Wanna read a maximally-anti-#GenAI screed? Here ya go: https://hermit-tech.com/blog/ai-mania-is-eviscerating-global-decisionmaking

I now only rarely work behind the doors of companies doing major tech deployments so won’t comment on how accurate-vs-overblown this piece is, but the writing is lucid.

I know this has been heavily linked to, but Evans’ “Ways to think about token pricing” - https://www.ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2026/7/9/ways-to-think-about-token-pricing - is really very good and everyone making a bet on #GenAI should bloody well read it with close attention.

I frequently find myself explaining, often to people I don’t know, why it is that my online home is on #Mastodon, why I’m putting time and effort into building and running an instance, and why those are the best choices.

So here’s my latest effort to pull all the arguments I use together in a coherent sequence: https://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/202x/2026/07/05/Choose-Mastodon

Before the #worldcup started, a lot of non-American footy fans were thinking it'd be good if the US team went far and showed well, raise soccer consciousness in North America, etc. Trump & Infantino killed that in about 30 seconds, all those people are Belgium fans as of now.

The #worldcup got less interesting today because now everybody's convinced that France is going to sweep through without breaking a sweat. “Everybody” includes me.

I asked them to pose and they did.

#bloomscrolling #photography

In which the non-technical world notices the concept of the “Open Web”, and Google’s abandonment of it: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/google-ai-oligarchy-and-the-end-of-the-open-web - Essential reading, I think.

Huh… discovered our everyday VPN “Private Internet Access” has sketchy ownership with heavy Unit 8200 links and other red flags. Looked at some others… ick. What’s a good general-purpose VPN that doesn’t have weird ownership or a history of data leaks and is technically competent? Our instinct is to avoid free products.

#VPN

Hey, looking for a Windows consultant in Vancouver, got a friend, a successful psychologist, whose install and hosting are all messed up and needs the kind of help I can't give. Will pay, obviously but it's a small job. DMs open.

#FediHire

OK, I’m impressed: https://jeantimex.github.io/threejs-water/

#uspol #worldcup

I have tickets for a #worldcup game tomorrow (NZ-Egypt) and in the “tickets” app there’s this little card illustrating the things you’re not allowed to take in. On my phone it is absolutely indecipherable. On a big screen still pretty ridiculous.