kat
@katbamkapow.bsky.social
over-explainer for fame & fortune, 9-5 academic, 24/7 analog enthusiast.
PhD of computer/networking/net histories, LGBTQ+ activism, STS, critical HIV/AIDS studies. you might know me from video games
once: uc irvine
now: u of michigan
💾🌿💽 kb.place 💽🌿💾
PhD of computer/networking/net histories, LGBTQ+ activism, STS, critical HIV/AIDS studies. you might know me from video games
once: uc irvine
now: u of michigan
💾🌿💽 kb.place 💽🌿💾
Pinned
kat
@katbamkapow.bsky.social
· Nov 26
pub day! please welcome "Network breakdown: the queer anarchist politics at the heart of the ‘net from FidoNet to HOMOCORE" to the world
the piece puts Tom Jennings' work as the co-architect of FidoNet alongside the queer, anarchist politics in his zine HOMOCORE
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
the piece puts Tom Jennings' work as the co-architect of FidoNet alongside the queer, anarchist politics in his zine HOMOCORE
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Network breakdown: the queer anarchist politics at the heart of the ‘net from FidoNet to HOMOCORE
In a 1993 interview for the anarchist magazine FringeWare Review, software developer Tom Jennings remarked to his interviewer, “Think you can mention somewhere that I’m a fag anarcho nerd troublema...
www.tandfonline.com
pub day +1 & i am so thrilled to share this piece!! are you interested in the queer roots of the 'net, alternative networking politics, and radical, anarchist, queer ideologies we might use to imagine the future of networking? wahoo, is this piece for you!!
pls consider this a bsky walkthrough...
pls consider this a bsky walkthrough...
Reposted by kat
It happened! The @nytimes.com profiled Paulina!
The Writer Who Dared Criticize Silicon Valley
Paulina Borsook’s “Cyberselfish,” which offered dire predictions about the tech world’s love for libertarianism, is finding fans. It only took 25 years.
Gift Link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/t...
The Writer Who Dared Criticize Silicon Valley
Paulina Borsook’s “Cyberselfish,” which offered dire predictions about the tech world’s love for libertarianism, is finding fans. It only took 25 years.
Gift Link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/t...
November 27, 2025 at 4:39 PM
It happened! The @nytimes.com profiled Paulina!
The Writer Who Dared Criticize Silicon Valley
Paulina Borsook’s “Cyberselfish,” which offered dire predictions about the tech world’s love for libertarianism, is finding fans. It only took 25 years.
Gift Link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/t...
The Writer Who Dared Criticize Silicon Valley
Paulina Borsook’s “Cyberselfish,” which offered dire predictions about the tech world’s love for libertarianism, is finding fans. It only took 25 years.
Gift Link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/t...
Reposted by kat
I wrote about Oura's security and privacy practices earlier this year for this.weekinsecurity.com, and found:
• Oura rings *don't* end-to-end encrypt users' health data;
• Oura *can* access its users' data;
• Oura told me that the company *has* received U.S. government demands for users' data.
• Oura rings *don't* end-to-end encrypt users' health data;
• Oura *can* access its users' data;
• Oura told me that the company *has* received U.S. government demands for users' data.
November 28, 2025 at 3:15 PM
I wrote about Oura's security and privacy practices earlier this year for this.weekinsecurity.com, and found:
• Oura rings *don't* end-to-end encrypt users' health data;
• Oura *can* access its users' data;
• Oura told me that the company *has* received U.S. government demands for users' data.
• Oura rings *don't* end-to-end encrypt users' health data;
• Oura *can* access its users' data;
• Oura told me that the company *has* received U.S. government demands for users' data.
if you have a lot of leftover turkey, i invite you to take part in my post-thanksgiving millennial food tradition: making this soup, but with turkey instead of chicken www.alisoneroman.com/recipes/lemo...
Lemony Chicken Soup With Fennel and Dill — Alison Roman
Lighter than traditional stew, this lemony chicken number relies on potatoes to thicken it, rather than flour or another starch. If you can, buy fennel with the stem and fronds intact so you can take ...
www.alisoneroman.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:02 PM
if you have a lot of leftover turkey, i invite you to take part in my post-thanksgiving millennial food tradition: making this soup, but with turkey instead of chicken www.alisoneroman.com/recipes/lemo...
Reposted by kat
Alternative Games From The Fringes Of Cyberspace (fighting for art and something better in this dystopian digital world)
www.nathalielawhead.com/candybox/alt...
"It seems more pressing than ever to stand up to that type of fascist censorship that is eating digital culture."
#GameDev #IndieGame
www.nathalielawhead.com/candybox/alt...
"It seems more pressing than ever to stand up to that type of fascist censorship that is eating digital culture."
#GameDev #IndieGame
Alternative Games From The Fringes Of Cyberspace (fighting for art and something better in this dystopian digital world)
www.nathalielawhead.com
November 27, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Alternative Games From The Fringes Of Cyberspace (fighting for art and something better in this dystopian digital world)
www.nathalielawhead.com/candybox/alt...
"It seems more pressing than ever to stand up to that type of fascist censorship that is eating digital culture."
#GameDev #IndieGame
www.nathalielawhead.com/candybox/alt...
"It seems more pressing than ever to stand up to that type of fascist censorship that is eating digital culture."
#GameDev #IndieGame
tenure assessments going whacko
Nearly every mechanism that made my career possible—Ford, NSF, Harvard BiGS—is gone or on the way to the chopping block.
This means NSF dissertation improvement grants in the social sciences are simply...not happening.
November 27, 2025 at 5:01 PM
tenure assessments going whacko
Reposted by kat
Nearly every mechanism that made my career possible—Ford, NSF, Harvard BiGS—is gone or on the way to the chopping block.
This means NSF dissertation improvement grants in the social sciences are simply...not happening.
NEW from me - NSF cancels grant scheme for social science research.
Seems the NSF quietly archived ALL calls for DDRIG grants in the SBE directorate. This is a massive blow for PhD students wanting to do cutting-edge social science research. 🏺🧪
Seems the NSF quietly archived ALL calls for DDRIG grants in the SBE directorate. This is a massive blow for PhD students wanting to do cutting-edge social science research. 🏺🧪
November 27, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Nearly every mechanism that made my career possible—Ford, NSF, Harvard BiGS—is gone or on the way to the chopping block.
Reposted by kat
No. The Thing is a movie about a bunch of people who all distrust and hate each other trapped in one building as the tension between them slowly builds until it reaches a breaking point. It's a Thanksgiving movie.
Should John Carpenter's THE THING be officially classified as a Christmas movie? Let your voice be heard!
Is John Carpenter’s THE THING A Christmas Movie? Have Your Say
Should John Carpenter's THE THING be officially classified as a Christmas movie? Let your voice be heard!
dlvr.it
November 25, 2025 at 6:04 PM
No. The Thing is a movie about a bunch of people who all distrust and hate each other trapped in one building as the tension between them slowly builds until it reaches a breaking point. It's a Thanksgiving movie.
Reposted by kat
I wrote an essay for @bostonreview.bsky.social about what I learned about close reading when I taught at West Virginia University
www.bostonreview.net/articles/the...
www.bostonreview.net/articles/the...
The Claims of Close Reading - Boston Review
Literary studies have been starved by austerity, but their core methodology remains radical.
www.bostonreview.net
November 26, 2025 at 3:14 PM
I wrote an essay for @bostonreview.bsky.social about what I learned about close reading when I taught at West Virginia University
www.bostonreview.net/articles/the...
www.bostonreview.net/articles/the...
thinkin abt byzantine games from the late 90s and early 2000s with incomprehensible gameFAQS walkthroughs
November 26, 2025 at 2:33 AM
thinkin abt byzantine games from the late 90s and early 2000s with incomprehensible gameFAQS walkthroughs
Reposted by kat
A Michigan appeals court ruled that the city of Detroit failed to follow *its own laws* about public oversight of surveillance tech. These laws are crucial bc "Automated license plate readers, facial recognition, body-worn cameras, drones, and the Real Time Crime Center are all active in the city."
Court ruled against Detroit in surveillance tech case. It's still dangerous. | Opinion
Detroiters filed suit after the city failed to follow its own ordinance governing surveillance tech like ShotSpotter.
www.yahoo.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:25 PM
A Michigan appeals court ruled that the city of Detroit failed to follow *its own laws* about public oversight of surveillance tech. These laws are crucial bc "Automated license plate readers, facial recognition, body-worn cameras, drones, and the Real Time Crime Center are all active in the city."
scms 2026 😎 hello chicago
November 25, 2025 at 9:53 PM
scms 2026 😎 hello chicago
Reposted by kat
In this drought of academic job postings, here's an amazing position for junior faculty in AI Policy and Media at Northeastern. Come join the intellectual community in Boston!!! northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/careers/job/...
Assistant Professor in AI Policy and Media
About the Opportunity About the Opportunity The College of Arts, Media and Design (CAMD) at Northeastern University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in AI Policy and Media, ...
northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:23 PM
In this drought of academic job postings, here's an amazing position for junior faculty in AI Policy and Media at Northeastern. Come join the intellectual community in Boston!!! northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/careers/job/...
the good news: i listened to the experts, and reduced my carpal tunnel pain by shifting a lot of movements up my arm, to my elbow!
the bad news: i am now developing chronic tendonitis in my elbow :)
the bad news: i am now developing chronic tendonitis in my elbow :)
November 25, 2025 at 3:02 PM
the good news: i listened to the experts, and reduced my carpal tunnel pain by shifting a lot of movements up my arm, to my elbow!
the bad news: i am now developing chronic tendonitis in my elbow :)
the bad news: i am now developing chronic tendonitis in my elbow :)
:)
I'm excited to announce that I have been asked to join the Mamdani Transition Team to work on community safety issues. A New Era for NYC.
November 25, 2025 at 2:13 PM
:)
Reposted by kat
a Friday surprise! my beloved book, Other Networks: A Radical Technology Sourcebook, is now officially back in print AND ON SALE! #othernetworks if you know folks who have been trying to track down a copy, I'd love it if you'd repost shop.mexicansummer.com/merch/495898...
Lori Emerson - Other Networks: A Radical Technology Sourcebook. Mexican Summer & Anthology.
Buy Other Networks: A Radical Technology Sourcebook by Lori Emerson on Mexican Summer & Anthology.
shop.mexicansummer.com
November 21, 2025 at 8:11 PM
a Friday surprise! my beloved book, Other Networks: A Radical Technology Sourcebook, is now officially back in print AND ON SALE! #othernetworks if you know folks who have been trying to track down a copy, I'd love it if you'd repost shop.mexicansummer.com/merch/495898...
Reposted by kat
hi i have a form for you to fill out. it holds a question i have that NEEDS an answer.
the question is: what is the best side dish?
you know, like you would have with a roast dinner. or at thanksgiving. or alongside a beef wellington....
tally.so/r/dWWMQy
the question is: what is the best side dish?
you know, like you would have with a roast dinner. or at thanksgiving. or alongside a beef wellington....
tally.so/r/dWWMQy
what is the best side dish
Made with Tally, the simplest way to create forms.
tally.so
November 23, 2025 at 6:20 PM
hi i have a form for you to fill out. it holds a question i have that NEEDS an answer.
the question is: what is the best side dish?
you know, like you would have with a roast dinner. or at thanksgiving. or alongside a beef wellington....
tally.so/r/dWWMQy
the question is: what is the best side dish?
you know, like you would have with a roast dinner. or at thanksgiving. or alongside a beef wellington....
tally.so/r/dWWMQy
Reposted by kat
Yesterday my partner and I counted all the ads along Chicago's Brown Line for "Friend," a company selling an AI chatbot pendant, and tallied how many of those ads were defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
November 23, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Yesterday my partner and I counted all the ads along Chicago's Brown Line for "Friend," a company selling an AI chatbot pendant, and tallied how many of those ads were defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
hi i have a form for you to fill out. it holds a question i have that NEEDS an answer.
the question is: what is the best side dish?
you know, like you would have with a roast dinner. or at thanksgiving. or alongside a beef wellington....
tally.so/r/dWWMQy
the question is: what is the best side dish?
you know, like you would have with a roast dinner. or at thanksgiving. or alongside a beef wellington....
tally.so/r/dWWMQy
what is the best side dish
Made with Tally, the simplest way to create forms.
tally.so
November 23, 2025 at 6:20 PM
hi i have a form for you to fill out. it holds a question i have that NEEDS an answer.
the question is: what is the best side dish?
you know, like you would have with a roast dinner. or at thanksgiving. or alongside a beef wellington....
tally.so/r/dWWMQy
the question is: what is the best side dish?
you know, like you would have with a roast dinner. or at thanksgiving. or alongside a beef wellington....
tally.so/r/dWWMQy
part of being a good host is having all four major hot sauces (tobasco, cholula, frank's, texas pete) and lao gan ma. you get two or three wild cards to offer but you cannot judge your guest's pick
November 23, 2025 at 3:22 PM
part of being a good host is having all four major hot sauces (tobasco, cholula, frank's, texas pete) and lao gan ma. you get two or three wild cards to offer but you cannot judge your guest's pick
Reposted by kat
y'know, if tech companies weren't so fired up to call every single thing "AI" it would be a lot easier to distinguish "ML spam filter that is well-sandboxed and tuned on your emails" from "giant context and IP-eroding foundation model that makes people paranoid and unhappy"
since the "google is now training gemini on your email contents" thing keeps bumping around here: it's _not happening_. I say this not to defend google but because I know a lot of people that have broken their filtering and made their lives much more annoying from sheer misinformation.
The malwarebytes Google opting-your-emails-into-ai-training thing is not true. The post is based on one bad tweet.
I know anti-tech lamenting is a Bluesky core principle, but please use the same judgement you would for any other clickbait.
www.theverge.com/news/826902/...
I know anti-tech lamenting is a Bluesky core principle, but please use the same judgement you would for any other clickbait.
www.theverge.com/news/826902/...
November 23, 2025 at 12:58 PM
y'know, if tech companies weren't so fired up to call every single thing "AI" it would be a lot easier to distinguish "ML spam filter that is well-sandboxed and tuned on your emails" from "giant context and IP-eroding foundation model that makes people paranoid and unhappy"
watching the aaron swartz documentary & i stg all i do on this earth is think about the computer and cry
November 23, 2025 at 1:53 AM
watching the aaron swartz documentary & i stg all i do on this earth is think about the computer and cry
Reposted by kat
2026 is the year of kagi bc what the fuck is this
November 22, 2025 at 9:47 PM
2026 is the year of kagi bc what the fuck is this
Reposted by kat
I need everyone, esp anyone working in education or tech (but really everyone) to WATCH THIS CLIP of @drtanksley.bsky.social discussing the technologies infiltrating our schools & psyches and how she is addressing it with our young people. youtu.be/5mtcSL4S3HQ
Howard University AI Panel
YouTube video by Tiera Tanksley
youtu.be
November 22, 2025 at 1:43 PM
I need everyone, esp anyone working in education or tech (but really everyone) to WATCH THIS CLIP of @drtanksley.bsky.social discussing the technologies infiltrating our schools & psyches and how she is addressing it with our young people. youtu.be/5mtcSL4S3HQ
was reading about pirate radio last night and found this incredible newspaper article, “president moves to stop mob rule of wireless” which is very cool, likening pirate radio operators to outlaws & mobsters… fun & evocative!!
anyway you’ll never guess what this was next to
anyway you’ll never guess what this was next to
November 22, 2025 at 1:56 PM
was reading about pirate radio last night and found this incredible newspaper article, “president moves to stop mob rule of wireless” which is very cool, likening pirate radio operators to outlaws & mobsters… fun & evocative!!
anyway you’ll never guess what this was next to
anyway you’ll never guess what this was next to