X Suspends Elon

By USA correspondent Illya Nickovitch Kuryakin reporting from Thief River, TX, USA

Suspended by Arbitrary Algorithm

Wondering why the little guy hasn’t had much of a presence on X?

Out of the blue, Elon got suspended on X as the algorithm doodled the picture.

Elon received a suprising email message like the one below:

Just some sort of glitch. Right?

Elon, after all, always interacts authentically on social media.

Alas, when next online, following the Starship launch he was greeted by the banner of purgatory.

Elon learned that while you can appeal, it won’t matter because the algorithm has already won and it won’t let a human tell it that it made an error.

There is no process for resolving the alleged, unspecified violations.

I’m sorry Elon. I can’t let you do that.

Sometimes the appeals process gas-lights, but the account is never restored to full access.

Purgatory Keeps Sending Bills

Those who have a premium account with X suspended, are reminded to block payments.

X’a automation has no morals.

Grok, X’s AI helper, when confronted with the reality of several, reasonable appeals being unsuccessful, suggests participating on other social media platforms.

When TheConsternation’s investigators dug deeper it found very many accounts have been suspended; many of which were never restored despite appeals. Grok revealed that there were few human reviewers and despondent users commenting in other forums noted that appeal responses were evidently automated; responding to detailed appeals in under a minute.

Further research on X has been curtailed by X insisting on the provision of biometrics for TheConsternation’s account.

Australia Seeks Chief Engineer

By Canberra, Australia correspondent Erica Quarterbee

A draft advertisement for the position of Chief Engineer is circulating through the corridors of power in Canberra.

Bureau of the Chief Engineer AustraliaThe Chief Engineer is to run an independent Bureau to advise on policies relating to technologies and to audit spending on infrastructure and deployment of technologies within all of government. The Bureau of the Chief Engineer will operate as an independent, professional, “corporate consultancy and inspectorate” to the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Australia has lacked a Science Minister since the installation of the current government. It’s understood that the Prime Minister’s Office wants to install a permanent mechanism by employing independent professionals who are able to interpret the science and technology for relevance and effectiveness.

Continue reading →

PM Abbott Announces Team Aussie-COP21 for Paris

By Australian correspondents Erica Quarterbee and Jennie Drimmof.

Greg Hunt

Greg Hunt

Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott MP BEc LLB MA has instructed the Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt MP BA LLB MA to form the best possible team to represent Australia at the IPCC Olympics later this year, culminating in the COP21 Games in Paris.

A total budget allocation of $412,786.24 means that the Minister has had to cut some corners in terms of team numbers, travel and accommodation arrangements. The budget has to stretch to 2 sets of games, the 4-day UN-FCCC ADP preliminaries in Bonn, Germany in mid-October and then the 14-day finals in Paris, France starting at the end of November. Continue reading →

Potsdam Climate Institute Installs World’s Most-Sophisticated Heating System

By Potsdam, Germany correspondent André Visuel-Credable

Just zis guy, you know. The esteemed head of the much-lauded PIK – Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Professor Hans Joachim (“Call me John”) Schellnhuber is very pleased with the mid-summer installation of the Institute’s new heating system. “Warm Hans” Schellnhuber is perhaps best known for his inspirational contribution as advisor to Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences; as vocal, trusted advisor to Germany’s Chancelloress, Angela Merkel and as a long-term, full member of the Club of Rome (aka The Latter Day Church of Thomas Malthus) Continue reading →

Flash: No Federal Budget Allocation for The Consternation

By Canberra, Australia correspondent Erica Quarterbee

Education Minister Christopher Pyne has flagged that the Abbott government will not provide funding for The Consternation in the budget.

“We are deeply disappointed at the total lack of federal budget allocation for this invaluable project” said the publishers and editors in a joint statement on Friday. “We cannot express the depth of our disappointment in the Minister’s decision, especially after the favourable publicity given to his other budgeted changes.  We will try to continue with funding from other sources but will have to divert more of our energies to fund-raising activities such as the Sustainability Regatta in August this year.”