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.
kylethayer.com
kylethayer.com
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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
I saw that Philly is suing and fine.
But I think Philly should republish the full exhibit as a hard copy special issue zine/pamphlet and put them in every school in the city and every public library.
Philly should create a special curriculum unit and pick a week to do a citywide teach in.
But I think Philly should republish the full exhibit as a hard copy special issue zine/pamphlet and put them in every school in the city and every public library.
Philly should create a special curriculum unit and pick a week to do a citywide teach in.
The National Park Service has started dismantling exhibits about slavery at the President’s House in Philly...which is a memorial to those enslaved by George Washington while he lived here.
Gift link:
Gift link:
The slavery exhibits at the President’s House have been removed following Trump administration push
President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum ordered content at national parks that “inappropriately disparage” the U.S. to be reviewed and potentially removed.
www.inquirer.com
January 24, 2026 at 8:57 PM
I saw that Philly is suing and fine.
But I think Philly should republish the full exhibit as a hard copy special issue zine/pamphlet and put them in every school in the city and every public library.
Philly should create a special curriculum unit and pick a week to do a citywide teach in.
But I think Philly should republish the full exhibit as a hard copy special issue zine/pamphlet and put them in every school in the city and every public library.
Philly should create a special curriculum unit and pick a week to do a citywide teach in.
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
Nonviolence is, in fact, working. This administration is weaker than it was a year ago. More and more of the public is becoming galvanized against it; its agents are being impeded.
Do you honestly think people in the civil rights movement and other nonviolent movements faced no violence themselves? They practiced nonviolence because it works, because the oppressor wants a shooting war, which is the war it will win
How's your non-violent working Mr Gandhi stancil? They will kill each and everyone of you right if they had the chance and you will still be writing Kumbaya.
January 24, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Nonviolence is, in fact, working. This administration is weaker than it was a year ago. More and more of the public is becoming galvanized against it; its agents are being impeded.
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
Great distinction. Observers on the ground are bearing witness so we all know what's happening.
Posters obsessing over watching atrocity videos are just self-harming.
Posters obsessing over watching atrocity videos are just self-harming.
To put an even sharper point on it...
The moral call is to BEAR witness, not to consumption.
In other words: to testimony, not passively offering eyeballs to horrific content.
The moral call is to BEAR witness, not to consumption.
In other words: to testimony, not passively offering eyeballs to horrific content.
I say this with love: no.
Every person who doubts the atrocity should witness, so they understand.
There is no need to watch if you read a description of the atrocity, register its moral significance, and commit yourself to speaking out against these horrors.
Every person who doubts the atrocity should witness, so they understand.
There is no need to watch if you read a description of the atrocity, register its moral significance, and commit yourself to speaking out against these horrors.
January 24, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Great distinction. Observers on the ground are bearing witness so we all know what's happening.
Posters obsessing over watching atrocity videos are just self-harming.
Posters obsessing over watching atrocity videos are just self-harming.
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
To put an even sharper point on it...
The moral call is to BEAR witness, not to consumption.
In other words: to testimony, not passively offering eyeballs to horrific content.
The moral call is to BEAR witness, not to consumption.
In other words: to testimony, not passively offering eyeballs to horrific content.
I say this with love: no.
Every person who doubts the atrocity should witness, so they understand.
There is no need to watch if you read a description of the atrocity, register its moral significance, and commit yourself to speaking out against these horrors.
Every person who doubts the atrocity should witness, so they understand.
There is no need to watch if you read a description of the atrocity, register its moral significance, and commit yourself to speaking out against these horrors.
- Every American needs to witness this atrocity as part of their civil duty — America needs to understand where we are, what our current government is and where we will most likely end up unless We The People act accordingly…
January 24, 2026 at 4:45 PM
To put an even sharper point on it...
The moral call is to BEAR witness, not to consumption.
In other words: to testimony, not passively offering eyeballs to horrific content.
The moral call is to BEAR witness, not to consumption.
In other words: to testimony, not passively offering eyeballs to horrific content.
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
to turn off autoplaying video on the bluesky mobile app
select the icon in the top left corner
go to settings
go to content and media
make sure "autoplay videos and gifs" is toggled off
select the icon in the top left corner
go to settings
go to content and media
make sure "autoplay videos and gifs" is toggled off
April 18, 2025 at 11:35 PM
to turn off autoplaying video on the bluesky mobile app
select the icon in the top left corner
go to settings
go to content and media
make sure "autoplay videos and gifs" is toggled off
select the icon in the top left corner
go to settings
go to content and media
make sure "autoplay videos and gifs" is toggled off
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
Reiterating: No, you do not need to watch the video of this or any other shooting of a real person to bear witness to it. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either straight up trying to make everyone as angry and miserable as they are, or has been themselves warped and doesn’t know any other way.
January 24, 2026 at 4:16 PM
Reiterating: No, you do not need to watch the video of this or any other shooting of a real person to bear witness to it. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either straight up trying to make everyone as angry and miserable as they are, or has been themselves warped and doesn’t know any other way.
How is your color perception?
Our test of color perception and language is now ready for you to try with @labinthewild.bsky.social!
It takes about 15 minutes. At the end you'll see your results and links to what we are finding from all the color data.
studies2.labinthewild.org/color-perception
Our test of color perception and language is now ready for you to try with @labinthewild.bsky.social!
It takes about 15 minutes. At the end you'll see your results and links to what we are finding from all the color data.
studies2.labinthewild.org/color-perception
Color Perception
How is your color perception? Find out your color perception score by performing color sorting and color naming tasks!
studies2.labinthewild.org
January 23, 2026 at 7:52 PM
How is your color perception?
Our test of color perception and language is now ready for you to try with @labinthewild.bsky.social!
It takes about 15 minutes. At the end you'll see your results and links to what we are finding from all the color data.
studies2.labinthewild.org/color-perception
Our test of color perception and language is now ready for you to try with @labinthewild.bsky.social!
It takes about 15 minutes. At the end you'll see your results and links to what we are finding from all the color data.
studies2.labinthewild.org/color-perception
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
If you came to me and asked me to teach you American history and how to engage with it while standing on one leg, I guess I would say this: "Powerful Americans have plundered, oppressed and terrorized. At every step, other Americans fought them. You can, too. The rest is commentary: go and do."
January 22, 2026 at 6:52 PM
If you came to me and asked me to teach you American history and how to engage with it while standing on one leg, I guess I would say this: "Powerful Americans have plundered, oppressed and terrorized. At every step, other Americans fought them. You can, too. The rest is commentary: go and do."
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
babe wake up, a new form of life just dropped
Mystery tower fossils may be a whole new kind of life
Towering Prototaxites ruled Earth before trees—and they may have been a form of life entirely new to science
www.scientificamerican.com
January 23, 2026 at 3:37 AM
babe wake up, a new form of life just dropped
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
CA's AG, also openly supporting the protest movements: “Crowds are super important. That is the rawest, most powerful expression of our democracy. When people show up, whether it’s Hands Off or No Kings, we are speaking about what we will never accept and what we demand.”
January 22, 2026 at 8:27 PM
CA's AG, also openly supporting the protest movements: “Crowds are super important. That is the rawest, most powerful expression of our democracy. When people show up, whether it’s Hands Off or No Kings, we are speaking about what we will never accept and what we demand.”
Toy Story (1995)
Trying to imagine my parents in their 40s getting stoked out of their minds for a Howdy Doody relaunch
Masters of The Universe – Official Teaser Trailer (in theaters in June 5) www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmEx...
January 22, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Toy Story (1995)
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
Have seen many variations of this & broadly agree—but the part that struck me in the moment wasn’t “this is a microcosm for how America sucks” — it was “this is a microcosm for trying to behave democratically & respectfully of one another in a complex, evolving situation with things we can't know.”
i feel like the viral bus thread resonates because at every step of the way you're like "ok surely this will be resolved shortly, any second now," which seems like what all the passengers are also thinking. then the fact that the situation doesn't resolve and the bus just keeps going is an Allegory
January 20, 2026 at 11:15 PM
Have seen many variations of this & broadly agree—but the part that struck me in the moment wasn’t “this is a microcosm for how America sucks” — it was “this is a microcosm for trying to behave democratically & respectfully of one another in a complex, evolving situation with things we can't know.”
🥹
“I'm glad you have enough love in your life that that response comes naturally. If anything, you should be proud of that :)”
January 20, 2026 at 9:38 PM
🥹
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
NEW VIDEO!!!
We take a deep dive into True Crime creators and answer the question --
Are True Crime stories about incompetent cops radicalizing normies???
www.youtube.com/watch?v=shhu...
We take a deep dive into True Crime creators and answer the question --
Are True Crime stories about incompetent cops radicalizing normies???
www.youtube.com/watch?v=shhu...
Investigating the True-Crime to Anti-Cop Pipeline
YouTube video by Maggie Mae Fish
www.youtube.com
January 20, 2026 at 6:59 PM
NEW VIDEO!!!
We take a deep dive into True Crime creators and answer the question --
Are True Crime stories about incompetent cops radicalizing normies???
www.youtube.com/watch?v=shhu...
We take a deep dive into True Crime creators and answer the question --
Are True Crime stories about incompetent cops radicalizing normies???
www.youtube.com/watch?v=shhu...
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
It is even worse than it looks
The Old World Order is Dead
Unipolarity was given, not taken
open.substack.com
January 20, 2026 at 5:19 PM
It is even worse than it looks
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
Happy Penguin Day everyone!
January 20, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Happy Penguin Day everyone!
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
COW TOOLS COW TOOLS COW TOOLS
Back-scratching bovine leads scientists to reassess intelligence of cows
Brown Swiss in Austria has been discovered using tools in multiple ways – something only ever seen in humans and chimpanzees
www.theguardian.com
January 19, 2026 at 4:06 PM
COW TOOLS COW TOOLS COW TOOLS
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
mastodon users worked together to make sure Blacksky has a Wikipedia page, a push which arose from the need to educate other fediverse users about the project
Update: just went live thanks to a pal over on Mastodon!! (ironically, perhaps)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacksky
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacksky
Blacksky - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
January 19, 2026 at 12:29 AM
mastodon users worked together to make sure Blacksky has a Wikipedia page, a push which arose from the need to educate other fediverse users about the project
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
It's the weekend!
Perfect time to watch an hour and ten minute video essay on why cops can't solve crimes 👮🚫
nebula.tv/videos/maggi...
Perfect time to watch an hour and ten minute video essay on why cops can't solve crimes 👮🚫
nebula.tv/videos/maggi...
Maggie Mae Fish — Investigating the True-Crime to Anti-Cop Pipeline
As a True Crime consumer (don't judge me!) I've noticed a trend where creators and audience members begin to distrust the police. But is there a True Crime to anti-cop pipeline? (See full description ...
nebula.tv
January 17, 2026 at 8:05 PM
It's the weekend!
Perfect time to watch an hour and ten minute video essay on why cops can't solve crimes 👮🚫
nebula.tv/videos/maggi...
Perfect time to watch an hour and ten minute video essay on why cops can't solve crimes 👮🚫
nebula.tv/videos/maggi...
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
It's counterintuitive, but people thrive on believing awful things. Take it from someone who is often told (in her private life) that she's catastrophising. I know what these spirals are like from the inside.
They're awful, but they're addictive because they give you the illusion of mastery.
They're awful, but they're addictive because they give you the illusion of mastery.
half the userbase of this website is addicted to the dopamine hit that comes with "all is loss" bad news. they want to spiral out and resent you when you tell them something tethered to reality.
January 18, 2026 at 5:23 AM
It's counterintuitive, but people thrive on believing awful things. Take it from someone who is often told (in her private life) that she's catastrophising. I know what these spirals are like from the inside.
They're awful, but they're addictive because they give you the illusion of mastery.
They're awful, but they're addictive because they give you the illusion of mastery.
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
“How to Talk Minnesotan” is intended to be comedic but I recommend it for every autistic transplant, because no one will explain any of this to you, they’ll just get mad at you and you won’t know why. This outright just tells you the unspoken rules and everything makes so much more sense after that
This is light-hearted and doesn't touch on cases of fuckaroundits, but maybe it'll spark joy. Mid 90s local PBS.
youtu.be/oiSzwoJr4-0
youtu.be/oiSzwoJr4-0
How To Talk Minnesotan | Full Length Film
YouTube video by Twin Cities PBS
youtu.be
January 18, 2026 at 12:42 AM
“How to Talk Minnesotan” is intended to be comedic but I recommend it for every autistic transplant, because no one will explain any of this to you, they’ll just get mad at you and you won’t know why. This outright just tells you the unspoken rules and everything makes so much more sense after that
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
this site seems to genuinely have an issue with viewing explanation as a form of endorsement
Me outlining the conclusions the tribunal reached is not me endorsing them. Especially when I emphasised repeatedly that this is a first instance decision and non-binding. I'm really not sure what more I can do to make my position on this clear - it has quite literally been my entire life since FWS.
January 17, 2026 at 2:18 PM
this site seems to genuinely have an issue with viewing explanation as a form of endorsement
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
It’s consistently been one of the Bluesky’s biggest problems because one of its strengths is the presence of a ton of domain experts who are willing to explain things and one of its biggest weaknesses is the presence of a horde of reply guys who insist on interpreting those explanations as support
this site seems to genuinely have an issue with viewing explanation as a form of endorsement
Me outlining the conclusions the tribunal reached is not me endorsing them. Especially when I emphasised repeatedly that this is a first instance decision and non-binding. I'm really not sure what more I can do to make my position on this clear - it has quite literally been my entire life since FWS.
January 17, 2026 at 2:33 PM
It’s consistently been one of the Bluesky’s biggest problems because one of its strengths is the presence of a ton of domain experts who are willing to explain things and one of its biggest weaknesses is the presence of a horde of reply guys who insist on interpreting those explanations as support
Reposted by Kyle Thayer
i have been reading Tom Ricks’ “Fighting the Good War” which is a military analysis of the civil rights movement, and one thing that comes abundantly across is that movement leaders and ordinary people made it a practice to refuse to fall into despair and cynicism.
January 16, 2026 at 1:55 PM
i have been reading Tom Ricks’ “Fighting the Good War” which is a military analysis of the civil rights movement, and one thing that comes abundantly across is that movement leaders and ordinary people made it a practice to refuse to fall into despair and cynicism.