Post · Indieweb Studio

👀 … https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2026/apr/15/eternal-november-generative-ai-llm/ …my colleague Denver Gingerich writes: newcomers' extensive reliance on LLM-backed generative AI is comparable to the Eternal September onslaught to USENET in 1993. I was on USENET extensively then; I confirm the disruption was indeed similar. I urge you to read his essay, think about it, & join Denver, me, & others at the following datetimes…
$ date -d '2026-04-21 15:00 UTC'
$ date -d '2026-04-28 23:00 UTC'
…in https://bbb-new.sfconservancy.org/rooms/welcome-llm-gen-ai-users-to-foss/join
#AI #LLM #OpenSource

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Software Freedom Conservancy

Eternal November - the new influx of users, and why it's way better than the last one

Many people may recall Eternal September (in 1993) — when Usenet membership increased overwhelmingly — marking the annual September rush of student joins. The ensuing moderation challenges changed the culture of Usenet (the largest Internet discussion fora back then). Many early Usenet adopters left; they reconnected with their communities elsewhere. While this onslaught of “newbies” knew little of Usenet's traditional cultural norms, they nonetheless benefitted greatly from these novel connections to discuss and learn together with people worldwide. The times were turbulent then, but eventually new cultural norms emerged.

#llm #opensource #ai

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Bradley M. Kühn

@bkuhn@fedi.copyleft.org · 3 weeks ago

(1/5) [ Meta-info to start the thread. Here and the posts that follow reply to lots of people's comments (from various threads) together here. Can we consolidate this conversation into this single thread to discuss https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2026/apr/15/eternal-november-generative-ai-llm/ ? ]

Cc: @wwahammy @silverwizard @mjw @cwebber @josh @jamey @mason @spencer @rootwyrm @drwho @mmu_man @mathieui @beeoproblem

#LLM #AI #OpenSource #FOSS #SoftwareFreedom

Software Freedom Conservancy

Eternal November - the new influx of users, and why it's way better than the last one

Bradley M. Kühn

@bkuhn@fedi.copyleft.org · 3 weeks ago

(2/5) … In https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2026/apr/15/eternal-november-generative-ai-llm/ ,
Denver's key points are: we *have* to (a) be open to *listening* to people who want to contribute #FOSS with #LLM-backed generative #AI systems, & (b) work collaboratively on a *plan* of how we can solve the current crisis.

Nothing ever got done politically that was good when both sides become more entrenched, refuse to even concede the other side has some valid points, & each say the other is the Enemy. …

Cc: @wwahammy @silverwizard @cwebber

#OpenSource

Software Freedom Conservancy

Eternal November - the new influx of users, and why it's way better than the last one

@js@ap.nil.im · 3 weeks ago

@bkuhn@fedi.copyleft.org @wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems @silverwizard@convenient.email @cwebber@social.coop Way to ignore the entire copyright point…

Unfortunately, this is what always has been done by LLM proponents: Whenever the copyright question comes up, it just gets ignored.

I guess that is the same way the AI techbros operate: "Let's just ignore the copyright for now, get AI-tainted code into everything and then hopefully AI code tainted so much that judges don't want to open that can of worms!". Until they finally do because some big companies with enough lawyer money start to fight it all the way.

With the current rate of AI tainting everything, maybe it's time to look for hobbies and jobs that don't involve computers…

Denver Gingerich

@ossguy@fedi.copyleft.org · 3 weeks ago

@js The intent of the post was not to enumerate the issues with LLMs, which I think most of us here know well. Rather, we want to think about how to engage with people about their newfound ability to make software, and how to use that to benefit others. If that means we need to make models trained only on copylefted software, so be it. But let's have that as a separate discussion.