Nostr notes by The Casual Critic

Question for the Fedi hive-mind. @npub1fdr…lvhs inspired me to ...

2026-10-05T18:28:13Z

Question for the Fedi hive-mind. Cory Doctorow (npub1fdr…lvhs) inspired me to get back into subscribing to RSS feeds.

That was great. But now I have more coming in than I can read, and I don't think the Vivaldi Browser (npub19rt…adh9) native RSS Feed manager gives many options to customise or filter.

What #rss readers do people use? I'm looking for something that I can customise or that will learn so that it can give me a selection of items I'm more likely to be interested in.

Really enjoyed @npub1fdr…lvhs 's interview by Michael ...

2026-09-11T20:26:17Z

Really enjoyed Cory Doctorow (npub1fdr…lvhs) 's interview by Michael Walker on Novara Media. I'm well familiar with most of Doctorow's arguments, but it was very interesting to see them in dialogue with a more pro-AI position. Really worth listening to! #ai

https://novaramedia.com/2026/09/06/cory-doctorow-on-the-big-ai-lie/

RE: https://mamot.fr/@pluralistic/116931018969376565 This is one ...

2026-07-16T22:48:44Z

RE: https://mamot.fr/@pluralistic/116931018969376565

This is one of the best distillations of why neoclassical economics is a con. Obviously if you have the time, read your Marx etc. But if you don't, bookmark this as your go-to explainer for why the folks from the Adam Smith Institute or the Heritage Foundation are absolutely full of shit.

quoting
note1pjn…ch8s

Market theory goes like this: even the best of us can fall prey to selfishness and rationalization, so let's arrange society so that people acting on their most selfish impulses end up producing benefit for all of us. That'll be easier and more reliable than convincing everyone to be more generous.

-

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2026/07/16/lucky-orifices/#invisible-hands

1/

You may well be right. I think it depends. I was totally into ...

2026-06-18T11:49:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…m2eu
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You may well be right. I think it depends. I was totally into complex games as a 12yr old (made my own setup combining Settlers and Risk at some point), but fully admit not everyone is like that. It seems the recommended minimum age for Wingspan is 10+.

yes. This is really an excellent time for all kinds of board ...

2026-06-17T18:09:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…je2n
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yes. This is really an excellent time for all kinds of board games, but it can lead to choice paralysis!

Wingspan maybe in that case. It's about building the best ...

2026-06-17T17:06:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…l9ef
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Wingspan maybe in that case. It's about building the best bird reserve, so quite gentle, and almost no opportunities to screw one another over. Settlers of Catan is a classic, but more competitive. There's also The Good Life, which is sort of Monopoly by way of a farm, but it's less backstabby.

are you looking for something competitive, cooperative, or ...

2026-06-17T16:34:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…8a7w
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are you looking for something competitive, cooperative, or something in the middle?

I was reminded of this superb piece by @npub1fdr…lvhs when i ...

2026-06-15T10:57:19Z

I was reminded of this superb piece by Cory Doctorow (npub1fdr…lvhs) when i was doing the groceries this morning and a flustered shop attendant had to deal with three malfunctioning self-checkout machines, while three weary customers were exchanging glances. Including the mum with small child whose machine glitched after every item, and who clearly did not need that level of friction in her life right now.

https://pluralistic.net/2026/06/11/lapsarianism/

clearly I should read Hwang's book (it's on a very, very ...

2026-05-25T09:13:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…nz2u
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clearly I should read Hwang's book (it's on a very, very long list), but this does beg the question why companies keep paying for a product that's 99% ineffective. In the end, it's their money keeping this internal surveillance machine alive.

and that wealth sucked out of society explains why we "cannot ...

2026-05-22T07:11:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…xzkv
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and that wealth sucked out of society explains why we "cannot afford" the trappings of a good society.

I'm sorry, I'm going to gripe for a moment. We have all these boutique think tanks, we have all the books. The Left definitely produces more intellectual output. But it's all fragmented, and so none of it gets traction.

Who is working to get this out beyond the bubble of well meaning intellectuals? Why do all these orgs sit in siloes?

Sorry, rant over. Not directed at you ofc

Every now and then it reoccurs to me how wild it is that you ...

2026-05-18T08:01:15Z

Every now and then it reoccurs to me how wild it is that you can't access the average web page anymore without a thousand parasitical companies trying to mine your data, and we all act as if that's normal.

one might even call this "industrial strategy", but ...

2026-05-12T10:16:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…llj8
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one might even call this "industrial strategy", but despite several departments bearing that name having existed, we seem profoundly short of anything resembling such a thing.

oh absolutely. But personally I'd prefer more objective ...

2026-05-12T09:36:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…szs5
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oh absolutely. But personally I'd prefer more objective rationale for government policy.

I'm not principally opposed to nationalisation. I'm a socialist. But if we're going to countenance it as an option, I'd prefer if we had an honest conversation as a country about what type of economy we want. As someone else here pointed out, if steel, then why not water and energy?

the last part is the point, isn't it. We either decide that ...

2026-05-12T06:32:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…4msg
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the last part is the point, isn't it. We either decide that we're into free markets and import our steel because making it in the UK is simply too expensive, or the government makes it at a loss at home, and presumably pressures domestic users into buying it. But if there is a national interest of sorts, we ought to be willing to pay for it.

I haven't seen a convincing case for what that national interest is though, other than as you say a nostalgic investment in manufacturing.

The worst thing about these election results is that the ...

2026-05-08T11:10:48Z

The worst thing about these election results is that the "reasonable centrists" who pushed the Starmer Project onto the rest of us because of his "forensic, sensible, strategic" politics aren't going to suffer the consequences of their mistake. Beyond having to read/write some perfunctory jeremiads in the Guardian.

Meanwhile, the rest of us have to live in this world they've created. #ukpol

and some of this we'd get for free after the revolution, ...

2026-04-26T14:34:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…p8uv
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and some of this we'd get for free after the revolution, because in the new world, insulating a tower block wouldn't be done by an opaque web of subcontractors and standards bodies.

I sympathise with the ideal, but as someone working for the ...

2026-04-26T14:32:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…gnyy
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I sympathise with the ideal, but as someone working for the state, I can say it's not as easy as that. Making or administering policy well is a skill. I wouldn't trust a random person any more to design welfare policy than I'd trust myself to rewire a house.

Skills and knowledge can be gained, but I wonder if there's more mileage in reducing complexity so that oversight is easier, than aiming to replace professional public servants altogether.

#Labour going for ye olde misleading graph tactics in the ...

2026-04-23T19:26:14Z

#Labour going for ye olde misleading graph tactics in the Scottish elections.

Yes. Fine. You'd be the largest party if nothing had changed since the 2024 general election. Shame for you that time is a thing though.

#scotpol #ukpol

RE: https://mamot.fr/@pluralistic/116395778447572916 As Cory ...

2026-04-13T09:40:04Z

RE: https://mamot.fr/@pluralistic/116395778447572916

As Cory says, it's either socialism or barbarism. My entire political lifetime has been managed decline of public services, sacrificed on the altar of "the economy". And for what? A few hyper-rich techbros and nascent fascism for the rest of us.

The best antidote against the grievances of loneliness is collective action to build better communities.

Educate. Agitate. Organise.
nostr:note16wu6zxa856zyx2ddwr04773999a95qquvp7nened3qnr76r54dsqv2qlw8

My profile tells me it's just over a year since I joined ...

2026-03-28T22:01:33Z

My profile tells me it's just over a year since I joined Mastodon, so a bit late for an #introduction but I hear it is a good way to get started on here.

As per my bio, I'm an #ecosocialist from #scotland . I'm principally on here because I write #blogs where I #review things I read, watch or play.

Other than that, my key interests are #culture, #politics, #cats, #taichi, #SF, #books, #systems, #cybernetics, #taoism, #environment and #degrowth.

Recommendations for follows are appreciated.

it's yet more evidence that we don't have a proper press ...

2026-03-28T12:09:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…vher
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it's yet more evidence that we don't have a proper press in this country.

"Drilling more" is a fundamentally unserious proposition, and any politician making it should be scrutinised into small pieces over it. But somehow we're happy to let them get away with the notion that because it's "our" gas it's somehow a solution to an imminent global problem.

I haven't seen the research of course. I was simply thinking ...

2026-03-28T08:34:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…qwfx
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I haven't seen the research of course. I was simply thinking that if I now changed careers to plumbing or power system management, I'd be underqualified. Put me in a simple compliance role or stacking shelves, I'd be overqualified. So it's all about context, rather than the person.

I do wonder if "misqualified" is a more helpful lens. ...

2026-03-28T08:30:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…uwht
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I do wonder if "misqualified" is a more helpful lens. Underqualified implies a certain "you're too dumb for this job". Misqualified more indicates a mismatch between the skills we need and the skills we train.

I wonder if the collapse of adult learning is a factor here. As well as the Blairite drive to put lots of people through uni, without asking to what end.

Yeah, they seem rather nondescript as far as I can tell. Somewhat ...

2026-03-28T00:19:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…e02g
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Yeah, they seem rather nondescript as far as I can tell. Somewhat liberal centrist 'we care more about rules than people' vibes, but you get all sorts.

Still it was all a bit odd how this group that nobody had ever heard of came out with allegations the second the election was called, in the full knowledge that Reform would make hay out of them. All of which now remains uncorroborated.

do we know who Democracy Volunteers are? I'd not heard of ...

2026-03-27T18:04:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…ntkg
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do we know who Democracy Volunteers are? I'd not heard of them before this election.

I'm interested in energy here. I don't think we're ...

2026-03-03T07:02:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…tlxa
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I'm interested in energy here. I don't think we're 50% worse at moving electrons around. Is that a consequence of how productivity is calculated combined with recent volatility in energy prices?

RE: https://mamot.fr/@pluralistic/116125085939566418 This ...

2026-02-25T15:58:18Z

RE: https://mamot.fr/@pluralistic/116125085939566418

This excellent blog by Cory Doctorow (npub1fdr…lvhs) chimes with my observation that, at least in the UK, public provision always feels like it's purposefully unpleasant and ugly, to hammer home that government is bad, and so are you for relying for it.

It also convinced me to move "The Big Con" Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington to the top of my to read pile.
nostr:note1k4qcqrg6fcqzhtn6j5x8malj93u3gapwwfpe8kxr6s0r7e2q5mnsdjxmlf

maybe we can convince them to name it the Department for ...

2026-02-11T18:20:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…qr6y
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maybe we can convince them to name it the Department for Prosperity, as that a) avoids the inbuilt assumption that growth is good and b) emphasis the actual point of growth. It being a means to an end and all that.

the cruelty is of course the point. It's similar here in the ...

2026-02-06T16:50:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…2ty8
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the cruelty is of course the point.

It's similar here in the UK. "If only they came here legally", the Reformers cry about refugees arriving on small boats. As if A) this isn't actually legal and B) this doesn't only happen because all practical routes have been shut down by the government.

Presumably this is why the next upgrade to self driving cars will ...

2026-01-20T21:26:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…ua4r
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Presumably this is why the next upgrade to self driving cars will be self targeting guns...

@npub1fdr…lvhs 's blog on why social media barons hate ...

2026-01-20T19:24:10Z

Cory Doctorow (npub1fdr…lvhs) 's blog on why social media barons hate sociality reminded me of Stafford Beer's introduction to variety.

He starts with a simple system. Then introduces a cat. The cat, doing what cats do, makes the system massively more complex.

Beer uses this to explain that an effective system needs as much variety as its environment, or cleverly attune to it.

Or you change the environment and shoot the cat.

That's what techbros do when we don't conform to their data. They shoot the cat.

My in-laws ended up having to buy a new TV in part because all ...

2026-01-17T12:47:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…et4m
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My in-laws ended up having to buy a new TV in part because all the streaming apps on their older model were gradually withdrawn. Granted, they used a Firestick for a while, but that still meant buying extra equipment.

Our 2013 dumb TV with a wee separate box attached to it has no such problems.

It's planned obsolescence, but on demand.

Anyway, i appreciate the good faith conversation. I'm mindful ...

2026-01-12T13:30:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…p84h
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Anyway, i appreciate the good faith conversation. I'm mindful I occasionally appear in your timeline like this 😊

For example, reading is often positively contrasted with ...

2026-01-12T12:49:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…8vd4
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For example, reading is often positively contrasted with videogames. But I'd argue that games like Disco Elysium or Citizen Sleeper offer more potential for intellectual engagement than, say, the latest Dan Brown.

Not that I don't enjoy reading myself though. And I'm not ...

2026-01-12T08:57:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…490s
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Not that I don't enjoy reading myself though. And I'm not saying this is your view. I'm just skeptical about the FT.

Isn't there something insidiously conservative about these ...

2026-01-12T08:56:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…glrc
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Isn't there something insidiously conservative about these critiques though?

The FT is one of the institutions that helped create this world we now live in. Yet these same people can use "reading books" as a cultural stick to beat others with who either don't have the ability to read (because multiple zero hour jobs, kids, etc), or who enjoy other rich but new media (podcasts, games, etc).

I'm always wary of the implicit snobbery in these statements.

It's taken me some time to get my writing mojo back after the ...

2026-01-11T17:20:26Z

It's taken me some time to get my writing mojo back after the holidays, but I've finally managed the first #blog of the year. It's a #review of Cory Doctorow (npub1fdr…lvhs) 's excellent The Internet Con.

I know I'm a book behind and #Enshittification is on my list, but The Internet Con remains an excellent manifesto, primer and polemic for anyone who wants to understand why the internet feels broken, and what we can do about it.

https://write.as/the-casual-critic/the-internet-con-youve-been-assimilated-resistance-isnt-futile

ah, but what if you assume that global conflict is less likely ...

2026-01-09T09:26:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…6v44
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ah, but what if you assume that global conflict is less likely because of nuclear weapons? Then you get a set of stable spheres of influence where each nuclear state gets to do what it wants, but mutual deterrence prevents open conflict between nuclear states.

I mean, it's not a world I'd want to live in, but I can see how it works if you're in the White House, Forbidden Palace or the Kremlin.

also, this is obviously not a "risk" from the perspective ...

2026-01-09T08:32:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…7q3d
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also, this is obviously not a "risk" from the perspective of the US. It being a dominant power and all.

Not great if you're a middling country like, say, the UK.

I expect that's the calculation yes, because their strategy ...

2025-12-23T09:27:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…m3py
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I expect that's the calculation yes, because their strategy makes no sense otherwise.

well, this government has clearly decided that the "working ...

2025-12-23T09:13:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…t74s
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well, this government has clearly decided that the "working class" now consists solely of white van men and raging retirees who spend their days shouting at the Daily Mail comment section.

This Labour party has decided that the only voters they care about are the ones they can peel off Reform and what's left of the Tories, and they don't care about what they're losing on their left flank to the Greens. We'll find out in a few years if it was a viable strategy.

Completely agree with Fonant here. This logic breaks down when ...

2025-12-20T10:10:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…tp8y
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Completely agree with Fonant here. This logic breaks down when older generations A) hoard much of society's wealth and B) use this wealth to extract rent from younger generations.

The other limitation in this graph is that we don't just tax citizens. Historically, we taxed corporations far more. I do wonder if one unspoken problem in the West is the increased tax burden on people because we tax companies so much less than in eg the 70s.

it's one of the reasons why my money is sitting with credit ...

2025-12-19T13:56:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…6nyl
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it's one of the reasons why my money is sitting with credit unions and building societies instead. For what difference it makes.

I do remember though that a significant cohort of Leave voters ...

2025-12-08T17:51:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…06s9
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I do remember though that a significant cohort of Leave voters indicated they would do it even if it made the UK poorer. You might run this argument and Farage could still say it's all worth it because we can sink the small boats now.

I'm not saying The Bear is wrong, but if Brexit was decided on technical merit, it wouldn't have happened in the first place. We need to interrogate why so many people were so invested in getting one over on the establishment.

I'm still an absolute novice at #homeassistant and can only ...

2025-11-19T22:04:38Z

I'm still an absolute novice at #homeassistant and can only do easy automations. But with the days drawing in, being automatically greeted by my hallway lights as soon as I open the door is just very satisfying.

#winter #automation

"The fossil fuel industry is a magnet for people who love a ...

2025-09-23T21:25:09Z

"The fossil fuel industry is a magnet for people who love a chokepoint. These people are born tollboth operators and they never stop hunting for turnpikes. They are landlords for ancient corpses, charging the whole world rent to keep the lights on."

Latest from Cory Doctorow (npub1fdr…lvhs) You come for the insight, you stay for the brilliant writing.

https://pluralistic.net/2025/09/23/our-friend-the-electron/

realise this is far from the main point, but as I'm just now ...

2025-09-12T18:21:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…xf46
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realise this is far from the main point, but as I'm just now replaying Universal Paperclips, I really enjoyed the paperclip reference 🖇️🖇️

That article also made me think I should revisit the podcast on Weizenbaum's "Computer power and human reason" that I have bookmarked somewhere...