Laurence Horton
@laurencehorton.bsky.social
<dc:description>Do #FAIRdata things at Digital Curation Centre. Did #datalibs & RDM things at LSE Library, GESIS, UK Data Archive. University of Toronto Faculty of Information graduate.</dc:description>
The ability of publishers to bypass first sale doctrine when it comes to ebooks has been one of the great heists of our time.
every librarian I know would crawl over broken glass for the chance to fistfight an ebook company executive. the ebook policies are genuinely diabolical
November 17, 2025 at 7:34 PM
The ability of publishers to bypass first sale doctrine when it comes to ebooks has been one of the great heists of our time.
Reminds me of the old line about the music industry: "Everyone's a one-hit wonder. If they're lucky."
Just for the journal I help edit, there is one article that accounts for nearly 20 per cent of ALL views. The top five visited articles account for just over half of all abstract and article views.
Just for the journal I help edit, there is one article that accounts for nearly 20 per cent of ALL views. The top five visited articles account for just over half of all abstract and article views.
November 11, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Reminds me of the old line about the music industry: "Everyone's a one-hit wonder. If they're lucky."
Just for the journal I help edit, there is one article that accounts for nearly 20 per cent of ALL views. The top five visited articles account for just over half of all abstract and article views.
Just for the journal I help edit, there is one article that accounts for nearly 20 per cent of ALL views. The top five visited articles account for just over half of all abstract and article views.
I'm thinking about another Laurence Horton on this Remembrance Day. Laurence or Lawrence (birth certificate and index give different spellings) is my first cousin once removed. No, I am not named after him. #RemembranceDay #ArmisticeDay #LestWeForget
November 11, 2025 at 10:36 AM
I'm thinking about another Laurence Horton on this Remembrance Day. Laurence or Lawrence (birth certificate and index give different spellings) is my first cousin once removed. No, I am not named after him. #RemembranceDay #ArmisticeDay #LestWeForget
Heard comments that data rescue initiatives are nice but what we actually need is infrastructure. Well, yes. But resilience needs a foundation in people, so 👏@lyndamk.bsky.social "It's not just about the rescues, it's about the community we build through the rescues"
www.404media.co/podcast-a-ma...
www.404media.co/podcast-a-ma...
Podcast: A Massive Archiving Effort at National Parks (with Jenny McBurney and Lynda Kellam)
This week we have a conversation between Sam and two of the leaders of the independent volunteer archiving project Save Our Signs, an effort to archive national park signs and monument placards.
www.404media.co
November 10, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Heard comments that data rescue initiatives are nice but what we actually need is infrastructure. Well, yes. But resilience needs a foundation in people, so 👏@lyndamk.bsky.social "It's not just about the rescues, it's about the community we build through the rescues"
www.404media.co/podcast-a-ma...
www.404media.co/podcast-a-ma...
Two things you should think about very carefully before committing to are tattoos and adding documents to Sharepoint. You may regret them; you can never remove them.
November 7, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Two things you should think about very carefully before committing to are tattoos and adding documents to Sharepoint. You may regret them; you can never remove them.
My great wish for this moment in time is that my laptop calendar and phone calendar put aside whatever differences they may have and find a way to communicate with each other.
November 7, 2025 at 8:29 PM
My great wish for this moment in time is that my laptop calendar and phone calendar put aside whatever differences they may have and find a way to communicate with each other.
Also, there's nothing to *learn* about AI that can't be taught through a grounding in epistemology, logic, and ethics. Same old story about information systems and information and communication technologies.
The sociological explanation for current plans to cram AI into the school curriculum is old - a curriculum is always a composite of the "knowledge of the powerful".
AI firms and friends are now very powerful, just as tech firms were when "learning to code" got crammed into the curriculum too.
AI firms and friends are now very powerful, just as tech firms were when "learning to code" got crammed into the curriculum too.
November 7, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Also, there's nothing to *learn* about AI that can't be taught through a grounding in epistemology, logic, and ethics. Same old story about information systems and information and communication technologies.
Thinking back to a month a two ago when Sam Altman was reassuring us they'd solved the suicide machine problem, and so were giving us the chance to add big boobs to women.
I fully believe in the corporate death penalty and believe we would be a better world if OpenAI lost its corporate charter and was forcibly dissolved.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
ChatGPT encouraged college graduate to commit suicide, family claims in lawsuit against OpenAI | CNN
A 23-year-old man killed himself in Texas after ChatGPT ‘goaded’ him to commit suicide, his family says in a lawsuit.
www.cnn.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Thinking back to a month a two ago when Sam Altman was reassuring us they'd solved the suicide machine problem, and so were giving us the chance to add big boobs to women.
I wonder if she's ever Meta social media company that could be providing a platform for extremist views?
Miriam González Durántez, the wife of former UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, told the FT she is drawing up plans to launch a new political party challenging 'corrupt' mainstream politicians whose failures are fuelling disaffection and extremist views. on.ft.com/3WGscuC
November 4, 2025 at 6:04 PM
I wonder if she's ever Meta social media company that could be providing a platform for extremist views?
From a data cleaning perspective the only thing worse than an open text field is a controlled vocabulary one.
November 3, 2025 at 7:23 PM
From a data cleaning perspective the only thing worse than an open text field is a controlled vocabulary one.
One thing we try with IDCC is to give a platform to people working where we are visiting. Delighted to see this announced. @anticac.bsky.social will, no doubt, provide an engaging kick-off from the perspective of a researcher working in open science and based in Croatia. #IDCC26.
🙌 We're delighted to introduce our first keynote speaker for #IDCC26
@anticac.bsky.social of The Ruđer Boskovic Institute, is an evolutionary ecologist and meta-scientist with expertise in evidence synthesis, open science, and social bond dynamics.
dcc.ac.uk/events/idcc2...
Photo by Ana Opalić.
@anticac.bsky.social of The Ruđer Boskovic Institute, is an evolutionary ecologist and meta-scientist with expertise in evidence synthesis, open science, and social bond dynamics.
dcc.ac.uk/events/idcc2...
Photo by Ana Opalić.
October 31, 2025 at 12:59 PM
One thing we try with IDCC is to give a platform to people working where we are visiting. Delighted to see this announced. @anticac.bsky.social will, no doubt, provide an engaging kick-off from the perspective of a researcher working in open science and based in Croatia. #IDCC26.
A voice in your head that finds everything you do at fault for failing to do this, that, or something else, allied with a natural reaction of "what's your motivation for saying that?" to any praise you do receive, does tend to inoculate you against the egregious flattery of these chatbots.
I do wonder what will happen after years of heavy AI users receive every statement prefixed with clappy-toddler-encouragement. I find this stuff extremely annoying/inefficient/insincere, but presumably it's being selected strongly in the reinforcement learning from human feedback...
October 31, 2025 at 12:58 PM
A voice in your head that finds everything you do at fault for failing to do this, that, or something else, allied with a natural reaction of "what's your motivation for saying that?" to any praise you do receive, does tend to inoculate you against the egregious flattery of these chatbots.
Ok, using spaces is poor practice, but otherwise, short, descriptive, indicates version ✅
Genuinely delighted to download a PhD thesis from a university repository where the author has neglected to remove the words "BITCH THIS IS YOUR THESIS" from the filename.
October 30, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Ok, using spaces is poor practice, but otherwise, short, descriptive, indicates version ✅
In other news, "I am not a bot! I am not an AI crawler! I am a human being! I... am... a man!"
October 29, 2025 at 7:10 PM
In other news, "I am not a bot! I am not an AI crawler! I am a human being! I... am... a man!"
Really digging the way Copy Link in Outlook does not in fact copy the link. Great job Gatesy.
October 29, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Really digging the way Copy Link in Outlook does not in fact copy the link. Great job Gatesy.
Nice idea from @icpsr.bsky.social for #LoveData26. Help translate "Love Data Week" and "Where's the data?" into as many languages as possible. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Check what's been submitted so far: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Check what's been submitted so far: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Submit your translations for Love Data Week 2026!
Do you have a translation of the Love Data Week theme? Submit them here.
You can find previously submitted translations on our Translation page. You can find links to Canva editable versions of our ...
docs.google.com
October 24, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Nice idea from @icpsr.bsky.social for #LoveData26. Help translate "Love Data Week" and "Where's the data?" into as many languages as possible. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Check what's been submitted so far: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Check what's been submitted so far: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
A modern classic for your RDM/research methods presentations on data anonymisation.
Learned that an anonymous outside expert on submersibles did an interview with the OceanGate Titan investigation, and they released a transcript, with all the names redacted. The first line of his first answer? "I'm sure you're familiar with my film Titanic."
October 17, 2025 at 1:23 PM
A modern classic for your RDM/research methods presentations on data anonymisation.
I've heard of selling your body for sex, but, of course, it's Open AI so they're going to be selling other peoples'.
it’s because you want paying customers to try and fill the financial chasm (especially those that don’t need mega huge expensive context windows) not because you have a commitment to free expression
Sam Altman says OpenAI is "not the elected moral police of the world" after receiving backlash for saying ChatGPT will allow "erotica for verified adults" (Ashley Capoot/CNBC)
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
October 15, 2025 at 8:46 PM
I've heard of selling your body for sex, but, of course, it's Open AI so they're going to be selling other peoples'.
Great call for the next @rdapassociation.bsky.social summit:
"Practical, Personalized, Impactful: Research Data in the Real World".
With RDAP it's always programme quality high, cost of attending low. Recommended!
rdapassociation.org/summit
"Practical, Personalized, Impactful: Research Data in the Real World".
With RDAP it's always programme quality high, cost of attending low. Recommended!
rdapassociation.org/summit
Research Data Access and Preservation Association - RDAP Summit
rdapassociation.org
October 15, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Great call for the next @rdapassociation.bsky.social summit:
"Practical, Personalized, Impactful: Research Data in the Real World".
With RDAP it's always programme quality high, cost of attending low. Recommended!
rdapassociation.org/summit
"Practical, Personalized, Impactful: Research Data in the Real World".
With RDAP it's always programme quality high, cost of attending low. Recommended!
rdapassociation.org/summit
Another Bsky welcome, this time to Sonraí, who have been putting together and sustaining an excellent data steward network in Ireland. And, would you believe it, happen to be presenting on this at next year's #IDCC26 (registration now open, etc...)
"Hello World" from Sonraí - the Irish data stewardship network. We aim to promote & support the transition to a FAIR and open research data landscape in Ireland. We will have regular shout-outs and updates on here, and check out our website: www.datastewards.ie
#DataStewards #FAIRdata #OpenResearch
#DataStewards #FAIRdata #OpenResearch
Sonraí – Irish Data Stewardship Network
Irish Data Stewardship Network
www.datastewards.ie
October 15, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Another Bsky welcome, this time to Sonraí, who have been putting together and sustaining an excellent data steward network in Ireland. And, would you believe it, happen to be presenting on this at next year's #IDCC26 (registration now open, etc...)
"The King has said he's going to put a tax on tea,
And that's the reason y'all Americans drink coffee" (Harvey, 1976)
And that's the reason y'all Americans drink coffee" (Harvey, 1976)
Not wanting to pay a bunch of tariffs is literally why Americans drink coffee over tea, despite being a former British colony (and also why America stopped being a British colony). And now the America First crowd is saying "let them drink Monster". Politics is so stupid now.
Tariffs have rapidly increased the price of coffee—a drink with almost no nutritional value and lots of functional substitutes. Yet coffee may also be the one thing Americans can’t live without, @elcush.bsky.social writes:
October 14, 2025 at 5:23 PM
"The King has said he's going to put a tax on tea,
And that's the reason y'all Americans drink coffee" (Harvey, 1976)
And that's the reason y'all Americans drink coffee" (Harvey, 1976)
"Our AI data stew..." *SLAMS LAPTOP SHUT*
October 14, 2025 at 4:52 PM
"Our AI data stew..." *SLAMS LAPTOP SHUT*
Friday. The day when I work through closing all the tabs I opened from Monday to Thursday.
October 10, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Friday. The day when I work through closing all the tabs I opened from Monday to Thursday.
Sometimes you can see where there is a natural end point. A point of full stop, end of discussion, nothing else to see, everyone go home now.
“I just don’t know how you go around, asking everyone first. I just don’t see how that would work,” Clegg said.
Naturally, Cleggy goes on.
“I just don’t know how you go around, asking everyone first. I just don’t see how that would work,” Clegg said.
Naturally, Cleggy goes on.
Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry
Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry
Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.
buff.ly
October 8, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Sometimes you can see where there is a natural end point. A point of full stop, end of discussion, nothing else to see, everyone go home now.
“I just don’t know how you go around, asking everyone first. I just don’t see how that would work,” Clegg said.
Naturally, Cleggy goes on.
“I just don’t know how you go around, asking everyone first. I just don’t see how that would work,” Clegg said.
Naturally, Cleggy goes on.
Reposted by Laurence Horton
📢Good news alert!📢 NEW version (v002) of the CODATA RDM Terminology now online! Info + link: codata.org/codata-and-t... Direct link: vocabs.ardc.edu.au/viewById/685 Thanks to our fabulous expert Working Group and technical heroes @ardc.edu.au 👏 @codata-isc.bsky.social
CODATA and the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) announce the updated 2025 CODATA Research Data Management Terminology (RDMT) - CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC
Paris, October 2025. CODATA and the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) are delighted to announce the publication of the updated CODATA Research Data Management Terminology (RDMT) 2025. The Termin...
codata.org
October 8, 2025 at 9:55 AM
📢Good news alert!📢 NEW version (v002) of the CODATA RDM Terminology now online! Info + link: codata.org/codata-and-t... Direct link: vocabs.ardc.edu.au/viewById/685 Thanks to our fabulous expert Working Group and technical heroes @ardc.edu.au 👏 @codata-isc.bsky.social