe us - not the other way around. 1/3
Peter Thiel has sold all of his Nvidia stock.
We all need to say this very clearly:
NO BAILOUTS FOR THEFT-TECH!
Expropriate their asses instead.
They stole from all of us and fully plan to burn the planet.
They owe us - not the other way around. 1/3
Reposted by michael lascarides
Make bad art. Make uncertain art. Make indifferent art. Make confused, and confusing, art. Make uninspired art. Making bad art is the essential and irreplaceable aspect of making great art, next time
make bad art because some of the worst people you know are making even worse art and literally nothing you make will be that bad.
make bad art!!! it's better than making no art!!!
November 17, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Make bad art. Make uncertain art. Make indifferent art. Make confused, and confusing, art. Make uninspired art. Making bad art is the essential and irreplaceable aspect of making great art, next time
Reposted by michael lascarides
Ōtepoti: community happenings
Crop Swap in the Valley
ANYONE IN ŌTEPOTI WELCOME
Last Sunday of the Month 3pm
The Valley Project, 262 North Road, North East Valley
Bring your excess garden produce or kitchen wares
image: event poster, summary info above, full in alt text
Crop Swap in the Valley
ANYONE IN ŌTEPOTI WELCOME
Last Sunday of the Month 3pm
The Valley Project, 262 North Road, North East Valley
Bring your excess garden produce or kitchen wares
image: event poster, summary info above, full in alt text
November 17, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Ōtepoti: community happenings
Crop Swap in the Valley
ANYONE IN ŌTEPOTI WELCOME
Last Sunday of the Month 3pm
The Valley Project, 262 North Road, North East Valley
Bring your excess garden produce or kitchen wares
image: event poster, summary info above, full in alt text
Crop Swap in the Valley
ANYONE IN ŌTEPOTI WELCOME
Last Sunday of the Month 3pm
The Valley Project, 262 North Road, North East Valley
Bring your excess garden produce or kitchen wares
image: event poster, summary info above, full in alt text