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James O’Sullivan

@jamesosullivan.bsky.social

Professor of Digital Culture & Cultural Analytics at University College Cork. Researcher, educator, essayist, and small-time publisher. Curmudgeonly Corkonian with malfunctioning heart.

373 Posts979 Follower372 Folgt
Ted Underwood@tedunderwood.com · 3d ago

It's nice that The Odyssey is getting its day in the sun as a synecdoche for history. But when this summer is over, it's back to the relentless, remorseless rise of Jane Austen.

Google Ngram Viewer chart comparing the frequency of “Jane Austen” and “The Odyssey” in English-language books from 1800 to 2022. Both phrases are rare before the mid-nineteenth century. Mentions of “Jane Austen” rise sharply after about 1860, fluctuate through the twentieth century, and then climb steeply after 1990 to roughly 0.000075% by 2020. “The Odyssey” increases more gradually, reaching about 0.000020% by 2020.
James O’Sullivan@jamesosullivan.bsky.social · 6d ago

As someone who always hires a professional indexer (I tried it myself once and it was a disaster), I wonder why LLMs aren't good at indexing? It's basically judging relevance and mapping concepts. Is it the need for a book-wide taxonomy and exact locations that makes indexing unsuited to LLMs?

James O’Sullivan@jamesosullivan.bsky.social · last mo.

Dear editors, Stop sending me books comprised solely of AI slop to review. The tells are so obvious it frightens me that someone whose job is to read cannot spot them immediately. Sending manuscripts composed without any authorial effort for review is damaging the reputation of your press. James

Ted Underwood@tedunderwood.com · 2mo ago

If "cheating on assignments" was all we had to worry about, paper would be a fix. What should scare academics about AI is that higher ed might be losing its central role in producing, evaluating, and transmitting useful knowledge. I'm hopeful we won't, but that is the concern.

Ted Underwood@tedunderwood.com · 2mo ago

Oh, universities becoming "a beautiful place to scribble in blue books." We provide cafeterias, climbing walls, and ivy, and also some nostalgic dark-academia experiences. Outside our walls, of course, everyone knows that what matters is an entirely different set of skills schools don't teach. +

Ted Underwood@tedunderwood.com · 2mo ago

Every academic I know who uses or studies AI is also deeply worried about the technology’s effect on universities. Concern is universal. What separates people is how they think we should respond: whether by pumping the brakes, backing up, or trying to steer through the hazard. +

Claire Connolly@claireconnolly.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The open letter regarding industry and applied bias in Research Ireland's strategy is still open for signing ... openletter.earth/concern-abou...

Concern about Research Ireland’s Strategy and Programme Plan

openletter.earth

Elaine Burke@elaineburke.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Also I feel very much like I was just at an Enterprise Ireland announcement, not a Research Ireland one. Major focus on industry, commercialisation of research, turning scientists into entrepreneurs, creating a talent pipeline for industry, and an overriding theme of fairly ill-defined "scale".

Elaine Burke@elaineburke.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Also I feel very much like I was just at an Enterprise Ireland announcement, not a Research Ireland one. Major focus on industry, commercialisation of research, turning scientists into entrepreneurs, creating a talent pipeline for industry, and an overriding theme of fairly ill-defined "scale".

James O’Sullivan@jamesosullivan.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Some nice personal news to share! Delighted to reveal that I have been promoted to Professor of Digital Culture & Cultural Analytics @ucc.ie Thanks to all of my colleagues at UCC and beyond for supporting me throughout my career. I've always had the good fortune of working with good people.

James O’Sullivan@jamesosullivan.bsky.social · 2mo ago

‘This is not financial advice’ I’ve a new essay in @noemamag.com on how ‘finfluencers’ use #socialmedia to prey on economic desperation. It’s a cautionary tale on under-regulated financial markets like the OTC & #crypto attracting gamblers, typically men, chasing the dream of ‘financial freedom’.

Noema Magazine@noemamag.com · 2mo ago

“At a time when traditional markers of male success, such as homeownership & predictable family formation, have become less attainable, many men feel increasing pressure to find a way — however reckless — to achieve prosperity & demonstrate value.” — @jamesosullivan.bsky.social #fintwit #wallstreet

James O’Sullivan@jamesosullivan.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Having coffee in WebWorkHouse. Haven’t been in a long time despite it being close to home. Only a small few computers left 😢. I spent many a happy overnighter here playing Star Wars Galaxies and World of Warcraft; messing with Geocities etc. I miss the online culture I grew up with. Man, I’m old.