Brian Phipps
@a4istic.bsky.social
"The Owl of Minerva flies at dusk--but our work is due by noon."
Reposted by Brian Phipps
February 12, 2026 at 1:37 PM
Reposted by Brian Phipps
Episode 1 is OUT!! 🥳 🙌
This week on The Interface, we discuss:
* That insane Superbowl ad for Ring
* The US TikTok takeover
* And the beef that launched ChatGPT
Listen wherever you get your podcasts: app.magellan.ai/listen_links...
This week on The Interface, we discuss:
* That insane Superbowl ad for Ring
* The US TikTok takeover
* And the beef that launched ChatGPT
Listen wherever you get your podcasts: app.magellan.ai/listen_links...
February 12, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Episode 1 is OUT!! 🥳 🙌
This week on The Interface, we discuss:
* That insane Superbowl ad for Ring
* The US TikTok takeover
* And the beef that launched ChatGPT
Listen wherever you get your podcasts: app.magellan.ai/listen_links...
This week on The Interface, we discuss:
* That insane Superbowl ad for Ring
* The US TikTok takeover
* And the beef that launched ChatGPT
Listen wherever you get your podcasts: app.magellan.ai/listen_links...
Reposted by Brian Phipps
It's good that popular YouTube influencers understand why 230 is so important.
It's not good that almost the entirety of our political and media classes don't understand it at all.
It's not good that almost the entirety of our political and media classes don't understand it at all.
An 18-Million-Subscriber YouTuber Just Explained Section 230 Better Than Every Politician In Washington
Over the years, we've written approximately one million words explaining why Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is essential to how the internet functions. We've corrected politicians…
Over the years, we've written approximately one million words explaining why Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is essential to how the internet functions. We've corrected politicians…
An 18-Million-Subscriber YouTuber Just Explained Section 230 Better Than Every Politician In Washington
Over the years, we've written approximately one million words explaining why Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is essential to how the internet functions. We've corrected politicians who lie about it. We've debunked myths spread by mainstream media outlets that should know better. We've explained, re-explained, and then explained again why gutting this law would be catastrophic for online speech…
www.techdirt.com
February 11, 2026 at 7:46 PM
It's good that popular YouTube influencers understand why 230 is so important.
It's not good that almost the entirety of our political and media classes don't understand it at all.
It's not good that almost the entirety of our political and media classes don't understand it at all.
Reposted by Brian Phipps
Crypto is crime.
Crypto is corruption.
Crypto is fascism.
Crypto is fraud.
Crypto is theft.
Crypto is harm.
Crypto is enemy.
Crypto is corruption.
Crypto is fascism.
Crypto is fraud.
Crypto is theft.
Crypto is harm.
Crypto is enemy.
The Trump family built a crypto machine that converts presidential power into billions in cash for insiders.
It's an orgy of self-dealing and corruption at a scale so massive it will need to break the nation to evade accountability.
gift link:
www.wsj.com/finance/curr...
It's an orgy of self-dealing and corruption at a scale so massive it will need to break the nation to evade accountability.
gift link:
www.wsj.com/finance/curr...
One Generation Runs the Country. The Next Cashed In on Crypto.
Sons of top Trump administration officials made billions for their families, but their investors didn’t always fare so well.
www.wsj.com
February 10, 2026 at 10:34 PM
Crypto is crime.
Crypto is corruption.
Crypto is fascism.
Crypto is fraud.
Crypto is theft.
Crypto is harm.
Crypto is enemy.
Crypto is corruption.
Crypto is fascism.
Crypto is fraud.
Crypto is theft.
Crypto is harm.
Crypto is enemy.
Reposted by Brian Phipps
Why the Warriors finally had to fold their hand and get anything they could for Jonathan Kuminga
sfstandard.com/2026/02/05/j...
sfstandard.com/2026/02/05/j...
Jonathan Kuminga and Steve Kerr were both too stubborn and both too right
Nobody made the most out of the situation. And the Warriors had to fold their hand this time.
sfstandard.com
February 5, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Why the Warriors finally had to fold their hand and get anything they could for Jonathan Kuminga
sfstandard.com/2026/02/05/j...
sfstandard.com/2026/02/05/j...
Reposted by Brian Phipps
“Chickens are now the most populous terrestrial vertebrate. At any one time, about 26 billion chickens occupy the planet, as 65 billion are slaughtered annually and billions more hatch.” —Ian Frazier
Bang the Drumstick Slowly | Ian Frazier
About 26 billion chickens occupy Earth, but apart from the lucky ones in backyards, most are condemned to the hellscape that is industrial farming.
www.nybooks.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:10 AM
“Chickens are now the most populous terrestrial vertebrate. At any one time, about 26 billion chickens occupy the planet, as 65 billion are slaughtered annually and billions more hatch.” —Ian Frazier
Reposted by Brian Phipps
Peter Thiel has been open about this for a long time. Trump is a way to break the republic, which can then be replaced by “free economic zones” with oligarchs as dictators and tech as a taskmaster for helpless humans without any rights. (1/2)
Definitely seems like they destroyed the country on purpose.
February 2, 2026 at 11:44 PM
Peter Thiel has been open about this for a long time. Trump is a way to break the republic, which can then be replaced by “free economic zones” with oligarchs as dictators and tech as a taskmaster for helpless humans without any rights. (1/2)
Reposted by Brian Phipps
Today's score from Polybius. Not sure about its interpretation of the Supreme Court, but all else seems intuitively correct.
February 2, 2026 at 2:06 PM
Today's score from Polybius. Not sure about its interpretation of the Supreme Court, but all else seems intuitively correct.
Reposted by Brian Phipps
In his forthcoming book, Your Data Will Be Used Against You, George Washington University Law School professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson explores how sensor-driven technologies, social media monitoring, and artificial intelligence can be weaponized against democratic values and personal freedoms.
How to Apply the 'Tyrant Test' to Technology
George Washington University Law School professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson is the author of the forthcoming book Your Data Will Be Used Against You.
www.techpolicy.press
February 1, 2026 at 3:59 PM
In his forthcoming book, Your Data Will Be Used Against You, George Washington University Law School professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson explores how sensor-driven technologies, social media monitoring, and artificial intelligence can be weaponized against democratic values and personal freedoms.
Reposted by Brian Phipps
The idea that violent crime is a major problem in the US is a mainstream conspiracy theory uncritically believed by some majority of citizens and almost all of its decision-makers, and which they believe on the grounds of faith and propaganda, not having actually experienced it as a real phenomenon
Much of the public believes violent crime is a major problem, even though it's at historic lows in the United States. This disconnect is "the product of carefully cultivated propaganda," says author @equalityalec.bsky.social.
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/1/27/alec_karakatsanis
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/1/27/alec_karakatsanis
From George Floyd to Alex Pretti: “Copaganda” Author on Myths About Immigration, Crime & Policing
As calls grow to defund and abolish ICE, author Alec Karakatsanis warns that activists should take care to not fall for “copaganda,” which “takes ordinary people who are outraged over what’s happening...
www.democracynow.org
January 31, 2026 at 4:54 PM
The idea that violent crime is a major problem in the US is a mainstream conspiracy theory uncritically believed by some majority of citizens and almost all of its decision-makers, and which they believe on the grounds of faith and propaganda, not having actually experienced it as a real phenomenon
Reposted by Brian Phipps
Translation: “I intend to cheat” bsky.app/profile/atru...
Trump on the Virginia governor: "I don't know how they get elected. The get elected because they cheat, if you want to know the truth. If they didn't cheat, they'd have no chance."
January 30, 2026 at 5:24 PM
Translation: “I intend to cheat” bsky.app/profile/atru...
Reposted by Brian Phipps
Reposted by Brian Phipps
Court filings "show top tech firms in a frantic, sometimes clandestine race to acquire the collected works of humanity.” Books were a “crucial prize,” and they "didn’t see it as practical to gain direct permission from publishers and authors to use their work."
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
Inside an AI start-up’s plan to scan and dispose of millions of books
Court filings reveal how AI companies raced to obtain more books to feed chatbots, including by buying, scanning and disposing of millions of titles.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:08 PM
Court filings "show top tech firms in a frantic, sometimes clandestine race to acquire the collected works of humanity.” Books were a “crucial prize,” and they "didn’t see it as practical to gain direct permission from publishers and authors to use their work."
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Brian Phipps
Who bears the liability for the damage an AI agent like Gemini does in the world? Is it the billionaires and fancy companies who released this tech into the wild without understanding how it operates, who stole heedlessly to create it, and who derive the profits from it? Or is it you, the consumer?
January 28, 2026 at 6:26 PM
Who bears the liability for the damage an AI agent like Gemini does in the world? Is it the billionaires and fancy companies who released this tech into the wild without understanding how it operates, who stole heedlessly to create it, and who derive the profits from it? Or is it you, the consumer?
Reposted by Brian Phipps
This is going to be the quintessential legal struggle of the so called “agentic” ai wave I think.
NEW: Google’s “Auto Browse” AI tool includes a warning that attributes responsibility to users for the bot’s actions.
“Use Gemini carefully and take control if needed,” reads a disclaimer on the demo version. “You are responsible for Gemini’s actions during tasks.”
www.wired.com/story/google...
“Use Gemini carefully and take control if needed,” reads a disclaimer on the demo version. “You are responsible for Gemini’s actions during tasks.”
www.wired.com/story/google...
Google’s New Chrome ‘Auto Browse’ Agent Attempts to Roam the Web Without You
Google’s latest addition to its Chrome browser puts generative AI behind the wheel and you in the passenger seat.
www.wired.com
January 28, 2026 at 6:26 PM
This is going to be the quintessential legal struggle of the so called “agentic” ai wave I think.
Reposted by Brian Phipps
Ta-Nehisi on Minnesota, and Culture War as war www.vanityfair.com/news/story/t...
January 27, 2026 at 12:56 PM
Ta-Nehisi on Minnesota, and Culture War as war www.vanityfair.com/news/story/t...
Reposted by Brian Phipps
Here’s a nightmare scenario: a Carrington Event-strength solar storm knocks out a large number of satellites, causing a cataclysmic chain reaction crash of hundreds of systems in LEO, inducing Kessler Syndrome overnight. And it’s been modeled: scitechdaily.com/2-8-days-to-...
2.8 Days to Disaster: Low Earth Orbit Could Collapse Without Warning
A new analysis suggests modern satellite networks could suffer catastrophic collisions within days of losing control during a major solar storm. The phrase “House of Cards” is often associated today w...
scitechdaily.com
January 22, 2026 at 4:41 AM
Here’s a nightmare scenario: a Carrington Event-strength solar storm knocks out a large number of satellites, causing a cataclysmic chain reaction crash of hundreds of systems in LEO, inducing Kessler Syndrome overnight. And it’s been modeled: scitechdaily.com/2-8-days-to-...
Reposted by Brian Phipps
Reposted by Brian Phipps
A key dynamic over the past year: Several times the Trumpists seemed poised to vanquish the democratic opposition and break through whatever obstacles the constitutional order was still placing in their path – but then were unable to force that next step.
On the limits of the autocratic assault:
On the limits of the autocratic assault:
The Limits of Violent Authoritarianism
Trump’s authoritarian desires are boundless. But the past year proves that his ability to impose them on America is not.
Even invoking the Insurrection Act would not magically change that.
Some thoughts from my new piece:
🧵
Trump’s authoritarian desires are boundless. But the past year proves that his ability to impose them on America is not.
Even invoking the Insurrection Act would not magically change that.
Some thoughts from my new piece:
🧵
The Limits of Violent Authoritarianism
Trump’s authoritarian desires are boundless. But the past year proves that his ability to impose them on America is not.
steady.page
January 20, 2026 at 5:34 PM
A key dynamic over the past year: Several times the Trumpists seemed poised to vanquish the democratic opposition and break through whatever obstacles the constitutional order was still placing in their path – but then were unable to force that next step.
On the limits of the autocratic assault:
On the limits of the autocratic assault:
Reposted by Brian Phipps
Ask yourself: If Donald Trump was intentionally trying to destroy the United States, how could you tell the difference?
January 17, 2026 at 8:59 PM
Ask yourself: If Donald Trump was intentionally trying to destroy the United States, how could you tell the difference?
Reposted by Brian Phipps
Today, @wikipedia.org turns 25 years old. It's never been more important — or under more attack from authoritarians. Here's what to know about how we got here, and what we can do to push for its future. There's no better example of the web we make together. www.anildash.com/2026/01/15/w...
Wikipedia at 25: What the web can be - Anil Dash
A blog about making culture. Since 1999.
www.anildash.com
January 15, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Today, @wikipedia.org turns 25 years old. It's never been more important — or under more attack from authoritarians. Here's what to know about how we got here, and what we can do to push for its future. There's no better example of the web we make together. www.anildash.com/2026/01/15/w...
Reposted by Brian Phipps
Tech is a culture
Can you imagine being the software engineers, engineering managers, product managers, designers, QA testers, and devops that built and run this? Cashing out your palantir equity for "deportation targets"? Accomplices and ghouls, all of them
January 15, 2026 at 3:33 PM
Tech is a culture
Reposted by Brian Phipps
A’s DENIED “Sacramento Athletics” Trademark
https://www.rawchili.com/4800307/
A’s DENIED “Sacramento Athletics” Trademark
https://www.rawchili.com/4800307/
A’s DENIED “Sacramento Athletics” Trademark
A's DENIED "Sacramento Athletics" Trademark - Raw Chili
A's DENIED "Sacramento Athletics" Trademark
www.rawchili.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:40 AM
A’s DENIED “Sacramento Athletics” Trademark
https://www.rawchili.com/4800307/
A’s DENIED “Sacramento Athletics” Trademark
https://www.rawchili.com/4800307/
A’s DENIED “Sacramento Athletics” Trademark
Reposted by Brian Phipps
For me, the most difficult part is often the lies.— www.unpopularfront.news/p/living-in-...
Living in the Lie
And How Not To
www.unpopularfront.news
January 8, 2026 at 1:40 PM
For me, the most difficult part is often the lies.— www.unpopularfront.news/p/living-in-...