NEWS

California Law Threatens Freelance Journalists

Published

5 years ago

October 21, 2019

california law threatens freelance journalists via martinibuster

A new California law targeting the “gig economy” goes into effect in January 2020. Many freelance journalists are worried that it may end their careers. The law was intended to help secure journalism jobs. But some freelance journalists fear they will be losing their livelihoods. This law may also impact content marketing since so much of it relies on freelance journalism.

Screenshot of a tweet by a freelance journalist

One person tweeted: “It doesn’t matter what profession it’s aimed at. The effects will be devastating for freelance writers in CA, and you should listen to them instead of ruining their livelihoods.”

Exemptions for Freelance Journalists?

According to the Hollywood Reporter and tweets on Twitter, many freelancers are having a meltdown over this law.

“…the exemption for freelance journalists …contains what some say is a potentially career-ending requirement for a writer to remain a freelancer: If a freelance journalist writes for a magazine, newspaper or other entity whose central mission is to disseminate the news, the law says, that journalist is capped at writing 35 “submissions” per year per “putative employer.” “

Miscommunication May Have Led to Freelance Cap of 35 Articles

A Twitter discussion between the laws author, Assembly Woman Lorena S. Gonzalez (@LorenaSGonzalez) and Randy Dotinga (@rdotinga), of the American Society of Journalists & Authors, who attended feedback meetings when the law was being crafted highlighted how both sides, freelancers and legislators, had not fully communicated.

California Assemblywoman Lorena S. Gonzalez tweeted:

“We agreed to make it 35 & broaden the language on submissions. I left a meeting w/ people agreeing. I know there were subsequent emails w/staff. You weren’t involved with that? Not to redirect all the very kind & effective comments about how stupid I am, just simply stating fact.”

To which Randy responded:

“I checked our notes: The bill had submission cap at 25. We met with you and discussed submission cap and bill language. 35 didn’t come up. I asked if you could do a cap of 52 if our coalition would stand down and support the bill. You said no…

…then 1 of your staff members emailed me about revised language with 35 cap, among other things. Reply: “We would, of course, prefer to see a higher cap, but we do appreciate that it has risen to 35.” I wanted to be friendly and figured the ship had sailed on the 35 cap”

Assembly woman Gonzalez answered:

“We discussed a 35 cap and then talked at length about broadening the definition of submission. We did both in the language.I was actually in that meeting with you.”

Randy contradicted her assertion:

“We don’t recall 35 coming up at our meeting, and it’s not in our notes… That being said, I could be wrong or we could have miscommunicated.”

Freelancers are Discussing on Twitter

According to Randy Dotinga (of the American Society of Journalists & Authors), he tweeted that there are exemptions.

“There is a business to business exemption in the law with several criteria that you must meet. But even if you meet the criteria, you may still be blacklisted if your client doesn’t want to deal with figuring all this out. It is on them to follow the law.”

According to Randy, the law only affects writers in California. He also tweeted that this law does not affect marketers. It only targets journalists.

“And marketers! I can write hundreds of press releases on a freelance basis and it’s no problem. But I must be put on staff or sacked if I write 36 freelance columns about the homeless…”

He also tweeted:

“We should go back to Borello. Journalists are protected by the First Amendment and the state constitution. Marketing writers have no limitation on their work as freelancers per #AB5, yet journalists who write do. Does that kind of targeting seem constitutional to you?”

This is what the law says:

“The bill would exempt specified occupations from the application of Dynamex, and would instead provide that these occupations are governed by Borello.

These exempt occupations would include, among others, licensed insurance agents, certain licensed health care professionals, registered securities broker-dealers or investment advisers, direct sales salespersons, real estate licensees, commercial fishermen, workers providing licensed barber or cosmetology services, and others performing work under a contract for professional services, with another business entity, or pursuant to a subcontract in the construction industry.“

Freelance writer Kassy Dillon tweeted:

“California is capping freelance writer articles at 35 a year. I could pass that in a month. It’s absolutely ridiculous that the government here wants to hurt people who choose to freelance and have a more flexible career.”

She also tweeted how this impacts her as a full time student:

Screenshot of a tweet about freelance journalism

The author of the California law tweeted that she was open to working to improve the law. She cautioned that any changes won’t be added before the law goes into effect.

“I will continue to work with freelancers, the industry & unions that represent writers to see if there are further changes that should be made, especially for digital quick jobs. But, this won’t get resolved just on twitter. And it can’t happen before January 7…”

Nevertheless, many are feeling anxiety about this new law. One freelance journalist tweeted:

“Every single freelancer writer I know in CA is more terrified of this than we were of Trump’s tax bill, which was awful for us. Every non CA freelance writer I know is incredibly grateful they don’t live here and aren’t subject to this…”

Impact of California Law on Freelance Journalism

There seems to be a lack of clarity at this point in time.

On the one hand, as seen in the tweet by Randy Dotinga cited above, there is the interpretation that certain business types are excluded.

Screenshot of a tweet by Randy Dotinga claiming there are exemptions to California freelance law

That would seem to be like outsourcing work to a temp staffing company. Can a journalistic enterprise outsource their journalists? As Randy observes, the seemingly multiple ambiguities in the laws may force companies to stop hiring freelancers.

Read the text of the law here:
AB 5, Gonzalez. Worker Status: Employees and Independent Contractors

Searchenginejournal.com

NEWS

OpenAI Introduces Fine-Tuning for GPT-4 and Enabling Customized AI Models

Published

1 month ago

August 21, 2024

Max

OpenAI Introduces Fine-Tuning for GPT-4 and Enabling Customized AI Models

OpenAI has today announced the release of fine-tuning capabilities for its flagship GPT-4 large language model, marking a significant milestone in the AI landscape. This new functionality empowers developers to create tailored versions of GPT-4 to suit specialized use cases, enhancing the model’s utility across various industries.

Fine-tuning has long been a desired feature for developers who require more control over AI behavior, and with this update, OpenAI delivers on that demand. The ability to fine-tune GPT-4 allows businesses and developers to refine the model’s responses to better align with specific requirements, whether for customer service, content generation, technical support, or other unique applications.

Why Fine-Tuning Matters

GPT-4 is a very flexible model that can handle many different tasks. However, some businesses and developers need more specialized AI that matches their specific language, style, and needs. Fine-tuning helps with this by letting them adjust GPT-4 using custom data. For example, companies can train a fine-tuned model to keep a consistent brand tone or focus on industry-specific language.

Fine-tuning also offers improvements in areas like response accuracy and context comprehension. For use cases where nuanced understanding or specialized knowledge is crucial, this can be a game-changer. Models can be taught to better grasp intricate details, improving their effectiveness in sectors such as legal analysis, medical advice, or technical writing.

Key Features of GPT-4 Fine-Tuning

The fine-tuning process leverages OpenAI’s established tools, but now it is optimized for GPT-4’s advanced architecture. Notable features include:

Enhanced Customization: Developers can precisely influence the model’s behavior and knowledge base.
Consistency in Output: Fine-tuned models can be made to maintain consistent formatting, tone, or responses, essential for professional applications.
Higher Efficiency: Compared to training models from scratch, fine-tuning GPT-4 allows organizations to deploy sophisticated AI with reduced time and computational cost.

Additionally, OpenAI has emphasized ease of use with this feature. The fine-tuning workflow is designed to be accessible even to teams with limited AI experience, reducing barriers to customization. For more advanced users, OpenAI provides granular control options to achieve highly specialized outputs.

Implications for the Future

The launch of fine-tuning capabilities for GPT-4 signals a broader shift toward more user-centric AI development. As businesses increasingly adopt AI, the demand for models that can cater to specific business needs, without compromising on performance, will continue to grow. OpenAI’s move positions GPT-4 as a flexible and adaptable tool that can be refined to deliver optimal value in any given scenario.

By offering fine-tuning, OpenAI not only enhances GPT-4’s appeal but also reinforces the model’s role as a leading AI solution across diverse sectors. From startups seeking to automate niche tasks to large enterprises looking to scale intelligent systems, GPT-4’s fine-tuning capability provides a powerful resource for driving innovation.

OpenAI announced that fine-tuning GPT-4o will cost $25 for every million tokens used during training. After the model is set up, it will cost $3.75 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens. To help developers get started, OpenAI is offering 1 million free training tokens per day for GPT-4o and 2 million free tokens per day for GPT-4o mini until September 23. This makes it easier for developers to try out the fine-tuning service.

As AI continues to evolve, OpenAI’s focus on customization and adaptability with GPT-4 represents a critical step in making advanced AI accessible, scalable, and more aligned with real-world applications. This new capability is expected to accelerate the adoption of AI across industries, creating a new wave of AI-driven solutions tailored to specific challenges and opportunities.

GOOGLE

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Published

3 months ago

June 30, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:

1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update

Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.

2. Changes to Google Search Interface

Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.

3. New Features and Tests

Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.

4. Search Rankings and Quality

Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.

5. Advice for Content Creators

Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.

6. New Search Features in Google Chrome

Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.

7. New Tests and Features in Google Search

Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.

8. Bing’s New Feature

Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.

9. Local Search Ranking Factors

Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.

10. Google Ads Updates

Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.

These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.

FACEBOOK

Facebook Faces Yet Another Outage: Platform Encounters Technical Issues Again

Published

6 months ago

March 20, 2024

Max

Uppdated: It seems that today’s issues with Facebook haven’t affected as many users as the last time. A smaller group of people appears to be impacted this time around, which is a relief compared to the larger incident before. Nevertheless, it’s still frustrating for those affected, and hopefully, the issues will be resolved soon by the Facebook team.

Facebook had another problem today (March 20, 2024). According to Downdetector, a website that shows when other websites are not working, many people had trouble using Facebook.

This isn’t the first time Facebook has had issues. Just a little while ago, there was another problem that stopped people from using the site. Today, when people tried to use Facebook, it didn’t work like it should. People couldn’t see their friends’ posts, and sometimes the website wouldn’t even load.

Downdetector, which watches out for problems on websites, showed that lots of people were having trouble with Facebook. People from all over the world said they couldn’t use the site, and they were not happy about it.

When websites like Facebook have problems, it affects a lot of people. It’s not just about not being able to see posts or chat with friends. It can also impact businesses that use Facebook to reach customers.

Since Facebook owns Messenger and Instagram, the problems with Facebook also meant that people had trouble using these apps. It made the situation even more frustrating for many users, who rely on these apps to stay connected with others.

During this recent problem, one thing is obvious: the internet is always changing, and even big websites like Facebook can have problems. While people wait for Facebook to fix the issue, it shows us how easily things online can go wrong. It’s a good reminder that we should have backup plans for staying connected online, just in case something like this happens again.