Silvia Canelón
@silviacanelon.com
Data scientist @ UPenn
Independent data journalist
https://silviacanelon.com she/her/ella 🇻🇪 🏳️🌈
Philadelphia #RStats #RLadies #ddj
Newsletter: https://silviacanelon.com/contact
Independent data journalist
https://silviacanelon.com she/her/ella 🇻🇪 🏳️🌈
Philadelphia #RStats #RLadies #ddj
Newsletter: https://silviacanelon.com/contact
Pinned
Silvia Canelón
@silviacanelon.com
· Oct 22
New Kensington ‘fast-track court’ lands most with warrants, back into the cycle of addiction and homelessness
Kensington Voice collected and verified data on 87 people who were arrested during the first months of the program and tracked their journeys through the court. Most ended up with Wellness Court…
www.kensingtonvoice.com
My first byline! I made #DataViz for an accountability piece by @emilykrizzo.bsky.social @kensingtonvoice.bsky.social abt a #Philly program that targets & arrests pple living outside who use drugs in Kensington. Emily collected data for 87 pple bc the City won't share results w the public #ddj
Great post by @stacykess.bsky.social @equalaccesspublicmedia.org on how to write #AltText in a journalism context 👇🏽
FYI for those new to journalism terms (like me!): a "cutline" is a caption that accompanies photos and other visuals, often placed underneath the visual.
#a11y
FYI for those new to journalism terms (like me!): a "cutline" is a caption that accompanies photos and other visuals, often placed underneath the visual.
#a11y
New! A how to guide on writing alt text for journalists. You know you want it. And you know you need it.
#AltText #News #Reporters #Journalists
the-word.news/2026/0205/al...
#AltText #News #Reporters #Journalists
the-word.news/2026/0205/al...
How to write alt text for news - The Word
If your image disappeared, how would you describe it?
the-word.news
February 5, 2026 at 4:08 PM
Great post by @stacykess.bsky.social @equalaccesspublicmedia.org on how to write #AltText in a journalism context 👇🏽
FYI for those new to journalism terms (like me!): a "cutline" is a caption that accompanies photos and other visuals, often placed underneath the visual.
#a11y
FYI for those new to journalism terms (like me!): a "cutline" is a caption that accompanies photos and other visuals, often placed underneath the visual.
#a11y
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
February cover story: Accessibility is Black History
Akinyele Akintomiwa Michael takes a walk through time and finds you can't have accessibility without Black leaders — from Brad Lomax to @habengirma.bsky.social — pushing the boundaries for access and innovation.
the-word.news/2026/0205/bl...
Akinyele Akintomiwa Michael takes a walk through time and finds you can't have accessibility without Black leaders — from Brad Lomax to @habengirma.bsky.social — pushing the boundaries for access and innovation.
the-word.news/2026/0205/bl...
Accessibility is Black History - The Word
What Haben Girma and a longer lineage of Black advocates teach us about access
the-word.news
February 5, 2026 at 12:50 PM
February cover story: Accessibility is Black History
Akinyele Akintomiwa Michael takes a walk through time and finds you can't have accessibility without Black leaders — from Brad Lomax to @habengirma.bsky.social — pushing the boundaries for access and innovation.
the-word.news/2026/0205/bl...
Akinyele Akintomiwa Michael takes a walk through time and finds you can't have accessibility without Black leaders — from Brad Lomax to @habengirma.bsky.social — pushing the boundaries for access and innovation.
the-word.news/2026/0205/bl...
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
A manager for the Immigrant Defense Network told MPR News that back in November, 2,500 people were trained as constitutional observers. Now, the total is nearly 30,000 trained observers in 77 of Minnesota's 87 counties.
Nearly 30,000 Minnesotans trained as constitutional observers
The Immigrant Defense Network works with more than 100 organizations to help train constitutional observers. At the end of November, there were 2,500 trained observers. That number has soared as more ...
www.mprnews.org
February 3, 2026 at 3:03 PM
A manager for the Immigrant Defense Network told MPR News that back in November, 2,500 people were trained as constitutional observers. Now, the total is nearly 30,000 trained observers in 77 of Minnesota's 87 counties.
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
Glad to be doing this with @mikalarae.bsky.social @halle-burns.bsky.social @quetzal1234.bsky.social @katscade.bsky.social @nurnberger.bsky.social @storytracer.com @te-gryn.bsky.social Such a great team!
🎉Congrats to the winners of the 2025 RDAP Work of the Year Award, The Data Rescue Project! (@datarescueproject.org)🛟🏆
This award acknowledges the work’s impact on the wider research and scholarly communication ecosystem in support of RDAP’s mission and values.
rdapassociation.org/news/13593532
This award acknowledges the work’s impact on the wider research and scholarly communication ecosystem in support of RDAP’s mission and values.
rdapassociation.org/news/13593532
Research Data Access and Preservation Association - 2025 RDAP Work of the Year Award
rdapassociation.org
February 3, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Glad to be doing this with @mikalarae.bsky.social @halle-burns.bsky.social @quetzal1234.bsky.social @katscade.bsky.social @nurnberger.bsky.social @storytracer.com @te-gryn.bsky.social Such a great team!
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
dplyr 1.2.0 is out now and we are SO excited!
- `filter_out()` for dropping rows
- `recode_values()`, `replace_values()`, and `replace_when()` that join `case_when()` as a complete family of recoding/replacing tools
These are huge quality of life wins for #rstats!
tidyverse.org/blog/2026/02...
- `filter_out()` for dropping rows
- `recode_values()`, `replace_values()`, and `replace_when()` that join `case_when()` as a complete family of recoding/replacing tools
These are huge quality of life wins for #rstats!
tidyverse.org/blog/2026/02...
dplyr 1.2.0
dplyr 1.2.0 fills in some important gaps in dplyr's API: we've added a new complement to `filter()` focused on dropping rows, and we've expanded the `case_when()` family with three new recoding and re...
tidyverse.org
February 4, 2026 at 11:39 AM
dplyr 1.2.0 is out now and we are SO excited!
- `filter_out()` for dropping rows
- `recode_values()`, `replace_values()`, and `replace_when()` that join `case_when()` as a complete family of recoding/replacing tools
These are huge quality of life wins for #rstats!
tidyverse.org/blog/2026/02...
- `filter_out()` for dropping rows
- `recode_values()`, `replace_values()`, and `replace_when()` that join `case_when()` as a complete family of recoding/replacing tools
These are huge quality of life wins for #rstats!
tidyverse.org/blog/2026/02...
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
Quilicura, Chile, one of the communities I wrote about in EMPIRE OF AI, has launched a brilliant initiative to inspire more responsible AI prompting. Today, don't use AI; ask the townspeople instead: quili.ai. So heartened to see this creative act of resistance.
January 31, 2026 at 1:25 PM
Quilicura, Chile, one of the communities I wrote about in EMPIRE OF AI, has launched a brilliant initiative to inspire more responsible AI prompting. Today, don't use AI; ask the townspeople instead: quili.ai. So heartened to see this creative act of resistance.
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
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...
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
New year, same mission. In a partnership with MuckRock, the @transjournalists.org has filed more than 300 public records requests to document the impact of anti-trans federal activities across the country. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...
Ringing in the new year with records requests
ICE detainees’ access to gender-affirming care, universities responding to proposed government compacts and more.
www.muckrock.com
January 27, 2026 at 3:23 PM
New year, same mission. In a partnership with MuckRock, the @transjournalists.org has filed more than 300 public records requests to document the impact of anti-trans federal activities across the country. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
1. LLM-generated code tries to run code from online software packages. Which is normal but
2. The packages don’t exist. Which would normally cause an error but
3. Nefarious people have made malware under the package names that LLMs make up most often. So
4. Now the LLM code points to malware.
2. The packages don’t exist. Which would normally cause an error but
3. Nefarious people have made malware under the package names that LLMs make up most often. So
4. Now the LLM code points to malware.
LLMs hallucinating nonexistent software packages with plausible names leads to a new malware vulnerability: "slopsquatting."
LLMs can't stop making up software dependencies and sabotaging everything
: Hallucinated package names fuel 'slopsquatting'
www.theregister.com
April 12, 2025 at 11:43 PM
1. LLM-generated code tries to run code from online software packages. Which is normal but
2. The packages don’t exist. Which would normally cause an error but
3. Nefarious people have made malware under the package names that LLMs make up most often. So
4. Now the LLM code points to malware.
2. The packages don’t exist. Which would normally cause an error but
3. Nefarious people have made malware under the package names that LLMs make up most often. So
4. Now the LLM code points to malware.
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
my first @theguardian.com: I wrote about this year's "Drag Queen Christmas" tour stop in Pensacola, FL, which from the 1950s-70s hosted America's biggest LGBTQ event; the state AG tried to get the "demonic" show canceled.
I talked to Florida drag queens and supporters that refuse to go underground:
I talked to Florida drag queens and supporters that refuse to go underground:
A Florida official wants to cancel a sold-out Christmas drag show. The queens are performing anyway
A Drag Queen Christmas, featuring artists from RuPaul’s Drag Race, will stop in Pensacola despite the state attorney general’s efforts to stop it
www.theguardian.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:21 PM
my first @theguardian.com: I wrote about this year's "Drag Queen Christmas" tour stop in Pensacola, FL, which from the 1950s-70s hosted America's biggest LGBTQ event; the state AG tried to get the "demonic" show canceled.
I talked to Florida drag queens and supporters that refuse to go underground:
I talked to Florida drag queens and supporters that refuse to go underground:
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
Today is Bandcamp Friday, which means that when you buy an artist's music, the site doesn't take a cut. There's no better day to support musicians!
My band, Pansy, just released an EP. You can stream it or buy it here <3
pansysucks.bandcamp.com/album/skin-g...
My band, Pansy, just released an EP. You can stream it or buy it here <3
pansysucks.bandcamp.com/album/skin-g...
Skin Graft, by Pansy
5 track album
pansysucks.bandcamp.com
December 6, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Today is Bandcamp Friday, which means that when you buy an artist's music, the site doesn't take a cut. There's no better day to support musicians!
My band, Pansy, just released an EP. You can stream it or buy it here <3
pansysucks.bandcamp.com/album/skin-g...
My band, Pansy, just released an EP. You can stream it or buy it here <3
pansysucks.bandcamp.com/album/skin-g...
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000 Ep 67:
www.buzzsprout.com/2126417/epis...
… in which @sophiesong.bsky.social joins @alexhanna.bsky.social and me in our dismay at defenders of worker’s rights who’d rather talk to ChatGPT than, you know, actual workers.
Thanks to Ozzy Llinas Goodman for production!
www.buzzsprout.com/2126417/epis...
… in which @sophiesong.bsky.social joins @alexhanna.bsky.social and me in our dismay at defenders of worker’s rights who’d rather talk to ChatGPT than, you know, actual workers.
Thanks to Ozzy Llinas Goodman for production!
December 3, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000 Ep 67:
www.buzzsprout.com/2126417/epis...
… in which @sophiesong.bsky.social joins @alexhanna.bsky.social and me in our dismay at defenders of worker’s rights who’d rather talk to ChatGPT than, you know, actual workers.
Thanks to Ozzy Llinas Goodman for production!
www.buzzsprout.com/2126417/epis...
… in which @sophiesong.bsky.social joins @alexhanna.bsky.social and me in our dismay at defenders of worker’s rights who’d rather talk to ChatGPT than, you know, actual workers.
Thanks to Ozzy Llinas Goodman for production!
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
Good grief
If you want to see the future of journalism, here it is. An Alberta newspaper wants to hire a reporter who hands over the writing to AI. jeffgaulin.com/jobs/JobDeta...
December 3, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Good grief
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
To us, it's a no-brainer. On Small Business Saturday, buy the EAPM News a11y hat. It's designed by a local Boston-area designer who also donates his time to run the shop. Oh, and the proceeds help EAPM.
EAPM News A11y Leather Patch Hat
One size Circumference, in 23.82 Crown height, in 4.55 Bill length, in 2.76 Introducing the perfect accessory for casual outings or everyday wear: our stylish Dad Hat. Crafted from soft, dur…
equalaccesspublicmedia.org
November 29, 2025 at 2:23 PM
To us, it's a no-brainer. On Small Business Saturday, buy the EAPM News a11y hat. It's designed by a local Boston-area designer who also donates his time to run the shop. Oh, and the proceeds help EAPM.
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
Every activity we do provides us with 3 payments: pocket/wallet payment, the payment for the heart, and the payment for the brain. "As managers and leaders, as people in charge and responsible for others, we must take care of that balance in the three currencies of payments." @yabellini.bsky.social
An oldie but a goodie. Thanks for the insightful blog post @yabellini.bsky.social. yabellini.netlify.app/blog/2023-10...
Three currencies of payment for our work | Yanina Bellini Saibene
yabellini.netlify.app
November 26, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Every activity we do provides us with 3 payments: pocket/wallet payment, the payment for the heart, and the payment for the brain. "As managers and leaders, as people in charge and responsible for others, we must take care of that balance in the three currencies of payments." @yabellini.bsky.social
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
I feel this so deeply. As a person who likes to try crafts and talk about it people are so often like "I'd love to do that but I'm not good at it". But crafts and hobbies are about learning. There's no guaranteed way to be good right off the bat. You have to develop skills and trust yourself.
Of course I would say this, but we need to talk about the moral & ideological case for play & leisure more than ever. So much political discourse - especially from the super-rich - assumes we ought to construct society around forcing citizens to spend most of their one, unrepeatable life working.
November 24, 2025 at 2:14 PM
I feel this so deeply. As a person who likes to try crafts and talk about it people are so often like "I'd love to do that but I'm not good at it". But crafts and hobbies are about learning. There's no guaranteed way to be good right off the bat. You have to develop skills and trust yourself.
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
Journalist challenge: Use “Machine Learning” when you mean machine learning and “LLM” when you mean LLM. Ditch “AI” as a catch-all term, it’s not useful for readers and it helps companies trying to confuse the public by obscuring the roles played by different technologies. 🧪
November 22, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Journalist challenge: Use “Machine Learning” when you mean machine learning and “LLM” when you mean LLM. Ditch “AI” as a catch-all term, it’s not useful for readers and it helps companies trying to confuse the public by obscuring the roles played by different technologies. 🧪
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
For people who don't already know all these words, what would be more useful is talking about how the technology works (e.g. what data does it use, where does the data come from), what it does (not what companies say it does), and how else it could be (mis)used.
Journalist challenge: Use “Machine Learning” when you mean machine learning and “LLM” when you mean LLM. Ditch “AI” as a catch-all term, it’s not useful for readers and it helps companies trying to confuse the public by obscuring the roles played by different technologies. 🧪
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 PM
For people who don't already know all these words, what would be more useful is talking about how the technology works (e.g. what data does it use, where does the data come from), what it does (not what companies say it does), and how else it could be (mis)used.
Just finished Yellowface by @rfkuang.bsky.social, and wow. It was whatever the audio equivalent is to “page-turner.” Kudos also to narrator Helen Laser who helped keep me on the edge of my seat share.libbyapp.com/title/9173603
Yellowface
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK
Hard to put down, harder to forget. - Stephen King, #1 New York Times bestselling authorWhite lies. Dark humor. Deadly consequences… Bestse...
share.libbyapp.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Just finished Yellowface by @rfkuang.bsky.social, and wow. It was whatever the audio equivalent is to “page-turner.” Kudos also to narrator Helen Laser who helped keep me on the edge of my seat share.libbyapp.com/title/9173603
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
Massachusetts drivers are being tracked and their data is being shared nationwide — thanks to police using license plate readers (LPRs) made by Flock and other tech companies.
Does your local police department use LPRs? Take action to find out: mobilize.aclum.org/a/email-your...
Does your local police department use LPRs? Take action to find out: mobilize.aclum.org/a/email-your...
Email Your Municipal Leaders: Flock license plate readers threaten our privacy and safety
mobilize.aclum.org
November 17, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Massachusetts drivers are being tracked and their data is being shared nationwide — thanks to police using license plate readers (LPRs) made by Flock and other tech companies.
Does your local police department use LPRs? Take action to find out: mobilize.aclum.org/a/email-your...
Does your local police department use LPRs? Take action to find out: mobilize.aclum.org/a/email-your...
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
‘Wellness’ and ‘court’ are two words that should never be found together. More evidence of the failures of the Parker administration for a population that needs support the most.
The visualizations are awesome tho!
The visualizations are awesome tho!
My first byline! I made #DataViz for an accountability piece by @emilykrizzo.bsky.social @kensingtonvoice.bsky.social abt a #Philly program that targets & arrests pple living outside who use drugs in Kensington. Emily collected data for 87 pple bc the City won't share results w the public #ddj
New Kensington ‘fast-track court’ lands most with warrants, back into the cycle of addiction and homelessness
Kensington Voice collected and verified data on 87 people who were arrested during the first months of the program and tracked their journeys through the court. Most ended up with Wellness Court…
www.kensingtonvoice.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:41 PM
‘Wellness’ and ‘court’ are two words that should never be found together. More evidence of the failures of the Parker administration for a population that needs support the most.
The visualizations are awesome tho!
The visualizations are awesome tho!
Quick & easy visual tutorial for making a map using Census data & the relatively new mapgl #RStats package. I hadn't had a chance to explore mapgl yet & this tutorial offered the perfect intro. Excited to try it w large spatial datasets and see how it compares to rdeck! H/T @smachlis.bsky.social
November 17, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Quick & easy visual tutorial for making a map using Census data & the relatively new mapgl #RStats package. I hadn't had a chance to explore mapgl yet & this tutorial offered the perfect intro. Excited to try it w large spatial datasets and see how it compares to rdeck! H/T @smachlis.bsky.social
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
🤖 Introducción a #Tidymodels
Aprendé a usar tidymodels para crear y evaluar modelos de #MachineLearning en #RStats
Con Francisco Cardozo y Edgar Ruiz
📅 1 Dic, 18:00–20:00 UTC-3 – Online
💵 Estudiantes USD 5 · Académicos USD 10 · Industria USD 15
🔗 www.eventbrite.com.ar/e/1962543491...
#LatinR2025
Aprendé a usar tidymodels para crear y evaluar modelos de #MachineLearning en #RStats
Con Francisco Cardozo y Edgar Ruiz
📅 1 Dic, 18:00–20:00 UTC-3 – Online
💵 Estudiantes USD 5 · Académicos USD 10 · Industria USD 15
🔗 www.eventbrite.com.ar/e/1962543491...
#LatinR2025
November 13, 2025 at 3:33 PM
🤖 Introducción a #Tidymodels
Aprendé a usar tidymodels para crear y evaluar modelos de #MachineLearning en #RStats
Con Francisco Cardozo y Edgar Ruiz
📅 1 Dic, 18:00–20:00 UTC-3 – Online
💵 Estudiantes USD 5 · Académicos USD 10 · Industria USD 15
🔗 www.eventbrite.com.ar/e/1962543491...
#LatinR2025
Aprendé a usar tidymodels para crear y evaluar modelos de #MachineLearning en #RStats
Con Francisco Cardozo y Edgar Ruiz
📅 1 Dic, 18:00–20:00 UTC-3 – Online
💵 Estudiantes USD 5 · Académicos USD 10 · Industria USD 15
🔗 www.eventbrite.com.ar/e/1962543491...
#LatinR2025
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
Renting as An International: Three tips to protect your rights in Boston as a renter gobserver.net/6264/campusc... @Gobserver_nu #china #india #boston @AlumniNU @Northeastern @NUjournalism
Renting as An International
It has been three months since Boston introduced a long-awaited reform to its rental system: tenants no longer need to pay their fee unless they specifically hire a broker. But what international stud...
gobserver.net
November 11, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Renting as An International: Three tips to protect your rights in Boston as a renter gobserver.net/6264/campusc... @Gobserver_nu #china #india #boston @AlumniNU @Northeastern @NUjournalism
Reposted by Silvia Canelón
My old pal Pete Coviello — one of the best writers and thinkers I've ever known — wrote the piece of the moment
lithub.com/maybe-dont-t...
lithub.com/maybe-dont-t...
Maybe Don’t Talk to the New York Times About Zohran Mamdani
It’s remarkable, the people you’ll hear from. Teach for even a little while at an expensive institution—the term they tend to prefer is “elite”—and odds are that eventually someone who was a studen…
lithub.com
November 9, 2025 at 3:17 AM
My old pal Pete Coviello — one of the best writers and thinkers I've ever known — wrote the piece of the moment
lithub.com/maybe-dont-t...
lithub.com/maybe-dont-t...