@aram@aoir.social
@aram@aoir.social avatar

aram

@aram@aoir.social

Writer, professor, musician.

The lesser ½ of Dunia & Aram.
The lesser ½ of https://zirk.us/@RASinn.
The lesser ⅛ of Comm Studies @ AU.

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aram, to random
@aram@aoir.social avatar

Rest in Power to the real deal ✌️✊🌴 https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/2024/04/02/john-sinclair-detroit-poet-cannabis-activist-and-counterculture-icon-dead-at-82/73179306007/

aram, to random
@aram@aoir.social avatar

Rest in Power 🎻 https://apnews.com/article/louis-gossett-jr-dies-1e86e1441ec8b614a282f3de22490a07

aram, to books
@aram@aoir.social avatar

I had a really fun conversation with @jesse and the hosts of KPCW's "Cool Science Radio" about our forthcoming book "The Secret Life of Data" from @themitpress. Check it out here:

https://www.kpcw.org/show/cool-science-radio/2024-03-28/how-our-data-is-really-being-used

@commodon @bookstodon

aram, to random
@aram@aoir.social avatar

Just got an email from a dear old friend who is smart, educated, kind, thoughtful, and the child of a Holocaust survivor.

He just asked me whether Josh Kushner buying LIFE Magazine could reunify America.

Fortunately, I could point him to my friend @susca's new book HEDGED to explain why billionaires are the problem, not the solution.

bookish, to random
@bookish@historians.social avatar

How many others OH have used "archival ink" to write their shopping list?

aram,
@aram@aoir.social avatar

@clive @bookish ephemeralia have a small but passionate following in the archive and info science world

aram, to random
@aram@aoir.social avatar

Dear Wealthy People,

We don't need any more buildings. We need endowments so we can give faculty above-COLA raises (which they rarely get), give deserving students more financial aid, and develop innovative research that benefits the world.

Please adjust your donations accordingly.

Sincerely,

Universities

aram, to random
@aram@aoir.social avatar

Apple is having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/03/hackers-can-extract-secret-encryption-keys-from-apples-mac-chips/

aram, to random
@aram@aoir.social avatar

There are few more wonderful feelings than opening a box and taking out the book you've spent the past five years on... the only thing better is getting to share it with your friend who wrote it with you. ❤️ @jesse @themitpress

video/mp4

indivisibleteam, to random
@indivisibleteam@mastodon.social avatar
aram,
@aram@aoir.social avatar

@indivisibleteam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z66wVo7uNw

NicoleCRust, to random
@NicoleCRust@neuromatch.social avatar

How do you pack a 95K word (nonfiction) book into a 40 minute talk?

How many words are in 40 minutes? My estimate is 4-5K. That's ~20-fold compression. Something like half of 1 (of 10) chapters in the book.

Obviously you don't just read off the first half of the first chapter. But an outline of all of it is also super unsatisfying; it needs more depth than that. Clearly you present the central thesis and why it matters. But what to support it? This is a problem I've never encountered before. Not yet sure how to wrap my head around it.

Any advice? Any pointers to book talks you love?

aram,
@aram@aoir.social avatar

@NicoleCRust Don't try to represent the entire book. Choose at most five key points you'd like people to remember. Set each up with an anecdote/example, and explain what they have to do with your key premise.

ernie, to random
@ernie@writing.exchange avatar

I made Ben Folds trend on Bluesky, which is kind of a weird feeling

aram,
@aram@aoir.social avatar

@ernie that is the humblest of brags

aram, to random
@aram@aoir.social avatar

Mastodon will pass 15 million accounts today. https://mastodon.social/@mastodonusercount/112116343266897662

aram, to boston
@aram@aoir.social avatar

Hey folks:

If you're interested in , , , , , come to the book launch for THE SECRET LIFE OF DATA, hosted by Microsoft NERD, @themitpress & ACLU-Massachusetts.

Register free here: https://action.aclu.org/webform/secret-life-data-event

@bookstodon @commodon @ICAHDQ @AoIR

aram, to ChatGPT
@aram@aoir.social avatar

I asked to write a summary of my book The Secret Life of Data, written w @jesse, to be published by @themitpress on 4/30

It generated a totally plausible list of chapters, none of which appear in the actual book.

Which is a subject we actually address in the book.

C hapter 3: Datafication and Its Implications Central to the book's thesis is the concept of datafication—the process by which everyday activities and interactions are transformed into quantifiable data points. Sinnreich and Gilbert examine the implications of datafication for privacy, autonomy, and power dynamics. They explore how datafication shapes individuals' identities, relationships, and behaviors, often without their knowledge or consent. Chapter 4: Ethical and Social Implications of Data Usage In this critical chapter, the authors confront the ethical and social dilemmas posed by data-driven technologies. They discuss the challenges of data governance and regulation, highlighting issues such as surveillance, discrimination, and inequality. Sinnreich and Gilbert advocate for transparency, accountability, and user empowerment in the face of growing concerns about data privacy and manipulation. Chapter 5: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Data Drawing on insights from sociology, psychology, economics, and philosophy, Sinnreich and Gilbert offer a comprehensive interdisciplinary analysis of data's impact on society. They explore key concepts such as algorithmic bias, filter bubbles, and the attention economy, providing readers with a nuanced understanding of the complexities of data-driven culture.
Chapter 6: Navigating the Data Landscape In the final chapter, the authors provide practical guidance for navigating the challenges of data-driven society. They offer tools and strategies for protecting privacy, advocating for data rights, and fostering a more equitable and democratic data ecosystem. Sinnreich and Gilbert empower readers to take control of their data and become active participants in shaping the future of data governance. Conclusion: "The Secret Life of Data" is a timely and insightful exploration of one of the most pressing issues of our time. Sinnreich and Gilbert offer a comprehensive analysis of data's impact on society, illuminating both its promises and pitfalls. With its interdisciplinary approach, engaging writing style, and practical insights, this book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the complex interplay between data, technology, and society in the digital age.

aram, to random
@aram@aoir.social avatar

say what now https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68534703

aram, to random
@aram@aoir.social avatar

Me (flexing): I was at Largo the night Louis CK called out Dane Cook for stealing his jokes. But the irony is, I was there to see Sarah Silverman.

My (smart, thoughtful) student: Wow!

Me: you don't know who any of those people are, do you?

Student: No. No, I don't.

aram, to random
@aram@aoir.social avatar

Q: What do Mussolini and Sam Altman have in common?

A: They both believe in prompt engineering

🥁

aram, to random
@aram@aoir.social avatar

Ok, here's an ill-considered thread that's gonna get me blocked... Like a lot of '80s kids, I grew up thinking the '60s were pretty great, and wishing I'd been around for them. When I became a political activist in high school, my NYC peers and I adopted the "hippie" aesthetic in our clothes, our hair, and even our music and our way of speech. 1/10

aram,
@aram@aoir.social avatar

Then 2016 happened. The day after TFG won the electoral college, my father-in-law said to us both "well you always wanted to live in the '60s. Now you have your chance." It was pretty clear he meant it in a damning way. And boy was he right. 5/10

aram,
@aram@aoir.social avatar

For the last decade, we've lived in a society where every single thing is political. Your choice of food. Your choice of vehicle. Your choice of fashion. Your choice of music. Your choice of sport. Your choice of school. Your choice of state. Your choice of internet platform. Your choice of pronouns. Every goddamn thing is a purity test, and everybody fails. It's basically the only world my kids have ever known. 6/10

aram,
@aram@aoir.social avatar

Meanwhile, for most people in this country, political freedom has regressed. Women's rights, civil rights, workers' rights, LGBTQ rights. Despite some notable gains (like LGBTQ visibility in Hollywood), we see abortion clinics shuttered, drag shows raided, books burned, newspapers folded, and Nazis everywhere. 7/10

aram,
@aram@aoir.social avatar

So whatever we think we've been accomplishing through all this politicization of daily life, it's not having the intended effect. The one thing it HAS accomplished is curing people like me and my wife of our ersatz 60s nostalgia. Now, I'd take the 90s over the 60s any day. Peace, prosperity, and progress, even if it's never enough. 8/10

aram,
@aram@aoir.social avatar

All of which is to say, I wonder how we get ourselves out of this mess. Do we flatten our ears, dig in our heels, and politicize everything even more until the Nazis see the error in their ways and relent? No. Won't work. Do we appease the Nazis by backing away from progressive gains? Heading back into the closet? Accepting voter suppression and mandatory pregnancy? Hell, no. 9/10

aram,
@aram@aoir.social avatar

I don't have a panacea, but I do think we on "the left" need to start by remembering that our greatest strength is in unity, and embrace of difference. Purity tests make that tough. Someone might agree with you about Ukraine but disagree about Gaza. Or they might agree with you about pay equity and disagree about abortion. It's okay. They have their reasons. Presume good faith. Embrace shared values. Be kind. And present as united a front against fascism as possible. Otherwise we're toast. 10/10

aram,
@aram@aoir.social avatar

@chx I'm sorry to hear about your struggles with long covid. I'm appalled by the cascading public health failures surrounding this horrible virus.

To answer your larger question: no, we don't have to sing kumbaya & pretend we're all BFFs, especially if we have personal stakes in geopolitical struggles. But we do need to recognize, as all successful political movements & democracies do, that a bigger tent & a stronger movement requires putting aside differences in the name of unity.

aram,
@aram@aoir.social avatar

@chx

To them I say, the struggle is real, and ongoing.

This isn't a movie. We're not going to defeat the forces of evil once and for all.

In a best-case scenario, we hold some evil people accountable to some degree for some of their deeds, while working against the overwhelming tides of hatred and greed to make things incrementally better for everyone.

Which is exactly what Biden's administration has done.

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