iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

This is not going well.

James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

This is the first time we picked a multi-component work. The piece speaks to so many areas - design studies, web studies, critical editions, theories of textuality, historical game studies etc. I urge you to take a look.

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

🎉 I am delighted to announce that the 2026 Richard Deswarte Prize in Digital History is awarded to to Galey, Forget, Allen, and Viglianti for their work ‘ApertureScience.Com: A Critical Edition’, Scholarly Editing (2025). Full details here ➡️ ihrdighist.blogs.sas.ac.uk/2026/10/2026...

ihrdighist.blogs.sas.ac.uk

2026 Richard Deswarte Prize in Digital History - Digital History Seminar

We are delighted to announce that the 2026 Richard Deswarte Prize in Digital History is awarded to Alan Galey, Ellen Forget, Brendan Allen, and Raffaele Viglianti for their critical edition ‘ApertureS...

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DH2027 @adho-conferences.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

The #DH2027 CfP is open! Join us in Galway, Ireland, 28 June–3 July 2027, for #DH2027, on the theme "Creativity". 📖 Call for Proposals: dh2027.adho.org/cfp/ 📤 Submit via ConfTool starting Oct 7, 00:00 Irish time: www.conftool.pro/dh2027/ Deadline: 20 November 2026, 23:59 AoE.

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

October/November are my favourite gig months, and this year is no exception: Man/Woman/Chainsaw (with Bathing Suits!), Theatre, UGLY, Heartbroken Festival, Anna von Hausswolff, Jesca Hoop.

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Jared Yates Sexton @jysexton.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Just helping with editing here. These bots aren’t sentient. They’re doing what they’re programmed to do. OpenAI, a private company supposedly bound by laws, committed federal crimes.

Screenshot of BBC article: OpenAI bots (struck through) meddled with multiple US government agency sites

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Kasia and Demi is a fabulous rivalry.

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

2yrs after I finished my MA History at Goldsmiths, my research rights were bought and I was hired to work as historical consultant on this TV show. It's had BAFTA and International Emmy nominations. I got a book deal, too. Goldsmiths: "No point in MA History, let's fire everyone and delete it."

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Lucy Barnes @alittleroad.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

OBP is 18! We are officially publishing adults! But -- are we sustainable yet...? 🤪 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

And if you were wondering the setup is Unsloth Studio unsloth.ai/docs/new/stu... (I decided to take a GUI only route so I could use it in teaching/demos more easily) using gemma-3-1b-pt. Next step, see how much I can refine the approach with a bigger model using our Big Gaming PC in Soton DH.

unsloth.ai

Introducing Unsloth Studio | Unsloth Documentation

Run and train AI models locally with Unsloth Studio.

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Back in 2020 I built this cradledincaricature.com/2020/06/18/m... using GPT2 and cloud compute. simGeorge - as I like to call it - worked, just, sometimes. Today I built simGeorge again on my MacBook Air with a small model and no cloud compute. It is remarkably good. Viva local LLMs!

cradledincaricature.com

A machine that writes like Mary Dorothy George

Image: Mary Dorothy George, by Howard Coster, bromide print, © National Portrait Gallery, London, CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0 In recent years I’ve been researching histories of knowledge organisation. Although…

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I like how the foxing on the paper makes this bird looks like it has blood dripping from its beak.

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

On research leave. Going through the "this is all bollocks/futile" phase of non-applied research. Send help* *Amusing duck gifs suffice.

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Programming Historian @proghist.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

🗣️ Appel à évaluateurs·ices Notre revue francophone recherche des expert·es pour évaluer nos leçons en 2026-2027. En savoir plus : tinyurl.com/aae-2026-info Exprimez votre intérêt : tinyurl.com/fr-ph-evaluation

Lecture de l'infographie: Appel à évaluateurs·ices, méthodes numériques pour les sciences humaines et sociales, programminghistorian.org

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

'Brighton informed its University and College Union (UCU) branch on Monday (14 September) that it intends to terminate its current trade union recognition agreement and all collective agreements on terms and conditions from next June.'

timeshighereducation.com

Brighton looks to redraw trade union agreements and close campus

UCU and UNISON warn changes to trade union agreements could lead to unions being derecognised

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

This is utterly idiotic. We don't know what skills future workforces will need. We do know that will change & that students perform best if they study something they're actually interested in. And for the pig-ignorant in the back row, fewer than 50% of STEM graduates ever go into STEM employment.

theguardian.com

Can you futureproof your career by choosing an AI-resistant degree?

Humans will have to compete with AI-powered virtual employees in the near future. Here are our tips for the last human holdouts

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Yes, newspapers' "Good University" guides are deeply problematic and pernicious. But they're also a real reminder of a key strength of the current UK HE system: the distribution of excellence across the full range of institutions and places.

theguardian.com

The Guardian University Guide 2027 – the rankings

Find a course at one of the top universities in the country

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Enric Mas reminding us all that he is a very good bike rider (and even attacking) is the feel good story of the summer.

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Craig Lambert @medievalmariner.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I’m recruiting a Research Fellow in Early Modern Spanish Maritime History to join our ERC-funded Uncharted Maritime Worlds project at the University of Southampton. Please share with anyone who might be interested! www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DSW249/r...

jobs.ac.uk

Research Fellow (Early Modern Spanish Maritime History) 3497426AR at University of Southampton

An opportunity for an academic position as a Research Fellow (Early Modern Spanish Maritime History) 3497426AR is available, as advertised on jobs.ac.uk. Apply now and explore other academic job openi...

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IPCC @ipcc.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

#NowReading New report from UNEP: 'Limiting Overshoot, Navigating exceedance of 1.5°C and pathways towards return’ Details ⬇️

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

It just shows the current schedule. If/when the Wayback Machine or UK Web Archive are back online (web archiving seems to be in crisis at the moment, sadly), the change will be visible there.

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I hope those attending DH Congress have a good week. I was scheduled to give one of the keynotes, but then withdrew due to the UCU boycott. You can learn more about the boycott here www.ucu.org.uk/article/1453... and donate to @sheffielducu.bsky.social here ucu.group.shef.ac.uk/hardship-fund/.

ucu.org.uk

Global academic boycott imposed on University of Sheffield over job cuts & pay docking

The University of Sheffield has just been hit with the ultimate sanction of a global academic boycott by the biggest higher education union in the UK.

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Musa Okwonga @okwonga.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Germany, 2026. A far-right politician calling for the mass deportation of 20 million people, to loud applause. A clear call for mass violence.

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Today I made rice with a rice cooker* for the first time. I now understand why rice cookers are popular. Better late than never etc. *donated to us by a family friend who has moved away.

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UCU Commons @ucucommons.org · 25/08/2026

Attention, #UCU! There's 2 casual vacancy elections underway in which all HE members can vote. Our recommendations are: UK elected rep: Madeleine Moore 1, Tilia Lenz 2 Women's rep (FE): Helen Kelsall 1 More: ucucommons.org/madeleine/ Please vote in all categories on your ballot paper!

ucucommons.org

Casual NEC vacancies

Casual NEC vacancies UK-elected member (HE) UCU Commons is delighted that our member Madeleine Moore (Loughborough University) is standing for the current casual vacancy (UK-elected membe...

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

The Box in Plymouth is just bloody brilliant. Full of sensitive interpretation, curious juxtaposition, clever architectural choices, and urgency. Best museum+ I've been to in ages.

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Fascinating and sobering essay by William Davies on NEETs: "The picture that emerges is of a generation that is suffering both social and neurological dysregulation, and struggling to stay in sync with society at large, including education and the labour market". www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

lrb.co.uk

William Davies · Young People Are Different: What do Neets need?

Those who look for the cause of today’s resurgence of Neets in a more recent global shock, the Covid pandemic, need to...

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Based on the first 25 minutes of this game it seems my feelings whilst watching Fulham season are going to lurch between exhilaration and terror.

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

"Our League" resumes. My beloved Fulham are among those tipped for relegation. Whilst it is only football (not life or death etc) I certainly feel trepidation. In a season of so much churn, with Marco mid-table obscurity would be a fair prediction. Without Marco, who knows.

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Very kind of you to share Jon. I'll take a look.

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Anoosh Chakelian @anooshc.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

"One of his fellow professors at Cambridge, a historian, who is white, was reported by the FT to have been found to have copied more than 12 pages of an undergraduate’s work. He is still in post — fittingly for the social sciences, this is an experiment with a control." By @stephenkb.bsky.social:

ft.com

The difficult truth about Jason Arday

From the beginning, investigations were accompanied by a cloud of excessive references to his race

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

First two are definitely on the list. Thanks!

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

We're staying in the east, north of Lustleigh. So will probably focus on pottering around that side (apart from a day trip to Plymouth).

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

And Lustleigh Cleave is near where we are staying, so I've added that to the list.

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Thank you for the suggestions! Especially on the car parks.

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

What's worth seeing/doing in the Dartmoor area?

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

If you don't support the Black Cultural Archives and would like to do so, information can be found here blackculturalarchives.org/support-us

blackculturalarchives.org

SUPPORT US — Black Cultural Archives

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Jess O'Thomson @jessothomson.co.uk · 15/08/2026

We are writing to the Prime Minister, and the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, calling for an immediate public inquiry into the British press, following the tragic death of Jason Arday. Sign here 👇

goodlaw.social

Jason Arday Letter | Good Law Project

Commission an immediate public inquiry into how to ensure a responsible press given its contribution to Dr Arday’s tragic death.

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Very true. I was clearly thinking about what you would be doing tomorrow!

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

(because I've been off work for so long - 8 days - I clearly have no idea what day it is any more 🙃)

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James Baker @jwbaker.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

White Cube at Claydon House is a terrific way to spend a Sunday www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/oxford...

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Dr Zubaida Haque @zubhaque.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Well said by Mayor Sadiq Khan on tragic death of #JasonArday: Arday faced "an unacceptable public hounding and campaign of abuse…He was a victim of a pernicious public shaming that other people in his position simply wouldn't have faced" www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Tributes paid to Jason Arday after ex-Cambridge professor found dead

His family said they were "in shock" to have lost him, adding a "campaign of misinformation" had been too much.

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