Sminney

@Sminney@aus.social
330 Followers
575 Following
4.8K Posts
Digital Humanities post grad.
Interested in intersections between humans and digital. Particularly interested in the GLAM(R) sector in Australia. - Our cultural institutions are what defines who we are.
A lot of IT adjacent roles in my working life.
Ngunnawal & Ngambri lands. Always was, always will be.
he/his
BioDigital Humanities post grad, ex public servant. Digital Human, All too Human
Pronounshe/him
Traditional LandsNgunnawal & Ngambri
Sminney9h ago
John Holmes19h ago
300,000-year-old wooden tools unearthed in southwest China https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/archaeology/earliest-wooden-tools-china/ #science via @CosmosMagazine
300,000-year-old wooden tools unearthed in southwest China

Recent excavations in Gantangqing, China, have produced the earliest known evidence of complex wooden tool technology in East Asia.

Cosmos
Sminney9h ago
Show threadMazz@198419h ago

Addit:
'US pharmaceutical companies have historically lobbied for stronger intellectual property protections, which can:

Delay the introduction of generic medicines

Increase costs for Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)

Undermine access to affordable medications for Australian patients

Dr Ryan is highlighting the need to protect the PBS and generic drug availability to keep medicines affordable and accessible, which is a cornerstone of Australia’s universal healthcare system.'

Sminney19h ago
Firstdog Onthemoon1d ago
The internet! Everyone loves the internet. Maybe they shouldn't idk https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2025/jul/04/whats-that-brain-i-should-look-at-the-internet-some-more-ok-if-you-say-so
What’s that brain? I should look at the internet some more? OK if you say so

You may think a beloved national treasure like myself would be outside chatting to marsupials but no I am on the internet feeling bad for not replying to emails

The Guardian
Sminney19h ago
Simon Willison2d ago
Quitting programming as a career right now because of LLMs would be like quitting carpentry as a career thanks to the invention of the table saw.
Sminney3d ago
JP3d ago
Qantas got popped. Customer personal info nabbed in data breach: https://www.qantas.com/au/en/support/information-for-customers-on-cyber-incident.html
Sminney3d ago
I see that airline is finding new ways to devalue their services
Sminney3d ago
Tim Sherratt3d ago
If you're a humanities researcher who wants to understand more about #openAccess publishing, Uni of London Press has created a free, online course. It takes about 1.5 hours. https://uolpress.co.uk/2025/06/new-open-access-in-the-humanities-online-training-course-launched/ #histodons
New Open Access in the Humanities online training course launched! - University of London Press

We are excited to share details of our new online training course on open access publishing, developed by the University of London Press with the School of Advanced Study. The course is free and available now on the School’s RESHAPED platform – a new training and research community space for researchers in the Humanities. The […]

University of London Press
Sminney4d ago
Kathy Reid4d ago

What a brilliant session with @emilymbender in conversation with @Kobotic at #RMIT tonight.

Key takeaways:
- #BenderRule - name the language you're working in
- #AI is not one technology - it's many in a trenchcoat. Be specific.
- Who benefits from the changes wrought by AI and who bears the harms and externalities?
- AI is hype - learn enough to cut through it, ask difficult questions
- "Pile of racist linear algebra"
- Read everything by @karenhao
- Read #TheAICon by Emily and @alex
- Read @CriticalAI

Sminney4d ago
Preston von Gabbleduck4d ago

HR: "Do you have a moment? We just want to ask you about your self-assessment?"
Me: "Sure."
HR: "So, for 'personality type', we were expecting something from Myers-Briggs. You know, like ENJF."
Me: "Oh?"
HR: "You selected 'Other' and filled in, 'Chaotic Good'."
Me: "Yes, that's right."
HR: "Why?"
Me: "Because I use the term 'fortnight' as often as possible in communications in a US-based company, replace 'z's with 's'es, and convert dates everywhere to ISO8601."
HR: "Well yes we can see how that would be classified as 'Chaotic Good', but we were expecting something grounded in science."
Me: "So why were you asking for Myers-Briggs?"

#Microfiction

Sminney4d ago
Electronic Frontier Foundation4d ago
Age-verification laws are being weaponized to censor LGBTQ+ and abortion-related content online, restricting access to critical resources under the guise of protecting children. https://msmagazine.com/2025/02/25/lgbtq-abortion-censorship-age-verification-laws/
Age-Verification Laws Seek to Erase LGBTQ+ Identity from the Internet

The internet age-verification craze that’s sweeping the nation isn’t really about protecting little Dick and Jane from Pornhub—it’s about giving government and companies the power to decide what’s “harmful” and rolling back all Americans’ rights, especially those of LGBTQ+ people.  This growing legislative trend has sparked a lot of concerns and First Amendment challenges, including a case now pending before the Supreme Court, Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton. These pernicious “for the children” bills would let politicians deem harmful LGBTQ+ content, or content about abortion rights, or even content about a political party other than their own. These are censorship bills, and let

Ms. Magazine