Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Roly Perera @dynamicaspects.org · 17h

Language-Based Dependency-Tracking for Explorables, presented at LIVE 2025. Joint work with Joe Bond, Cristina David, @mcnuttandrew.bsky.social and Alfonso Piscitelli. www.youtube.com/watch?v=gds8...

LIVE 2025 - Language-Based Dependency-Tracking for Explorables

YouTube video by The LIVE Workshop

www.youtube.com

2 2

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Matthew Varona @matthew.wiki · 1d

Unreasonably excited to present THEORY IS SHAPES at alt.vis this November! Read on to find out what the "BLT Sandwich Theory of Visualization Consumption" (and other shape-based shenanigans) can teach us about theorycrafting in research 🥪🧲🧊♾️

Matthew Kay @mjskay.com · 1d

to appear at #alt.vis 2025: THEORY IS SHAPES

sure "theory figures" are great, but @matthew.wiki, @maryamhed.bsky.social, me, and Carolina Nobre wonder: why always a 2D plane or a flowchart? why not icebergs, horseshoes, Möbius strips, or BLT sandwiches?
arxiv.org/abs/2510.01382

#ieeevis #hci

Abstract and teaser figure of the paper "Theory is Shapes" by Matthew Varona, Maryam Hedayati, Matthew Kay, and Carolina Nobre.

The teaser figure is an "iceberg" theory figure, showing four levels: the tip of the iceberg, containing a nested set diagram and a Cartesian plane. The next level down (just under the water) has a complicated flow charts and a combination flow chart and matrix. The next level down has the iceberg figure itself and a horseshoe. The final level contains a Möbius strip and a BLT sandwich.

The abstract reads:

"Theory figures" are a staple of theoretical visualization research. Common shapes such as Cartesian planes and flowcharts can be used not only to explain conceptual contributions, but to think through and refine the contribution itself. Yet, theory figures tend to be limited to a set of standard shapes, limiting the creative and expressive potential of visualization theory. In this work, we explore how the shapes used in theory figures afford different understandings and explanations of their underlying phenomena. We speculate on the value of visualizing theories using more expressive configurations, such as icebergs, horseshoes, Möbius strips, and BLT sandwiches. By reflecting on figure-making's generative role in the practice of theorizing, we conclude that theory is, in fact, shapes.

2 4

Andrew McNutt @mcnuttandrew.bsky.social · 6d

They massacred my boy

the FRIGHTENING marnix @dragom.bsky.social · 6d

WHY DID THEY GENTRIFY THE AUDACITY LOGO

1 1

Andrew McNutt @mcnuttandrew.bsky.social · 7d

Funny to see one of my favorite of this years alt vis papers summarized by (what appears to be) a slop machine

GetNews.me @getnews-me.bsky.social · 7d

A preprint proposes treating visualizations as infrastructure, noting NASA Mission Control dashboards as continuous, background tools. It was accepted to the alt.vis track of IEEE VIS 2025. Read more: https://getnews.me/visualization-research-shifts-focus-to-background-roles/ #visualization #ieeevis

Visualization Research Shifts Focus to Background Roles

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Justin Falcone @justinfalcone.com · Jan 31

A periodic table of "nothing" values in computers

7 27 110

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Tomas Petricek @tomasp.net · 10d

I'm at #uist2025 presenting our new work with @jonathoda.bsky.social!

𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗸 is a computational substrate for end-user programming that makes it easy to implement programming experiences like programming by demonstration, collaborative editing and more!

tomasp.net/academic/pap...

1 15 30

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Room40 // Lawrence English @room40.bsky.social · 10d

A beautiful text on Steve Roden and the nature of archive.

ON MIND: Steve Roden, An Archive, An Unreliable Narrator

The Kitchen is one of New York City’s oldest nonprofit spaces, showing innovative work by emerging and established artists across disciplines. Our programs range from dance, music, performance, and th...

thekitchen.org

13 38

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Kate Compton @galaxykate.bsky.social · 11d

2026 internships available in my team at The LEGO Group!

Internships in
Story,
Ideation,
Concept Model Design (ie, building with bricks),
Prototyping (3D printing etc),
Hardware (soldering and weird sensors!)
Physical (springs and spinny things)
Digital (code for doing stuff with bricks)

!!!* INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY *!!! Hey everyone… great news! please share with your network of budding young students. We have now opened applications for our internships in Story, Ideation, Concept…...

!!!* INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY *!!! Hey everyone… great news! please share with your network of budding young students. We have now opened applications for our internships in Story, Ideation, Concept ...

www.linkedin.com

1 47 47

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Maëlle Salmon @masalmon.eu · 17d

"How I, a non-developer, read the tutorial you, a developer, wrote for me, a beginner" by Annie Mueller 😅 😂 😭

anniemueller.com/posts/how-i-...

How I, a non-developer, read the tutorial you, a developer, wrote for me, a beginner - annie's blog

“Hello! I am a developer. Here is my relevant experience: I code in Hoobijag and sometimes jabbernocks and of course ABCDE++++ (but never ABCDE+/^+ are you kidding? ha!)  and I like working with ...

anniemueller.com

15 95 320

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Douglas Wilson @doougle.net · 17d

omg the talk/speaker lineup for Roguelike Celebration (@roguelike.club) 2025 looks sooo good:
www.roguelike.club/event2025.html

So obviously one of the most vital events in videogames right now, I really hope I can make the time to attend this year.

Roguelike Celebration - Event 2025

www.roguelike.club

8 44 120

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

matt brehmer @mattbrehmer.bsky.social · 18d

📣 We are excited to have Hilda Tellioğlu hildatellioglu.com from TU Wien as the keynote speaker of the MERCADO workshop at the #ieeevis @ieeevis.bsky.social Conference in Vienna! 📊 Nov 2 14:00

⏰ Abstracts (~ 500 words) for the discussion track are due Sept 30. See sites.google.com/view/mercado...

Hilda Tellioğlu

hildatellioglu.com

1 2

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Sam @sammiekate.bsky.social · 19d

A favorite quote from my research: “Traditional zines are composed of pages we can touch that are uncensored by the state, corporate capital, or social norms” (Scheper, 2023, p. 22).

2 2 7

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Josh Horowitz @joshuahhh.com · 20d

12 exciting live-programming projects will be presented at LIVE this year. It's free, online, and coming up soon!

Sat 9/27: Videos premiere
Sat 10/4: Q & A and discussion over Zoom

Details on projects are up already at liveprog.org; more schedule & links coming soon.

Hope to see ya there!

14 33

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Lauren Klein @laurenfklein.bsky.social · 25d

A few days ago, amidst everything else, I pressed send on the book I've been working on (and off) for over a decade. It's still a long way from finished, but the final phase has begun. Watch for DATA BY DESIGN: FROM THE HISTORY OF VISUALIZATION TO THE FUTURE WE NEED in print and online in Fall 2026!

A screenshot of the table of contents, reading:

Preface

Introduction: A History of Visualization and Power

Chapter 1
Data: The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade and Responsible Visualization Design
Before there are data, there are people. How can the lives behind the data guide our visualization work?

Chapter 2
Image: William Playfair and the Politics of the “Simple View”
Visualization has never been neutral or objective. How can we learn to recognize the human decisions that shape each design?

Chapter 3
People: Shanawdithit and our Place in the Colonial Frame
Maps, like all visualizations, tell stories. How can we learn to see the lines of power that they draw?

Chapter 4
Knowledge: Elizabeth Palmer Peabody and the Idea of Epistemology
Visualization can produce knowledge in many ways. What ideas do we gain when we expand our view of the past?

Chapter 5
Change: Lula Iola Mack, W.E.B. Du Bois, and the Path to Liberatory Data Visualization
Visualization can bear powerful witness to oppression. How can we use charts to make change in the world?

Chapter 6
Labor: Data by Design and What We Learn from Visualization Work
By Margy Adams and Tanvi Sharma, with Shiyao Li, Jay Varner, and Lauren Klein
Any visualization project is the work of many hands. How can we surface the significance of this labor?

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

Notes

7 16 97

Andrew McNutt @mcnuttandrew.bsky.social · 25d

Hmm yea youre right what a specific moment in time

Andrew McNutt @mcnuttandrew.bsky.social · 25d

Based on some context clues I suspect I am extremely wet in this photo

1 1

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Estelle Smith @estellesmithphd.bsky.social · Sep 7

Are you working on a #CHI2026 paper w/tricky anonymization? Per the official policy (chi2026.acm.org/chi-anonymiz...), "Note that the use of any references marked “anonymous” is grounds for desk rejection."

I would've had 3 papers desk rejected on these grounds. 😵 Watch out, folks. 👀 RT, please!

1 4 3

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Scotty Ray @theterminizer.bsky.social · Aug 30

replacing Batman fight onomatopoeiae with old midwestern brewery names

Batman punching Cesar Romero Joker with the word "Schlitz!" in pink at a jaunty angle

Batman punching the Penguin with the word "Pabst!" in light blue at a jaunty angle

Robin punching some henchman in a red and grey striped shirt with the word "Stroh!!!" in orange/red at a jaunty angle

Batman punching some henchman in a blue and grey striped shirt in front of a shelf of books about the Incas with the word "Blatz!" in bright green at a jaunty angle

4 1.7K 5.7K

Andrew McNutt @mcnuttandrew.bsky.social · Aug 28

Come participate in our (paid) interview study!!

HAVOC Lab @havoc-lab.bsky.social · Aug 28

Writing a README is easy. Writing a good one? Not so much. Join our study to try out an experimental linting tool and we’ll thank you with a $40 gift card.

Sign up here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

We are reaching out to invite you to take part in a user study aimed at improving the quality of README documentation. As part of this research study, we’re introducing LintMe, a prototype linting tool (a tool that automatically checks documentation for potential issues) that allows users to apply existing rules and create custom ones to enhance their markdown documentation.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usability and perceived usefulness of LintMe for documentation workflows. This study will take place remotely via Zoom in a short interview-plus-hands-on format. After an introduction and tutorial, you’ll briefly use LintMe to review a README (your own or a sample) and try creating or modifying at least one rule. You’ll then answer follow-up questions about your experience with the tool and your expectations for effective README files. With your consent, the session will be recorded for research purposes.
The session will be approximately 60 minutes. One participant will meet with one or two researchers on the call. If you prefer not to share your own README, we will provide a sample file. Participants should be familiar with GitHub or markdown documentation. You’ll gain hands-on experience with a customizable linting tool and discuss best practices in documentation.
Participants will receive a $40 gift card as compensation for their time after completion of the session. Participation is voluntary, and we’d love to hear your insights!
Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions, and fill out this interest form - we’ll follow up with more details: Google Form Link
Thank you,
Hima Mynampaty
Email: u1528521@umail.utah.edu
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Andrew McNutt
Email: andrew.mcnutt@utah.edu
Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute
University of Utah

3

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Voilà: Francis Gagnon @chezvoila.com · Aug 25

Sort of puzzling that this international conference moves to the US for the first time this year. Are we pretending nothing's happening?

infoplusconf.bsky.social @infoplusconf.bsky.social · Aug 22

📢 Early bird registration for Info+ 2025 is now open!

Check out the list of accepted talks and start planning your conference experience:
informationplusconference.com/2025/program...

2 1 9

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Alex Calderwood @xenoscope.bsky.social · Aug 19

A anti-correcting spellcheck? Work in progress

#vispo #autocorrect #spellcheck #texteditors

2 5

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Mark J. Nelson @mm-jj-nn.bsky.social · Aug 17

RIP David Cope

classy pooh meme template with successive captions:

* Generating art with an AI model

* Making art by hand

* Writing 30,000 lines of Lisp by hand to generate art

7 48

Andrew McNutt @mcnuttandrew.bsky.social · Aug 12

alt.vis reviewing has begun! This year we have our highest amount of submissions! By quite a bit! And lots of them are really cool!!

If you're curious, come on down to alt.vis and write a review! reviewing is self-selected & opt-in (chaos/open reviewing)

For the reviewing phase, we would appreciate two things:
1) Review early. We want to ensure that everyone gets at least two good reviews of their work.
2) Don't just review the most popular. Seek out something that needs a review rather than a hot topic (although, by all means, comment on that as well!).

To review, go to PCS, select "Reviews", select volunteer to review, select (society=VGTC, conference/journal=VIS2025), and select a number greater than 0 for alt.vis. Click the "Reviews" tab, you should now see a link "Select submissions to review for VIS 2025 alt.vis" under the heading "Open Reviewing", click that link. This will take you to a list of the available papers to review. Check all of the papers you wish to review.

This then is the timeline:
August 8th (today!): We have opened the reviewing portal. Reviews and discussion should be immediately visible.
August 28th: We will close reviewing at 5pm PST

Please also feel free to invite your co-authors to review. All are welcome to review.

1 3

Andrew McNutt @mcnuttandrew.bsky.social · Aug 12

i gleefully look forward to seeing reviewer reactions to alt.chi stuff being submitted to the main track

Reposted by Andrew McNutt

Santiago Mayer @santiagomayer.com · Aug 7

Sunk-cost fallacy and cheating students are the only things keeping AI in business at this point.

Just look at how usage of ChatGPT plummets as soon as the semester ends.

30 510 1.5K