I've been learning R recently, and given my familiarity with Python I wanted to tell you all about skills I have recently practiced: - givign up - headaches

@grogsgamut.bsky.social is it possible to find equivalent Australian data to what's listed in this pic, or would it require a significant project of research? (p.s. love the pod, listen every week)

In the 1980s in one auto plant, computerisation was used extensively for worker surveillance of toilet breaks. Union agitation around this led to a 'rest allowance' being implemented in workplace agreements, with workers winning toilet breaks of 1.62 minutes (i.e. 97.2 seconds).

The current world chicken population is larger than the planet-wide non-chicken bird population not just today, but at any point in the history of earth.

Very important response setting out the Ombudsman's views on the use of AI in govt decision-making. Notably, there is a need to record reasons, and failing to do so creates a serious risk of the decision being deemed unreasonable.

FYI.org.nz feed@feed.fyi.org.nz · 5mo ago

[Successful] Office of the Ombudsman replied about AI systems and OIA section 22 and 23

RECapture team submitted to the Inquiry into the 2025 federal election. We provided our high-level and operational recommendations for improving trust and security in digital campaigns for Australian elections. @coolrobbie.bsky.social et al. Link to our submission doi.org/10.5281/zeno...

Our paper on the Voice referendum on WeChat shows policymakers & factchecker might be fighting the wrong battle against disinfo. Our case & numbers show how disinfo works on the ground. Check out the paper (w. Luke Heemsbergen & @coolrobbie.bsky.social) url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/fLyrCxnMJ5...

Contextualizing critical disinformation during the 2023 Voice referendum on WeChat: Manipulating knowledge gaps and whitewashing Indigenous rights | HKS Misinformation Review

Outside China, WeChat is a conduit for translating and circulating English-language information among the Chinese diaspora. Australian domestic political campaigns exploit the gaps between platform go...

url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com

Going to be at ACMI later this month talking about what it's like to track my baby using an app - feel free to join in! events.humanitix.com/dc-x-acmi-se...

Baby apps: (Mis)understandings of data-driven care

This panel brings together parents, professionals and researchers with lived experience & expertise to explore the role of baby apps in contemporary parenthood.

events.humanitix.com

Zotero auto-identified the ACCC's Digital Platforms Inquiry as "The Cancer that Cured Me". Look forward to what subtle takes it has on the productivity commission's releases

Some reflections from #WorldCon on how to talk to friends about "AI" buttondown.com/maiht3k/arch...

Friends Don't Let Friends Prompt

By Emily Alex and I were at WorldCon (the World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention) last week, talking about The AI Con with people whose livelihood...

buttondown.com

One study concluded 70% of increased electric cost across US due to AI data centers. apnews.com/article/elec...

As electric bills rise, evidence mounts that data centers share blame. States feel pressure to act

Amid rising electric bills, states are under pressure to insulate regular household and business ratepayers from the costs of feeding Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers.

apnews.com

www.jobsandskills.gov.au/download/198...

Datacenter diplomacy: Australia commits to help Vanuatu build bit barns

Datacenter diplomacy: Australia commits to help Vanuatu build bit barns

$79 million is a small price to pay to keep China at bay Australia will help to fund the development of two datacenters in the Pacific island nation Vanuatu, an example of tech infrastructure becoming an important diplomatic consideration.…

dlvr.it

"Finland 1932 is the only clean win I can find. [...] That’s it. That’s the success story. One time out of roughly fifty attempts, fascists were stopped because they were stupid enough to try violence before winning elections." medium.com/@carmitage/i...

We live in a fascist nation. What now?

Once they win elections, it’s already too late.

medium.com

Last week, Monash Uni and think tank The Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) dropped the "Playing the Player" report. It's a really interesting survey-based study of 800 people who play games. (Don't ask why, in the year of the lord 2025, a PS1 controller is the lead image)

Just remember that we really have no interest in understanding our world. Only controlling it. And that's very, very sad.

Claes de Vreese@claesdevreese.bsky.social · last yr.

This @niemanlab.org story gives more background and concrete examples of revoked disinformation research, fx @katestarbird.bsky.social @lkfazio.bsky.social following the NSF announcement. Defunding disinformation research is very shortsighted in today’s world. www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/nati...

"Our research reveals while Australian news media often focus on foreign interference, in this election cycle, disinformation is being driven by commercial and domestic political interests," write @fanyang.bsky.social, Luke Heemsbergen, and @coolrobbie.bsky.social. Read more:

How election misinformation spreads on Chinese social media

Hundreds of thousands of people in Australia use these platforms.

ia.acs.org.au

Really interesting and important report out today on deceptive design practices in games and how they impact players from @cprc-research.bsky.social @coolrobbie.bsky.social and @bradyjay.bsky.social - some really great recommendations on making games safer for everyone! cprc.org.au/report/playi...

Playing the Player - CPRC

Australians of all ages are engaging with gaming to relax, learn or connect with friends, but common design features can leave players worse-off – 95% of Australian adult gamers encounter manipulative...

cprc.org.au

Got our first Q1 rejection letter written by AI! Does not invoke faith in the review process, honestly.

Chinese social media new election battleground. Hear more from ADM+S researchers Fan Yang and Robbie Fordyce on ABC's The World Today @fanyang.bsky.social @coolrobbie.bsky.social #misinformation bit.ly/4iFwawv

Chinese social media new election battleground - ABC listen

Nearly 700,000 Australians use the Chinese platform Rednote, and it's become a new battleground for targeting Chinese-Australian voters.

bit.ly

In this investigative report, ADM+S researchers Fan Yang, Robbie Fordyce, with Luke Heemsbergen worked with ABC, to uncover political disinformation on Chinese social media platform RedNote @fanyang.bsky.social @coolrobbie.bsky.social sky.social bit.ly/41KYczP

A deepfake Dutton speaks Mandarin on Chinese social media platform

A series of attacks on Australian political parties on emerging Chinese social media platform RedNote raise concerns about misinformation, disinformation and the risk of foreign interference ahead of ...

bit.ly

Who is up for a short thread on the intriguing parallels between OpenAI and Enron, as told by one of Enron's investment bankers -- that is to say, me? Here goes...

Ars Technica@arstechnica.com · 2y ago

My local MP is pushing more misinformation on Facebook, telling people nuclear power "will deliver cheaper, cleaner and consistent energy". Below is my response. Feel free to plagiarise it in responding to your own coalition MPs when they try the same. (1/6) #auspol #EnergyAus

Remind me again why we are letting an American bloke with no relevant research experience but who wrote an airport book to scare parents make digital policy in Australia? www.nature.com/articles/d41...

The great rewiring: is social media really behind an epidemic of teenage mental illness?

The evidence is equivocal on whether screen time is to blame for rising levels of teen depression and anxiety — and rising hysteria could distract us from tackling the real causes.

nature.com

Yay new publication day! Last year, Larissa Hjorth, Peta Murray and I looked into older adults' animal pet image sharing practices. We found while there are myriad reasons, many of them revolve around kinship. Paper is open access so please share and cite widely: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

One to watch

Techmeme@techmeme.com · 2y ago

The UK's Ofcom says the Online Safety Act, passed in 2023 to govern illegal material on internet platforms, has taken effect, and plans to expand it in 2025 (Mark Bergen/Bloomberg) Main Link | Techmeme Permalink

The latest footage out of Gaza today is utterly horrific. Not that it hasn't all been. I've seen 10,000 things this year that fall into the category. More misery, more evil, just as shocking as the first time. Fuck Israel and everyone excusing and supporting its landgrab and genocide.

The US's equivalent to the updated online safety bill has been co-authored with X's CEO. Unlike the OSB, it has a focus on 'impacts' and 'individual perceptions' experienced by users, but apparently doesn't provide clear definitions or enforcement pathways

Electronic Frontier Foundation@eff.org · 2y ago

No representative should consider shoehorning this controversial and unconstitutional version of KOSA into a continuing resolution required to fund the government.

Australian government proposing to tax search platforms, a tax that would be waived if they negotiate with local news. Basically a re-hash of the NMBC, but calling out TikTok in particular. www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12...

Facebook, Google to fund Australian journalism under new tax plan

The government wants to impose a new tax to push the tech platforms to make funding agreements with news organisations.

abc.net.au