I'm not using any LLM or "AI" for anything that I write or draw. Never had, and never will.

I'm making this choice because:

• This technology was built by unethically stealing the hard work of millions without any consent or compensation.

• This technology has and is still constantly scraping data, including personal data, from people without their knowledge or consent, in complete disregard of the privacy laws we have to protect us.

• This technology unnecessarily uses vast amounts of energy in a world where using more energy sadly usually means more pollution.

• This technology is working on devaluating labor in order to enrich even more the already rich, aggravating poverty everywhere.

• This technology is misleadingly being sold as a solution to problems it cannot solve.

• This technology is supercharging disinformation and manipulation online, centralizing an incredible power of influence in the hands of a few controlling billionaires.

• This technology is increasingly being used by authoritarian governments in order to surveil and control the people.

• This technology atrophies our creativity and capability to think, as well as harming our social relationships.

• This technology makes my writing voice feel flat and boring. I'd rather learn to live with my human tipos.

• This technology...

#NoAI

What a great story.

Scammers accessed Age pensioner Ian Williams’ debit card details & withdrew $1,338, which is 5.5% of his annual income. He provided proof to his bank (NAB) but they did not accept responsibility or refund his money.

So he sued the bank - on his own, without legal representation - for 5.5% of their annual profit. That’s $379,005,000.

The bank did not respond to the case. He won.

On appeal to the Supreme Court the case was dismissed on technicalities & Mr Williams ordered to pay the bank’s legal costs.

Only after the story was widely publicised did the bank do what they should have done from the start: refund Mr Williams’ $1,338 & offer him an apology. They also waived their claim to costs.

Dragged kicking & screaming to basic ethical business practice. It’s a good look, NAB. We see you.

#bank #scam #megaprofit #NationalAustraliaBank

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-22/ian-williams-on-why-he-sued-nab-bank/106093720?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other

We knew this was coming, but now the clock is running. From Privacy International:

"Yesterday the Trump Administration announced a proposed change in policy for travellers to the U.S. It applies to the powers of data collection by the Customs and Border Police (CBP)."

"If the proposed changes are adopted after the 60-day consultation, then millions of travellers to the U.S. will be forced to use a U.S. government mobile phone app, submit their social media from the last five years and email addresses used in the last ten years, including of family members. They’re also proposing the collection of DNA."

PI linked to and summarized a Federal Register entry describing the proposed requirements:

-All visitors must submit ‘their social media from the last 5 years’

-ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) applications will include ‘high value data fields’, ‘when feasible’
‘telephone numbers used in the last five years’
-‘email addresses used in the last ten years’
-‘family number telephone numbers (sic) used in the last five years’
-biometrics – face, fingerprint, DNA, and iris
-business telephone numbers used in the last five years
-business email addresses used in the last ten years.

https://www.privacyinternational.org/news-analysis/5713/trump-administration-wants-your-dna-and-social-media

The Federal Register entry says comments are encouraged and
must be submitted (no later than February 9, 2026) to be assured of consideration.

Federal Register entry: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-12-10/pdf/2025-22461.pdf

My password manager is filling up with #passkeys that no longer work. They sit alongside passkeys that do work.

I dare not delete one in case it is the one that works.

I like the idea of passkeys, but the implementation of them is a bin fire. They appear to be flummoxed if the website moves the location of the login page, or has multiple domains covered by the same credentials.

80 years ago, the UN General Assembly started with a dream: to maintain peace and security in the world.

The good?
Eight decades without World War III.

Where do we stand today?
It’s complicated.

But in a world of 8 billion people, it’s the only room where everyone gets a seat.

80 years ago, we chose dialogue over force.
Today, we must choose it again.

Ten years ago, if someone had told me that tech policy bloggers would be calling for ICE to be abolished, I would have thought it very unlikely.

"Abolish ICE" is an increasingly mainstream and extremely correct position.

https://www.techdirt.com/2026/01/08/abolish-ice-before-they-kill-again-impeach-trump-noem-before-they-incite-more-murder/