Danny Ockilson - he/him @danny@justweb.dev

I love how so much of the AI debate is on things like:

* Will AI take people's jobs?
* Will AI destroy creativity?
* Will AI take over the world?
* Will AI be used to make people poorer?

And not:

* Will corporations that use AI get rid of people's jobs?
* Will corporations that use AI destroy creativity?
* Will corporations that use AI try to take over the world?
* Will corporations that use AI make people poorer?

Because these LLMs and machine learning systems and so forth aren't just wandering around randomly out there - they're owned by corporations. The corporations are the ones putting them to use. The executives that run those corporations are the ones making the decisions to pay people less, to increase their profits, to make creative people act as subeditors for LLMs.

It's the corporations, and the ethics-free systems that govern them, that cause these things. They're the ones pushing to have more AI.

The rest of us would be happy just having a bit more humanity in the world.

Public transport isn't supposed to make money. It's not even supposed to break even. It's supposed to lose money and to be financed and extended from general taxes because it gives back way more than mere money.

And all the politicians know this because they keep building and maintaining streets for free

Hi folks!

I'm looking for work in digital #accessibility, #UserResearch or DEI consultancy! Based in Sheffield, remote preferred but willing to discuss hybrid https://linkedin.com/in/kitation/

I’m looking for a role that’s people oriented so things like training, talks, workshops; anything where I get to chat to folks about making software more inclusive and accessible. I am also an experienced accessibility tester but don't want that to be the main focus.

In the short term, I am available for doing one off training sessions or talks on accessibility, inclusion and designing for LGBTQ+ folks (see https://kitation.co.uk/talks/ for the kinds of things I like to talk about, happy to create something custom for you)

Best way to contact me is via LinkedIn or DM. Boosts appreciated! #getFediHired

The funniest/saddest thing about tech bosses fighting unions so hard is that many of the very same things they complain non-stop about their employees would vanish with a healthy and strong union.

Worries about employees hopping from company to company? Offer them a pension and unions have perks and promotions based on seniority, people won't be leaving.

Struggling with DEI initiatives? Giving the Union rep a seat at the table means that you'll be rid of toxic managers and keep your most valuable diverse employees.

Struggling with recruiting talent? A clear union contract showing what the company will give in exchange for what expectations, you'll have a whole class of people who want stability over chasing the highest paycheck beating a path to your doorstep.

Activist shareholders bullying you about needing to do layoffs even when you know it's not going to actually benefit the company? Tell the investors "Sorry, but we can't do layoffs without risking Labor action." The Activist investors will go away and you'll get more investors who want to hold for the long haul.

Worried about hostile takeovers? Not with a union. Vulture capital will leave your business far alone - Unions are their kryptonite.

“People who criticize new technologies are sometimes called Luddites, but it’s helpful to clarify what the Luddites actually wanted. The main thing they were protesting was the fact that their wages were falling at the same time that factory owners’ profits were increasing, along with food prices. They were also protesting unsafe working conditions, the use of child labor, and the sale of shoddy goods that discredited the entire textile industry. The Luddites did not indiscriminately destroy machines; if a machine’s owner paid his workers well, they left it alone. The Luddites were not anti-technology; what they wanted was economic justice. They destroyed machinery as a way to get factory owners’ attention. The fact that the word #Luddite is now used as an insult, a way of calling someone irrational and ignorant, is a result of a smear campaign by the forces of capital.”

Ted Chiang in the New Yorker.

The world is not as I would prefer it.

I have to work within the world that is here, enough to sustain me and mine, and also work to change it.

I said, "YOU KNOW THE MAIN SIGNATORIES AND PROPONENTS OF THAT OPEN LETTER CALLING FOR A PAUSE IN 'A.I.' DEVELOPMENT DON'T ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT THE SOCIOETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF 'A.I.' AND JUST WANT TIME TO SURREPTITIOUSLY ADVANCE THEIR MODELS AND SHAPE ANY NEW REGULATIONS, RIGHT?"

Like… where's the calls for increased and nuanced governance? Where's the demand for an external oversight authority?

I'll tell you where it is: Nowhere, because these nerds don't believe in them.

In Germany, teaching the Holocaust is mandatory.

It includes visits to concentration camp, museums, etc. They don't shy away from their own ugly history. Yet the kids aren't damaged; they're strengthened, matured, humbled. The U.S. needs to do same with slavery.

Not that complicated.

#history #books #education #politics #democrats

Hello friends, I am currently available for work in digital/web #accessibility. Based in Sheffield UK but remote preferred, can negotiate.

I’m looking for a role that’s people oriented so things like training, talks, workshops; anything where I get to chat to folks about making software more inclusive and accessible. I want to work somewhere where the needs of disabled users come first and where I can use my lived experience as a disabled person to educate and inform.

I also have a lot of experience with accessibility testing and auditing, so I’m after somewhere that has a holistic approach to testing such as working alongside delivery teams, assisting with user research or using techniques like demos and barrier walkthroughs. I’m especially into helping teams once the testing has landed to prioritise and go about improvement beyond compliance.

If you would like more of a chat, email me (chad.gowler@proton.me) or check out my LinkedIn profile https://uk.linkedin.com/in/kitation #GetFediHired