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Tiktok has a noise problem, and it's indicative of a larger issue ongoing within social media, that of "context collapse".  But even context collapse is expanding outside its original context and evidence of it can be seen in the rise of generative AI tools, music and media, and the rise of the "Everything App".   Starting with a baseline in information theory and anthropology, we'll outline some of the implications of noise and context collapse in this episode of the Implausipod.

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AI provides a refection of humanity back at us, through a screen, darkly.  But that glass can provide different visions, depending on the viewpoint of the observer.  Are the generative tools that we call AI a tool for advancement and emancipation, or will they be used to further a dystopic control society?   Several current news stories give us the opportunity to see the potential path before us leading down both these routes.  Join us for a personal reflection on AI's role as an assistive technology on this episode of the Implausipod.

References:
Bostrom, N. (2014). Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. Oxford University Press.

Deleuze, G. (1992). Postscript on the Societies of Control. October, 59, 3–7.

Eubanks, V. (2018). Automating Inequality. Macmillan.

McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. The New American Library.

Quan-Haase, A. (2015). Technology and Society: Social Networks, Power, and Inequality. Oxford University Press.

Russell, S. (2019). Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control. Viking.

Links:
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/08/microsoft-ai-suggests-food-bank-as-a-cannot-miss-tourist-spot-in-canada/

https://tomglobal.org/about

https://www.makersmakingchange.com/s/

 https://sfba.social/@brennansv/110911923848423204

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/23/health/ai-stroke-speech-neuroscience.html

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06443-4

https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/08/ai-powered-brain-implants-help-paralyzed-patients-communicate-faster-than-ever/

https://blog.jim-nielsen.com/2023/temporarily-abled/

https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-removes-embarrassing-offensive-ai-assisted-travel-articles-2023-8

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Welcome to the Implausipod.  This episode covers a number of short segments, starting with some thoughts on the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike actions and what that means for Media Consumption (and commentary), as well as a dive into feedback and mail that the channel has received over the last year, addressing questions from the most important part of this show: the listeners.

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What does the relationship between a 40 year old game console company, and ancient internet protocol, and American Online have to teach us about the current issues faced by new users to the Fediverse?  Let's find out on this episode of the Implausipod.

References:
Deleuze, G., & Guattari, F. (1987). _A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia_. University of Minnesota Press.

De Zengotita, T. (2006). _Mediated: How the media shapes your world and the way you live in it_. Bloomsbury 

Kissane, E. (n.d.). _Mastodon is easy and fun except when it isn’t—Erin Kissane’s small internet website_. Retrieved July 29, 2023, from [https://erinkissane.com/mastodon-is-easy-and-fun-except-when-it-isnt](https://erinkissane.com/mastodon-is-easy-and-fun-except-when-it-isnt)

Op’tLand, R. (2009). Another Endless November: AOL, WoW, and the Corporatization of a Niche Market. _Journal For Virtual Worlds Research_, _2_(3). [https://doi.org/10.4101/jvwr.v2i3.660](https://doi.org/10.4101/jvwr.v2i3.660)

Ritzer, G. (2000). _The McDonaldization of society_ (New Century). Pine Forge Press.

Swisher, K. (1998). _AOL.com: How Steve Case beat Bill Gates, nailed the netheads, and made millions in the war for the Web_. Random House.

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What are "recursive publics" and "social imaginaries", how have they impacted the development of the modern internet, and what impact do they have on the state of the internet in 2023 with the implosion of Twitter, Reddit, and the rise of the Fediverse?  Stay tuned as we take a 50000 foot view of the rise of the public sphere of geeks.

References:
Anderson, B. R. O. (1991 [2006]). Imagined communities: Reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism. Verso.

Habermas, J. (1989). The structural transformation of the public sphere: An inquiry into a category of bourgeois society (T. Burger, Trans.). MIT Press.

Kelty, C. (2005). Geeks, Social Imaginaries, and Recursive Publics. Cultural Anthropology,_20(2), 185–214. [https://doi.org/10.1525/can.2005.20.2.185](https://doi.org/10.1525/can.2005.20.2.185)

Taylor, C. (2004). Modern social imaginaries. Duke University Press.

Warner, M. (2002) "Publics and Counterpublics". Public Culture 14(1): 49-90.

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Getting started with a brief rundown of an old article that details the rise of the Audience Commodity: Smythe (1977) "Communications: Blindspot of Western Marxism"
we use that to explain the recent events of the internet of the last month or so, including the Twitter-pocalypse, the Reddit Meltdown, the rise of ChatGPT, and some general media theory too.

Other links and references:

Baran, P. A., & Sweezy, P. M. (1966). Monopoly Capital. Monthly Review Press.

Smythe, D. W. (1981). Dependency Road: Communications, Capitalism, Consciousness, and Canada (Revised ed. edition). Praeger.

Eastwood, J., Hongsdusit, G., & Keegan, J. (2023, June 23). How Your Attention Is Auctioned Off to Advertisers – The Markup. https://themarkup.org/privacy/2023/06/23/how-your-attention-is-auctioned-off-to-advertisers

Keegan, J., & Eastwood, J. (2023, June 8). From “Heavy Purchasers” of Pregnancy Tests to the Depression-Prone: We Found 650,000 Ways Advertisers Label You – The Markup. https://themarkup.org/privacy/2023/06/08/from-heavy-purchasers-of-pregnancy-tests-to-the-depression-prone-we-found-650000-ways-advertisers-label-you

Note: this episode was also loaded to our youtube channel

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The Implausipod returns to cyberpunk with an look at the first two episodes of The Peripheral, the adaptation of the 2014 William Gibson novel that aired on Amazon Prime on October 21st, 2022.  In this podcast episode, we take a look at the show about communication between two future dystopias, and provide some background behind the tech that appears on screen. Mild spoilers may exist for those who haven't seen the episodes, but hopefully this episode helps explain some of the more esoteric elements in the first two episodes as they aired.

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In episode 6 of the Implausipod we'll continue our exploration of Appendix W with one of the more direct inspirations for the Warhammer 40000 universe and the iconic space marines or Adeptus Astartes, with the appearance of the OG Mobile Infantry from Starship Troopers, with by Robert A. Heinlein in 1959!  

In it we discuss the origins of the military sci-fi subgenre, the origins of some iconic 40K weaponry, and discuss which came first: Heinlein's Mobile Infantry or Marvel's Iron Man?  Also, what are some of the differences between the book and the film?  Hope you enjoy!

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Living in our cyberpunk present, sometimes we need to break the ICE.  This ICEbreaker is a quick hit on a current event or story from the last week, and how it links with the cyberpunk literature of the past.  These episodes are outside of our main story arcs, more like a rapid-fire bonus episode. In this episode, we'll take a look at a "demon" in the internet, that keeps appearing in the various AI Art tools like Dall-E and Midjourney.  Let's have a look at the "loab"

Links:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2022/09/07/meet-loab-the-ai-art-generated-demon-currently-haunting-the-internet/

https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5vjw3/why-does-this-horrifying-woman-keep-appearing-in-ai-generated-images

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In episode 5 of the Implausipod we'll start our exploration of Appendix W, with a timely look at one of the inspirations for the space hulks within the Warhammer 40000 universe, and a surprise visit from a monster originally introduced in the pages of Rogue Trader: the enigmatic Enslavers! These both appeared in S01E08 of British sci-fi series Space:1999, and it ended up being an influence on other films like Alien (and Aliens) as well.  Join us on a trip 47 years into the past to explore the source of some iconic science fiction tropes. Enjoy!

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