Dave Palfrey
@01factory.bsky.social
Ex-historian of social and political thought (Cambridge, Birkbeck). Ex-Amazon (Alexa and AGI). Chief scientist at Mind Mage. LRB reader. 2025 side-mission: fighting global bias on Wikidata & Wikipedia.
"Only that which has no history can be defined"
"Only that which has no history can be defined"
Pinned
Dave Palfrey
@01factory.bsky.social
· May 2
Yay! I've reached my first #Wikidata global representation goal! Women from the countries shaded red are 25% of global population, but in Dec '24 were only 0.83% of Wikidata bios. I set a target to increase this to 1%. Four months later, with 10,000 women added, they're now 1.01% of Wikidata bios!
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
BBC leadership seems like Starmer's No10: repeatedly blundering into gaffes and rows; handling these in a way that maximises damage sustained; responding to certain sorts of criticism with abasement and others with disdain; above all, failing to think seriously about what they're doing, why and how.
November 10, 2025 at 1:35 PM
BBC leadership seems like Starmer's No10: repeatedly blundering into gaffes and rows; handling these in a way that maximises damage sustained; responding to certain sorts of criticism with abasement and others with disdain; above all, failing to think seriously about what they're doing, why and how.
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
Someone put this "blue plaque" on a London Tesla showroom to mark his becoming the world's first trillionaire. “World’s first trillionaire Elon Musk. Could have solved world hunger but funded fascists instead. Bellend.”
November 9, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Someone put this "blue plaque" on a London Tesla showroom to mark his becoming the world's first trillionaire. “World’s first trillionaire Elon Musk. Could have solved world hunger but funded fascists instead. Bellend.”
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
Plato, father of philosophers, died at a symposium at 81, on 7 November, his birthday. Platonists until Porphyry and Plotinus renewed this feast each year to mark Plato's birth and death, but after Porphyry these solemn banquets were neglected for 1,200 years.
Ficino, De amore*
Ficino, De amore*
November 7, 2023 at 1:16 PM
Plato, father of philosophers, died at a symposium at 81, on 7 November, his birthday. Platonists until Porphyry and Plotinus renewed this feast each year to mark Plato's birth and death, but after Porphyry these solemn banquets were neglected for 1,200 years.
Ficino, De amore*
Ficino, De amore*
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
"NoTrillionaires Day of Action Nov 15th
Elon Musk is destroying democracy around the world, and he's using the fortune he built at Tesla to do it.
Tesla shareholders approved a trillion dollar package for Elon. But whether he gets it is up to all of us.
actionnetwork.org/event_campai...
Elon Musk is destroying democracy around the world, and he's using the fortune he built at Tesla to do it.
Tesla shareholders approved a trillion dollar package for Elon. But whether he gets it is up to all of us.
actionnetwork.org/event_campai...
#TeslaTakedown NO TRILLIONAIRES Day of Action
A TRILLION DOLLARS? Elon Musk and his stooges think they can gobble up the entire world while the rest of us starve. Join us for the NO TRILLIONAIRES Day of Action Nov. 15, 2025!
actionnetwork.org
November 7, 2025 at 4:02 PM
"NoTrillionaires Day of Action Nov 15th
Elon Musk is destroying democracy around the world, and he's using the fortune he built at Tesla to do it.
Tesla shareholders approved a trillion dollar package for Elon. But whether he gets it is up to all of us.
actionnetwork.org/event_campai...
Elon Musk is destroying democracy around the world, and he's using the fortune he built at Tesla to do it.
Tesla shareholders approved a trillion dollar package for Elon. But whether he gets it is up to all of us.
actionnetwork.org/event_campai...
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
“Given the severity of the threats social media companies pose to democracy and fundamental rights, policy responses cannot merely tinker around the edges,” writes Christine Galvagna. The EU must act now—fund decentralized, public service social media to protect democracy and digital rights.
Public Service Social Media as a Democratic Safeguard | TechPolicy.Press
Christine Galvagna proposes an EU fund to support decentralized, public service focused social media networks to protect digital rights and democracy.
www.techpolicy.press
November 7, 2025 at 3:41 PM
“Given the severity of the threats social media companies pose to democracy and fundamental rights, policy responses cannot merely tinker around the edges,” writes Christine Galvagna. The EU must act now—fund decentralized, public service social media to protect democracy and digital rights.
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
Undercover police officer fabricated gun plot by animal rights activists, his managers tell inquiry
Undercover police officer fabricated gun plot by animal rights activists, his managers tell inquiry
Spycops inquiry has heard James Thomson lied to superiors and deceived two women into relationships
www.theguardian.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Undercover police officer fabricated gun plot by animal rights activists, his managers tell inquiry
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
I wrote to my Daniel Zeichner MP who asked Darren Jones MP; "All platforms are assessed against the high standards for digital safety set out in the Government Communication Service (GCS) SAFE framework."
The last GCS assessment of X was made in April 2023.
Read it, X FAILS very quickly
The last GCS assessment of X was made in April 2023.
Read it, X FAILS very quickly
SAFE Framework: the 4 principles for HMG Brand Safety - GCS
The SAFE Framework introduces new standards for digital brand safety in HM Government advertising.
www.communications.gov.uk
October 30, 2025 at 8:10 PM
I wrote to my Daniel Zeichner MP who asked Darren Jones MP; "All platforms are assessed against the high standards for digital safety set out in the Government Communication Service (GCS) SAFE framework."
The last GCS assessment of X was made in April 2023.
Read it, X FAILS very quickly
The last GCS assessment of X was made in April 2023.
Read it, X FAILS very quickly
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
November 3, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
This is just very pleasing.
October 31, 2025 at 2:14 AM
This is just very pleasing.
Form a sequence by changing one word at a time.
1. The artist formerly known as Prince.
2. The pedophile formerly known as Prince.
3. The pedophile formerly known as President.
1. The artist formerly known as Prince.
2. The pedophile formerly known as Prince.
3. The pedophile formerly known as President.
October 30, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Form a sequence by changing one word at a time.
1. The artist formerly known as Prince.
2. The pedophile formerly known as Prince.
3. The pedophile formerly known as President.
1. The artist formerly known as Prince.
2. The pedophile formerly known as Prince.
3. The pedophile formerly known as President.
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
New article out today! Published on the eve of Ghanaian independence, A Wreath for Udomo fictionalises Kwame Nkrumah's struggle against imperialism and imagines a future after British rule.
hwiccanreview.substack.com/p/accra-noir...
hwiccanreview.substack.com/p/accra-noir...
Accra Noir: ‘A Wreath for Udomo’ (Peter Abrahams, 1956)
A political thriller for a nation about to exist
hwiccanreview.substack.com
October 27, 2025 at 10:19 AM
New article out today! Published on the eve of Ghanaian independence, A Wreath for Udomo fictionalises Kwame Nkrumah's struggle against imperialism and imagines a future after British rule.
hwiccanreview.substack.com/p/accra-noir...
hwiccanreview.substack.com/p/accra-noir...
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
You need to see shocking extent of carbon inequality around the world.
A remarkable study led by Jared Starr finds that super-rich US households emit *2000 TIMES* more CO2e than average low-income country households.
How the f*ck is that even possible? The disparity never ceases to enrage me.
A remarkable study led by Jared Starr finds that super-rich US households emit *2000 TIMES* more CO2e than average low-income country households.
How the f*ck is that even possible? The disparity never ceases to enrage me.
November 30, 2024 at 7:41 PM
You need to see shocking extent of carbon inequality around the world.
A remarkable study led by Jared Starr finds that super-rich US households emit *2000 TIMES* more CO2e than average low-income country households.
How the f*ck is that even possible? The disparity never ceases to enrage me.
A remarkable study led by Jared Starr finds that super-rich US households emit *2000 TIMES* more CO2e than average low-income country households.
How the f*ck is that even possible? The disparity never ceases to enrage me.
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
Thank you for the generous donation. I'll keep saying it - this could fund *so fast* with visibility.
Writers, readers, World Fantasy community - let's do this!
Some of you have rolodexes. A boost or art donation? Send a note?
Now at $3165, no new graphics until % bump. 😛
Writers, readers, World Fantasy community - let's do this!
Some of you have rolodexes. A boost or art donation? Send a note?
Now at $3165, no new graphics until % bump. 😛
Support African Translation Project
African Translation Project, Goal 4: Fully Fund Two Translations, by 31 October, still needed: $3245, 68%, If this goal is met: Translations will be fully funded for Bengithi Lizokuna and Zvinobvinza,...
ko-fi.com
October 26, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Thank you for the generous donation. I'll keep saying it - this could fund *so fast* with visibility.
Writers, readers, World Fantasy community - let's do this!
Some of you have rolodexes. A boost or art donation? Send a note?
Now at $3165, no new graphics until % bump. 😛
Writers, readers, World Fantasy community - let's do this!
Some of you have rolodexes. A boost or art donation? Send a note?
Now at $3165, no new graphics until % bump. 😛
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
"...it is immensely moving when a mature man—no matter
whether old or young in years—is aware of a responsibility for the consequences of his conduct and really feels such responsibility with heart and soul..." - Weber, Politics as a Vocation
whether old or young in years—is aware of a responsibility for the consequences of his conduct and really feels such responsibility with heart and soul..." - Weber, Politics as a Vocation
Trump: "I don't think we're necessarily going to ask for a declaration of war, I think we're just gonna kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. We're going to kill them. They're going to be, like dead."
October 23, 2025 at 8:54 PM
"...it is immensely moving when a mature man—no matter
whether old or young in years—is aware of a responsibility for the consequences of his conduct and really feels such responsibility with heart and soul..." - Weber, Politics as a Vocation
whether old or young in years—is aware of a responsibility for the consequences of his conduct and really feels such responsibility with heart and soul..." - Weber, Politics as a Vocation
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
Well this is sure to be a blockbuster AI article... @jennarussell.bsky.social et al are kicking ass and taking names in journalism, both individuals and organizations.
"AI use in American newspapers is widespread, uneven, and rarely disclosed"
arxiv.org/abs/2510.18774
"AI use in American newspapers is widespread, uneven, and rarely disclosed"
arxiv.org/abs/2510.18774
October 23, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Well this is sure to be a blockbuster AI article... @jennarussell.bsky.social et al are kicking ass and taking names in journalism, both individuals and organizations.
"AI use in American newspapers is widespread, uneven, and rarely disclosed"
arxiv.org/abs/2510.18774
"AI use in American newspapers is widespread, uneven, and rarely disclosed"
arxiv.org/abs/2510.18774
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
NEW: @andrewdeck.bsky.social and I found the @waybackmachine.bsky.social has been archiving news homepages less frequently for the past 5 months.
The result: an 87% drop in homepage snapshots across 100 news outlets during a very newsy year. www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/the-...
The result: an 87% drop in homepage snapshots across 100 news outlets during a very newsy year. www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/the-...
The Wayback Machine’s snapshots of news homepages plummet after a “breakdown” in archiving projects
Between May and October 2025, homepage snapshots fell by 87% across 100 news publications.
www.niemanlab.org
October 22, 2025 at 3:05 PM
NEW: @andrewdeck.bsky.social and I found the @waybackmachine.bsky.social has been archiving news homepages less frequently for the past 5 months.
The result: an 87% drop in homepage snapshots across 100 news outlets during a very newsy year. www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/the-...
The result: an 87% drop in homepage snapshots across 100 news outlets during a very newsy year. www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/the-...
This by Matt Erlin, Douglas Knox, Claudia Carroll, @jeysushil.bsky.social, Tumaini Ussiri & Sadahisa Watanabe is excellent: postcolonial corpus comparison, using quantitative proxies for 'literariness' and 'cosmopolitanism'
October 22, 2025 at 5:00 PM
This by Matt Erlin, Douglas Knox, Claudia Carroll, @jeysushil.bsky.social, Tumaini Ussiri & Sadahisa Watanabe is excellent: postcolonial corpus comparison, using quantitative proxies for 'literariness' and 'cosmopolitanism'
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
The decision by Meta and Google to ban political, social and issue-based ads in the European Union, citing the EU's new Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation, is a seismic shift, writes Who Targets Me's Sam Jeffers. But there are no winners here, he writes.
Meta and Google’s Ad Ban Upends Political Campaigning in Europe | TechPolicy.Press
If the only people to truly benefit from change are the ones who present the greatest challenge to democracy, we’re in a very bad place, writes Sam Jeffers.
www.techpolicy.press
October 22, 2025 at 1:26 PM
The decision by Meta and Google to ban political, social and issue-based ads in the European Union, citing the EU's new Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation, is a seismic shift, writes Who Targets Me's Sam Jeffers. But there are no winners here, he writes.
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
Today I worked with Adam Smith's copy of Hobbes's "Leviathan" (1651)
October 22, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Today I worked with Adam Smith's copy of Hobbes's "Leviathan" (1651)
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
"The BBC has clanged their doors shut on those histories, those stories, those lives and ways of working that are revealed through the joint industry of the historian and the archivist." @helenwheatley.bsky.social on the devastating decision to limit access to BBC archives. tinyurl.com/y4tnyw9a
Defending the WAC: All the things I haven’t (yet) written by Helen Wheatley
People following the last few weeks of the Critical Studies in Television blog will have seen my brilliant colleagues discussing the essential work that they have been able to do thanks to the…
cstonline.net
October 19, 2025 at 6:06 AM
"The BBC has clanged their doors shut on those histories, those stories, those lives and ways of working that are revealed through the joint industry of the historian and the archivist." @helenwheatley.bsky.social on the devastating decision to limit access to BBC archives. tinyurl.com/y4tnyw9a
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
best recent works in feminist STS?
October 18, 2025 at 2:45 PM
best recent works in feminist STS?
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
There was a headline on BBC News this morning that said “Prince Andrew gives up royal titles”, and it’s rare to encounter a sentence which has quite so comprehensively forgotten how it started.
October 18, 2025 at 1:16 PM
There was a headline on BBC News this morning that said “Prince Andrew gives up royal titles”, and it’s rare to encounter a sentence which has quite so comprehensively forgotten how it started.
It was a privilege to meet Muif Sheiu at Wikimania 2025! His work with Afrodemics, improving the Wikipedia representation of African academics, is really impressive.
Feed: "Diff"
By: Muib Shefiu on Friday, October 3, 2025
By: Muib Shefiu on Friday, October 3, 2025
My Wikimania 2025 Reflections
My Wikimania 2025 experience began on August 3rd in Gombe State, Nigeria. I boarded a vehicle for a six-hour trip to Kano, from where I finally took off at the Kano Airport on August 4th, 2025. In …
diff.wikimedia.org
October 18, 2025 at 1:10 PM
It was a privilege to meet Muif Sheiu at Wikimania 2025! His work with Afrodemics, improving the Wikipedia representation of African academics, is really impressive.
I find this China spy story just very confusing. They keep talking about some deputy national security advisor Matthew Collins. And I keep wondering how on earth the art critic Matthew Collings came to be mixed up in all this.
October 16, 2025 at 11:54 AM
I find this China spy story just very confusing. They keep talking about some deputy national security advisor Matthew Collins. And I keep wondering how on earth the art critic Matthew Collings came to be mixed up in all this.
Reposted by Dave Palfrey
“There are few things more dehumanizing than being told by a machine that you’re not real because of your face"
For the last month, I've been speaking to people living with facial differences and disfigurements about how face verification tech is failing them. Spoiler: things aren't going well
For the last month, I've been speaking to people living with facial differences and disfigurements about how face verification tech is failing them. Spoiler: things aren't going well
When Face Recognition Doesn’t Know Your Face Is a Face
An estimated 100 million people live with facial differences. As face recognition tech becomes widespread, some say they’re getting blocked from accessing essential systems and services.
www.wired.com
October 15, 2025 at 10:23 AM
“There are few things more dehumanizing than being told by a machine that you’re not real because of your face"
For the last month, I've been speaking to people living with facial differences and disfigurements about how face verification tech is failing them. Spoiler: things aren't going well
For the last month, I've been speaking to people living with facial differences and disfigurements about how face verification tech is failing them. Spoiler: things aren't going well