Dan
@danheslep.bsky.social
I study platforms! And sometimes I write about them too
4. I wrote my master's thesis on the potential uses of Discord as an "activist supraplatform": a platform ideally suited to organize activity as an engine of poltiical campaigning. Really interesting to be proven broadly right in ways I never would have expected. Should've published it lol
September 12, 2025 at 9:03 PM
4. I wrote my master's thesis on the potential uses of Discord as an "activist supraplatform": a platform ideally suited to organize activity as an engine of poltiical campaigning. Really interesting to be proven broadly right in ways I never would have expected. Should've published it lol
3. People often protest online using the tools that are already part of their lives, in the vernacular of their everyday use. Discord isn't necessarily "ideal" platform: it works because it's likely downstream from Discord's deep integration into the lifeworld of the protestors.
September 12, 2025 at 9:03 PM
3. People often protest online using the tools that are already part of their lives, in the vernacular of their everyday use. Discord isn't necessarily "ideal" platform: it works because it's likely downstream from Discord's deep integration into the lifeworld of the protestors.
2. Large Discord servers can be extremely chaotic, but they are hierarchical: while there are similarities to IRC chat mediated groups--like Anonymous--the ability to structure permissions by roles means that directing action (per point 1) is a lot more organized.
September 12, 2025 at 9:03 PM
2. Large Discord servers can be extremely chaotic, but they are hierarchical: while there are similarities to IRC chat mediated groups--like Anonymous--the ability to structure permissions by roles means that directing action (per point 1) is a lot more organized.
Reposted by Dan
Update on the Discord dataset: It's no longer online (zenodo.org/records/1517...) though no way to know if the researchers removed it or the platform where they posted it did. The 404 Media article was also updated with Discord clarifying that the researchers did violate their policies.
May 28, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Update on the Discord dataset: It's no longer online (zenodo.org/records/1517...) though no way to know if the researchers removed it or the platform where they posted it did. The 404 Media article was also updated with Discord clarifying that the researchers did violate their policies.
I've been working on a paper on and research ethics and semi-public space, and posted this in the Aca-Discord yesterday:
The thin a justification is that they exploit the 'server preview' feature to avoid using self-bots, but a lot of moderators are angry about this across the board
The thin a justification is that they exploit the 'server preview' feature to avoid using self-bots, but a lot of moderators are angry about this across the board
May 21, 2025 at 3:09 PM
I've been working on a paper on and research ethics and semi-public space, and posted this in the Aca-Discord yesterday:
The thin a justification is that they exploit the 'server preview' feature to avoid using self-bots, but a lot of moderators are angry about this across the board
The thin a justification is that they exploit the 'server preview' feature to avoid using self-bots, but a lot of moderators are angry about this across the board