Matt Dinan
@mattdinan.bsky.social
Canadian dad, teacher, and writer (say it like “dine in”)
Reposted by Matt Dinan
Beyond helping establish DHS itself in 2003, Mr. Mitnick was a senate-confirmed Trump choice for General Counsel for DHS in his first term. I've talked with him a few times, and he's not a man for hyperbole. So bear that in mind when you see him calling out DHS's "lawlessness, fascism, and cruelty."
January 25, 2026 at 1:05 AM
Beyond helping establish DHS itself in 2003, Mr. Mitnick was a senate-confirmed Trump choice for General Counsel for DHS in his first term. I've talked with him a few times, and he's not a man for hyperbole. So bear that in mind when you see him calling out DHS's "lawlessness, fascism, and cruelty."
Happy first day of classes! I am teaching The Prince today, a book which is unfortunately utterly devoid of contemporary relevance
January 7, 2026 at 1:51 PM
Happy first day of classes! I am teaching The Prince today, a book which is unfortunately utterly devoid of contemporary relevance
At least the woke censors have finally figured out that some things are genuinely subversive
From an email to one of our faculty members....
Not even Plato can escape censorship at Texas A&M!
Not even Plato can escape censorship at Texas A&M!
January 7, 2026 at 1:18 AM
At least the woke censors have finally figured out that some things are genuinely subversive
A total delight to talk education, the great books, AI, and passion with Matt and Sam in the latest KYE: www.patreon.com/posts/147187...
Great Books and the AI Apocalypse (w/ Matt Dinan) | Know Your Enemy
Get more from Know Your Enemy on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 3, 2026 at 1:47 AM
A total delight to talk education, the great books, AI, and passion with Matt and Sam in the latest KYE: www.patreon.com/posts/147187...
Reposted by Matt Dinan
This Know Your Enemy episode with @mattdinan.bsky.social is everything I hoped for from the description. In our response to AI in education this is the attitude we must take, attack the demand side by showing students there is something much better. www.patreon.com/posts/great-...
Great Books and the AI Apocalypse (w/ Matt Dinan) | Know Your Enemy
Get more from Know Your Enemy on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:40 PM
This Know Your Enemy episode with @mattdinan.bsky.social is everything I hoped for from the description. In our response to AI in education this is the attitude we must take, attack the demand side by showing students there is something much better. www.patreon.com/posts/great-...
Reposted by Matt Dinan
Loved this episode on my morning run today. @mattdinan.bsky.social giving some inspiration for the coming semester!
Great Books and the AI Apocalypse (w/ Matt Dinan) | Know Your Enemy
Get more from Know Your Enemy on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:41 PM
Loved this episode on my morning run today. @mattdinan.bsky.social giving some inspiration for the coming semester!
Frank, I am very disappointed in you.
If we are banning cell phones for kids we need to be talking about banning chatbots for boomers
www.persuasion.community/p/my-chatgpt...
www.persuasion.community/p/my-chatgpt...
December 17, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Frank, I am very disappointed in you.
Reposted by Matt Dinan
[hollywood voiceover voice] in a shocking twist, francis fukuyama *is* the last man
If we are banning cell phones for kids we need to be talking about banning chatbots for boomers
www.persuasion.community/p/my-chatgpt...
www.persuasion.community/p/my-chatgpt...
December 17, 2025 at 5:35 PM
[hollywood voiceover voice] in a shocking twist, francis fukuyama *is* the last man
Reposted by Matt Dinan
The Republic Book IX remains the most essential political reading of the current era.
December 15, 2025 at 3:13 PM
The Republic Book IX remains the most essential political reading of the current era.
Reposted by Matt Dinan
mattdinan.substack.com/p/the-ai-ske...
Matt Dinan on teaching writing amidst the apocalypse @mattdinan.bsky.social
Matt Dinan on teaching writing amidst the apocalypse @mattdinan.bsky.social
Permission Structures
How AI-skeptic Professors Can Still Help Students Write Papers
mattdinan.substack.com
December 15, 2025 at 11:46 AM
mattdinan.substack.com/p/the-ai-ske...
Matt Dinan on teaching writing amidst the apocalypse @mattdinan.bsky.social
Matt Dinan on teaching writing amidst the apocalypse @mattdinan.bsky.social
Reposted by Matt Dinan
Posting this important @mattdinan.bsky.social piece again. I recognized the challenge in the extract 20 years ago because in the courses I taught, students were all conscripts, not volunteers. I had to introduce them to the pleasures and challenges of writing. mattdinan.substack.com/p/the-ai-ske...
December 11, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Posting this important @mattdinan.bsky.social piece again. I recognized the challenge in the extract 20 years ago because in the courses I taught, students were all conscripts, not volunteers. I had to introduce them to the pleasures and challenges of writing. mattdinan.substack.com/p/the-ai-ske...
Thanks, John. I think this situation can actually be a huge opportunity for us to re-commit to authentic liberal arts education.
This description/reflection from @mattdinan.bsky.social on how he essentially delegitimized using LLMs as a way to outsource student thinking/writing is a model on how to work through your values and build a course around them. mattdinan.substack.com/p/the-ai-ske...
Permission Structures
How AI-skeptic Professors Can Still Help Students Write Papers
mattdinan.substack.com
December 14, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Thanks, John. I think this situation can actually be a huge opportunity for us to re-commit to authentic liberal arts education.
I have a new article called “Kierkegaardian Individualism and the Political” at the Canterbury Institute at Oxford’s PolUtica and Poetics journal
www.politicsandpoetics.co.uk/current-issu...
www.politicsandpoetics.co.uk/current-issu...
Current Issue | Politics & Poetics
A journal of the humanities.
www.politicsandpoetics.co.uk
November 7, 2025 at 9:07 PM
I have a new article called “Kierkegaardian Individualism and the Political” at the Canterbury Institute at Oxford’s PolUtica and Poetics journal
www.politicsandpoetics.co.uk/current-issu...
www.politicsandpoetics.co.uk/current-issu...
I started to write something strident about the Harper's piece, then changed direction and did this instead: substack.com/home/post/p-...
Nein
In the beginning computer scientists made the internet.
substack.com
October 24, 2025 at 6:05 PM
I started to write something strident about the Harper's piece, then changed direction and did this instead: substack.com/home/post/p-...
Reposted by Matt Dinan
“In the beginning computer scientists made the internet.”
@mattdinan.bsky.social with the creation story for our times.
mattdinan.substack.com/p/nein?utm_c...
@mattdinan.bsky.social with the creation story for our times.
mattdinan.substack.com/p/nein?utm_c...
Nein
In the beginning computer scientists made the internet.
mattdinan.substack.com
October 24, 2025 at 3:35 PM
“In the beginning computer scientists made the internet.”
@mattdinan.bsky.social with the creation story for our times.
mattdinan.substack.com/p/nein?utm_c...
@mattdinan.bsky.social with the creation story for our times.
mattdinan.substack.com/p/nein?utm_c...
Reposted by Matt Dinan
"Now, human beings had long ago started to think that they were like packets of packets of data. And ChatGPT, being craftier than other applications, was actually packets of data."
@mattdinan.bsky.social with an excellent word this morning:
@mattdinan.bsky.social with an excellent word this morning:
Nein
In the beginning computer scientists made the internet.
open.substack.com
October 24, 2025 at 3:10 PM
"Now, human beings had long ago started to think that they were like packets of packets of data. And ChatGPT, being craftier than other applications, was actually packets of data."
@mattdinan.bsky.social with an excellent word this morning:
@mattdinan.bsky.social with an excellent word this morning:
Reposted by Matt Dinan
Foreign interference and the viral “Pencil-gate” conspiracy theory at Canada’s polling stations are connected.
I wrote on shenanigans at the polls and how to do our part to keep elections secure for @thestar.com
(And, I successfully snuck in the word “pollercoaster”…big win!)
I wrote on shenanigans at the polls and how to do our part to keep elections secure for @thestar.com
(And, I successfully snuck in the word “pollercoaster”…big win!)
There are good reasons for not taking selfies while we vote. Here’s why
This writ period, Canadian electors have had to navigate a steeplechase of deepfakes, conspiracy theories, intimidation and foreign interference. Security measures have proved resilient, but a pair of...
www.thestar.com
April 25, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Foreign interference and the viral “Pencil-gate” conspiracy theory at Canada’s polling stations are connected.
I wrote on shenanigans at the polls and how to do our part to keep elections secure for @thestar.com
(And, I successfully snuck in the word “pollercoaster”…big win!)
I wrote on shenanigans at the polls and how to do our part to keep elections secure for @thestar.com
(And, I successfully snuck in the word “pollercoaster”…big win!)
Reposted by Matt Dinan
Use the provided pencil. Or bring your own pen. However you choose to mark your ballot, as long as it's just one mark, clearly in the designated circle, it will be counted, cross checked, & witnessed.
Our ballot counting is *very* secure contrary to conspiracy-theorising on X, Facebook & tiktok.
Our ballot counting is *very* secure contrary to conspiracy-theorising on X, Facebook & tiktok.
Pen or pencil? Elections Canada says it doesn’t matter when casting a ballot
OTTAWA - Elections Canada wants you to know your ballot will count whether you mark it with a pen or with a pencil.
www.thestar.com
April 20, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Use the provided pencil. Or bring your own pen. However you choose to mark your ballot, as long as it's just one mark, clearly in the designated circle, it will be counted, cross checked, & witnessed.
Our ballot counting is *very* secure contrary to conspiracy-theorising on X, Facebook & tiktok.
Our ballot counting is *very* secure contrary to conspiracy-theorising on X, Facebook & tiktok.
Reposted by Matt Dinan
It struck a chord because it's true. As I write in More Than Words, the chief benefit of LLMs to writing (and teaching writing) is it forces us to examine what we value in writing. We should be building statues of the students who remain proud to be themselves & encourage others to join them.
Here’s an observation that’s closing in on 80k likes on twitter:
April 18, 2025 at 12:55 PM
It struck a chord because it's true. As I write in More Than Words, the chief benefit of LLMs to writing (and teaching writing) is it forces us to examine what we value in writing. We should be building statues of the students who remain proud to be themselves & encourage others to join them.
Here’s an observation that’s closing in on 80k likes on twitter:
April 17, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Here’s an observation that’s closing in on 80k likes on twitter:
Very proud of my ALMA MATER for its PRINCIPLED STAND
April 14, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Very proud of my ALMA MATER for its PRINCIPLED STAND
Whether it's winning the Masters, or bravely settling for Yale after not getting in to Harvard, people named Rory are inspirations to us all.
April 14, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Whether it's winning the Masters, or bravely settling for Yale after not getting in to Harvard, people named Rory are inspirations to us all.
Wrote a grumpy blog about this: substack.com/home/post/p-...
April 11, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Wrote a grumpy blog about this: substack.com/home/post/p-...