I'm a big fan of blocking I/O

Tamara (she/her) / Computer Science PhD / IG: Tamaraniac grad school diary & studyblr

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Today’s reading: Lomawaima, K.T. (1999). “Unnatural history of American Indian education”

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Reading today about better typing programs, what fundamental parts of programming can be learned through parred-down languages, and about how computer science principles are a social construct !! / IG: tamaraniac

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Books to read if you liked The Social Dilemma and want to learn more about social media, algorithms, & society:

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• Reclaiming Conversation by Sherry Turkle — my personal favorite. Grounded in media studies and sociology, presents more of a reframing than elimination approach. • Data and Goliath by Bruce Schneier — more deeply about the data and it’s interpretations than about societal impact, and touches on ad auctions (the key to how the economics operates) too! • Twitter and Tear Gas by Zeynep Tufekci — about the good and bad of how social media has changed political movements and protest. • Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil — how ‘black box’ “algorithms” detriment our society when used to make big decisions. Author was featured in the film. • The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff — introduces the term surveillance capitalism and how it affects our media and economies. Author was featured in the film. • American Kingpin by Nick Bilton — a narrative non-fiction story that I think uniquely highlights how tech leaders move towards money making, and how fringe ideologies spread online. • A Human’s Guide to Machine Intelligence by Kartik Hosanagar — I’ve only read excerpts from this, but it seems to do a good job of breaking down how these “algorithmic” systems work and how they can affect us *beyond* social media.I also have a lot of Thoughts ™ about the documentary, specifically on it’s centering of young adults when all people need protection in these systems, and how it seems to equate childhood internet uses with the relatively recent popular social medias of the world (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Tik Tok) when non-advertising exploratory computer-based childhood spaces have LONG existed for kids who are interested in interacting with other children they don’t have IRL access to. Basically, PLS slide into my DMs if you want to discuss.Ok thanks to anyone who read this long, bye!

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When you see another one of your advisor’s students in the zoom chat of an online research seminar

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being a new college grad in a pandemic is really fun because you can’t go anywhere, you don’t get to see any of the people you learned to care about over the last four years, and without closure or the chance to try new things it’s hard to feel like your life has direction !

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This would be such a cute spot to study in normal times, but I only sat down for the photo 🥺

I’ve been surprisingly productive today, even though it’s gray and gloomy. I did some readings, researched publication venues to see if there’s anywhere that might take my funky little undergraduate thesis, attended an engineering education seminar, and drank a lot of tea and coffee.

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Attended some zoom classes from my new desk space & went for a little stroll around the city / IG: tamaraniac

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Second day of computer science PhD school !! (and my birthday)

Met with my advisor to discuss what research project I’ll be starting this term – I’m lucky enough to be on fellowship this year, so I have my pick of whatever sounds interesting

My lovely parents had some local businesses deliver gluten-free cupcakes and a giant bouquet of flowers

Attended the first meeting of my Human-Computer Interaction course

Did house chores

Ordered some sushi for dinner

Yesterday:

Read a book chapter draft my advisor sent me

Attended my first lab meeting