Ed Granter
@edgranter.bsky.social
Academic in the UK. Sociology of work and organization. Critical Theory. Gardening. Food. Miscellaneous. Posts views opinions links likes reposts comments strictly personal.
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Ed Granter
@edgranter.bsky.social
· Sep 14
The ruling class cannot tolerate any threat to their control and ambition for more total control. They will weaponise anything and everything to neutralise opposition. They have real economic, political and media power - and it's transatlantic.
Reposted by Ed Granter
Absolutely damning from @aaronschaffer.com, @willoremus.com, & @nitasha.bsky.social.
To get more data, Anthropic:
* "destructively scanned" millions of books
* downloaded the shadow library LibGen
* hailed another shadow library's arrival as "just in time!!!"
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
To get more data, Anthropic:
* "destructively scanned" millions of books
* downloaded the shadow library LibGen
* hailed another shadow library's arrival as "just in time!!!"
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
Inside an AI start-up’s plan to scan and dispose of millions of books
Court filings reveal how AI companies raced to obtain more books to feed chatbots, including by buying, scanning and disposing of millions of titles.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 28, 2026 at 1:49 PM
Absolutely damning from @aaronschaffer.com, @willoremus.com, & @nitasha.bsky.social.
To get more data, Anthropic:
* "destructively scanned" millions of books
* downloaded the shadow library LibGen
* hailed another shadow library's arrival as "just in time!!!"
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
To get more data, Anthropic:
* "destructively scanned" millions of books
* downloaded the shadow library LibGen
* hailed another shadow library's arrival as "just in time!!!"
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
"With these beverages, you are *not* really spoiling us"
French embassy only serving water and juice to attendees until the evening's speeches are over, a misunderstanding of what Brits look for in a drinks reception of such proportions that I can only assume the declaration of war will come overnight
January 28, 2026 at 8:34 PM
"With these beverages, you are *not* really spoiling us"
Reposted by Ed Granter
The budget always has room for private contractors.
BREAKING: Free AI training will be offered to every adult in the UK, with short courses to teach people how to use simple AI tools effectively in the workplace.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall tells #BBCBreakfast about the scheme
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall tells #BBCBreakfast about the scheme
January 28, 2026 at 11:39 AM
The budget always has room for private contractors.
Imagine if we hadn't sold off council houses. Imagine if we hadn't crushed unions and abandoned industry, causing wages to fall. Imagine if we nationalised utilities. Imagine if we taxed the rich. Policy choices then and now.
“We’re giving staff the tools to address the root causes of health problems, which are often poverty related.” giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
The rise of the ‘National Health State’
As patients and residents struggle to access deteriorating public services in England, NHS trusts are stepping in
giftarticle.ft.com
January 28, 2026 at 10:18 AM
Imagine if we hadn't sold off council houses. Imagine if we hadn't crushed unions and abandoned industry, causing wages to fall. Imagine if we nationalised utilities. Imagine if we taxed the rich. Policy choices then and now.
Reposted by Ed Granter
literally thousands of people with unique expert knowledge and skills being made redundant, universities in the brink of closure, but sure, let's publicly fund the bullshit machine
January 28, 2026 at 9:44 AM
literally thousands of people with unique expert knowledge and skills being made redundant, universities in the brink of closure, but sure, let's publicly fund the bullshit machine
'In the future, human-like automata will perform our manufactures' 'OK but right now it's tall monkeys so draw that.'
just waiting for my hastily made cornflour & water starch to cool enough so that I can starch a large cotton handkerchief, get it dry, damp it & iron some pleats into it so as to pass it around in my lecture tomorrow & then spray it with water to demonstrate what happens to ruffs in the rain #praxis
January 27, 2026 at 10:36 PM
'In the future, human-like automata will perform our manufactures' 'OK but right now it's tall monkeys so draw that.'
Fun fact: we had an Ital and the🪫kept going flat. My dad thought it might be the boot light so he shut me in there to see if it turned off.
Factoid: As everyone knows Ital Design didn’t style the Morris Ital though the launch ad did nothing to dispel that being filmed at the studio's offices.
Amid all the ad’s facts one avoided was while the ad was filmed in Italy, the car was never actually sold there...
youtu.be/wkoEQeJu7x8?...
Amid all the ad’s facts one avoided was while the ad was filmed in Italy, the car was never actually sold there...
youtu.be/wkoEQeJu7x8?...
Morris Ital TV advert 1981
YouTube video by retrogamingpower
youtu.be
January 27, 2026 at 11:12 AM
Fun fact: we had an Ital and the🪫kept going flat. My dad thought it might be the boot light so he shut me in there to see if it turned off.
Whoah...
"ghost jobs" -- positions companies advertise that they never plan to fill, just to harvest your data, make themselves look like they're growing, etc.
columbialawreview.org/content/ghos...
columbialawreview.org/content/ghos...
GHOST JOBS - Columbia Law Review
Introduction A tight employment market, economic uncertainty, and the rising (and often clumsy) use of artificial intelligence in hiring have coagulated into a witches’ brew of turmoil for job seekers...
columbialawreview.org
January 25, 2026 at 4:06 PM
Whoah...
Hello is that Professor Baudrillard? Oh good yes professor if you could take a look at something... actually a few things
I don't understand what the argument is meant to be here
January 25, 2026 at 1:52 PM
Hello is that Professor Baudrillard? Oh good yes professor if you could take a look at something... actually a few things
Woman watches haggis pull man backwards through Glasgow
Glaswegian attracts a puzzled gaze by taking his haggis for a walk on Robert Burns' birthday, 25th January 1967 (photo: Keystone).
January 25, 2026 at 1:47 PM
Woman watches haggis pull man backwards through Glasgow
Who wanted academy schools in the first place?
Parents criticise Arthur Terry Learning Partnership over school strike
Parents are concerned about where the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership Is spending its money.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 24, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Who wanted academy schools in the first place?
Reposted by Ed Granter
work with me and @drdaveobrien.bsky.social as part of @creativepec.bsky.social! we're recruiting a postdoc to work on the arts, culture and heritage sectors using quantitative methods. please share, please feel free to email me directly with any Qs! jobsite.sheffield.ac.uk/job/Sheffiel...
Research Associate in Creative Industries (Quantitative)
Research Associate in Creative Industries (Quantitative)
jobsite.sheffield.ac.uk
January 23, 2026 at 10:25 AM
work with me and @drdaveobrien.bsky.social as part of @creativepec.bsky.social! we're recruiting a postdoc to work on the arts, culture and heritage sectors using quantitative methods. please share, please feel free to email me directly with any Qs! jobsite.sheffield.ac.uk/job/Sheffiel...
Does the university of Sheffield realise the reputational impact of this? Are the local MPs getting involved?
Beyond appalling from the University of Sheffield, who are willfully ignoring staff's right to take industrial action and double deducting because they refuse to reschedule teaching which they already haven't been paid for.
Solidarity with @sheffielducu.bsky.social
Please donate if you can.
Solidarity with @sheffielducu.bsky.social
Please donate if you can.
Well that’s me locked out. No pay for the foreseeable future, all because I refuse to reschedule lost teaching, for which I have already lost pay as part of the strike. Please donate to support @sheffielducu.bsky.social members like me at www.gofundme.com/f/heubvb-sup...
January 19, 2026 at 9:58 PM
Does the university of Sheffield realise the reputational impact of this? Are the local MPs getting involved?
Ok I'm definitely ready for series 2 of Smoggie Queens now
January 19, 2026 at 9:15 PM
Ok I'm definitely ready for series 2 of Smoggie Queens now
I for one welcome our new bovine overlords
Our new paper (with @biotay.bsky.social) is out and on the cover story of @currentbiology.bsky.social !!!! Veronika, a Carinthian mountain cow flexibly uses a “multi-purpose tool” to scratch herself. A video and more information will follow in the comments.
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
January 19, 2026 at 8:50 PM
I for one welcome our new bovine overlords
Righty ho
World-first AI partnership between The University of Manchester and Microsoft announced
The University of Manchester becomes first university in the world to provide Microsoft 365 Copilot access and training to all students and staff.65,000 staff and students will receive full Microsoft ...
www.manchester.ac.uk
January 19, 2026 at 9:44 AM
Righty ho
"You bring the bread..."
I doubt Mr Weller shopped mail order from this lot, but who knows?
January 18, 2026 at 9:58 PM
"You bring the bread..."
How your email finds me
January 18, 2026 at 9:31 PM
How your email finds me
'Say hello to my little friend'
January 17, 2026 at 4:12 PM
'Say hello to my little friend'
Reposted by Ed Granter
UK Universities cut 13,300 jobs, paid £300m+ in redundancy.
Economic contribution of the HE sector, £265bn.
Systematically destroyed by govts - foreign students not welcome, cut real-term grants, fees, students burdened with debts, low staff pay/morale.
Govt want skilled labour.
archive.ph/favYt
Economic contribution of the HE sector, £265bn.
Systematically destroyed by govts - foreign students not welcome, cut real-term grants, fees, students burdened with debts, low staff pay/morale.
Govt want skilled labour.
archive.ph/favYt
Pay-off spend up by two-thirds as universities shed 13,000 jobs
Analysis of UK sector accounts shows number of job losses well above predictions, with experts warning cuts are not over yet
www.timeshighereducation.com
January 17, 2026 at 11:48 AM
UK Universities cut 13,300 jobs, paid £300m+ in redundancy.
Economic contribution of the HE sector, £265bn.
Systematically destroyed by govts - foreign students not welcome, cut real-term grants, fees, students burdened with debts, low staff pay/morale.
Govt want skilled labour.
archive.ph/favYt
Economic contribution of the HE sector, £265bn.
Systematically destroyed by govts - foreign students not welcome, cut real-term grants, fees, students burdened with debts, low staff pay/morale.
Govt want skilled labour.
archive.ph/favYt
Roses are red, violets are weird,
Fatberg the size of four buses likely birthed poo balls that closed Sydney beaches – and it can’t be cleared
Exclusive: Secret report suggests fats, oils and grease accumulate in ‘inaccessible dead zone’ at Malabar plant, then dislodge when pumping pressure ‘rapidly increases’
www.theguardian.com
January 17, 2026 at 9:02 AM
Roses are red, violets are weird,
Four, if you include the author!
Academics are far too relaxed about writing for two years and having three people read it
January 17, 2026 at 8:53 AM
Four, if you include the author!
Reposted by Ed Granter
One year post-doc at University of Exeter for my project on counter-narratives about climate change, urban planning, and health policy in the southwest UK. Feel free to email me directly with any questions but application must be via link:
jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
Powered by MHR
jobs.exeter.ac.uk
January 16, 2026 at 1:02 PM
One year post-doc at University of Exeter for my project on counter-narratives about climate change, urban planning, and health policy in the southwest UK. Feel free to email me directly with any questions but application must be via link:
jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
Good to see
FE transforms lives. From FE student at Burnley College to Shadow Chancellor.
John McDonnell MP: “We will be with you at every rally, every dispute and every picket.”
Thank you for your ongoing solidarity.
John McDonnell MP: “We will be with you at every rally, every dispute and every picket.”
Thank you for your ongoing solidarity.
January 16, 2026 at 1:40 PM
Good to see
Parliamentarians should support the UCU 👍
Important event in Westminster today with UCU Union: A 25% cut in FE salaries since 2009 -this cannot go on: we need a new deal for FE
January 16, 2026 at 12:54 PM
Parliamentarians should support the UCU 👍