iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Thank you to all who attended our Refuse, Resist, Repair: Making Critical Moves in the Times of AI event on Zoom this afternoon! We had a fantastic conversation with @jenny-l-davis.bsky.social @posada.website @fractalecho.bsky.social @steelecat717.bsky.social and Apryl Williams.

Graphic with a screenshot from Zoom with 5 speakers with text that says "Refuse, Resist, Repair: Making Critical Moves in the Times of AI"

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Meet the panelists of Refuse, Resist, Repair: Making Critical Moves in the Times of AI ⚡ 🎤 @jenny-l-davis.bsky.social, @posada.website, Apryl Williams, @fractalecho.bsky.social, and @steelecat717.bsky.social 📅 Fri, October 9 at 2:00 PM ET 📍 Zoom 🔗 Register events.umich.edu/event/149368

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

📚 New report out now! One of the DISCO Network’s most successful initiatives is our collaborative writing retreats, known as “Book Jams.” Our new report offers a behind-the-scenes look at how a collaborative writing retreat works in practice. 🔗 Read: www.disconetwork.org/book-jam-rep...

Pink textured cover of the Book Jam Report featuring the University of Michigan Digital Studies Institute and DISCO Network logos.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Thank you to all who attended our Feeling the Future panel yesterday! The panelists discussed American feelings towards Asian & Chinese technology in 2026, their take on the “American century of humiliation” meme, and the trend of American influencers now looking to China as a site of admiration.

Panel discussion with four participants, including one appearing on a monitor, seated before projection screens while an audience watches.

Audience watches a panel discussion with a speaker at a podium and a projected “Meet Our Panel” slide showing four panelists.

Panelists pose for a group photo on stage.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

New blog post out now! In "Banff Book Jam 2026 Recap," three authors of Feeling the Future: Asian/Americanist Takes on Techno-Empire reflect on their experience after participating in a DISCO Network collaborative writing retreat. ✏️ Read the full blog post: www.disconetwork.org/blog

Graphic announcing the new blog post, featuring the blog post cover image of the authors of the Banff Book Jam 2026 smiling at the camera.

Graphic with a screenshot of the first paragraph of the blog post.

Graphic with a screenshot of the second paragraph of the blog post with a text that says "read more on our blog"

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Meet the panelists of Feeling the Future: Asian/Americanist Takes on Techno-Empire, Chinamaxxing, & the "American Century of Humiliation" 🔥 📅 Wed, Sept 23 at 4 - 5:30 PM ET 📍Weiser Hall 10th Floor (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) & Zoom 🔗 Learn more and register: events.umich.edu/event/149356

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

UPCOMING EVENT: Join us for Refuse, Resist, Repair: Making Critical Moves in the Times of AI! 📅 Friday, October 9 at 2 - 3:30 PM ET 🎤 Jenny Davis, Julián Posada, Apryl Williams, & Rua Williams in conversation with Catherine Knight Steele 📍 Zoom 🔗 Register: events.umich.edu/event/149368

Refuse, Resist, Repair: Making Critical Moves in the Times of AI poster with an abstract arrangement rectangles in yellow and magenta and a magenta perspective grid.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

In July, the DISCO Network hosted a three day Book Jam at Northwestern University for our nine 2026 DISCO Affiliates. Alongside our PIs, our Affiliates wrote and developed a new collaborative book project, Frictionless: Rethinking the Promises of Big Tech (working title). More info coming soon!

DISCO Affiliates sitting around a conference table

DISCO Affiliates sitting around a conference table with Zoom on the screen

Posed group photo of DISCO Affiliates and DISCO PIs

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

UPCOMING EVENT: Join us on Wednesday, September 23 at 4:00 - 5:30 PM ET for Feeling the Future: Asian/Americanist Takes on Techno-Empire, Chinamaxxing, & the “American Century of Humiliation." 🎤 Featuring Brian J. Chen, Julie Chu, Jasmine Ehrhardt, & Paul Kim in conversation with Lisa Nakamura.

Event poster for “Feeling the Future,” a panel on Asian/Americanist perspectives, techno-empire, and “Chinamaxxing,” with pagoda illustrations and event details.

Event description: "You've met me at a very Chinese time in my life." American social media users and influencers like Hasan Piker, I Show Speed, and Kris Jenner have become newly interested in China as a source of cultural and technological inspiration. This panel of experts in technology policy, Chinese techno-culture, and the interplay between the U.S. and Asia will discuss the roots of "Chinamaxxing" in U.S.-China relations.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

We are proud to present our first three panels of the 2026-2027 academic year! 🪩✨ We have an exciting lineup of speakers who will discuss the rising fascination and fear of a Chinese technological future, the hidden data and labor behind GenAI, and who gets to control the future of technology 👥🌏💻💡

Promotional graphic for the DISCO Network Panel Series, featuring three events about technology and AI, illustrated with a laptop and smartphone design, set against a purple background.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Two weeks ago, the DISCO Network hosted @brianjchen.bsky.social, Julie Chu, Jasmine Ehrhardt, Tara Fickle, @huandirection.bsky.social, Grace Hong, Paul Kim, @lnakamura.bsky.social, & K. Ian Shin, for a five day Book Jam at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

Posed photo of Brian J. Chen, Julie Chu, Jasmine Ehrhardt, Tara Fickle, Huan He, Grace Hong, Paul Kim, Lisa Nakamura, & K. Ian Shin.

Photo of the authors and facilitators laughing at a boardroom table.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

We're excited to announce the 2026 cohort of our DISCO Network Affiliate Program! 🪩💫 We are so excited to support this incredible group of scholars this year! Learn more about our affiliates and their work at www.disconetwork.org/affiliate-pr...

Poster of the DISCO Affiliates 2026 cohort featuring headshots of nine individuals: Irawo Ajasin, Chelsea Allen, Yesica Duarte, Natalie Leonard, Lucy March, Natalie Araujo Melo, Vanessa Nyarko, Xeneb Shah, Denise Dilbir Kaur Toor

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

To all who attended "Content Creation & the End of Social Media" last week, ty for such an insightful afternoon w/ Crystal Abidin, @brookeerinduffy.bsky.social @kelechnekoff.bsky.social & @steelecat717.bsky.social!! We felt connected, learned so much, & sincerely appreciated everyone who joined 🌐🌌

Graphic for "Content Creation & the End of Social Media," each half of the title is in bolded white text in the upper righthand and lower lefthand corners. Four video call participants' windows are in a staggered formation against abstract gold starburst shapes and a dark blue gradient background. Clockwise from top left: a person with long black hair and hoop earrings appears thoughtful, listening while cupping their chin; a person with long brown hair sits in front of shelves arranged with rainbow-colored books; a person smiles widely with their tattooed hand resting under their chin, seated in front of a floating bookshelf; and a person with dark hair in a bun speaks in front of a wall filled with colorful, decorative garlands.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

More about our talented group of panelists below, we're looking forward to connecting virtually & hearing all of their insightful commentary about the end of social media 🪩🌐 @brookeerinduffy.bsky.social @kelechnekoff.bsky.social @steelecat717.bsky.social @bcatlab.bsky.social

At the top, a dark blue banner with bold white text reads "meet the speakers." Below that is the main section, featuring a photo of Crystal Abidin, a person with long, straight hair smiling and standing against a white background. Three paragraphs to the right of her photo detail Abidin's professional background. At the bottom, another dark blue banner reads, "Crystal Abidin is Professor of Internet Studies at Curtin University and Director of the Influencer Ethnography Research Lab." The background consists of subtle grid lines and small dots overlaying a mustard yellow box with the text.

Transcribed text:
Abidin is a digital anthropologist and ethnographer of vernacular internet cultures, researching influencer cultures, attention economies, and social media pop cultures especially in the Asia Pacific region.

She has published over 250 articles/chapters, 16 special issues, 5 authored books, and 4 edited books, including Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame Online (2018, Emerald Publishing), Instagram: Visual Social Media Cultures (co-authors Leaver & Highfield, 2020, Polity), and tumblr: Curation, Creativity and Community (co-authors Tiidenberg & Hendry, 2022, Polity).

Her newest books are TikTok and Youth Cultures (2025, Emerald Publishing) and Child Influencers: How Children Become Entangled with Social Media Fame (2025, Polity).

At the top, a dark blue banner with bold white text reads "meet the speakers." Below that is the main section, featuring a photo of Brooke Erin Duffy, a person with dark brown hair smiling, facing the camera at a three-quarters angle against a gray background. To the right of her photo, four paragraphs detail Duffy's professional background. At the bottom, another dark blue banner reads, "Brooke Erin Duffy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at Cornell University." The background consists of subtle grid lines and small dots overlaying a mustard yellow box with the text.

Transcribed text:
Duffy is a member of the Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies faculty.

Her research interests include digital and social media industries; gender, identity, and inequality; and the impact of new technologies on creative work and labor.

She's the author of two monographs on gender and cultural production, including (Not) Getting Paid to Do What You Love: Gender, Social Media, and Aspirational Work (Yale UP, 2017), which draws upon research with fashion bloggers, YouTubers, and Instagrammers to explore the culture and politics of digital labor.

In addition, she is co-author of the newly released book Platforms & Cultural Production (Polity, 2021).

At the top, a dark blue banner with bold white text reads "meet the speakers." Below that is the main section, featuring a close-up photo of Kelechi Okafor, a person with short dark brown hair and gold hoops. To the right of her photo, five paragraphs detail Kelechi's professional background. At the bottom, another dark blue banner reads, "Kelechi Okafor is a British-Nigerian multidisciplinary artist, writer, presenter, actor, and political commentator." The background consists of subtle grid lines and small dots overlaying a mustard yellow box with the text.

Transcribed text:
Kelechi is the creator and host of the podcast Say Your Mind, with more than 280 episodes exploring self-reclamation through an unflinching critique of society.

Kelechi has written books for children, young adults, and adults, often engaging themes of Black identity, power, surveillance, and systemic injustice.

Her work extends beyond literature and media into political commentary and social advocacy, with a particular focus on issues affecting Black women. She is known for her sharp critiques of institutional racism and performative activism, consistently calling for material change and accountability.

In 2025, she released her speculative novel Awakened. Her upcoming young adult novel, Are You Still Watching?, will be published on 10 September 2026.

Through her artistic and social practice, Kelechi continues to create transformative spaces, challenge dominant narratives, and amplify marginalised voices.

At the top, a dark blue banner with bold white text reads "meet the moderator." Below that is the main section, featuring a close-up photo of Catherine Knight Steele, a person with short curls wearing a black turtleneck and smiling widely up at the camera. To the right of her photo, three paragraphs detail Steele's professional background. At the bottom, another dark blue banner reads, "Catherine Knight Steele is an Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Maryland - College Park." The background consists of subtle grid lines and small dots overlaying a mustard yellow box with the text.

Transcribed text:
Steele was the Founding Director of the Andrew W. Mellon funded African American Digital Humanities Initiative (AADHum).

Her research focuses on race, gender, and media, with a specific emphasis on African American culture and discourse in traditional and new media.

She examines representations of marginalized communities in the media and how groups resist oppression and utilize online technology to create spaces of community.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

IN ONE WEEK: Join us via Zoom for "Content Creation and the End of Social Media" next Thursday, February 24th from 4:00 - 5:30 PM [ET] 🌟🎤 Ft. Crystal Abidin, Brooke Erin Duffy, & Kelechi Okafor in conversation w/ Catherine Knight Steele 💻🔗 Learn more by visiting the link in our bio or myumi.ch/g3Xxq

Promotional graphic for DISCO's event "Content Creation and the End of Social Media" on Thursday, February 26, 2026, 4:00 - 5:30 PM EST on Zoom. The background consists of subtle grid lines and small dots overlaying a nighttime highway scene. A starburst shape in the bottom right includes text announcing the featured speakers: Crystal Abidin, Brooke Erin Duffy, and Kelechi Okafor in conversation with Catherine Knight Steele. Dominating the center of the poster is the event title in bold white text. Two logos for the DISCO Network and BCaT Lab feature in the upper righthand corner.

At the top, a dark blue banner features bold white text reads "about the event." Below that, the main body of text includes the full description centered in white. At the bottom, another dark blue banner states, "This event is virtual only." The background consists of subtle grid lines and small dots overlaying a mustard yellow box with the event description.

Transcribed text:
Is social media still social?

With the spread of content creation as a business, political strategy, and pastime across platforms, where is the space for sociality in social media?

This panel examines the role of engagement farming, influencer culture, misinformation, disinformation, and AI in reshaping social media as a creator economy.

In a digital landscape where we all serve as content creators and/or unwitting sources of valuable data, we explore whether social media is still a desirable avenue for forming and cultivating community, engaging in organizing strategies, or simply being social.

This event is open to the public, and we encourage all interested faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students to attend.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

We’re honored to have them as part of our community and look forward to continuing to support their amazing work!

Headshots of Lisa Nakamura's Cohort: Alexis Carlota-Cochrane, Catalina Farías, Tim Newman, and Michelle Lee

Headshots of Rayvon Fouché's Cohort: Sara Abdulla, Nina-Simone Edwards, Ngozi Harrison, Mourary Hutchinson, and Stephanie "DJ" Jones

Headshots of M. Remi Yergeau's Cohort: Victoria Copeland, Megan Fereday, Kim Fernandes, Beza Merid, Wells Lucas Santo, Cheng-Hsiu "Shin" Yang

Headshots of Catherine Knight Steele's Cohort: Larisa Anderson-Horne, Dez Brown, Cienna Davis, Tèmí Lasade-Anderson, Serena Oduro, and Chris Wiley

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

We’re proud to celebrate our 2025 DISCO Network Affiliates! 🎉🪩 21 affiliates from a diverse range of disciplines participated this past year, engaging in work-sharing, collaborative writing, and mentorship through monthly small-group meetings and workshops with our DISCO Network PIs.

21 headshots of program participants arranged in the center of a colorful gradient background with the text "DISCO Network Affiliates" and "2025 Cohorts."

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

📸🟧 UPCOMING 🟧📸 Tuesday, March 10th at 4:00 - 5:30 PM [ET] Join us for "Against Surveillance & Spectacle" featuring @vashetc.bsky.social, @meg-fereday.bsky.social, Kim Fernandes, @wells.bsky.social, & Shin Yang in conversation w/ @remiyergeau.bsky.social (Director, DAF Lab)

Graphic for DISCO's "Against Surveillance & Spectacle" on March 10th at 4:00 pm EST in-person at Weiser Hall or remotely over Zoom. Headshots of the six speakers are arranged in the center, with a stylized black and white surveillance camera and burnt orange texture as the background.

The upper half is an abstract image of a crowd of paparazzi taking photos, against a textured orange and brown background. On the bottom half are two short paragraphs of text describing the talk's themes and intentions.

transcribed text: "What does it mean to be in community? This panel brings together activists, scholars, and writers to explore connections between critical social issues—health justice, discrimination, technofascism, and surveillance—and the possibilities of grassroots response.

Panelists will discuss tensions between collectivizing and collaborating: How do we negotiate care when our access to care hinges on being identified and enumerated by the state? What tactics for resistance might we use in digital communities that are subject to increased surveillance? How can we be there for and with each other?"

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

🌐🟣 UPCOMING 🟣🌐 We're proud to share that we're co-sponsoring @umichdigital.bsky.social's Lecture Series talk "Trans Ecologies of the Real and the Virtual in Contemporary Art" w/ @michacard.bsky.social 📅Tuesday, February 24th at 3:00 PM ET 📍Online (via Zoom) 🔗Register directly here: myumi.ch/G23ey

Graphic for the DSI Lecture Series event "Trans Ecologies of the Real and the Virtual in Contemporary Art" with speaker micha cárdenas on February 24th at 3:00 pm EST over Zoom. An artistic rendering of a person with purple hair in a futuristic outfit in the bottom left corner extends their arm upwards, with pixel effects and a realistic background of a forest framing them. Logos for the DISCO Network and U-M Digital Studies Institute appear alongside text listing all cosponsoring organizations. A registration QR code rests in the bottom right corner.

The bottom half of the image is digital artwork of a glowing, animated figure in a blue and pink dress against a forest background, with neon orange text on the right. On the upper portion of the screen are two paragraphs of text written by micha cárdenas describing the talk's themes and inspiration.

transcribed text: "For the survival of all our ecologies, we must refuse human centricity and build networks of care across lines of species and liveliness. This talk stitches a line from trans people to an expanded conception of trans, using a focus on trans ecological poetics to go beyond a focus on the human. I broaden the operation of “trans” in trans media studies to include non-human movements, such as those made by animals, viruses, and movements across the boundaries between different environments. Trans media studies can extend the fields of media studies, transgender studies, and trans of color studies to connect more deeply to and through non-human entities. Still, any injunction for queer and trans studies to go beyond the human must reconcile with the history of trans, Palestinian, Black, and Indigenous people being deemed less than human.

In this talk, I use the method of algorithmic analysis proposed in my book Poetic Operations: Trans of Color Art in Digital Media (Duke UP, 2022) to explore the operations that make up the poetics of three contemporary artworks—Sin Sol (2020), an augmented reality installation I created with the Critical Realities Studio, Acoustic Ocean (2018), a short film by Ursula Biemann and “Of Whales”, a film created using virtual reality created by Wu Tsang."

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

🌌🌟 UPCOMING 🌟🌌 Thursday, February 26th at 4:00 - 5:30 PM [ET] Join us VIRTUALLY for "Content Creation and the End of Social Media" featuring Crystal Abidin, @brookeerinduffy.bsky.social, & @kelechnekoff.bsky.social in conversation w/ @steelecat717.bsky.social (Director, @bcatlab.bsky.social)

Flier for "Content Creation and the End of Social Media" event with details and headshots of the four speakers. The background features a deep blue and mustard yellow highway on-ramp with bright streetlights at night.

Features an abstract and digitally manipulated background graphic of a moody yellow and green hued interior hallway. Superimposed on this are two paragraphs of white text in clear font describing the panel topic.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

We're taking a moment to thank everyone who came to our "Black Boys and the Future of Technology" panel last Thursday! We were delighted to host this dynamic group in Ann Arbor and appreciated all of the amazing conversation had and wisdom shared 📔💚

A Black man and two children stand together over a black and neon green digital background, above text displaying the event title "Black Boys and the Future of Technology" in all-caps. Below this is a graphic of overlaid green circuit boards. Logos for the HAT Lab and DISCO Network float in the upper righthand corner.

The upper half shows a Black man speaking to an offscreen audience with his words displayed on a screen beside him; the lower half features four men posing with two tall banners for the DISCO Network and Digital Studies Institute.

Two photos of a panel discussion with four speakers sitting on stage in a conference space. A large screen on the wall behind them shows a question about tech.

A collage with iridescent green tiles, a black text overlay, and a photo of a countertop setup with refreshments and a University of Michigan sign on the wall. The text thanks LSA Tech Services, the CART captioning service providers, and our caterers from UniTea and El Harissa Market Cafe.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

⏳Reminder on behalf of our beloved @umichdigital.bsky.social that applications for the 6th Annual Digital IDEAS Summer Institute close in just under two weeks! Apply by Sunday, February 1, 2026 and visit myumi.ch/QwAbz

Flier announcing open applications for the 2026 Digital IDEAS Summer Institute, with details about its theme and a QR code on the bottom right for applying. The background is a gradient transitioning from dark purple in the bottom left diagonally to light pink in the top right. An illustration of a light pink jellyfish swims behind the text. Logos for the Digital Studies Institute and Digital IDEAS appear at the top.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

🌐📺💚 UPCOMING 💚📺🌐 With the start of the semester, we're already looking forward to our first event: "Black Boys and the Future of Technology" featuring Jonathan Cropper, Kareem Edouard, and John Pasmore in conversation with Rayvon Fouché (Director, HAT Lab) 🔗 Learn more and register: myumi.ch/rAgVZ

Flier for DISCO's "Black Boys and the Future of Technology" event with details, three speakers and one moderator, and a QR code for registration. It features neon green flecks against a black background and green circuit boards on the bottom half of the image.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

What happens when an intergenerational, interdisciplinary group of fourteen scholars spend five days in semi-remote Pennsylvania writing together?

Graphic titled "Technoskepticism: Between Possibility and Refusal" with a list of fourteen co-authors and text indicating that the book has been selected by the ASA Digital Humanities Caucus as an honorable mention for the Àngel David Nieves Book Award.

A classroom setting shows people engaged around a large circular table. The image is in black and white, save for the purple paper planes the group toss in the air. Text underneath the image relays when and where the book was written.

A panel discussion with five people seated on a stage; one woman in the center smiles, looking offscreen and talking into a mic. On the bottom are two paragraphs describing the premise and argument of Technoskepticism.

Two people sitting indoors: the left has long, dark curly hair and looks down at a laptop, the right has short hair dyed purple and smiles, appearing engaged in conversation. Above this image is text expressing gratitude for everyone who has supported the book.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

Applications now open for the 2026 DISCO Network Affiliate Program! Join a diverse, interdisciplinary community of scholars and get support developing writing on pressing issues at the intersection of technology and social justice. Open to grad students, early-career professionals, & junior faculty!

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

Thank you to everyone who came to our "Diaspora Wars and Going 50/50: Sowing Disunity in Black Communities Through Digital Propaganda" panel discussion!! We're honored to have hosted this incredible group of speakers in Ann Arbor last week and were delighted by the lively audience engagement 💜💜

Four speakers, all Black women, stand beside a tall banner advertising the DISCO Network. The graphic's background is a purple oily abstract shape with the text "Diaspora Wars and Going 50/50" in all caps.

A discussion with two visible panelists seated behind a table, a screen above displaying the latter part of a question and neon lavender patterns. The centered panelist, Jamilah Lemieux, wears a denim jacket and smiles widely at the audience.

Two photos of a panel with four speakers at a table with an audience seated before them. In between these pictures is a background of neon purple stripes.

A wide shot of a large room with a seated audience facing a panel of four speakers and a large projection screen displaying the Q&A instructions.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

We're thrilled to announce our next panel "Diaspora Wars and Going 50/50: Sowing Disunity in Black Communities Through Digital Propaganda" on Thursday, NOVEMBER 6th from 4:00 - 5:30 PM ET 🟪🌌🌐 🔗 Register by visiting the link in our bio, or myumi.ch/z9GJZ

Flier for "Diaspora Wars and Going 50/50: Sowing Disunity in Black Communities Through Digital Propaganda" event with details, three speakers, and a QR code for registration. The background features neon lavender stripes and an abstract oily image.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

UPCOMING: We're looking forward to our Launch Party for Search History Volume 2: Into the Rabbit Hole! 🐇💫 Join us this FRIDAY, OCT 3rd from 3:00 - 5:00 PM ET in-person at Weiser Hall (10th Floor) or over Zoom for a laid-back celebration of the zine's release.

Colorful flier for the "Search History Volume 2 Launch Party" at the University of Michigan with an event description, an illustrated mouse with a party hat, icons representing various media types, and a QR code for registration.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Join us on Thursday, OCTOBER 16th at 4:00 - 5:30 PM ET over Zoom for a conversation about How to Survive Techno-Hellscapes 🔥💻🌐 This panel will feature four phenomenal disability culture workers, activists, writers, and scholars in conversation with DISCO's own @remiyergeau.bsky.social

Flier for "How to Survive Techno-Hellscapes: On Crip Wisdom and Critique" event at the University of Michigan with details, four speakers, and a QR code for registration. The background is a deep red close-up of wires and plugs, and there is a graphic of a charred hallway.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

REMINDER: Happening tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept 24th at 11AM [ET] 🌺 The BCaT Lab will be hosting a HYBRID Info Session for the Automating Black Joy project! 🔗 Register by visiting the link in our bio or scanning the QR code, & visit bcatlab.org/automating-black-joy for more details

A vibrant poster with a black background, it features the title "Automating Black Joy Call for Proposals" and colorful flowers with illustrated faces framed by the petals. A large red section highlights an information session on Wednesday, September 24th at Skinner 3115 and on Zoom. A prominent QR code is centered, with a white arrow pointing at it, "Register to learn more here!"

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

UPDATE: We’re sorry to share that Fear of Asian Tech: Chips, Platforms, and Social Networks has been cancelled. Due to unforeseen circumstances, several of our panelists are no longer available to participate on the originally scheduled date. We’re working to reschedule in the spring—stay tuned!

A promotional flier for DISCO's event "Fear of Asian Tech: Chips, Platforms, and Social Networks" featuring large red text reading "CANCELLED" diagonally across the center. The title is prominently displayed, accompanied by details like the date, time, and location: "Thursday, September 25, 2025, 4:00 - 5:30 Pm EST, Weiser Hall 10th Floor & Zoom." The design highlights three speakers: Christopher Fan, Janice Lobo Sapigao, and Tony Shyu, each with their headshots in circular frames. Descriptions of each are provided with their names in bold uppercase text. The background features a circuit board design in shades of deep blue and teal.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

Our event, Fear of Asian Tech: Chips, Platforms, and Social Networks, is coming up at the end of this month! We're thrilled to host Christopher Fan, Janice Lobo Sapigao, and Tony Shyu on SEPTEMBER 25th at 4 PM EST! Learn more & register to attend by visiting the link in our bio, or myumi.ch/P3mjg

A promotional flier for DISCO's event "Fear of Asian Tech: Chips, Platforms, and Social Networks." The title is prominently displayed, accompanied by details like the date, time, and location: "Thursday, September 25, 2025, 4:00 - 5:30 Pm EST, Weiser Hall 10th Floor & Zoom." The design highlights three speakers: Christopher Fan, Janice Lobo Sapigao, and Tony Shyu, each with their headshots in circular frames. Descriptions of each are provided with their names in bold uppercase text. The background features a circuit board design in shades of deep blue and teal.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

With the start of the semester around the corner, we're excited to share (some of) our upcoming events for the 2025-26 academic year! Mark your calendars 📅 for these panel discussions, each are open the public and HYBRID. CART will be provided. Learn more and register at the link in our bio 🔗

Promotional poster for the 2025-2026 DISCO Panel Series. It features a colorful grainy texture in the background, with a faint circular grid design and planetary rings in the center. Six panel topics with dates and times are listed in outlined text: "Sept 25, 4PM Fear of Asian Tech: Chips, Platforms, and Social Networks; Oct 16, 4PM How to Survive Techno-Hellscapes: On Crip Wisdom and Critique; Nov 6, 4PM Diaspora Wars and Going 50/50: Sowing Disunity in Black Communities Through Digital Propaganda; Jan 29, 4PM Black Boys and the Future of Technology; Feb 19, 4PM Content Creation and the End of Social Media; Mar 10, 4PM Against Surveillance and Spectacle: Building Global Resistance to Tech-Mediated Oppression"

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

UPCOMING: A panel discussion of Technoskepticism coming soon to a King's College London near you! This is a hybrid event, to be held on Wednesday, May 21st from 5:30-7 PM (BST). View details below, thank you to @kingsdh.bsky.social & @digitalculturekcl.bsky.social for hosting 7 of our co-authors.

Promotional image for a book launch for Technoskepticism: Between Possibility and Refusal. On the left, the book cover features a pale blue background with abstract dark shapes at the bottom. To the right, the words "BOOK LAUNCH" stand prominently in large, blue capital letters above details for the event.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

TODAY at 2 PM ET: Join us in-person or virtually for a conversation about Building the Indigenous Internet, with Ashley Cordes, Majerle Lister, and @lnakamura.bsky.social! 📍 Weiser Hall 10th Floor, University of Michigan & Zoom More info and register: events.umich.edu/event/130932

Event flier for Building the Indigenous Internet panel and Q&A featuring headshots of Ashley Cordes, Majerle Lister, and Lisa Nakamura.

Flier text:
This panel brings together key voices in infrastructure as broadly imagined, data sovereignty and decolonial perspectives to critically explore the history, present, and future of the Indigenous Internet. The conversation will showcase how Indigenous knowledge has and will continue to shape data worlds by bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives on emerging technologies--ranging from computer science, artificial intelligence, social media, online activism, the work of infrastructure and circuit building, and beyond. By centering Indigenous voices, the discussion aims to create transformative visions for a sustainable, equitable, and inclusive digital future while inviting speculative thinking about post-settler digital worlds.

Free copies of Indigenous Currencies: Leaving Some for the Rest in the Digital Age (MIT Press) by Ashley Cordes will be available for the first 50 attendees!

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

UPCOMING: Join us in-person or virtually for a conversation about Building the Indigenous Internet, with Ashley Cordes, Majerle Lister, and @lnakamura.bsky.social 🗓️ Monday, April 14, 2 - 3:30 PM ET 📍 Weiser Hall 10th Floor, UMich & Zoom More info and register: events.umich.edu/event/130932

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

TODAY AT 4 PM ET: Join us for a timely and critical conversation with Tara Fickle, Ian Shin, and @originalsp.in about TikTok, DeepSeek, and the fear of Chinese tech in nationalist times. 📍Weiser Hall 10th Floor, University of Michigan & Zoom More info and register: events.umich.edu/event/132520

Event flier for TikTok, DeepSeek, and the Fear of Chinese Tech in Nationalist Times featuring headshots of Tara Fickle, Ian Shin, and Jeff Yang.

Flier text:
For the first time, two of the most popular apps in the world – TikTok and the A.I. chatbot DeepSeek – are Chinese. American legislative efforts to restrict or outright ban Chinese apps and other technologies on the grounds of national security have dominated recent headlines. During a time of political turmoil, increasing hostility towards trade with other nations, and the rush to maintain U.S. dominance over the tech industry, anti-Chinese sentiment has (re)surfaced in ways that echo earlier American anxieties about Asian labor competition and racial difference. This panel will bring together Asian American media scholars and culture creators to analyze what this climate means for our shifting technological landscape, Asian American communities, and race relations in the U.S.

Free boba will be provided to the first 100 in-person attendees.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

THIS MONDAY: Join us for a conversation with Tara Fickle, Ian Shin, and @originalsp.in about TikTok, DeepSeek, and the Fear of Chinese Tech. 📅 Monday, March 31, 4-6 PM ET 📍Weiser Hall 10th Floor, University of Michigan & Zoom More info and register: events.umich.edu/event/132520

Event flier for TikTok, DeepSeek, and the Fear of Chinese Tech in Nationalist Times featuring headshots of Tara Fickle, Ian Shin, and Jeff Yang

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

Join us for a conversation with Tara Fickle, Ian Shin, and @originalsp.in about TikTok, DeepSeek, and the fear of Chinese tech in nationalist times! 📅 Monday, March 31, 4-6 PM ET 📍Weiser Hall 10th Floor, University of Michigan & Zoom More info and register: events.umich.edu/event/132520

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

Join us one week from today in celebrating the publication of Technoskepticism: Between Possibility and Refusal! We'll be hosting a panel and AI workshop with seven out of fourteen brilliant co-authors on February 14th from 1:30-4:30 PM (EST). For more info and link to register: myumi.ch/W5m4R

Event poster for the “Technoskepticism Book Launch Party” event on Friday, February 14, 2025 at Weiser Hall 10th Floor & Zoom.

Transcribed text:
Lunch with the Authors | 12:30 - 1:30 PM Join us for lunch and conversation with seven co-authors.

Author Panel | 1:30 - 3:00 PM
Huan He (Vanderbilt University), Rayvon Fouché (Northwestern University), Rianna Walcott (University of Maryland), M. Remi Yergeau (Carleton University), Lida Zeitlin Wu (Old Dominion University)
Co-authors of Technoskepticism will discuss their new book about how marginalized communities have navigated the tension between embracing and rejecting emerging technologies. They will also explore how to reconfigure writing in the humanities into a collective practice. This panel will be moderated by Oliver Haimson and Wells Lucas Santo.

Workshop | 3:00 - 4:00 PM
Jeff Nagy (York University) and Lisa Nakamura (University of Michigan)
In this interactive workshop, attendees will apply the principles of technoskepticism to current and emerging technologies, with a special focus on AI.

About Technoskepticism: Between Possibility and Refusal:
From Munchausen by TikTok to wellness apps to online communities to AI, the DISCO Network explores the possibilities that technoskepticism can create.
This is a book about possibility and refusal in relation to new technologies. Though refusal is an especially powerful mode—particularly for those who have historically not been given the option to say no—people of color and disabled people have long navigated the space between saying yes and saying no to the newest technologies. Technoskepticism relates some of these stories to reveal the possibilities skepticism can create.

Register to attend on Zoom: https://myumi.ch/W5m4R

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Join @bcatlab.bsky.social this Wednesday (12/4) in Skinner 3115 at UMD and Zoom! 12 - 1 PM: Black Homeplaces Bookclub exploring the VR experience “Obsidian” by the Black Artists and Designers Guild 3 - 5 PM: Graduate Application Clinic More info: disconetwork.org/disco-events

A pixel-art style poster for BCaT Lab event titled "OBSIDIAN: THE FINAL MEET," featuring a colorful cityscape and a QR code.

Transcribed Text:

BCAT LAB PRESENTS: OBSIDIAN: THE FINAL MEET

In our final bookclub of the semester we will be exploring the virtual reality experience “Obsidian”, created by the Black Artists and Designers Guild.

Obsidian is an interactive web story, exploring a digitally recreated home from Oakland Hills, California.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4TH SKINNER 3115 12–1PM

Event flyer for a Graduate Application Clinic by The BCAT Lab with details about date, time, and location.

Transcribed Text:

The BCaT Lab presents: Graduate Application Clinic

Join us to learn about and receive assistance with the grad school application process!

When: Wednesday, December 4 3-5pm

Where: Skinner 3115 & Zoom

bcatlab.org/events

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Attend a Zoom roundtable conversation with William Cheng and Sunaura Taylor about disability and publishing, publishing as a disabled author, and publishing in/beyond disability studies! Tuesday, December 3 from 12 - 1:30 PM ET. Register to attend: myumi.ch/ZD44y

Blue event poster for "Crip Mentoring: Disability, Publishing, & Crip Time" with yellow geometric shapes, photos of speakers, and event details.

Alt text for William Cheng photo: smiling man with short dark hair, white button-up shirt with rolled-up sleeves, hands resting on knees with fingers interlaced.

Alt text for Sunaura Taylor photo: a white woman with short brown hair, smiling and looking into the camera. Behind her is a large black-and-white photograph mounted on a wall, with a dark background upon which many white lines flare out.

Poster text: The Digital Accessible Futures Lab invites you to attend a roundtable conversation with William Cheng and Sunaura Taylor on disability and publishing, publishing as a disabled author, and publishing in/beyond disability studies. In a climate of scarcity and uncertainty, how might one respond to hyper-normative demands for productivity? What does it mean to write (and publish) as a disabled scholar? What does it mean to compose while crip/mad/sick—especially when our embodied knowledges are deemed antithetical to (academic) life? Register to attend the Zoom using the QR code or the following link: https://myumi.ch/ZD44y

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Join us TOMORROW (Nov. 22) for our Search History Zine launch party! Search History is a student-led zine publication from the University of Michigan community, hosted by Search Engines: Art, Tech, Justice. The launch will include conversation, food, and readings from zine contributors.

Flier features an image of the moon in black and white, colorful text bubbles, claymation-like items such as paper and paint supplies, and the DSI, DISCO, and Search Engines logos.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Attention everyone in the Washington, D.C. area! ✨ The BCaT Lab is hosting a field trip to the National African American Museum of History and Culture ✨ On Wednesday, Nov. 20th, join us for lunch and a guided tour of the Power of Place exhibition!

This flier features a black background, framed images of Black art, a rope barrier between a trumpet and statue, and a white textual description

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

Our multi-authored monograph, Technoskepticism: Between Possibility and Refusal, will be published by @stanfordpress.bsky.social in February 2025. From Munchausen by Tiktok to wellness apps to online communities to AI, this book explores the possibilities that technoskepticism can create.

The Technoskepticism feature features a sky blue background, shadowy figures, and black text.

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DISCO Network @disconetwork.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

Applications are now OPEN for our 2025 DISCO Affiliate Program! If your work explores "technoskepticism" - how marginalized communities balance embracing and rejecting new technologies - we want to connect with you! Apply by Dec 1. Learn more: disconetwork.org/affiliates

Promotional flyer for the 2025 DISCO Affiliate Program with details on application requirements and deadlines.

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