Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 4d

80 degrees out so I’m still working on campus but outside, reading papers, drinking a boba tea, touching grass.

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 5d

This data probably greatly overstates the case. Most surveys on this topic do, due to inattentive responding and poorly worded questions.
More careful research

home.dartmouth.edu/news/2024/02...

Study: Most Americans Do Not Support Partisan Violence | Dartmouth

home.dartmouth.edu

1

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 7d

The Mormons seem to be actually following the biblical conflict advice about loving your enemies. They could be an important “third side” in American politics.

www.betterconflictbulletin.org/p/you-gotta-...

You Gotta Hand It To The Mormons

Not left but neither quite right, and recently morally courageous - BCB #167

www.betterconflictbulletin.org

3

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 9d

We will literally have a newsletter next week! Stay tuned...

1

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 9d

Honestly the thing I love about today's WAFFLES discourse is how utterly, hilariously, terminally online it is. If you know what I'm talking about you also spend way too much time on the internet. Also, I've been doing that longer than you and yes, it's always been this way.

Reposted by Jonathan Stray

God @thegodpodcast.com · 9d

‘War-ravaged’ cities don’t typically have artisanal kombucha on every corner.

160 990 7K

Reposted by Jonathan Stray

Paul Frazee @pfrazee.com · 9d

Ready to die on the hill of "social media doesn't have to suck"

Jay 🦋 @jay.bsky.team · 9d

Too real. We’re going to try to fix this. Social media doesn’t have to be this way.

Jerry Chen @jcsalterego.bsky.social · 14d

(bluesky user bursts into Waffle House) OH SO YOU HATE PANCAKES??

66 28 590

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 9d

Had an impromptu epic whiteboard sesh about deep theory with a student this afternoon and I’m like hell yeah, living the academic dream. So much of the rest of it is actually email.

1 4

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 14d

I definitely favor algorithmic choice (and I'm building ATproto infra to bring it to the masses) but the defaults have to be right too... and there are common pitfalls for designers to avoid.

3

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 14d

I think many of us felt that social media algorithms made things worse following the violence a couple weeks ago. Here's what I think went wrong and what to do about it.
www.betterconflictbulletin.org/p/the-case-f...

The Case for Downranking Fear Speech

There's more of it than hate speech, and it's linked to violence - BCB #166

www.betterconflictbulletin.org

1 1 1

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 14d

I was experimenting with images illustrating how social media distorts our perceptions, amplifying rage.

(actual post in replies)

1 1 2

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 14d

Today's writing music: Sines and Singularities by Bluetech. This album got me through grad school (the second time around, when I studied journalism in Hong Kong). It still gets me focussed when I need to lock in.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW8S...

Enter The Lovely (2020 Remastered)

YouTube video by Bluetech - Topic

www.youtube.com

3

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 21d

I'm still savoring this one work email from a few months ago.
Either it was a typo or Rick is a fucking legend.

28

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 21d

Musk just announced that you'll soon be able to control your Twitter feed by telling Grok what you want to see.

Guess what.

WE'RE ALREADY BUILDING THAT FOR BLUESKY

Join us.

1 4

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 21d

I've been hearing recently from both libs and cons that the other side is such a threat that it must be crushed. I think this makes dialog all the more urgent, precisely to preserve our ability to disagree and have it matter. Am I naive or enlightened?
www.betterconflictbulletin.org/p/why-build-...

Why Build Bridges when Democracy is Burning?

The only way to win is for "us" to ally with some of "them" - BCB #165

www.betterconflictbulletin.org

1

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 22d

Today's coding music: deadmau5, but no words
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOD-...

deadmau5 - 4ware

YouTube video by mau5trap

www.youtube.com

2

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 25d

As to who *supports* political violence (not commits) it:
tl;dr

- most surveys greatly overestimate, real numbers are low
2.1% Dem, 1.8% Rep

- but ~45% of each side THINKS the other side is in favor, which is a huge problem! escalation waiting to happen

home.dartmouth.edu/news/2024/02... 
2/2

1

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 25d

Lots of arguing about whether left or right supports political violence more.

tl;dr:
- right has done more in recent decades
www.congress.gov/116/meeting/...
- left did way more in 1970s
www.start.umd.edu/pubs/START_I...

1/2

1 1 2

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 25d

Very interesting. Source?

1 1

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 26d

Here. Though re-reading it, many of these tech problems are much better solved today

news.techmeme.com/081203/autom...

Guess what? Automated news doesn't quite work.

news.techmeme.com

2

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 26d

Because people are too quick to assume what others think, which alienates potential allies. You could, for example, read anything else I’ve written, rather than making hair-based assumptions.

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 26d

The site now has a reputation for hostility, and honestly I think it’s deserved.

Reposted by Jonathan Stray

Rick Perlstein @rickperlstein.bsky.social · 27d

An exceptionally shrewd operator.

Also: the insanity of a society that makes this front page news fora week, whereas the far more transparently political assassination of the Minnesota House speaker was just a blip.

4 26 130

Reposted by Jonathan Stray

E. Rosalie @erosalie.infoepi.com · 27d

Looked at my data collections for state-backed activity. If the report were a picture:

250 4.9K 17K

Jonathan Stray @jonathanstray.bsky.social · 27d

I mean... demographically speaking, this is the bubble. Twitter is much more representative of the US population along pretty much every axis.