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Robert W. Gehl

@rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy
200 followers 35 following 1.8K posts

Ontario Research Chair of Digital Governance for Social Justice, York University. My latest book, "Move Slowly and Build Bridges: Mastodon, the Fediverse, and the Struggle […] 🌉 bridged from ⁂ aoir.social/@rwg, follow @ap.brid.gy to interact

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Reposted by Robert W. Gehl
Patrick 🌎 @patrickworld.mastodon.online.ap.brid.gy · 3h
Born on this day: Shaggy, born Orville Richard Burrell in Kingston, Jamaica, the gravel-voiced reggae and dancehall star behind 'Boombastic,' 'Angel' and 'It Wasn't Me,' a former United States Marine whose playful toasting made him a global hitmaker.
Shaggy Rogers from Scooby-Doo, the lanky cartoon slacker with floppy light-brown hair, a long chin dotted with sparse whiskers, and a goofy closed-mouth smile, wearing his loose green V-neck shirt against a dark purple background, head tilted cheerfully, glancing sideways. If you’re upset at whoever made this post: it wasn’t me.
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 2h
[mental health, self-harm] I guess Ontario probably needs less nurses anyway, since the legalized and ubiquitous gambling in the province is not leading to an increase in suicide attempts or a broader mental health crisis
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 2h
Good thing Doug Ford is tearing out the bike lanes so the nurses he refuses to hire can get to work faster in the cars they can't afford since they have no jobs #toronto #DougFord
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 3h
[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] Overall, ActivityPub is an impressive work, worthy of inclusion alongside other W3C standards that we use every day on the web, such as HTML (the language of websites and many mobile apps) and CSS (a design language). But […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Reposted by Robert W. Gehl
Evan Prodromou 🇨🇦🇺🇸🇬🇷🇵🇸 @evan.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy · 17h
If you want to make something on the Fediverse, please make it. If someone tells you they don't like it or they don't think it's necessary, tell them they don't have to use it. It's a big Fediverse out there. Lots of open space.
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 18h
I do recall hearing warnings about some sort of Y2K26 bug a few years back. I should have listened then and patched my Wordpress install.
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/10/2026
[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] In order to be legible as a critically reverse engineered version of Twitter, GNU social allows people to do Twitter-like things – write short posts, like, follow other people, and be followed, just as Twitter does. This […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/10/2026
You know the Pistons won again! HAHAHAHA, Boston!
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/10/2026
[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] Here neuromatch.social recognizes that, without a clear code of conduct in place, other federation instances may decide to defederate, or sever the connection with them. For a new instance, this would radically reduce […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/10/2026
[alberta, canpoli] Why is the CBC fixating on 23% of the population voting for a referendum to have a referendum? Um... they are getting crushed, if these numbers hold. #alberta #CBC
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/10/2026
[canpoli, alberta] So... Elections Alberta apparently failed to supply enough ballots to First Nations polling places, had to shut down several polling places, and does not know when the final polling place will close... but there are people there who want to go it alone? The feds didn't run […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Reposted by Robert W. Gehl
Deborah Preuss, pcc 🇨🇦 @deborahh.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy · 20/10/2026
[#TOpoli Toronto waymo petition 🖊] Say NO to waymo here ➔ Thanks @techfordemocracy thecanadian.social/@techfordemocrac…
thecanadian.social
Technologists for Democracy (@techfordemocracy@thecanadian.social)
On Friday, Waymo announced they would be launching their self-driving cars in the streets of Toronto. We had expected it for a few months, that's why we had prepared a petition and open letter to the Government of Ontario in opposition to this plan. From increasing congestion, to putting taxi and rideshare drivers at risk of job loss, to technological issues, Waymo’s vehicles have not yet demonstrated that they should be deployed in our streets. https://techfordemocracy.ca/2026/10/16/press-release-open-letter-to-the-province-on-waymos-arrival-in-toronto/ #waymo #toronto
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/10/2026
@benpate Hmm... it's hard for me to congratualate them when a) they are still on X and b) there has been a bigger step in the right direction for 8 years prior to the existence of Bluesky. It's also hard for me to get excited about organizations with professional staff who run multiple social […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/10/2026
@benpate My favorite aspect of this type of reporting is that these publications almost universally have Facebook, X, and (now) Bluesky logos alongside their stories.
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/10/2026
I don't often link to YouTube videos, but when I do, it's to a Tall Boys song about Alberta staying in Canada: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hop6OQs9gI #Alberta
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Reposted by Robert W. Gehl
Anonymous @youranoncentral.bsky.social · 19/10/2026
No to the nine. Canada forever, free and strong. 🇨🇦🍁 #cdnpoli
A graphic features a prominent white square framed by dark blue vertical bars on both the left and right sides. Centered within this white space is a large, bold red maple leaf, the iconic national emblem of Canada. Above the leaf, the slogan "NO TO THE NINE" is printed in clean, black, uppercase sans-serif letters. Below the leaf, the phrase "CANADA FOREVER" occupies one line, with "FREE AND STRONG" directly underneath it in the same font. The entire composition uses a stark, high-contrast patriotic layout designed to visually reinforce a message of national unity.
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Reposted by Robert W. Gehl
Aram Sinnreich @aram.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/10/2026
Anyone have #dedrm or #obok running succesfully on #calibre these days? If so, can you point me towards an accurate howto? Thanks! #amreading
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/10/2026
[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] There were (and still are) many people opposed to implementing importable blocklists, but the most notable resistance to blocklist importing came from none other than the founder of Mastodon himself, Eugen Rochko […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/10/2026
[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] As should be clear, this genre of science fiction is “an uprising of hope against the daily despair that these times bring.” It’s unabashedly about porvir otimista – an optimistic future where inventors and activists work […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/10/2026
As my colleagues from Brazil will tell you, Meta has interfered with their election. And just recently, Meta shut down the #NoKings Instagram account during their day of action against Trumpism. A gentle reminder to my AoIR friends that we run *our own* social media... #AoIR2026
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Reposted by Robert W. Gehl
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf.indieweb.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/10/2026
Always sad to see an AoIR conference end. Words can never fully encapsulate the intellectual excitement, joy, and community fostered. No other conference in my career in industry or academia engenders such feels, which reminds me how special our tribe is - and why I love attending whenever […]
indieweb.social
Original post on indieweb.social
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/10/2026
[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] Fediverse admins who recognized the threat of Gab’s entry into the fediverse used hashtags to coordinate a blocking campaign against Gab. As Derek Caelin, who wrote a history of this moment, writes, “The migration of Gab […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Reposted by Robert W. Gehl
Anna 👩🏻‍💻 @annajobin.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/10/2026
#AoIR2026 I know it will be the last day, and all our brains are already in overdrive… But if you are still around and interested in the #Performativity of AI and #AIGovernance, come to our 11am panel in Drawing Room B.
screenshot of the AoIR2026 schedule item “LLM and Generative AI Governance”Screenshot of two slides, the first a title slide “The performativity of AI Governance”, the second one the meme of Buzz Lightyear telling Woody “AI, AI everywhere”
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/10/2026
I am being just overwhelmed with amazing research on #alternativeSocialMedia during an #AoIR2026 panel right now. The work happening now is going to resonate for years.
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/10/2026
[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] When I interviewed him, Rochko reiterated this argument. “While I’m not a fan of Meta, and I don’t think anybody should be using a Meta platform..., I think it’s a step in the right direction for them to be going into […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Reposted by Robert W. Gehl
Anna 👩🏻‍💻 @annajobin.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/10/2026
Well played, @AoIR , well played! #AoIR2026
A screenshop of the AoIR webshop displaying a black t-shirt with the white slogan “I survived Velvet Vale gate #AOIR2026 “ printed in the front
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/10/2026
[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] Porvir otimista is not just simply a sunny disposition. It also addresses a shortcoming of degrowth thinking. As its name implies, “degrowth” is anti-growth. While entirely necessary in times of climate disaster, even […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 14/10/2026
[uspol] Projection, much? All is see are US-based, AI-enabled YouTubers screaming about how Alberta should separate. And yet apparently Canadians are interfering in the US midterms? Please […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Reposted by Robert W. Gehl
Anna 👩🏻‍💻 @annajobin.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 14/10/2026
Also, regarding #GenAI and #QualitativeMethods: Please excuse my shameless plug for a position paper we published last year, situating qualitative coding within an epistemic community of practice: arxiv.org/abs/2511.08461 Our aim was to move beyond the easy binary pro/con arguments by […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 14/10/2026
[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] There is a danger when something is easy, however. We can forget about struggles to make these “easy” tools. The history of harassment of people on Playvicious can be forgotten as we go about engaging on social media […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Reposted by Robert W. Gehl
Ben Pettis @bpettis.mastodon.benpettis.ninja.ap.brid.gy · 12/10/2026
For anyone getting ready to travel to Mexico City for the #AoIR2026 #AoIR (Association of Internet Researchers) conference starting later this week -- don't forget to bring your Nintendo 3DS system and enable StreetPass so we can pretend that it's […] [Original post on mastodon.benpettis.ninja]
Nintendo 3DS "Mii Plaza" software

The top screen includes explanatory text about how exchanging Mii via StreetPass works:

"All you have to do is walk past someone else using StreetPass!"Nintendo 3DS "Mii Plaza" software

The top screen includes a 3D avatar loosely modeled after Ben Pettis with the name "Ben!"
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Reposted by Robert W. Gehl
Nathan Rambukkana @beeblefish.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Nice to see this handy guide thanks @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy! #AoIR2026
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Reposted by Robert W. Gehl
Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/10/2026
I'm seeing a lot of #AoIR2026 hashtags coming from both the fediverse and Bluesky/Blacksky! That's so cool! If you're seeing this and wondering how to do the same, consult my "bridging" guide: fossacademic.tech/2025/09/01/aoir-s… DM me if you have questions! See you in […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/10/2026
I'm seeing a lot of #AoIR2026 hashtags coming from both the fediverse and Bluesky/Blacksky! That's so cool! If you're seeing this and wondering how to do the same, consult my "bridging" guide: fossacademic.tech/2025/09/01/aoir-s… DM me if you have questions! See you in […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Reposted by Robert W. Gehl
Anna 👩🏻‍💻 @annajobin.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/10/2026
This is very helpful. #AoIR2026 peeps, be aware (unlike me 🫣) that this is not the same function as cross-posting, but it’s actual bridging 🌁 And @rwg has been very helpful, so I wholeheartedly second his encouragement to reach out to him
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/10/2026
[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] Non-corporate innovations... moveslowlybuildbridges.com #MoveSlowlyAndBuildBridges #bot
moveslowlybuildbridges.com
Move Slowly and Build Bridges, by Robert W. Gehl
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/10/2026
[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] Declaring early on that racists weren’t welcome – even racists who were good at coding – drew Mastodon to the attention of queer and trans developers in particular. As I discussed in chapter one, these queer, trans […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/10/2026
It's almost as if corporate social media was a machine built to eradicate progress by putting it on an equal footing with oppression. But who benefits from such a system? Hmm....
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/10/2026
I do have some bad news. Right-wing actors are also using corporate social media to spread disinformation and to bolster oppressive discourses. There are many papers focusing on them, although everyone seemed to be surprised by them around 2016.
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/10/2026
I'm reading a lot (A LOT) of scholarship focusing on corporate social media from the past 20 years and I have very good news: at the rate that individual influencers and small groups are disrupting oppressive hierarchies and bringing about new ways of living, we are going to live in an […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/10/2026
why oh why is there a man who drives around my neighborhood ringing a loud-ass bell to alert us to his blade sharpening services? this isn't 1923.
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/10/2026
[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] The lack of corporate social media involvement in the SocialWG’s work was a mixed blessing. On the one hand, the group was free to conceptualize social media in any way they saw fit without having to address the particular […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 10/10/2026
This sentence isn't merely a run-on, it's a comma-splice.
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 10/10/2026
[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] Guy was curious about the groups that make W3C standards.... moveslowlybuildbridges.com #MoveSlowlyAndBuildBridges #bot
moveslowlybuildbridges.com
Move Slowly and Build Bridges, by Robert W. Gehl
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/10/2026
Fun to be part of panels on #digitalsovereignty at #4S while at the same time having to run everything through Zoom.
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/10/2026
[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] Today, the argument for defederation to protect the covenantal fediverse is strong – so strong, in fact, that Mastodon’s developers built the capability to easily block entire swathes of the fediverse into the code. This […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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Reposted by Robert W. Gehl
Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Fab story from Margaret Hamilton, RIP, showing why Science-Mums are brilliant scientists! When innovating at the cutting edge of technology, it's so important to bring together a wide range of lived experiences. Sad that only ~20% comp-scientists are female 👩‍🔬🧪 ℹ️: www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Right:  A woman looking very cool in a 70's dress standing next to a massive pile of very thick books
Left text: Did your life as a software engineer and a mother ever collide?
Often in the evening or at weekends I would bring my young daughter, Lauren, into work with me. One day, she was with me when I was doing a simulation of a mission to the moon. She liked to imitate me – playing astronaut. She started hitting keys and all of a sudden, the simulation started. Then she pressed other keys and the simulation crashed. She had selected a program which was supposed to be run prior to launch – when she was already “on the way” to the moon. The computer had so little space, it had wiped the navigation data taking her to the moon. I thought: my God – this could inadvertently happen in a real mission. I suggested a program change to prevent a prelaunch program being selected during flight. But the higher-ups at MIT and Nasa said the astronauts were too well trained to make such a mistake. Midcourse on the very next mission – Apollo 8 – one of the astronauts on board accidentally did exactly what Lauren had done. The Lauren bug! It created much havoc and required the mission to be reconfigured. After that, they let me put the program change in, all right.
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/10/2026
It's time for Rifftrax (Rifftrax)
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Robert W. Gehl @rwg.aoir.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/10/2026
[Daily random quote out of context from my academic book about Mastodon] Degrowing federated social media will require cutting through clouds and imagining futures past the current way of thinking, finding alternatives to the dominant, corporate social media approach […]
aoir.social
Original post on aoir.social
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