peter forberg
@peterforberg.com
UC Berkeley sociology // prev UChicago
technology, political mobilization, governance, ideology, birding
peterforberg.com // signal: pforberg.26
technology, political mobilization, governance, ideology, birding
peterforberg.com // signal: pforberg.26
Pinned
peter forberg
@peterforberg.com
· Nov 12
hello! grateful to all the new followers! I mostly lay low on here, but I am a sociology PhD student who studies political mobilization, digital technology, and data ethics. I used to run a research newsletter on QAnon, and I'll link some recent work below!
fantastic piece from @marionf.bsky.social and @kjhealy.co that provides tools for thinking about surveillance, knowledge, identity, and much more
it links pressing issues, from DOGE to AI cheating, that demonstrate how our Faustian bargain with infinite data and infinite content is playing out
it links pressing issues, from DOGE to AI cheating, that demonstrate how our Faustian bargain with infinite data and infinite content is playing out
Data has created a new and paradoxical social order: the promise of emancipation is made possible by classifying everything buff.ly/PAqIygo
September 4, 2025 at 2:41 PM
fantastic piece from @marionf.bsky.social and @kjhealy.co that provides tools for thinking about surveillance, knowledge, identity, and much more
it links pressing issues, from DOGE to AI cheating, that demonstrate how our Faustian bargain with infinite data and infinite content is playing out
it links pressing issues, from DOGE to AI cheating, that demonstrate how our Faustian bargain with infinite data and infinite content is playing out
hello #ASA2025! K. Schilt and I will be talking about research ethics, vulnerable populations, and legal attempts to access confidential data on Sunday during this great and wide-ranging paper session! it will be...relevant to "contemporary issues" facing our discipline. also PS I'm at ASA say hi :)
August 9, 2025 at 12:13 PM
hello #ASA2025! K. Schilt and I will be talking about research ethics, vulnerable populations, and legal attempts to access confidential data on Sunday during this great and wide-ranging paper session! it will be...relevant to "contemporary issues" facing our discipline. also PS I'm at ASA say hi :)
Reposted by peter forberg
DISASTROUS. This means they will send people to horrific situations with no due process — in direct violation of promises the Solicitor General made to the Court in previous cases.
This greenlights sending people to be enslaved in Libya or tortured in any random foreign country.
This greenlights sending people to be enslaved in Libya or tortured in any random foreign country.
#BREAKING: Over a (sharp) public dissent from the three Democratic appointees, #SCOTUS clears the way for the Trump administration to remove migrants to third countries *without* giving them an additional opportunity to contest whether they face persecution or other forms of mistreatment there:
www.supremecourt.gov
June 23, 2025 at 8:36 PM
DISASTROUS. This means they will send people to horrific situations with no due process — in direct violation of promises the Solicitor General made to the Court in previous cases.
This greenlights sending people to be enslaved in Libya or tortured in any random foreign country.
This greenlights sending people to be enslaved in Libya or tortured in any random foreign country.
The day after, essentially no (@nytimes.com @npr.org) or minimal (@apnews.com @cnn.com) front page coverage of one of the largest protests in US history.
This: 1) cedes narrative control to RW "riot" narratives; 2) makes the military parade the leading edge of Trump-obsessed media, and...
This: 1) cedes narrative control to RW "riot" narratives; 2) makes the military parade the leading edge of Trump-obsessed media, and...
I'm sorry but the largest protest of my lifetime is not the 7th or 8th biggest news story in the country behind "what does Gen Z want from Instagram?" This shit is humiliating. Rearrange your layout to meet this moment. Omitting the thing happening in every American city is malpractice.
June 15, 2025 at 8:05 PM
The day after, essentially no (@nytimes.com @npr.org) or minimal (@apnews.com @cnn.com) front page coverage of one of the largest protests in US history.
This: 1) cedes narrative control to RW "riot" narratives; 2) makes the military parade the leading edge of Trump-obsessed media, and...
This: 1) cedes narrative control to RW "riot" narratives; 2) makes the military parade the leading edge of Trump-obsessed media, and...
Oracular, protagonistic ideas espoused by chatbots are reminiscent of doomsday cult beliefs. Theorists have long argued that such "cults" rely on members' social support: echo chambers + cognitive dissonance. But not so for chatbots! It's a dissonance chamber and the "social" is a technical trick.
June 13, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Oracular, protagonistic ideas espoused by chatbots are reminiscent of doomsday cult beliefs. Theorists have long argued that such "cults" rely on members' social support: echo chambers + cognitive dissonance. But not so for chatbots! It's a dissonance chamber and the "social" is a technical trick.
this is the same kind of magical thinking that we see with AI and generally techno utopianism
why have proactive, preventative initiatives if we have magic?
which is exceptionally absurd when they are gutting the only funding that could even hypothetically "reanimate" the dead
why have proactive, preventative initiatives if we have magic?
which is exceptionally absurd when they are gutting the only funding that could even hypothetically "reanimate" the dead
in case you're wondering, "what's the harm in claiming an extinct species has been brought back from the dead" when it most certainly has not, our interior secretary is already using it to justify taking animals off the endangered species list
April 8, 2025 at 9:33 PM
this is the same kind of magical thinking that we see with AI and generally techno utopianism
why have proactive, preventative initiatives if we have magic?
which is exceptionally absurd when they are gutting the only funding that could even hypothetically "reanimate" the dead
why have proactive, preventative initiatives if we have magic?
which is exceptionally absurd when they are gutting the only funding that could even hypothetically "reanimate" the dead
ah yes what's that famous quotation?
something about "millionaires see themselves as temporarily embarrassed coal miners"
something about "millionaires see themselves as temporarily embarrassed coal miners"
Trump: "One thing I learned about the coal miners -- that's what they want to do. You could give them a penthouse on 5th Avenue and a different kind of a job and they'd be unhappy. They want to mine coal. She was gonna put them in a high tech industry where you make little cell phones and things."
April 8, 2025 at 9:24 PM
ah yes what's that famous quotation?
something about "millionaires see themselves as temporarily embarrassed coal miners"
something about "millionaires see themselves as temporarily embarrassed coal miners"
Two concepts to help explain the persistence of MAGA support: First, there's "conspiracy fictioning + hyperstition" from @ddzeeuw.bsky.social and Gekker:
When Trump claims the economy is rigged by foreign interests, then acts as if it is, he creates the original conditions for his conspiracy theory
When Trump claims the economy is rigged by foreign interests, then acts as if it is, he creates the original conditions for his conspiracy theory
9/9 And another angle on the same dynamic:
Trump’s approval is holding up very well with Maga, but he’s rapidly losing support among the rest of the coalition who voted for him in November.
Or to put it another way, the view from inside the Maga echo chamber remains rosy. Outside, not so much...
Trump’s approval is holding up very well with Maga, but he’s rapidly losing support among the rest of the coalition who voted for him in November.
Or to put it another way, the view from inside the Maga echo chamber remains rosy. Outside, not so much...
April 4, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Two concepts to help explain the persistence of MAGA support: First, there's "conspiracy fictioning + hyperstition" from @ddzeeuw.bsky.social and Gekker:
When Trump claims the economy is rigged by foreign interests, then acts as if it is, he creates the original conditions for his conspiracy theory
When Trump claims the economy is rigged by foreign interests, then acts as if it is, he creates the original conditions for his conspiracy theory
Reposted by peter forberg
I’ve long used FiveThirtyEight’s interactive “Hack Your Way To Scientific Glory” to illustrate the idea of p-hacking when I teach statistics. But ABC/Disney killed the site earlier this month :(
So I made my own with #rstats and Observable and #QuartoPub ! stats.andrewheiss.com/hack-your-way/
So I made my own with #rstats and Observable and #QuartoPub ! stats.andrewheiss.com/hack-your-way/
March 20, 2025 at 6:30 PM
I’ve long used FiveThirtyEight’s interactive “Hack Your Way To Scientific Glory” to illustrate the idea of p-hacking when I teach statistics. But ABC/Disney killed the site earlier this month :(
So I made my own with #rstats and Observable and #QuartoPub ! stats.andrewheiss.com/hack-your-way/
So I made my own with #rstats and Observable and #QuartoPub ! stats.andrewheiss.com/hack-your-way/
Reposted by peter forberg
Are you working in a setting where historical data is at risk of being lost/erased/removed? Let the OAH know. I think this is an important way to account for what's there now so that we understand what goes missing. You can fill out the form anonymously. #historysky
www.oah.org/2025/03/12/r...
www.oah.org/2025/03/12/r...
OAH | Records at Risk Data Collection InitiativeOAH | Records at Risk Data Collection Initiative
www.oah.org
March 13, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Are you working in a setting where historical data is at risk of being lost/erased/removed? Let the OAH know. I think this is an important way to account for what's there now so that we understand what goes missing. You can fill out the form anonymously. #historysky
www.oah.org/2025/03/12/r...
www.oah.org/2025/03/12/r...
Reposted by peter forberg
This is a fascinating, disturbing, and complicated piece from @nberlat.bsky.social.
Martin Niemöller Was an Antisemite www.everythingishorrible.net/p/martin-nie...
Martin Niemöller Was an Antisemite www.everythingishorrible.net/p/martin-nie...
Martin Niemöller Was an Antisemite
His poem was not about indifference.
www.everythingishorrible.net
February 17, 2025 at 1:59 PM
This is a fascinating, disturbing, and complicated piece from @nberlat.bsky.social.
Martin Niemöller Was an Antisemite www.everythingishorrible.net/p/martin-nie...
Martin Niemöller Was an Antisemite www.everythingishorrible.net/p/martin-nie...
Reposted by peter forberg
Critical Sociology compiled Michael Burawoy's articles and allowed free access.
I hope other journals will do the same.
journals.sagepub.com/page/crs/vir...
I hope other journals will do the same.
journals.sagepub.com/page/crs/vir...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
February 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Critical Sociology compiled Michael Burawoy's articles and allowed free access.
I hope other journals will do the same.
journals.sagepub.com/page/crs/vir...
I hope other journals will do the same.
journals.sagepub.com/page/crs/vir...
Reposted by peter forberg
FANTASTIC
ICPSR at U Mich is coordinating the archiving of at-risk federal data (all of it?)
You can upload data you have & search for data you don’t have
www.datalumos.org/datalumos/
ICPSR at U Mich is coordinating the archiving of at-risk federal data (all of it?)
You can upload data you have & search for data you don’t have
www.datalumos.org/datalumos/
February 14, 2025 at 4:52 PM
FANTASTIC
ICPSR at U Mich is coordinating the archiving of at-risk federal data (all of it?)
You can upload data you have & search for data you don’t have
www.datalumos.org/datalumos/
ICPSR at U Mich is coordinating the archiving of at-risk federal data (all of it?)
You can upload data you have & search for data you don’t have
www.datalumos.org/datalumos/
Halfway through the Zuckerberg interview: We cannot separate his criticism of the Biden admin from the massive fines Meta has faced in the EU. He makes a tacit link between the politicization of Big Tech and the US's decision to abandon tech companies to places that disregard "the rule of law."
January 10, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Halfway through the Zuckerberg interview: We cannot separate his criticism of the Biden admin from the massive fines Meta has faced in the EU. He makes a tacit link between the politicization of Big Tech and the US's decision to abandon tech companies to places that disregard "the rule of law."
Reposted by peter forberg
We lost our house in the Eaton Fire. We're safe, but the level of devastation is impossible to convey. I won't be able to work for a while, so if you want to support us, I'd appreciate a Patreon subscription or buying one of my books. It will help.
www.patreon.com/MikeRothschild
www.patreon.com/MikeRothschild
www.patreon.com
January 9, 2025 at 6:00 PM
We lost our house in the Eaton Fire. We're safe, but the level of devastation is impossible to convey. I won't be able to work for a while, so if you want to support us, I'd appreciate a Patreon subscription or buying one of my books. It will help.
www.patreon.com/MikeRothschild
www.patreon.com/MikeRothschild
Reposted by peter forberg
With each update, tools like Midjourney promise us more »realistic« representations – but the »reality« these images represent has often little to do with the one we live in. Rather, they are best described as »Platform Realism,« a second-order aesthetic of generic images. A thread ...
1/9
1/9
August 20, 2023 at 10:00 AM
With each update, tools like Midjourney promise us more »realistic« representations – but the »reality« these images represent has often little to do with the one we live in. Rather, they are best described as »Platform Realism,« a second-order aesthetic of generic images. A thread ...
1/9
1/9
Reposted by peter forberg
Outraged by Jan 6, he spent two years getting inside the top ranks of militias like the Oath Keepers. He was stunningly successful. He penetrated a new generation of militia leaders, which included doctors, cops & government attorneys.
This is his story. www.propublica.org/article/ap3-...
This is his story. www.propublica.org/article/ap3-...
A Mole Infiltrated the Highest Ranks of American Militias. This Is What He Found.
Outraged by the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, a wilderness survival trainer spent years undercover climbing the ranks of right-wing militias. He didn’t tell police or the FBI. He didn’t tell family or friends....
www.propublica.org
January 4, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Outraged by Jan 6, he spent two years getting inside the top ranks of militias like the Oath Keepers. He was stunningly successful. He penetrated a new generation of militia leaders, which included doctors, cops & government attorneys.
This is his story. www.propublica.org/article/ap3-...
This is his story. www.propublica.org/article/ap3-...
AI letting you publish a book for yourself, AI letting you have a social media platform dedicated to yourself, AI letting you have a relationship all by yourself...
...to riff on Fisher, it's solipsistic hedonia, all the pleasure of recognition without any of the people, processes, and communities.
...to riff on Fisher, it's solipsistic hedonia, all the pleasure of recognition without any of the people, processes, and communities.
November 25, 2024 at 6:36 PM
AI letting you publish a book for yourself, AI letting you have a social media platform dedicated to yourself, AI letting you have a relationship all by yourself...
...to riff on Fisher, it's solipsistic hedonia, all the pleasure of recognition without any of the people, processes, and communities.
...to riff on Fisher, it's solipsistic hedonia, all the pleasure of recognition without any of the people, processes, and communities.
Optimist: The cup is half full.
Pessimist: The cup is half empty.
Sociologist: The "full/empty" opposition represents the categories with which we classify the social world—when we classify the cup as "full" we classify ourselves as one who sees the cup as "full," a member of the "full" class
Pessimist: The cup is half empty.
Sociologist: The "full/empty" opposition represents the categories with which we classify the social world—when we classify the cup as "full" we classify ourselves as one who sees the cup as "full," a member of the "full" class
Optimist: The cup is half full.
Pessimist: The cup is half empty.
Historian: The cup, 1789-1914
Pessimist: The cup is half empty.
Historian: The cup, 1789-1914
November 23, 2024 at 8:45 PM
Optimist: The cup is half full.
Pessimist: The cup is half empty.
Sociologist: The "full/empty" opposition represents the categories with which we classify the social world—when we classify the cup as "full" we classify ourselves as one who sees the cup as "full," a member of the "full" class
Pessimist: The cup is half empty.
Sociologist: The "full/empty" opposition represents the categories with which we classify the social world—when we classify the cup as "full" we classify ourselves as one who sees the cup as "full," a member of the "full" class
Reposted by peter forberg
✨New from @ryanmoore.bsky.social me @peterforberg.bsky.social & Hancock in #CSCW2024. We take a mixed-methods approach to studying American's exposure to QAnon, finding those on the political extremes are most likely to be exposed, but with distinct types of consumers dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
November 12, 2024 at 6:55 PM
✨New from @ryanmoore.bsky.social me @peterforberg.bsky.social & Hancock in #CSCW2024. We take a mixed-methods approach to studying American's exposure to QAnon, finding those on the political extremes are most likely to be exposed, but with distinct types of consumers dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
hello! grateful to all the new followers! I mostly lay low on here, but I am a sociology PhD student who studies political mobilization, digital technology, and data ethics. I used to run a research newsletter on QAnon, and I'll link some recent work below!
November 12, 2024 at 5:42 PM
hello! grateful to all the new followers! I mostly lay low on here, but I am a sociology PhD student who studies political mobilization, digital technology, and data ethics. I used to run a research newsletter on QAnon, and I'll link some recent work below!
Reposted by peter forberg
Our team is tracking election rumors, publishing rapid analyses, predictions for what to expect on Election Day, and tools for understanding and explaining how specific rumors mislead. We plan to be very busy this coming week. Follow us on Substack to keep up: uwcip.substack.com
November 1, 2024 at 2:09 AM
Our team is tracking election rumors, publishing rapid analyses, predictions for what to expect on Election Day, and tools for understanding and explaining how specific rumors mislead. We plan to be very busy this coming week. Follow us on Substack to keep up: uwcip.substack.com
Reposted by peter forberg
New from me, as we lead up to the 2024 presidential election:
A video explainer about the how the election denial movement has developed a very real & dangerous partnership with the QAnon community.
A video explainer about the how the election denial movement has developed a very real & dangerous partnership with the QAnon community.
Why Election Deniers Love QAnon
YouTube video by Media Matters
www.youtube.com
November 1, 2024 at 5:11 PM
New from me, as we lead up to the 2024 presidential election:
A video explainer about the how the election denial movement has developed a very real & dangerous partnership with the QAnon community.
A video explainer about the how the election denial movement has developed a very real & dangerous partnership with the QAnon community.