Oliver Marsh

New post on #AI and #disinfo. I argue for learning lessons from *actually* consequential disinformation - even when it's less technologically exciting - and not being distracted by AI hype and debunked pope images https://www.oliver-marsh.com/post/sideways-looks-29-a-i-pril-fools-also-dating-data

👋🐘. I'm Oliver, I think & write & research around #techpolicy and #socialmedia.

Past work includes a PhD on rationality & emotion online, time in the UK govt (helped set up a #counterdisinfo unit in no10 downing street, plus brexit-related data policy), work with various thinktanks, and occasional research-related standup comedy. More here: https://www.oliver-marsh.com/post/2022-writing

Now based in Berlin 🇩🇪 and looking for employment if you know of any!

Looking forward to a healthy information space here 😊

Stuck in with covid so I wrote a social sciencey take on #Musk and #Twitter and why I'm worried about some of the commentary around it all.

https://www.oliver-marsh.com/post/sideways-looks-25-musk-micro-macro

(My blog Sideways Looks is about technology & society, data & politics, and also bonus fun trivia. You can subscribe at the link above)

@mmin@assemblag.es yes I think this is really important, there's an issue of balancing robust criticism without both sides sounding dismissive / antagonistic of the other (which I think happens a lot at present...)

Q out of curiosity: What's your favourite academic paper (or similar think-piece) that you read this year? Of any discipline.

Mine is probably @mikarv@someone.elses.computer and @lilianedwards@someone.elses.computer 'Slave to the Algorithm? Why a 'Right to an Explanation' Is Probably Not the Remedy You Are Looking For' - https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/dltr/vol16/iss1/2/ - but need to think more.

#academicmastodon #reading

#Socialscience #socialmedia and #InfoOps people might be interested in this - a really powerful capability from CASM Technology and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
https://beamdisinfo.org/#

#Techpolicy folks - all the reading and discussions I'm having around the Digital Services Act (DSA) seen to suggest the actual practical enforcement will be very messy (e.g. the below). Can anyone offer a contrary view?

https://cdt.org/insights/a-series-on-the-eu-digital-services-act-ensuring-effective-enforcement/

@lilianedwards@someone.elses.computer very true! Psychologically it all feels so different to 2020...

@lilianedwards@someone.elses.computer oh sorry to hear, hope you're doing ok. I'm feeling fine and last time I had it I missed being a best man so this time is an improvement!

@riovictoire@infosec.exchange I shall ask!

Report on antisemitism on #Twitter after Musk takeover - which found more than 2x in volumes of posts and a surge in new accounts - I worked on with CASM & the Institute for Strategic Dialogue: https://www.isdglobal.org/isd-publications/antisemitism-on-twitter-before-and-after-elon-musks-acquisition/

Relatedly, here's my piece on worrying #data barriers #socialmedia platforms are creating to data access which makes this kind of research harder: https://www.oliver-marsh.com/post/sideways-looks-28-twitter-s-latest-bad-thing-also-peanut-butter-rap

@joenoonan apparently before filming he had a conversation with the director where he told him "I'm going to approach this as if I was acting opposite the Royal Shakespeare Company"

@lilianedwards@someone.elses.computer @mikarv@someone.elses.computer interesting, thanks!

@lilianedwards@someone.elses.computer @mikarv@someone.elses.computer out of interest do you think the situation has improved since you wrote it...?