Group Photo IndieWebCamp West - Eat Your Own Cooking Pre Party
Zoom 4x4 grid of party attendees including two with ukeleles!

I had a great time tonight with an awesome crowd of creatives at the online Zoom pre-party for IndieWebCamp West. If tonight’s turn out is any indicator, we’re going to have a lot of fun and learn a lot this weekend.

My favorite idea of the night, hopefully coming soon: HTML6, the <login> tag!

👤: (left to right, top to bottom) David Shanske, Chris Aldrich, Scott Gruber, Beto Dealmeida, Kim, Ana Ulin, Joseph Dickson, Sarah Hibner, Aaron Parecki, Lillian Karabaic, Jason McIntosh, Ki, Jacky Alciné, Steve Williams, Greg McVerry, Ryan Barrett, gRegor Morrill, Fluffy

Replied to Symposium on Artificial Intelligence in 21st Century Education 2018 (youtube.com)
Artificial Intelligence in 21st Century Education
13:00 – 14:15
Probe 3: How might an ethically and morally-informed AI be conceived in a culturally diverse global context? How might we realize a more equitably-designed, developed and deployed AI in light of the rate and range of disruption some have forecast as inevitable?
Panel: Abhishek Gupta, Nevena Francetic, Stephen Downes and video clips of Timnit Gebru & Rediet Abebe
Facilitator: Tylor Burrows
For the #e21sym question about Amazon’s AI discriminating against women, we do have some control. This article about how Sears helped to provide equality in the Jim Crow south is a great historical example of how economics can create equality: https://boffosocko.com/2018/10/18/searss-radical-past-how-mail-order-catalogues-subverted-the-racial-hierarchy-of-jim-crow-washington-post/

Bug: My Profile link in footer directs to incorrect URL

Filed an Issue gRegorLove/indiebookclub (GitHub)
indiebookclub is a simple app for tracking books you are reading https://indiebookclub.biz
When logged in the “My Profile” button in the footer of my page directs to https://indiebookclub.biz/users/www.boffosocko.com which gives a “Page not found notice”.

If I go to https://indiebookclub.biz/users/boffosocko.com instead, then the page resolves and shows the profile page I would expect.

Calculating the Middle Ages?

Bookmarked Calculating the Middle Ages? The Project "Complexities and Networks in the Medieval Mediterranean and Near East" (COMMED) [1606.03433] (arxiv.org)
The project "Complexities and networks in the Medieval Mediterranean and Near East" (COMMED) at the Division for Byzantine Research of the Institute for Medieval Research (IMAFO) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences focuses on the adaptation and development of concepts and tools of network theory and complexity sciences for the analysis of societies, polities and regions in the medieval world in a comparative perspective. Key elements of its methodological and technological toolkit are applied, for instance, in the new project "Mapping medieval conflicts: a digital approach towards political dynamics in the pre-modern period" (MEDCON), which analyses political networks and conflict among power elites across medieval Europe with five case studies from the 12th to 15th century. For one of these case studies on 14th century Byzantium, the explanatory value of this approach is presented in greater detail. The presented results are integrated in a wider comparison of five late medieval polities across Afro-Eurasia (Byzantium, China, England, Hungary and Mamluk Egypt) against the background of the {guillemotright}Late Medieval Crisis{guillemotleft} and its political and environmental turmoil. Finally, further perspectives of COMMED are outlined.

Network and Complexity Theory Applied to History

This interesting paper (summary below) appears to apply network and complexity science to history and is sure to be of interest to those working at the intersection of some of these types of interdisciplinary studies. In particular, I’d be curious to see more coming out of this type of area to support theses written by scholars like Francis Fukuyama in the development of societal structures. Those interested in the emerging area of Big History are sure to enjoy this type of treatment. I’m also curious how researchers in economics (like Cesar Hidalgo) might make use of available(?) historical data in such related analyses. I’m curious if Dave Harris might consider such an analysis in his ancient Near East work?

Those interested in a synopsis of the paper might find some benefit from an overview from MIT Technology Review: How the New Science of Computational History Is Changing the Study of the Past.

Listened to Key Takeaways from the Trump's Affidavit Release from The Brian Lehrer Show | WNYC
Katie Benner, Justice Department reporter at The New York Times, joins with takeaways and the latest news from the release of the affidavit in the FBI search of former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

Some interesting and useful depth here beyond a lot of the usual political rhetoric.
Liked Announcing the IndieWebCamp Austin speakers by Manton Reece (manton.org)
I’m happy to announce that we have 3 short keynotes planned for the first morning of IndieWebCamp Austin! After coffee and breakfast tacos, we’ll get the day started with an introduction to the schedule and our featured speakers. Natalie Hester — Natalie keeps a gratitude journal on Micro.blo...
Acquired 1980 Brother Charger 11 Correction Typewriter by Brother (Nagoya, Japan) (ShopGoodwill.com)
A blue metal portable typewriter with black plastic keys and a black plastic case/cover.
JP-1 model, 3rd Variation.
Serial Number: C03184679 (March 1980).
It needs a serious clean out from the flecks of white out from a prior user’s use of the black and white correction ribbon that originally came with these machines. Generally in good condition given it’s age. It’ll need some work on the ribbon advance set up in both directions and is missing a shift key cap. Other than a few small niggling issues that will get fixed in the clean, oil, and adjustment process, this will be an easy machine to resurrect to like new condition.

It’ll also give me a sample machine so that I know what’s wrong with my other Brother Charger 11’s backspace mechanics, for which I think a piece is physically missing.

When I’m done cleaning it up, either this one or my other will be re-homed to someone who needs to have a typewriter.

Long view of a blue Brother Charger 11 typewriter with its black plastic case/cover standing behind it. To the left side are some gold glitter Christmas tree ornaments.

Front view down onto a Brother Charger 11 featuring a keyboard with white letters on black plastic keys.

Black plastic case on a Brother Charger 11 typewriter.