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
A designer posted this and all I can see is the pile of short-life things people put on the kerb on household bulky waste clean-up day. A career in landfill.
November 19, 2025 at 6:42 AM
A designer posted this and all I can see is the pile of short-life things people put on the kerb on household bulky waste clean-up day. A career in landfill.
On ABC Radio National, David numpty Littleproud saying battery projects are falling over when it is alt-Nationals making the complaints: reneweconomy.com.au/long-distanc...
reneweconomy.com.au
November 16, 2025 at 11:48 PM
On ABC Radio National, David numpty Littleproud saying battery projects are falling over when it is alt-Nationals making the complaints: reneweconomy.com.au/long-distanc...
the zero in "zero emissions nuclear power" has magical thinking powers
"New U.S. #nuclear boom begins with old, still-unsolved problem: Radioactive waste.
95,000 metric tons spent nuclear fuel (with a minority from weapons programs) sits temporarily stockpiled in water-filled pools or dry casks at 79 sites in 39 states."
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/09/n...
95,000 metric tons spent nuclear fuel (with a minority from weapons programs) sits temporarily stockpiled in water-filled pools or dry casks at 79 sites in 39 states."
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/09/n...
New U.S. nuclear power boom begins with old, still-unsolved problem: What to do with radioactive waste
As government and industry, from tech giants to utilities, commit to big nuclear power plants, there is still no clear solution for radioactive waste storage.
www.cnbc.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:49 AM
the zero in "zero emissions nuclear power" has magical thinking powers
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
"The report.......substantiates claims the country's gas export industry could be hampering global efforts to decarbonise, according to climate and energy analysts"
A leaked report confirms carpet-bombing other countries with fossil fuel exports actively stifles renewable energy development -->>>
A leaked report confirms carpet-bombing other countries with fossil fuel exports actively stifles renewable energy development -->>>
Secret report challenges government claim WA gas will help world decarbonise
A secret report undermines the WA government's claim that domestic gas production is helping the rest of the world decarbonise, while the state's own greenhouse gas emissions rise.
www.abc.net.au
November 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM
"The report.......substantiates claims the country's gas export industry could be hampering global efforts to decarbonise, according to climate and energy analysts"
A leaked report confirms carpet-bombing other countries with fossil fuel exports actively stifles renewable energy development -->>>
A leaked report confirms carpet-bombing other countries with fossil fuel exports actively stifles renewable energy development -->>>
Use AI to make traffic elsewhere - or, you know, you could take active/public transport
November 5, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Use AI to make traffic elsewhere - or, you know, you could take active/public transport
Has anyone got a historical account of when and why politicians started fronting media packs with two or three straight-faced people standing either side but just a little behind them? Is it as stupid as 'people stand behind what I am saying'?
November 4, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Has anyone got a historical account of when and why politicians started fronting media packs with two or three straight-faced people standing either side but just a little behind them? Is it as stupid as 'people stand behind what I am saying'?
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
“‘Tranches’?”
[smokes cigarette]
“…haven’t heard that term in a while.”
— me, last laid off during the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis slash WGA strike
[smokes cigarette]
“…haven’t heard that term in a while.”
— me, last laid off during the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis slash WGA strike
quite literally everything i hear about the economics of this feels insane, especially given the big issue of the tools not doing what boosters say they will do. so many details make me feel very not good!
October 31, 2025 at 4:00 AM
“‘Tranches’?”
[smokes cigarette]
“…haven’t heard that term in a while.”
— me, last laid off during the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis slash WGA strike
[smokes cigarette]
“…haven’t heard that term in a while.”
— me, last laid off during the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis slash WGA strike
For the second time in my 25 year academic career, a Dean has aggressively accused me of being 'unhelpful.' So it's a Godspeed You! Black Emperor kind of day - which reminds me: web.archive.org/web/20030409...
cowards
web.archive.org
October 31, 2025 at 1:48 AM
For the second time in my 25 year academic career, a Dean has aggressively accused me of being 'unhelpful.' So it's a Godspeed You! Black Emperor kind of day - which reminds me: web.archive.org/web/20030409...
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
There is something truly remarkable about Generative AI.
Several years in this revolution, half of the US GDP dumped to make these tools free, and i can't think of a single generated artifact, text, image, sound, video that had a significant cultural impact.
Several years in this revolution, half of the US GDP dumped to make these tools free, and i can't think of a single generated artifact, text, image, sound, video that had a significant cultural impact.
October 28, 2025 at 7:46 PM
There is something truly remarkable about Generative AI.
Several years in this revolution, half of the US GDP dumped to make these tools free, and i can't think of a single generated artifact, text, image, sound, video that had a significant cultural impact.
Several years in this revolution, half of the US GDP dumped to make these tools free, and i can't think of a single generated artifact, text, image, sound, video that had a significant cultural impact.
It very appropriate that the company most excited about genAI is Canva. They are made for each other.
October 29, 2025 at 11:46 PM
It very appropriate that the company most excited about genAI is Canva. They are made for each other.
see also @jomc.bsky.social on @techwontsave.us
So the $20,000 humanoid robot housekeeper actually just webcams your house to a random person in a call center with an Xbox controller www.wsj.com/tech/persona... @joannastern.bsky.social
I Tried the Robot That’s Coming to Live With You. It’s Still Part Human.
1X’s Neo wants to be your housekeeper. First, it needs to be controlled by a human in your home. Cool with you?
www.wsj.com
October 29, 2025 at 3:34 AM
see also @jomc.bsky.social on @techwontsave.us
People moaning about academicese target social research not technoscience, jeering at Butler, Derrida, Foucault. None of them wrote for wide audiences. They wrote for their academic peers. Just because their books seem influential beyond those contexts does not mean they wrote for those contexts.
October 25, 2025 at 11:44 PM
People moaning about academicese target social research not technoscience, jeering at Butler, Derrida, Foucault. None of them wrote for wide audiences. They wrote for their academic peers. Just because their books seem influential beyond those contexts does not mean they wrote for those contexts.
I was in a social design studio class for crits & every proposal that was digital (too many) had Figma'ed a use case that started with a 'create user account.' When I commented that in almost every case there was no need for that, the students were a bit dumbfounded, so normalised is it to have one.
Quick question. Why does literally everything require you to have an account.
Everything.
Everything.
October 22, 2025 at 11:18 PM
I was in a social design studio class for crits & every proposal that was digital (too many) had Figma'ed a use case that started with a 'create user account.' When I commented that in almost every case there was no need for that, the students were a bit dumbfounded, so normalised is it to have one.
At this point, what percentage of SSubstack newsletters are
- people saying "I put this to, or into, some GenAI. and this is my commentary on that output"
- entirely GenAI'ed text but with no admission about that
- 'organic' brainfarts
30/40/30?
- people saying "I put this to, or into, some GenAI. and this is my commentary on that output"
- entirely GenAI'ed text but with no admission about that
- 'organic' brainfarts
30/40/30?
October 19, 2025 at 12:37 AM
At this point, what percentage of SSubstack newsletters are
- people saying "I put this to, or into, some GenAI. and this is my commentary on that output"
- entirely GenAI'ed text but with no admission about that
- 'organic' brainfarts
30/40/30?
- people saying "I put this to, or into, some GenAI. and this is my commentary on that output"
- entirely GenAI'ed text but with no admission about that
- 'organic' brainfarts
30/40/30?
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
To be fair
It’s hard to find the spare change for the CSIRO when you’re giving around half of Australia’s gas away royalty free to multinational gas export giants, and not making them pay PRRT.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
It’s hard to find the spare change for the CSIRO when you’re giving around half of Australia’s gas away royalty free to multinational gas export giants, and not making them pay PRRT.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Albanese urged to ‘secure the future of science’ as CSIRO reckons with ongoing decline in funding
CEO Doug Hilton says the agency’s budget allocation ‘has not kept up with the cost of doing science’
www.theguardian.com
October 16, 2025 at 1:20 AM
To be fair
It’s hard to find the spare change for the CSIRO when you’re giving around half of Australia’s gas away royalty free to multinational gas export giants, and not making them pay PRRT.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
It’s hard to find the spare change for the CSIRO when you’re giving around half of Australia’s gas away royalty free to multinational gas export giants, and not making them pay PRRT.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
Do the small thing. Start a conversation.
Ask for help.
Do things that matter because people want to matter.
Ask for help.
Do things that matter because people want to matter.
October 15, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Do the small thing. Start a conversation.
Ask for help.
Do things that matter because people want to matter.
Ask for help.
Do things that matter because people want to matter.
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
An utterly shameful list of murderous, ecocidal, omnicidal acts by a government that loves to claim it cares
The strategy of trying to get Labor and the bureaucracy to act is an abject failure. Government is a failed institution, most clearly when it comes to climate.
Time to build the next system
The strategy of trying to get Labor and the bureaucracy to act is an abject failure. Government is a failed institution, most clearly when it comes to climate.
Time to build the next system
Labor’s slate for fossil fuel approvals
The Albanese government has already approved 31 fossil fuel projects, and more than that are waiting, even as renewables overtake coal as the top source of electricity.
www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au
October 10, 2025 at 10:20 PM
An utterly shameful list of murderous, ecocidal, omnicidal acts by a government that loves to claim it cares
The strategy of trying to get Labor and the bureaucracy to act is an abject failure. Government is a failed institution, most clearly when it comes to climate.
Time to build the next system
The strategy of trying to get Labor and the bureaucracy to act is an abject failure. Government is a failed institution, most clearly when it comes to climate.
Time to build the next system
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
Can you help us boost this signal? UTS colleagues are doing a governance project to talk back to the consultant led 'reform' of their university.
Please repost!! UTS people please have your say!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Please repost!! UTS people please have your say!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
UTS Governance Project Survey: A Staff-Led Collaborative Project
The UTS Governance Project is an independent, staff-led initiative to strengthen transparency, accountability and participation in how our university is run.
Inspired by the ANU Governance Project, ...
docs.google.com
October 7, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Can you help us boost this signal? UTS colleagues are doing a governance project to talk back to the consultant led 'reform' of their university.
Please repost!! UTS people please have your say!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Please repost!! UTS people please have your say!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
also: it's a shame the article does not even mention the effects of interaction design and the digital context, which have completely changed what the field of design is, the ways in which people encounter and use it in everyday life, and the corporate power structures that wield it as a tool
October 6, 2025 at 6:58 AM
also: it's a shame the article does not even mention the effects of interaction design and the digital context, which have completely changed what the field of design is, the ways in which people encounter and use it in everyday life, and the corporate power structures that wield it as a tool
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
What an unsurprising decision by corporations that desperately need to make money with AI. If every other company with a chatbot isn't already doing this, then expect them to be following Meta's lead soon. The chatbot is not your friend; it's a corporate listening device. www.ft.com/content/22f7...
October 2, 2025 at 3:49 AM
What an unsurprising decision by corporations that desperately need to make money with AI. If every other company with a chatbot isn't already doing this, then expect them to be following Meta's lead soon. The chatbot is not your friend; it's a corporate listening device. www.ft.com/content/22f7...
Reposted by cameron tonkinwise
Defeat fascism through joyful mass nonviolent street action
October 2, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Defeat fascism through joyful mass nonviolent street action