I need to be very clear, that the push towards "vibe coding" - that is, deliberately deskilling people - is because AI code assistants are an (increasingly expensive) subscription service.

If you know how to code, you can just write Python, C, Java, R, PHP, whatever for free and make things. You may not own the tools of production, but at least you're not renting them.

If you have been deskilled so you only know how to vibe code, you will be paying for that privilege forever.

This also goes, by the way, for researchers who are starting to be convinced they don't need to learn how to be scientists anymore, because "the AI" can just do the science for them. Nope.

When fascists make lists, bad things are coming.

They want to make lists of autistic people. Of women likely to seek abortion. Of undocumented immigrants.

Discretion and privacy are more important than ever now. Don’t track things electronically if it can be avoided. Don’t broadcast resistance efforts. Use encrypted messaging and leave your cellphone at home.

It might save a life.