Kyle Thayer
@kylethayer.com
Assistant teaching professor at UW iSchool. Interested in Programming, Culture, and Education. PhD from UW CSE. Co-author of Social Media, Ethics, and Automation (bit.ly/smeabook). Opinions my own. He/him.
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Kyle Thayer
@kylethayer.com
· Nov 26
Social Media, Ethics, and Automation
Free textbook on programming social media bots and considering the ethical implications of having done so. Automation drives our experience of social media platforms, from timeline feeds to disinfo...
social-media-ethics-automation.github.io
"Social Media, Ethics, and Automation" is a free textbook written by me and @susannotess.bsky.social
We teach new programmers to write social media bots (including Bsky), and think about the ethics of what they did.
Visit the textbook here: social-media-ethics-automation.github.io/book/bsky/in...
We teach new programmers to write social media bots (including Bsky), and think about the ethics of what they did.
Visit the textbook here: social-media-ethics-automation.github.io/book/bsky/in...
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
Found out how to make interactive PDFs in InDesign and immediately used it to make the worst info input format I could think of
November 27, 2025 at 4:48 AM
Found out how to make interactive PDFs in InDesign and immediately used it to make the worst info input format I could think of
I'll promote me and @susannotess.bsky.social's book, though it's a free online textbook and not formally "published"
Social Media, Ethics, and Automation
We teach how to write social media bots, and then reflect on the ethics of what we did
social-media-ethics-automation.github.io/book/bsky/in...
Social Media, Ethics, and Automation
We teach how to write social media bots, and then reflect on the ethics of what we did
social-media-ethics-automation.github.io/book/bsky/in...
November 26, 2025 at 10:38 PM
I'll promote me and @susannotess.bsky.social's book, though it's a free online textbook and not formally "published"
Social Media, Ethics, and Automation
We teach how to write social media bots, and then reflect on the ethics of what we did
social-media-ethics-automation.github.io/book/bsky/in...
Social Media, Ethics, and Automation
We teach how to write social media bots, and then reflect on the ethics of what we did
social-media-ethics-automation.github.io/book/bsky/in...
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
but with AI you don't write the code, you just ask for something, and probabilistically it gives you an output.
You have something in mind, maybe specific, maybe vague. And sometimes it gives you what you wanted. Jackpot!
Sometimes, though, it's not quite right. 7️⃣7️⃣🍒
damn, it was so close!
You have something in mind, maybe specific, maybe vague. And sometimes it gives you what you wanted. Jackpot!
Sometimes, though, it's not quite right. 7️⃣7️⃣🍒
damn, it was so close!
November 26, 2025 at 9:41 PM
but with AI you don't write the code, you just ask for something, and probabilistically it gives you an output.
You have something in mind, maybe specific, maybe vague. And sometimes it gives you what you wanted. Jackpot!
Sometimes, though, it's not quite right. 7️⃣7️⃣🍒
damn, it was so close!
You have something in mind, maybe specific, maybe vague. And sometimes it gives you what you wanted. Jackpot!
Sometimes, though, it's not quite right. 7️⃣7️⃣🍒
damn, it was so close!
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
1) genuine life changing moment of my early 20s was realizing I actually didn't have to do this at all. tell the youths
2) I feel like there's a class discussion to be had around the stakes of this kind of decision though
2) I feel like there's a class discussion to be had around the stakes of this kind of decision though
So many men go through life like that. You can play poker because it's right-coded, you can't enjoy fruity alcoholic drinks because they're women-coded, you can't lick an ice cream cone because it's gay-coded. All day, every day, choosing and judging things based on coding for narrow norms.
November 26, 2025 at 3:43 PM
1) genuine life changing moment of my early 20s was realizing I actually didn't have to do this at all. tell the youths
2) I feel like there's a class discussion to be had around the stakes of this kind of decision though
2) I feel like there's a class discussion to be had around the stakes of this kind of decision though
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
"It is against the TOS to be talked into suicide by our LLM" is possibly the most evil tech bro thing I've ever read
Additionally, OpenAI argues its not liable because Raine, by using ChatGPT for self-harm, broke its terms of service
November 26, 2025 at 12:29 AM
"It is against the TOS to be talked into suicide by our LLM" is possibly the most evil tech bro thing I've ever read
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
I'm excited to have updated our color naming in different languages project to use the new Oklab/Oklch color space.
The new views highlight the differences in how English and Korean divide blues, greens and purples.
idl.uw.edu/color-naming...
@jheer.org @uwcse.bsky.social @ischool.uw.edu
The new views highlight the differences in how English and Korean divide blues, greens and purples.
idl.uw.edu/color-naming...
@jheer.org @uwcse.bsky.social @ischool.uw.edu
November 24, 2025 at 5:03 AM
I'm excited to have updated our color naming in different languages project to use the new Oklab/Oklch color space.
The new views highlight the differences in how English and Korean divide blues, greens and purples.
idl.uw.edu/color-naming...
@jheer.org @uwcse.bsky.social @ischool.uw.edu
The new views highlight the differences in how English and Korean divide blues, greens and purples.
idl.uw.edu/color-naming...
@jheer.org @uwcse.bsky.social @ischool.uw.edu
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
I do not believe that the majority of the software people I have worked with all these years sit around thinking, "I want cancer research to be destroyed." We have mountains to climb no doubt, we are trapped in some bad cultures no doubt, but I do not believe this of you for one moment.
November 24, 2025 at 4:12 PM
I do not believe that the majority of the software people I have worked with all these years sit around thinking, "I want cancer research to be destroyed." We have mountains to climb no doubt, we are trapped in some bad cultures no doubt, but I do not believe this of you for one moment.
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
there is some amazing internet lore in this thread
Hell, even in the last few years before Usenet functionally died outside of moderated newsgroups (and by "last few years before Usenet died" I mean "shortly after Cantor & Siegel's green-card spam in 1994/Sanford Wallace era") even spam moderation was becoming largely automated (cancelbots)
1/2
1/2
November 25, 2025 at 2:09 AM
there is some amazing internet lore in this thread
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
AI has been devastating for the “checking on youtube to see if the movie has any trailers yet” user cohort
November 25, 2025 at 3:03 AM
AI has been devastating for the “checking on youtube to see if the movie has any trailers yet” user cohort
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
thank you for watching me talk about PBS Kids so I can donate money to PBS Kids and we can support the team. It's like a circular loop that leads to 0.03% of a Donkey Hodie episode being produced.
November 24, 2025 at 7:35 PM
thank you for watching me talk about PBS Kids so I can donate money to PBS Kids and we can support the team. It's like a circular loop that leads to 0.03% of a Donkey Hodie episode being produced.
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
I’m writing something about AI and collecting the worst examples of workslop — and AI slop, in general. If you have any particularly appalling and / or hilarious suggestions, send ‘em to me!
November 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
I’m writing something about AI and collecting the worst examples of workslop — and AI slop, in general. If you have any particularly appalling and / or hilarious suggestions, send ‘em to me!
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
The UW Center for an Informed Public is looking for postdocs (for 2026-2028) from across diverse disciplines whose research sheds light on the challenges of our modern information environment, promotes civic health, and/or helps people/communities navigate online spaces: apply.interfolio.com/177901
Apply - Interfolio
{{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:26 PM
The UW Center for an Informed Public is looking for postdocs (for 2026-2028) from across diverse disciplines whose research sheds light on the challenges of our modern information environment, promotes civic health, and/or helps people/communities navigate online spaces: apply.interfolio.com/177901
I'm excited to have updated our color naming in different languages project to use the new Oklab/Oklch color space.
The new views highlight the differences in how English and Korean divide blues, greens and purples.
idl.uw.edu/color-naming...
@jheer.org @uwcse.bsky.social @ischool.uw.edu
The new views highlight the differences in how English and Korean divide blues, greens and purples.
idl.uw.edu/color-naming...
@jheer.org @uwcse.bsky.social @ischool.uw.edu
November 24, 2025 at 5:03 AM
I'm excited to have updated our color naming in different languages project to use the new Oklab/Oklch color space.
The new views highlight the differences in how English and Korean divide blues, greens and purples.
idl.uw.edu/color-naming...
@jheer.org @uwcse.bsky.social @ischool.uw.edu
The new views highlight the differences in how English and Korean divide blues, greens and purples.
idl.uw.edu/color-naming...
@jheer.org @uwcse.bsky.social @ischool.uw.edu
Are image uploads not working?
November 24, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Are image uploads not working?
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
I know very few people who think the cost of public transit is prohibitive.
It’s that public transit in the US is treated in most cities like the thing you slap on after the fact.
It’s that public transit in the US is treated in most cities like the thing you slap on after the fact.
November 24, 2025 at 2:00 AM
I know very few people who think the cost of public transit is prohibitive.
It’s that public transit in the US is treated in most cities like the thing you slap on after the fact.
It’s that public transit in the US is treated in most cities like the thing you slap on after the fact.
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
My hot take is that over the next 10 years, we're going to see more emphasis on and investment in the humanities at Ivy League and other fancy schools just as state schools and small privates continue to decimate and even eliminate the humanities.
"While other universities report that the humanities are shrinking, at Berkeley, the opposite is true. The music major is the fastest-growing major on campus. We are finding bigger classrooms because film is exploding. English is back to the numbers we saw 15 years ago. We are hiring" bit.ly/4ohKuOe
"The humanities really are a resource — a confidence for living in our times.” Dean Sara Guyer on the modern utility of humanities degrees
This interview originally appeared on the Division of Arts
bit.ly
November 23, 2025 at 4:13 PM
My hot take is that over the next 10 years, we're going to see more emphasis on and investment in the humanities at Ivy League and other fancy schools just as state schools and small privates continue to decimate and even eliminate the humanities.
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
November 23, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
Texas A&M Was Wrong to Fire Professor Over Gender Lesson, Panel Rules
The firing put the school at the center of national debates over gender identity and academic freedom. A faculty panel ruled unanimously against the termination.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/u...
The firing put the school at the center of national debates over gender identity and academic freedom. A faculty panel ruled unanimously against the termination.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/u...
Texas A&M Was Wrong to Fire Professor Over Gender Lesson, Panel Rules
www.nytimes.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Texas A&M Was Wrong to Fire Professor Over Gender Lesson, Panel Rules
The firing put the school at the center of national debates over gender identity and academic freedom. A faculty panel ruled unanimously against the termination.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/u...
The firing put the school at the center of national debates over gender identity and academic freedom. A faculty panel ruled unanimously against the termination.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/u...
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
This study show that using poems to jailbreak LLMs is... super effective? What the heck.
November 20, 2025 at 5:36 PM
This study show that using poems to jailbreak LLMs is... super effective? What the heck.
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
I think the debate over what people "want" is a distraction given two basic facts:
1) America vastly over-provides suburbs and under-provides dense walkability;
2) Suburbs are hideously bad for the environment and harmful to numerous markers of well-being.
That's enough! We should do more density!
1) America vastly over-provides suburbs and under-provides dense walkability;
2) Suburbs are hideously bad for the environment and harmful to numerous markers of well-being.
That's enough! We should do more density!
as will notes, people tend to *say* they want suburban living. they want a big house and a big yard and etc. this is not however what is suggested by their actual purchasing practices, which invariably result in something like this:
raincitymaps.com/maps/inspect...
raincitymaps.com/maps/inspect...
November 20, 2025 at 5:46 PM
I think the debate over what people "want" is a distraction given two basic facts:
1) America vastly over-provides suburbs and under-provides dense walkability;
2) Suburbs are hideously bad for the environment and harmful to numerous markers of well-being.
That's enough! We should do more density!
1) America vastly over-provides suburbs and under-provides dense walkability;
2) Suburbs are hideously bad for the environment and harmful to numerous markers of well-being.
That's enough! We should do more density!
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
Every day, like a rubberband being stretched a little farther, we see our democracy tolerate increasingly intolerable trespasses against any sensible standard. Much like that rubberband there are likely only two outcomes for us at the end of this: breaking or an extreme, explosive restorative force.
November 20, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Every day, like a rubberband being stretched a little farther, we see our democracy tolerate increasingly intolerable trespasses against any sensible standard. Much like that rubberband there are likely only two outcomes for us at the end of this: breaking or an extreme, explosive restorative force.
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
That beautiful surface is a soft cell!
I covered the amazing discovery story of these weird shapes — they fill space like bricks, but lack corners — in a feature for @sciam.bsky.social last year.
It's one of my best stories. And later today, I'm re-posting it on my newsletter without a paywall 👀
I covered the amazing discovery story of these weird shapes — they fill space like bricks, but lack corners — in a feature for @sciam.bsky.social last year.
It's one of my best stories. And later today, I'm re-posting it on my newsletter without a paywall 👀
November 20, 2025 at 9:22 AM
That beautiful surface is a soft cell!
I covered the amazing discovery story of these weird shapes — they fill space like bricks, but lack corners — in a feature for @sciam.bsky.social last year.
It's one of my best stories. And later today, I'm re-posting it on my newsletter without a paywall 👀
I covered the amazing discovery story of these weird shapes — they fill space like bricks, but lack corners — in a feature for @sciam.bsky.social last year.
It's one of my best stories. And later today, I'm re-posting it on my newsletter without a paywall 👀
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
#BREAKING: Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers will immediately leave his role as an instructor at Harvard while the University investigates his ties to child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
Summers Will Not Finish Semester of Teaching as Harvard Investigates Epstein Ties | News | The Harvard Crimson
Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers will immediately leave his role as an instructor at Harvard while the University investigates his ties to child sex trafficker Jeffrey E. Epstein.
www.thecrimson.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:30 AM
#BREAKING: Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers will immediately leave his role as an instructor at Harvard while the University investigates his ties to child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
THIS.
Also, I can't help but think of Claudine Gay being forced out of the Harvard presidency over trumped-up accusations of plagiarism and tolerating antisemitism.
While Summers was questioning the intellectual capacity of women while president. And sexually harassed at least one woman.
Also, I can't help but think of Claudine Gay being forced out of the Harvard presidency over trumped-up accusations of plagiarism and tolerating antisemitism.
While Summers was questioning the intellectual capacity of women while president. And sexually harassed at least one woman.
It says a lot about whose voices matter in higher ed that Larry Summers is still allowed to teach his college students, while Jessica Adams* is not.
November 19, 2025 at 8:53 PM
THIS.
Also, I can't help but think of Claudine Gay being forced out of the Harvard presidency over trumped-up accusations of plagiarism and tolerating antisemitism.
While Summers was questioning the intellectual capacity of women while president. And sexually harassed at least one woman.
Also, I can't help but think of Claudine Gay being forced out of the Harvard presidency over trumped-up accusations of plagiarism and tolerating antisemitism.
While Summers was questioning the intellectual capacity of women while president. And sexually harassed at least one woman.