Hilary Mason
@hmason.bsky.social
Co-founder & CEO of Hidden Door. I <3 cheeseburgers and making beautiful things. I know a thing or two about AI, but it's people who matter. I am interested in many things.
NYC
NYC
Reposted by Hilary Mason
Retired immigration judge to @radleybalko.bsky.social: "It always starts with the minorities. It always starts with the immigrants. If we don’t stop them, it will be American citizens. We need to be screaming that this isn’t America—that this isn’t who we are" newrepublic.com/article/2042...
Trump’s Immigration Nightmare: It Is Happening Here
With astonishing speed, the administration has toppled the most cherished pillars of a free society. And the experts agree: It’s all going to get much, much worse.
newrepublic.com
January 2, 2026 at 5:59 PM
Retired immigration judge to @radleybalko.bsky.social: "It always starts with the minorities. It always starts with the immigrants. If we don’t stop them, it will be American citizens. We need to be screaming that this isn’t America—that this isn’t who we are" newrepublic.com/article/2042...
Reposted by Hilary Mason
Reposted by Hilary Mason
That night Frog and Toad were both happy.
January 1, 2026 at 2:37 PM
That night Frog and Toad were both happy.
Reposted by Hilary Mason
Eric Adams is going to use cryptocurrency to fight antisemitism. Eric Adams is going to use samurai swords to fight food waste. Eric Adams is going to use 100 rubber duckies to fight prostate cancer. I would believe literally any combo of words hellgatenyc.com/eric-adams-s...
Eric Adams Says His Next Gig Is Fighting Antisemitism With Cryptocurrency
How? Don't ask.
hellgatenyc.com
December 31, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Eric Adams is going to use cryptocurrency to fight antisemitism. Eric Adams is going to use samurai swords to fight food waste. Eric Adams is going to use 100 rubber duckies to fight prostate cancer. I would believe literally any combo of words hellgatenyc.com/eric-adams-s...
This is an excellent idea, data folks.
Trump has largely lost his ability to summon multi-syllabic words, or much of anything beyond the 1,000 most common words in English.
Somebody should really conduct an analysis of his vocabulary over time, sourced from his non-scripted remarks. It’s cratered. www.cnn.com/2025/12/29/p...
Somebody should really conduct an analysis of his vocabulary over time, sourced from his non-scripted remarks. It’s cratered. www.cnn.com/2025/12/29/p...
December 30, 2025 at 3:19 AM
This is an excellent idea, data folks.
Reposted by Hilary Mason
James Merril’s poem “Christmas Tree,” written while he was dying of AIDS. 1995.
December 24, 2025 at 1:43 PM
James Merril’s poem “Christmas Tree,” written while he was dying of AIDS. 1995.
Reposted by Hilary Mason
To no one’s surprise, the secret history of RPGs has always been women innovating ideas that men “discover” anywhere from 10-400 years later! Fantastic thread from one of the hobby’s coolest academics.
Indeed. The purchaseable *product* we call the TTRPG begins in the 1970s with Western Gunfight, Chainmail, and D&D.
Yet role-playing "parlor games," simulations, and similar are centuries old and draw from a well that resembles all the positive stuff about D&D.
Parlor games were feminized...
Yet role-playing "parlor games," simulations, and similar are centuries old and draw from a well that resembles all the positive stuff about D&D.
Parlor games were feminized...
December 23, 2025 at 1:13 PM
To no one’s surprise, the secret history of RPGs has always been women innovating ideas that men “discover” anywhere from 10-400 years later! Fantastic thread from one of the hobby’s coolest academics.
Let's pretend for a minute that a technical definition would matter, and unfortunately --
Even from a technical point of view there's no clear definition of what is "GenAI" and what isn't.
Even from a technical point of view there's no clear definition of what is "GenAI" and what isn't.
December 22, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Let's pretend for a minute that a technical definition would matter, and unfortunately --
Even from a technical point of view there's no clear definition of what is "GenAI" and what isn't.
Even from a technical point of view there's no clear definition of what is "GenAI" and what isn't.
Reposted by Hilary Mason
“How might someone read one poem as they ascend a staircase + read the same words as a different poem when they descend? How cld different sight lines create nonlinear readings?… A sentence has pockets, holes, escape hatches[: how could] those ?’s cld be translated into an architectural context?”
BOMB Magazine | Kameelah Janan Rasheed by Warren Neidich
Through improvisation, annotation, and other radical strategies, the artist’s installations create embodied encounters with text.
bombmagazine.org
December 20, 2025 at 11:13 PM
“How might someone read one poem as they ascend a staircase + read the same words as a different poem when they descend? How cld different sight lines create nonlinear readings?… A sentence has pockets, holes, escape hatches[: how could] those ?’s cld be translated into an architectural context?”
Reposted by Hilary Mason
HEY AUTHORS: It's the last weekend before Christmas and/or the end of Hanukkah, so people are going to be looking for last minute holiday gifts, which books are perfect for, so use this thread to tell everyone here at Bluesky about your book so they can go find it at their local bookseller. GO!
December 19, 2025 at 5:40 PM
HEY AUTHORS: It's the last weekend before Christmas and/or the end of Hanukkah, so people are going to be looking for last minute holiday gifts, which books are perfect for, so use this thread to tell everyone here at Bluesky about your book so they can go find it at their local bookseller. GO!
"Synthetic Panels" make no sense. The LLM is trained on data from a particular point in time. This is the same as querying the distribution of responses from an LLM with built-in assumptions about what the distribution can look like.
Well done surveys are designed for the opposite.
Well done surveys are designed for the opposite.
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?"
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?"
December 16, 2025 at 6:59 PM
"Synthetic Panels" make no sense. The LLM is trained on data from a particular point in time. This is the same as querying the distribution of responses from an LLM with built-in assumptions about what the distribution can look like.
Well done surveys are designed for the opposite.
Well done surveys are designed for the opposite.
Reposted by Hilary Mason
QCon.ai is pretty lit today, y'all. @hmason.bsky.social's keynote definitely lived up to expectations.
Just enough snark mixed with optimism, with some definitely insightful thoughts on how the software engineering profession is evolving.
Just enough snark mixed with optimism, with some definitely insightful thoughts on how the software engineering profession is evolving.
December 16, 2025 at 6:25 PM
QCon.ai is pretty lit today, y'all. @hmason.bsky.social's keynote definitely lived up to expectations.
Just enough snark mixed with optimism, with some definitely insightful thoughts on how the software engineering profession is evolving.
Just enough snark mixed with optimism, with some definitely insightful thoughts on how the software engineering profession is evolving.
I’m thinking of everyone at Brown tonight.
(I spent so many days and nights in the basement of that building. Stay safe, everyone.)
(I spent so many days and nights in the basement of that building. Stay safe, everyone.)
December 14, 2025 at 12:00 AM
I’m thinking of everyone at Brown tonight.
(I spent so many days and nights in the basement of that building. Stay safe, everyone.)
(I spent so many days and nights in the basement of that building. Stay safe, everyone.)
Reposted by Hilary Mason
On December 17, the House of Representatives will vote on a bill that would criminalize gender-affirming care for youth.
Tell Congress to protect health care for trans youth and their families NOW.
Tell Congress to protect health care for trans youth and their families NOW.
Protect Trans Care Now
As wave after wave of extreme measures to criminalize and strip trans people of rights and safety continue, tell Congress to act.
action.aclu.org
December 12, 2025 at 5:16 PM
On December 17, the House of Representatives will vote on a bill that would criminalize gender-affirming care for youth.
Tell Congress to protect health care for trans youth and their families NOW.
Tell Congress to protect health care for trans youth and their families NOW.
Too many people want to use AI for the output, when the hard part is what to ask for and what good looks like and context management.
If I were building something new I'd build an executive functioning buddy; let the machine manage context and coherence, and leave me to do the fun parts.
If I were building something new I'd build an executive functioning buddy; let the machine manage context and coherence, and leave me to do the fun parts.
December 10, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Too many people want to use AI for the output, when the hard part is what to ask for and what good looks like and context management.
If I were building something new I'd build an executive functioning buddy; let the machine manage context and coherence, and leave me to do the fun parts.
If I were building something new I'd build an executive functioning buddy; let the machine manage context and coherence, and leave me to do the fun parts.
Reposted by Hilary Mason
This description of It's a Wonderful Life from Apple's store is technically accurate in every detail yet also somehow very funny.
December 9, 2025 at 12:51 AM
This description of It's a Wonderful Life from Apple's store is technically accurate in every detail yet also somehow very funny.
Last week I was walking to the subway and happened to notice this sign above a door on Atlantic Ave, which says EX LAX INC
December 7, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Last week I was walking to the subway and happened to notice this sign above a door on Atlantic Ave, which says EX LAX INC
Reposted by Hilary Mason
Y'all the latest episode of the #Kilauea #eruption just went CRAZY. It looks like pressure built up enough to explode out the ground around the two existing vents (first few seconds), leading to a massive surge in lava fountaining.🌋🤯
USGS Live stream: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiyt...
USGS Live stream: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiyt...
December 6, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Y'all the latest episode of the #Kilauea #eruption just went CRAZY. It looks like pressure built up enough to explode out the ground around the two existing vents (first few seconds), leading to a massive surge in lava fountaining.🌋🤯
USGS Live stream: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiyt...
USGS Live stream: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiyt...
Reposted by Hilary Mason
Hey all,
The Onion is accepting applicants for our writing, video and graphics fellowships.
Fellowships last six months, pay well, and provide full benefits.
You can apply at theonion.com/fellowship.
The Onion is accepting applicants for our writing, video and graphics fellowships.
Fellowships last six months, pay well, and provide full benefits.
You can apply at theonion.com/fellowship.
Fellowship
theonion.com
December 3, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Hey all,
The Onion is accepting applicants for our writing, video and graphics fellowships.
Fellowships last six months, pay well, and provide full benefits.
You can apply at theonion.com/fellowship.
The Onion is accepting applicants for our writing, video and graphics fellowships.
Fellowships last six months, pay well, and provide full benefits.
You can apply at theonion.com/fellowship.
At @hiddendoor.co you can play your own stories in beloved worlds -- and now you can share your favorite Moments from those stories into our JOYSCROLLING feed (where other players can <3 them!) or to your favorite social network!
Great news! You can now highlight moments from your stories using our social share feature! As you’re spinning your tale of romantic Regency intrigue, or plotting revenge against a treacherous foe, you can now select specific moments from your story to spotlight + share. But how?!
December 2, 2025 at 5:30 PM
At @hiddendoor.co you can play your own stories in beloved worlds -- and now you can share your favorite Moments from those stories into our JOYSCROLLING feed (where other players can <3 them!) or to your favorite social network!
Reposted by Hilary Mason
Are you excited for Wicked: For Good? Can't wait to return to Oz? We know we are!
While you're grabbing popcorn, check out our own tribute to magical academia, Oz University. Choose your major, make friends, and maybe even explore a #RivalsToLovers plotline...
While you're grabbing popcorn, check out our own tribute to magical academia, Oz University. Choose your major, make friends, and maybe even explore a #RivalsToLovers plotline...
November 21, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Are you excited for Wicked: For Good? Can't wait to return to Oz? We know we are!
While you're grabbing popcorn, check out our own tribute to magical academia, Oz University. Choose your major, make friends, and maybe even explore a #RivalsToLovers plotline...
While you're grabbing popcorn, check out our own tribute to magical academia, Oz University. Choose your major, make friends, and maybe even explore a #RivalsToLovers plotline...
I was gifted a copy of this book and it's wonderful, and I highly recommend it, especially if you want to find a delightful gift for an otherwise hard-to-buy-for nerd in your life!
It took me 30 minutes to write this post because I started paging through it again. 😅
It took me 30 minutes to write this post because I started paging through it again. 😅
a Friday surprise! my beloved book, Other Networks: A Radical Technology Sourcebook, is now officially back in print AND ON SALE! #othernetworks if you know folks who have been trying to track down a copy, I'd love it if you'd repost shop.mexicansummer.com/merch/495898...
Lori Emerson - Other Networks: A Radical Technology Sourcebook. Mexican Summer & Anthology.
Buy Other Networks: A Radical Technology Sourcebook by Lori Emerson on Mexican Summer & Anthology.
shop.mexicansummer.com
November 21, 2025 at 8:57 PM
I was gifted a copy of this book and it's wonderful, and I highly recommend it, especially if you want to find a delightful gift for an otherwise hard-to-buy-for nerd in your life!
It took me 30 minutes to write this post because I started paging through it again. 😅
It took me 30 minutes to write this post because I started paging through it again. 😅
Reposted by Hilary Mason
One day I woke up and decided I wanted to do a stop motion animation. So I animated a simple run cycle, printed each frame and stuck them around my city ✨️
(Which btw, I felt super guilty about)
(Which btw, I felt super guilty about)
November 21, 2025 at 6:55 PM
One day I woke up and decided I wanted to do a stop motion animation. So I animated a simple run cycle, printed each frame and stuck them around my city ✨️
(Which btw, I felt super guilty about)
(Which btw, I felt super guilty about)
In 2015 at Fast Forward Labs we tried to build a "take a photo and track calories" app as a demo for image object recognition.
There are two main machine learning tasks here, one is photo->food labels, and two is food labels->calorie/macro estimates.
There are two main machine learning tasks here, one is photo->food labels, and two is food labels->calorie/macro estimates.
AI nutrition tracking stinks
AI nutrition tracking stinks
It always mistakes my matcha protein shake for a green smoothie.
buff.ly
November 21, 2025 at 3:20 PM
In 2015 at Fast Forward Labs we tried to build a "take a photo and track calories" app as a demo for image object recognition.
There are two main machine learning tasks here, one is photo->food labels, and two is food labels->calorie/macro estimates.
There are two main machine learning tasks here, one is photo->food labels, and two is food labels->calorie/macro estimates.
I've always admired @albertocairo.com's work and I'm delighted to see this project to track and visualize news coverage that impacts trans communities.
It's important to see the big picture! And I hope it leads to much more support for trans journalists and fair coverage.
It's important to see the big picture! And I hope it leads to much more support for trans journalists and fair coverage.
My new big visualization project is out: The Trans News Initiative, a collaboration between UM's School of Communication, the Trans Journalists Association, and Polygraph (The Pudding): transnewsinitiative.org Here's a piece about it in the Columbia Journalism Review: www.cjr.org/news/visuali...
Trans News Initiative
A database and analysis of news coverage affecting trans communities.
transnewsinitiative.org
November 18, 2025 at 7:51 PM
I've always admired @albertocairo.com's work and I'm delighted to see this project to track and visualize news coverage that impacts trans communities.
It's important to see the big picture! And I hope it leads to much more support for trans journalists and fair coverage.
It's important to see the big picture! And I hope it leads to much more support for trans journalists and fair coverage.