Episode 4: The Administrator Problem—More Royalist Than the King Episode 1- The Performance of Transparency Episode 2 – The Theater of Scholarly Collegiality Episode 3- The Q1 Journal Fetish Think of a curriculum reform meeting where the university administrator unveiled a new “strategic excellence framework.” The presentation featured organizational charts, key performance indicators, and deliverables. The word … Read more
… and it moves in cycles. I thought this summer would be a peaceful one. I felt even happier when summer started —most of my summers didn’t go well, thanks to some family issues. But it did not end well; once again, I had a bad summer. At least, the end of it. I would … Read more
As noted in the first episode, this series is based on my observations in many different settings, not necessarily happening in my own department. In fact, I am relatively lucky to be there, exposed to fewer troubles than I usually observe. “These meetings are so valuable,” a colleague proclaimed at the conclusion of yet another … Read more
I have revised my syllabus and replaced some readings with more recent ones. I like to frequently update my readings so that I can stay current with the latest research. I might have missed some topics, but I am satisfied with what I have come up with. There has been a rising- and unsurprising- interest … Read more
I stopped complaining about the hot and humid summer days of İstanbul. I am, of course, thankful that I did not need to go out. I mean not out of the office. Tomorrow I will have to attend a funeral. So I will be out, but on this super hot day, I stayed indoors. Undeterred … Read more
My new book chapter, titled “Methodological Challenges in Researching Disinformation on WhatsApp in Turkey,” is now available online as a chapter in this book: WhatsApp in the World Disinformation, Encryption, and Extreme Speech The entire book is available open access and can be accessed via the link above. My section can also be found on … Read more
Fischerfest has ended, and I am proud to be part of this gathering. Since the time Mike became my thesis committee member, we have been connected in one way or another. He visited İstanbul several times. Once my father helped us to drive around to visit the technoparks in Istanbul. I frequently assigned his … Read more
I am just back from a two-day workshop in Vienna. I am intellectually energized, as these small-scale workshops are the most productive academic sessions. It was an official meeting of the EASA Media Anthropology Network. It was great to catch up with some of the members I already knew and meet new academics. You can … Read more
I was invited to a talk at İstanbul Aydın University’s event last week. That allowed me to list AI’s role in accessing information. I have formatted my speech notes into content for this blog. Contemporary knowledge landscapes are increasingly characterized by overwhelming information density, posing significant challenges to human cognitive capacities. Artificial intelligence systems now … Read more
We stopped by Trabzon University as part of the EU delegation disinformation project. I have a Trabzonspor jersey! Prof. Mehmet Emir Yıldız (L) honored me by saying that he had actually read my writings when he was writing his dissertation. The weather was fantastic. I had a late-night stroll at the main square. It was … Read more
Our second stop on my May schedule was a workshop in Ankara. A group of NGO activists and some technicians met to brainstorm about using technology in civil society. It was organized by a collective. Sinem and I were so tired that we could not visit any particular places, but could only meet a … Read more
May 2025 will be full of traveling, both domestic and international. After Yozgat, my next stop was Diyarbakır (Dicle University) as part of the EU delegation seminars on disinformation. In fact, this was two days ago, but for the sake of narrative (!) I added the Diyarbakır trip to the long May (I am writing … Read more
With an increasingly busy schedule (May will be overwhelming) and CIV 7 playing, I could not find much time to unbox for a while. There is also the problem of storage. Where will I put the boxes? I am redesigning my office space and also our apartment. In the meantime, here are some findings: 1988 … Read more
How to Prevent Information Pollution About Artificial Intelligence? – Digital Brain, April 17, 2025 Time Interval: 00:00:00 – 00:26:28 Summary 🧠 What Is AI Literacy and Why It Matters The interview explores the growing importance of AI literacy, emphasizing that with the proliferation of AI applications, societies need to understand, use, and manage these tools … Read more
It was my birthday yesterday, and I am 49 now. As my close friends know, I prefer my routine life. I am a bit stressed with non-routine days, and accordingly, I am not excited to celebrate my birthday at all. Still, it is good to be beloved, and I know that I have my people … Read more