@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

stefanlaser

@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de

Social scientist ✒ on 🚯🚆🐮💾. #sts #sociology #ecology #waste #energy

Navigating material politics: vital digital infrastructures, political experiments, and precarious social relations.

I use qualitative ethnographic methods but also turn to digital methods and coding to enrich the analysis. Currently following the value chain of data centres. Based in #Bochum, GER, trips to #Hanoi, #Vietnam, #SEA.

I'm also into sports, #running #cycling, #photography, and Vietnamese. #tfr

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estrid, to random German

Steven Jackson, @stefan_laser_, @sister0 and I invite abstracts to the panel "Planetary Data Infrastructures" at the @stseasst and @4Sweb 2024 .

The panel explores expanded engagements with networked infrastructures, both concrete and speculative, that help foster more response-able, aesthetic, cooperative, and sustainable planetary relations.

Note! We invite conventional but also experimental formats: audiovisual performances, poetry - don't hold back!
https://nomadit.co.uk/conference/easst-4s2024/panel/14242

stefanlaser,
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

@estrid @stefan_laser_ @sister0 Yes, join our panel P193 in Amsterdam:

> With the concept “planetary data infrastructures”, the panel explores expanded engagements with networked infrastructures, both concrete and speculative, that help foster more response-able, aesthetic, cooperative, and sustainable planetary relations. We invite conventional and experimental formats.

@sts @ecologies

stefanlaser, to mastodon
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

Comparing Fediverse software for hosting: Ease of use, efficiency, waste: https://stefanlaser.net/2023/12/18/comparing-fediverse-software.html

@sts

dawnnafus, to random
@dawnnafus@mastodon.social avatar

Just got wind of this new horror of "biodiversity trading markets" -- where companies can buy biodiversity credits every time they destroy land somewhere.

We've got to raise more of a stink about this. Utterly horrifying that people are trying to legitimize destroying one species in one place and support another somewhere else.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adg6823

stefanlaser,
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

@dawnnafus So they're really going for the plot of the Venomous Lumpsucker, great.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/709614/venomous-lumpsucker-by-ned-beauman/

stefanlaser, to Sociology
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

Follow @StefanAykut and his updates from @COP28 for an insightful sociological analysis and exclusive reports.

Like the recent one on the matter of (mentioning) . Dropping like it's hot. 📜 https://mstdn.social/@StefanAykut/111551816147720348

@ecologies @sts @sociology

stefanlaser, to Dubai
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

Arrived in UAE.

Is anyone in concrete town for ? Keen on talking , semiconductors, data centres, e-waste.

stefanlaser, to IT
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

Subsurface surfing. With the help of the maintenance staff, we went underground, following the maintenance track that connects all buildings on our Ruhr campus.

In total, it’s more than 8 km, we walked 2.5 km, from the uni datacentre to our faculty building.

A ladder teaching upwards. Again, dark, grey, concrete, dead
A man walks along a narrow concrete path. He wears blue maintenance staff clothing. He walks quickly. You see the concrete wall on the right with red paint fainting. Eerie

stefanlaser,
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

This was a part of our cozy hybrid workshop in Bochum on data infra, knowledge creation and planetary matter. Thanks to all participants for a great experience,

@mel_hogan @Aepasek @tschuetz @laurawatts and more!

https://www.virtuelle-lebenswelten.de/blog-post/knowledge-production-data-infrastructures-and-planetary-matter

inquiline, to random
@inquiline@union.place avatar

One uncharitable thought I have about all the academics who've bounced from here to Bsky is that they actually do prefer some of the "drama" and a vibe that to me was always a bit sick-making, both on Twitter and now there. I guess I'm pretty happy not being in a community with that even if I miss some people (& am doubtless missing some news/info)

(There are real issues with power & safety here; I am not masking or denying them ofc)

stefanlaser,
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

@inquiline Interesting observations. I still don't have an account in the sky (do I want a code? Not sure). It just feels predictable on what's happening there (or soon will be happening).

But I'm planning on doing POSSE with my blog as a content homebase, and main interaction here in the Fedi (perhaps + Bsky for reach of some stuff). I like what @pluralisric has written about this.

stefanlaser, to photography
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

Shady knowledge.

Ruhr-University.

Picture of campus buildings and forest in the background. It's a bit eerie, because you see workers with protection wear. This is a large building that is to be destroyed, and it's full of asbestos

jonny, (edited ) to random
@jonny@neuromatch.social avatar

Who was that person who embeds fedi threads in their blog posts... i want to do that for this poster, so i have a post on here that serves as the fedi representation for the poster and then all comments beneath that show up on the poster website as the comments section

edit:
answer from @stefanlaser : https://social.tchncs.de/@stefanlaser/111379003007497165

stefanlaser,
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

@jonny Like live comments in the blog? I know about Hugo implementation by https://danielpecos.com/2022/12/25/mastodon-as-comment-system-for-your-static-blog/ and https://carlschwan.eu/2020/12/29/adding-comments-to-your-static-blog-with-mastodon/ and similar projects

stefanlaser,
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

@jonny I also have this on my site, with a little bit of tinkering, it's cool. But the process is tedious: first setting up the website, then posting on Masto to get an ID, then updating the html source. Automation of this would be awesome. And it seems like micro.blog and wordpress are doing this?

stefanlaser, to Energy
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

Tomorrow, I will play around with the notion of stand-ins, a project that might become my habilitation and a book. But I still feel it's a risky bet. Well, let's see. 👇

> I will draw on multi-sited ethnographic research to explore what it means to stay in limbo or move forward to becoming more or less relevant in global economies, amid energy transitions.

https://rustlab.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/lecture-by-stefan-laser-on-stand-in-a-political-economy-of-energy-reserves/

stefanlaser,
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

Happening now. @sts

https://social.tchncs.de/users/stefanlaser/statuses/111374050494049163

stefanlaser, to climate
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

Just learned about "Solastagia" (emotional distress due to environmental disasters), and read Sarah J. Ray's piece "Why Turn Inward Just as the Planet Needs Us Most?" Her lessons are lessons for digital platform building, too, I think.

> "The planet needs us to pay attention to our interconnectedness to the material world and each other...We must dispense with our fetishes of size and scale—the myth that we are worthless if we don’t make big impacts and fast."

micahflee, (edited ) to random

I just blogged my argument for why we shouldn't use the slogan "from the river to the sea" https://micahflee.com/2023/11/why-we-shouldnt-use-the-slogan-from-the-river-to-sea/

stefanlaser,
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

@micahflee Love it, great post. Using new, clear yet inviting terms is the best way, and it's awkward that Americans and British folks in particular just refuse to think differently. It has an imperial touch to it.

I would go one step further and suggest that "genocide" is equally problematic. For similar reasons, mostly historic ones. Dropping the rhetoric genocide bomb feels like a lustful gesture for many. But here the controversy is of course a bit hotter with legal scholars making a case.

mastodonmigration, to random
@mastodonmigration@mastodon.online avatar

Want to thank everyone here for a great year, and many more to come.

Joined October 30, 2022

stefanlaser,
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

@mastodonmigration Thanks a lot for your work and dedication! Or is it s private pleasure? It's getting fuzzy. 🤓

stefanlaser, to streetphotography
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

Evening lights sparking joy.

Fischblog, to random German
@Fischblog@chaos.social avatar

Grad gelesen: angeblich hat Mastodon eine total große und aktive science-community. Das ist, äh, interessant. 🤔 Ich such die nämlich buchstäblich seit Monaten.

stefanlaser,
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

@bastianallgeier @Fischblog Und wahrscheinlich kennst du die academics on Mastodon-Listen ebenfalls, but just in case anyone missed it: https://github.com/nathanlesage/academics-on-mastodon

stefanlaser,
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

@luca @preya Und Eugen hat angekündigt, das Listen bald für Masto kommen, oder? Obwohl ich das auch halluziniert haben könnte, bei GitHub sind entsprechende Anfragen als "nicht geplant" abgehakt.

Dann gibt es noch Firefish mit Clips, Antenna und eigenen Listen, aber da läuft wohl noch Debugging.

Jap, so far it's dirty Handarbeit.

stefanlaser, to fediverse
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

Is anyone using @bookwyrm for academic ?

Bookwyrm might be a good place to collect all kinds of academic reviews in an open space aka the . One could even automate things, or invite for review texts through Mastodon or email (with a Python script translating the different categories). Maybe the academic instance would need a slightly different design, without ratings, and cover images being less prominent. Yet there's potential.

youronlyone, to fediverse
@youronlyone@c.im avatar

What makes the lack of algorithms in the great? I get to see posts and talk with people all around the world.

You don't get that on with algorithms because they filter things for you, and you have no control over it.

Don't get me wrong, algorithms by itself are not bad. Just that, it is used in a way that limits your exposure (your posts to the world; and the world to you); and you have no control.

Another improper use of it is, like in 's case, they push as well as to control the narrative and shape people's minds and opinions.

stefanlaser,
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

@youronlyone Yes, AND on top of that I like fiddling around with custom algos. The trending pages on Mastodon or , Mastodon Digest https://github.com/mauforonda/mastodon_email_digest, ForYouFeed https://github.com/pkreissel/foryoufeed etc.

VQuaschning, to random German
@VQuaschning@mastodon.green avatar

Einige Menschen behaupten, dass häufig brennen würden und sich nicht löschen ließen.
Falsch!
Verbrenner brennen statistisch gesehen 60mal häufiger als s. Warum wird ständig so viel Unsinn über die erzählt?
https://youtube.com/shorts/IjopHbUMw1o

stefanlaser,
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

@VQuaschning Der Mythos der brennenden Batterien funktioniert auch mit E-Scootern und in . Bei einem Hausbrand in wurden Scooter verantwortlich gemacht, zu Unrecht. Egal, Laden ist nun all over the place banned. Die fossile Autolobby ist global stark – und auch eine fossile Rollerlobby.

https://restofworld.org/2023/hanoi-building-fire-ev-charging-misinformation/

inquiline, to sts
@inquiline@union.place avatar

Did someone on here say they were thinking or reading about a connection btwn the "user turn" in STS and neoliberalism, or did I hallucinate that? @sts

stefanlaser,
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

@i_ngli @inquiline Hu's Prehistory of the Cloud is basically an exploration of how the individual user (in data and computer science and practice) evolved through neoliberalism. Then there's plenty of publications on ecological matters and how individual responsibility was crafted to shift accountability. Like Josh's work on e-waste. @jlepawsky

Not sure if this stuff is a fit in this case though.

Private
stefanlaser,
@stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

@sts While exploring this, I learnt about 'smellfies'. When in doubt, involve folks. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39179098

Since I'm already link-dropping, never forget The Asthma Files collective that has a sweet search function. https://theasthmafiles.org/

And of course, a shout-out to Jennifer Gabrys and the inspiring CitizenSense projects. https://citizensense.net/

This EPA project was the one that came closest to my issue. In short, we don't know. But we've already got an app. Nice. https://www.epa.gov/air-research/odor-explore-participatory-science-project-using-mobile-app-and-new-measurement

inquiline, (edited ) to histodons
@inquiline@union.place avatar

deleted_by_author

    •
    stefanlaser,
    @stefanlaser@social.tchncs.de avatar

    @inquiline We did a little bit of historical digging for our Emscher paper, see https://www.berliner-blaetter.de/index.php/blaetter/article/view/1106. We also have sources on the Ruhr in there that might be helpful. Hm, but much of this is in German. Well, perhaps "Ruhr" in general is a useful hint.

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