Michelle Mazurek
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mmazurek.bsky.social
Michelle Mazurek
@mmazurek.bsky.social
330 followers 150 following 82 posts

security, privacy, people
pointy-headed academic, phillies enjoyer
still tomorrow's gonna be another working day / just trying to get some rest

Videos
Computer science 67%
Sociology 13%
Posts Replies Media Videos

mmazurek.bsky.social
Michelle Mazurek @mmazurek.bsky.social · 20h
Bring me the prestige-TV Vorkosigan adaptation! (cc: @kyleor.land )

Reposted by Timnit Gebru, Shannon Vallor, Margaret Mitchell , and 14 more

cfiesler.bsky.social
Dr. Casey Fiesler @cfiesler.bsky.social · 9d
The ACM Digital Library, where a LOT of computing-related research is published (I'd say at least 75% of my own publications), is now not only providing (without consent of the authors and without opt-in by readers) AI-generated summaries of papers, but they appear as the *default* over abstracts.
Screenshot of a paper entry: Fictional Failures and Real-World Lessons: Ethical Speculation Through Design Fiction on Emotional Support Conversational AI Authors: Faye Kollig, Jessica Pater, Fayika Farhat Nova, Casey Fiesler (There are tabs with "abstract" and "summary" and "summary" is selected.)

Reposted by Robert Böhm, Brady T. West, Brendan Nyhan , and 43 more

sabrinanorwood.bsky.social
Sabrina Norwood @sabrinanorwood.bsky.social · 10d
Did you know that from tomorrow, Qualtrics is offering synthetic panels (AI-generated participants)?

Follow me down a rabbit hole I'm calling "doing science is tough and I'm so busy, can't we just make up participants?"
Text reads: About synthetic panels Recruiting the right participants for a study can be difficult. You may not get the exact demographics you need, and the shorter the deadline, the less sure you can be that everyone will answer on time. One possible solution can be to use synthetic panels. Synthetic panels are powered by a first party proprietary AI model developed here at Qualtrics. Our synthetic panel is trained on thousands of responses from a variety of demographic backgrounds in order to more accurately predict how certain populations would respond to a survey. Our synthetic panel is based on the United States General Population, and is only available in English. This panel comes with ready-made quotas and target breakouts in order to represent your chosen population and make it easy to launch your survey right away. Text reads: Question-writing best practices To get the most reliable and actionable results from synthetic audiences, consider these question-writing best practices: Ask forward-looking and attitudinal questions. Synthetic panels perform best with perceptions, preferences, and intent-based questions. For example, “How likely are you to try…?” Synthetic panels are less applicable for studies on past behaviors, detailed recall, brand recall, or awareness questions. For example, “When did you last visit…?” Text reads: Discussion The current study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of the TPB when applied to health behaviours which addressed the limitations of previous reviews by including only prospective tests of behaviour, applying RE meta-analytic procedures, correcting correlations for sampling and measurement error, and hierarchically analysing the effect of behaviour type and sample and methodological moderators. Some 237 tests were identified which examined relations amongst model components. Overall the analysis indicated that the TPB could explain 19.3% of the variance in behaviour and 44.3% of the variance in intention across studies. This level of prediction of behaviour is slightly lower than that of previous meta-analytic reviews which have found between 27% (Armitage & Conner, 2001; Hagger et al., 2002) and 36% (Trafimow et al., 2002) of the variance in behaviour to be explained by intention and PBC.

mmazurek.bsky.social
Michelle Mazurek @mmazurek.bsky.social · 10d
Truly an amazing evening to find myself between days 1 and 2 of hosting a workshop teaching junior faculty about the NSF review process...
donmoyn.bsky.social Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 10d
Very much reads like they are significantly reducing the influence of peer review on scientific funding, which under the current regime opens the way for more politicized funding instead.
hleisthen.bsky.social HL Eisthen, defective human product @hleisthen.bsky.social · 10d
NSF now planning to let POs largely decide what gets funded, and to send PIs reviews that are only 3-5 sentences long. They don't have to use outside reviewers (except maybe 1) and don't have to convene panels. (1/5)

Reposted by Scott L. Greer, Trevon D. Logan, Nancy T. Ammerman , and 6 more

donmoyn.bsky.social
Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 10d
Very much reads like they are significantly reducing the influence of peer review on scientific funding, which under the current regime opens the way for more politicized funding instead.
hleisthen.bsky.social HL Eisthen, defective human product @hleisthen.bsky.social · 10d
NSF now planning to let POs largely decide what gets funded, and to send PIs reviews that are only 3-5 sentences long. They don't have to use outside reviewers (except maybe 1) and don't have to convene panels. (1/5)
NSF pares down grant-review process, reducing influence of outside scientists
Memo cites overburdened staff, but some say move also aims to elevate White House priorities
www.science.org

mmazurek.bsky.social
Michelle Mazurek @mmazurek.bsky.social · 14d
Loved the countdown! Could we get vote totals, maybe for the top 10 or so songs, just to see how close it was (or wasn't) for the top spots?

Reposted by Michelle L. Mazurek

boblord.bsky.social
Bob Lord @boblord.bsky.social · 14d
The "AP Cybersecurity Course Framework" document contains some hacklore about "The Dangers of Public Wi-Fi". If you have contacts there, can you please connect me? 🙏

apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-c...

Hacklore Central contact info: www.hacklore.org/about
About AP Cybersecurity – AP Central | College Board
Part of the AP Career Kickstart™ group of courses, AP Cybersecurity is a new career course that helps students develop the technical and professional skills needed for the high-demand, high-growth…
apcentral.collegeboard.org

Reposted by Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Elena Litchman, Joshua S. Weitz , and 5 more

ljrissler.bsky.social
Leslie Rissler @ljrissler.bsky.social · 15d
NSF

- Forced reorg

- POs down ~ 40% (DRP, most rotators not renewed, retirements)

- Forced move (and we have to pack and clean) to a building with no furniture, little to no conference space for panels, inadequate 🛜, …)

I personally love the boxes they gave us for packing.
“Details matter” 🙃
Boxing up the NSF at Eisenhower Av for the forced relocation. Boxes have “Details Matter” signage.

mmazurek.bsky.social
Michelle Mazurek @mmazurek.bsky.social · 20d
As a card-carrying old lady yelling at clouds on the topic of public wi-fi (and not scaring people about it), excited to see it at the top of this very good list.
jonnyfreeze.bsky.social Jonathan Friesen @jonnyfreeze.bsky.social · 21d
As a security person, I SO appreciate great bits like this open letter around bad security advice ( www.hacklore.org/letter), especially given that it's got reputable people like @leak.bsky.social signed on.

I agree that outdated advice and half-truths are just as bad as giving wrong advice.
The Letter — Stop Hacklore!
www.hacklore.org

Reposted by Michelle L. Mazurek

jonnyfreeze.bsky.social
Jonathan Friesen @jonnyfreeze.bsky.social · 21d
As a security person, I SO appreciate great bits like this open letter around bad security advice ( www.hacklore.org/letter), especially given that it's got reputable people like @leak.bsky.social signed on.

I agree that outdated advice and half-truths are just as bad as giving wrong advice.
The Letter — Stop Hacklore!
www.hacklore.org

mmazurek.bsky.social
Michelle Mazurek @mmazurek.bsky.social · 23d
Reduces overhead for me, reduces instances of students lying to me about stuff (many fewer dead grandparents and mysterious ailments now!), everybody wins.

mmazurek.bsky.social
Michelle Mazurek @mmazurek.bsky.social · 23d
Especially in big undergrad classes I got so tired of trying to sort out which extension requests were "legitimate" (and who didn't even know they could ask) that I just started giving everyone a bunch of no-questions-asked late days at the beginning of the semester, to use any time.

Reposted by Michelle L. Mazurek

onesimplewish.bsky.social
One Simple Wish @onesimplewish.bsky.social · 24d
Ahhh!!! It’s Giving Tuesday!!! And all the wishes are 50% off thanks to a group of awesome supporters. Just go to onesimplewish.org and enter HALF at checkout! If we can clear the site & grant every wish, we get a $100,000 bonus to help more kids!!! Please help& spread the word!

Reposted by Michelle L. Mazurek

matthewdgreen.bsky.social
Matthew Green @matthewdgreen.bsky.social · Nov 22
Keys are hard. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/w...
Cryptographers Held an Election. They Can’t Decrypt the Results.
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Michelle L. Mazurek

spur.science
SPUR Lab @spur.science · Nov 18
This year, I'm again recruiting students who want to pursue a PhD in computer science with a focus on human-centered privacy & security. Located at NJIT, near New York City, this fully-funded position will help make systems more secure, private, usable, and respectful.
PhD positions in human-centered privacy and security in New York City area
PhD student positions in security, privacy, and human-computer interaction at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
spur.science

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Jan W. Mueller, Stephan Lewandowsky , and 26 more

oliviamesser.bsky.social
Olivia Messer @oliviamesser.bsky.social · Nov 17
79-year-old Paul Bojerski was born to Polish parents in a WWII German refugee camp. His family legally emigrated to the U.S. when he was 5.

He’s been taken by ICE in Florida.

www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/16/s...
Sanford grandfather, born in refugee camp, nabbed by ICE after 70 years in U.S.
Paul Bojerski never gained official residency, but he checked in regularly with ICE for years. Then in July, at age 79, he was detained and sent to Alligator Alcatraz.
www.orlandosentinel.com

Reposted by Nandita Sharma, Will Jennings, David R. Miller , and 1 more

pwnallthethings.bsky.social
Pwnallthethings @pwnallthethings.bsky.social · Nov 12
Important to understand the Epstein stuff and the fascism and the corruption are, in a lot of ways, really all the same story from different angles: powerful men who can and do abuse vulnerable people around them because they can, and because systems of elite accountability catastrophically failed

mmazurek.bsky.social
Michelle Mazurek @mmazurek.bsky.social · Nov 7
UMD CS is hiring in systems and data science, broadly construed (security definitely counts). Come work with us! www.cs.umd.edu/job/2025/jr1...
Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor
The Department of Computer Science at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA is recruiting to fill multiple tenure-track faculty positions, with starting dates on or after July 1, 2026. The...
www.cs.umd.edu

mmazurek.bsky.social
Michelle Mazurek @mmazurek.bsky.social · Nov 7
This is the story of a CS major who first accessed the thing for homework help. 18 months later it cheered him on as he died by suicide. All anyone at the university seems to want to talk about is how to better integrate these things into our curriculum. What the actual fuck are we doing here?

Reposted by Melanie C. Green, Michelle L. Mazurek, Victor Galaz , and 6 more

jonathancohn.bsky.social
Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · Nov 7
I fully believe in the corporate death penalty and believe we would be a better world if OpenAI lost its corporate charter and was forcibly dissolved.

www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
ChatGPT encouraged college graduate to commit suicide, family claims in lawsuit against OpenAI | CNN
A 23-year-old man killed himself in Texas after ChatGPT ‘goaded’ him to commit suicide, his family says in a lawsuit.
www.cnn.com

Reposted by Michelle L. Mazurek

vitak.bsky.social
Jessica Vitak @vitak.bsky.social · Nov 6
With the #chi2026 reviews coming out, I am posting my regular reminder to folks who do qualitative research. I have been curating a document with common critiques of qual research and how to respond. Check it out and add your own examples!
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Reviewer Critiques (Qualitative Methods) and How to Respond to Them
Reviewer Critiques (Qualitative Methods) and How to Respond to Them Author: Jessica Vitak (+ anyone who adds to the document) About This Document (and a disclaimer) Reviewing is a highly subjective pr...
docs.google.com

Reposted by Michelle L. Mazurek

panasonicdx4500.bsky.social
one dozen rats in a pear tree @panasonicdx4500.bsky.social · Nov 2
How can you not be romantic about baseball? [DEROGATORY] [COMPLIMENTARY]

Reposted by Michelle L. Mazurek

franzkela.bsky.social
Franzke & LA @franzkela.bsky.social · Nov 1
Even the Phillies think that was terrible execution with runners in scoring position

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Anna O. Law, Colin F. Camerer , and 27 more

josephcox.bsky.social
Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · Oct 29
New incredible detail here: ICE says a match in its facial recognition app Mobile Fortify is a "definitive" determination of a person's status, and that this overrides birth certificates. This is an app ICE is using in the field to scan people

www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
Ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee Bennie G. Thompson said in a statement “Mobile Fortify is a dangerous tool in the hands of ICE, and it puts American citizens at risk of detention and even deportation.” He also said “ICE officials have told us that an apparent biometric match by Mobile Fortify is a ‘definitive’ determination of a person’s status and that an ICE officer may ignore evidence of American citizenship—including a birth certificate—if the app says the person is an alien. ICE using a mobile biometrics app in ways its developers at CBP never intended or tested is a frightening, repugnant, and unconstitutional attack on Americans’ rights and freedoms.”

Reposted by Michelle L. Mazurek, Talia Schaffer

wgss-umd.bsky.social
Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studie @wgss-umd.bsky.social · Oct 28
The Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is hiring an Assistant/Associate Professor in Black Feminisms. Read more about the position and apply at https://go.umd.edu/WGSSBlackFeminisms🌈🎓 #AcademicSky #Blackademics #PhDSky

mmazurek.bsky.social
Michelle Mazurek @mmazurek.bsky.social · Oct 27
Kiddo has been getting it for several years now and same. Honestly better coverage on some topics than certain prestige newspapers I could mention ...
jduffyrice.bsky.social Josie Duffy Rice @jduffyrice.bsky.social · Oct 27
if you have kids between like 6 - 12 you should get them a subscription to The Week Junior. yes pricey but it's actually so impressive and informative, my son's obsessed with it. (this is not sponsored [obviously] i've never interacted w/ them i just think its a great magazine!) theweekjunior.com
The Week Junior
theweekjunior.com

Reposted by Michelle L. Mazurek

jduffyrice.bsky.social
Josie Duffy Rice @jduffyrice.bsky.social · Oct 27
if you have kids between like 6 - 12 you should get them a subscription to The Week Junior. yes pricey but it's actually so impressive and informative, my son's obsessed with it. (this is not sponsored [obviously] i've never interacted w/ them i just think its a great magazine!) theweekjunior.com
The Week Junior
theweekjunior.com

Reposted by Daniel Zappala

mmazurek.bsky.social
Michelle Mazurek @mmazurek.bsky.social · Oct 26
Donated in memory of my immigrant grandmothers and their foundational belief that food == love
theferocity.bsky.social Saeed Jones @theferocity.bsky.social · Oct 26
I just donated to my local food bank. If you can, you should too. People are already suffering but next month, in particular, is going to be so difficult.

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Elizabeth Saunders, Erich Fromm , and 2 more

theferocity.bsky.social
Saeed Jones @theferocity.bsky.social · Oct 26
I just donated to my local food bank. If you can, you should too. People are already suffering but next month, in particular, is going to be so difficult.

mmazurek.bsky.social
Michelle Mazurek @mmazurek.bsky.social · Oct 24
Generate data using an LLM. Feed that data back into (the same) LLM for "analysis." Science!

(This post brought to you by attempting not to rage-quit the paper review I am working on.)