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Lori Emerson

@loriemerson.net
7.9K followers 3.2K following 2.7K posts

media studies professor | Other Networks: A Radical Technology Sourcebook (Anthology Editions, 2025) | dir. @mediaarchaeology.bsky.social | loriemerson.net | Boulder, Colorado | 🇨🇦 🇺🇲 🏃‍♀️🚴‍♀️ | 📷 Jenna Maurice

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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 28/09/2026
still recruiting for our MA and PhD programs! and for the record, prospective international students are very much welcome to apply---
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Museum of Twitter @museum-of-twitter.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
@AbrasiveGhost

Me:[explaining twitter] imagine the worlds worst ppl &the worlds funniest ppl had a fake war online

mom: sounds awful

Me:[excitedly] it is
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 27/09/2026
also how my heart soared when I saw this a few blocks from my house
Flock camera installed by the side of a busy road in Boulder, Colorado. A yellow signed has been posted in front of the camera and reads “AI SURVEILLANCE CAMERA Flock Safety” followed by a “deflock” url
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 27/09/2026
I love using the word “fancy” (always apoken with a certain face on) when I’m with someone I connect with. And sure enough, they know exactly everything I’m trying to communicate with that one word.
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 26/09/2026
lovely Saturday afternoon spent listening to the radio and finishing up construction of the very human, intentionally rough zine @rose-alibi.interferencer.com and I made for the @mediaarchaeology.bsky.social: "How to spend ten years repairing a computer and why you should too" #othernetworks
four copies of a black and white zine arranged in a fan on a grey metal table. the cover is supposed to signal that it was designed on an Apple IIe computer using Print Shop and then printed on an ImageWriter printer. the zine has been sewn together using turquoise and pink thread, also clearly visible at the top and bottom of the bindinga pile of unbound zines, several piles of bound zines, a paper towel with a pile of scraps of pink and turquoise binding thread, a zine open to the last page with a black pen holding it open, and a box of finished zines all sit atop a grey metal desk
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Ryan O'Horo @ryanohoro.com · 25/09/2026
Click "Download Full Zip" at the bottom of this page before Flock gets it way. flocksurveillance.org
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 25/09/2026
Pope Leo on #AI: "while 'intelligence' is attributed to computational systems, we struggle to recognize the inalienable dignity of human persons, whose lives are judged according to the criterion of efficiency &, when deemed no longer productive, are rejected & discarded" apnews.com/article/pope...
apnews.com
Pope warns a ‘paradise of machines’ could undermine humanity as he opens France trip
Pope Leo XIV has warned that a "paradise of machines" could undermine humanity. He raises concerns about artificial intelligence, nuclear arms, and human rights during his visit to France.
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 25/09/2026
other than reading about radio in 1930s Berlin, so far the highlight of the day: a performatively sincere & actually sincere conversation with the vet about how all the animals we take care of are enthusiastic, frequent users of swear words followed by an extensive list of examples. #othernetworks
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 24/09/2026
Squirrel Communicology update: Québécois squirrel techniques for transmitting culture are predictably more sophisticated...
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 23/09/2026
“I can’t seek out a spiritual advisor - because people are annoying” is something I said out loud today.
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 02/06/2026
in 1987 OMNI magazine asked Claude Shannon, "Can you imagine a robot President of the United States?" and Shannon responds, "Could be! I think by then you wouldn't speak of the United States any more. It would be a totally different organization." uh huh.
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 18/09/2026
just remembered walking down a street in Warsaw last week, with a friend, looking up, doing my usual half conscious clocking of surveillance cameras that are now ubiquitous across all US cities (on every pole, at every intersection, along every street and path) and suddenly realized I only saw…one.
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David C. Brock @dcbrock.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
There is an open curator position here at the Computer History Museum! computerhistory.org/jobs/curator/
computerhistory.org
Curator
Details Classification: Exempt, Regular, Fulltime Location: Mountain View, CA The Computer History Museum (CHM) is the world’s leading institution exploring the history and ongoing impact of computing...
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 17/09/2026
on my way to teach this morning, in front of the very building my class meets in, a hawk and I surprised each other, made eye contact, and he or she said quite plainly to me, “don’t even think about fucking with me.” And continued to decimate a long dead baby bunny. the end.
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 16/09/2026
I am puzzled by the big surges, big declines, returning surges that have taken place in my reading life over the last...let's say 45 years. from when I was about 5 to 15, I read truly voraciously--quickly, impatiently, imprecisely. probably even sloppily. 1/5
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 14/09/2026
here to report I just received an invitation to be a manuscript reviewer that offers a 25% discount on classified advertisements in exchange for my labor...
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 11/09/2026
Canadian pals, every once in awhile I remember the Tragically Hip don’t exist any more and it’s strange to be in permanent low level mourning for a band—
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Caræsten 🇵🇸 @cara.city · 10/09/2026
oh the bubble popping is gonna be BAD bad then
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 10/09/2026
what a day in Krakow...I got to explore many feet and many layers of cultural history beneath a medieval square which also introduced me to 11th century vampire prevention burial techniques! ("information that might come in handy one day" sorry, bad joke, etc.) and a stunning illuminated manuscript
black and white photograph of the excavation underneath a medieval square in Krakow, Poland c. 2005. reveals many archaeological layers beneath the modern day ground, including market stalls, walkways, bridges, and burial sitesexcavated stone bridge with wooden timbers used as a curb. there is a mirror on the ceiling so that visitors can view the stonework more clearlyphotograph of the corpse of a woman from the 11th century who may have been killed as she was believed to be a vampire. her hands and feet are bound and she's buried in a fetal position, possibly face-downmedieval (?) illuminated manuscript written in Polish and in pristine condition
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 10/09/2026
I don't know...it'd be nice if I could be comforted while finding out that upper/middle-class white man entitlement is just as alive and well in Poland as it is in the US and Canada thank you very much over, out, etc.
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 10/09/2026
just learned about the existence of geophones and am being swept off my feet at the thought of finally being able to place call to the most important entity in my life #othernetworks
black and white photograph of a man using a geophone to listen to rock for, I assume, seismic activity
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Benjamín Schultz-Figueroa @benjaminschultzfig.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Really useful paper on the ways tech companies approach people with disabilities as "design problems." "Disability Dongle rhetoric instills in students the value of a quick fix over structural change, thus preventing them from seeking out, participating in, and contributing to existing inquiry."
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Mar Hicks @histoftech.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I do a lot of reading for work but I got out of the habit of posting about it—here’s a few recent reads I really enjoyed:
IN THROUGH THE SIDE DOOR
FIFTY YEARS OF WOMEN IN INTERACTION DESIGN by Erin Malone

ISLAND TINKERERS: Innovation and Transformation in the Making of Taiwan's Computing Industry by Honghong Tinn

Archiving Machines: From punchcard to platforms by Amelia Acker

License to Spill: Where dry devices meet liquid lives by Rachel Plotnick

Other Networks: a Radical Technology Sourcebook by Lori Emerson

ENACTING PLATFORMS: Feminist Technoscience and the Unreal Engine by James Malazita
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 02/09/2026
ziiing! "There is a recurring masculinist posture in critical theory that adopts the language of combat, resistance, intervention and victory, while actually retaining a very weak efficacy beyond its own intellectual constituency." --Joanna Zylisnka diffractionscollective.com/2026/08/22/3...
diffractionscollective.com
The Media-Dirty Sublime: AI, Loser Images, and the Ethics of Embracing the Void // Joanna Zylinska
This is an interview with Joanna Zylinska. Joanna Zylinska is a writer, artist, curator and Professor of Media Philosophy + Critical Digital Practice at King’s College London, where she direc…
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 31/08/2026
if you or someone you know are invested in higher ed opportunities to nurture deep thinking (and practice!) about alternative approaches to the past, present, future of media technologies, pls share/apply! our Media Studies Dept is once again recruiting grad students docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com
CU Boulder Media Studies Grad Program Recruitment!
University of Colorado Boulder Media Studies Department Recruiting Graduate Students to begin Fall 2027! The Media Studies Department at the University of Colorado Boulder is now accepting applicatio...
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Internet Archive @archive.org · 29/08/2026
🏛️ Government websites can change or disappear overnight, taking public records with them. 🕳️ Libraries have collaborated on the End of Term Web Archive since 2004 to preserve U.S. government websites at every presidential transition. blog.archive.org/2026/08/24/a... 🧵
Social media tile with a black border. At top, a bold headline reads "Archiving Democracy: How the U.S. End of Term Web Archive Preserves Government History." Below it, a bar chart titled "End of Term Archive Data Growth" shows storage size in terabytes rising from 6 TB in 2004 to 2,345 TB in 2024, with intermediate values of 15 (2008), 41 (2012), 284 (2016), and 266 (2020). Below the chart, text reads: "The Internet Archive has participated in the End of Term (EOT) Archive since 2004, preserving U.S. federal government websites at every presidential transition."
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 29/08/2026
waitaminute. did I just watch an ad on Peacock for ChatGPT featuring a woman in her 70s…am I right in doubting that the “young people” and “middle aged people” markets have not become so saturated they had to move on to baby boomers?
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Anna Kornbluh @annakornbluh.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
cognitive sabotage, you can ban it extra credit to U Chicago for bans on professional AND undergrad programs; smart SLACs are going to market AI free campuses soon chicagomaroon.com/53262/news/s...
chicagomaroon.com
Sosc Core to Institute AI Ban, Technology-Free Classrooms This Fall
All social science Core classes will transition to an “analog” approach for the upcoming academic year, restricting in-classroom technology use and banning AI-assisted writing and grading for students...
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 23/08/2026
Arendt, writing about Benjamin writing about Proust, could be describing any number of people we love and wish dearly it were possible to reach into their lives and meaningfully help: "Like Proust, he was wholly incapable of changing 'his life's conditions even when they were about to crush him.'"
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Dr. Fim @fim.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Ansel Adams on assignment for IBM - one of my favourite shots. Not the usual landscape but the skill of a woman weaving magnetic core memory. The beat up nails captures total “woman in STEM” vibes.
A woman with extremely short painted nails weaving magnetic core memory. A series of rows and columns of wires in a grid.
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Joseph Kohlmann @jkohlmann.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
“We don’t take venture capital, we don’t use AI, we don’t sell ads, and we don’t sell your data” – Mastodon 4.7 release blog post blog.joinmastodon.org/2026/08/mast... (Lots of problems in the Fediverse, but these choices stand out, IMO)
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Andrew Lawrence @ndrew.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
i love when they recover some 3000 year old clay tablet and its something totally relatable like “i hope this tablet finds you well but the group project is a disaster…”
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 15/08/2026
oh stop it Ted Lasso you’re making me cry. Again. For Pete’s sake.
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Philly Community Wireless @phillywireless.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Since 2020, @alexwermercolan.bsky.social has led our work building community-controlled networks in North Philly. Alex’s dedication has turned PCW from a small, volunteer-led pilot, to a burgeoning organization that serves tens of thousands of Philadelphians with free internet. Thank you Alex!
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 13/08/2026
get in touch for a tour of the Media Archaeology Lab for your class!
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Charlie Angus @charlieangus104.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Greenland Energy has lost half of its share value in the last five days. Turns out investors are not bullish on companies that claim they can go into other nations and take their resources.
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 12/08/2026
I am so excited (and nervous) that I get to teach #othernetworks to undergrads this semester! gulp. I hope they like geeking out abt semaphore, telegraph, radio, television, telephone etc. as much as I do...here's the schedule of readings if you'd like to follow along loriemerson.net/2026/08/12/s...
loriemerson.net
syllabus for Other Media Histories: Networks
This fall semester marks the first time in well over a decade that I have attempted to teach an undergraduate class that is exactly my research on what I fondly call “other networks.” I…
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 10/08/2026
so so happy and excited for my friend @elikaortega.bsky.social whose incredible cross-media book "Binding Media" won the 2026 N. Katherin Hayles Award! go Élika go! 💚 and oh hey here's a link if you'd like to check it out, as you should---> www.sup.org/books/litera...
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 07/08/2026
I wouldn't call my relationship to my book projects "responsibility" exactly but this is how it works for me and has since ~2020: "Responsibility means to hear a call, to have experienced a calling & follow this calling without a direction in mind. It is perhaps autonomy in the Sartrean sense." 1/2
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 07/08/2026
"Knockaround and DuckDuckGo are introducing the world's most innovative anti-surveillance sunglasses. AKA Normal F***ing Sunglasses. No camera, no microphone, no AI, no battery, no electronics of any kind." knockaround.com/products/duc...
knockaround.com
DuckDuckGo Paso Robles
Update! Normal F***ing Sunglasses sold out in under a week! Apparently privacy looks good on everyone. Don’t fret, more are coming! Pre-order yours now before they disappear without a trace again. *Pr...
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 06/08/2026
reminded of a little something I learned en route to writing #othernetworks: that we need to shift from thinking in terms of one network/platform or another and instead to thinking in terms of building up a heterogeneous ecosystem consisting of many networks. not Mastodon vs Bluesky but both and
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 06/08/2026
I was Without Computer (Friend) (WC(F)) for an entire month and oh the bliss in being reunited with my Zotero account and my beloved folders! not to mention doing email on a Big Girl Machine 💚
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Josh Shepperd @joshshepperd.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
I was interviewed by Colorado Public Radio about how the the current FCC Commissioner is working to eliminate diversity in media ownership, local reporting, and viewpoint by ignoring Congressional oversight.
cpr.org
FCC expected to get rid of ownership caps for local TV
The FCC chair pushing the move says it will help local news, but others disagree. Vote will determine the future of television news across the country.
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 03/08/2026
💚
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 01/08/2026
I just like documenting beautiful empty swimming pools first thing in the morning set against blue sky and mountains—-
Nearly empty outdoor swimming pool with white and blue flags strung across it. A small mountain and blue sky are visible in the background.
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Billy Jor-El @davehumbird.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Mom’s calendar 2uilt show Gang shit
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 31/07/2026
Flusser says that “Culture is a device for inheriting acquired information” and he too would appreciate that three generations of squirrels have managed to pass on to each other that they can chew a hole in my screen window and safely head over to the nut container for a little snack—-
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 30/07/2026
Oh hello. My dear #othernetworks book is on sale through Mexican Summer for 20% off for one more day! shop.mexicansummer.com/merch/495898...
shop.mexicansummer.com
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Lori Emerson @loriemerson.net · 25/07/2026
Woah semaphore content during today’s #tdf broadcast! #othernetworks
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Tammy Komoff @tammykomoff.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
🌳 The Tree Library in Sweden is a 217-volume collection of wooden books. 📖 Each volume is dedicated to a different tree species and bound in that tree's own bark. Its pages feature the tree's leaves, mosses, lichens, and other natural materials. A very cool way to document nature.
The tree book collection. Several books, their spines made of the bark, the front and back covers of the wood.
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