Alex Witkowski
@alexincommunity.bsky.social
I help build communities because I believe deeply in communities.
Posting about that + tech, education, music, film, art, and...unfortunately...the Brooklyn Nets.
Posting about that + tech, education, music, film, art, and...unfortunately...the Brooklyn Nets.
Reposted by Alex Witkowski
I’ve sometimes fallen into the trap of thinking that complementing a creative person for their work is less sophisticated or desired than discussion or debate about it but very often the best thing you can say to them is hell yeah and that doesn’t make you dumb it just makes you nice
December 4, 2025 at 3:05 AM
I’ve sometimes fallen into the trap of thinking that complementing a creative person for their work is less sophisticated or desired than discussion or debate about it but very often the best thing you can say to them is hell yeah and that doesn’t make you dumb it just makes you nice
Reposted by Alex Witkowski
December 3, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Does anyone have any books on human connection they really enjoy?
Intentionally broad prompt. This can mean sociology, psychology, history. Could be about digital or IRL connection. Could be an anthology. Truly anything.
Intentionally broad prompt. This can mean sociology, psychology, history. Could be about digital or IRL connection. Could be an anthology. Truly anything.
December 3, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Does anyone have any books on human connection they really enjoy?
Intentionally broad prompt. This can mean sociology, psychology, history. Could be about digital or IRL connection. Could be an anthology. Truly anything.
Intentionally broad prompt. This can mean sociology, psychology, history. Could be about digital or IRL connection. Could be an anthology. Truly anything.
The Brooklyn Nets are woeful and I'm trying to stir myself to excitement over 9-2-4 stat lines from rookies, so I've been enjoying rooting for Kon from afar with the lowest imaginable stakes.
New for @theathletic.com - caught up with Charlotte's hoop purist and ball-knower Kon Knueppel. Here's how he's much more than shooter.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/685...
www.nytimes.com/athletic/685...
Think Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel is just a shooter? Think again
The Duke product entered the league with a rep for shooting, but we've seen so much more through the first quarter of the season.
www.nytimes.com
December 3, 2025 at 10:21 PM
The Brooklyn Nets are woeful and I'm trying to stir myself to excitement over 9-2-4 stat lines from rookies, so I've been enjoying rooting for Kon from afar with the lowest imaginable stakes.
Reposted by Alex Witkowski
NPR’s end-of-year fiction picks have something for everyone: NASA, drug gangs, romance, sci-fi and more:
8 Novels From 2025 That NPR Staff and Critics Loved
NPR’s end-of-year fiction picks have something for everyone: NASA, drug gangs, romance, sci-fi and more.
www.kqed.org
December 3, 2025 at 10:00 PM
NPR’s end-of-year fiction picks have something for everyone: NASA, drug gangs, romance, sci-fi and more:
Reposted by Alex Witkowski
Teaching thing I find useful: if a student stops showing up for class, make the subject line of your email "Is everything OK?" When people are overwhelmed they'll often avoid even opening bad-news emails (cf. me & my bank statements). This way, they know I'm reaching out to help, not chastise.
December 1, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Teaching thing I find useful: if a student stops showing up for class, make the subject line of your email "Is everything OK?" When people are overwhelmed they'll often avoid even opening bad-news emails (cf. me & my bank statements). This way, they know I'm reaching out to help, not chastise.
Reposted by Alex Witkowski
Please go support the amazing team behind this game. No Players Online is one of my top favs of this year.
Someone else said "if you like Pony Island and Home Safety Hotline, you'll love this" and it's so true!
⭐Stream: store.steampowered.com/app/2701800/...
Someone else said "if you like Pony Island and Home Safety Hotline, you'll love this" and it's so true!
⭐Stream: store.steampowered.com/app/2701800/...
December 2, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Please go support the amazing team behind this game. No Players Online is one of my top favs of this year.
Someone else said "if you like Pony Island and Home Safety Hotline, you'll love this" and it's so true!
⭐Stream: store.steampowered.com/app/2701800/...
Someone else said "if you like Pony Island and Home Safety Hotline, you'll love this" and it's so true!
⭐Stream: store.steampowered.com/app/2701800/...
Reposted by Alex Witkowski
i’m setting you free. i’m releasing you from the discourse
December 2, 2025 at 1:39 AM
i’m setting you free. i’m releasing you from the discourse
Just finished Maria Popova's Figuring last weekend and the Rachel Carson chapters moved me the most. What a life.
“If you write what you yourself sincerely think and feel and are interested in… you will interest other people.”
Rachel Carson on writing (applicable to much more) and the loneliness of the creative life: www.themarginalian.org/2017/08/28/r...
Rachel Carson on writing (applicable to much more) and the loneliness of the creative life: www.themarginalian.org/2017/08/28/r...
Rachel Carson on Writing and the Loneliness of Creative Work
“If you write what you yourself sincerely think and feel and are interested in… you will interest other people.”
www.themarginalian.org
December 1, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Just finished Maria Popova's Figuring last weekend and the Rachel Carson chapters moved me the most. What a life.
When you compliment someone, how do you hope they react?
November 30, 2025 at 9:43 AM
When you compliment someone, how do you hope they react?
Reposted by Alex Witkowski
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
November 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
Reposted by Alex Witkowski
Jeff de Boer has made an entire career out of crafting tiny plate armor. He's compelled by the idea of the underdog finding an edge; something so small being so well-protected. n.pr/48jQyzx
This artist designs intricate suits of armor. The intended wearer? A humble mouse
Jeff de Boer has made an entire career out of crafting tiny plate armor. He's compelled by the idea of the underdog finding an edge; something so small being so well-protected.
n.pr
November 27, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Jeff de Boer has made an entire career out of crafting tiny plate armor. He's compelled by the idea of the underdog finding an edge; something so small being so well-protected. n.pr/48jQyzx
Reposted by Alex Witkowski
Mushroom spore landing in my lungs: I eat?
My immune system: no not right now he’s still alive
Mushroom spore: ok i wait
My immune system: no not right now he’s still alive
Mushroom spore: ok i wait
December 28, 2024 at 2:00 PM
Mushroom spore landing in my lungs: I eat?
My immune system: no not right now he’s still alive
Mushroom spore: ok i wait
My immune system: no not right now he’s still alive
Mushroom spore: ok i wait
I've been a devoted On Cinema fan since Day 1, have watched the series through 10+ times, and still catch new things.
It never occurred to me that the "movie" Tim works on becomes a TV show that he and Gregg spend multiple seasons working on without ever acknowledging that it's a TV show.
It never occurred to me that the "movie" Tim works on becomes a TV show that he and Gregg spend multiple seasons working on without ever acknowledging that it's a TV show.
November 26, 2025 at 11:54 PM
I've been a devoted On Cinema fan since Day 1, have watched the series through 10+ times, and still catch new things.
It never occurred to me that the "movie" Tim works on becomes a TV show that he and Gregg spend multiple seasons working on without ever acknowledging that it's a TV show.
It never occurred to me that the "movie" Tim works on becomes a TV show that he and Gregg spend multiple seasons working on without ever acknowledging that it's a TV show.
Reposted by Alex Witkowski
gonna pin my little blog where i trawl library digital collections and traipse around with a camera to compare postcards (aspirational, semi-real) with the visible present
www.postcard-past.com
www.postcard-past.com
Postcard Past / Present Photo
Exploring power, culture, & the history of cities through present-day photo recreations of old postcards.
www.postcard-past.com
November 12, 2024 at 11:41 PM
gonna pin my little blog where i trawl library digital collections and traipse around with a camera to compare postcards (aspirational, semi-real) with the visible present
www.postcard-past.com
www.postcard-past.com
To all my friends who listened to The Sundays and never said a word to me about them: You're cut off.
This chorus is an all-timer. THOSE HORNS!
This chorus is an all-timer. THOSE HORNS!
The Sundays - Summertime
YouTube video by TheSundaysVEVO
www.youtube.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:31 PM
To all my friends who listened to The Sundays and never said a word to me about them: You're cut off.
This chorus is an all-timer. THOSE HORNS!
This chorus is an all-timer. THOSE HORNS!
I've never found the start-stop-continue framework useful. It feels wildly oversimplified to the point of meaninglessness.
November 26, 2025 at 9:24 PM
I've never found the start-stop-continue framework useful. It feels wildly oversimplified to the point of meaninglessness.
Reposted by Alex Witkowski
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 PM
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
Lots of thoughts about this but I think an important part of the conversation is: Why? Why do we care to answer this?
Okay, I hestitate to even share this link, because while I like NYMag I do not want to send this journalist in particular clicks, b ut:
If your framing is that an academic is the "dominant voice" and the underdogs are OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, maybe a fact check in is order??
>>
If your framing is that an academic is the "dominant voice" and the underdogs are OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, maybe a fact check in is order??
>>
Is ChatGPT Conscious?
Many users feel they’re talking to a real person. Scientists say it’s time to consider whether they’re onto something.
nymag.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Lots of thoughts about this but I think an important part of the conversation is: Why? Why do we care to answer this?
Obviously correlation is not causation and I have to read up on this study more to understand if it's specifically SFV or just that social media increasingly aspires to influence addictive behavior, but I will say that increased SFV was the beginning of the end of my honeymoon with these platforms.
Short-Form Video Linked to Worse Cognitive and Mental Health
Social media’s increasing use of algorithm-driven content that lasts only seconds may be worsening attention, inhibition, stress, and anxiety.
By Peter Simons
www.madinamerica.com/2025/11/shor...
Social media’s increasing use of algorithm-driven content that lasts only seconds may be worsening attention, inhibition, stress, and anxiety.
By Peter Simons
www.madinamerica.com/2025/11/shor...
Short-Form Video Linked to Worse Cognitive and Mental Health
Social media’s increasing use of algorithm-driven content that lasts only seconds may be worsening attention, inhibition, stress, and anxiety
www.madinamerica.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Obviously correlation is not causation and I have to read up on this study more to understand if it's specifically SFV or just that social media increasingly aspires to influence addictive behavior, but I will say that increased SFV was the beginning of the end of my honeymoon with these platforms.
Just learned that Joe Johnson never once averaged more than 17 PPG for the Nets and now I feel lost.
November 24, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Just learned that Joe Johnson never once averaged more than 17 PPG for the Nets and now I feel lost.
Reposted by Alex Witkowski
One of my favorite things is getting to tell friends who are new to NYC that the subway "stand clear of the closing doors please" voice is a trans woman named Bernie Wagenblast and she's amazing.
November 24, 2025 at 6:19 PM
One of my favorite things is getting to tell friends who are new to NYC that the subway "stand clear of the closing doors please" voice is a trans woman named Bernie Wagenblast and she's amazing.
Reposted by Alex Witkowski
I dread the "is there anything AI can do to help here?" question, but now I dig it as a transference opportunity. My go-to is "I'm willing to try and not be responsible for the outcome." I'll try, but I will not be held responsible for AI "acting as" me. You own the experiment and your faith.
November 24, 2025 at 4:28 PM
I dread the "is there anything AI can do to help here?" question, but now I dig it as a transference opportunity. My go-to is "I'm willing to try and not be responsible for the outcome." I'll try, but I will not be held responsible for AI "acting as" me. You own the experiment and your faith.
I didn't realize that the WNBA lottery odds are based on the cumulative record across the past two seasons which seems like an incredibly smart way of doing things.
November 24, 2025 at 12:44 AM
I didn't realize that the WNBA lottery odds are based on the cumulative record across the past two seasons which seems like an incredibly smart way of doing things.
Reposted by Alex Witkowski
From: The Demon (1972), dir. Kihachiro Kawamoto
November 23, 2025 at 2:59 AM
From: The Demon (1972), dir. Kihachiro Kawamoto