Michael Ekstrand
@md.ekstrandom.net
Info sci prof @ Drexel, trying to keep the machines (esp. RecSys & IR) from learning bigotry and discrimination. ADHDS9. Usually self-propelled. Opinions those of the Vulcan Science Academy. 🐰x2.
🏡 https://md.ekstrandom.net
🧪 https://inertial.science
🏡 https://md.ekstrandom.net
🧪 https://inertial.science
Added a bunch of notes on remote access to systems to my Notes on Data Science to support my class this term. nods.ekstrandom.net/tech/remote/
Remote Access – Notes on Data Science
Notes on remote access via SSH and similar tools.
nods.ekstrandom.net
January 19, 2026 at 8:11 PM
Added a bunch of notes on remote access to systems to my Notes on Data Science to support my class this term. nods.ekstrandom.net/tech/remote/
ilu minnesota (complementary).
you probably shouldn't come to MN right now, but if you must, here's some advice I just gave a friend:
DO NOT FUCK AROUND WITH THESE TEMPS. any exposed flesh will get frostbite in minutes.
you have not felt cold like this before. you do not know what to expect, and your clothes are inadequate. 🧵
DO NOT FUCK AROUND WITH THESE TEMPS. any exposed flesh will get frostbite in minutes.
you have not felt cold like this before. you do not know what to expect, and your clothes are inadequate. 🧵
Hi. MN getting a lot of attention right now.
Do NOT underestimate weather’s potential to absolutely BREAK people here, especially new-to-towners.
When it snows hard, drops to way below zero, everything frozen, it can make you stop functioning. Horrify and immobilize you. Changes EVERYTHING.
Do NOT underestimate weather’s potential to absolutely BREAK people here, especially new-to-towners.
When it snows hard, drops to way below zero, everything frozen, it can make you stop functioning. Horrify and immobilize you. Changes EVERYTHING.
January 19, 2026 at 2:03 AM
ilu minnesota (complementary).
Reposted by Michael Ekstrand
Reposted by Michael Ekstrand
“Oughtposting vs isposting” is immediately load bearing for me
I have a theory that the general epistemic crisis has led to a lot of very online people getting used to communicating primarily through oughtposting and kind of forgetting how to deal with isposting
people gotta chill out about making normative vs. descriptive claims. it’s tedious to have to specify “of course, I do NOT support fire” if you’re talking about a house burning down.
January 16, 2026 at 3:44 PM
“Oughtposting vs isposting” is immediately load bearing for me
Reposted by Michael Ekstrand
I agree, and I'll say it in a way that is far more judgmental, because I am a judgmental person.
I am not a freak for loving living in a diverse, multicultural city. I am normal. The people who hate diversity, hate cities, fear anyone that isn't like them, are the freaks.
I am not a freak for loving living in a diverse, multicultural city. I am normal. The people who hate diversity, hate cities, fear anyone that isn't like them, are the freaks.
I realise I'm just a freak, but living in a multicultural city is the best thing of all time, it's just the best possible human experience and i can not understand why anyone on earth would be like "weve got to destroy this"
January 17, 2026 at 11:54 AM
I agree, and I'll say it in a way that is far more judgmental, because I am a judgmental person.
I am not a freak for loving living in a diverse, multicultural city. I am normal. The people who hate diversity, hate cities, fear anyone that isn't like them, are the freaks.
I am not a freak for loving living in a diverse, multicultural city. I am normal. The people who hate diversity, hate cities, fear anyone that isn't like them, are the freaks.
Reposted by Michael Ekstrand
Been googling a lot of simple facts for a piece I’m writing — re religious and demographic breakdown of countries, and of course google comes back with the AI generated response up top and it’s really wild how often it’s flat out wrong or misleading. On facts!
January 16, 2026 at 1:04 PM
Been googling a lot of simple facts for a piece I’m writing — re religious and demographic breakdown of countries, and of course google comes back with the AI generated response up top and it’s really wild how often it’s flat out wrong or misleading. On facts!
Research is expensive.
January 15, 2026 at 10:13 PM
Research is expensive.
Reposted by Michael Ekstrand
🧵 Trump administration AI policy is widely described as deregulatory. This description is misleading. What's happening is not the absence of governance but its rearrangement--intensive state intervention operating through mechanisms we don't typically call regulation. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The mirage of AI deregulation
One of the most interventionist approaches to technology governance in the United States in a generation has cloaked itself in the language of deregulation. In early December 2025, President Donald Tr...
www.science.org
January 15, 2026 at 7:23 PM
🧵 Trump administration AI policy is widely described as deregulatory. This description is misleading. What's happening is not the absence of governance but its rearrangement--intensive state intervention operating through mechanisms we don't typically call regulation. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Michael Ekstrand
I need people who don’t live in the Twin Cities to stop telling people not to join massive Signal groups right now. People are doing it. They’re going to keep doing it. Give them good advice about it.
The actually practical advice is don’t say anything to 1000 strangers you wouldn’t say in public
The actually practical advice is don’t say anything to 1000 strangers you wouldn’t say in public
January 15, 2026 at 12:52 PM
I need people who don’t live in the Twin Cities to stop telling people not to join massive Signal groups right now. People are doing it. They’re going to keep doing it. Give them good advice about it.
The actually practical advice is don’t say anything to 1000 strangers you wouldn’t say in public
The actually practical advice is don’t say anything to 1000 strangers you wouldn’t say in public
As a user, I do not want to see uncontested reprinting of the state's attempt to slander a woman they murdered when I open a new tab in my web browser.
Hey Firefox, why are you recommending stenographed official attempted slander on my new tab page?
January 14, 2026 at 2:08 PM
As a user, I do not want to see uncontested reprinting of the state's attempt to slander a woman they murdered when I open a new tab in my web browser.
Hey Firefox, why are you recommending stenographed official attempted slander on my new tab page?
January 14, 2026 at 1:58 PM
Hey Firefox, why are you recommending stenographed official attempted slander on my new tab page?
Reposted by Michael Ekstrand
historically accurate☑️
January 12, 2026 at 5:32 AM
historically accurate☑️
Reposted by Michael Ekstrand
Kennedy and his allies have railed against the “pharmaceutical industrial complex” while building the pseudoscience industrial complex.
January 14, 2026 at 7:41 AM
Kennedy and his allies have railed against the “pharmaceutical industrial complex” while building the pseudoscience industrial complex.
Discovered Bupstash today (bupstash.io), and it looks fantastic and has a crypto design with some notable benefits vs. my current solution of Kopia, but then found out it hasn't really been maintained for three years 😢.
Bupstash.io
bupstash.io
January 13, 2026 at 1:52 PM
Discovered Bupstash today (bupstash.io), and it looks fantastic and has a crypto design with some notable benefits vs. my current solution of Kopia, but then found out it hasn't really been maintained for three years 😢.
Reposted by Michael Ekstrand
The new @dimension20.bsky.social season has an NPC named Jawn Glorybound. I am amused in Philly.
January 13, 2026 at 12:08 AM
The new @dimension20.bsky.social season has an NPC named Jawn Glorybound. I am amused in Philly.
Reposted by Michael Ekstrand
I don't have anything to add to this perfect headline
Multiple monkeys are on the loose in St. Louis. And AI generated images are complicating the effort to find them.
Monkeys are on the loose in St. Louis and AI is complicating efforts to capture them
Multiple monkeys are on the loose in St. Louis. And AI generated images are complicating the effort to find them.
bit.ly
January 12, 2026 at 10:22 PM
I don't have anything to add to this perfect headline
Reposted by Michael Ekstrand
Not exactly the same, but related: a FAccT research community starter pack:
go.bsky.app/EQF5Ne1
go.bsky.app/EQF5Ne1
January 12, 2026 at 1:07 AM
Not exactly the same, but related: a FAccT research community starter pack:
go.bsky.app/EQF5Ne1
go.bsky.app/EQF5Ne1
starting the new D20 season and I love that the apocalypse was caused by “number go up”.
January 12, 2026 at 12:06 AM
starting the new D20 season and I love that the apocalypse was caused by “number go up”.
Reposted by Michael Ekstrand
Strongly Worded Email Against the Machine
Slightly diminish a band:
Jefferson Kite
Jefferson Kite
Slightly diminish a band:
They Might Be Unusually Large
They Might Be Unusually Large
January 11, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Strongly Worded Email Against the Machine
now have the first session on the calendar to bring this character to life, looking forward to it.
“Appears athletic and capable, but also like they have never been in a fight without a referee.”
“Appears athletic and capable, but also like they have never been in a fight without a referee.”
I will neither confirm nor deny drafting a cyberpunk character sheet for Violent "Vi" Faygo McDonald, child of wannabe Juggalos, collegiate chess-boxer, and academic nepo-baby PhD student, who is completely unprepared for the reality of the adventure that awaits.
January 11, 2026 at 3:03 AM
now have the first session on the calendar to bring this character to life, looking forward to it.
“Appears athletic and capable, but also like they have never been in a fight without a referee.”
“Appears athletic and capable, but also like they have never been in a fight without a referee.”
Reposted by Michael Ekstrand
Slightly diminish a band:
Stone Chapel Pilots
Stone Chapel Pilots
Slightly diminish a band:
The Foo Negotiators
The Foo Negotiators
Slightly diminish a band:
The Melee
The Melee
January 11, 2026 at 2:00 AM
Slightly diminish a band:
Stone Chapel Pilots
Stone Chapel Pilots
Slightly diminish a band:
Jefferson Kite
Jefferson Kite
Slightly diminish a band:
They Might Be Unusually Large
They Might Be Unusually Large
Slightly diminish a band
Something Something
Something Something
January 11, 2026 at 1:58 AM
Slightly diminish a band:
Jefferson Kite
Jefferson Kite
slightly diminish a band
Sleep Cab for Cutie
Sleep Cab for Cutie
slightly diminish a band
Mild chilli peppers
Mild chilli peppers
slightly diminish a band
my life with the interested harm cult
my life with the interested harm cult
January 10, 2026 at 7:15 PM
slightly diminish a band
Sleep Cab for Cutie
Sleep Cab for Cutie
well this is interesting. pypi as a distribution for more things smells a little funny but is really convenient. github.com/denoland/den...
verify pypi distribution of deno · Issue #31254 · denoland/deno
https://pypi.org/project/deno/ https://github.com/manzt/denop deno is being distributed on pypi for use in python projects. i think this is a really amazing thing that allows deno to be used in mor...
github.com
January 10, 2026 at 1:20 AM
well this is interesting. pypi as a distribution for more things smells a little funny but is really convenient. github.com/denoland/den...