Archive for X

Maynooth off X!

Posted in Maynooth with tags , , on January 28, 2026 by telescoper

Following on from my post earlier today, I was sent a copy of a letter (below) instructing those people who run its social media accounts to desist from posting on X/Twitter.:

It stops short of deactivating accounts, but that is probably just to prevent someone else taking over the username/handle and using it for nefarious purposes. It’s a pity they don’t recommend Mastodon as well as BlueSky, as I think that is better for disseminating research-based news than BlueSky, but this is positive news and I’ll count it as a win.

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Request to Iarnród Éireann to move from X

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , on January 28, 2026 by telescoper

I’ve posted a number of items recently (e.g. here) about why public institutions in Ireland (and anywhere else, for that matter) should not be using X. I noticed today a message on BlueSky containing the following clear and compelling letter from a number of commuter organizations to Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann), which can be found here but which I’m taking the liberty of sharing in full here to amplify.

–o–

We are writing as rail and commuter advocacy groups across Ireland, to request that Iarnród Éireann move its real-time service updates regarding cancellations and delays from the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to your own website and official channels.

Currently, passengers seeking up-to-date information about service disruptions must have an active X account to view these critical updates. This creates several significant problems:

Accessibility Concerns: Requiring passengers to maintain an account on a third-party social media platform to access essential public transport information creates an unnecessary barrier. Many passengers, particularly elderly travellers or those who choose not to use social media, are effectively excluded from receiving timely service updates.

Platform Concerns: Recent controversies surrounding X, including serious issues with child safety and content moderation failures involving Grok AI, make it an increasingly inappropriate platform for a state-owned public service to rely upon as its primary and in some cases, only communication channel. Iarnród Éireann should not require its customers to engage with a platform facing such significant ethical and safety concerns. Dublin City Council have this week stopped posting on the platform because of these concerns. 

Service Reliability: Relying on a third-party platform also creates vulnerability. Changes to X’s policies, accessibility, or availability are beyond Iarnród Éireann’s control and could impact passengers’ access to vital travel information. EU and Irish law limiting access to these platforms for under 16’s could be introduced in the coming years which would remove the ability for young people to receive up to date journey information.

I would respectfully suggest that Iarnród Éireann implement real-time service updates (including information on delays/cancellations/amendments) directly on irishrail.ie , along with TFI Live and the Irish Rail app, where they can be freely accessed by all passengers without requiring any third-party account. This information is essential public service data and should be universally accessible.

Recommendations for Improved Service Communication

Beyond relocating updates to your own platform, we would like to suggest several improvements to how disruption information is communicated to passengers:

Clear Alternative Transport Information: When disruptions occur, guidance on alternative transport options is often vague or incomplete. For example, announcements stating “Dublin Bus will accept tickets” leave passengers uncertain whether LUAS, Go-Ahead, or LocalLink services are also available. Clear, specific information about all accepted alternative services would significantly reduce passenger confusion and stress during disruptions. Additionally, when a delay does occur, stating ‘operational issues’ does not allow commuters to determine the length of disruption. Commuters could utilise alternate modes of transport in the event of disruption, but cannot make the decision on whether to do so or not without clear information from Iarnrod Éireann. Other international providers have recently switched to a more detailed information provision in the events of issues or delays. For example, Dutch Railways, instead of saying ‘operational reasons’ now say ‘a fallen wire, or broken down train’ that allow passengers to more accurately determine whether to find alternative transport or to wait. It may also be useful to include a scale, letting the customer know whether or not the incident is minor, notable, or major where possible. 

Visual Aids and Information Hierarchy: Reading lengthy blocks of text to understand service disruptions is inadequate, particularly for passengers trying to quickly assess their options whilst at stations or en route. Disruption information would benefit greatly from visual aids such as maps showing affected sections, clear headings, and structured information that allows passengers to quickly grasp the extent and nature of disruptions. A balance must be struck between providing sufficient detail and maintaining clarity.

Integration with Journey Planning Tools: Iarnród Éireann maintains a GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) data feed that enables real-time information to be pushed to the TFI Live app and third-party applications such as Google Maps or Transit. We strongly encourage Iarnród Éireann to utilise this capability fully, ensuring that disruption information reaches passengers through the multiple platforms they already use for journey planning.

Location-Specific Disruption Guides: For locations where service disruptions occur regularly, Iarnród Éireann should provide dedicated journey planning resources. For instance, a guide explaining “My train has broken down in Greystones, what services can I access from here and where can I find further disruption information?” would be invaluable. Such resources would empower passengers to make informed decisions quickly during stressful situations.

We would appreciate your consideration of this matter and look forward to your response.

South East on Track, Cork Commuter Coalition, Dublin Commuter Coalition, Galway Commuter Coalition.

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Accessibility Upgrade at Maynooth Railway Station

Posted in Maynooth with tags , , , , on January 20, 2026 by telescoper

In these turbulent times I think it’s a good idea to stay grounded and pay attention to the small things in life that can make a positive difference. On that note I thought I’d share a picture of the new accessible footbridge and lifts at Maynooth railway station:

The new bridge and lifts, seen from the Mullen Bridge, looking in the direction of Kilcock.

These works took over a year to complete and were finished before Christmas, but I only just got round to taking a picture. The previous footbridge was rather rickety and had quite steep steps which made it difficult to get across between the platforms. It was also uncovered; the new one provides shelter from the elements. Moreover, without any lifts any person in a wheelchair would have to leave the station, go all the way up to the Mullen Bridge on one side of the track, cross the bridge, go all the way back down and enter the station again on the other side of the tracks.

Usually the trains heading to Dublin leave from the platform on the right (Platform 1) and those from Dublin arrive on the left (Platform 2), but this isn’t always the case. In fact when I’m travelling back on the late train from a concert in Dublin it seems to be random whether it arrives at Platform 1 or 2. It doesn’t make much of a difference for me getting home, though. Platform 2 is marginally closer to my house but the station is only 5 minutes’ walk anyway.

The new bridge took such a long time to construct because foundations needed to be laid for the towers containing the lifts and the station itself widened to accommodate them. Lifts are quite expensive to maintain and one quite often sees on the electronic signs in the station warnings that lifts in various places are out of order. I hope it’s a long time before we see a sign that the lifts at Maynooth aren’t working!

Update: Friday 23rd January, just three days after this post, the lifts at Maynooth station were not working.

The new bridge was built next to the old one, on the side towards the viewer in the photo above, but when the new one was finished the old one was dismantled. I for one am not sorry it has gone. Anyway, the new bridge is a welcome improvement for Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) users. Unfortunately Irish Rail persists in making its only service announcementd via Xitter, for which I can see no justification. Thanks, Irish Rail, for the Accessibility Upgrade at Maynooth, but you need to get off X. Now!

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Barry Ward’s Letter about Grok/AI

Posted in Artificial Intelligence with tags , , , , on January 19, 2026 by telescoper

TD Barry Ward, who is also a barrister, has written a letter laying out very clearly why X/Grok could and should be prosecuted immediately under existing Irish law. I’m sharing it in full as it is the public interest. I’ll add my own opinion that the X premises should be raided as soon as possible before evidence can be destroyed.

The letter follows

–o–

To:
Detective Superintendent Pat Ryan
Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau

Dear Superintendent,

You will no doubt be aware of the social media company X and its Grok app, which utilises artificial intelligence to generate pictures and videos. I understand you are also aware that, among its capabilities is the generation, by artificial intelligence, of false images of real people either naked or in bikinis, etc. There has been a great deal of controversy recently about the use of this technology and its ability to target people without their knowledge or consent.

Whatever about the sharing of such images being contrary to the provisions of Coco’s Law (sections 2 and 3 of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020), the Grok app is also capable of generating child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or child pornography as defined by section 2(1) of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998 (as substituted by section 9(b) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017).

In the circumstances, it seems there are reasonable grounds that the corporate entity X, as owner of Grok, or indeed the corporate entity Grok itself, is acting in contravention of a number of provisions of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998 (as amended). Inter alia, it is my contention that the following offences are being committed by X, Grok, and/or its subsidiaries:

1.⁠ ⁠Possession of child pornography contrary to section 6(1) in that the material generated by the Grok app must be stored on servers owned and/or operated by X and with the company’s knowledge, in this jurisdiction or in the European Union [subsections 6(3) and (4) would not apply in this case];

2.⁠ ⁠Production of child pornography contrary to section 5(1)(a) as substituted by section 12 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017, in that material is being generated by the Grok app, which constitutes child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or child pornography as defined by section 2(1), since it constitutes a visual representation that shows person who is depicted as being a child “being engaged in real or simulated sexually explicit activity” (per paragraph (a)(i) of the definition of child pornography in section 2(1) as amended by section 9(b) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017);

3.⁠ ⁠Distribution of chiid pornography contrary to section 5(1)(b) as substituted by section 12 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017, in that the said images that constitute child pornography are being distributed, transmitted, disseminated or published to the users of the Grok app by X or its subsidiaries;

4.⁠ ⁠Distribution of chiid pornography contrary to section 5(1)(c) as substituted by section 12 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017, in that the Child pornography is being sold to the users of the Grok app by X or its subsidiaries, now that the app has been very publically put behind a pay wall;

5.⁠ ⁠Knowing possession any child pornography for the purpose of distributing, transmitting, disseminating, publishing, exporting, selling or showing same, contrary to section 5(1)(g) as substituted by section 12 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017.

You will also be aware that, pursuant to section 9(1) of the 1998 Act, a body corporate is equally liable to be proceeded against and punished as if it were an individual.

Given the foregoing, as well as the public outcry against public decency, it is clear to me that X is flagrantly disregarding the laws of this country put in place by the Oireachtas to protect its citizens.

I am formally lodging this criminal complaint in the anticipation that you will investigate it fully and transmit a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions without delay; I would be grateful to hear from you in this regard.

Yours sincerely,

Barry Ward TD
Senior Counsel

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Now you REALLY need to leave X (and so does your employer…)

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , on January 7, 2026 by telescoper

I have written many times (e.g. here) about the reasons I left the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. I quit Twitter in August 2023 and have no regrets for doing so. I have more followers and better engagement on Bluesky and Mastodon than I ever had on Twitter, and far less abuse. Unfortunately, my employer, along with most public institutions, still maintains an account there, a position I find ethically indefensible. Not to put to fine a point on it, I find it outrageous that Maynooth University persists in using Xitter. Touting for trade in a far-right propaganda channel is no way for a institution of higher education to behave. I’m very disappointed that I have only heard of a few organizations that have taken the principled decision to leave. You can read more about my views on this matter here.

My opinion on this has hardened considerably with the revelation that the AI bot known as Grok, which is integrated with X/Twitter, has developed a facility for creating nonconsensual and sexually explicit deepfake images, including pictures of children, for circulation on the platform. Grok/X not only condones this activity, which by the way is against the law, nor merely facilitates it, but actively encourages it.

If you don’t leave a social media platform when you find out that it endorses and encourages abusive exploitation of children then you are supporting that behaviour and helping to promote it. There is no grey area here in this. If you don’t draw the line here, when will you draw it? Staying on X is morally indefensible. It is the Epstein Island of social media.

Moreover, any institution or organisation that maintains a presence on X must be content to endorse the promotion of child abuse. I would like to hear an explanation from my employer why they think it’s appropriate for them to operate an official account on the Twitter/X that built a machine for generating images of child pornography. Perhaps readers could ask their employers the same question?

My preferred resolution of this matter would be to ban X entirely.

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Cold Turkey Twitter

Posted in Biographical with tags , , , , on October 8, 2023 by telescoper
Image: The New European

I’ve seen quite a few articles (such as this one on LinkedIn) by academics lamenting the terminal decline of the website formerly known as Twitter, so I thought I’d add my thoughts. I come to bury Twitter, not to praise it.

I joined Twitter in 2009 or thereabouts. Over the years, I accumulated around 7300 followers. Not an enormous number by any standards, but a reasonable one. I used the platform only partly for academic matters. I found it in turns amusing and annoying. I dealt with the latter aspect largely through liberal use of the block facility. I admit I found the recreational aspect mildly addictive.

In recent times, however, Twitter (or X as we’re now supposed to call it) has turned to shit. Since Elon Musk took over, users are basically silenced unless they pay for a blue tick, the social media equivalent of buying a megaphone for use in a library. The API that allowed me to post there from WordPress was axed, which was an additional pain. Add the constant stream of promoted tweets and other ads to the deluge of unmoderated bigotry, and the result is unbearable.

I deleted my Twitter account completely at the end of August and haven’t looked back. Since I’d spent a lot of time there, a number of friends expressed scepticism that I’d manage to do it cold turkey like that, but it was no problem, and I have no withdrawal symptoms.

I now much prefer Mastodon, where I’ve had an account for about a year. I have just over a thousand followers there, just one seventh of the number I had on Twitter, but much higher levels of engagement. More importantly, it’s far more civilized. I’ve only had to block one person. WordPress has also introduced an autopost to Mastodon, so every blog post I write appears there automatically.

I have also joined BlueSky. This site is still in development and, for the time being, is by invitation only, so is rather quiet. In recent weeks, however, I’ve noticed quite a large number of astronomers arriving there, so it is an interesting place to be. I have some spare invites, actually…

Just say no to Twitter. It’s not worth it.

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