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Mark Williams

@mrfw17thc.bsky.social

4.3K followers 2.2K following 1.5K posts

Reader in Early Modern History at Cardiff University. Currently writing a cultural history of the English East India Company. He/Him. Immigrant. Academic. Father. All opinions my own.

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Mark Williams @mrfw17thc.bsky.social · May 7

New article!

'Seeing Women in the Early English and Dutch East India Companies' is now available as an Advance Article with Historical Research.

It's been years of work, but I'm proud of this one. I hope #earlymodern #skystorians enjoy it!

Some context below:

academic.oup.com/histres/adva...

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academic.oup.com

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Mark Williams @mrfw17thc.bsky.social · 12h

Just watched 'The Librarians' on iPlayer and honestly just staggering stuff.

Cannot recommend it enough.

Reposted by Mark Williams

NightMar on Hicks Street, Part 4: The Rabbit’s Revenge @histoftech.bsky.social · 15h

every big AI pitch is like “what if we took away your means of survival and devalued all your skills to make stonks go up temporarily? You’d like that wouldn’t you?”

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Mark Williams @mrfw17thc.bsky.social · 17h

Literally just up the road. What an embarrassment.

Mark Williams @mrfw17thc.bsky.social · 17h

God, imagine being driven by unevidenced fears of people you've made no effort to understand, making outlandish claims about who they are and what they do, then stoking those fears in others and making it all worse.

And then making a show about witches with Alice Roberts.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 18h

Witches of Essex: Rylan and Prof Alice’s look at one of history’s most shameful periods is unfailingly moving

This engaging if slight show sees the unlikely duo reopen witch trials from 400 years ago on the hunt for justice. It’s Blackadder crossed with CSI – with a sprinkling of Philomena Cunk

www.theguardian.com

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Ally Boo-art 👻 @allystewart.bsky.social · 21h

I ask my students not to use AI because it means they are not fully engaging with their own learning. If they do, it’s a betrayal of my trust.

I don’t want to use AI to grade student work because it means that I am not fully engaging with their learning. If I do, it’s a betrayal of their trust

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Mark Williams @mrfw17thc.bsky.social · 21h

From the redundancy trenches here, where we're also 'excited about our Kazakhstan campus', sending solidarity.

Reposted by Mark Williams

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 23h

'prime minister Keir Starmer...confirmed that the University of Lancaster and the University of Surrey had been given approval to open new campuses in India while on a trade mission to Mumbai, joining six more institutions already in the country.' (Lancaster is mooting 20% academic redundancy) 1/3

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 1d

Expansion of UK universities in India ‘like California gold rush’.

University leaders embrace transnational education but warn it will not be a “replacement income stream”.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Expansion of UK universities in India ‘like California gold rush’ - Research Professional News

University leaders embrace transnational education but warn it will not be a “replacement income stream”

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 2d

Polanski expertly dismantling the "rich people will move if we tax them" narrative, while Denham nimbly demonstrates how very patriotic such people are.

Eddie Burfi @eddieburfi.bsky.social · 2d

Former Head of Comms for the IEA, Annabel Denham, says the super rich will leave if we have a wealth tax.

Yes, the very same IEA that brought us Liz Truss’ disastrous mini budget. 🤦🏽‍♂️

Green Party leader Zack Polanski explains that their taxable assets can’t leave. #bbcqt

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 2d

There’s a reason academics universally rejected the initial push to canonize Charlie Kirk as a saint devoted to free speech.

We know all too well that’s the exact opposite of reality.

Matt Gabriele @profgabriele.com · 2d

I know this case is all over - & it should be - but Turning Point USA has waged a harassment campaign against faculty for more than a decade. I know of at least a half dozen other faculty, personally, who have received death threats and several of those who felt so unsafe they too left their homes

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 2d

Are we great yet?

Mark Bray, a Rutgers University professor and expert on anti-fascist groups, is fleeing to Spain with his family due to death threats that stem from a campaign by Turning Point USA and other conservative groups to get him fired, falsely labeling him as an antifa member.

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Mark Williams @mrfw17thc.bsky.social · 1d

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Mark Williams @mrfw17thc.bsky.social · 2d

Resonates here, too. Finding the wrong solution to the right problem.

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Mark Williams @mrfw17thc.bsky.social · 2d

It's getting to the point now that these policies are becoming wilfully, aggressively stupid.

Dutch News @dutchnewsnl.bsky.social · 2d

“Cutting foreign student numbers will hit Dutch economy hard” www.dutchnews.nl?p=258389

“Cutting foreign student numbers will hit Dutch economy hard”

www.dutchnews.nl

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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 2d

Nobel Peace Prize awarded to María Corina Machado on.ft.com/4nTWp5l

Nobel Peace Prize awarded to María Corina Machado

Win for Venezuela’s main opposition leader dashes the hopes of US President Donald Trump

on.ft.com

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Reform Party UK Exposed @reformexposed.bsky.social · 2d

Councillor to be investigated over 'evil' remark

Cambridgeshire councillor to be investigated over 'evil' remark - BBC News

Reform UK councillor Andy Osborn is heard describing some children in care as "downright evil".

www.bbc.com

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Mark Williams @mrfw17thc.bsky.social · 2d

'What's the matter sweetheart? Aren't you enjoying Halloween as a Second World War evacuee child?'

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The Green Party of England & Wales @greenparty.org.uk · 2d

“You can’t blame austerity on one hand, but then say it’s the immigrants. The immigrants haven’t caused austerity.”

Zack Polanski takes on Reform’s Zia Yusuf over spreading of misinformation on #BBCQT

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all hallows eve-run enjoyer @rickywlmsbong.bsky.social · 2d

NIXON: this, uh, “frog guy”…

EHRLICHMAN: yes

NIXON: it’s all the networks! gyrating like that - in front of kids! despicable, (inaudible) kissinger’s people

HALDEMAN: we’re looking into it, sir

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Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 3d

Who would have guessed

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...

Nigel Farage earns over £1m from 12 'second jobs' - check how much your MP earns

The Reform UK leader's most lucrative second jobs include hosting on GB News, serving as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion and recording videos for Cameo

www.mirror.co.uk

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Shaquille Sunflower🦇🎃 @mumzzzthewurd.blacksky.app · 2d

Fall weather is finally here 🍂🎃

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Ted McCormick @tedmccormick.bsky.social · 2d

A striking thing about articles I’ve read claiming to “study the effects” of generative AI on student writing skills and consumption of information is that (1) they nearly always find the effects are negative and (2) most “conclusions” are still written assuming that we must use AI, for some reason.

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Moby Dick @mobydickatsea.bsky.social · 2d

God keep me from ever completing anything.

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Mark Williams @mrfw17thc.bsky.social · 2d

Love this.

Reposted by Mark Williams

Michael Pearce @michaelpearce.bsky.social · 2d

A Chinese Shunzhi period dish (1644-1661) with inscription 'a leaf predicts the arrival of autumn, (but) the new spring will be full of fragrance and colour' (picture Feng-Chung Ma ceramics), and a contemporary Persian fritware copy

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Mark Williams @mrfw17thc.bsky.social · 2d

Excellent news - another great voice on the council!

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Mark Williams @mrfw17thc.bsky.social · 2d

Have come across all this by tracking the Company's jurebasso in Tonkin - named Phuc Ngai - and it is basically wall-to-wall frustration and futility that runs through it. Unsurprising that Gyfford ends up elsewhere not long after this ...

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