Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by James Baker

Chris Parr @chrisjparr.bsky.social · 23h

Risk-averse universities “hindering REF performance” by ignoring non-traditional research.

Institutions should “pull their socks up”, @nataliejessic10.bsky.social tells the 2025 Hidden REF Festival (@hiddenref.bsky.social).

Free to read: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Risk-averse universities ‘hindering own REF performance’ - Research Professional News

Hidden REF Festival: Institutions urged to “pull their socks up” and submit more non-traditional outputs

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Reposted by James Baker

Carla Denyer @carladenyer.bsky.social · 3d

Wish I could say I was shocked, but here's the Labour government constraining the right to peaceful protest again...

'You can protest but only according to our rules. The rules are: you're not allowed to use any of the tactics that make protest effective.'

Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 3d

NEW: Home Office announces planned new anti-protest powers, mainly aimed at pro-Gaza protests like those for Palestine Action. Police will be able to consider the "cumulative impact" of repeated protests and potentially order that they be relocated.

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David S. Moon @daimoon.bsky.social · 3d

just because you have a freedom "doesn't mean you have to use it at every moment of every day"

Just roll that sentence around your mental palate and taste the underlying logic

Laura Kuenssberg asks if it is a "dark step" to limit the fundamental right to protest?
Mahmood answers that just because you have a freedom "doesn't mean you have to use it at every moment of every day".
Under her new plans people will still have the right to protest, Mahmood adds.

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Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 3d

NEW: Home Office announces planned new anti-protest powers, mainly aimed at pro-Gaza protests like those for Palestine Action. Police will be able to consider the "cumulative impact" of repeated protests and potentially order that they be relocated.

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Reposted by James Baker

Martin Paul Eve @eve.gd · 4d

Wikipedia. Not unproblematic, but still perhaps the greatest thing to come out of internet utopianism and optimism about collective behaviour. And they want to destroy it.

Patrick McCray @patrickmccray.bsky.social · 4d

When the goal is just to destroy everything...

www.wsj.com/tech/wikiped...

Why Conservatives Are Attacking ‘Wokepedia’

A crusade is growing against Wikipedia, which says it is intent on keeping a neutral point of view.

www.wsj.com

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 4d

Somehow we need to construct a world where negative energy prices for clean energy are a social good --- "Storm Amy brings negative electricity prices to UK" - on.ft.com/3WmR628 via @FT

Storm Amy brings negative electricity prices to UK

Gusty weather drives huge amounts of wind power into the grid

on.ft.com

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Reposted by James Baker

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 4d

The situation with Blackboard - now its owner is bankrupt and it's coming under new private equity ownership and control - is serious enough the UK agency for HE tech is advising all affected universities to seek assurances regarding data security inspiringlearning.jiscinvolve.org/wp/2025/10/s...

Data protection (UK GDPR)
Obtain confirmation that Anthology will continue to meet its UK GDPR Article 28 obligations as your data processor throughout the process.
Get clarification of sub processor stability (no changes planned; if changes are anticipated, please provide advance notice and details).
Confirm that no organisational changes arising from the restructuring will alter how your personal data is accessed, processed, or transferred; if any changes are envisaged, please outline controls, locations, and safeguards.

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Reposted by James Baker

Daniel van Strien @danielvanstrien.bsky.social · 5d

New @hf.co BigLAM dataset: 9,363 OA books with page images + rich MARC metadata for evaluating (and training) VLMs on metadata extraction.

Libraries are starting to explore AI-assisted cataloguing, but we lack public evaluation data. Hoping this helps fill that gap.

huggingface.co/datasets/big...

Screenshot of the dataset viewer showing a column of marc data + the first few pages of an open access monograph

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Reposted by James Baker

Software Sustainability Institute @softwaresaved.bsky.social · 6d

⏳ The DisCouRSE Network+ has launched its first Flexible Fund, offering up to £10,000 to support projects that strengthen leadership training and career pathways for digital Research Technical Professionals (dRTPs).

Find out more at www.software.ac.uk/news/discour...

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Reposted by James Baker

Jane Winters @jfwinters.bsky.social · 7d

Join us on 20 November for the Annual Digital Lecture, a partnership between The National Archives, UK and the School of Advanced Study. The wonderful @nannathylstrup.bsky.social will be speaking about ‘When saving becomes loss: archival memory in the digital age’. Free to register!

When saving becomes loss: Archival memory in the digital age

Explore archival memory, data loss, and attempts to preserve the past in the digital age at this year’s Annual Digital Lecture.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 6d

Change is possible, in a good way.

Kudos to the Mayor of London, who had a plan, implemented it and stuck to it.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 6d

For the first time ever, London has met legal limits for nitrogen dioxide.

When I became Mayor, we were told it would take 193 years. We did it 184 years earlier than expected.

Cleaner air means a healthier city and big savings for the NHS.

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Oscar Seip @oscarseip.bsky.social · 8d

Applications are still open for the @softwaresaved.bsky.social #Fellowship Programme, but not for long. The deadline is Monday 6 October.

For more details and resources, please visit: www.software.ac.uk/news/resourc...

Apply here: www.software.ac.uk/apply

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

lnkd.in

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Reposted by James Baker

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 10d

Think this is absolutely true - so much is written about boys and Andrew Tate - Tate is more popular with grown men than boys!

Katie Martin @katie0martin.ft.com · 10d

We worry about Very Online Kids much more than their Very Online Parents, and I'm not sure that's wise

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 12d

What a lovely tribute show. Thanks Counter Pressed.

[Counter Pressed with Flo Lloyd-Hughes and Friends] A tribute to Matt Beard #counterPressedWithFloLloydHughesAndFriends
podcastaddict.com/counter-pres... via @PodcastAddict

Counter Pressed with Flo Lloyd-Hughes and Friends - A tribute to Matt Beard

Listen to Counter Pressed with Flo Lloyd-Hughes and Friends - A tribute to Matt Beard by The Ringer on Podcast Addict. Following the shocking and tragic news of Matt Beard’s passing we pay tribute to a much loved coach, mentor and friend. Beard had a huge impact on many in the women’s game and his legacy will live on in the WSL. If you've been affected and need someone to talk to, you can contact the Samaritans for free, 24-hour support by calling 116 123, emailing [email protected], or visit

podcastaddict.com

James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 12d

Well you are and have been for quite some time Martin!

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Reposted by James Baker

Alexandra Ortolja @alexandraortolja.bsky.social · 13d

Looking forward to this exciting lineup for the autumn/ winter's IHR digital history seminar series. Join us online for a series of lunchtime and evening papers:https://ihrdighist.blogs.sas.ac.uk/category/2025-2026/

James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 15d

Look at our lovely autumn/winter @ihr.bsky.social Digital History seminar schedule, including talks from @bamcshane.bsky.social @jeroenputtevils.bsky.social @rubenros.bsky.social @thomassmits.bsky.social @melvinwevers.bsky.social and more! #dhist

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Reposted by James Baker

Marlene Manoff @mmanoff.bsky.social · 13d

More on the failures/erasures that ai chatbots introduce into library search tools aarontay.substack.com/p/the-ai-pow...

The AI powered Library Search That Refused to Search

From Clarivate's Summon to Primo Research Assistant, content‑moderation layers meant mostly for chatbots are "quietly" blocking controversial topics from being searched

aarontay.substack.com

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Software Sustainability Institute @softwaresaved.bsky.social · 14d

📄 A reminder that we are seeking writers (£600) and reviewers (£210) to support the development of new guides on:
- AI in research software
- Green Computing
- EDI in research software

Application deadline: Friday 3 October 2025

Find out more at www.software.ac.uk/news/writers...

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Reposted by James Baker

James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 15d

Look at our lovely autumn/winter @ihr.bsky.social Digital History seminar schedule, including talks from @bamcshane.bsky.social @jeroenputtevils.bsky.social @rubenros.bsky.social @thomassmits.bsky.social @melvinwevers.bsky.social and more! #dhist

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 14d

Just did something similar recently. It's the most wonderful time of the year etc.

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Reposted by James Baker

N16Breda Corish @n16breda.bsky.social · 15d

📢 This looks like a great opener for the upcoming @ihr.bsky.social Digital History Seminar - "Digitising Death: Gender, Genealogy, and the Experimental Recovery of Women’s Histories in Early Modern Ireland"
👉 21 Oct, 5.30 pm, online, FREE
www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 15d

Look at our lovely autumn/winter @ihr.bsky.social Digital History seminar schedule, including talks from @bamcshane.bsky.social @jeroenputtevils.bsky.social @rubenros.bsky.social @thomassmits.bsky.social @melvinwevers.bsky.social and more! #dhist

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Reposted by James Baker

Michael Donnay @mjdonnay.bsky.social · 16d

Come join me on the organising committee for next year's #RSECon. It's a great way to give back and get to know the community, plus we'll cover the cost of your registration at the conference!

Society of RSE @society-rse.org · 16d

Have you enjoyed RSECon either this year or in the past?

Would you like to be involved in organising RSECon26 which is taking place 9-11th Sep 2026?

We have a call out for Committee Members, for details and application see

society-rse.org/rsecon26-com...

(Call closes 10th Oct 2025)

#rsecon26

RSECon26 Call for Conference Committee Members - Society of Research Software Engineering

RSECon26 Committee call is now open.

society-rse.org

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Reposted by James Baker

Robin Berjon @robin.berjon.com · 15d

I'm not the first to notice the reinvention of @wired.com from mouthpiece of tech ideology to showing everyone else how to do journalism today, but this cover is something else.

The inclusion of their own hagiographic covers in the back is a nod to that shift, which is beautiful. Also…

WIRED @wired.com · 16d

Big Tech's embrace of President Trump has left many of us wondering: What the hell happened to Silicon Valley?

In our new politics issue, we're getting into it.

Also, we're taking this cover across the US in billboards, posters and a mural. Clues to find us in the 🧵: www.wired.com/politics-iss...

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 15d

🙃