#reviewing — Public Fediverse posts

Dear colleagues, if you send me a review request on Friday at 9:30pm, please don’t have your system send me a “reminder” on Sunday at 8am 🙄🙄 #academicchatter #reviewing

Dear colleagues, if you send me a review request on Friday at 9:30pm, please don’t have your system send me a “reminder” on Sunday at 8am 🙄🙄 #academicchatter #reviewing

A TeX error in this paper has given the world the word “langlekrangle”, for which I am grateful. #reviewing

A TeX error in this paper has given the world the word “langlekrangle”, for which I am grateful. #reviewing

These days when I review for a conference I usually find at least one poorly executed AI slop paper where they haven't really tried to hide the academic misconduct... #AISlop #Reviewing #Academia

These days when I review for a conference I usually find at least one poorly executed AI slop paper where they haven't really tried to hide the academic misconduct... #AISlop #Reviewing #Academia

Everything She Ever Wanted by Ann Rule

Hello beautiful people! Welcome to a new review! For this review, I get into an Ann Rule true crime book that focuses on the life and crimes of Patricia Taylor, who reigned terror on those around her in the 1970’s. While this wasn’t my favourite Ann Rule book I’ve read so far, it was still an interesting case and well written overall.

People of focus in the book:

Pat Taylor Allanson– Easily the most fascinating and frustrating part of this story. Watching her behaviour escalate over time is honestly disturbing, especially because so many people around her either ignored it, enabled it, or excused it. The deep dive into her life, family, and relationships adds a lot to understanding how everything spiralled the way it did.

Tom Allanson – Pat’s current husband at the time of the crime and an interesting character throughout the story. Ultimately allows his marriage to Pat to push him to do things people could never imagine. Is arrested for the crimes and continues to have a horrifically toxic relationship with Pat for many years.

Walter and Carolyn Allanson – Tom’s parents and not huge fans of Pat. Are murdered in the basement of their home one night, which leads to an exposure of Pat for years to come.

Clifford and Maggie Radcliff – Pat’s parents, who are aggravating people to read about. Defend their daughters’ insanely poor behaviour for years, financially support her, and excuse pretty much everything she does, showing us how this woman ended up this way.

My Review

As mentioned above, Everything She Ever Wanted isn’t a favourite of the Ann Rule books I have read, but it is still an enjoyable, interesting read overall. I did rate the book a 6.5/10, not because of how it was written, but more so the pace and the fact that there are a few unanswered and confusing bits to the book. I appreciated that Ann didn’t play sides or excuse poor behaviour from anyone who was in Pat’s life. She does have sympathy for some things that maybe I don’t, but I can appreciate her ability to be open to presenting all perspectives. I also enjoyed getting to dive into a case I had never heard of before, and it is a bit older, but it is a bit of a slower read and a touch repetitive.

In this true crime story, Ann Rule explores the disturbing case surrounding Pat Allanson and the manipulation, control, and violence that followed her throughout her life. Pat became under the scope of the law when the parents of her husband, Tom, were murdered in their home. Tom, not being Pat’s first marriage and her having a reputation of being a bit of a scammer raise eyebrows of those around her, including her successful in-laws. Obsessed with living a life exactly as she envisions, Pat makes many choices to push herself to the top, crushing the ones who love her under her foot all the while. With no care but to be seen as this amazing, successful, attractive woman, Pat’s crimes come to light in a desperation to be something she’s not. As the book unfolds, it examines not only the crimes themselves, but also the family dynamics, relationships, and warning signs that surrounded Pat for years. Through extensive background and investigation, the story paints a picture of how dangerous behaviour can grow unchecked when the people around someone continually look away.

Overall, this was a really interesting true crime story, especially because it’s an older case I had never heard of before. One thing I always appreciate about Ann Rule’s books is how deeply she dives into the people involved, and this one definitely does that. You don’t just get the crime itself; you get the history, the family dynamics, the relationships, and the environment surrounding everything that happened.

And honestly, that was both one of the strongest and weakest parts of the book for me. The deep dive into Pat’s life was fascinating. Seeing how her parents and the people around her played such a huge role, while also seemingly doing nothing to stop her behaviour, was genuinely disturbing. It becomes this ongoing pattern throughout the book where people excuse things, ignore red flags, or enable behaviour that clearly should’ve alarmed them.

But at the same time, it makes for a pretty exhausting reading experience. Not because the book is bad, but because you spend hundreds of pages watching people fail to intervene in increasingly concerning situations. It’s frustrating in a very realistic way, which I think was probably the point.

The biggest issue for me was the pacing. The book felt very repetitive at times. I understand that a lot of the repeated details and background information were relevant to building the case and understanding the people involved, but it often felt like we were circling the same points over and over again. It slowed things down quite a bit and made parts drag more than necessary. I also felt like certain elements never fully clicked into place for me, particularly regarding Tom and the events at his parents’ house. There’s a lot discussed, but I still finished the book feeling uncertain about exactly what happened there.

That being said, the story itself is undeniably compelling. Even when the pacing lagged, I still wanted to keep reading because the case is just so bizarre and unsettling.

Overall, this definitely isn’t my favourite Ann Rule book, but I’d still recommend it to true crime readers because the story itself is incredibly interesting. Just be prepared for a slower, more detailed read that focuses heavily on the people and psychology behind the case rather than nonstop momentum.

Everything She Ever Wanted by Ann Rule

Hello beautiful people! Welcome to a new review! For this review, I get into an Ann Rule true crime book that focuses on the life and crimes of Patricia Taylor, who reigned terror on those around her in the 1970’s. While this wasn’t my favourite Ann Rule book I’ve read so far, it was still an interesting case and well written overall.

People of focus in the book:

Pat Taylor Allanson– Easily the most fascinating and frustrating part of this story. Watching her behaviour escalate over time is honestly disturbing, especially because so many people around her either ignored it, enabled it, or excused it. The deep dive into her life, family, and relationships adds a lot to understanding how everything spiralled the way it did.

Tom Allanson – Pat’s current husband at the time of the crime and an interesting character throughout the story. Ultimately allows his marriage to Pat to push him to do things people could never imagine. Is arrested for the crimes and continues to have a horrifically toxic relationship with Pat for many years.

Walter and Carolyn Allanson – Tom’s parents and not huge fans of Pat. Are murdered in the basement of their home one night, which leads to an exposure of Pat for years to come.

Clifford and Maggie Radcliff – Pat’s parents, who are aggravating people to read about. Defend their daughters’ insanely poor behaviour for years, financially support her, and excuse pretty much everything she does, showing us how this woman ended up this way.

My Review

As mentioned above, Everything She Ever Wanted isn’t a favourite of the Ann Rule books I have read, but it is still an enjoyable, interesting read overall. I did rate the book a 6.5/10, not because of how it was written, but more so the pace and the fact that there are a few unanswered and confusing bits to the book. I appreciated that Ann didn’t play sides or excuse poor behaviour from anyone who was in Pat’s life. She does have sympathy for some things that maybe I don’t, but I can appreciate her ability to be open to presenting all perspectives. I also enjoyed getting to dive into a case I had never heard of before, and it is a bit older, but it is a bit of a slower read and a touch repetitive.

In this true crime story, Ann Rule explores the disturbing case surrounding Pat Allanson and the manipulation, control, and violence that followed her throughout her life. Pat became under the scope of the law when the parents of her husband, Tom, were murdered in their home. Tom, not being Pat’s first marriage and her having a reputation of being a bit of a scammer raise eyebrows of those around her, including her successful in-laws. Obsessed with living a life exactly as she envisions, Pat makes many choices to push herself to the top, crushing the ones who love her under her foot all the while. With no care but to be seen as this amazing, successful, attractive woman, Pat’s crimes come to light in a desperation to be something she’s not. As the book unfolds, it examines not only the crimes themselves, but also the family dynamics, relationships, and warning signs that surrounded Pat for years. Through extensive background and investigation, the story paints a picture of how dangerous behaviour can grow unchecked when the people around someone continually look away.

Overall, this was a really interesting true crime story, especially because it’s an older case I had never heard of before. One thing I always appreciate about Ann Rule’s books is how deeply she dives into the people involved, and this one definitely does that. You don’t just get the crime itself; you get the history, the family dynamics, the relationships, and the environment surrounding everything that happened.

And honestly, that was both one of the strongest and weakest parts of the book for me. The deep dive into Pat’s life was fascinating. Seeing how her parents and the people around her played such a huge role, while also seemingly doing nothing to stop her behaviour, was genuinely disturbing. It becomes this ongoing pattern throughout the book where people excuse things, ignore red flags, or enable behaviour that clearly should’ve alarmed them.

But at the same time, it makes for a pretty exhausting reading experience. Not because the book is bad, but because you spend hundreds of pages watching people fail to intervene in increasingly concerning situations. It’s frustrating in a very realistic way, which I think was probably the point.

The biggest issue for me was the pacing. The book felt very repetitive at times. I understand that a lot of the repeated details and background information were relevant to building the case and understanding the people involved, but it often felt like we were circling the same points over and over again. It slowed things down quite a bit and made parts drag more than necessary. I also felt like certain elements never fully clicked into place for me, particularly regarding Tom and the events at his parents’ house. There’s a lot discussed, but I still finished the book feeling uncertain about exactly what happened there.

That being said, the story itself is undeniably compelling. Even when the pacing lagged, I still wanted to keep reading because the case is just so bizarre and unsettling.

Overall, this definitely isn’t my favourite Ann Rule book, but I’d still recommend it to true crime readers because the story itself is incredibly interesting. Just be prepared for a slower, more detailed read that focuses heavily on the people and psychology behind the case rather than nonstop momentum.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Hello beautiful people! Welcome to a new review! For this review, I get into Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, a highly beloved and talked-about science fiction novel. Now, personally, I am not much of a science fiction gal, so I really wasn’t sure what I was going to think. I ended up really enjoying the book (science and math stuff aside) and found the world and the characters to have really shone through, making it such an enjoyable read.

Main Characters:

Ryland Grace: Such an unexpectedly great main character. He’s smart (obviously), but not in an intimidating way. He questions things, messes up, figures it out, and brings a lot of personality to what could’ve been a super technical story. He made this book so much more approachable and, honestly, really fun to follow.

Rocky: I won’t say too much because it’s better to experience it, but one of the best parts of the book. The dynamic here is something I did not expect, and it adds so much heart, humour, and depth to the story.

Eva Stratt: The scientist who creates the mission that Grace goes on often butts heads with Grace on their ideas, but in a respectful, professional way.

My Review

As mentioned, I went into Project Hail Mary not really knowing what I was getting into or if I would like it. I did not expect to love this as much as I did. Sci-fi isn’t usually my go-to, and anything involving heavy math, science, or engineering? Also not my thing. So I went into this a little hesitant, but this book makes it so accessible. I didn’t really understand those aspects of the book, but I also didn’t feel like I needed to to really grasp what was going on in the story. You can feel the characters’ emotions, and that often showed me more than the science and math did. I rated Project Hail Mary a 9/10 rating, and would totally recommend it to people like me who don’t usually check out science fiction, or aren’t usually drawn to those types of stories.

In Project Hail Mary, we follow Ryland Grace when he wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory of who he is or how he got there. As his memory slowly returns, he realizes he’s on a mission to save Earth from a catastrophic threat that could wipe out all life. As he pieces together what’s happening, the story jumps between past and present, showing how the mission came to be, and how Grace ended up being humanity’s last hope. Along the way, unexpected connections form, and the scope of the mission becomes even bigger than initially imagined. We, the readers, are spun a gorgeous world in space through the eyes of someone who never expected to be up there.

So yes, due to the plot of the book and Grace’s role in it, the book includes a lot of science, math and engineering. Yes, there’s complex problem-solving. But I never felt like I needed to fully understand every detail to stay engaged. The way it’s written keeps things clear enough that you can follow along without getting lost, which made a huge difference for me and how I was pulled into the book. What really pulled me in was how the story unfolded. The connections that are made throughout, especially the ones you don’t see coming, are so well done. It takes things in directions I never would’ve expected, and it just works.

And Grace as a character? Loved him. He carries the story in such a natural way, and you actually enjoy being in his head as everything unravels. He makes the high-stakes, end-of-the-world mission feel personal and grounded.

I will say, it’s a little unsettling how some of the issues in this book don’t feel that far off from real life. Like, it’s sci-fi, but also, not entirely? That added an extra layer of tension for me.

The space aspect was also just really cool. It’s such an out-of-reach concept for most of us, and I loved getting to fully dive into that world and go along for the ride. It felt immersive without being overwhelming.

And the ending? So good. It wrapped things up in a way that felt satisfying and meaningful, which isn’t always easy with a story this big.

I’m also really curious to see how the movie adaptation turns out, whether it sticks close to the book or switches things up a bit.

Overall, this completely surprised me in the best way. Super engaging, surprisingly emotional, and just a really fun (and slightly terrifying) ride through space.

I hope you enjoyed this review! Thank you for checking it out! Feel free to subscribe to the page to be one of the first to know when I release a new review!

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Hello beautiful people! Welcome to a new review! For this review, I get into Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, a highly beloved and talked-about science fiction novel. Now, personally, I am not much of a science fiction gal, so I really wasn’t sure what I was going to think. I ended up really enjoying the book (science and math stuff aside) and found the world and the characters to have really shone through, making it such an enjoyable read.

Main Characters:

Ryland Grace: Such an unexpectedly great main character. He’s smart (obviously), but not in an intimidating way. He questions things, messes up, figures it out, and brings a lot of personality to what could’ve been a super technical story. He made this book so much more approachable and, honestly, really fun to follow.

Rocky: I won’t say too much because it’s better to experience it, but one of the best parts of the book. The dynamic here is something I did not expect, and it adds so much heart, humour, and depth to the story.

Eva Stratt: The scientist who creates the mission that Grace goes on often butts heads with Grace on their ideas, but in a respectful, professional way.

My Review

As mentioned, I went into Project Hail Mary not really knowing what I was getting into or if I would like it. I did not expect to love this as much as I did. Sci-fi isn’t usually my go-to, and anything involving heavy math, science, or engineering? Also not my thing. So I went into this a little hesitant, but this book makes it so accessible. I didn’t really understand those aspects of the book, but I also didn’t feel like I needed to to really grasp what was going on in the story. You can feel the characters’ emotions, and that often showed me more than the science and math did. I rated Project Hail Mary a 9/10 rating, and would totally recommend it to people like me who don’t usually check out science fiction, or aren’t usually drawn to those types of stories.

In Project Hail Mary, we follow Ryland Grace when he wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory of who he is or how he got there. As his memory slowly returns, he realizes he’s on a mission to save Earth from a catastrophic threat that could wipe out all life. As he pieces together what’s happening, the story jumps between past and present, showing how the mission came to be, and how Grace ended up being humanity’s last hope. Along the way, unexpected connections form, and the scope of the mission becomes even bigger than initially imagined. We, the readers, are spun a gorgeous world in space through the eyes of someone who never expected to be up there.

So yes, due to the plot of the book and Grace’s role in it, the book includes a lot of science, math and engineering. Yes, there’s complex problem-solving. But I never felt like I needed to fully understand every detail to stay engaged. The way it’s written keeps things clear enough that you can follow along without getting lost, which made a huge difference for me and how I was pulled into the book. What really pulled me in was how the story unfolded. The connections that are made throughout, especially the ones you don’t see coming, are so well done. It takes things in directions I never would’ve expected, and it just works.

And Grace as a character? Loved him. He carries the story in such a natural way, and you actually enjoy being in his head as everything unravels. He makes the high-stakes, end-of-the-world mission feel personal and grounded.

I will say, it’s a little unsettling how some of the issues in this book don’t feel that far off from real life. Like, it’s sci-fi, but also, not entirely? That added an extra layer of tension for me.

The space aspect was also just really cool. It’s such an out-of-reach concept for most of us, and I loved getting to fully dive into that world and go along for the ride. It felt immersive without being overwhelming.

And the ending? So good. It wrapped things up in a way that felt satisfying and meaningful, which isn’t always easy with a story this big.

I’m also really curious to see how the movie adaptation turns out, whether it sticks close to the book or switches things up a bit.

Overall, this completely surprised me in the best way. Super engaging, surprisingly emotional, and just a really fun (and slightly terrifying) ride through space.

I hope you enjoyed this review! Thank you for checking it out! Feel free to subscribe to the page to be one of the first to know when I release a new review!

Grandpa Simpson raising a fist and yelling at clouds. I attended an online close-reading™ of Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, and let's just say, I came away disappointed, and so I wrote about it.

https://philosophics.blog/2026/04/11/nietzsches-beyond-good-and-evil-a-close-reading/?utm_source=masto&utm_medium=social

#philosophy #community #reading #writing #reviewing #scholarship #integrity #interpretation #blog #podcast #meaing #critique #books #nietzsche #livestream #streaming

Grandpa Simpson raising a fist and yelling at clouds. I attended an online close-reading™ of Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, and let's just say, I came away disappointed, and so I wrote about it.

https://philosophics.blog/2026/04/11/nietzsches-beyond-good-and-evil-a-close-reading/?utm_source=masto&utm_medium=social

#philosophy #community #reading #writing #reviewing #scholarship #integrity #interpretation #blog #podcast #meaing #critique #books #nietzsche #livestream #streaming

I understand not giving your time for journals that make money off of you #reviewing for free. I understand solidarity with authors & reviewing as many papers as mine require reviews. The system is flawed, reviews become worst and worst with AI, we must find solutions blablabla
But TEN DAYS to give back a review report ? On a +4.000 words manuscript ? Without an alternative to accepting or declining ? No possibility to contact the editor for an extended delay ? I can't participate.

I asked Claude to help me index my current book, The Architecture of Encounter, and was pleasantly surprised.
https://philosophics.blog/2026/03/09/indexing-the-architecture-of-encounter/?utm_source=masto&utm_medium=social
#books #philosophy #amwriting #writing #reviewing #editing #ai #claudeai #administration #publishing #efficiency #longtail #blog #podcast

I asked Claude to help me index my current book, The Architecture of Encounter, and was pleasantly surprised.
https://philosophics.blog/2026/03/09/indexing-the-architecture-of-encounter/?utm_source=masto&utm_medium=social
#books #philosophy #amwriting #writing #reviewing #editing #ai #claudeai #administration #publishing #efficiency #longtail #blog #podcast

Panel reviewing Trump ballroom plans will also hear from commenters skeptical of project

https://misryoum.com/us/politics/panel-reviewing-trump-ballroom-plans-will-also-hear/

When the National Capital Planning Commission convenes later this week, the panel is expected to rubber stamp President Trump's East Wing plans. But the Trump-friendly commission will also face a skeptical public, some of whom are expected to register...

#Panel #reviewing #Trump #ballroom #plans #will #also #hear #from #commenters #skeptical #project #US_News_Hub #misryoum_com

Despite #AI’s ability to expedite individual tasks, #engineers are experiencing #burnout due to the increased cognitive load of #managing and #reviewing #AIgeneratedwork. The constant #contextswitching, need for #meticulousreview, and the #nondeterministicnature of AI outputs contribute to this #fatigue. https://siddhantkhare.com/writing/ai-fatigue-is-real?eicker.news #tech #media #news

Despite #AI’s ability to expedite individual tasks, #engineers are experiencing #burnout due to the increased cognitive load of #managing and #reviewing #AIgeneratedwork. The constant #contextswitching, need for #meticulousreview, and the #nondeterministicnature of AI outputs contribute to this #fatigue. https://siddhantkhare.com/writing/ai-fatigue-is-real?eicker.news #tech #media #news

Hey, #readers and especially you #bookreview people.

Please consider #reviewing and #reading more #indieauthor #books and posting about them here.

Indie authors don't have agents or publishers who help with marketing, press releases, interviews, and signing events. The indie author has to do all that themselves, and they need a little help.

Also, please consider using the secondary markets like Kobo more than Amazon, Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, & Simon & Schuster

Hey, #readers and especially you #bookreview people.

Please consider #reviewing and #reading more #indieauthor #books and posting about them here.

Indie authors don't have agents or publishers who help with marketing, press releases, interviews, and signing events. The indie author has to do all that themselves, and they need a little help.

Also, please consider using the secondary markets like Kobo more than Amazon, Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, & Simon & Schuster

50 Years of Language Insufficiency

👉 https://philosophics.blog/2025/12/20/a-history-of-language-insufficiency/?utm_source=masto&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=lih

I share thoughts on the genesis of A Language Insufficiency Hypothesis, 50 (or more) years in the making. (Webcams take great selfies – subject notwithstanding. 🧐😉)

#reading #writing #reviewing #proofing #philosophy #language #books #publishing #lih #communication #clarity #hypothesis #selfie #author

50 Years of Language Insufficiency

👉 https://philosophics.blog/2025/12/20/a-history-of-language-insufficiency/?utm_source=masto&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=lih

I share thoughts on the genesis of A Language Insufficiency Hypothesis, 50 (or more) years in the making. (Webcams take great selfies – subject notwithstanding. 🧐😉)

#reading #writing #reviewing #proofing #philosophy #language #books #publishing #lih #communication #clarity #hypothesis #selfie #author

Having read and listened to There Is No Anti-Memetics Division by QNTM, I share my high-level impression of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hQx7ca8Owc

#bookreview #books #writing #editing #reviewing #readingcommunity #Novel #audiobooks #audible #paperback #hardcover #video #youtube

Status so far: 3 yesterday, 6 today. Of these:
- one likely written by LLM
- one with two reference letters written by the same person
- one with the same reference letter written by two people

That’s all I can handle for the day. 15 out of 36 applications done, 7 days until deadline (funding agency screwed up) #reviewing #academia #academicchatter #sshrc

Status so far: 3 yesterday, 6 today. Of these:
- one likely written by LLM
- one with two reference letters written by the same person
- one with the same reference letter written by two people

That’s all I can handle for the day. 15 out of 36 applications done, 7 days until deadline (funding agency screwed up) #reviewing #academia #academicchatter #sshrc

In a week in which #DJI got rapped over the knuckles (quite rightly!), I find myself unboxing… a DJI Mic 3. Join me for one part unboxing, about eight parts media ethics lessons. Plus elephant dung, for some reason.

#DJIMic3 #Ethics #Reviewing

https://ko-fi.com/post/Unboxing-DJI-Mic-3-With-a-side-order-of-media-et-Y8Y61O3F1H

In a week in which #DJI got rapped over the knuckles (quite rightly!), I find myself unboxing… a DJI Mic 3. Join me for one part unboxing, about eight parts media ethics lessons. Plus elephant dung, for some reason.

#DJIMic3 #Ethics #Reviewing

https://ko-fi.com/post/Unboxing-DJI-Mic-3-With-a-side-order-of-media-et-Y8Y61O3F1H

I just placed an order with my local book store for "Life After Cars" by the folks at @TheWarOnCars. Keep an eye out because I'm gonna be #reviewing this book on The Bryant Review soon!

I just placed an order with my local book store for "Life After Cars" by the folks at @TheWarOnCars. Keep an eye out because I'm gonna be #reviewing this book on The Bryant Review soon!

How do you think gaming journalists should review remasters and rereleases?

Not considering remakes, because those are usually new games built from the ground up.

...

Note that both options can be read either way:

Reviewing Mario Galaxy 1&2 on its own merits could mean pushing up the score because it's still an excellent game at heart regardless of the remaster changes, or it could drag down the score because its design could now be considered dated and derivative by new audience regardless of its legacy.

Reviewing Mario Galaxy 1&2 with context could mean dragging down the score because the port is too expensive and minimal to justify the tiny upgrade over the original regardless of how good the game is, or it could push up the score because of how important its legacy is for gaming and how it should be playable on modern consoles again.

#gaming #games #videoGames #journalism #reviewing #poll #askFedi

How do you think gaming journalists should review remasters and rereleases?

Not considering remakes, because those are usually new games built from the ground up.

...

Note that both options can be read either way:

Reviewing Mario Galaxy 1&2 on its own merits could mean pushing up the score because it's still an excellent game at heart regardless of the remaster changes, or it could drag down the score because its design could now be considered dated and derivative by new audience regardless of its legacy.

Reviewing Mario Galaxy 1&2 with context could mean dragging down the score because the port is too expensive and minimal to justify the tiny upgrade over the original regardless of how good the game is, or it could push up the score because of how important its legacy is for gaming and how it should be playable on modern consoles again.

#gaming #games #videoGames #journalism #reviewing #poll #askFedi

The Sweet Spot Of IMDb Is 6.3-7.6

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://aftermath.site/imdb-review-scale-bad-broken

@libroraptor I'm just having one of those, too. Even tough there are more than ten scientists signing, I have the feeling that the paper has been written by an excited first year PhD, discovering things in recent literature that have been known for over 40 years, and so presenting things as original, when they are not. And that the paper has been sent off to the journal without a profound read through by the other authors. And I have the feeling that because of pressure to publish, more often than not, unfinished papers are sent to the journals, relying on reviewers to do the job. And often they don't do, and then we end with these papers published ....
#academicchatter
#Reviewing

@libroraptor I'm just having one of those, too. Even tough there are more than ten scientists signing, I have the feeling that the paper has been written by an excited first year PhD, discovering things in recent literature that have been known for over 40 years, and so presenting things as original, when they are not. And that the paper has been sent off to the journal without a profound read through by the other authors. And I have the feeling that because of pressure to publish, more often than not, unfinished papers are sent to the journals, relying on reviewers to do the job. And often they don't do, and then we end with these papers published ....
#academicchatter
#Reviewing

A coworker recently asked me for tips on how to review code.

I looked around for good resources, but found none. Zero. Which was weird.

Sat down and wrote a few notes, but then I realized I could turn this into a blog post to help more people.

https://endler.dev/2025/how-to-review-code/

Not sure how to get the post in front of people who need to see it, but if you know someone it could help, please share.

#programming #reviewing

A coworker recently asked me for tips on how to review code.

I looked around for good resources, but found none. Zero. Which was weird.

Sat down and wrote a few notes, but then I realized I could turn this into a blog post to help more people.

https://endler.dev/2025/how-to-review-code/

Not sure how to get the post in front of people who need to see it, but if you know someone it could help, please share.

#programming #reviewing

Reviewing the Deadline Moves: Merrill Kelly https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/220677/ #AZ #Baseball #deadline #FrontPage #kelly #Merrill #MLB #moves #pit #Rangers #reviewing #snake #Texas #TexasRangers #TexasRangers #the

Reviewing the Trade Deadline – AZ Snake Pit https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/220404/ #Arizona #ArizonaDiamondbacks #ArizonaDiamondbacks #AZ #Baseball #deadline #Diamondbacks #FrontPage #MLB #pit #reviewing #snake #the #trade

“Why Generative AI Coding Tools And Agents Do Not Work For Me”, Miguel Grinberg (https://blog.miguelgrinberg.com/post/why-generative-ai-coding-tools-and-agents-do-not-work-for-me).

Via HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44294633

On Lobsters: https://lobste.rs/s/gsci0f/why_generative_ai_coding_tools_agents_do

#GenAI #AI #LLMs #Programming #VibeCoding #Quality #Reviewing #Productivity

“Why Generative AI Coding Tools And Agents Do Not Work For Me”, Miguel Grinberg (https://blog.miguelgrinberg.com/post/why-generative-ai-coding-tools-and-agents-do-not-work-for-me).

Via HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44294633

On Lobsters: https://lobste.rs/s/gsci0f/why_generative_ai_coding_tools_agents_do

#GenAI #AI #LLMs #Programming #VibeCoding #Quality #Reviewing #Productivity

New Article: »Reviewing is Caring! Revaluing a Critical, but Invisibilized, Underappreciated, and Exploited Academic Practice«

Together wie Mie Plotnikof (Aarhus University) and Matthias Wenzel (Leuphana University Lüneburg), I have written an essay proposing a care perspective to the way we organize academic peer review. The paper entitled “Reviewing is Caring! Revaluing a Critical, but Invisibilized, Underappreciated, and Exploited Academic Practice” has now been published open access in Organization. Check out the abstract below:

Reviewing is critical to advancing scholarly knowledge by assuring research standards and contouring what counts as novel. Yet, our system of reviewing submissions to journals is in crisis. With growing submission numbers, editors struggle to match these with qualified review capacities, unwillingly adding extra, often uneven, workloads on some reviewers, without equally distributing pressures or finding the most ‘ideal’ expert match. We propose to redress this issue in terms of care. Inspired by feminist care theory, we discuss how the current review system invisibilizes, underappreciates, and exploits the care invested in it. Furthermore, we suggest reconsidering the very organizing of the review system along the lines of care to reinvigorate the nurturing, knowledge-enhancing practices of reviewing. Specifically, we recommend (1) increasing the visibility of reviewing across journals, (2) recognizing reviewing as an inherent part of paid scholarly work, and (3) introducing cross-journal review limits. Together, we argue that such moves enable a more visibly appreciative and less easily exploitative organizing of reviewing as a scholarly practice of care that we and all science indeed rely on.

Finally, I created another visualization of the paper’s motif to share with the hashtag #1paper1meme:

#1paper1meme #careWork #Organization #PeerReview #reviewing #reviewingIsCaring

@romancelandia @bookstodon

Reading someone else's review of a book I had reviewed, was reminded of how hard it is to be specific about why a book doesn't work for you without spoiling the whole plot, but not so vague the review is interchangeable with that of any other book.

(It usually takes me hours to write ONE review)

#Reading #Reviewing #Romancelandia

@romancelandia @bookstodon

Reading someone else's review of a book I had reviewed, was reminded of how hard it is to be specific about why a book doesn't work for you without spoiling the whole plot, but not so vague the review is interchangeable with that of any other book.

(It usually takes me hours to write ONE review)

#Reading #Reviewing #Romancelandia

@romancelandia @bookstodon
Randomly thinking about the fact that I have 630 book reviews posted to my blog, starting in February 2008 (and despite a ~six years long reading slump).

Is that a backlist?

#Reading #Reviewing #Romancelandia

@romancelandia @bookstodon
Randomly thinking about the fact that I have 630 book reviews posted to my blog, starting in February 2008 (and despite a ~six years long reading slump).

Is that a backlist?

#Reading #Reviewing #Romancelandia

I have resigned as a reviewer for the Royal Society. I encourage others to do the same.

Dear editors,

Today I saw some news about the Royal Society which made me very uncomfortable. As a result, I am afraid I will withdraw my voluntary reviewing work for Royal Society. I will not after all be completing this review for Royal Society Open Science.

[The rest of the letter: http://mcld.co.uk/blog/2025/letter-to-royal-society-about-reviewing-and-code-of-conduct.html]

#royalsociety #elonmusk #science #reviewing #academicchatter

@romancelandia @bookstodon #Romancelandia #Reading #Reviewing

As people leave the Nazi bar (substack), we can help spread the word so they find their audiences. So, here's one such newsletter that's usually only about reading and books:

https://www.themarisreview.com/the-maris-review-vol-43/