Reposted by Ross FairThe Rundown @therundowntvo.bsky.social · 17hAre Toronto's bike lanes really empty? Charlie Buckley hit the streets to count cyclists, dug into city data, and compared the numbers with major cycling cities around the world. 13725
Reposted by Ross FairRoyal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 24/09/2026New from History UK: a valuable and interesting survey of UK history students use of and attitudes towards GenAI in HE teaching - their preliminary report is published today: bit.ly/4hatsRR The report is by Dr Sarah Jones and Dr Simon Peplow @simpep.bsky.social #skystorians 03330
Reposted by Ross FairPhillip Maciak @pjmaciak.bsky.social · 04/09/2026No matter how you refine your questions, the chatbot will generate responses reflecting what the greatest number of users are likely to want to hear, which tends to be close to what they think they already know." A great, painstaking piece. www.hnn.us/article/ai-i...hnn.usAI Is an Anti-Primary Source MachineReal voices from the past are threatened by chatbots designed to amplify — and ultimately become — the loudest voices in the room. 37633
Reposted by Ross FairJamie Bradburn @jbcurio.bsky.social · 31/08/2026NEW! 130 years ago today, Torontonians caught a glimpse of their entertainment future when a motion picture was projected in the city for the first time. The story over at Toronto Today @torontotoday.ca #TOHistory www.torontotoday.ca/local/histor...torontotoday.ca'A most marvellous invention' was brought to Toronto 130 years ago todayAdvancements in projection technology, a race to be first and a scandalous kiss were all part of the first public projection of moving pictures in Toronto 0124
Reposted by Ross FairWalking Eagle News @theeagleist.bsky.social · 28/08/2026BREAKING: sucks to have stuff renamed by white people, doesn’t it? 363965975
Reposted by Ross FairJess McLaughlin, PhD (they/them) @jfmclaughlin92.bsky.social · 23/08/2026I think we can safely say the history department had the best stickers today 171837421
Reposted by Ross FairJamie Bradburn @jbcurio.bsky.social · 19/08/2026NEW! For Toronto Today @torontotoday.ca I look at the history of the Zanzibar Tavern, from its early days as a tiki-inspired lounge, through the go-go era of the Yonge Street Strip, to fighting COVID #TOHistory www.torontotoday.ca/local/histor...torontotoday.caIs this the end of Zanzibar Tavern? Club’s 75-year history says noHistorian Jamie Bradburn walks readers through Zanzibar’s long history on Yonge Street. The club’s owners are optimistic the venue will reopen after a devastating fire this week 32111
Reposted by Ross FairDr Sophie Michell @sophiemhistory.bsky.social · 14/08/2026As promised, a blog that talks about human error, children (not) being transported and why AI can't do what historians do (because it can't think) sophiemhistory.substack.com/p/historians...sophiemhistory.substack.comHistorians and AISources, methodology, and lies 76424
Reposted by Ross FairToronto Archives @torontoarchives.cityof.toronto.ca · 29/07/2026Have you ever wondered what happens when you request records at the Archives? Here's a look behind the scenes in the Records Centre — when you request to view material in Research Hall, records are retrieved from a climate-controlled space storing over 130,000 boxes. Those shelves are 40ft tall! 2278
Reposted by Ross FairNew-Cleckit Dominie @ncdominie.bsky.social · 28/07/2026This is just to say I have OCRed the text thet was in tne arch:ve and whicb yov were prabaldy seamhing for "breahtast" Fargme ms fheg mem debo:w5 sb ?mccf mmb 5c oc1b 7778512571
Reposted by Ross FairAlex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 22/07/2026Thinking about the fact that Toronto has two 70MM IMAX projectors - at Ontario Science Centre and at Ontario Place, the world's first IMAX theatre - that have been closed by Doug Ford for nonsensical reasons. 10304102
Reposted by Ross FairThe Beaverton @thebeaverton.com · 23/05/2026AI tech mogul confused why expendable human capital booing him during commencement addressthebeaverton.comAI tech mogul confused why expendable human capital booing him during commencement addressCOLUMBUS, OH - Jack Smarnoff, CEO of tech firm Confinity AI, is reportedly confused as to why the graduating class of Ohio State University are loudly booing his commencement speech, specifically the ... 232196
Reposted by Ross FairJamie Bradburn @jbcurio.bsky.social · 19/05/2026The latest update to my guide to online historical Toronto newspaper resources includes: * A new home for the Multicultural History Society of Ontario's collection * Has the Telegram finally made it onto the internet? #TOHistory #cdnhistory jamiebradburncreative.wordpress.com/online-newsp...jamiebradburncreative.wordpress.comGuide to Online Toronto Historical Newspaper ResourcesLet’s say you’re doing a Toronto-related research project. You need to browse old newspapers, but cannot physically access a research institution to view their paper or microfilm collections for wh… 2174
Reposted by Ross FairTed McCormick @tedmccormick.bsky.social · 10/05/2026Historical research does not need to be done faster or in greater volume for any social or intellectual purpose whatever; if anything, it needs to be done more slowly and deliberately than at present, by people allowed the training, time, space, and resources to do it that way. 111212282
Reposted by Ross FairClaire Langhamer @clairelanghamer.bsky.social · 28/04/2026On protecting what matters. @ihr.bsky.social @royalhistsoc.org @histassoc.bsky.social History UK www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...history.ac.ukProtecting What Matters: A joint statement by the Historical Association, History UK, Royal Historical Society and the IHRProtecting what matters: A joint statement by the Historical Association, History UK, Royal Historical Society and the IHR 010080
Reposted by Ross FairAmerican Historical Association @historians.org · 13/04/2026We need historians because the past is never just the past. Every policy debate, public conversation, and cultural shift is shaped by what came before. Historians help us understand context, trace change over time, and recognize what’s at stake. #TalkAboutHumanities 🗃️ 210341
Reposted by Ross FairJuan José Ponce Vázquez @jjponcevazquez.bsky.social · 31/03/2026Careers fields of History majors. Fight the gross misrepresentations about what you can do with a History major. Especially from your parents. 295
Reposted by Ross FairBuckinghamshire Archives @bucksarchives.bsky.social · 17/03/2026ChatGPT: You’re so right, archivist. Eating the document would help preserve it using a new storage solution — one that's never been tried before in the archive sector. You wouldn't just be enjoying a cheap lunch, you would be furthering archival science for the world. 27711
Reposted by Ross FairSteven Nelson @snelsonus.bsky.social · 09/02/2026If Bad Bunny can cover the history of Puerto Rico, colonialism, transatlantic slavery, hemispheric consciousness, as well as contemporary life and politics in under 14 minutes, you can do your 15- or 20-minute conference presentation with time to spare. 492981602
Reposted by Ross FairPlague Poems @plaguepoems.bsky.social · 28/01/2026The climatologist told me historians will wonder why we didn’t do more. The epidemiologist told me historians will wonder why we didn’t do more. The activist told me historians will wonder why we didn’t do more. The historian told me that nobody listens to historians. 4458193
Reposted by Ross FairUniversity of Toronto Press @uoftpress.bsky.social · 02/12/2025We are pleased to share that Improving Upper Canada by Ross Fair has been awarded the 2025 Floyd S. Chalmers Award in Ontario History! Congratulations to the author. Read the announcement: bit.ly/48KNTQR #CanadianHistory #OntarioHistory @torontomet.bsky.social 021
Ross Fair @rossfair.bsky.social · 03/11/2025I'm pleased to learn that The Champlain Society has awarded me its 2025 Floyd S. Chalmers Award for my book, Improving Upper Canada. #cdnhist #envhist #onhist #aghistchamplainsociety.utppublishing.com 1211
Ross Fair @rossfair.bsky.social · 31/10/2025For #Halloween let me resurrect (from the long-deceased and dearly-missed Torontoist) a piece I wrote about resurrection men who supplied Toronto's medical schools. Grave Robbing! Luggage! Trains! "Terrible Feeling of Indignation among the People!" web.archive.org/web/20160307... 121
Reposted by Ross FairAsheesh Kapur Siddique @asheeshks.org · 16/09/2025Best thing I've ever read about AI and the academy - every line a banger 14414
Reposted by Ross FairHenry Snow @henrys.now · 12/08/2025Historians are often tempted to tell you something is "worth about X in today's dollars." Here's why I think you should not do that, and what I think you should do instead buttondown.com/anotherway/a...buttondown.comPlease Stop Putting Very Old Things in "Today's Dollars"Instead, do this 15113
Reposted by Ross FairThe Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) @themerl.bsky.social · 11/04/2025Why did historic artists make so many paintings of extremely large cows? Our curator @olliedouglas.bsky.social reveals all! 1633448
Reposted by Ross FairKevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 22/03/2025Perfect description of why so many historians in particular are hostile to AI 13891143
Reposted by Ross FairKathleen O'Grady 🇨🇦 @kathleenogradyca.bsky.social · 16/03/2025Today’s must read from American historian and Yale professor, Timothy Snyder snyder.substack.com/p/the-absurd... 411445
Reposted by Ross FairSusie Dent @susiedentwords.bsky.social · 28/02/2025Word of the day is ‘huff-snuff’ (16th century): a hectoring bully or braggart. 20083212463
Reposted by Ross FairTed McCormick @tedmccormick.bsky.social · 11/02/2025if you thought archives were problematic, wait till you see no archives 7749200
Reposted by Ross FairCommunity Archives of Belleville and Hastings County @cabhc.bsky.social · 12/02/2025How not to label your family photographs. 36017
Reposted by Ross FairJoseph Gagné, Ph. D. @josgagne.bsky.social · 12/02/2025#MakeNewFranceGreatAgain #WhatEvenIsThisReality #NouvelleFrance #VastEarlyAmerica #PoliticalHumor #NewFrance 211314
Reposted by Ross FairKaren Dalton Beninato @kbeninato.bsky.social · 08/02/2025Every day I get closer to understanding how it must have felt when the incoming Senator was Caligula's horse. 151020222
Reposted by Ross FairTobias Wilson-Bates @phdhurtbrain.bsky.social · 02/01/2025I just want to teach them to write... 617643
Reposted by Ross FairKhoa @khoavuumn.bsky.social · 02/01/2025Researcher: "We let the data speak for itself." Earlier that day: 9679171003
Reposted by Ross FairMark Crail @markcrail.bsky.social · 30/12/2024🗃️ #C19th #Genealogy #LocalHistory A reminder that if you need an excel calculator that works with pounds, shillings and pence, I have one you can download and use freely. Please share… chartistancestors.blog/2023/07/12/n...chartistancestors.blogNeed a calculator that works with pounds, shillings and pence?If you struggle to add, multiply and divide sums of money written in pre-decimal currency, then you are not alone – and you may wish to download the Excel calculator I’ve created for just tha… 1613059
Reposted by Ross FairEvan @evansmithhist.bsky.social · 24/12/2024"you'll be visited by three spirits" The three spirits 683344440
Reposted by Ross FairMateusz Fafinski @calthalas.bsky.social · 22/12/2024Sometimes working with manuscripts gets us really, really close to the people from the past allowing us to hear their voices. This is a story of a letter from a schoolgirl to her teacher, written probably sometime at the end of the 9th or the beginning of the 10th century. A thread 🧵 #medievalsky /1 331306469
Reposted by Ross FairAHA (Australia) @austhistassoc.bsky.social · 02/12/2024Missed AHA President Michelle Arrow (@michellearrow.bsky.social) on ABC Radio National talking about the future of history at university? Listen here: buff.ly/3ZuSIbxbuff.lyIs history history? - ABC listenUniversities are scrambling to make up the funding shortfalls they'll face because of reduced numbers of overseas students. 01711
Reposted by Ross FairEric Very @ekvery.bsky.social · 24/11/2024A view upsetting to the historians. "It was a pity, said the Premier , that the fort interfered with the progress of such a fine expressway. 093
Reposted by Ross FairThe Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) @themerl.bsky.social · 21/11/2024'what's wrong with your massive sheep that looks like a brain?' 628740
Reposted by Ross FairRichard Fitch @tudorcook.bsky.social · 16/11/2024"this is fine" British Library Manuscript - royal ms 20 a ii f3r 8486222210
Reposted by Ross Fairmichael veale @michae.lv · 15/11/2024In response to OpenAI’s recent ‘A Student’s Guide to Writing with ChatGPT’, Arthur Perret (maître de conferénces, Jean Moulin Lyon 3) writes a line-by-line rebuttal — A Student’s Guide to Not Writing with ChatGPT www.arthurperret.fr/blog/2024-11...arthurperret.frA Student’s Guide to Not Writing with ChatGPTSite web d’Arthur Perret, enseignant-chercheur en SIC. 44672316
Reposted by Ross FairTina Adcock @tinaadcock.bsky.social · 09/11/2024Scholars and students of Canada/northern North America! Here's a Canadian history starter pack. Please let me know if I've forgotten anyone! go.bsky.app/KVWtRgB 2510966
Reposted by Ross FairPaul Fairie @paulisci.bsky.social · 08/11/2024A List of Things People Blamed on Flappers 🧵 711944965
Reposted by Ross FairUGuelph History Department @uguelphhist.bsky.social · 06/11/2024Join Rural History Roundtable on Tues Nov 12 from 330-5pm EST, when @rossfair.bsky.social (TMU) will give a talk titled "A Measure of Improvement in Upper Canada: The 1852 Agricultural Exhibition." In person at MCKN Room 132, or via Zoom: www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-measure-... #cdnhist #aghist 022