iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Alex Harvey @alexharvv.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Oh this can just fuck off An AI-'written' complete copy of my own book is now on Amazon; same title, more-or-less the same blurb, and exactly the same impetus. Reviewers of Amazon, I urge you to absolutely dive-bomb this plagiaristic piece of shit: www.amazon.co.uk/FORGOTTEN-VI...

A hollow copy of my book with a shit AI-generated cover

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

With thanks to Devon FHS @devonfhs.bsky.social for the invitation and to Pharos Tutors @pharostutors.bsky.social for sponsoring my talk. Two great organisations helping lots of people.

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Excited to be attending, and speaking at, the Devon Family History anniversary conference this weekend. Looking forward to a great time with many great #FamilyHistory conversations with old friends and new.

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Bart⚓️ @bartgonnissen.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

1/x Two of the best-known coats on any high street began as working kit for sailors on cold decks. Both carry names from my little corner of the North Sea: Duffel, a small town near Antwerp, and the Dutch word "pij". The story of the duffel coat and the peacoat. #maritimehistory

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The Sutton Trust @suttontrust.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

🚨 NEW: Poorer students have the most to gain from university, but they’re the least likely to go. Our brand-new best practice guide argues universities should redouble efforts to support disadvantaged students 🧵

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Society for One-Place Studies @oneplacestudies.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Welcome to #OnePlaceWednesday – and to Day 1 of All About That Place #AATP26 which has just started! We’ll be posting about #OnePlaceStudies, a fabulous fusion of #FamilyHistory and #LocalHistory, and we invite you to join in, sharing OPS news, views, pics, links, questions & chat, with the hashtag.

#OnePlaceWednesday.
Image: Photo of the view towards the East side of Fawsley Hall, framed by an Oak tree's trunk to the right, its spreading branches and foliage above, and golden-green sheep pasture (complete with sheep) below. Superimposed on the top part of the photo is an image of an old watch, and the words "All About That Place".
One-Place Studies, where family history and local history unite.

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Society for One-Place Studies @oneplacestudies.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It’s #OnePlaceWednesday! Coming up from us today: ❖ 4 new #OnePlaceStudies ❖ Our OPS blogging & social media prompt for October ❖ The September issue of our journal Destinations ❖ New blog posts from 3 one-place studies ❖ And more! Share your OPS news, views, pics, links and chat with the hashtag!

#OnePlaceWednesday.
Image: Colour photo of part of an old, stone-built country house built in stages over several centuries, some parts of two storeys and others of three, with with varying window and chimney styles. In front of this part of the house is a large, sloping lawn, with a large Cedar of Lebanon tree on the right, and a smaller, deciduous tree (probably a Sycamore or a type of Maple) standing closer to the house, on the left. The pale blue sky above is largely covered by white clouds.
One-Place Studies, where family history and local history unite.

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How-to History @howtohistory.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Mulberries, by Joe Saunders. Perhaps the most notable chapter in the history of the British mulberry relates to King James VI & I who sought to establish a home-grown silk industry to rival that of Italy and France. how-to-history.com/2026/09/30/m...

how-to-history.com

Mulberries

Joe Saunders Mulberries are wonderful trees bearing lovely fruit. Despite their distinctiveness these trees ‘are often overlooked and even at the height of their fruit season they can remain unnoti…

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Brodie Waddell @brodiewaddell.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Oct 1st, Save the date! Rosamund Oates will be talking about ‘Silent Histories: Deafness in Early Modern England' at @ihrscb.bsky.social in-person @ihr.bsky.social & online. #EarlyModern 🗃️ Booking details will soon be on: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/ihr-seminars/society-culture-belief-1500-1800

Rosamund Oates (Manchester Metropolitan University)
‘Silent Histories: Deafness in Early Modern England’

1 October 2026, in-person and online
Society, Culture and Belief, 1500-1800, at the Institute of Historical Research, London

Rosamund Oates shares previously untold stories of deaf men, women and children, showing how their experiences reveal contemporary beliefs about disability and humanity in early modern England. Drawing on archival sources, she will explore how far deaf people were integrated into their communities, and show how Catholic and Protestant churches adapted to include sign language users from the medieval period onwards. Lastly, she will explore the influence that deaf signers had on the broader culture of the period, showing their impact on artists, scientists and philosophers, including Christopher Wren and John Locke.

Venue and booking details will be available soon on our webpage:
www.history.ac.uk/news-events/ihr-seminars/society-culture-belief-1500-1800

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

For anyone without access via university affiliation then membership to the British Association for Local History @balhnews.bsky.social entitles you to a discounted subscription of this fantastic database of published historical research. www.history.ac.uk/resources/on...

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Five Minutes' Peace (to do Family History)

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Thank you, this looks very interesting.

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Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Many more headlines thus am breezing past historical scholarship of decades — and Hemings family history — to trumpet a new DNA study that simply confirms what we knew. My bar is low but even I’m depressed by how science always has to be “news” and journalism has so much trouble reporting history.

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Anna Cusack @annacusack.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Just a PSA: the RNLI website has some great Christmas items up... cards, decorations, gifts, etc. 100% of the profits from these items go towards supporting RNLI lifeboat crews and their search and rescue services.

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Working on a small piece of research/writing at the moment which is critical of AI in history/humanities research/writing/teaching. Keen to hear of any experience/knowledge which might feed in and of any place where the output might be welcomed. 🗃️

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Ali Messer @freereed59.net · 22/09/2026

'the archive creates possibilities extending beyond Britain and the Caribbean.Migration and the forced movement of people under enslavement mean descendants can be found across the African diaspora, including in the US and Latin America.' Ancestry account required www.theguardian.com/news/2026/se...

theguardian.com

Nearly 4m records of enslaved people in 20 former British colonies now searchable online

Exclusive: Collection’s 300,000 pages record lives of enslaved people in countries including the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Mauritius, South Africa and Trinidad

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

What did the Victorians (and the Luftwaffe) ever do for us? Mapping Cripplegate area for our London on the Eve of the Great Fire project. Largely escaped in 1666 but subject to massive change in the 19th century and destruction during the Second World War. Bearing almost no resemblance today.

Snapshot of Ogilby & Morgan's 1676 map of London showing St Giles Church, Red Cross Street and Barbican.

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British Association for Local History @balhnews.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

#ICYMI: Join us on 3 December for our annual Dymond lecture! Dr Joan Heggie will be sharing how the Register of Deeds can evidence women's capital investment in 19th century Yorkshire. Find out more: www.balh.org.uk/dymond2026 #WeAreLocalHistory #LocalHistoryForAll

Excerpt from Indenture of Mortgage, 1887, North Riding Register of Deeds, Vol 17/737/338, held by North Yorkshire Archives. It shows the mark of a woman in the form of an inked cross.

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British Association for Local History @balhnews.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Join us next month for our one-day conference about rebellion, protest and popular resistance in Somerset. Find out more: www.balh.org.uk/dorset26 #WeAreLocalHistory #LocalHistoryForAll

A black and white drawing showing medieval protesters and a person on a horse. The title of the event is in white across the middle of the image, with both organisations' logos underneath.

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Exciting news (well we think so)! We are looking for new people to regularly contribute to our archive! We accept applications from anyone based in the UK who has an interest in sending us their thoughts and opinions about life in the UK. #Skystorians massobs.org.uk/write-for-th...

massobs.org.uk

Write for the archive - Mass Observation Archive

Writing for Mass Observation You can apply to write for the archive here. Current Observers If you are one of our current Observers you may find our handbook for new Observers helpful. This has all th...

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

You're right Allie. Really damaging in the processes of its 'creation' as well as its outputs. More critical thinking is what we all need to be leaning into yes.

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Sorry to see this using a variant of your project name in some effort to give itself legitimacy. No, clearly the current self-regulation isn't working.

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Surely time for all people who use our minds, for work or leisure, to boycott the whole AI enterprise. Received a second solicitation to pay an AI bot to carry out, paid, historical research work for me.

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

My sympathies! Honestly any and all AI use and contact should come with an opt-in in my opinion rather than subject us all without consent.

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Society for One-Place Studies @oneplacestudies.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Fellow #OnePlaceStudies researchers beware – AI agents / bots / nuisances are targeting us! If you are able to tweak your email spam settings, it may be worth adding ‘ilands’ as a word to identify spam.

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Yes, soul destroying is the phrase.

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Wow okay, this really is a pattern then.

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Following a growing number of unsolicited AI-related emails asking me to help train AI models to do research and masquerade as popular historians I now have a bot asking to work for me for money. Hard to see how AI can ever be ethical from a historical research perspective, let alone wider issues. 🗃️

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IHR Society, Culture & Belief, 1500-1800 @ihrscb.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

We're on the lookout for some PhD students who would like to give a Lightning Talk at our seminar on 12 November! Open to early modernists working on any geography, talks are 3-5 minutes! Get in touch via BlueSky or email tmt29@cam.ac.uk with a short summary of PhD and bio by 12 October! ✨🥳

Poster on Lightning talks:

PhD Lightning Talks: Society, Culture, and Belief Seminar, 1500-1800, Institute of Historical Research. Deadline: 12 October, Event: Thursday 12 November, 5.30 pm

The Society, Culture, and Belief Seminar is inviting applications for lightning talks from PhD students on their research. We ask that these talks be 3-5 minutes. This is a fantastic opportunity to talk through your research with a broader audience of fellow students and more seasoned academics, as well as test out some ideas in a comfortable and welcoming environment. The talks will be followed by a brief Q&A session.

The seminar was founded in 1979, hosting papers on themes ranging from witchcraft and piracy to early modern medicine and urban religious practices. We look to create an open and welcoming atmosphere and are always excited to hear a broad range of papers and geographies.

The event will take place on Thursday 12 November 2026, from 5.30 pm onwards. For those presenting in-person, we typically continue the conversation after the seminar over drinks or dinner. We’re open to applications from students working on any geographical region between 1500-1800.

If you would like to participate, please email: tmt29@cam.ac.uk by 12 October 2026 with a 300-word thesis summary and a brief bio. If you would like to attend the seminar, do keep an eye out on our webpage (very soon to be updated with our events for this term) or you can always follow us on Bluesky @ihrscb.bsky.social. We tend to meet on Thursdays during term time at 5.30 pm — all are welcome!

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Adam Chapman @adamchapman.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

This is a very interesting new resource, The Register of British Slave-Traders. 'The Register focusses on the individuals who sought to profit from the enslavement of over 3 million African men, women, and children, whose identity was – for the most part – erased from the historical record.' 🗃️

britishslavetraders.org

The Register of British Slave-Traders

The Register of British Slave-traders compiles and presents information on all known slave-traders in Britain who invested in the trafficking of captive Africans from 1563 to 1807.

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Brodie Waddell @brodiewaddell.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Nov 12th - PhD Lighting Talks at @ihrscb.bsky.social! A chance to introduce your PhD project in 3-5 minutes on any aspect of society, culture or belief, 1500-1800. Organised by @teaphaine.bsky.social and @annajpravdica.bsky.social. Email abstract to tmt29@cam.ac.uk by Oct 12th. #EarlyModern 🗃️

If you would like to attend the seminar, do keep an eye out on our webpage (very soon to be updated with our events for this term) or you can always follow us on Bluesky @ihrscb.bsky.social. We tend to meet on Thursdays during term time at 5.30 pm — all are welcome!

PhD Lightning Talks
Deadline: 12 October, Event: 12 November

The Society, Culture, and Belief Seminar is inviting applications for lightning talks from PhD students on their research. We ask that these talks be 3-5 minutes. This is a fantastic opportunity to talk through your research with a broader audience of fellow students and more seasoned academics, as well as test out some ideas in a comfortable and welcoming environment. The talks will be followed by a brief Q&A session.The event will take place on Thursday, 12 November, 2026, from 5.30 pm onwards. For those presenting in person, we typically continue the conversation after the seminar over drinks or dinner. We’re open to applications from students working on any geographical region between 1500-1800.If you would like to participate, please email: tmt29@cam.ac.uk by 12 October 2026 with a 300-word thesis summary and a brief bio.

Society, Culture & Belief, 1500 – 1800

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School of Advanced Study, University of London @sas-news.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The @ihr.bsky.social, @senatehouselib.bsky.social and SAS are excited to announce that bookings are now open for History Day 2026! 🥳 Save the date for Wednesday 18 November and join us in Senate House for this celebration of all things history. Book your free place: bit.ly/4yw4zWt

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Rhys Kaminski-Jones @rhyskamjones.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I personally will not be happy until the British have ranked all their invasions in order of goodness. Is the "Glorious Revolution" still our favourite? Does anybody remember Fishguard? (Cofiwch Fishguard) Did the Beaker People come in peace, and were the beakers worth it?

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will pooley @willpooley.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

“Many of the major questions that AI raises are old questions in new clothing. How do labour markets absorb technological change? How do we govern how institutions make decisions about people?”

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Brodie Waddell @brodiewaddell.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

*Many hands of every sort* I've got a 10-page feature in the latest @historytoday.com on the emergence of mass petitioning in late Tudor & early Stuart England. Tons of people adding their 'hands' to complaints and requests for the first time! #EarlyModern 🗃️ www.historytoday.com/archive/feat...

Opening page of an article entitled 'Many hands of every sort'

First page of text of an article which begins: "On 11 December 1640 a crowd of more than 1,000 people arrived at Parliament to present a complaint, later to be known as the Root and Branch petition. It asked that the ‘government’ of the Church of England, ‘with all its Dependencies, Roots and Branches, may be abolished’. Calling on Parliament to dissolve the entire Church hierarchy was a radical act, but the petition was particularly unprecedented as it was signed by about 15,000 named individuals. It did not come from the City of London or any other official body, but from thousands of people ‘in and about’ the metropolis, each adding their own mark of support to the great ‘roll of names’."

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

At St Magnus the Martyr, London Bridge last night for a fantastic event to talk about work with Historic Towns Trust @historictownstrust.bsky.social on mapping London on the Eve of the Great Fire. www.historictownstrust.uk/post/mapping... 🗃️

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Pharos Tutors @pharostutors.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Webinar week: Joe Saunders, Becoming a local historian. Book here: www.pharostutors.com/webinars

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Jill Galvan @jillgal.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

A helpful thing I heard recently abt student AI use is that a big reason it's become so naturalized is that students think it keeps them competitive w/ peers who are using it. So I started the semester by clueing them in: it's just the opposite - students using it produce some of the poorest work.

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Independent Historians Network (UK) @indyhistnetwork.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Historians in the Midlands, prepare to leave the archives! Come and meet us on Weds 16th Sept for drinks and a chat. We want to grow our network across the country and we need you to join! Sign up here: forms.gle/MBeGo4FrkVNU... Photo by Giammarco Boscaro on Unsplash

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How-to History @howtohistory.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

‘That source is biased’: A case study on the Guardian and Courier’s reporting of the Manchester Transvaal Committee. by Tom Trafford. It is the very essence of historical research to understand that historical sources are not always accurate and objective. how-to-history.com/2026/08/26/t...

how-to-history.com

‘That source is biased’: A case study on the Guardian and Courier’s reporting of the Manchester Transvaal Committee

Tom Trafford Certain statements from students make lecturers really consider and adapt their interpretations. One such is when a student proclaims, ‘that source is biased’. It is the very essence o…

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Society for One-Place Studies @oneplacestudies.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Welcome to #OnePlaceWednesday! Join us in using the hashtag to post about #OnePlaceStudies in all their forms, including #HouseHistory and #StreetStudies, or place-based #FamilyHistory research. What locations have you been focussing on? What news, views, links, pics or chat do you have to share?

#OnePlaceWednesday.
Image: Photo of a view down across a grassy field of green and gold in August, with more fields, plus hedges and trees, cloaking the gently undulating landscape further away. Nearby, on the right, a tall Beech tree stands in the field, and above is a blue sky with lots of white, fluffy clouds.
One-Place Studies, where family history and local history unite.

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Elise Watson @ewatson.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

#earlymodern #bookhistory Workshop Call for Papers: Women’s Professional Networks in the Early Modern Book Trade, University of Edinburgh 6-7 May 2027 Please feel free to share with anyone who might be interested!

Call for Papers
Women’s Professional Networks in the Early Modern Book Trade
University of Edinburgh
6-7 May 2027

Over the past two decades, women’s book history and feminist bibliography have exploded with renewed interest. Even so, women’s work is still to an extent seen as an exception or curiosity. It examines them from a gender history perspective, asking to what extent their relationships were influenced or determined by constructions of femininity. Proposals should therefore involve a dimension of gender analysis beyond simply the inclusion of female subjects.

This conference will seek to explore (but is not limited to) to the following themes and questions:

*Gendered Networks. To what extent were professional book trade networks gendered? How did these networks intersect with other types of women’s networks, whether they be familial, friendly, religious, political, or intellectual?
*Identity and Representation. Did women express professional solidarity with other women, and how did this manifest? How did women’s self-representation in imprints and paratext differ from men’s?
*Legal and Structural Considerations. In what ways were women’s professional networks dependent on legal structures of inheritance in their region, or participation in guilds? How did these networks stretch across economic and class divisions?
*Digital Approaches. Can digital humanities tools such as network visualisation effectively help document these relationships?

The conference will also host the launch of a new collaborative database sourcing biographical information about women in the early modern book trade.

Contributions will be published in a volume of conference proceedings, to be submitted by the end of 2027.

Proposals for papers of maximum 20 minutes, including title, an abstract of up to 300 words, and a biography of up to 150 words should be sent to Dr Elise Watson, elise.watson@ed.ac.uk, by 20 December 2026. While all papers will be delivered in person, virtual attendance will be available as well.

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Orkney Library & Archive @orkneylibrary.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Back in the olden days it was only the very wealthiest of cows that could afford to have a portrait photographer visit them at home.

A black and white archive photograph of a cow posing in front of a mill

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

An important case in itself. Also a useful reminder of the ongoing role antiquated laws on landownership have in modern day Britain. 🗃️

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Alison Spring @acspring.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I can't believe this absentee landowner is putting the iconic Glenelg to Skye ferry at risk. Support the local community - not millionaire financiers - and save the world famous Glenelg to Skye ferry by joining me and signing the petition today: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/sa...

you.38degrees.org.uk

Save the Glenelg - Skye ferry!

This ten minute crossing is famous around the world - and is believed to be the last turntable style ferry anywhere. It's an iconic part of Skye's history, but it's under threat thanks to a wealthy la...

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Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

I bet these are quite some meetings.

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