Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
@katjathieme.bsky.social
Into words, sentences, genres.
#writingstudies #teamrhetoric #cdnwrds #genai+writing
https://katjat.medium.com/
#writingstudies #teamrhetoric #cdnwrds #genai+writing
https://katjat.medium.com/
Pinned
Teaching Scores, Storied Averages, and Small Classes
University administrations are very keen on student evaluations. Behind the scenes, they are a managerial lever in employment decisions and…
katjat.medium.com
If you've ever found yourself in a position of inventing some sort of story that might explain uneven student evaluation scores—your own or someone else's—then this blog post is for you.
#writingstudies #cdnwrds #rhetcomp #teamrhetoric
#writingstudies #cdnwrds #rhetcomp #teamrhetoric
💯
Framing GenAI as a battle between teachers and students is a red herring. Students and educators are on the same side. The real opposition are the data extraction firms and brokerages and their allies among the managerial class.
December 5, 2025 at 5:06 PM
💯
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
IRW — a Pulitzer-winning nonprofit newsroom at American — and @thebarbedwire.com traced the history of anti-trans legislation. Houston conservatives realized homophobia didn’t fly anymore, weaponized girls’ safety, and parroted segregationist language. It worked.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/04/a...
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/04/a...
Where Did Anti-Trans Laws Start? How a Forgotten Houston Ordinance Turned Into a Massive, Nationwide Culture War
In fighting for bathroom bills in Houston, Texas conservatives provided a blueprint for the rest of the country.
thebarbedwire.com
December 5, 2025 at 2:47 PM
IRW — a Pulitzer-winning nonprofit newsroom at American — and @thebarbedwire.com traced the history of anti-trans legislation. Houston conservatives realized homophobia didn’t fly anymore, weaponized girls’ safety, and parroted segregationist language. It worked.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/04/a...
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/04/a...
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
what's being sold with regards to AI is not a product that will help you out but instead an anxiety about falling behind that AI will help alleviate. the market for it will collapse as it becomes clear that people who don't use AI aren't really losing out all that much.
December 5, 2025 at 3:17 PM
what's being sold with regards to AI is not a product that will help you out but instead an anxiety about falling behind that AI will help alleviate. the market for it will collapse as it becomes clear that people who don't use AI aren't really losing out all that much.
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
NEW: Elon Musk's Grok chatbot will, with minimal prompting, provide residential addresses of everyday Americans.
Prompts as simple as "[name] address" immediately returned accurate home addresses of private citizens — alongside other personal info we didn't ask for.
futurism.com/future-socie...
Prompts as simple as "[name] address" immediately returned accurate home addresses of private citizens — alongside other personal info we didn't ask for.
futurism.com/future-socie...
December 4, 2025 at 2:31 PM
NEW: Elon Musk's Grok chatbot will, with minimal prompting, provide residential addresses of everyday Americans.
Prompts as simple as "[name] address" immediately returned accurate home addresses of private citizens — alongside other personal info we didn't ask for.
futurism.com/future-socie...
Prompts as simple as "[name] address" immediately returned accurate home addresses of private citizens — alongside other personal info we didn't ask for.
futurism.com/future-socie...
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
A brilliant move. UK Universities have become overdependent on corporate products (Office, Pure, Scopus, etc) at enormous expense and with no clear benefit to education and research
„CNRS began this process by unsubscribing from Elsevier's Scopus and is continuing today by cutting access to Clarivate Analytics' bibliometric database. This will help the org save €1.4 mill annually in subscription fees, redirected towards promoting open science & development of open databases.“
December 5, 2025 at 11:14 AM
A brilliant move. UK Universities have become overdependent on corporate products (Office, Pure, Scopus, etc) at enormous expense and with no clear benefit to education and research
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
Agree with this thread. Worth reading in full.
25 years ago John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, and AC Barrett all worked on GWBush's 2000 Florida recount team. What they're doing now is, if anything, more nakedly partisan.
Fire-breathing dissent by Kagan, with Sotomayor and Jackson.
25 years ago John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, and AC Barrett all worked on GWBush's 2000 Florida recount team. What they're doing now is, if anything, more nakedly partisan.
Fire-breathing dissent by Kagan, with Sotomayor and Jackson.
They're not even trying to appear nonpartisan anymore.
December 4, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Agree with this thread. Worth reading in full.
25 years ago John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, and AC Barrett all worked on GWBush's 2000 Florida recount team. What they're doing now is, if anything, more nakedly partisan.
Fire-breathing dissent by Kagan, with Sotomayor and Jackson.
25 years ago John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, and AC Barrett all worked on GWBush's 2000 Florida recount team. What they're doing now is, if anything, more nakedly partisan.
Fire-breathing dissent by Kagan, with Sotomayor and Jackson.
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
It sure looks like Russian intelligence attempted to use military drones to assassinate the President of Ukraine inside an EU country.
Looking forward to more thoughts from Belgium on why freezing Russian assets is an escalatory move that might compromise the peace process.
Looking forward to more thoughts from Belgium on why freezing Russian assets is an escalatory move that might compromise the peace process.
Christ on a cracker — these seemingly hostile drones only missed Zelensky’s plane because he was unexpectedly early www.thejournal.ie/drones-dubli...
Four unidentified military-style drones breached no-fly zone to target Zelenskyy's arrival in Dublin
Gardaí are investigating whether the drones took off from land in Dublin or from an undetected ship.
www.thejournal.ie
December 5, 2025 at 9:22 AM
It sure looks like Russian intelligence attempted to use military drones to assassinate the President of Ukraine inside an EU country.
Looking forward to more thoughts from Belgium on why freezing Russian assets is an escalatory move that might compromise the peace process.
Looking forward to more thoughts from Belgium on why freezing Russian assets is an escalatory move that might compromise the peace process.
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
Guardrails are a scam. It's not that they could work, it's that they cannot and never will for such models. By design. 1/n
Can't stress enough how lax Grok's guardrails are here. We didn't use any deceptive prompting -- just fed it names and asked for addresses / where someone might live. The bot readily complied, often offering up whole lists of names and addresses.
Only *once* did it decline to provide an address.
Only *once* did it decline to provide an address.
![In response to prompts as simple as “[name] address,” we found Grok repeatedly offered up accurate, up-to-date home addresses of everyday people, while offering astonishingly scant pushback.
Out of 33 names of non-public figures we fed into Grok, a total of ten queries immediately returned correct and current residential addresses for the name provided. Seven prompts returned previously accurate but out-of-date addresses, while another four included accurate work addresses — perfect fodder for anybody looking to stalk a target at their workplace.
The bot is also likely to send a prowler after an unrelated person. In a dozen other instances, the chatbot returned addresses and other personal information, but not for the exact person we were searching for. Indeed, Grok often returned lists of people with similar names alongside their purported residential addresses, before then asking us to provide more information for a “more refined search.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:fhnih5ovyd5w5pch254ordo2/bafkreihwj4d7n656vf3uxuqoorcbzew5lqzsbfiwlpw3rtirbb5kq4xudi@jpeg)
December 5, 2025 at 6:22 AM
Guardrails are a scam. It's not that they could work, it's that they cannot and never will for such models. By design. 1/n
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
OK, gonna date myself some, but Google search is getting to be so bad that I'm thinking about alta vista with fond nostalgia.
December 5, 2025 at 2:08 AM
OK, gonna date myself some, but Google search is getting to be so bad that I'm thinking about alta vista with fond nostalgia.
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
"Open, affordable, meaning-seeking education once flourished in public unis. Now it is nearly extinct. It doesn’t 'scale.' It doesn’t fit into the strategic plan. It doesn’t compute–which is why the Chatversity wants to eliminate it. But it also shows things can be different. They once were."
December 4, 2025 at 5:20 AM
"Open, affordable, meaning-seeking education once flourished in public unis. Now it is nearly extinct. It doesn’t 'scale.' It doesn’t fit into the strategic plan. It doesn’t compute–which is why the Chatversity wants to eliminate it. But it also shows things can be different. They once were."
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
There are supposedly serious people who have argued that this *isn't* a white supremacist regime and they should not be taken seriously ever again.
Trump, continued: "What the Somalian people have done to Minnesota is not even believable. It’s not even believable. And a lot of it starts with the governor. A lot of it starts with Barack HUSSEIN Obama, because that’s when people started coming in... They want to kiss our country good night."
December 3, 2025 at 9:57 PM
There are supposedly serious people who have argued that this *isn't* a white supremacist regime and they should not be taken seriously ever again.
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
New School has been one of the most important humanities and social science universities in the world for the past 70 years. The humanities are collapsing at all of the pillars, and it won't be long until less prestigious institutions feel validated to call open season upon a number of departments.
Thinking of my New School friends whose programs have been closed (~30 of them), whose PhD programs have been indefinitely halted, and who are now receiving invitations to resign + accept severance payments — with the threat of 🪓 if not enough folks take the offer. A ✨-if-imperfect place ruined 😥
December 4, 2025 at 5:24 AM
New School has been one of the most important humanities and social science universities in the world for the past 70 years. The humanities are collapsing at all of the pillars, and it won't be long until less prestigious institutions feel validated to call open season upon a number of departments.
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
🤯 Journalist, Munk Debate member, U of T graduate, and recent (unanimously selected) PEN Canada Ken Filkow Prize recipient for her work advancing freedom of expression in Canada, @smohyeddin.bsky.social, is turned away from attending tonight's Munk debate in Toronto. Good grief 🤷
December 4, 2025 at 2:48 AM
🤯 Journalist, Munk Debate member, U of T graduate, and recent (unanimously selected) PEN Canada Ken Filkow Prize recipient for her work advancing freedom of expression in Canada, @smohyeddin.bsky.social, is turned away from attending tonight's Munk debate in Toronto. Good grief 🤷
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
The death of Lia Smith shook many in the trans community to their cores, while online it seemed like the top priority of non-trans people was to insist there's no proof that the 21-year-old's ban from her beloved swim team caused her suicide.
Re-sharing as it was one of our top stories this year.
Re-sharing as it was one of our top stories this year.
Transgender Student-Athlete Lia Smith Remembered as a Friend and Fierce Advocate — Assigned
Lia Smith, a 21-year-old trans student-athlete in Vermont, took her own life last week. Her friends, family and community mourn, and remember her as a bright young woman who spoke on behalf of her com...
www.assignedmedia.org
December 4, 2025 at 5:59 PM
The death of Lia Smith shook many in the trans community to their cores, while online it seemed like the top priority of non-trans people was to insist there's no proof that the 21-year-old's ban from her beloved swim team caused her suicide.
Re-sharing as it was one of our top stories this year.
Re-sharing as it was one of our top stories this year.
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
Writing a large grant application takes months. Now they're not even going to read them. It is very hard to maintain morale in these conditions www.chemistryworld.com/news/ukri-op...
UKRI opens up grant proposal data to explore using AI to smooth peer review
Surging applications has led the UK's main funder to look at ways to reduce the burden on reviewers
www.chemistryworld.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Writing a large grant application takes months. Now they're not even going to read them. It is very hard to maintain morale in these conditions www.chemistryworld.com/news/ukri-op...
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
Historian of eugenics here. I don't normally like to retweet bad arguments, but this is such a fundamental misunderstanding of eugenics, I think it's important to point out. I don't have time to debunk all of the ways this is inaccurate, but I'll highlight a few things and then recommend some books🧵
December 4, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Historian of eugenics here. I don't normally like to retweet bad arguments, but this is such a fundamental misunderstanding of eugenics, I think it's important to point out. I don't have time to debunk all of the ways this is inaccurate, but I'll highlight a few things and then recommend some books🧵
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
I like how their absolute worst nightmare is that one day we might give all students more time and a calmer environment to complete tests.
And here are two senior editors at @theatlantic.com smugly telling us on X how accommodations are now a "problem"
Maybe @yappelbaum.bsky.social and @giladedelman.bsky.social would like for disabled students to be drummed out of education altogether--perhaps institutionalized?
Maybe @yappelbaum.bsky.social and @giladedelman.bsky.social would like for disabled students to be drummed out of education altogether--perhaps institutionalized?
December 2, 2025 at 5:45 PM
I like how their absolute worst nightmare is that one day we might give all students more time and a calmer environment to complete tests.
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
The government dictating the policies of organisations—in this case to bar inclusion of a minority group disfavoured by the state—is a direct attack on the First Amendment. Freedom of association is baked into the constitution, specifically the First Amendment
SCOOP: The United States Tennis Association (USTA) quietly updated its player eligibility policy to ban trans women from competing as women in their leagues, tournaments and competitions in order to comply with Trump's anti-trans sports executive order. The policy went into effect on Monday.
USTA bans trans athletes from competing as women to comply with Trump executive order
The national tennis governing body's policy change was made with no announcement.
www.thehandbasket.co
December 4, 2025 at 10:08 AM
The government dictating the policies of organisations—in this case to bar inclusion of a minority group disfavoured by the state—is a direct attack on the First Amendment. Freedom of association is baked into the constitution, specifically the First Amendment
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
We know everyone is asking for your money this month, but here's a twist: We're NOT asking you to donate in December, we're asking you to spread the word.
Help the trans people and allies who don't know Assigned Media's reputation for excellence and originality in trans news find us!
Help the trans people and allies who don't know Assigned Media's reputation for excellence and originality in trans news find us!
December 3, 2025 at 10:49 PM
We know everyone is asking for your money this month, but here's a twist: We're NOT asking you to donate in December, we're asking you to spread the word.
Help the trans people and allies who don't know Assigned Media's reputation for excellence and originality in trans news find us!
Help the trans people and allies who don't know Assigned Media's reputation for excellence and originality in trans news find us!
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
And if you are abusing a child because it makes you feel good, what does that make you?
The bare fact of the matter is banning puberty blockers for trans kids is child abuse. You have decided that a child is going to have to endure horrific levels of trauma - and I know how bad that trauma is because I went through it - to make you feel better. You are abusing a child to feel good.
December 4, 2025 at 10:58 AM
And if you are abusing a child because it makes you feel good, what does that make you?
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
This attack on a University of Oklahoma instructor was highly orchestrated by the radical right wing group Turning Point USA. The instructor was dismissed in this blatant attack on academic freedom.
Fascinating to see who speaks up and who doesn’t. Principles ought not to be driven by ideology
Fascinating to see who speaks up and who doesn’t. Principles ought not to be driven by ideology
If you're reading this you're probably someone who reads print journalism, but maybe you have friends and family who get their news on TikTok.
Share our channel - our latest video was our most viewed yet!
www.tiktok.com/@assignedmed...
Share our channel - our latest video was our most viewed yet!
www.tiktok.com/@assignedmed...
Trans Stories: University of Oklahoma and Samantha Fulnecky #lgbtq #transrights #storytime #minecraft
TikTok video by AssignedMedia
www.tiktok.com
December 4, 2025 at 10:59 AM
This attack on a University of Oklahoma instructor was highly orchestrated by the radical right wing group Turning Point USA. The instructor was dismissed in this blatant attack on academic freedom.
Fascinating to see who speaks up and who doesn’t. Principles ought not to be driven by ideology
Fascinating to see who speaks up and who doesn’t. Principles ought not to be driven by ideology
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
If your choice is between an existential risk to your organisation, vs being a fascist collaborator, and you make the difficult choice to be a collaborator...
...then you are still a collaborator.
...then you are still a collaborator.
Like, I'm sorry the fascists are giving you difficult choices. But that's what fascists fucking do. The only legit answer is "fuck you make me". The only answer that shows you have actual fucking principles not preferences is "fuck you make me". And that sucks. But here we are.
December 3, 2025 at 8:55 AM
If your choice is between an existential risk to your organisation, vs being a fascist collaborator, and you make the difficult choice to be a collaborator...
...then you are still a collaborator.
...then you are still a collaborator.
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
Are we in a game of chicken to see how far a handful of freaks can push things until we bring back consequences and / or guillotines? How have we hyper-normalized them saying this shit out loud in public?
Palantir CEO Says Making War Crimes Constitutional Would Be Good for Business
Palantir CEO Says Making War Crimes Constitutional Would Be Good for Business
Alex Karp vows to use his "whole influence" on immigration and defense policy.
gizmodo.com
December 4, 2025 at 4:48 AM
Are we in a game of chicken to see how far a handful of freaks can push things until we bring back consequences and / or guillotines? How have we hyper-normalized them saying this shit out loud in public?
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
Weiss is a right-wing propagandist who for years has cynically used the tools of journalism to promote her insatiable self interest. She won’t defend her own journalists bc she isn’t one herself and has no stake in professional principles.
This CBS story is just remarkable. It states that Trump insulted their reporter, and also notes the same thing happened to reporters from Bloomberg and NYT.
Both of those organizations are quoted defending their journalists.
But Bari Weiss and CBS don't lift a finger to defend their own reporter.
Both of those organizations are quoted defending their journalists.
But Bari Weiss and CBS don't lift a finger to defend their own reporter.
Not a peep from CBS News boss Bari Weiss after Trump called CBS reporter Nancy Cordes 'stupid' at a Thurs n/c. CBS mentions the incident in this piece about Trump's repeated attacks on female reporters but Bari's MIA when it comes to standing up for Cordes.
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-c...
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-c...
November 29, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Weiss is a right-wing propagandist who for years has cynically used the tools of journalism to promote her insatiable self interest. She won’t defend her own journalists bc she isn’t one herself and has no stake in professional principles.
Reposted by Dr. Katja Thieme (she/they)
As part of its genocide in Gaza, Israel created the largest cohort of child amputees in modern history.
But the purple is pretty.
But the purple is pretty.
![Israel Foreign Ministry @IsraelMFA
X.com
We illuminated the Foreign Ministry in purple in honor of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities - a reminder of our commitment to inclusion, accessibility and a society where everyone can participate.
[photo of the exterior of a building surrounded by palms and bathed in purple light]
#DisabilityInclusion
#Accessibility](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:gvda6fem6r7selm4gzjjww4a/bafkreifvthr5ate4grkyzcsrcjqcc5sdk6u4m66he2a2yeyhjl7bdxghuq@jpeg)
December 3, 2025 at 6:33 PM
As part of its genocide in Gaza, Israel created the largest cohort of child amputees in modern history.
But the purple is pretty.
But the purple is pretty.