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Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk’s X, which they view as increasingly leaning too far to the right given its owner’s support of President-elect Donald Trump, or wanting an alternative to Meta’s Threads and its algorithms. The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter, championed by its former CEO Jack Dorsey. Its decentralized approach to social networking was eventually intended to replace Twitter’s core mechanic. That’s unlikely now that the two companies have parted ways. But Bluesky’s growth trajectory — with a user base that has more than doubled since October — could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. But with growth comes growing pains. It’s not just human users who’ve been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites. The skyrocketing user base — now surpassing 25 million — is the biggest test yet for a relatively young platform that has branded itself as a social media alternative free of the problems plaguing its competitors. According to research firm Similarweb, Bluesky added 7.6 million monthly active app users on iOS and Android in November, an increase of 295.4% since October. It also saw 56.2 million desktop and mobile web visits, in the same period, up 189% from October. Besides the U.S. elections, Bluesky also got a boost when X was briefly banned in Brazil. “They got this spike in attention, they’ve crossed the threshold where it is now worth it for people to flood the platform with spam,” said Laura Edelson, an assistant professor of computer science at Northeastern University and a member of Issue One’s Council for Responsible Social Media. “But they don’t have the cash flow, they don’t have the established team that a larger platform would, so they have to do it all very, very quickly.” To manage growth for its tiny staff, Bluesky started as an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February. That period gave the site time to build out moderation tools and other distinctive features to attract new users, such as “starter packs” that provide lists of topically curated feeds. Meta recently announced that it is testing a similar feature. Compared to the bigger players like Meta’s platforms or X, Bluesky has a “quite different” value system, said Claire Wardle, a professor at Cornell University and an expert in misinformation. This includes giving users more control over their experience. “The first generation of social media platforms connected the world, but ended up consolidating power in the hands of a few corporations and their leaders,” Bluesky said on its blog in March. “Our online experience doesn’t have to depend on billionaires unilaterally making decisions over what we see. On an open social network like Bluesky, you can shape your experience for yourself.” Because of this mindset, Bluesky has achieved a scrappy underdog status that has attracted users who’ve grown tired of the big players. “People had this idea that it was going to be a different type of social network,” Wardle said. “But the truth is, when you get lots of people in a place and there are eyeballs, it means that it’s in other people’s interests to use bots to create, you know, information that aligns with their perspective.” Little data has emerged to help quantify the rise in impersonator accounts, artificial intelligence-fueled networks and other potentially harmful content on Bluesky. But in recent weeks, users have begun reporting large numbers of apparent AI bots following them, posting plagiarized articles or making seemingly automated divisive comments in replies. Lion Cassens, a Bluesky user and doctoral candidate in the Netherlands, found one such network by accident — a group of German-language accounts with similar bios and AI-generated profile pictures posting in replies to three German newspapers. “I noticed some weird replies under a news post by the German newspaper ‘Die Ziet,’” he said in an email to The Associated Press. “I have a lot of trust in the moderation mechanism on Bluesky, especially compared to Twitter since the layoffs and due to Musk’s more radical stance on freedom of speech. But AI bots are a big challenge, as they will only improve. I hope social media can keep up with that.” Cassens said the bots’ messages have been relatively innocuous so far, but he was concerned about how they could be repurposed in the future to mislead. There are also signs that foreign disinformation narratives have made their way to Bluesky. The disinformation research group Alethea pointed to one low-traction post sharing a false claim about ABC News that had circulated on Russian Telegram channels. Copycat accounts are another challenge. In late November, Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the Security, Trust and Safety Initiative at Cornell Tech, found that of the top 100 most followed named individuals on Bluesky, 44% had at least one duplicate account posing as them. Two weeks later, Mantzarlis said Bluesky had removed around two-thirds of the duplicate accounts he’d initially detected — a sign the site was aware of the issue and attempting to address it. Bluesky posted earlier this month that it had quadrupled its moderation team to keep up with its growing user base. The company also announced it had introduced a new system to detect impersonation and was working to improve its Community Guidelines to provide more detail on what’s allowed. Because of the way the site is built, users also have the option to subscribe to third-party “Labelers” that outsource content moderation by tagging accounts with warnings and context. The company didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment for this story. Even as its challenges aren’t yet at the scale other platforms face, Bluesky is at a “crossroads,” said Edward Perez, a board member at the nonpartisan nonprofit OSET Institute, who previously led Twitter’s civic integrity team. “Whether BlueSky likes it or not, it is being pulled into the real world,” Perez said, noting that it needs to quickly prioritize threats and work to mitigate them if it hopes to continue to grow. That said, disinformation and bots won’t be Bluesky’s only challenges in the months and years to come. As a text-based social network, its entire premise is falling out of favor with younger generations. A recent Pew Research Center poll found that only 17% of American teenagers used X, for instance, down from 23% in 2022. For teens and young adults, TikTok, Instagram and other visual-focused platforms are the places to be. Political polarization is also going against Bluesky ever reaching the size of TikTok, Instagram or even X. “Bluesky is not trying to be all things to all people,” Wardle said, adding that, likely, the days of a Facebook or Instagram emerging where they’re “trying to keep everybody happy” are over. Social platforms are increasingly splintered along political lines and when they aren’t — see Meta’s platforms — the companies behind them are actively working to de-emphasize political content and news. Related ArticlesNATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was established in 1949 with the goal of fostering cooperation and collective defense among its member countries. The organization has played a crucial role in maintaining peace and stability in Europe for over seven decades, serving as a bulwark against potential threats from adversaries such as Russia.
In conclusion, the "Spring Dawn Plan" represents a transformative initiative that is reshaping the industrial belt industry and empowering merchants to achieve unprecedented success. By embracing innovation, leveraging technology, and putting the customer first, the plan has demonstrated the immense potential for growth and prosperity in the new economy.Recently, there have been various rumors circulating on the internet regarding possible layoffs at the Hisense Group's Brand Department. It is important to address these rumors and clarify that the information being spread is entirely unfounded speculation. As a senior editor at Hisense Group's Brand Department, I would like to set the record straight on the current situation.
Title: Former Spanish Foreign Minister Discusses China-EU Relations: Cooperation and Challenges CoexistARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Cam Skattebo ran for 170 yards and two scores while adding a touchdown catch as 12th-ranked Big 12 newcomer Arizona State beat No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 in the conference championship game Saturday for a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff . The Sun Devils (11-2, No. 15 CFP), with their 34-year-old head coach Kenny Dillingham, will be the only Big 12 team in the expanded playoff field after being the preseason pick to finish at the bottom of their new 16-team league. They have a six-game winning streak. Skattebo was wearing a championship T-shirt after doing the Heisman Trophy pose multiple times in the game. “Nobody respects the fact that I’m the best running back in the country. And I’m going to stand on that,” he said. “I'm going to keep proving people wrong. And whatever NFL team takes me is going to get a gem.” That can wait until after Arizona State's guaranteed playoff spot as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions. The Sun Devils almost certainly will rank below Mountain West champion Boise State (12-1, No 10). That would give the Broncos a first-round bye and send the Sun Devils on the road for a first-round game, much to the dismay of Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark , who before the title game re-emphasized his feelings about that. “Last year, they left a team out because of a quarterback (then-undefeated Florida State). We're 11-1 with our starting quarterback, having beat four ranked teams and we won the Big 12 championship,” Dillingham said. “We made a standard that the quarterback is that valuable ... I definitely think we should host a game.” Iowa State (10-3, No. 16 CFP), which already had the first 10-win season in the program’s 133-year history, trailed 24-10 before turnovers in its own territory on its first three drives after halftime. Arizona State capitalized with freshman Sam Leavitt throwing touchdowns each time. “It doesn’t get that much more deflating than that,” Cyclones coach Matt Campbell said. “Their ability to take care of the football and our inability to do that in the third quarter was just paralyzing.” Xavier Guillory had TD catches of 8 and 21 yards in a 71-second span, and Skattebo turned a third-down swing pass into a 33-yard score for a 45-10 lead that he punctuated with one of his Heisman poses. Skattebo had a 28-yard run on the first offensive snap of the game. His TD runs were only 3 and 2 yards, but he had long, tackle-evading runs to open both of those drives. His 2,074 yards from scrimmage (1,568 rushing and 506 receiving) are a single-season school record. There was a 47-yard run when he spun away at the line from defenders, then shrugged off another. Then right before halftime, he had a 53-yard run, again after contact at the line before twisting and turning past chasing Cyclones. Rocco Becht threw a touchdown in his 17th consecutive game for the Cyclones, including a 3-yarder to Carson Hansen on their opening drive for their only lead at 7-3. Becht completed 21 of 35 pass for 214 yards and two TDs. Becht returned to the game after being sacked on a fourth-down play early in the fourth quarter when linebacker Shamari Simmons was ejected for targeting. Even without injured leading receiver Jordan Tyson , the Sun Devils had plenty of big plays. Leavitt's first pass was a 22-yarder to Melquan Stovall, who later had a 63-yard catch to convert a fourth-and-1. Arizona State had six plays of more than 20 yards — all in the first half, when the longest play by Iowa State was 19 yards. The Cyclones' got Becht's 25-yard TD late to Jaylin Noel, one of their two 1,000-yard receivers. Tyson, who had 624 yards receiving in five November games, injured his left arm in the second half of the regular-season finale against Arizona. Arizona State has its first outright conference title since winning the Pac-10 in 1996. It is an impressive Big 12 debut after going 3-9 in its final Pac-12 season. The eight-win improvement is a school record — the previous was five. Arizona State and Indiana (11-1) are the only FBS schools with eight-win improvements over last year. Iowa State got into November undefeated for the first time since 1938. The Cyclones then lost back-to-back games before winning three in a row to get into their second Big 12 title game. They lost to Oklahoma in the 2020 game. Arizona State finds out Sunday who and where it will start the playoff. Iowa State waits for its bowl destination, likely either the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio or the Pop Tarts Bowl in Orlando. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballLightchain AI Innovative Solutions Poised To Attract Significant Investor Interest
During a press conference held earlier today, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of working together with the opposition to ensure a successful transition of power. He emphasized the need for cooperation and collaboration in order to address the challenges and complexities that come with such a significant political change.ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Cam Skattebo and Arizona State are on quite a run in their Big 12 debut after being the preseason pick to finish at the bottom of the conference. Now the Sun Devils will represent their new 16-team league in the 12-team College Football Playoff after a 45-19 win over Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game Saturday. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.It’s a pleasure to be able to get a snack and a hot coffee at Erik Nielsen International Airport again, thanks to Air North’s Black Wolf Bistro. They even have an airside vending machine called “The Cache,” which provides travellers waiting to board a chance to grab something for the plane. This is a nice service for Air North to offer to the passengers of stingier national airlines who don’t give you snacks and cookies on board. The Cache offers Red Bull Peach Edition energy drinks, Fruit Compote Chia Puddings and Turkey Combo Deli Sandwiches. In the old days, this kind of service would have involved a coffee cart with an actual human pushing it around and taking cash. The Cache, of course, is fully automated and takes credit cards. Paying humans to push carts around airports is not economically attractive these days. There is a labour shortage in the Yukon, and one that will get worse as our population keeps aging. We are shifting our thinking from how to create jobs for unemployed humans to how to eliminate jobs so the scarce human workers can work on the most important things. And, in the grand spectrum of jobs, getting up at 4 a.m. to serve me a coffee in the Air North waiting room will not be high on the list. I was recently in Japan where you get a hint of what an older society looks like. There are 55.4 Japanese over 65 years of age for every 100 Japanese of traditional working age (20-64 years). In Canada, the equivalent is 31.7 but rising. In Tokyo’s equivalent of YXY, the airport lounges have robots to collect the used plates and cups. They are about four feet tall and wander the lounge like the robotic Roomba vacuum cleaner you may have. They emit soft classical music and have slowly pulsing coloured lights in muted colours, perhaps so as not to scare the humans too much. After failing to understand Tokyo’s address system, we accidentally found ourselves in a noodle bar for busy workers. It was tucked away on a side alley and full of delivery workers grabbing a quick and cheap lunch. At the door, there was a ticket machine. First, you selected salt ramen noodles or the white-soy sauce or salt-dipping versions. Then you added options, such as a boiled egg, roasted pork, fish ball, seaweed or seasoned bamboo shoots. Next was your choice of beer, whisky and soda, or soft drink. Then you paid and received your ticket. The humans in the kitchen quickly produced our lunch and, when we were done, we just left. No wasting a precious human’s time with paying the bill. Nor were we able to waste a human server’s time asking how salty the broth was, whether the noodles were produced on a sustainable wheat farm, or if the pork was Canadian or Japanese. (Of course, we couldn’t have done that anyway given my inability to do anything more than answer the telephone in Japanese – “moshi moshi!”). Tokyo is also famous for its conveyor belt sushi restaurants, where a continuous stream of sushi options roll by your table. You just grab them and pay by the plate later. Some Yukon friends who visited Japan a few months ago were startled to find that their table even had drink dispensers, and were even more startled to discover after a couple glasses of lemon soda that it contained Japanese vodka. Japanese vending machine technology is also a national phenomenon. In fact, although The Cache is an innovation by Yukon standards, visiting Japanese Northern Lights tourists undoubtedly find it primitive. In Japan, there are drink vending machines everywhere. You can get a range of cold drinks, from Pocari Sweat (Japan’s answer to Gatorade) to a variety of cold coffee and Asian tea energy drinks. I was surprised to discover they also have hot selections which change seasonally. From our AirBnB, there was no need to walk to a distant human-staffed café. We could just get a can of hot coffee across the street. There was a dizzying selection of teas, black coffees, milky and latte products, and sweetened options. A baffling array of vending machines also sell sushi, sandwiches and other foods such as triangular rice balls filled with seasoned pork or pickled plum. The machines are refreshed regularly. I felt more comfortable eating at a Japanese vending machine than at certain unnamed Alaska Highway lodges. If you visit the flagship store of Uniqlo in Tokyo’s central Ginza district, you’ll find lots of self checkouts. Somehow Uniqlo has managed to make it work. Unlike some Canadian chains, there was no struggling with barcodes, having the machine freeze until a non-existent human arrived to unlock it, or getting searched by a security guard just after having paid. That’s the service industry. But the Japanese government hopes to go even farther. They have been investing for years in research and development on robots to help older people. This includes lifting, managing stairs, getting things off high shelves as well as detecting falls and even helping with bathing and the toilet. With the rise of artificial intelligence and ChatGPT, researchers hope to develop companion robots. If Siri on your iPhone can tell you the Canucks scores, then why can’t a home robot talk to you about the weather? The hype about Japanese eldercare robots is currently outpacing the reality, according to James Wright, a researcher writing in MIT Technological Review. However, the next five years may see some breakthroughs. Of course, the Yukon is many years behind Japan in terms of aging. The Yukon government has been aggressively promoting the Temporary Foreign Worker program to bring in lower-skilled workers, usually young, to augment the Yukon labour force. But eventually, the Yukon may get a little Japanese. By the time it does, I hope the Japanese have put some research funding into robotic driveway shoveling robots.
Xiaohua Gives Xiang Zuo a Small Roll and Braids Live Broadcast Attracts 67 Million ViewersAfter another electrifying victory on the pitch, Chelsea players gathered to show their appreciation to the loyal supporters who have been there every step of the way. From the chants to the cheers, the fans' passion and energy have undoubtedly fueled the team's success.On stage, Liang Wen and Wang Jie stood side by side, their faces radiant with joy and pride as they received the coveted trophy and medals, a symbol of their hard-earned success and relentless pursuit of excellence. In their acceptance speech, they expressed their gratitude to their coaches, teammates, families, and fans for their unwavering support and encouragement throughout their journey, acknowledging that their triumph was a collective effort that transcended individual accolades.