Per Axbom
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axbom.com
Per Axbom
@axbom.com
1.6K followers 710 following 880 posts
Swedish communication theorist born in Liberia • Writing about the human impact of tech and teaching digital ethics

Mechanical heart valve ❤️ • He/him

My Next Heartbeat – Critical thinking in times of artificial urgency: https://heartbeat.email
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axbom.com
In case you were, like me, wondering why Sarah Kendzior suddenly disappeared from Bluesky.
Sarah Kendzior on Substack: "I was suspended from BlueSky for defending the honor of Johnny Cash. I wish I were joking. In early October, I referenced the “I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die” lyric of “Folsom Prison Blues” in response to a terrible Wall Street Journal article saying that Johnny Cash was uncool. I quote-tweeted the article and everyone understood the reference. There was no outcry. I stand by my assessment that Johnny Cash is cool. I do not like being the subject of so much attention, especially when I cannot see the discussion. But the BlueSky admins are now claiming that I wrote a post saying, out of nowhere, “I want to shoot the author of this article just to watch him die”. They are not posting a screenshot of the actual tweet, which shows that I am quote-tweeting an article about Johnny Cash, and that my post is obviously not a threat but a play on “Folsom Prison Blues.” BlueSky is lying and saying I posted this line on November 10. I did not. I posted it in early October, when the WSJ article came out. You can see that they are lying about the date from this page showing my last BlueSky tweets: I was not given any explanation for my suspension the first two times I inquired. Later I was told it was for the “Folsom Prison Blues” reference, and I asked for clarification but did not receive it. I thought it might be a prank until a reporter reached out this morning and confirmed it. BlueSky’s behavior is bizarre and unwarranted. I have lost access to friends and all my posts and photos. I am incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support here on Substack and also on BlueSky — though I cannot see it, because I am suspended. To quote another Johnny Cash song: "I ain’t never done nothin' to nobody/ I ain’t never got nothin’ from nobody, no time/ And until I get somethin' from somebody, sometime, I don't intend to do nothin' for nobody, no time." As for BlueSky…" Image: photo of Johnny Cash flipping the bird.
November 13, 2025 at 3:19 PM
axbom.com
Om ni lägger upp bilder, kom ihåg att lägga till ALT-text. På Bluesky finns en fin inställning som innebär att man inte kan posta utan ALT-text. Rekommenderas!

Jag boostar personligen aldrig inlägg utan ALT-text, och vet att det finns många andra som tänker likadant.
Skärmdump från Blueskys inställningar som visar inställningar under Accessibility. Valet "Require alt text before posting" är markerat.
October 25, 2025 at 8:25 AM
axbom.com
I just figured out how to do a thing in Keynote that I've struggled with for years: Creating a rectangle with only two rounded corners.

See the video. It's so simple it hurts.
October 21, 2025 at 1:39 PM
axbom.com
Hand på hand är inte Midjourneys starkaste gren.
Skärmklipp från inslaget där de vunas händer som håller i barnens är inringade. Händerna är svåra att tolka och ser ut som att de är sammanfogade i varandra på något onaturligt sätt.
October 17, 2025 at 3:45 PM
axbom.com
Jag är smått häpen över SVT:s beslut att använda dessa "AI"-genererade filmer i sitt inslag i Rapport i tisdags där de faktakollar uttalanden från partiledardebatten.

För mig är de som tagna ur en skräckfilm, särskilt när något "barn" i en plötslig rörelse vrider huvudet bakåt och åt höger.
October 17, 2025 at 3:25 PM
axbom.com
Full segment about "AI" from the NPR interview, with Ari Shapiro interviewing David Simon.
October 17, 2025 at 9:12 AM
axbom.com
The Wire creator David Simon was recently interviewed on NPR by Ari Shapiro. Partly about "AI". A short exchange from that is being shared all over - and it's good, but the full segment about "AI" is even more rewarding I think.

Full transcript: ‪npr.org/transcripts/1177569966‬
1/3 SHAPIRO: OK, so you've spent your career creating television without AI, and I could imagine today you thinking, boy, I wish I had had that tool to solve those thorny problems, or saying... SIMON: You mentioned that. SHAPIRO: ...Boy, if that had existed, it would have screwed me over. SIMON: I don't think AI can remotely challenge what writers do at a fundamentally creative level. SHAPIRO: But if you're trying to transition from Scene 5 to Scene 6 and you're stuck with that transition, you could imagine plugging that portion of the script into an AI and say, give me 10 ideas for how to transition. SIMON: I'd rather put a gun in my mouth. 2/3 SHAPIRO: You would rather put a gun in your mouth. SIMON: I mean, what you're saying to me effectively is there's no original way to do anything, and... SHAPIRO: No. SIMON: Yes, you are. SHAPIRO: That seems like a kind of absolutist take. SIMON: Not only, I think, is it a fundamental violation of the integrity of writers and also of copyright - you know, when I sold all the scripts I sold - you know, 150 to HBO and, you know, maybe another 50 to NBC - I didn't sell them so that they could be thrown into a computer with other people's and be used again by a corporation. 3/3 SHAPIRO: So would you ever agree to a contract that saw any role for AI at all? SIMON: No, I would not. If that's where this industry is going, it's going to infantilize itself. We're all going to be watching stuff we've watched before, only worse. SHAPIRO: Do you think that position is where this is likely to end up? SIMON: I mean, if a writer wants to play around with AI as the writer and see if it helps him, I mean, I regard it as no different than him having a thesaurus or a dictionary on his desk or a book of quotable quotes. Play around with it. If it starts to lead the way in the sense that a studio exec comes to you and says, AI gave us this story that we want, that's not why I got into storytelling, and it's not where I'll stay if that's what storytelling is.
October 17, 2025 at 5:08 AM
axbom.com
Happy Petrov Day to those who celebrate. On September 26, 1983, Stanislav Petrov made the correct decision to not trust a computer.

I've attached a short clip from a reenactment of the situation in the documentary The Man Who Saved the World.

1/11
September 26, 2025 at 7:38 AM
axbom.com
I was told to put my trust in Proton's Lumo "AI". I couldn't resist...
Me: can you list 10 fruits with exactly 2 r's in their names? The response from Lumo: Sure! Here are ten fruit names that each contain exactly two “r” letters: Barberry Currant (as in blackcurrant or redcurrant) Garron – a lesser‑known tropical fruit sometimes called “garron melon” Marrowfruit – also known as “marula” in some regions, the name “marrowfruit” includes two r’s Mirabelle – a small, sweet plum variety; the word “mirabelle” has two r’s List continues in next image. List continued from previous image. Perrier – a brand name used for certain pear varieties (e.g., “Perrier pear”) Raspberry – the classic berry with two r’s (the first and the second “r”) Strawberry – another familiar berry with two r’s (the “r” in “straw” and the one in “berry”) Tamarind – the tropical pod fruit; its spelling includes two r’s when written as “tamarind” (the “r” appears twice) Yarrowberry – a wild berry found in some temperate zones, containing two r’s These fruits span a range of flavors and regions, from common berries you might find at the grocery store to more exotic varieties. Let me know if you’d like more details about any of them—nutritional info, recipes, or where to source them!
September 22, 2025 at 5:01 PM
axbom.com
Schrödinger's chat: A communication that is both encrypted and unencrypted at the same time.

Example: #ChatControl monitors to expose crimes, but “does not break end-to-end encryption”.
The illustration shows two people sending messages to each other. At the top of the image, a person is wearing headphones attached to a listening device that has cords looping behind the back of each person chatting and attaches to their phones.
September 12, 2025 at 7:48 AM
axbom.com
My only relationship to kool-aid is the saying "drinking the kool-aid". So you can see how there are many cultural hurdles to jump over here.

The Swedish counterpart as far as I can tell would be BOB blandsaft with the black currants flavor. 😅

4 parts water to 1 part syrup.
Swedish small carton of syrup for making juice, labeled "Svarta vinbär" which means black currants.
September 2, 2025 at 4:08 PM
axbom.com
Röstläget när Ebba Busch understryker att "Men argast av dem alla" var Elina Pahnke när hon "hävde ur sig" det citat som var fabricerat – det är något säreget…
August 15, 2025 at 11:12 AM
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Har skrivit en text om hur Busch sprider ytterligare villfarelser om hur tekniken fungerar i sin så kallade ursäkt till Pahnke. Får se om någon debattredaktion vill ha den, annars kommer den på bloggen.

Här är klippet där Busch klämmer i ordentligt med det fabrikerade citatet.

#ebbabusch
August 15, 2025 at 4:56 AM
axbom.com
LeGuin's rant about “technology” in 2005.

Reposting the image with ALT text.

And here is the context of the quote: www.ursulakleguin.com/a-rant-about...

cc @leguinbot.bsky.social @ursulakleguin.com
We have been so desensitized by a hundred and fifty years of ceaselessly expanding technical prowess that we think nothing less complex and showy than a computer or a jet bomber deserves to be called "technology" at all. As if linen were the same thing as flax — as if paper, ink, wheels, knives, clocks, chairs, aspirin pills, were natural objects, born with us like our teeth and fingers — as if steel saucepans with copper bottoms and fleece vests spun from recycled glass grew on trees, and we just picked them when they were ripe... One way to illustrate that most technologies are, in fact, pretty "hi," is to ask yourself of any manmade object, Do I know how to make one?
August 13, 2025 at 5:18 AM
axbom.com
Post an iconic duo.
Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan in 1888, sitting outside. Helen is holding a doll, sitting in a low chair. Anne is sitting on the grass beside Helen, looking at her. Both are in long dresses.
August 11, 2025 at 5:36 AM
axbom.com
If you've all your digital stuff in English you may not know how often auto-translation forces people to do a double-take.

"State" in this context means what status the email is in (e.g. 'opened').

But "Delstat" in Swedish refers to a country state. Which makes this information appear very odd 😂
Part of a screenshot from a Gmail email log with an arrow pointing to the label "Delstat".
August 5, 2025 at 11:13 AM
axbom.com
Many more countries in favor of/ undecided with regards to #ChatControl than in 2024, even though the 2025 version is more far-reaching.

Take action: chatcontrol.eu
Map of Europe showing what countries are opposing/neutral, undecided or in favour of the proposal. NL, PL and AT are opposed/neutral. BE, LU, DE, CZ, FI, EE, RO and EL are undecided. The rest are in favour.
August 1, 2025 at 8:13 AM
axbom.com
I doodled…
Line illustration of different scenarios being supported or resisted. ”Support” is represented by a cupped hand. ”Resist” is represented by the raised palm of a hand. ”Harm” is represented by a bomb. ”Wellbeing” is represented by a heart. ”Bad” is represented by a frowning face and ”Good” is represented by a smiling face. The four scenarios are: Support + Harm = Bad Resist + Harm = Good Support + Wellbeing = Good Resist + Wellbeing = Bad
July 31, 2025 at 8:45 AM
axbom.com
3 web browsers to check out.

1) DuckDuckGo. Yes, not just a search engine.
2) Orion. By the same people who make Kagi.
3) Vivaldi. By one of the cofounders of Opera, and with a ton of nifty features (which may or may not interest you)

1) duckduckgo.com/browser
2) kagi.com/orion/
3) vivaldi.com
Icons for three web browsers: DuckDuckGo, Orion and Vivaldi.
July 30, 2025 at 1:10 PM
axbom.com
Den här borde jag delat i början av semestern, men får bli en påminnelse om att stänga av vidarekopplingen.

#tvklassiker
July 30, 2025 at 8:49 AM
axbom.com
Finished the first one and just started the second one. Wonderful summer reads.
Paperback book: Everyone in the group chat dies, by L.M. Chilton Quote: "Funny, twisty, bloodthirsty" – Julie Mae Cohen Quote: "I laughed out loud… Highly recommended" – Ashley Winstead Paperback book: An ethical guide to murder, by Jenny Morris. Subtitle: "If you had the power over life and death, what would you do?"
July 25, 2025 at 3:50 PM
axbom.com
I'm reading Catastrope Ethics by Travis Rieder. This passage drives home why we need to question how politicians talk so promisingly about negative-emissions tech that sucks CO2 from the air.
The other category of negative-emissions technology avoids at least the land-use problem and is popular among the more techno-optimistic, as it does something that sounds borderline magical: it sucks CO, directly from the air and returns it to the ground. There's only one problem, which is that it doesn't yet exist in a scalable form. What scientists have come up with so far are proof-of-concept models that show initial promise but that have very real drawbacks. Consider, for instance, Orca, which is the largest carbon-capture plant in the world, located in Iceland just outside Reykjavik. This facility is instructive for many reasons. First, despite being the largest plant in the world, it will only capture about 4,000 tons of CO2 annually. And while that may sound like a large number, remember the scale that we're talking about: the all-time anthropogenic CO2 budget is 3.67 trillion tons. On average, humanity emits more than 1,250 tons of CO2 per second. What that means is that our largest plant to date, running around the clock for a year, will capture about 3 seconds' worth of humanity's emissions."
July 18, 2025 at 8:12 AM
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Håller med. Magdalena Anderssons uttalande (när hon var finansminister) gjorde mig smått häpen.
Magdalena Andersson svarade i december 2016 på en skriftlig fråga om sänkt tilläggsavgift: ”Medel motsvarande intäkterna från trängselskatten, inklusive intäkter från tilläggsavgifter, går till angelägna infrastruktursatsningar. Om tilläggsavgiften skulle sänkas så innebär det att andra pengar måste skjutas till inom ramen för trängselskattesystemet. Det handlar då om ökad upplåning eller om höjningar av trängselskatten.”
July 16, 2025 at 7:49 AM
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As I was preparing my talk yesterday on map projections it occured to me that I should put forward the Waterman "Butterfly" projection as the preferred Bluesky world map.

If you are marking anything on a map, please use the Waterman.

#CampDigital #Mapping #Cartography
A map of the world in the shape of a butterfly. Read more about how the Waterman Butterfly projection is calculated on Wikipedia.
July 4, 2025 at 9:14 PM
axbom.com
I click on a link to a Medium article and am met with two modals telling me how distraction-free their reading experience is. 🤦

My wish is for more writers to leave Medium and write their own blogs, that are truly distraction-free.
Mobile screenshot from Medium website. One privacy banner at the top and one modal asking people to subscribe, covering the whole article. The text "Distraction-free reading" is circled.
June 25, 2025 at 8:16 AM