cameron tonkinwise
@camerontw.bsky.social
transition design, service design, design philosophy, finitude
- most of my occasional thinking these days takes advantage of the slightly longer form afforded by the truly awful linkedin, sorry: https://au.linkedin.com/in/cameron-tonkinwise-80a5987
- most of my occasional thinking these days takes advantage of the slightly longer form afforded by the truly awful linkedin, sorry: https://au.linkedin.com/in/cameron-tonkinwise-80a5987
the desert of the real
February 8, 2026 at 3:17 AM
the desert of the real
you say 'new on my substack' and I say www.theguardian.com/media/2026/f...
Revealed: How Substack makes money from hosting Nazi newsletters
Exclusive: Site takes a cut of subscriptions to content that promotes far-right ideology, white supremacy and antisemitism
www.theguardian.com
February 8, 2026 at 2:07 AM
you say 'new on my substack' and I say www.theguardian.com/media/2026/f...
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
How many words of how many sustainability research papers for how many years are tedious recitations of 'evidence' of our societies' unsustainability. All those papers could have been 20-30% shorter by beginning simply with 'we take the risk of various ecosystem collapses as read, and so we...'
February 2, 2026 at 1:02 AM
How many words of how many sustainability research papers for how many years are tedious recitations of 'evidence' of our societies' unsustainability. All those papers could have been 20-30% shorter by beginning simply with 'we take the risk of various ecosystem collapses as read, and so we...'
I'd actually just settle for insight into the Business Model: sufficient revenue from university library purchases despite those universities also subscribing to 'we must actually help students use AI because it is the future'?
February 1, 2026 at 10:12 PM
I'd actually just settle for insight into the Business Model: sufficient revenue from university library purchases despite those universities also subscribing to 'we must actually help students use AI because it is the future'?
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
Teaching exercise that is helpful with my policy students. Based on the solution, hiring this fella to a fancy position and giving him $$$ in this environment, what is the root of skepticism with higher ed that Yale is attempting to solve? Whose skepticism do they seek to assuage?
OH COME ON. Brooks knows fuck-all about "society at large".
January 29, 2026 at 7:16 PM
Teaching exercise that is helpful with my policy students. Based on the solution, hiring this fella to a fancy position and giving him $$$ in this environment, what is the root of skepticism with higher ed that Yale is attempting to solve? Whose skepticism do they seek to assuage?
Is Charlie Kaufman's _Synecdoche, New York_ Science Fiction? www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF9F...
January 26, 2026 at 5:13 AM
Is Charlie Kaufman's _Synecdoche, New York_ Science Fiction? www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF9F...
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
January 25, 2026 at 6:35 AM
There is some solace in the fact that if you are going to stick AI-Slop into your (pre-print) academic paper, you are required to reference the infantile name that some techbro has given their image regurgitation machine... Nano Banana, FFS
January 24, 2026 at 9:06 AM
There is some solace in the fact that if you are going to stick AI-Slop into your (pre-print) academic paper, you are required to reference the infantile name that some techbro has given their image regurgitation machine... Nano Banana, FFS
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
Hi Australia. Now we are having a national Day of Mourning today for the victims of the Bondi attack can we, the Aboriginal people, have our day of mourning on Jan 26 back please.
We have mourned on Jan 26 since the first day of Mourning on Jan 26 1938 and we would like it back.
We have mourned on Jan 26 since the first day of Mourning on Jan 26 1938 and we would like it back.
January 21, 2026 at 9:08 PM
Hi Australia. Now we are having a national Day of Mourning today for the victims of the Bondi attack can we, the Aboriginal people, have our day of mourning on Jan 26 back please.
We have mourned on Jan 26 since the first day of Mourning on Jan 26 1938 and we would like it back.
We have mourned on Jan 26 since the first day of Mourning on Jan 26 1938 and we would like it back.
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
I'm perfectly aware this is by far not the worst thing he's done, but Trump's constant presence - day after day after day - in the lives and headspaces of hundreds of millions of people (billions?), in the US and outside, is so taxing. Every morning, we wake up and have to think about this asshole.
January 19, 2026 at 8:10 AM
I'm perfectly aware this is by far not the worst thing he's done, but Trump's constant presence - day after day after day - in the lives and headspaces of hundreds of millions of people (billions?), in the US and outside, is so taxing. Every morning, we wake up and have to think about this asshole.
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
The absolute accuracy of this.
January 18, 2026 at 10:23 PM
The absolute accuracy of this.
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
I respect the UK dot gov designers so much because they understand this: there's no competitor or open source alternative to the government. There's just the one place to get these services (which are not only necessary but mandatory), and so the standard of the experience must be impeccable.
Public digital services need to be *so much better* than anything the market offers. You can't switch. You can't get fed up and choose to pay a bit more at Ocado than Sainsbury's because the UX is better. You can't opt out of public services because you're digitally excluded.
January 17, 2026 at 11:08 PM
I respect the UK dot gov designers so much because they understand this: there's no competitor or open source alternative to the government. There's just the one place to get these services (which are not only necessary but mandatory), and so the standard of the experience must be impeccable.
no, oh no, please, this cannot be, make it stop
January 16, 2026 at 10:36 AM
no, oh no, please, this cannot be, make it stop
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
Seems to me there's not enough of an account of the Adams/Dilbert phenomenon. Understanding both Project Trump and its popularity requires explaining how the person who skewers mainstream corporate life in a way so many identify with is also a nasty piece of work. www.thenation.com/article/poli...
The Racist, Right-Wing Return of “Dilbert”
The creator of the satirical comic strip about white-collar work has relaunched the cartoon in a very unfunny way.
www.thenation.com
December 3, 2024 at 1:34 AM
Seems to me there's not enough of an account of the Adams/Dilbert phenomenon. Understanding both Project Trump and its popularity requires explaining how the person who skewers mainstream corporate life in a way so many identify with is also a nasty piece of work. www.thenation.com/article/poli...
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
"Don't make me think" was a dangerous slogan when the 'me' was 'users,' but now the 'me' seems to be 'designers.'
What do these people think thinking is and why do they hate doing it?
What do these people think thinking is and why do they hate doing it?
January 13, 2026 at 11:26 PM
"Don't make me think" was a dangerous slogan when the 'me' was 'users,' but now the 'me' seems to be 'designers.'
What do these people think thinking is and why do they hate doing it?
What do these people think thinking is and why do they hate doing it?
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
ice takes out ICE again 😬 🧊
January 11, 2026 at 8:01 PM
ice takes out ICE again 😬 🧊
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
This is silly. Calling for the British govts to have a proper policy on universities is a fantasy. It. Will. Not. Happen. They're going to tiptoe away from the crash and hope they don't get the blame. That's all there is to it - no point commenting further.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The Guardian view on universities: Labour needs a clearer plan | Editorial
Editorial: Ministers promised a ‘change of approach’, but their new tax could tip weaker institutions over the edge
www.theguardian.com
January 6, 2026 at 11:32 PM
This is silly. Calling for the British govts to have a proper policy on universities is a fantasy. It. Will. Not. Happen. They're going to tiptoe away from the crash and hope they don't get the blame. That's all there is to it - no point commenting further.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
“Lebensraum: is it prudent fiscal policy?”
🤷♂️🤦♂️
Again, one thing I was completely wrong about is that I believed there was a baseline level of professional pride & integrity below which supposedly serious journalists would not sink in the face of the far right authoritarianism.
🤷♂️🤦♂️
Again, one thing I was completely wrong about is that I believed there was a baseline level of professional pride & integrity below which supposedly serious journalists would not sink in the face of the far right authoritarianism.
January 11, 2025 at 4:26 PM
“Lebensraum: is it prudent fiscal policy?”
🤷♂️🤦♂️
Again, one thing I was completely wrong about is that I believed there was a baseline level of professional pride & integrity below which supposedly serious journalists would not sink in the face of the far right authoritarianism.
🤷♂️🤦♂️
Again, one thing I was completely wrong about is that I believed there was a baseline level of professional pride & integrity below which supposedly serious journalists would not sink in the face of the far right authoritarianism.
let's maybe not be the allies of these war mongers
January 4, 2026 at 2:56 AM
let's maybe not be the allies of these war mongers
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
I think this post nails the actual problem, for researchers at least—AI hallucinations would simply not be a problem in academic work if we’d not normalized citation-as-signaling rather than actual engagement—you can only cite a fake paper if you’re not in the habit of reading the papers you cite
Do not cite an academic paper unless you’ve read it
AI Is Inventing Academic Papers That Don't Exist -- And They're Being Cited in Real Journals
Academic articles from authors using large language model are creating an ecosystem of fake research that threatens human knowledge itself.
www.rollingstone.com
December 19, 2025 at 7:01 PM
I think this post nails the actual problem, for researchers at least—AI hallucinations would simply not be a problem in academic work if we’d not normalized citation-as-signaling rather than actual engagement—you can only cite a fake paper if you’re not in the habit of reading the papers you cite
I have for the very first time in my life intentionally attempted to use a genAI system, and the result was far from intelligent
December 18, 2025 at 4:44 AM
I have for the very first time in my life intentionally attempted to use a genAI system, and the result was far from intelligent
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
we can kill them all if we just work together and ✨believe💫
December 15, 2025 at 5:11 PM
we can kill them all if we just work together and ✨believe💫
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
Thx friends @adamtooze.bsky.social, @astra.bsky.social, @mollycrabapple.bsky.social, @alybatt.bsky.social, @stefeich.bsky.social, @danielloick.bsky.social & others who signed condemning malicious cuts at The New School @newschoolaaup.bsky.social @aaup.org Join them! docs.google.com/document/d/1...
TNS Community and Supporters Demand: Stop The Cuts!
To President Towers and The New School Board of Trustees: We, the undersigned members of The New School community and supporters, write to demand you put an immediate halt to planned downsizing, layo...
docs.google.com
December 11, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Thx friends @adamtooze.bsky.social, @astra.bsky.social, @mollycrabapple.bsky.social, @alybatt.bsky.social, @stefeich.bsky.social, @danielloick.bsky.social & others who signed condemning malicious cuts at The New School @newschoolaaup.bsky.social @aaup.org Join them! docs.google.com/document/d/1...