Daniel SusserOct 30, 2022

Has anyone found or spun up an STS/critical tech instance yet?

Seems like local feeds could be the best thing about this place—being able to experience communicative spaces without first having to connect with each member would give new entrants more visibility, make amassing high follower-counts/being at the center of dense networks less important

Show threadSeth LazarOct 30, 2022
@susser but yeah, I’d love to be part of an instance that was, broadly speaking, FAccT-y…
Show threadDaniel SusserOct 30, 2022
@sethlazar My sense is that it's pretty involved—would probably need a team of volunteers (though having some dedicated admins to coordinate would be great!).. Feels like something to explore after the semester ends :)
Show threadMark O. RiedlOct 30, 2022
@susser @sethlazar I also have a sense that disciplinary instances would be a net positive. Would STS/critical tech/FaaCT find a home in hci.social?
Show threadDaniel Susser
@Riedl @sethlazar For me personally, I suspect there's a lot of overlap but it's not a perfect fit. Might come hang out over there until the STS folks put something else together though!
Oct 30, 2022 at 3:32pmWeb
Show threadSuresh VenkatasubramanianOct 30, 2022
@susser @Riedl @sethlazar @mikarv I'm trying to understand what this provides over and above the FAccT slack instance which I agree is currently not active as a community forum.
Show threadMark O. RiedlOct 30, 2022
@geomblog @susser @sethlazar @mikarv For example I didn't know there was a FaacT slack. My sense is that the communities need to be built where the people want to be. That means a combination of community relevant stuff and cross-over from other aspects of peoples' lives. But I am just guessing.
Show threadSuresh VenkatasubramanianOct 30, 2022
@Riedl @susser @sethlazar @mikarv yes agreed. I see how birdsite creates a single "presence" for a person and Mastodon allows multiple "presences" for different parts of one's life, but I still wish there was something in between. The logistics of managing multiple identities is hard.
Show threadMichael VealeOct 30, 2022
@Riedl @geomblog @susser @sethlazar We also need to invest our time as scholars in creating sustainable communities, and I think a big part of that is using open, inteoperable technologies that resist closure or disintermediation, and promote community expansion. Slack already is very limited in a free version so can't be built upon easily, and could even restrict further in future. ActivityPub is much more durable.
Show threadSuresh VenkatasubramanianOct 30, 2022
@mikarv @Riedl @susser @sethlazar very much agree. I have been thinking about whether this is a formal role for someone in the FAccT organization, with volunteers coming from the communities. I think MD4SG has done a good job in this regard (albeit via Slack)
Show threadMichael VealeOct 30, 2022
@geomblog @Riedl @susser @sethlazar The always-on aspect of Slack puts off a lot of people too, and people from disciplines without labs or many postdocs/students don't use so much. For instant-messaging stuff, Riot.im/Matrix could be more sustainable. If Mastodon would be used that way, needs more. BUT you can follow other ActivityPub sites here, e.g. you can follow something a bit like a subreddit on Lemmy and receive the threads, e.g. @privacy, so opportunities for group organising
Show threadDaniel SusserOct 30, 2022
@mikarv @geomblog @Riedl @sethlazar @privacy Slack feels like work. Academic Twitter, at its best, feels like hanging out with work friends after work—getting to talk shop but informally, and, like Mark said, not only about work stuff
Show threadSuresh VenkatasubramanianOct 30, 2022
@mikarv @Riedl @susser @sethlazar I see so Twitter:Mastodon::Reddit:Lemmy?
Show threadMichael VealeOct 30, 2022
@geomblog @Riedl @susser @sethlazar yup, and ::Youtube:Peertube::Twitch:Owncast
Show threadSeth LazarOct 30, 2022
@mikarv @geomblog @Riedl @susser Come to think of it, why not have a hands-on session at FAccT23 (maybe in the CRAFT stream) where people discuss all these things and make/adapt something that reflects their needs/interests?
Show threadArjen P. de Vries Timmers 🕊️Oct 31, 2022
@mikarv @geomblog @Riedl @susser @sethlazar instagram:pixelfed
Show threadMichael EkstrandOct 30, 2022

@geomblog @mikarv @Riedl @susser @sethlazar Yeah this is something worth thinking about. May be reasonable for it to be connected w/ FAccT Network role, or at least in collaboration with that role?

I generally don't recommend Slack for such things these days, due to the lack of moderation tools needed for safe, open/semi-open communities — I think it would be good for us to invest here, but probably not through Slack.

Show threadSeth LazarOct 30, 2022
@mikarv @geomblog @mdekstrand @Riedl @susser it’s hard to keep track of replies on here! But yes what Michael said.
Show threadMark O. RiedlOct 30, 2022

@mikarv @geomblog @susser @sethlazar especially one that supports and promote more junior members.

I’ll get right on it, as soon as I update my lab website (which hasn’t been updated in 2 years).

Show threadSeth LazarOct 30, 2022
@susser @geomblog @mikarv @Riedl yep the FAccT Slack is much more for organising the conf, and making announcements to people who don’t like twitter.
Show threadDr. Casey FieslerOct 30, 2022
@Riedl @geomblog @susser @sethlazar @mikarv I've been thinking about academic communities becoming somewhat splintered - e.g. there's both hci.social (where I am) and vis.social which I imagine have some overlap. In the end I don't think it matters much (because of who you can follow), but fwiw I think facct people would be very welcome on hci!
Show threadJeffrey P. Bigham 🔥🔥Oct 30, 2022
@cfiesler @Riedl @geomblog @susser @sethlazar @mikarv I'm not sure I truly understand the implications of choosing my server… I guess if @andresmh runs out of money, we lose everything? otherwise, seems like i can find everyone and follow them more or less seamlessly?
Show threadDr. Christiane GrünlohOct 30, 2022

@susser @andresmh @Riedl @jbigham @geomblog @cfiesler @sethlazar @mikarv

I thought server wouldn’t matter, but then I switched to hci.social because of the local timeline. Felt more relevant to me that what is shown when I was on the huge mastodon.social server.

Show threadDr. Casey FieslerOct 30, 2022
@cgruenloh @susser @andresmh @Riedl @jbigham @geomblog @sethlazar @mikarv same! re: switching from another server.
Show threadDaniel SusserOct 30, 2022
@jbigham @cfiesler @Riedl @geomblog @sethlazar @mikarv @andresmh I don't think there's a huge cost in choosing a suboptimal instance. But there might be lots to gain— individually, if you pick just the right one, because the local feed will be maximally interesting/relevant, and collectively, if lots of people pick the right ones, because they will create more cohesive communities
Show threadSeth LazarOct 30, 2022
@susser @jbigham @cfiesler @Riedl @geomblog @mikarv @andresmh yeah that’s what I’m thinking—it could help w both community and serendipitous discovery. Also an opportunity for collective deliberation and decision-making.
Show threadDr Catherine FlickOct 30, 2022
@geomblog @susser @Riedl @sethlazar @mikarv not everyone in responsible tech/tech ethics/STS works in the algorithmic side? (Eg me!) So it might be broader in its range of topics that are related to your area of interest.