Travis Wagner (they/them)
@drtlwagner.bsky.social
Cyborg academic in a world of robot academics. Assistant Professor in the iSchool at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Preserving queer history and obsolete technology one VHS tape at a time.
http://travislwagner.com
http://travislwagner.com
In my IS 308: Race, Gender, and Information Technology class, I asked students to make zines today about inclusive tech issues, and they insisted that I should also participate. I thought that was a fair request and took a swing at making my own (though I didn't finish)
November 11, 2025 at 7:40 PM
In my IS 308: Race, Gender, and Information Technology class, I asked students to make zines today about inclusive tech issues, and they insisted that I should also participate. I thought that was a fair request and took a swing at making my own (though I didn't finish)
Hit an important Google Scholar citation mark today 😈 #hailsatan
November 9, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Hit an important Google Scholar citation mark today 😈 #hailsatan
Students in my Information Organization and Access course have an assignment where they make their own taxonomy on a topic of their choosing. One student did TV shows, and included I Think You Should Leave, and I felt obligated to include this comment.
October 23, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Students in my Information Organization and Access course have an assignment where they make their own taxonomy on a topic of their choosing. One student did TV shows, and included I Think You Should Leave, and I felt obligated to include this comment.
Found this incredible set of cels out of a 90s issue Excalibur (a spin off of X-Men) and fully intend to use it as the cover photo next time I teach Digital Preservation
September 30, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Found this incredible set of cels out of a 90s issue Excalibur (a spin off of X-Men) and fully intend to use it as the cover photo next time I teach Digital Preservation
New obsession is tracking down and playing a copy of the board game Dragon Strike which includes a corresponding VHS tape of footage corresponding to the game
September 16, 2025 at 3:06 PM
New obsession is tracking down and playing a copy of the board game Dragon Strike which includes a corresponding VHS tape of footage corresponding to the game
A bit belated but my favorite thing about presenting at the Northeast Historic Film Summer Symposium is always the setup which involves theater style projection. My second favorite thing is using that setup to sneak in absurd videos which this year involved Leroy Jenkins
July 20, 2025 at 2:52 AM
A bit belated but my favorite thing about presenting at the Northeast Historic Film Summer Symposium is always the setup which involves theater style projection. My second favorite thing is using that setup to sneak in absurd videos which this year involved Leroy Jenkins
I was messing around with the Guess the Game and am ashamed that I was able to instantly guess Facade based on one small corner of the room, but also reminded about the one week where me and @ashleyblewer.com became fixated on "winning" the game.
July 1, 2025 at 8:45 PM
I was messing around with the Guess the Game and am ashamed that I was able to instantly guess Facade based on one small corner of the room, but also reminded about the one week where me and @ashleyblewer.com became fixated on "winning" the game.
This would have been my dream car circa 2002
June 17, 2025 at 10:43 PM
This would have been my dream car circa 2002
Another student in their digital preservation video essay on preserving a UMD copy of Ghost Rider may have come up with a visual and mantra that I will share far and wide
May 6, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Another student in their digital preservation video essay on preserving a UMD copy of Ghost Rider may have come up with a visual and mantra that I will share far and wide
A highlight from a student video essay for my digital prez class. In it they tracked down obsolete hardware and software to preserve an N64 Memory Pack labeled "Sports," only to discover corrupted files. A fun, albeit disconcerting, example of the need for digital preservation work to be proactive.
May 6, 2025 at 2:58 PM
A highlight from a student video essay for my digital prez class. In it they tracked down obsolete hardware and software to preserve an N64 Memory Pack labeled "Sports," only to discover corrupted files. A fun, albeit disconcerting, example of the need for digital preservation work to be proactive.
Listen there has been a lot beautiful tech in the world but my personal favorite might be this Pioneer Laserdisc controller
April 30, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Listen there has been a lot beautiful tech in the world but my personal favorite might be this Pioneer Laserdisc controller
Found this Game Genie ad in a comic book and posted it to the back of my office door partly because I like the aesthetic and to help serve as a guiding principle 👾😎👽
April 23, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Found this Game Genie ad in a comic book and posted it to the back of my office door partly because I like the aesthetic and to help serve as a guiding principle 👾😎👽
We are talking formats in digital preservation this week, and there is only one tried and true way that I know to get students to explore the breadth and depth of formats
March 12, 2025 at 2:09 PM
We are talking formats in digital preservation this week, and there is only one tried and true way that I know to get students to explore the breadth and depth of formats
In my digital preservation class, we only discuss the most important cultural artifacts
March 5, 2025 at 3:39 PM
In my digital preservation class, we only discuss the most important cultural artifacts
I asked ChatGPT to generate a 1980s superhero called Digital Preservation Man (with the intent of talking through how digital preservation can't be a solo effort). Honestly, I would read this comic. However, it raises the question of who will digitally preserve the digital preservationist?
January 27, 2025 at 11:58 PM
I asked ChatGPT to generate a 1980s superhero called Digital Preservation Man (with the intent of talking through how digital preservation can't be a solo effort). Honestly, I would read this comic. However, it raises the question of who will digitally preserve the digital preservationist?
Cooking up something special using old formats to record new media #anapressisanapress
January 27, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Cooking up something special using old formats to record new media #anapressisanapress
I fear I have found the greatest YouTube playlist of all time
January 23, 2025 at 3:39 PM
I fear I have found the greatest YouTube playlist of all time
I'm working on the course shell for my digital preservation course and went with this gem from Season 1 of Buffy. Apologies for the size of the image; it is from the 2000s internet.
December 31, 2024 at 5:37 PM
I'm working on the course shell for my digital preservation course and went with this gem from Season 1 of Buffy. Apologies for the size of the image; it is from the 2000s internet.
When you get a book about an obsolete media format with supplemental materials on that format, you can also use it to test some hardware in your office—bonus points for anyone who can identify the media player amidst the black lines of misaligned refresh rates.
December 18, 2024 at 9:27 PM
When you get a book about an obsolete media format with supplemental materials on that format, you can also use it to test some hardware in your office—bonus points for anyone who can identify the media player amidst the black lines of misaligned refresh rates.
According to Spotify Wrapped someone was really going through some things and that someone was me
December 5, 2024 at 12:41 AM
According to Spotify Wrapped someone was really going through some things and that someone was me
Getting a bit silly mid presentation with my wonderful collaborator
September 16, 2024 at 8:25 PM
Getting a bit silly mid presentation with my wonderful collaborator