@jk finally, we're all converging on the same failure modes!

It reminds me a little of the old internet. I like how relatively small it feels, and that people post content for the sake of the content, not to promote themselves. I haven’t found my usual corners yet, the ones I used to hang out in on older platforms, but I figure that’s just a matter of time. I’m not super nostalgic for the old internet or anything, but it’s nice to find at least a hint of something human-centered somewhere.

I hope it doesn’t fall apart and that it keeps growing.

I was skeptical when I switched to Linux, but then I ditched Windows on my dual boot for good. It was a hugely positive experience, and it really felt like freedom. I’m hoping this will be the same.

And don’t be mad at me if I act totally clueless here sometimes 'cause all that is new to me.

I have been (mostly secretly) pursuing my doctorate for more than six years at the University of Oxford. Yesterday, I successfully defended my thesis and passed my viva. This morning was the first time I got to say to someone "so sorry but it's not Miss Wheeler, it's Doctor Wheeler."

My path here was beyond weird. Oxford rejected me three times between 2018 and 2020. Then a pandemic, Brexit, and a late third round of admissions at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford opened a door, and I matriculated over Zoom as a DPhil in Social Data Science from my little room in Seattle at 3 a.m in October of 2020.

My thesis uses classic machine learning methods at scale, with full transparency, to detect potential influence in text over time. It started with a question about whether Ada Lovelace ever read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and it ended up deep in Harold Bloom’s theory of influence. I presented the methods paper at Computational Models of Narrative in Madrid this year.

I also rowed for my college’s boat club (come on Linacre College, Oxford!!), went to more bops than I’ll admit to, and finally got to really, really love academia.

If school never fit you, and especially if you’re neuroatypical, you may just need to wait until you can do it on your own terms. I have failed out of or gotten kicked out of or dropped out of many more schools than I ever got a degree from. You can do it and just message me if you want to talk. There are more people than I could ever hope to thank in a single post, and I'll be writing more about them over the next weeks and months.

I did it my way.

The whole story is here: https://www.tarah.org/2026/11/10/i-got-a-doctorate-in-machine-learning-from-oxford-mostly-in-secret-over-the-last-six-years/

#Oxford #DPhil #MachineLearning #DigitalHumanities #DataScience

Ferengi Rule of Acquisition 65

"Win or lose, there's always Hupyrian beetle snuff."

Source: The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition (DS9 novel)

In this episode Captain Janeway wishes the crew would stop asking for more replicator rations although they ran out of the special effects budget and just solved everything with a meeting.

79時間もキッサキ神殿に引きこもってたのか…

To me, the old internet died in 2007

Old Internet? Nah, to me the internet was born in 2010 xD

Edit: Damn nobody gets the joke.

Peak Design’s Roller Lite Carry-On is bigger on the inside — and cheaper, too https://www.theverge.com/tech/1030186/peak-design-roller-lite-carry-on-review

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#いいioの日

@lindsay Hi! Here, have a pineapple if and only if you want one: 🍍😊

@mm

I may be sober from alcohol, but cannabis is a must for my mental health.

@onepict you’re welcome!

As we said in a previous message, we described our position in a blogpost: https://blog.cryptpad.org/2026/11/10/Temporary-AI-Policy/

Welcome! It’s cozy here :-)

But make sure you filter out what agitates you. For many here, that is the Tankie fraction. Lemmy has a fair bunch of left authoritarian instances with users that are prone to having unpopular takes, and being very adamant about them - if that isn’t to your liking, block out the lemmy.ml, lemmygrad.ml and hexbear.net instances to avoid most of it.

(But if you like heated discussions with delusional people, by all means, go ahead lol)

Welcome, I like your energy!

Try to be an active participant, comment, vote, post if you feel like it around the topics that interest you.

And a word of advice : heavily curate your experience. block people, communities and instances if necessary to cut down on negativity/noise and you’ll have a great time here.

Hope you stick around!

One of the worst consequences of the 2008 financial crisis was the introduction of the concept of “too big to fail.” This has incentivized companies to make themselves appear oversized, increase market valuation even when they turn zero profit, and get themselves listed in enough pension funds that their failure leads to catastrophic consequences far beyond the company itself. It turns governments, banks and shareholders into advocates for the product.

Oh ... my ... gosh ... I've been here like 5 hours and I've already had more engagement than the last year on all other social media *combined*. What kind of magic is this? Social media that's actually ... social?? Thank you to everyone who's already welcomed me with advice and tips. I'm looking forward to discovering all the wonderful people and content here. I'm just a bit overwhelmed right now, but in the best way.