Toby "earth" Baratta
@toby.earth
PhD student in Informatics at the University of California - Irvine, researching governance and moderation in grassroots online communities. I focus on games! interests expand into social comp, volunteer labor, conduct, and youth!
she/her 🎮🌈📚
she/her 🎮🌈📚
Reposted by Toby "earth" Baratta
OpenAI employees are very excited about how well their new AI tool can create fake videos of people doing crimes and have definitely thought through all the implications of this
September 30, 2025 at 11:24 PM
OpenAI employees are very excited about how well their new AI tool can create fake videos of people doing crimes and have definitely thought through all the implications of this
"There's a reason why you separate military and the police. One fights the enemy of the state. The other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people." - Commander Adama, Battlestar Galactica - Water (2004).
Too applicable.
Too applicable.
October 1, 2025 at 5:08 AM
"There's a reason why you separate military and the police. One fights the enemy of the state. The other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people." - Commander Adama, Battlestar Galactica - Water (2004).
Too applicable.
Too applicable.
Reposted by Toby "earth" Baratta
the president of the united states wants to use the american military to kill american citizens on american soil. that's the whole story!
September 30, 2025 at 2:43 PM
the president of the united states wants to use the american military to kill american citizens on american soil. that's the whole story!
Reposted by Toby "earth" Baratta
President Trump and Congressional Republicans just shut down the government because they refused to stop your health care costs from rising.
Let me be clear: Republicans are in charge of the White House, House, and Senate. This is their shutdown.
Let me be clear: Republicans are in charge of the White House, House, and Senate. This is their shutdown.
October 1, 2025 at 4:11 AM
President Trump and Congressional Republicans just shut down the government because they refused to stop your health care costs from rising.
Let me be clear: Republicans are in charge of the White House, House, and Senate. This is their shutdown.
Let me be clear: Republicans are in charge of the White House, House, and Senate. This is their shutdown.
Watching the Nintendo direct late having had no spoilers all day just resulted in me being wildly disappointed by galaxy being a movie??
And also the movie announcements showing nothing about Rosalina killed me
But I want the Rosalina book omg
And also the movie announcements showing nothing about Rosalina killed me
But I want the Rosalina book omg
September 13, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Watching the Nintendo direct late having had no spoilers all day just resulted in me being wildly disappointed by galaxy being a movie??
And also the movie announcements showing nothing about Rosalina killed me
But I want the Rosalina book omg
And also the movie announcements showing nothing about Rosalina killed me
But I want the Rosalina book omg
Good morning to everyone except Narita Taishin
September 4, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Good morning to everyone except Narita Taishin
So, I mostly hide from social media and enjoy that freedom all the time, but figure at some point I should post a catch-up over the year. So, that'll be coming! But so far grad school is great - and also super hard! But I've gotten to read and engage with so much that I care about.
June 8, 2025 at 9:02 PM
So, I mostly hide from social media and enjoy that freedom all the time, but figure at some point I should post a catch-up over the year. So, that'll be coming! But so far grad school is great - and also super hard! But I've gotten to read and engage with so much that I care about.
Reposted by Toby "earth" Baratta
must be incredibly frustrating and disheartening to have federal funding that was promised to you for important work suddenly and arbitrarily ripped away
“In light of the President's statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately”
June 5, 2025 at 8:15 PM
must be incredibly frustrating and disheartening to have federal funding that was promised to you for important work suddenly and arbitrarily ripped away
Reposted by Toby "earth" Baratta
April 2025 Producer Showreel
juna.events
juna.events
April 11, 2025 at 6:32 PM
April 2025 Producer Showreel
juna.events
juna.events
The new @xbox.com handheld makes me finally want to upgrade my Xbox One X that I bought back in 2018. It's lasted so long and I love playing on it, but it's finally getting a bit too old with all the X|S games it can't play.
Gotta start saving up now. Who needs food on a grad student budget?
Gotta start saving up now. Who needs food on a grad student budget?
June 8, 2025 at 8:50 PM
The new @xbox.com handheld makes me finally want to upgrade my Xbox One X that I bought back in 2018. It's lasted so long and I love playing on it, but it's finally getting a bit too old with all the X|S games it can't play.
Gotta start saving up now. Who needs food on a grad student budget?
Gotta start saving up now. Who needs food on a grad student budget?
At Fate's End also looks wonderful!
Persona 4 Revival literally made me so fucking happy. I tried to play golden a while ago but couldn't get into it because it was so old-looking.
Animo, Keeper, and Planet of Lana 2 also look great!
Persona 4 Revival literally made me so fucking happy. I tried to play golden a while ago but couldn't get into it because it was so old-looking.
Animo, Keeper, and Planet of Lana 2 also look great!
June 8, 2025 at 8:44 PM
At Fate's End also looks wonderful!
Persona 4 Revival literally made me so fucking happy. I tried to play golden a while ago but couldn't get into it because it was so old-looking.
Animo, Keeper, and Planet of Lana 2 also look great!
Persona 4 Revival literally made me so fucking happy. I tried to play golden a while ago but couldn't get into it because it was so old-looking.
Animo, Keeper, and Planet of Lana 2 also look great!
Reposted by Toby "earth" Baratta
Warning: ICE is planning 30 days of immigration raids across Los Angeles County. If you or someone you know may be impacted, now is the time to set up a support system, identify a safe place, and stay alert.
June 8, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Warning: ICE is planning 30 days of immigration raids across Los Angeles County. If you or someone you know may be impacted, now is the time to set up a support system, identify a safe place, and stay alert.
Literally all of the game reveals over the past weekend (and Friday?) have been really fucking great, ngl
June 8, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Literally all of the game reveals over the past weekend (and Friday?) have been really fucking great, ngl
Persona 4 Revival announcement just now had me shout so loudly my neighbors probably heard me, ngl
June 8, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Persona 4 Revival announcement just now had me shout so loudly my neighbors probably heard me, ngl
Reposted by Toby "earth" Baratta
a democratic mayor was abducted by ICE and chuck schumer is posting with the gusto of a guy who didn’t know guac was extra at chipotle
May 10, 2025 at 5:00 AM
a democratic mayor was abducted by ICE and chuck schumer is posting with the gusto of a guy who didn’t know guac was extra at chipotle
Can't break heat records if they defend the national weather service I guess
(It is 94F right now, which the record stands at 95F for this day in history 😭)
(It is 94F right now, which the record stands at 95F for this day in history 😭)
May 10, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Can't break heat records if they defend the national weather service I guess
(It is 94F right now, which the record stands at 95F for this day in history 😭)
(It is 94F right now, which the record stands at 95F for this day in history 😭)
Stude gives the best hugs in the world, cannot recommend more. Take them up on it at next smash event you are at
11/10
11/10
April 11, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Stude gives the best hugs in the world, cannot recommend more. Take them up on it at next smash event you are at
11/10
11/10
Reposted by Toby "earth" Baratta
This is a recipe for financially ruining U.S. research universities: 1) Vastly and rapidly reduce funding for research and infrastructure; 2) Scare international students, whose tuition helps fund PhD students (as TAs), away. These folks know exactly what they're doing.
April 10, 2025 at 11:54 PM
This is a recipe for financially ruining U.S. research universities: 1) Vastly and rapidly reduce funding for research and infrastructure; 2) Scare international students, whose tuition helps fund PhD students (as TAs), away. These folks know exactly what they're doing.
Reposted by Toby "earth" Baratta
Linda McMahon is really leaning into that “no more education” message.
April 10, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Linda McMahon is really leaning into that “no more education” message.
Reposted by Toby "earth" Baratta
once we oust this current trump administration we will have to force democratic politicians to treat everyone in his administration like the hague treated germany post WW2
it's not looking good folks
April 11, 2025 at 2:40 AM
once we oust this current trump administration we will have to force democratic politicians to treat everyone in his administration like the hague treated germany post WW2
Reposted by Toby "earth" Baratta
The only endgame move will be to nationalize X, Starlink, and SpaceX.
SCOOP: The Social Security Administration (SSA) will be shifting its public communication exclusively to X, sources tell WIRED. This comes as agency plans to cut its regional office workforce by roughly 90 percent.
The Social Security Administration Is Gutting Regional Staff and Shifting All Public Communications to X
The SSA's shift to Elon Musk's X comes as the agency plans to cut its regional office workforce by roughly 90 percent, WIRED has learned.
www.wired.com
April 11, 2025 at 5:44 PM
The only endgame move will be to nationalize X, Starlink, and SpaceX.
Me: imma just gonna take a quick hop over to the target next door to get a soda
Denver:
Denver:
a person in a blue coat walking through the snow
Alt: a person in a blue coat walking through the snow
media.tenor.com
April 4, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Me: imma just gonna take a quick hop over to the target next door to get a soda
Denver:
Denver:
Delayed reaction question on the #nintendodirect but why in the world is Wario driving a car and not driving his motorbike
April 3, 2025 at 1:56 AM
Delayed reaction question on the #nintendodirect but why in the world is Wario driving a car and not driving his motorbike
tbh #NintendoDirect had some actually nice things that would be great... If they work.
It's the "Is this going to be DS->3DS or Wii->Wii U?" question that will really answer whether it is actually worth it at all...
It's the "Is this going to be DS->3DS or Wii->Wii U?" question that will really answer whether it is actually worth it at all...
April 2, 2025 at 6:41 PM
tbh #NintendoDirect had some actually nice things that would be great... If they work.
It's the "Is this going to be DS->3DS or Wii->Wii U?" question that will really answer whether it is actually worth it at all...
It's the "Is this going to be DS->3DS or Wii->Wii U?" question that will really answer whether it is actually worth it at all...