iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Dan Cohen @dancohen.org · 06/10/2026

On the 20th anniversary of Zotero's 1.0 release on October 5, 2006, I wrote a history of the collaboration and years it took to create the popular research tool now used by over 20 million people: newsletter.dancohen.org/archive/the-...

newsletter.dancohen.org

The Slow Formation of Durable Software

How a group of historians took years to imagine Zotero, the research application that would eventually be used by millions

213256

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Kevin Gannon (now a Moo Deng fan account) @thetattooedprof.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

If every time you "reach across" the "partisan divide", you pull back a bloody stump where your hand used to be, the shortcomings and naivete of this strategy become evident.

98720

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

My favorite was one that said “this scholar has argued X, but their evidence contradicts their argument. Footnotes for the win!

150

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Asheesh Kapur Siddique @asheeshks.org · 28/09/2026

It would actually have been conceptually impossible for the Vanderbilt/WashU report to have been peer reviewed because the premise of the report is that we should ignore half a century of peer-reviewed research in the humanities when we assess what they have contributed to knowledge.

1459

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Lou Roper @roperlou.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

aging brain has recollection that genesis of 'modern higher education' occurred in Prussia ('objectivity' a la Ranke) in response to the French Revolution but am happy (as per norm) to be corrected

121

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Joshua R Greenberg @joshrgreenberg.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Also, UC 237,616 (undergraduates) and 63,482 (graduate) and CSU another 471,451.

023

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Lou Roper @roperlou.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

permit me to add that SUNY enrollment (Fall 2025) is 339,800 (undergrad) and 47,646 (grad)

183

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

When a big new database becomes public, it’s great. But rarely does the database tell us something entirely new: it confirms, provides context, and makes things measurable. The university PR machines pretend that “nobody knew that X“, but if you’ve been paying attention, X is not that surprising.

160

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

My first thought was, what a stupid question. Are we back at 1066 And all that with, ‘this was a good thing’, or ‘a bad thing’?

142

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Also, the regents - like almost all the people with legal fiduciary roles in US higher education - do not have experience of teaching or research. So they don’t understand the core mission of the university. That’s true of our chancellor too.

010

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Charles Fourier @charlesfourier.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Bill Bryson’s words seem appropriate to post right now

5145161509

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Elle Cordova @ellecordova.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I am the very model of a modern day typographer A font take on the tune “Modern Major General” by Gilbert & Sullivan #typography #fonts #graphicdesign

24550431566

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Susan Wabuda @susanwabuda.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

THIS IS TODAY'S MOST IMPORTANT STORY ⤵️⬇️⬇️

021

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

They lost me at sperm racing. 🤦‍♀️

010

Reposted by Susan Amussen

RJ1611 @rfj1611.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

This is from the parish register for Kineton, Warwickshire, on the 1642 burials page. Horse doodles might seem odd, until you realise that Kineton was AKA Edgehill, the first major conflict of the English Civil Wars. There would have been a LOT of horses.🐴 #earlymodern #EnglishCivilWars

A doodle from the 1642 burials page of the Kineton, Warwickshire, parish register. It shows crude, child-like stick sketches of 4 horses, one with a rider.

2178

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Or treat your self to an overnight out on the north fork. Mid week off season is not outrageous. And the eastern end of the island still provides glimpses of the longer agricultural history. And there’s nothing like salt marshes.

220

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Monica H Green @monicamedhist.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Just found this collection from Brepols: www.brepols.net/products/IS-.... €150, so more of a gift item for a BT lover than a quick read. But there's a helluva a lot of scholarship on this artifact, & I'd love to see more of it celebrated. Anglo-Norman work, too. #MedievalSky

Screengrab from publisher's webpage for book in honor of Bayeux Tapestry scholar, Shirley Ann Brown.

132

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I remember talking to her when she was 94 and she was so excited about new historical research. “What willerkearn from Trans history?” Just endlessly curious.

020

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I read this article all the way through. Extremely interesting and revealing details. A specific warning from head of UAE to Netanyahu, after a more general warning to the security services. Important context is that came after the breakdown in talks for semi-normalization in Gaza. It’s a …

717549

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

'It notes that institutions “routinely” hire consultancies for these restructures as well as change management specialists, however, these processes often introduce additional management layers, “adding cost rather than removing it”, while “productivity drops".' Hollow laughter across the sector.

hepi.ac.uk

The invisible majority: Professional and support staff and the future of UK higher education - HEPI

Universities are cutting the skills they need most, then paying to rebuild them. Universities are cutting the skills and capabilities they need most, only to pay to rebuild them later, according to ne...

28032

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

And when we buried my mother in Orient Point, my brother insisted (without much resistance) that we go on the ferry so his kids could experience it!

130

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Though those of us who are habitues of the New London-Orient Pt ferry still see it that way! When I lived in New Haven and my mother in Greenport, we used it all the time!

120

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Elizabeth (Liz) Lehfeldt (she/her/hers) @lizlehfeldt.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

This thread really resonated with me. When people tell me I'm a "luddite" for resisting AI, they're totally misunderstanding my resistance. I don't need or want AI because I like my process (for my work and other parts of my life), using AI would actually *create* work for me, etc.

2164

Reposted by Susan Amussen

John Warner @biblioracle.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

For sure, personality wise, I'm just not that interested in playing around with technology. I like technology that works to do something I need done, but I don't care to spend time thinking about it or tweaking or manipulating it. Some people have clearly engaged with AI agents a kind of hobby...

1304

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Oh, Monica, what a perfect question. I’ve been stunned that none of the reviews I’ve read mentioned who made the tapestry, or the ideas about masculinity, nobility, etc., that are depicted in it.

1192

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

But the rule is always write what intrigues you. Whatever you do will be appreciated!

140

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Oh, the one I find hardest to read is Northanger Abbey - the utter misery of being 16 I can’t handle.

020

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Christine Johnson @christinkallama.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

The "Familienbuch" of Hieronymus Koeler and the letters of Philipp von Hutten are fascinating texts and, as I argue, very revealing of how conquest colonialism mattered for European masculinity (and how it didn't). #EarlyModern #Skystorians (if you would like a copy, let me know!)

2206

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Just dropping into say that Persuasion is probably my favorite Austen (though 18 y.o. Me would have said pride & Prejudice) . Both Winters Tale and Persuasion resonate more powerfully as you get older.

140

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Elle Cordova @ellecordova.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Rough Draft vs Final Draft

254116923321

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Gender & History Journal @genderandhistory.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

📚 Book review: Female Servants in Early Modern England, by Charmian Mansell, reviewed by Susan D. Amussen 🔗 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... #BookReview #skyhistorians #GenderHistory

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

197

Reposted by Susan Amussen

National Trust @nationaltrust.org.uk · 12/08/2026

ANNOUNCEMENT: All our sundials will be out of order this evening between about 6pm and 8pm, we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Normal service will resume tomorrow. In unrelated news, enjoy the eclipse later... Photos: Mike Selby, Annapurna Mellor, Chris Davies, John Millar

A wall-mounted sundial inside a walled garden. Text on the sundial reads: "fear god, obey ye king"

A traditional sundial on a plinth, formal gardens surround it

The sun beams down on a traditional sundial, with heather visible in the background

A shot of a sundial from above. It's mounted on a stone plinth. Text on the side reads "KEW BRIDGE"

201711458

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Hah! I was just talking to my neighbour about heading to Primrose Hill park to watch, then panicking because we didn’t eclipse glasses.

110

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Dr Surekha Davies, Historical Monster Consultant (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

#earlymodern grad students in the US: the @rsaorg.bsky.social Public Engagement Fellow will receive $20,000 plus travel and accommodation expenses to attend RSA 2027 in Philadelphia. Deadline August 15! 🗃 1/

11015

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Chet DeFonso @chetdefonso.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

There'll always be an England, Chapter 832.

043

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Megan Kate Nelson 📚 @mkn.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Get ready, Blueskis! @katecarp.bsky.social and I have some fun things to show you over the next few weeks and months …

0489

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

I’ve never been good at writing anything other than book reviews and conference papers in term time. It generally takes me 2-3 hours to get going, so 1 hour chunks are not great. But it’s useful to remember that reading counts towards writing time.

192

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Such a weird and interesting play.

010

Reposted by Susan Amussen

Beyond Shakespeare @beyondshakes.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

🚨The Witch of Edmonton - recorded LIVE - has finally dropped on the podcast! The first of five plays recorded at the White Bear Theatre during our Wyrd Revels 2025 Next month: The Wise-woman of Hogston #drama #theatre #live #AudioDrama #dog #witch audioboom.com/posts/893327...

audioboom.com

The Witch of Edmonton by Dekker, Ford and Rowley (LIVE Full Cast Audio Recording)

There's trouble in Edmonton...

052

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

He was friends with the chair of the committee but quickly went on my "NO WAY" list. Fortunately, I was not alone in that!

120

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Napier's notebooks would be an endless series. But the really good film could be made about Frances Howard and the E. of Somerset. So much drama, from the Essex annulment to the Overbury murder.

020

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Yes, I served on such a committee several times, and it was so depressing. Still remember the candidate whose CV listed his wife's degree, AND his daughters's (I think both daughters had Ph.D.s) WTF?

120

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

I've been so relieved to have retired, even working in California.

070

Susan Amussen @sdamussen.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Well, I've always thought the problem was that "senior leadership" seems now to go to managers, not leaders. So unimaginative.

240