This is a writing prompt for Emacs Carnival for December 2025.
The basic ask is to write about “Emacs people you’ve known.” Preference is given to people who influenced you, who inspired you, who taught you, or who bent your mind. Bonus points if they are people you’ve known in “real life” (offline). Of course, stories, character sketches, tributes and poetry are encouraged.
I recently faced frustration while trying to get clarity on my insurance coverage. I discovered a solution that spares me from time on hold. It also holds promise for freeing people stuck answering calls to pursue more fulfilling work. I used AI in ways the company never envisioned.
Figure 1: “Pete Rose and Harp” by George Jones and ChatGPT is licensed under CC-BY 4.0
Some perspective from a person who spent decades providing financial advice, planning for retirement and was then diagnosed with brain cancer at 61….
Figure 1: “Grim Reaper With Question Mark” by George Jones/DALLI is licensed under CC BY 2.0
In ancient Rome, there was a temple to the god Janus (he of the month “JANUary” fame). There was a tradition that the gates of the temple of Janus were to be closed in times of peace, and open in times of war. They were usually open.
I asked the Brave web browswer’s AI-assisted “Leo” search engine and ChatGPT to put that in in cotext, both in the history of Rome and in the past 150 years of world history.
If ancient roman rules applied world-wide, when would the gates of janus be closed?
…
I got motivated yesterday to do some credit-report hygiene. I wrote a HOWTO describing process of freezing all 3 major reports, see (http://git.galthub.com:3000/gmj/home.public.howto/src/master/home/public/HOWTO/freezing-credit-reports.org)
I also added some commentary what motivates the credit unions (and it’s not your security and privacy) and the sad state of things 9 years after one of them lost 200 million records (likely including yours).
Today was the day I removed the TNI (Telephone Network Interface) from my house. The last vestiges of our land line. The last outpost of a once vast network.
Figure 1: “This Phone Is Property of Ohio Bell” by George Jones is licensed under CC BY 2.0
So, life. Death. Taxes. Insurance companies and AI.
This is one very real, present way AI is going to kill people. Not by HAL-9000 or Borg malevolence, but with a heavy dose of group-think by insurance companies.
I’m going to subvert the system and try to connect with humans I talk to in call centers as humans … at least until they are all replaced by AI.
Figure 1: “No good deed unpunished, from Brazil” courtesy of MENTAL FLOSS may be copyrighted.
We’ve got to do better than this … https://haveibeenpwned.com/
Not sure what the answer(s) is(are). Decentralization? Required 2FA? Returning to the offline world?
This is a story about the similarity between finding good information to identify vulnerable devices on the Internet and finding the info one needs to sign up for US health care.
Hint: in one of these domains it’s possible to find facts. In the other there is a shifting maze of marketing, laws, partisan media coverage, and bureaucracies who’s goal is to profit from making it impossible to find facts and make decisions on your own.