Stress fractures
If we want to truly process things, we need to slow down a little to absorb information.
There’s a story below that looks at the ‘stress fractures’ our mental load is experiencing this year with All Too Many Things To Deal With. It’s a good piece, and the idea of a ‘mental DDoS’ really strikes me as a wonderful metaphor for life in 2020.
If we want to truly process things, we need to slow down a little to absorb information. Not just pour the words over ourselves and hope some of them soak in.
That’s another aim for this newsletter in the second half of 2020. To find things worth slowing down to absorb.
Notable News
MIT apologises and removes huge dataset that taught AI systems to use racist, misogynistic slurs
This is just awful. Data is not inherently unbiased! Researchers and engineers must do so much more to qualify data that is being put forward as source data to teach other AI and machine learning models. A great example of common negligence in AI research.
Facebook's Chief AI scientist quits Twitter after heated debate on AI bias
The above fits well with this story, as those who always seem to be misrepresented by AI call for an end to the excuses and real commitment to delivering more equitable AI engineering.
Google actively stymies media company data rules
A very interesting twist on the discussions over whether Google should pay for news it displays in search and Google News. Turns out it wants to force media companies to reveal reader data for it to use in online ad targeting.
Reddit bans some famously toxic communities in major expansion of its speech rules
“I have to admit that I’ve struggled with balancing my values as an American, and around free speech and free expression, with my values and the company’s values around common human decency,” said Reddit CEO Steve Huffman. Reddit’s new policy that starts with the words “Remember the human.” A good place to start.
A+ Analysis
Our ability to process information is reaching a critical limit
A good look at how humans are dealing with a mental DDoS attack. Problems of too much and not enough time to process. Skip to the bottom of this newsletter if you’re after something pleasant to distract your brain.
Spies, lies, and stonewalling: what it’s like to report on Facebook
A great article that looks at the ways beat reporters have been treated over the years, and how the company has directly lied to journalists about activities and then used oh so many weasel words to cover tracks later on.
If you’re needing a quick catch up on Facebook’s place in things like the Myanmar Rohingya genocide and other campaigns of political bullying online that turn to real world violence, this piece is great. It looks at the state of what’s happening in the Philippines and to Maria Ressa right now and how Facebook continues to do nothing to protect people like her from persecution nor to protect citizens from being lied to by their own leaders.
Ingenious Ideas
Gaming masks are the newest preorder craze
Definitely a thing, and they really make sense. But if anyone is skimping on the quality of masks and not adhering to appropriate standards they should be absolutely slammed for it.
Just Plain Cool
Something nice to make you smile at the end of a long H1 2020.
I cannot, I repeat I CANNOT, stop watching this video of 22 large teddy bears riding a roller coaster https://t.co/SxN7DZm1bE
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