I Canceled the Cancel.

 

Well, there it is. I'm no longer "verified". Not that being verified means anything when you've been falsely accused of violating the "Rules of X" and suspended for "inauthentic behaviors". Kinda weird how X thinks AI is smart enough to handle the business of sorting out who's real and who's not, but when the real person cancels their real monthly billing subscription? The AI cannot make that leap of logic - "Gee whiz, an actual human was behind that paying account! Maybe we should have an actual human review his account? Naawww".

Nope. The AI doesn't care. And I'm not going to pay $8 a month to the the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, when even after multiple appeals I can't get a single human to review my case. But, I think I've already mentioned this before - I'm not alone. If you go to THIS SUBREDDIT you'll find hundreds of people in the exact same boat. Same situation, same circumstances, same appeals, same automated rejection emails, and same anger and frustration. Actually, some have it worse! They've received emails informing them X has reviewed their case and found that they didn't violate the rules, only to then quickly learn that they're STILL SUSPENDED (and they can't get help with that). Or, there are those who patiently appealed umpteen times, and waited months and months, and then FINALLY got their account back, only to be suspended a day or two later. Why? For "inauthentic behavior". 

So, I'm not going to lie. It sucks. Not because I really had all that much engagement there. Oh don't get me wrong - I USED TO. Yeah, back in the "good 'ole days" of twitter, those of us to the right of center would gravitate to each other. Just like those of us from Generation X would gravitate to each other. There would be multiple thread conversations, lots of likes and retweets, and lots of really good discussions. And once someone followed you, everyone who followed them would suddenly want to follow you too. But then it all changed, Most of it is documented right here in this lonely little blog. It started with the "prove you're a human" captcha tests, then once you did - suddenly you have 4,200 alleged followers and NONE OF THEM see your posts any longer? Yeah - the platform never did away with the shadowban, they just stopped talking about it. 

So now I'm currently doing my thing on four different social media platforms. Well five if you count "Instagram", which I don't because it's really not my cup of tea but, I stay on there because my Daughter uses it, so I can keep up with her. Anyway - yeah so I'm gonna list the four here with handy links for you to follow me on each one if you also happen to be there too. Now fair warning - I post the identical news links to each, so picking a specific one over another doesn't get you different content. But, as I say, if you found this screed via one platform, and you're ALSO on one of the others? Win/win. 

So first up we have TRUTH SOCIAL. Now, I'm not gonna lie. (And no disrespect to President Trump), but this place is just not happening. Since resuming my posting there, I've only attracted the occasional lonely heart who wants to DM me with requests for "chats". Otherwise, ghost town. Maybe you can change that? Next up we have GAB. Now this one is a step up from Truth. Since resuming on there, I've picked up a couple new followers and I always see a steady stream of new posts. Granted, some of them are kinda whacky, but that's to be expected I guess. So far, so good. Next up we have GETTR. Now, this one surprised me the most. It seems to have a lot of features, I've quickly picked up a few followers, and I see a steady stream of news and information. It also seems to have folks from all over the political spectrum, which presents the occasional comment from the Left (President Trump is a.....). You know how they are. But, for the most part, all good. 

And finally, we have PARLER. (Open that link and search for @AuthorofAbsurd )And yes, I did save the best for last. Now, why do I say it's the best of the four (so far)? ENGAGEMENT. Yup, reactions are not instantaneous, but when I post articles there, I will eventually get some likes (thumbs up) and reposts and the occasional comment. And that's what it's really all about, isn't it? Social Media is meant to be, well, you know - SOCIAL. So, when you take the time to share something you find interesting or important or humorous - you want others to participate. You want to know that your time was appreciated, That you were seen and heard, And I seem to get the most of that from PARLER. So far. Who knows? If I've learned anything from the X debacle it's that everything online can change in an instant. What you thought was your second, online home can be snatched away from you before you have a chance to say - "Hey! We've followed each other for 11 years and always liked each others posts, but they're making me leave so, it was nice knowing ya online!"

Yeah, there are no dramatic movie, final farewells on the internet. Just - YOUR ACCOUNT HAS BEEN SUSPENDED. And you think you're online friends panic and worry about you. And the truth is - they quickly forget and move on. Such is life. Oh well, that's all I've got for you today. If you'd like to read more of my misadventures, scroll down. Otherwise, see ya in the funny papers! 

More Fun With AI

 

Hello Friends, Broken Record here (you must be THIS tall to know what that means). Yes, the fun never ends with Elon Musk and his Merry Band of AI Bots, who shamefully cannot seem to realize that an "inauthentic" human A) wouldn't care that it's X account was suspended, B) wouldn't take the time to write endless appeals, all the while knowing that it's likely in vain, and C) supposedly wouldn't be able to pass the "Count The Rocks" test which X believes "proves you're human".

Oh yes, if you've never had the pleasure of being falsely accused of being a BOT, boy oh boy (errrr....uh bot?) are you missing out. You get to count rocks! And yes, I'm being completely serious. According to the "Wizerds of Smartz" at X, if you are a super machine, all knowing AI mega giant computer brain, requiring entire power plants to operate, you are simply incapable of looking at a picture of a number on the left hand side of your screen, like a "7" for example, and then selecting the correct picture (among several presented) on the right hand side of your screen which depicts - seven rocks. And just to make it thoroughly and completely scientifically accurate, they require you to count rocks exactly three times over. Artificial Intelligence cannot count rocks apparently, but if you successfully count rocks three times? DING, DING, DING! Congratulations! You're HUMAN!

But your appeal gets rejected anyway. Because the Bots still think you're one of them. So, I decided to "fight fire with fire" as we humans like to say. I asked Grok, your friendly neighborhood AI who also happens to be on a first name basis with Elon Musk, to do the following - "Search the X account of @AuthorofAbsurd and determine if there are any rule violations". And guess what? No, you don't have to actually guess. Here's what Grok reported back:

"The @AuthorofAbsurd X/Twitter account exists and appears active (or recently recovered), focused on "Odd News and Cultural Observations" with a conservative-leaning slant.

Key Findings on Rule Violations:

"No evidence of ongoing or recent public rule violations from available posts or mentions. Searches for the account's content turn up references to typical commentary on news, politics, and culture (e.g., criticizing "the Left," noting cultural issues). Nothing stands out as clear spam, direct threats, incitement to violence, or prohibited hate speech in the visible snippets.

Past suspension for "inauthentic activity": The account owner reported (via associated Instagram) that their X account was hacked. The hacker attempted to change the email and triggered a suspension under X's rules against "inauthentic behavior" (e.g., suspicious activity that undermines platform integrity, often linked to bots, spam, or compromised accounts). This was not due to the owner's content but a security incident. The owner has referenced recovering or dealing with it.

X rules commonly leading to suspensions include:

Inauthentic behavior (spam, bots, manipulation, hacking).

Abusive/hateful conduct.

Misinformation (in some contexts).

Impersonation or platform manipulation.

Conclusion: The primary "violation" on record was a hacked/suspended incident (not content-based from the owner). No current indications of active violations based on public data. If you're the owner or reporting something specific, X has appeal processes for suspensions. For deeper checks, direct account review or X's reporting tools would be needed, as third-party searches have limitations."

Now, don't ya think Grok could mention this travesty to Elon? NOPE. Grok suggests beating my head against a wall. No, not really. But it might as well have. It suggests I be patient and courteous and continue appealing for UP TO A YEAR!?!?!  Folks, I'm gonna tell you the same thing I used to tell my 4,200+ followers on X, back when I had an X account - Patience is a Virtue.....it's just not one of mine.

So, I guess I'll continue to have More Fun With AI and maybe, just maybe, actually engage in some good old fashioned spamming, like sending them a link to this blog every 48 hours. (Nah, that probably wouldn't help). Oh well, that's all I got for ya today. If you'd like to know more about my misadventures, scroll down for more. Otherwise, see ya in the funny papers!

 

We Engineered Our Own Destruction

Can you read the above pic? That doesn't prove you're a human. Can you even see the above pic? If not, you might be a human, but that still doesn't prove it. In fact, how exactly can one prove one's "humanness" through the internet? A photo? A video? An audio recording? A properly worded email? NOPE. Welcome to the wonderful world of Artificial Intelligence, where nothing is real, including YOU.

We engineered our own destruction. AI was not a natural creation of God. AI didn't come to planet Earth via extraterrestrials. Humans created this Frankenstein Monster of digital destruction. And the wealthiest, most powerful people in the world want to put it in control of absolutely everything. 

With AI, a completely fake person can appear in photos, videos, and on Social Media as an actual "Influencer". And then you come along. A poor, helpless human. Just trying to share your thoughts and opinions with other poor, helpless humans. And suddenly, you're accused by the AI put in control of the Social Media Platform, of NOT being human. Your behavior is deemed "inauthentic". After all, "it takes one to know one", right? WRONG. The Artificial Intelligence cannot distinguish a fellow bot from itself any better than you can. In fact, you might be even better at determining who's a Bot and who's not than AI. If you've been on Social Media for more than a minute, I'm almost positive that you can.

I recently resumed using some of the alternatives to X (the site formerly called twitter) on the web. The minute I began posting on Truth Social after a years long absence, the BOTS appeared. "Hey Sweetheart" reads the instant PM. A quick check of the sender's profile reveals the source. A stock photo of some chick on a beach. A Bio that reads like the online equivalent of an old lonely hearts ad -  "I like long walks on the beach". And exactly ONE POST, uploaded six months ago. You've received the same. We all have. It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to know -  THAT'S A BOT. Yeah, you don't have to be a genius to know, but you probably need to be an actual human, because AI can't tell the difference at all. The Bots remain, and the humans are to blame. 

We created the Bots, the Fake Profiles, and the AI to supposedly determine the difference. And the AI simply can't. And when YOU find yourself in the crosshairs of the AI Bot Police, there's nothing you can do. It's exactly like that famous line from the original film The Terminator - "It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop... ever, until you are dead!".

So, the X Bots told me in an email that they reviewed my request for an appeal (of my suspension from X), and they (the bots) have determined that they (the bots) are right and I am wrong. They are infallible and I am.....allegedly also infallible?!?!? Apparently so, because they believe that I'm not human. I'm "inauthentic". Or so they claim. I honestly have no idea what in the pluck they are talking about. I've never tried to sell anything, buy anything, or encourage anyone to buy or sell anything on the platform. I've never posted the same post twice. I've never replied to anyone else's post with something off topic. I've never used any third party programs to do any posting on my behalf. I could go on and on. But I think you get it - I'm just a poor, helpless human, who cannot hope to be able to convince an AI Monster to admit that it is wrong. And the stupidest part? The email concludes with helpful instructions for me to log into my account and follow the on-screen instructions to resolve the violations and regain account functionality!

Of course, I logged in and tried. Guess what? There were no "on screen instructions". And, also of course, they've never provided me with any specifics as to what exactly I did or didn't do to cause this whole mess in the first place. So, there's really nothing for me to resolve. Naturally, I'm just a poor, helpless human, so I think this is all about me. But, I browsed the web, (as some of us humans are fond of doing), and I found THIS REDDIT POST which details what is currently happening on X. Turns out, I'm not alone. In fact, according to Google's AI, there might be MILLIONS of us in the same boat.  

Oh well. I'll keep pestering them for a couple more weeks. Then I will have to contact X and tell them to NOT bill me for my "Premium Account" which was supposed to Verify that I am human because I simply cannot justify paying for a service that I no longer have access to. I realize that might be a bit difficult for the AI to grasp, but it's just the human in me. We're kinda funny like that. Anyway, thanks for letting me vent. If you'd like to read more about my misadventures, scroll down. Otherwise, see ya in the funny papers!