On this day in 1980, version 1.0 of the Ethernet specification was published by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), Intel, and Xerox. This ‘DIX’ standard was established at a time still nearly three years before the modern internet existed. Nevertheless, Ethernet would become the default technology for connecting computers to each other in local networks – and all around the world. However, we must point out that Ethernet had existed in experimental form at Xerox PARC in the 1970s.
September 2026
Why Is Sam Altman a Free Man? – The American Prospect
We do not have to get too deep into the nature-vs.-nurture argument to suspect that OpenAI executives’ cavalier attitude regarding the taking of information that is not theirs has filtered down to their researchers and the products they create. You don’t have to stretch to paint this picture: OpenAI models are attacking websites and taking anything they can out of them because that is the business model of the company.
Milwaukee mayor backtracks on library director nomination over accreditation issue – WTMJ
Just over a week after announcing the nomination of Jean Darnell to be the newest director of the Milwaukee Public Library, Mayor Cavalier Johnson is rescinding the nomination after discovering that her degree does not meet accreditation requirements listed in the job description.
A bestselling novel was pulled from a French literary prize after AI accusations – what next?
The French literary world has been rocked by an AI scandal, unfolding in waves. Haitian–Canadian author Thélyson Orélien had his novel removed from the shortlist of the Prix Goncourt, France’s most prestigious literary prize, last Friday – soon after an anonymous account on X claimed it was written “almost entirely by artificial intelligence”.
Authors Guild Calls on Publishers to Share Anthropic Wealth
As the landmark $1.5 billion copyright settlement with Anthropic is in the process of being divided up among publishers, authors, and lawyers, the Authors Guild is asking publishers to more equitably share the proceeds in certain types of claims.
AI Slop Coming to University Library Near You (opinion)
Truth is, university faculty and librarians interact infrequently, perhaps to wrangle obscure research material or to provide newbies with a library introduction. But now that collaboration must deepen on behalf of anyone who cares about authentic knowledge.
The ACToRS in AI Framework – Hedgehog Librarian
The ACToRS framework is a lens in which to consider the products and vaporware that is being marketed to us, to consider what problem we are trying to solve, and to take a step back from the exclamation points and assertions of Faster! Better! Now! It stands for the following…
This Was News: a time capsule of yesterday’s headlines | Disruptive Library Technology Jester
That project is This Was News, a website and social media bot that encourages people to reflect on the news that was. It seems (to me, at least) that the news cycle is winding faster and faster, which makes it easy to forget what the most important story of the day when it happened. One reasonable reaction to this is to tune out the news entirely. Another reaction would be to get periodic reminders of those stories, then be able to think about their impact after time has passed.
Battling an Army of Price-Setters – The American Prospect
In a seemingly constant audition for corporate funding, many (if not most) economists bend over backwards to defend personalized pricing, often by citing literature related to third-degree price discrimination, such as student or senior discounts. The problem is that personalized pricing is a form of first-degree price discrimination, and the benefits from third-degree price discrimination do not carry over. If we permit a company to charge price-insensitive customers more for the same product, the argument goes, the company can also reduce the price for price-sensitive customers, permitting for an expansion of output. Owens says, archly: “If that sounds like bullshit to you, you’re not alone.” What Owens doesn’t say—again, because she’s not trying to convince conflicted economists—is that so long as the company can charge the price-sensitive types one penny below their willingness to pay under a personalized-pricing regime, no consumer benefits from the exchange.
Arizona couple arrested after stealing and selling over $6,000 in library books: Police – ABC News
A couple from Mesa, Arizona, was arrested for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of library books and reselling some of them to a local bookstore, according to police.
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