@natematias@social.coop
@natematias@social.coop avatar

natematias

@natematias@social.coop

Social & computer scientist who works alongside communities on science for a safer, fairer, more understanding Internet.

Founder, Citizens and Technology Lab · Visiting Scholar, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia · Assistant Prof at Cornell · Guatemalan-American · Co-founder of @transparenttech

Enjoys taking photos & listening to books/poetry on very long bike rides.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

natematias, to random
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Good news — the EPA updated the air quality index on May 6th.

Good news: AQI now includes a wider range of conditions that make people sick.

Complicated news: since AQI is based on health impacts rather than an absolute measure of pollutants, anyone basing research or analysis on AQI should expect the definition of a one unit difference in AQI to change.

Time to update my own monitoring/early warning system

https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-02/pm-naaqs-air-quality-index-fact-sheet.pdf

natematias,
@natematias@social.coop avatar

Now that the EPA has updated the AQI calculations, we're going to need to update:

  • Wikipedia
  • Open source air quality code
  • Open resources on air pollution & health

Do you know anyone else working on this? I would love to connect

This is a good thing. I have an workplace accommodation that relies on AQI rather than absolute pollutant levels. As a result, I don't have to re-negotiate my accommodation, and it can now incorporate updated science about the health risks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_quality_index#United_States

natematias,
@natematias@social.coop avatar

@zalasur does your monitor get automated software updates? And/or is the calculation done in the cloud?

If either of those is true, check with the maker to see if/when the definition will be updated. Otherwise, you may need to apply a software update yourself.

The good news is that the underlying mechanisms for computing particulate counts, etc aren't changed — just the formula for converting them to AQI.

Looks like the python-AQI lib will need updating

https://github.com/hrbonz/python-aqi

natematias, to random
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Deeply honored that @jzong & my research has been cited by the ACM, Association for Computing Machinery as evidence that their new CS Journal on Responsible Computing is an early success. 🎉🎉

As someone who has published with the ACM ever since undergrad, one of my goals is to create more places for ethics & policy within CS. So I was thrilled to see the ACM acknowledge our work is already having that impact— and it was special to be singled out by the journal editors

https://www.acm.org/media-center/2024/april/inaugural-jrc

bwaber, to random
@bwaber@hci.social avatar

🎉 https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2024/05/07/construction-begins-on-what-is-set-to-become-cambridges-tallest-building/?p1=hp_secondary

natematias,
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@bwaber @andresmh I remember when that ABP was the exciting option! 🙃

natematias, to random
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Saddened to think about how much infrastructure relies on the whims of an unstable leader.

A group of US auto-makers recently agreed to switch their cars to the Tesla Supercharger standard. Now Musk has laid off the entire supercharger team, putting the future of EV charging at risk.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/3/24147402/tesla-supercharger-layoffs-stalled-ev-infrastructure-projects

Fortunately, a new firm supported by auto makers plans significant investments in chargers:

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ionna-ev-charging-joint-venture-nacs-ccs-bmw-honda-gm/707513/

natematias, to random
@natematias@social.coop avatar

Reading Marc Aidinoff's article about the politics of decentralized technology and its grounding in the idea of the yeoman farmer:

"Jeffersonian liberty was explicitly enabled by mass enslavement. Jefferson’s commitment was to an “empire of liberty.” It was to be an empire composed of empires; each decentralized dominion governed by an independent farmer."

https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/153408/Abbate-Dick_Chapter_2_Aidinoff.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

natematias, to random
@natematias@social.coop avatar

I really did have the best PhD advisor. @ethanz just sued Meta today

“On May 1, 2024, the @knightcolumbia filed a lawsuit on behalf of Ethan Zuckerman—a professor of public policy, communication, and information at the University of Massachusetts Amherst—asking the court to recognize that Section 230 protects the development of tools that empower social media users to control what they see online”

https://knightcolumbia.org/cases/zuckerman-v-meta-platforms-inc

Mastodon, to mastodon
@Mastodon@mastodon.social avatar

forms new 501(c)(3) non-profit entity with new board of directors in the United States to facilitate tax-deductible donations and in-kind support:

https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2024/04/mastodon-forms-new-u.s.-non-profit/

natematias,
@natematias@social.coop avatar

@ntnsndr @chema @Mastodon

Good to see that Mastodon has a 501(c)(3)! Also,, even if not all the board is elected, there's a lot of value in what Wikimedia and Global Voices do, with at least some board seats open to election from staff and the community.

With regular elections, the board gets to see and hear from the evolving set of hopes, concerns, and constituencies that are of interest to the community every time an election arises.

natematias, to random
@natematias@social.coop avatar

Yet another disheartening example of cooperation between US groups and authoritarians elsewhere, as Guatemalan prosecutors (under US sanctions for undermining the rule of law) collaborate with American politicians & media —— raiding an aid organization that's providing essential services to Guatemalan children

https://apnews.com/article/save-children-guatemala-migration-0ee6f7f801964d9cf151a125bd907ee2

natematias,
@natematias@social.coop avatar

The sad part of this story is that Guatemalans have a real mistrust of foreign NGOs that say they are helping children — thanks largely to a decades of Americans paying money to adopt trafficked Guatemalan indigenous children.

Rachel Nolan wrote about this for the Guardian in 2024: "At the height of the adoption boom, one in 100 children born in Guatemala was placed for adoption with a family abroad."

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2024/jan/04/guatemalas-baby-brokers-how-tens-of-thousands-of-children-were-stolen-for-adoption

eddie1perez, to random
@eddie1perez@mastodon.social avatar

As a former director for civic integrity at Twitter, I’ve been disturbed for some time about what Elon Musk is doing with his private global platform.

Today, I took the step of leaving Twitter, completely.

Why?
Here’s my last tweet:
https://mem.ai/p/e83QTrTPntGEmmZYQUEc

natematias,
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@eddie1perez <3

natematias, to random
@natematias@social.coop avatar

In the middle of a tough day, the neighborhood kids stopped by and asked for help with a stuck bicycle chain. I doubt they realize it did me more good than them <3

natematias, to random
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Every little free library is a microcosm of the indispensably-beautiful and important aspirations and tricky problems of Wikipedia, with an extra layer of mildew and insects

natematias,
@natematias@social.coop avatar

@luis_in_brief @natematias If you build a little free library I fully expect it to have a governance structure, content moderation policies, bug tracker (for actual insects), and a sustainability model

natematias, to random
@natematias@social.coop avatar

Welp. I have a piece I wanted to pitch to WIRED, but they laid off their science editors/reporters and 2/3 of their diversity committee in December, so it's hard to know how/whether to pitch them the kind of work they used to be famous for. 😔

natematias, to random
@natematias@social.coop avatar

@josh is dropping some awesome insight on the causes of technical accidents/disasters at this National Academies workshop.

Josh has summarized the issues in this really great video on costs and incentives for advertising, news, and disinformation.

https://vimeo.com/930828854

natematias,
@natematias@social.coop avatar

Josh cites Charles Perrow's work on "Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies."

Perrow argues that multiple, unexpected failures are a basic feature of complex, integrated tech systems.

These "normal accidents" they cascade through the system to create harm. This happens when:

  • the system is complex
  • the system is tightly coupled
  • it has catastrophic potential

And platforms/algorithms/misinfo have all of that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_Accidents

natematias,
@natematias@social.coop avatar

@cyberlyra @josh @commscholar my sense from reading risk/disaster STS is that scholars aren't very hopeful that the study of accidents/disasters is making anyone safer — it's mostly informing insurance payouts and helping firms take calculated risks. Is that too cynical?

natematias,
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@asociologist @cyberlyra @josh @commscholar I've been thinking about the work of Scott Knowles, in the research that became his book "The Disaster Experts."

One of his arguments is that the science of risk often backfires by emboldening firms & governments to take more risks, rather than to prevent disasters or prompt the imagination of alternative models.

It's one of the concerns that keeps me up at night, as someone working on tech safety/accountability.

https://www.pennpress.org/9780812222463/the-disaster-experts/

natematias,
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@cyberlyra @josh @asociologist @commscholar

Thanks Janet! I note that John Downer has an upcoming project on "Transparency Regulation Toolkits for Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI)" which should be very interesting if he brings this lens to it

https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/projects/transparency-regulation-toolkits-for-responsible-artificial-intel

natematias, to random
@natematias@social.coop avatar

Extraordinary article by Nicole Lipman in N+1 about the super-sonic algorithm-driven pace and review funhouse of SHEIN fashion and its relationship to the TikTok algorithm.

https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-47/reviews/super-cute-please-like/

josh, to communicationscholars
@josh@sciences.social avatar

This National Academies workshop on "Evolving Technological, Legal and Social Solutions to Counter Disinformation in Social Media" starts today at noon (US EDT) and will be streamed to the Web. I'll be participating and will present in a panel tomorrow on changing the incentive structures around the propagation of disinformation.

Also presenting, some other friends of the mammoth, @natematias, @commscholar, and @NathalieSmuha

https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/41384_04-2024_evolving-technological-legal-and-social-solutions-to-counter-disinformation-in-social-media-a-workshop

cc #commodon @communicationscholars

natematias,
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@josh @commscholar @NathalieSmuha @communicationscholars so excited for this conversation!

natematias, to random
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New post: How can we host hard conversations about our conflicts that keep important conversations going?

In a new community report, @elplatt, @sarahgilbert, & I analyze temp suspensions on r/politics on Reddit. We found:

  • when temp suspensions end, 81% of accounts return to participate again. They also make a higher rate of comments that comply with rules
  • a quarter of those accounts receive another suspension or ban

@lucaswright is taking this research forward:

https://citizensandtech.org/2024/04/community-moderation-reddit-politics/

natematias, to random
@natematias@social.coop avatar

All honor's mimic, all wealth alchemy.
Thou, sun, art half as happy as we,
In that the world's contracted thus.
Thine age asks ease, and since thy duties be
To warm the world, that's done in warming us.

image/png
image/png

natematias,
@natematias@social.coop avatar

“If we are to consider the heavens, how much more are we to consider the the magnificent energies of consciousness that make whoever we pass on the street a far grander marvel than galaxies?”

—Marilynne Robinson

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