Tim Elfenbein
@timelfen.bsky.social
Principal of Forthcoming LLC, a publishing consultancy; Member of @limnpress.bsky.social editorial collective; Researcher & practitioner of scholarly publishing; Digital explorer–analog sailor; @timelfen@assemblag.es on Mastodon; Victim of meaning.
Today in customer service chats with a corporate behemoth.
November 4, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Today in customer service chats with a corporate behemoth.
Saint Martin notes #14
October 30, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Saint Martin notes #14
Saint Martin notes: #13
October 29, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Saint Martin notes: #13
Correctly parsing institutions, matching them to RORs, & linking to author profiles is hard, I get it. The corrective measures OpenAlex has are inadequate (I can't fix the errors in my profile).
What frustrate are the assumptions built into the system, & for perverse purposes: rankings.
What frustrate are the assumptions built into the system, & for perverse purposes: rankings.
October 27, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Correctly parsing institutions, matching them to RORs, & linking to author profiles is hard, I get it. The corrective measures OpenAlex has are inadequate (I can't fix the errors in my profile).
What frustrate are the assumptions built into the system, & for perverse purposes: rankings.
What frustrate are the assumptions built into the system, & for perverse purposes: rankings.
Part of the issue is that OpenAlex is harvesting & parsing metadata from existing works & the assumption seems to be author of a work *must* have an institutional affiliation. So when I co-author a piece & they can't identify an affiliation for me, they apply my co-author's affiliations.
October 27, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Part of the issue is that OpenAlex is harvesting & parsing metadata from existing works & the assumption seems to be author of a work *must* have an institutional affiliation. So when I co-author a piece & they can't identify an affiliation for me, they apply my co-author's affiliations.
Six weeks after filling it up in Wisconsin, the container is opened in Saint Martin.
October 25, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Six weeks after filling it up in Wisconsin, the container is opened in Saint Martin.
Saint Martin notes: #12
October 24, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Saint Martin notes: #12
Saint Martin notes: #11
October 21, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Saint Martin notes: #11
The announcement included this tidbit about SILS's relatively new dean. I don't imagine plans for the new school weren't already underway during Bardzell's hiring. Perhaps he wanted to be Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Vice Provost for AI all along. Will he be embarrassed in 3 years?
October 17, 2025 at 5:02 PM
The announcement included this tidbit about SILS's relatively new dean. I don't imagine plans for the new school weren't already underway during Bardzell's hiring. Perhaps he wanted to be Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Vice Provost for AI all along. Will he be embarrassed in 3 years?
Just another day in the life of someone volunteering his infrastructural labor for an under-resourced scholarly publication.
October 16, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Just another day in the life of someone volunteering his infrastructural labor for an under-resourced scholarly publication.
Saint Martin notes: #10
So much winning.
So much winning.
October 14, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Saint Martin notes: #10
So much winning.
So much winning.
Saint Martin notes: #9
October 13, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Saint Martin notes: #9
All happening while I’m trying to read JD Peters on the sea as a medium.
October 1, 2025 at 1:44 PM
All happening while I’m trying to read JD Peters on the sea as a medium.
Saint Martin notes: #8
In Philipsburg this morning on an unsuccessful trip to get car insurance. Now sitting at a beach-side coffee shop, watching the tourists streaming off the recently arrived cruise ship. The merchants & tour guides prepare for the day’s catch.
In Philipsburg this morning on an unsuccessful trip to get car insurance. Now sitting at a beach-side coffee shop, watching the tourists streaming off the recently arrived cruise ship. The merchants & tour guides prepare for the day’s catch.
October 1, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Saint Martin notes: #8
In Philipsburg this morning on an unsuccessful trip to get car insurance. Now sitting at a beach-side coffee shop, watching the tourists streaming off the recently arrived cruise ship. The merchants & tour guides prepare for the day’s catch.
In Philipsburg this morning on an unsuccessful trip to get car insurance. Now sitting at a beach-side coffee shop, watching the tourists streaming off the recently arrived cruise ship. The merchants & tour guides prepare for the day’s catch.
Saint Martin notes: #7
October 1, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Saint Martin notes: #7
Saint Martin notes: #6
September 28, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Saint Martin notes: #6
Saint Martin notes: #5
They knew we were coming
They knew we were coming
September 18, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Saint Martin notes: #5
They knew we were coming
They knew we were coming
Saint Martin notes: #4
September 18, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Saint Martin notes: #4
Saint Martin notes: #2
September 16, 2025 at 3:40 AM
Saint Martin notes: #2
Saint Martin notes: #1
September 15, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Saint Martin notes: #1
This is what happens when you let midwesterns on the beach.
September 11, 2025 at 6:55 PM
This is what happens when you let midwesterns on the beach.
And just like that, after 6 years, we’re leaving Wisconsin. On to the next adventure, this time in the Caribbean.
September 10, 2025 at 9:47 AM
And just like that, after 6 years, we’re leaving Wisconsin. On to the next adventure, this time in the Caribbean.
Deaccessioning aftermath: part of processing each book was removing receipts, bookmarks, airline ticket stubs, etc. About 1/2 of my books had bookmarks, most from the store I bought them.
A representative sample of fine used books stores from around the country.
A representative sample of fine used books stores from around the country.
September 7, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Deaccessioning aftermath: part of processing each book was removing receipts, bookmarks, airline ticket stubs, etc. About 1/2 of my books had bookmarks, most from the store I bought them.
A representative sample of fine used books stores from around the country.
A representative sample of fine used books stores from around the country.
The recipe book created by my 3rd grade class. Most of the kids’ recipes where quite clearly those of their anxious-to-impress parents: soufflés, egge dosis, quiche lorrainne, etc. My mother understood the assignment & had me write up (& illustrate) my own egg recipe for an “egg samwich.”
September 7, 2025 at 6:13 PM
The recipe book created by my 3rd grade class. Most of the kids’ recipes where quite clearly those of their anxious-to-impress parents: soufflés, egge dosis, quiche lorrainne, etc. My mother understood the assignment & had me write up (& illustrate) my own egg recipe for an “egg samwich.”
The categorization problem the misc drawer best solved was the keep/throw-out dilemma.
Now one day before the movers arrive, this is the contents of our misc. drawer. With no more time to delay our decision, I think it’s all just going in the bin.
Now one day before the movers arrive, this is the contents of our misc. drawer. With no more time to delay our decision, I think it’s all just going in the bin.
September 7, 2025 at 4:51 PM
The categorization problem the misc drawer best solved was the keep/throw-out dilemma.
Now one day before the movers arrive, this is the contents of our misc. drawer. With no more time to delay our decision, I think it’s all just going in the bin.
Now one day before the movers arrive, this is the contents of our misc. drawer. With no more time to delay our decision, I think it’s all just going in the bin.