Tootfinder

Just finished "A Deepness in the Sky" by Vernor Vinge. A fascinating and epic science fiction novel with fascinating ideas about technology and also future societies. As I'm delving into a lot of sci fi looking for social imagination it's a good find in some ways but disappointing in others. The Qeng Ho culture is interesting, but their society is uninspiring; Vinge's rosy view of "trade" is not one I completely share, and their hierarchies and wealth accumulation are less compatible with their freedoms in my imagination than in Vinge's. That said, his perspective on the possibilities of galactic-scale civilization and the idea of the "age of failed dreams" are fascinating, especially right now, and his detailed ideas about programming, AI, automaton, and "Focus" are extremely relevant right now. Ultimately I didn't love some parts of the dénouement, and there's a lot of "great man theory of history" going on, including (only somewhat ameliorated) a focus on men over women. Vinge's damsels in distress have a lot more agency than usual for the role, but with the exception of Victory Sr. and Jr., the damsels are very much in distress, and Victory Sr. gets overshadowed a lot by Underhill.
It definitely helps one expand their imagination of what long-term and large-scale human existence could look like, which is great and no easy feat, and both the technologies that are written in and those written out are extremely convincing. The only thing I didn't find compelling was the transposition of capitalism onto such space and time scales. It's a very standard feature of sci fi from the last few decades, and I'm sure most readers don't question it, but I've become someone who can no longer imagine "capitalism across the stars" without questioning how realistic it is that its self-destructive tendencies could possibly last even a few more centuries, let alone succeed at interstellar travel.
One last extremely fascinating thing: how closely the strengths and weaknesses of Focus track with the strengths and weaknesses of modern generative AI. That, and the way that the "age of failed dreams" idea can help people imagine beyond generative AI in a positive way.
#AmReading #ReadingNow #Bookstodon

Every week, Metacurity offers our readers a round-up of the best infosec-related long reads we couldn't get to during the ongoing crush of news.
This week's selection covers
--Hackers turned women's medical procedures into cyber terror,
--How new techniques defeat anti-jamming technology,
--An AI-powered worm is now a reality,
--A novel cryptographic technique can create more security verification,
--The US should focus on remaining more secure…

The future of cyber arrives, but old failures persist: Best infosec long reads 6/6/26
Hackers turned women's medical procedures into cyber terror, How new techniques defeat anti-jamming technology, An AI-powered worm is now a reality, A novel cryptographic technique can create more security verification, The US should focus on remaining more secure in its tech race with China

America's 250 th anniversary coincides with sweeping rollbacks of civil rights,
deteriorating relations with traditional allies
and growing domestic opposition to the administration’s handling of immigration and free speech.
Against this backdrop, many Americans say they feel increasingly cynical about the country’s future.
For Laurie King, a Georgetown University anthropology professor in Washington DC, anxiety defines the moment.
“I’m very anxious.
T…

‘The wheels are coming off’: readers reflect on the 250th anniversary of the American experiment
Against a backdrop of sweeping rollbacks of civil rights and deteriorating relations with allies, many are feeling cynical

Longtime NBA reporter Scott Agness says WNBA team The Indiana Fever revoked his credentials following his tweet about the injury status of star Caitlin Clark (Scott Agness/Fieldhouse Files with Scott Agness)
https://www.fieldhousefiles.com/p/an-update-for-subscribe…

An update for subscribers and Fever fans
After the Indiana Fever revoked my credentialed access, I want readers to understand what happened, why I stand by the reporting, and what it means for future coverage.

Democracy doesn’t begin on Election Day.
And it doesn’t end when the polls close.
It is built every day by ordinary people who choose to stay informed, participate in their communities,
and take responsibility for the future they want to help shape.
That’s why we’re launching
The Guardrails Challenge.
For the next 100 days, we’re inviting readers to complete one meaningful civic action each week.
None of these actions requires running for office, pu…

100 Days to Strengthen American Democracy
Saving Democracy, one action at a time