If ActivityPub support remains off by default for Threads, fewer than 1% of Threads users will activate it. They have more important and interesting things to do than to understand the fediverse.
Neil Gaiman: ‘Terry Pratchett isn’t jolly. He’s angry’ (2014). [theguardian.com]. Thanks,Cory!
Suicide Mission: What Boeing did to all the guys who remember how to build a plane
John “Swampy” Barnett, a 26-year quality manager at Boeing, tried unsuccessfully to stop management from destroying the company for the benefit of vulture investors. He died of apparent suicide recently, but his former colleagues don’t believe his death was self-inflicted. By Maureen Tkacik. [prospect.org]
Cory Doctorow notes that whether or not Boeing assassinated Barnett, company CEO Jim McNerny and its leadership killed hundreds of people on crashed 737s through willful incompetence. McNerney was proudly contemptuous of competence, publicy calling senior engineers “phenomenally talented assholes" and rewarding managers who forced them out of the company. [pluralistic.net]
How the Atlantic Went From Broke to Profitable in Three Years. Rather than chasing clicks and breaking news, the 167-year-old magazine, co-founded by Ralph Waldo Emerson, raised subscription prices and hired top talent; “we make something worth buying.” [wsj.com]
AI hallucinates imaginary software packages, which could be used to trick developers into installing malware. theregister.com
Cory praises “unreasonable and angry people who refuse to sideline principle in order to get along.” [pluralistic.net]
Women’s faces stolen for AI ads selling ED pills and praising Putin wapo.st
NYC AI Chatbot Touted by Adams Tells Businesses to Break the Law thecity.nyc
How Would You Turn This Dial To Make The Freezer Colder? kottke.org
“The most accurate thing you can base your self worth on is what a dog thinks of you.” — @ennuidoofen.bsky.social. bsky.app