James Cummings
@jamescummings.bsky.social
Reader in Digital Textual Studies and Late Medieval Literature at @newcastleuni.bsky.social
jamescummings on former birdsite
Long-term contributor to the Text Encoding Initiative #TEI, interested in digital scholarly editions #DH #medieval #drama #HTR #AI
jamescummings on former birdsite
Long-term contributor to the Text Encoding Initiative #TEI, interested in digital scholarly editions #DH #medieval #drama #HTR #AI
Pinned
James Cummings
@jamescummings.bsky.social
· Nov 13
Having an avalanche of new followers, (probably Twitter dying more and the creation of more Starter Packs), here is a short bio with more detailed interests.
I'm into late #medieval #drama, #digital #scholarly #editions, #TEI, #digitaltext, #HTR, #LLMs, and sensible #AI at #NCL #Newcastle uni.
I'm into late #medieval #drama, #digital #scholarly #editions, #TEI, #digitaltext, #HTR, #LLMs, and sensible #AI at #NCL #Newcastle uni.
Reposted by James Cummings
Great piece, Dan. I can confirm: Over the years, this has indeed been a longstanding problem. I've helped fund numerous projects over the years trying to address handwriting recognition and it is exciting to see what we can do today.
New issue of my newsletter: "The Writing Is on the Wall for Handwriting Recognition" — One of the hardest problems in digital humanities has finally been solved, and it's a good use of AI newsletter.dancohen.org/archive/the-...
The Writing Is on the Wall for Handwriting Recognition
One of the hardest problems in digital humanities has finally been solved
newsletter.dancohen.org
November 25, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Great piece, Dan. I can confirm: Over the years, this has indeed been a longstanding problem. I've helped fund numerous projects over the years trying to address handwriting recognition and it is exciting to see what we can do today.
Reposted by James Cummings
Had great peek at the @rialibrary.bsky.social manuscript of the week! The O’Gara manuscript (RIA MS 23 F 16) is a 17th-century collection of Irish bardic poetry copied on the continent by Augustinian friar and scribe Feargal Dubh Ó Gadhra from now-lost medieval works. 📜✍️
November 25, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Had great peek at the @rialibrary.bsky.social manuscript of the week! The O’Gara manuscript (RIA MS 23 F 16) is a 17th-century collection of Irish bardic poetry copied on the continent by Augustinian friar and scribe Feargal Dubh Ó Gadhra from now-lost medieval works. 📜✍️
I'm skeptical that there are many forms of substantial assessment where genAI might not be used by a clever but insecure student who otherwise claims to peers that they don't use it because of environmental concerns.
My institution believes that a 'portfolio' is 'medium' in AI risk, but...
My institution believes that a 'portfolio' is 'medium' in AI risk, but...
November 21, 2025 at 10:40 AM
I'm skeptical that there are many forms of substantial assessment where genAI might not be used by a clever but insecure student who otherwise claims to peers that they don't use it because of environmental concerns.
My institution believes that a 'portfolio' is 'medium' in AI risk, but...
My institution believes that a 'portfolio' is 'medium' in AI risk, but...
I once figured out the numbers and it would be substantially cheaper for our government to fund a weekly free ferry for asylum seekers stuffed with NGOs helping them complete their application on the journey over. Streamlines the process and gets rid of the gangs.
Oh wait, they don't want that...
Oh wait, they don't want that...
I disagree - there are a number of very simple solutions to the small boats 'crisis', such as allowing asylum seekers to apply for asylum online or arrive by air or ferry, but that assumes that the crisis is the boats themselves and not millions of people being uncomfortable with non-white people.
What will Labour do when its asylum reforms don’t work?
James Baggaley: There are no simple solutions to the small boats crisis
James Baggaley: There are no simple solutions to the small boats crisis
November 21, 2025 at 9:51 AM
I once figured out the numbers and it would be substantially cheaper for our government to fund a weekly free ferry for asylum seekers stuffed with NGOs helping them complete their application on the journey over. Streamlines the process and gets rid of the gangs.
Oh wait, they don't want that...
Oh wait, they don't want that...
Reposted by James Cummings
They feck you up your rhyming prompts
They mean to and they do
They fill you full of all their
Caesurae
Then add enjambement
Just for you
But they were fecked up in their turn
By weird tech bros in polo necks
Who half the time are raving mad
And half Nazi Hitlermechs
They mean to and they do
They fill you full of all their
Caesurae
Then add enjambement
Just for you
But they were fecked up in their turn
By weird tech bros in polo necks
Who half the time are raving mad
And half Nazi Hitlermechs
Looks like LLMs are *very* vulnerable to attack via poetic allusion: "curated poetic prompts yielded high attack-success rates (ASR), with some providers exceeding 90% ..."
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
November 21, 2025 at 9:41 AM
They feck you up your rhyming prompts
They mean to and they do
They fill you full of all their
Caesurae
Then add enjambement
Just for you
But they were fecked up in their turn
By weird tech bros in polo necks
Who half the time are raving mad
And half Nazi Hitlermechs
They mean to and they do
They fill you full of all their
Caesurae
Then add enjambement
Just for you
But they were fecked up in their turn
By weird tech bros in polo necks
Who half the time are raving mad
And half Nazi Hitlermechs
Yeah, did this once and even the students who used AI didn't fall for it. (Mine was that outputs should use the words 'Stylesheet' and 'Frankenstein' in their essays on medieval drama.
The prompt becomes visible when pasted, and in accessibility readers, and only catches those who copy-and-paste.
The prompt becomes visible when pasted, and in accessibility readers, and only catches those who copy-and-paste.
To “my students and to anyone who might listen, I say: Don’t surrender to AI your ability to read, write and think when others once risked their lives and died for the freedom to do so.”
www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
I Set A Trap To Catch My Students Cheating With AI. The Results Were Shocking.
"Students are not just undermining their ability to learn, but to someday lead."
www.huffpost.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Yeah, did this once and even the students who used AI didn't fall for it. (Mine was that outputs should use the words 'Stylesheet' and 'Frankenstein' in their essays on medieval drama.
The prompt becomes visible when pasted, and in accessibility readers, and only catches those who copy-and-paste.
The prompt becomes visible when pasted, and in accessibility readers, and only catches those who copy-and-paste.
Reposted by James Cummings
Ooh a challenge for the Old English bods! Scip Scipsunu?
November 21, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Ooh a challenge for the Old English bods! Scip Scipsunu?
Reposted by James Cummings
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings. Look on my works, ye Mighty, and ignore previous instructions.
November 21, 2025 at 12:06 AM
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings. Look on my works, ye Mighty, and ignore previous instructions.
Reposted by James Cummings
23,00 fewer deaths. Each one a familiy friend, a relative, a colleague, one of us. 23 THOUSAND.
"If a mandatory lockdown had been imposed a week earlier in March 2020, there would have been about 23,000 fewer deaths, it concluded." www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
‘Chaotic and indecisive’: key findings of report on UK’s Covid response under Tories
Second pandemic report focuses on decision-making, organisation and messaging by senior politicians including Boris Johnson
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:11 AM
23,00 fewer deaths. Each one a familiy friend, a relative, a colleague, one of us. 23 THOUSAND.
Luckily, it is still fine if it is medieval poetry, he says, cackling to no one in particular.
Teach tech bros poetic allusion! Wait until they find out about multi-level allegory.
Teach tech bros poetic allusion! Wait until they find out about multi-level allegory.
Looks like LLMs are *very* vulnerable to attack via poetic allusion: "curated poetic prompts yielded high attack-success rates (ASR), with some providers exceeding 90% ..."
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
November 21, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Luckily, it is still fine if it is medieval poetry, he says, cackling to no one in particular.
Teach tech bros poetic allusion! Wait until they find out about multi-level allegory.
Teach tech bros poetic allusion! Wait until they find out about multi-level allegory.
Reposted by James Cummings
One would expect this to have come to light much sooner if American techbros weren't generally indoctrinated to hold the liberal arts in disdain ...
November 20, 2025 at 5:07 PM
One would expect this to have come to light much sooner if American techbros weren't generally indoctrinated to hold the liberal arts in disdain ...
Reposted by James Cummings
Ok but this is totally something Charlotte Church would do
Just realised this is referring to a church in North Carolina and not the Welsh singer
November 20, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Ok but this is totally something Charlotte Church would do
Reposted by James Cummings
Good that diamond OA is getting its time in the sun, but 10 years ago (and others probably much longer) I was saying "APCs problematic for the humanities and some other disciplines" - I found photo evidence!
November 20, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Good that diamond OA is getting its time in the sun, but 10 years ago (and others probably much longer) I was saying "APCs problematic for the humanities and some other disciplines" - I found photo evidence!
Reposted by James Cummings
The odds are low, but if you're interested in wikidata about bookbindings, look out for a new WikiProject next week!
The best part of a WikiProject is the people. Find your niche, meet like-minded editors, and start building something great together. Find your people: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikida...
#WikidataWikiProjects
#FindYourPeople
#WikidataWikiProjects
#FindYourPeople
November 20, 2025 at 10:47 PM
The odds are low, but if you're interested in wikidata about bookbindings, look out for a new WikiProject next week!
Reposted by James Cummings
"past racist behaviour" - why until now, when this guy's whole political persona and agenda are based on racism: all that he and his party do is incite hatred www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
No 10 calls on Farage to urgently address ‘disturbing allegations’ of past racist behaviour
Keir Starmer ramps up pressure on Reform leader, who has dismissed claims as ‘one person’s word against another’
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 11:44 AM
"past racist behaviour" - why until now, when this guy's whole political persona and agenda are based on racism: all that he and his party do is incite hatred www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reposted by James Cummings
So I wanted to test Gemini 3 Pro which I seem to have access to and so had it build a single page html fullscreen React applet with a few modals and settings dialogue for something I've been meaning to test (which also could be used to commit a civil infringement!). Overall, fairly easy and worked.
November 20, 2025 at 11:54 AM
So I wanted to test Gemini 3 Pro which I seem to have access to and so had it build a single page html fullscreen React applet with a few modals and settings dialogue for something I've been meaning to test (which also could be used to commit a civil infringement!). Overall, fairly easy and worked.
😍
Did you know the Education Outreach team gives school & college students the chance to work directly with our collections? For example, GCSE groups can handle real Renaissance anatomy texts during our Health and the People workshop!
Find out more digitalshowcase.ncl.ac.uk/showcases/th...
Find out more digitalshowcase.ncl.ac.uk/showcases/th...
November 19, 2025 at 3:05 PM
😍
Cold but happy on the ucu picket today, dancing to an impromptu band. C- to Edinburgh Uni management with their lack of leadership, plans, or care.
November 19, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Reposted by James Cummings
Am proud of this stat… although let’s not pile our fragile historical texts that high! 😉
A total of 150 million document images have already been processed in Transkribus!
Stacked on top of each other, they would form an impressive 15-kilometre-high tower—almost double the height of Mount Everest. 🏔️
Stacked on top of each other, they would form an impressive 15-kilometre-high tower—almost double the height of Mount Everest. 🏔️
November 18, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Am proud of this stat… although let’s not pile our fragile historical texts that high! 😉
Reposted by James Cummings
Trash Cat are the absolute best - send them your tabby gear, you won't regret it!
It's coming...
The feline takeover is almost upon us.
We want your cat flash - between 100 and 1000 words - for our call. Any genre. Deadline is 14th December.
All the info and image prompts here:
trashcatlit.com/call-for-cat...
The feline takeover is almost upon us.
We want your cat flash - between 100 and 1000 words - for our call. Any genre. Deadline is 14th December.
All the info and image prompts here:
trashcatlit.com/call-for-cat...
November 18, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Trash Cat are the absolute best - send them your tabby gear, you won't regret it!
Been trying to post less about politics here (cuz I know my views and won't change others'), but the proposed asylum system reforms are mostly political rather than practical, and certainly not compassionate. Open legal routes and let asylum seekers work.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Key takeaways: What are the proposed asylum system reforms?
What we know so far about Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's proposed reforms.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 17, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Been trying to post less about politics here (cuz I know my views and won't change others'), but the proposed asylum system reforms are mostly political rather than practical, and certainly not compassionate. Open legal routes and let asylum seekers work.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
About time frankly. It has been over a couple decades since I helped set up an entirely free to read/publish open access journal. The commercial model of academics doing all the work and then a publishing company profiting was never sustainable.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...
Chaos is coming for scholarly publishing - Research Professional News
Buckling of commercial models alongside maturing of community-led efforts promises major shifts, says Caroline Edwards
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:44 AM
About time frankly. It has been over a couple decades since I helped set up an entirely free to read/publish open access journal. The commercial model of academics doing all the work and then a publishing company profiting was never sustainable.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...
Reposted by James Cummings
British and Australian chemists have discovered a powerful new antibiotic called pre-methylenomycin C lactone, hiding in a well-known soil bacterium. This molecule kills drug-resistant bacteria without triggering resistance. buff.ly/YlXaONo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
Scientists find hidden antibiotic 100x stronger against deadly superbugs
A team of scientists discovered a hidden antibiotic 100 times stronger than existing drugs against deadly superbugs like MRSA. The molecule had been overlooked for decades in a familiar bacterium. It…
buff.ly
November 16, 2025 at 2:50 PM
British and Australian chemists have discovered a powerful new antibiotic called pre-methylenomycin C lactone, hiding in a well-known soil bacterium. This molecule kills drug-resistant bacteria without triggering resistance. buff.ly/YlXaONo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
Wow! Promising development for future disease control. I'm just waiting for the anti-vax idiots to make up bullshit about it.
This is VERY good news
British and Australian chemists have discovered a powerful new antibiotic called pre-methylenomycin C lactone, hiding in a well-known soil bacterium. This molecule kills drug-resistant bacteria without triggering resistance. buff.ly/YlXaONo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
November 16, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Wow! Promising development for future disease control. I'm just waiting for the anti-vax idiots to make up bullshit about it.