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Matthew Kirschenbaum

@mkirschenbaum.bsky.social

12K followers 800 following 4.4K posts

Critical tech and AI. Cats, letterpress printing, tabletop gaming. Distinguished University Professor at UMD; come January, Commonwealth Professor at UVA. I am speaking only for me, myself, and I—as a private citizen—here. Being a dick gets you blocked.

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Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · Jun 13

Wanted to share here that I have accepted an endowed chair offer from my Alma mater, the University of Virginia, where (after 25 wonderful years at UMD) I will be starting in January as Commonwealth Professor of Artificial Intelligence and English.

Mid selfie of me on UVA Lawn with Rotunda over my shoulder.

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Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 3h

💯

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 5h

Perfect.

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 5h

Alan Elrod (autocorrects to Elrond) has quickly become one of my favorite voices on the current moment.

Alan Elrod @aselrod.bsky.social · 8h

I wrote about how hard it is to do politics in reality right now, both because of the fictions beings imposed on us and because of the fictions we maintain in our own minds. Read at @liberalcurrents.com

www.liberalcurrents.com/all-in-our-h...

All In Our Heads: On Losing Our Democracy and Life Beyond Our Imaginations

Our language has to meet the moment, and we have to be relentless about dispelling the fiction MAGA is selling.

www.liberalcurrents.com

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Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 5h

Just to underscore: VA Senate Dems brought the 🔥, but it’s very clear the text of their letter was directly inspired by public writing from @sivav.bsky.social, a UVA faculty member. Each party worked with the tools at hand, be they brain and words or force of law.

Resistance is an ecology.

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 1d

Virginia State Senate Dems just brought down fire and fury regarding the “Compact,” notifying the President and Rector that UVA would lose ALL STATE APPROPRIATIONS if it signs and cedes the University to “federal political control.” Notably, their letter directly restates points made here by @siva.

Siva @sivav.bsky.social · 1d

The “compact” for higher ed is an unserious document written by unserious people from a position of spectacular ignorance. No one should take it seriously. Sadly, my bosses are taking it seriously.

newrepublic.com/article/2013...

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Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 18h

Governance as content.

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 22h

Good lord.

@apnews.com

Reposted by Matthew Kirschenbaum

Monteiro @monteiro.bsky.social · 20h

This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever made. Except that’s an evergreen statement at this point.

A pile of zines called DONT BUILD THE TORMENT NEXUS!

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Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 19h

I don’t really see it as a situation of moral equivalency but 🤷‍♂️

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 20h

Hello!

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Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 20h

I hear AI can make all your dreams come true

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 20h

I don’t like saying it’s come to this, but I think it has.

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Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 20h

Or just dicks.

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Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 21h

😄

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 21h

Yes. That’s what the oath is for.

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 21h

Still, I’ll leave QT’s turned on for a while, entertainment is where you find it.

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Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 21h

Well the mooks are starting to turn out for this one, breaking the astonishing news that the Trump administration has done nasty things to Black and brown people. As if that revelation just straightforwardly transfers to the situation of a white, cis, billionaire, governor of a state.

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Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 21h

Apologies, I inadvertently replied to this earlier instead of a different skeet!

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 21h

Tired: the Compact.

Wired: a New and Improved Compact, now with Feedback (tm)!

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 22h

It’s really outstanding, and dare I say a model. The only thing I wish were different was that it stated future versions and revisions of the compact (which we will surely see) are also off the table.

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 22h

Quite possibly, though covers are usually still offset (maybe)?

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 23h

I’ve been consistently surprised (in a good way) by the State Senate Democratic majority. Their federal counterparts could learn a thing or three.

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Reposted by Matthew Kirschenbaum

Laprofmme @laprofmme.bsky.social · 23h

🔥🔥🔥
"We expect the University to immediately cease all deliberations regarding this compact and to promptly notify the Trump Administration in writing that the University of Virginia will not consider signing this agreement."

Full text linked here

CBS19 News: Charlottesville News First @cbs19news.bsky.social · 1d

#JustIn: Democrats in the state Senate say "future budget considerations" could impact UVA if it signs onto the Trump administration's education compact.

State Senate Democrats tell UVA to not consider education compact

Democrats in the state Senate write that if UVA signs the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, “there will be significant consequences in future Virginia budget cycles.”

www.cbs19news.com

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Reposted by Matthew Kirschenbaum

Constant Scream @ajaxsinger.bsky.social · 1d

It's interesting seeing the different ways resistance has formed in different cities. Los Angeles Organized, Chicago Radicalized, and Portland Got Weird as Fuck. All 3 have had success unifying their respective cities.

I guess my point is there are multiple paths to ungovernability.

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Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 1d

We’re blaming the American public now? Good luck with that.

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 1d

Not sure I can bear to do a Halloween name but if I did:

Matthew Cherry Chopper 🍒 🪓

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 1d

I just have no way of answering that in any kind of meaningfully informed way.