David Williamson Shaffer
@dwshaffer.bsky.social
Professor of leaning analytics, quantitative ethnographer, husband, father, eater of twizzlers
@gregsargent.bsky.social @atrupar.com @muellershewrote.com
I follow you folks, and I am sincerely asking:
Could one of you explain why Walz hasn’t deployed the Minnesota Natl Guard to protect people’s right to protest?
There must be a reason, and I’d really like to understand
Thank you
I follow you folks, and I am sincerely asking:
Could one of you explain why Walz hasn’t deployed the Minnesota Natl Guard to protect people’s right to protest?
There must be a reason, and I’d really like to understand
Thank you
January 24, 2026 at 9:00 PM
@gregsargent.bsky.social @atrupar.com @muellershewrote.com
I follow you folks, and I am sincerely asking:
Could one of you explain why Walz hasn’t deployed the Minnesota Natl Guard to protect people’s right to protest?
There must be a reason, and I’d really like to understand
Thank you
I follow you folks, and I am sincerely asking:
Could one of you explain why Walz hasn’t deployed the Minnesota Natl Guard to protect people’s right to protest?
There must be a reason, and I’d really like to understand
Thank you
Reviewer 2 once told me that I didn’t understand a method I had invented, and suggested that I read more of my own work 🤯
January 23, 2026 at 3:38 AM
Reviewer 2 once told me that I didn’t understand a method I had invented, and suggested that I read more of my own work 🤯
R CD s c d c
January 19, 2026 at 1:58 AM
R CD s c d c
Reposted by David Williamson Shaffer
It’s always projection. Always
December 21, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Everything is projection. Always
December 21, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Reposted by David Williamson Shaffer
Everything is projection. Always
December 21, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Everything is projection. Always
Technology rarely makes things easier. It makes them different
"AI will make everyone's life and work so much easier"
say only people who are trying to sell you their poorly designed product
say only people who are trying to sell you their poorly designed product
I hear you. AI is a massive academic labour problem.
December 20, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Technology rarely makes things easier. It makes them different
Reposted by David Williamson Shaffer
The multimodal aspects of generative AI (we need to stop calling them LLMs because they’re not just about language) have all kinds of profound implications for how we retrieve an create information.
Both also raise a host of issues about how we validate the results. This is true… 1/
Both also raise a host of issues about how we validate the results. This is true… 1/
December 20, 2025 at 2:58 PM
The multimodal aspects of generative AI (we need to stop calling them LLMs because they’re not just about language) have all kinds of profound implications for how we retrieve an create information.
Both also raise a host of issues about how we validate the results. This is true… 1/
Both also raise a host of issues about how we validate the results. This is true… 1/
Reposted by David Williamson Shaffer
I wrote about some of 2025's big generative AI developments and their implications for historians: multimodal generation, deep research, and handwriting transcription. In short, we need to stop dismissing this as nothing more than "autocomplete on steroids." cblevins.github.io/posts/gen-ai...
Generative AI and History in 2025 | Cameron Blevins
Personal website for Cameron Blevins, Associate Professor, Clinical Teaching Track at University of Colorado Denver
cblevins.github.io
December 19, 2025 at 5:38 PM
I wrote about some of 2025's big generative AI developments and their implications for historians: multimodal generation, deep research, and handwriting transcription. In short, we need to stop dismissing this as nothing more than "autocomplete on steroids." cblevins.github.io/posts/gen-ai...
Courts. It what’s for democracy.
I keep saying it: Courts. (Well, and federalism, and other things.)
Remarkable how brutal the ruling against Trump on Abrego Garcia truly is: It details flagrant and malicious abuses of power all throughout. Trump and Stephen Miller were testing their ability to spread lawless state terror. But the court held the line. 1/
(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2043...
(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2043...
December 12, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Courts. It what’s for democracy.
Right. I want them to invent a device that automatically cleans the toilet so I have more time to write a novel, not something to write the novel while I clean the toilets
Tech bros shocked that normal human beings enjoy thinking
December 9, 2025 at 4:30 AM
Right. I want them to invent a device that automatically cleans the toilet so I have more time to write a novel, not something to write the novel while I clean the toilets
Movie you’ve watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (Wars nor Trek), LOTR, or Marvel, Disney Animated or Pixar.
December 8, 2025 at 2:27 AM
Movie you’ve watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (Wars nor Trek), LOTR, or Marvel, Disney Animated or Pixar.
There are two kinds of men in the world: those who think this👇 and those who don’t
there are two types of women in the world.
the ones who think I’m handsome and the ones who aren’t my mom
the ones who think I’m handsome and the ones who aren’t my mom
December 4, 2025 at 11:00 PM
There are two kinds of men in the world: those who think this👇 and those who don’t
Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you’ve seen.
The Proclaimers
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Ray Charles
John Prine
Bailen
The Proclaimers
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Ray Charles
John Prine
Bailen
Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you’ve seen.
Tom Waits
PJ Harvey
The National
Sonic Youth
Depeche Mode
Tom Waits
PJ Harvey
The National
Sonic Youth
Depeche Mode
November 28, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you’ve seen.
The Proclaimers
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Ray Charles
John Prine
Bailen
The Proclaimers
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Ray Charles
John Prine
Bailen
Referring to AI here👇
Agree bigly
Agree bigly
It is very good at the things it’s good at. Everyone (especially tech bros) are obsessed with using it for the things it’s BAD at.
November 25, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Referring to AI here👇
Agree bigly
Agree bigly
Reposted by David Williamson Shaffer
NEW: Epstein survivors release the most powerful PSA I have ever seen.
Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
November 16, 2025 at 11:43 PM
NEW: Epstein survivors release the most powerful PSA I have ever seen.
Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
This 👇💯
Dems backed Trump into a corner where he’s advocating for starving Americans and hemorrhaging support. If they vote to let him off the hook in exchange for nothing it’s a cataclysmic failure. I know people are in pain but insulating Republicans from political consequences is not the answer.
November 10, 2025 at 1:27 AM
This 👇💯
Wait. Am I the only one who wears a spotted suit and checked tights to class?
Consider yourself an academic? But where is your hat with tassel, the hair worn in a plait, the spotted suit and checked tights, like this fella from 1773 - called: the Academic Mac - is wearing? #academicchatter
November 2, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Wait. Am I the only one who wears a spotted suit and checked tights to class?
Me too, friend. Me too
We mock the things we are to be; we are the things we used to mock
We mock the things we are to be; we are the things we used to mock
I have become my former supervisor. Late to all meetings, distractable, perpetually annoyed by bureaucracy. Hopefully half as creative?? 😶🌫️
#AcademicChatter
#AcademicChatter
November 2, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Me too, friend. Me too
We mock the things we are to be; we are the things we used to mock
We mock the things we are to be; we are the things we used to mock
Are they still married?
My boss told me he wrote his wife's birthday card with chat gpt
September 19, 2025 at 4:23 AM
Are they still married?
My god, they’re not even talking about the game. It’s the second quarter and they’re talking like it’s the last 2 minutes of a blowout game. Can we get rid of this guy?
Every week I forget that Kirk Herbstreit is on the Thursday Night Football broadcast.
September 12, 2025 at 1:37 AM
My god, they’re not even talking about the game. It’s the second quarter and they’re talking like it’s the last 2 minutes of a blowout game. Can we get rid of this guy?
90s kid
September 11, 2025 at 7:51 PM
90s kid
Too soon
PSA: If there is an academic you hate, toady is a great time to inquire how much of their summer research and writing plans they've accomplished.
September 1, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Too soon