Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
@frank.computer
On the job market!
Presently PhD candidate studying tool-making for vis 📊 @hcii.cmu.edu. Prev: Adobe, Highsoft, Apple, Visa.
Softer-ware (malleability), accessibility, data interaction, node-edge navigation
Disabled & making a ttrpg.
www.frank.computer
Presently PhD candidate studying tool-making for vis 📊 @hcii.cmu.edu. Prev: Adobe, Highsoft, Apple, Visa.
Softer-ware (malleability), accessibility, data interaction, node-edge navigation
Disabled & making a ttrpg.
www.frank.computer
Pinned
Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
@frank.computer
· Sep 25
Open Visualization Academy
openvisualizationacademy.org
I just finished recording my course materials for @albertocairo.com's Open Visualization Academy. 🎉
I'm looking forward to being able to share the first-ever comprehensive online course on Accessibility in Visualization. Stay tuned for this January!
openvisualizationacademy.org
I'm looking forward to being able to share the first-ever comprehensive online course on Accessibility in Visualization. Stay tuned for this January!
openvisualizationacademy.org
I am a *far* leftist in many ways and even getting a fraction closer to any of the dimensions in this thread would be amazing.
Too many leftists have been defeatist in the past 15 years (for good reason). But we must not give up.
In the face of horrifying fascism, we still must not give up.
Too many leftists have been defeatist in the past 15 years (for good reason). But we must not give up.
In the face of horrifying fascism, we still must not give up.
If there's one empirical insight I'd want everyone to understand about American politics, it's this:
America's problems are solved problems. Just not here.
What would change if the US simply matched the average of 31 peer democracies? Not Denmark or Norway. Just the middle of the pack. 🧵
America's problems are solved problems. Just not here.
What would change if the US simply matched the average of 31 peer democracies? Not Denmark or Norway. Just the middle of the pack. 🧵
January 12, 2026 at 10:09 PM
I am a *far* leftist in many ways and even getting a fraction closer to any of the dimensions in this thread would be amazing.
Too many leftists have been defeatist in the past 15 years (for good reason). But we must not give up.
In the face of horrifying fascism, we still must not give up.
Too many leftists have been defeatist in the past 15 years (for good reason). But we must not give up.
In the face of horrifying fascism, we still must not give up.
Reposted by Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
Air pollution kills over 100,000 people every year in the U.S., about 5 times all homicide combined. But you won't see wall-to-wall coverage of Trump's deadly announcement. The *volume* of news coverage affects who and what we are afraid of, and which larger threats we ignore.
January 12, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Air pollution kills over 100,000 people every year in the U.S., about 5 times all homicide combined. But you won't see wall-to-wall coverage of Trump's deadly announcement. The *volume* of news coverage affects who and what we are afraid of, and which larger threats we ignore.
How is apple possibly going to convince the public it cares about privacy after this? Why give your data to a third party when you can just *checks notes* give your data to a third party?
January 12, 2026 at 4:28 PM
How is apple possibly going to convince the public it cares about privacy after this? Why give your data to a third party when you can just *checks notes* give your data to a third party?
Reposted by Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
When Renee Good said "I'm not mad at you" what the ICE goon heard was "I'm not scared of you."
That's what enraged him. The populace wasn't fully terrorized and cowed into submission yet, so he acted to make that happen.
That's what enraged him. The populace wasn't fully terrorized and cowed into submission yet, so he acted to make that happen.
January 9, 2026 at 9:49 PM
When Renee Good said "I'm not mad at you" what the ICE goon heard was "I'm not scared of you."
That's what enraged him. The populace wasn't fully terrorized and cowed into submission yet, so he acted to make that happen.
That's what enraged him. The populace wasn't fully terrorized and cowed into submission yet, so he acted to make that happen.
Reposted by Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
Folks @westernufims.bsky.social @westernu.ca #londonON, come see the inimitable and brilliant @oddletters.bsky.social speak on the right-wing history of venture-capital and its role in our tech dystopia. Thursday the 15th -- 4:30 pm on campus. Register here! uwo.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
January 9, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Folks @westernufims.bsky.social @westernu.ca #londonON, come see the inimitable and brilliant @oddletters.bsky.social speak on the right-wing history of venture-capital and its role in our tech dystopia. Thursday the 15th -- 4:30 pm on campus. Register here! uwo.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
This is one of the greatest color tools to come out for data visualization in probably 7 or 8 years at least. Amazing work (read the whole thread, too! this is just a random post from the stack of good stuff)
Contrast ratios give you contast for each colour against white, your lightest colour, your darkest colour, and black, letting you know which combinations don't pass WCAG guidelines. Clicking on any one will take you to my favourite two-colour contrast ratio tool with those colours pre-input.
January 8, 2026 at 10:30 PM
This is one of the greatest color tools to come out for data visualization in probably 7 or 8 years at least. Amazing work (read the whole thread, too! this is just a random post from the stack of good stuff)
Reposted by Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
this is how every outlet should refer to X
January 6, 2026 at 5:11 PM
this is how every outlet should refer to X
Reposted by Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
This is a gorgeous write-up of what accessibility in visualization is all about.
Also, I cannot wait to share the course once it is out on the 31st! It's the most comprehensive open course on the topic of accessibility in visualization and great for students of both accessibility and visualization.
Also, I cannot wait to share the course once it is out on the 31st! It's the most comprehensive open course on the topic of accessibility in visualization and great for students of both accessibility and visualization.
In the newsletter: Designing for Everyone by Michela Tjan: openvisualizationacademy.beehiiv.com/p/designing-... with a nod to @frank.computer's fantastic course about accessibility for the Open Visualization Academy (launching on January 31st!)
Designing for Everyone
Why Accessibility Matters
openvisualizationacademy.beehiiv.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:13 PM
This is a gorgeous write-up of what accessibility in visualization is all about.
Also, I cannot wait to share the course once it is out on the 31st! It's the most comprehensive open course on the topic of accessibility in visualization and great for students of both accessibility and visualization.
Also, I cannot wait to share the course once it is out on the 31st! It's the most comprehensive open course on the topic of accessibility in visualization and great for students of both accessibility and visualization.
Reposted by Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
It’s never too late to quit Twitter.
Just seen Grok putting the body of the victim of the ICE shooting in Minneapolis into a bikini. Digital corpse desecration now available to the public.
January 8, 2026 at 4:12 PM
It’s never too late to quit Twitter.
Reposted by Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
In the newsletter: Designing for Everyone by Michela Tjan: openvisualizationacademy.beehiiv.com/p/designing-... with a nod to @frank.computer's fantastic course about accessibility for the Open Visualization Academy (launching on January 31st!)
Designing for Everyone
Why Accessibility Matters
openvisualizationacademy.beehiiv.com
January 8, 2026 at 2:37 PM
In the newsletter: Designing for Everyone by Michela Tjan: openvisualizationacademy.beehiiv.com/p/designing-... with a nod to @frank.computer's fantastic course about accessibility for the Open Visualization Academy (launching on January 31st!)
This is a gorgeous write-up of what accessibility in visualization is all about.
Also, I cannot wait to share the course once it is out on the 31st! It's the most comprehensive open course on the topic of accessibility in visualization and great for students of both accessibility and visualization.
Also, I cannot wait to share the course once it is out on the 31st! It's the most comprehensive open course on the topic of accessibility in visualization and great for students of both accessibility and visualization.
In the newsletter: Designing for Everyone by Michela Tjan: openvisualizationacademy.beehiiv.com/p/designing-... with a nod to @frank.computer's fantastic course about accessibility for the Open Visualization Academy (launching on January 31st!)
Designing for Everyone
Why Accessibility Matters
openvisualizationacademy.beehiiv.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:13 PM
This is a gorgeous write-up of what accessibility in visualization is all about.
Also, I cannot wait to share the course once it is out on the 31st! It's the most comprehensive open course on the topic of accessibility in visualization and great for students of both accessibility and visualization.
Also, I cannot wait to share the course once it is out on the 31st! It's the most comprehensive open course on the topic of accessibility in visualization and great for students of both accessibility and visualization.
Gorgeous advice. This is like breathing mountain air or smelling a pine forest; instantly heals the soul to see that creation should be a deeply selfish act. It is more beautiful that way, because it captures who we are and what we see so much more than any perfectionism or production-based mindset.
write for yourself and the audience will show up
January 6, 2026 at 3:45 PM
Gorgeous advice. This is like breathing mountain air or smelling a pine forest; instantly heals the soul to see that creation should be a deeply selfish act. It is more beautiful that way, because it captures who we are and what we see so much more than any perfectionism or production-based mindset.
Reposted by Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
"What is the ROI of UX?" is shaped like a question, but it is actually two hostile premises:
1) that UX is sufficiently marginal for its value to be openly questioned
2) that the asker has the authority to judge this question, and practitioners are merely consulted on it, as a matter of courtesy
1) that UX is sufficiently marginal for its value to be openly questioned
2) that the asker has the authority to judge this question, and practitioners are merely consulted on it, as a matter of courtesy
January 6, 2026 at 1:27 PM
"What is the ROI of UX?" is shaped like a question, but it is actually two hostile premises:
1) that UX is sufficiently marginal for its value to be openly questioned
2) that the asker has the authority to judge this question, and practitioners are merely consulted on it, as a matter of courtesy
1) that UX is sufficiently marginal for its value to be openly questioned
2) that the asker has the authority to judge this question, and practitioners are merely consulted on it, as a matter of courtesy
The Onion, from 2003.
January 3, 2026 at 10:42 PM
The Onion, from 2003.
Reposted by Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
We need to move towards an internet where the user gets to control their own experience.
Core idea: what if we had a mechanic, similar to "community notes" on twitter or editorialization on wikipedia, that enabled us to provide comments, edits, and even front-end repair anywhere on the web? What if we had our own social "layer" of interaction above the sewer of the modern-day internet?
December 28, 2025 at 9:32 PM
We need to move towards an internet where the user gets to control their own experience.
Reposted by Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
aaaaaaaa this is one of my most favorite books and i am SO PSYCHED that there's a new edition!!!
The new preface to this great and depressing scholarly book gets into the explosion of sports betting and “prediction markets” since 2012’s 1st edition, plus well-meaning games-for-change types trying to harness dark patterns for good. Everyone within 30 feet of gamedev should read it.
December 27, 2025 at 2:33 AM
aaaaaaaa this is one of my most favorite books and i am SO PSYCHED that there's a new edition!!!
Core idea: what if we had a mechanic, similar to "community notes" on twitter or editorialization on wikipedia, that enabled us to provide comments, edits, and even front-end repair anywhere on the web? What if we had our own social "layer" of interaction above the sewer of the modern-day internet?
December 26, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Core idea: what if we had a mechanic, similar to "community notes" on twitter or editorialization on wikipedia, that enabled us to provide comments, edits, and even front-end repair anywhere on the web? What if we had our own social "layer" of interaction above the sewer of the modern-day internet?
Reposted by Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
“there have been 4.6M+ illnesses, 49k hospitalizations, & 1,900 deaths from flu this season so far.
The bulk…are being linked to the new variant known as subclade K….Of just over 900 flu samples, ~90% were A(H3N2). Of those that had further genetic testing, nearly 90% belonged to subclade K.”🛟🧪
The bulk…are being linked to the new variant known as subclade K….Of just over 900 flu samples, ~90% were A(H3N2). Of those that had further genetic testing, nearly 90% belonged to subclade K.”🛟🧪
December 21, 2025 at 2:13 PM
“there have been 4.6M+ illnesses, 49k hospitalizations, & 1,900 deaths from flu this season so far.
The bulk…are being linked to the new variant known as subclade K….Of just over 900 flu samples, ~90% were A(H3N2). Of those that had further genetic testing, nearly 90% belonged to subclade K.”🛟🧪
The bulk…are being linked to the new variant known as subclade K….Of just over 900 flu samples, ~90% were A(H3N2). Of those that had further genetic testing, nearly 90% belonged to subclade K.”🛟🧪
Reposted by Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
This year's students are amazing. They've already lined up great internships and projects, too!
Co-instructing was a blast. I'm really proud of this cohort and they helped to remind me why academia isn't so bad, after all.
Co-instructing was a blast. I'm really proud of this cohort and they helped to remind me why academia isn't so bad, after all.
A really fun part of teaching visualization at @cmu.edu and @hcii.cmu.edu is to share the final projects from the class. This time, you can learn about redistricting, livability, drug prices, humanity, keyboards, and commuting.
Check out dig.cmu.edu/datavis-fall....
Check out dig.cmu.edu/datavis-fall....
Showcase
CMU Data Vis 2025
dig.cmu.edu
December 17, 2025 at 8:12 PM
This year's students are amazing. They've already lined up great internships and projects, too!
Co-instructing was a blast. I'm really proud of this cohort and they helped to remind me why academia isn't so bad, after all.
Co-instructing was a blast. I'm really proud of this cohort and they helped to remind me why academia isn't so bad, after all.
This year's students are amazing. They've already lined up great internships and projects, too!
Co-instructing was a blast. I'm really proud of this cohort and they helped to remind me why academia isn't so bad, after all.
Co-instructing was a blast. I'm really proud of this cohort and they helped to remind me why academia isn't so bad, after all.
A really fun part of teaching visualization at @cmu.edu and @hcii.cmu.edu is to share the final projects from the class. This time, you can learn about redistricting, livability, drug prices, humanity, keyboards, and commuting.
Check out dig.cmu.edu/datavis-fall....
Check out dig.cmu.edu/datavis-fall....
Showcase
CMU Data Vis 2025
dig.cmu.edu
December 17, 2025 at 8:12 PM
This year's students are amazing. They've already lined up great internships and projects, too!
Co-instructing was a blast. I'm really proud of this cohort and they helped to remind me why academia isn't so bad, after all.
Co-instructing was a blast. I'm really proud of this cohort and they helped to remind me why academia isn't so bad, after all.
Reposted by Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
it's not even saying someone is crazy, it's so much more nuanced than that. it's conveying someone who is legitimately on to something, who has descended into a world of madness to find it. it's an affirmation of charlie as something tenacious but misunderstood in all of us. in this essay i will-
December 15, 2025 at 11:21 PM
it's not even saying someone is crazy, it's so much more nuanced than that. it's conveying someone who is legitimately on to something, who has descended into a world of madness to find it. it's an affirmation of charlie as something tenacious but misunderstood in all of us. in this essay i will-
Reposted by Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
One way that the reaction to Rob Reiner's murder mirrors Charlie Kirk's is that the best way to eulogize each of them is to quote their words, and in both cases, doing so pisses off conservatives.
Rob Reiner: “Silence in the face of authoritarianism is complicity. Speaking out is a patriotic act. Democracy doesn’t defend itself. It requires participation, vigilance, and courage from ordinary people."
December 15, 2025 at 8:52 PM
One way that the reaction to Rob Reiner's murder mirrors Charlie Kirk's is that the best way to eulogize each of them is to quote their words, and in both cases, doing so pisses off conservatives.
Reposted by Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
Grading and googling hallucinated citations, as one does nowadays, and now that LLMs have been around for a while, I've discovered new horrors: hallucinated journals are now appearing in Google Scholar with dozens of citations bc so many people are citing these fake things
December 15, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Grading and googling hallucinated citations, as one does nowadays, and now that LLMs have been around for a while, I've discovered new horrors: hallucinated journals are now appearing in Google Scholar with dozens of citations bc so many people are citing these fake things
Reposted by Frank Elavsky (he/him) ⌁
Read the book itself if you want something longer too! www.wiley.com/en-us/Anothe...
Another Science is Possible: A Manifesto for Slow Science
Like fast food, fast science is quickly prepared, not particularly good, and it clogs up the system. Efforts to tackle our most pressing issues have been stymied by conflict within the scientific comm...
www.wiley.com
December 14, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Read the book itself if you want something longer too! www.wiley.com/en-us/Anothe...