Tessa Gengnagel

Tessa Gengnagel

@tesstess.bsky.social

Coordinator @ CCeH. #DigitalHumanities. Digital scholarly editions. History, art history, film studies. Formerly co-host of Coding Codices, founding member of the Digital Medievalist Postgrad Committee.

548 followers424 following62 posts

Tessa Gengnagel reposted

Roopika Risam
@roopikarisam.bsky.social

A little bit later than usual (blame President Obama), but @jenguiliano.bsky.social and I are happy to share the July issue of #ReviewsInDH. Don't miss this fantastic issue from Asian & Asian Diaspora Studies editor @alizhorvathaliz.bsky.social, on microhistories. reviewsindh.pubpub.org/v7-n7

reviewsindh.pubpub.orgVolume 7, No. 7: July 2026 - Microhistories · Reviews in Digital HumanitiesVol. 7, No. 7 of Reviews in Digital Humanities, a peer-reviewed journal that facilitates scholarly evaluation of digital humanities work and its outputs, edited by Jennifer Guiliano (Indiana Universit...

Tessa Gengnagel reposted

Ted Underwood
@tedunderwood.com

My secret, Cap, is that I'm *always* angry about old books. For instance, here's a tiny slice of the millions of books 1931-1986 that have no commercial value, that are digitized, but that we're unable to use in large-scale research because they are illegal to share or display.

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

#DH2026 was a wonderfully organized conference. Things that I'll remember: the kindness of strangers; the sunset over the misty mountains; the music; the trees ❤️ Meeting people familiar and new. For now, time to return and hope I can come back to SK some day. 감사합니다 @dh2026daejeon.bsky.social.

Tessa Gengnagel reposted

Roopika Risam
@roopikarisam.bsky.social

I am absolutely gobsmacked. And trying not to pass out from hyperventilating. Thank you @barackobama.bsky.social — you just made my secret dream for DATA EMPIRE, spoken aloud to NO ONE, come true.

Barack Obama@barackobama.bsky.social

It’s that time of year again: here are some of the books I’ve enjoyed this summer. If you’ve read any good ones, let me know!

Tessa Gengnagel reposted

Sarah Lang
@sarahalang.bsky.social

👀 Treat yourselves to pretty slides (courtesy of @resonanzfilter) at our Thursday morning (Korean time) talk about ideologies of knowledge work in #DH at #DH2026!

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

A point that Kim Hyeon's keynote at #DH2026 rightfully raises, in my view, even if implicitly, is the need for the field to finally drill down on our use of terminology like 'knowledge' (data, information). Made more urgent by adoption of AI (terminology), already a desideratum before.

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

Appeal to academic authority gone wrong. It also strikes me how scholars can be borderline illiterate outside their own area of expertise. Worst of all, the insufferable snobbery and snark permeating academia and social media. Everything is a contest. Deeply unserious.

EMILY WILSON@emilyrcwilson.bsky.social

I wrote about the Nolan Odyssey for the LRB. I'll summarize some of my main points below, in case you don't feel like reading all that. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

lrb.co.ukEmily Wilson · An Uncomplicated ManAs they say at the awards shows, I was humbled to learn that Christopher Nolan has read at least the first line of my...
Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

It's no advertisement for the humanities, that's for sure. I'd be interested in thoughtful, critical analysis and sincere engagement but so far I haven't found it from classics. Maybe the people with something worthwhile to say aren't online.

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

Adding to the #DH2026 travel tips: When looking for the subway platform of Line 1 at Daejeon station (to go to Government Complex Station), look for signs that state the direction as Banseok. Naver will say Jungangno but that's not on any signs (not in English; neither is Banseok at first).

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

Follow signs for 1 around the corner and then go down. Or look lost and find yourself a very friendly elderly man who will help you without even being asked and take 10 mins out of his day to walk you there 🫶 (By the time you get to the ticket gates, it'll say Banseok.)

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

For years I've scoured the internet for any kind of video footage of Roberto Busa. Nothing. I'd given up hope. And now, I just randomly STUMBLED ACROSS IT omg no one will understand, it's just a minute but it might as well be a unicorn and it says so much about IBM marketing and in this essay, I'll—

Tessa Gengnagel reposted

Roopika Risam
@roopikarisam.bsky.social

In Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo apologizes for the Doctrine of Discovery, which sanctioned colonialism & slavery, to talk about AI. Here, I thought I went off the rails in Data Empire, where I insist the Doctrine of Discovery is critical to the history of data’s power www.vatican.va/content/leo-...

vatican.vaEncyclical Letter of His Holiness Leo XIV Magnifica Humanitas (15 May 2026)ENCYCLICAL LETTER MAGNIFICA HUMANITAS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV ON SAFEGUARDING THE HUMAN PERSON IN THE TIME OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE [ Multimedia ] ___________________________

Tessa Gengnagel reposted

Laura Untner
@luntner.bsky.social

Thank you for every vote! I am really happy that Sappho Digital turned out to be the first runner-up in the category »DH Dataset or Model« of the Digital Humanities Awards 2025! I’d like to use this moment to introduce the project a bit more – so here’s a short thread 🧵

DH Awards@dhawards.bsky.social

The results for #DH Awards 2025 are now live. Sorry if your favoured resource did not win in this openly nominated, openly voted #DigitalHumanities awareness activity. There's no real prize (winners may use the associated icon), other than everyone seeing the resources. dhawards.org/dhawards2025...

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

My writing used to have so much personality. Then academia completely trained that out of me. Now that I'm sitting here, writing the blandest prose, boring myself to death, I'm starting to think: What the hell! I might as well get my style back! At least it won't read like AI.

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

Wunderbare Rezension von @peertrilcke.bsky.social zu Sybille Krämers "Stachel des Digitalen". Die #DigitalHumanities besitzen die Expertise; eine öffentliche intellektuelle Einordnung (von sich selbst, von Digitalität/Geisteswissenschaften, vom Einfluss von genAI) überlassen sie anderen.

Soziopolis@soziopolis.bsky.social

Plädoyer, Zuspitzung und genealogische Skizze, die eine erweiterte Geschichte geisteswissenschaftlicher Wissenspraktiken aufzeigt: @peertrilcke.bsky.social rezensiert „Der Stachel des Digitalen. Geisteswissenschaften und Digital Humanities“ von Sybille Krämer. www.soziopolis.de/im-strudel-d...

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Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

Sonst wird es den DH ergehen wie anderen Strömungen vor ihnen. Sie werden zum Artefakt einer zersplitterten Geschichte von Diskontinuitäten. Dazu habe ich auch auf der #DHd2026 ein paar Gespräche geführt. In Deutschland sehe ich die Gefahr nicht unmittelbar, international (USA) ist sie schon da.

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

Das hängt sicher damit zusammen, dass DH dort sowieso anders gelagert war. Trotzdem gilt es, ein Verständnis für die Komplexität/Tiefe der Fragestellungen in den DH (und ihrer Erkenntnisse) in die Breite zu tragen. Sonst bleiben die DH bloß Zuschauer bei ihrem Abschied aus der Relevanz.

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

Wunderbare Rezension von @peertrilcke.bsky.social zu Sybille Krämers "Stachel des Digitalen". Die #DigitalHumanities besitzen die Expertise; eine öffentliche intellektuelle Einordnung (von sich selbst, von Digitalität/Geisteswissenschaften, vom Einfluss von genAI) überlassen sie anderen.

Soziopolis@soziopolis.bsky.social

Plädoyer, Zuspitzung und genealogische Skizze, die eine erweiterte Geschichte geisteswissenschaftlicher Wissenspraktiken aufzeigt: @peertrilcke.bsky.social rezensiert „Der Stachel des Digitalen. Geisteswissenschaften und Digital Humanities“ von Sybille Krämer. www.soziopolis.de/im-strudel-d...

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

In diese Lücke stoßen Philosophen, Medientheoretiker und Geisteswissenschaftler anderer, theoriestärkerer Disziplinen. Deren Eingaben sind interessant, aber oft am Kern der Sache (ich will nun nicht sagen: an der Realität) vorbei. Warum lassen sich die DH von links und rechts überholen?

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

Es fehlen wohl die eigenen großen Gegenentwürfe, weil man dafür keine Zeit hat. Und stattdessen mit, äh, Arbeit (Projekten, Studien, Ergebnissen) beschäftigt ist. Da bleibt meist keine Muße. Aber wie Peer Trilcke eindrucksvoll veranschaulicht, müssen wir diese Energie entwickeln.

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

By which I mean: Was that option not meant to allow the live presentations to be translated into different languages? Because the presentation language was asked separately and I stated that ours would be in English. Which is why I don't understand the reviewer thinking otherwise.

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

Our paper @sarahalang.bsky.social was accepted to #DH2026! Yay! But also: One reviewer thought we used AI to translate it into English! No! I can't express how incredibly offensive and patronizing that review is. Worse, I'm sure the reviewer is a lovely person. But wow. #DigitalHumanities

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Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

(With this thread I'm only venting on my own behalf, not that of my co-author who may well have different opinions. I'll now focus on being happy that the paper was accepted at all despite these weird misunderstandings and despite the real – rather than imagined – shortcomings that it has.)

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

Our paper @sarahalang.bsky.social was accepted to #DH2026! Yay! But also: One reviewer thought we used AI to translate it into English! No! I can't express how incredibly offensive and patronizing that review is. Worse, I'm sure the reviewer is a lovely person. But wow. #DigitalHumanities

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Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

I never translate my stuff. I never even use AI to copyread. I don't use Grammarly or the like, my grasp of English might be better than that of the students of that reviewer! Get a fucking grip! It's an overall helpful and nice review at that but I hope that person does some introspection.

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

Btw not saying the abstract was above reproach, there were plenty of issues with it because it was a very short notice write-up and the issues that arose from that were correctly identified by the reviewers. I'm very grateful for the constructive comments. But the bizarre ones are blowing my mind.

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

Our paper @sarahalang.bsky.social was accepted to #DH2026! Yay! But also: One reviewer thought we used AI to translate it into English! No! I can't express how incredibly offensive and patronizing that review is. Worse, I'm sure the reviewer is a lovely person. But wow. #DigitalHumanities

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Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

Like now we're supposed to apologize for being too eloquent in English while still holding on to the idiosyncracies of our thinking? We're supposed to erase those, too? What is this imperialist attitude! (I'm not saying we won't be more specific in the presentation on some stuff, that's a given.)

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

Nothing is ever good enough for all these Anglo humanists who established the veneer of their academic writing in the first place. Such that they think we must be using AI when we are simply forced to adopt their lofty style as a basic mode of communication. I'm genuinely so mad.

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

Our paper @sarahalang.bsky.social was accepted to #DH2026! Yay! But also: One reviewer thought we used AI to translate it into English! No! I can't express how incredibly offensive and patronizing that review is. Worse, I'm sure the reviewer is a lovely person. But wow. #DigitalHumanities

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

This just perfectly illustrates how quick English native speakers are to assume that any kind of semblage to their own academic lingo that strays in complexity of thought but still expresses it eloquently enough in English must be some sort of translation wizardry. Just no.

Tessa Gengnagel
@tesstess.bsky.social

Neither am I going to change the way I think nor am I going to dumb down what I want to say just so that it seems more palpable to Anglo audiences. To have the years-long effort of learning English well enough to join that level of academic discourse thrown back at you is just breathtaking!

Tessa Gengnagel reposted

Sarah Lang
@sarahalang.bsky.social

#DataFeminism appeared in 2020. How come it’s still not established in #DigitalHumanities? Interest seems to have died down 😕 We provide an overview of its principles tailored to #DH in our working paper ⬇️ zfdg.de/wp_2026 PS: Take part in the open public review process! #DHd2026

zfdg.deBeyond Data Feminism. Towards Ethical Data Work in the (Digital) Humanities | ZfdG - Zeitschrift für digitale GeisteswissenschaftenThe working paper discusses the toolkit Catherine D'Ignazio's and Lauren F. Klein's Data Feminism Manifesto provides with its feminist principles and how to address bias and ethics in the Digital Huma...

Tessa Gengnagel reposted

Miriam Posner
@miriamposner.com

It seems to me that defining DH as purely quantitative methods is a neat way of shaving off all the hard-fought interventions made by people who were interested in making the field reflect the diversity and complexity of the actual world.

Lauren Klein@laurenfklein.bsky.social

My contribution to the discourse, which I've said before and will say again: DH isn't over. DH has won. 1/

Tessa Gengnagel reposted

Melissa Terras
@melissaterras.bsky.social

When Musk said the "cumulative sum of human knowledge has been exhausted" for training AI, what he was really saying is that he would not pay for digitisation, and had reached the limits of useful data he could scrape for free. The GenAI house is built on sand.

Faine Greenwood@faineg.com

Right, another key thing that historians do is working with important records that have not been digitized. And the vast majority of the world’s records *have not been digitized* and thus do not exist in any format that LLMs/AI can work with.