Richard Littauer

#OpenSource #OpenScience #OpenAccess, #birds and #birding, #inaturalist #ebird #Latin, #languages, travel and politics.

- Co-Organizer of CURIOSS CURIOSS (npub1j8f…gz3y), SustainOSS [@sustainoss](https://hachyderm.io/@sustainoss ), and OpenSustain.tech
- PhD student at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington in Pōneke Wellington, Aotearoa NZ
- Professional conlanger
- Linguist, Latinist, and taxonomist
- eBird reviewer

He/him.

Grew up on unceded Abenaki land.

Website: https://burntfen.com
Socials: http://richard.social
Podcast: https://podcast.sustainoss.org

Public Key

npub1vrl0d2fjjz339qdaqaw0m4p4pk0rpf8pjz7h4vskcn5vk7tk8mhsj0smf3

NIP-05 Address

richlitt_at_mastodon.social@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsxplhk4yefpgcjsx7swh8a6s6sm83s5nsep0t6kgtvf6xt09mramcpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds8pq4hx

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1vrl0d2fjjz339qdaqaw0m4p4pk0rpf8pjz7h4vskcn5vk7tk8mhsj0smf3

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Published at

2026-04-29T19:15:48Z

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0 Metadata

Event JSON

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Last Notes

2025-11-05 01:03:29 UTC

@npub1prs…eh8y I think that went really well! Thanks for being part of this with me. :)

2025-11-02 01:37:18 UTC

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I can make guides that make it all clear. :)

2025-11-01 23:54:31 UTC

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Specifically, I think all of the review can be done in public. All I need is for you to look at a GitHub pull request, see the comment from the reviewer, and decide whether to approve a publication for publishing, or to say "Based on my editorial judgement of the reviewer's thoughts, this does not pass muster."
I can source reviewers, I think, as the process will be public. And if an article is approved through the PR process, I can do the rest.

2025-11-01 22:03:52 UTC

@npub1prs…eh8y Any interesting in being an editor and sourcing peer review for a paper on Codex Mutabilis? I can help provide names, I think. I hopefully can find another editor eventually, but realizing for now I probably shouldn't be the editor for my own posts, if I want them to be peer-reviewed.
May be too much of an ask!

2025-10-28 05:32:48 UTC

Alright friends! I have a weird ask!
At #KiwiPycon for @npub1ss5…emwy next month, we're going to have BATTLE DECKS, where speakers present talks based on slidesthey didn't write.
Please send me your favorite, weirdest talk slides so that I can anonymize and enter them into the random running for this event. If you know of good ones and you know the speaker, ask them to share them?
Please boost!
#python #talks

2025-10-24 03:09:45 UTC

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Hey! Our talk is coming up soon! :D

2025-10-24 02:35:58 UTC

I was recently voted in as a Fellow of the Linnean Society. I can now shout "Science!" whenever I want. I could do that before, but now if someone says, "Calm down there, fellow", I can respond "No, thank you, sir, but yes that is my title."
https://www.burntfen.com/2025-10-24/fellow-of-the-linnean-society

2025-06-03 03:53:54 UTC

@npub1prs…eh8y Honestly kind of surprised that got in? But cool!

2025-05-07 02:04:47 UTC

Hi everyone I am now the person who asks in every repo "where is the license"
That includes in large open source projects that are not in fact open source, because there is no license.
When did I become everything I hate

2025-04-26 23:52:22 UTC

Update: I have not yet used blumberjack.com, but I will probably start it soon.
Thoughts on best topics for blog is encouraged.

2025-04-16 21:47:25 UTC

Hot take: Mastodon works.
Because you're seeing this right now. And you might respond to it.
That's the majority of what I want from a social network.

2025-04-15 03:07:29 UTC

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Good. Well, if you wanted to be coauthor, let me know!

2025-04-15 02:31:28 UTC

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Finished a draft, but I hope you're asleep!

2025-04-15 00:12:24 UTC

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I think it is due tonight, so that may be too late. That's OK. I saw the opportunity too late.

2025-04-14 23:38:25 UTC

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I am also late on time! I am working on it now, should have a draft in an hour. Hope that works for you timewise to at least see it and see what you think. :)

2025-04-14 03:49:59 UTC

@npub1prs…eh8y I realized that Codex Mutabilis would be an excellent submission to https://www.ipres2025.nz/, focusing on preserving editorial decisions according to the Code. I am writing up a short, 4-page paper on it now (deadline tomorrow). Would you be interested in looking at it or being a coauthor? :)

2025-04-07 22:15:24 UTC

Got a paper acceptance today, on the identification of a bird from one of Melville's later poems.
I guess I am now a Melville scholar. Did not see that coming.

2025-03-26 14:08:26 UTC

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This is my first time learning about the gag rule for talking about the OSI work.
"[Directors can expect each other] to Disagree during Board deliberation but support publicly all Board decisions, especially those that do not have unanimous consent."
This is horrible. This makes me wonder about so many conversations I have had with board directors over the years, and it also explains a good deal of silence I have gotten to some questions.
You need to allow dissent in the open.

2025-03-26 14:05:18 UTC

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Bugger the outside, this damages the reputation of the OSI even to those in the FOSS movement. And that includes corporate OSS! I say this as someone who is blessed enough to have an affiliate seat.
Our ideals and vision are always bigger than reality, and it's always difficult to work in the open and in any arena.
But surely, I mean, surely the OSI can do better than this.

2025-03-26 13:58:50 UTC

The OSIs purpose is to be a trusted, legitimate source of truth for what open source is and how to use it.
When they fail at holding meaningful, equitable elections, and when they push through controversial work like OSAID and then gag board members from disagreeing with it publicly, they undermine their own work.
I don't know if the OSI needs to exist right now to legitimize OSS. It doesn't stop snake oil OSS or open washing. Surely the public can just call a spade a spade on their own.

2025-02-28 23:47:05 UTC

I have officially moved off of Firefox. I moved off of Chrome years ago.
I did not want to do this, but @npub13gc…hkve's new terms are untenable.

2025-01-15 20:25:32 UTC

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That's [@tungite](https://hachyderm.io/@tungite ), too. Hi Joe!

2025-01-15 20:24:03 UTC

This is cool. A short interview with Joe Weiss, the maintainer of birdnetlib, which is an API for birdnet.
https://birdpop.org/pages/blogPost.php?id=129

2025-01-15 09:28:13 UTC

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HMU. I'm in Wellington and am always keen for a nature walk while talking - south coast, or Zealandia.

2025-01-09 04:53:00 UTC

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I was in a men's group with him. And I don't know Todd, yet, but it is a small place!

2025-01-09 03:45:33 UTC

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Hey! I know Jason too!

2024-12-11 06:54:04 UTC

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cc @npub1prs…eh8y

2024-12-11 06:44:21 UTC

Announcing Codex Mutabilis. https://www.burntfen.com/2024-12-11/announcing-codex-mutabilis
A blog post where I lay out why I made codexmutabilis.com and how it works.
#nomenclature #taxonomy

2024-12-11 04:18:22 UTC

#Botanists of Mastodon: I am interested in doing a survey of a shrub here in Pōneke, in order to publish on it status; no one has surveyed it in this area since 1986. I am unfamiliar with best practices for doing a botanical survey.
Anyone have any good books or guides on how to do this well and thoroughly? Specifically, in two small parks - how do I lay out the ground, count plants, etc.
RT for reach if your followers are #academics or botanists.

2024-12-09 18:42:17 UTC

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Whao! How! For which site?

2024-12-05 22:55:26 UTC

Well, Codex Mutabilis now has an ISSN! Way to go, Natl Library of NZ.
Now to write a post about what this means. Got some other work on today, but that's coming soon.
Thanks to @npub1prs…eh8y for helping by being on the editorial team. \o/

2024-12-05 00:06:07 UTC

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It's up. Maybe I should have a "Why this is important" section. 🤔

2024-12-05 00:05:45 UTC

I am happy to announce the Codex Mutabilis, aka the Change Log. This is a new microjournal that will function to allow quick, valid changes to the ICZN code.
It doesn't have an ISSN yet, but it should soon. This is pretty exciting, weird work.
http://codexmutabilis.com/

2024-12-04 02:45:42 UTC

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I just need padding on the masthead! Not expecting any work at all. :)

2024-12-03 23:45:13 UTC

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Would you be interested in being a coeditor? :) Happy to talk about what that would mean!
I know some people at the National Library here. I'm not trying to make work for them - just following their rules. Codexmutabilis.com should satisfy all of the ISSN requirements.
Yep, trying to unbreak it. Let's go!

2024-12-03 23:08:48 UTC

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It'll likely be the same. We shall see.
This is an interesting problem. I still can't tell if I am breaking science by doing what I am thinking about doing here.

2024-12-03 23:06:47 UTC

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Oh, no. I heard back within a day. The National Library in NZ is pretty fast!
Hence building another site that is not my personal blog.

2024-12-03 23:02:44 UTC

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Take a look at https://www.issn.org/understanding-the-issn/assignment-rules/the-issn-for-electronic-media/.
Blog post imminent, just waiting for DNS to flush out the new A records for the new site.

2024-12-03 21:41:30 UTC

Ok. I cannot get an ISSN for my personal blog, according to the ISSN rules https://www.issn.org/understanding-the-issn/assignment-rules/the-issn-for-electronic-media/.
Which means it's time to make a new website.
Anyone have any suggestions for a journal name whose sole purpose is fixing issues in taxonomic nomenclature, mostly related to grammatical agreement?
Ping @npub1prs…eh8y

2024-12-03 03:10:00 UTC

Today I applied for an ISSN for burntfen.com, because I want to be able to make nomenclatural acts from my blog.
https://www.burntfen.com/2024-12-03/applying-for-issn
#taxonomy #science

2024-12-02 03:33:20 UTC

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Did you hear back?

2024-11-24 20:10:19 UTC

@npub1qm7…l5nr Well then I should probably set up a newsletter. I wonder if that is the best way. Hmm!
In today's fun sidequest: Turns out you can get an ISSN for your website without a lot of effort.

2024-11-14 19:54:08 UTC

I want to recommend my friend for a job at the Internet Archive as a video archivist. If anyone has any tips on how I can best support their application, I would love to hear it. I think they'd be fricking awesome at it.

2024-09-29 20:00:19 UTC

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Envious! Do you have a recipe I could follow?

2024-09-29 19:58:24 UTC

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What're you making?

2024-09-20 21:27:11 UTC

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Look at that gorgeous blue!

2024-09-20 21:26:08 UTC

Last night I made a Wikipedia page for the Canterbury Alpine Boulder Copper, a beautiful little butterfly from the Mackenzie basin in New Zealand's South Island. I added my own photo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycaena_tama
I don't know how to link this easily within other pages, because the taxonomy isn't sorted, but it's always nice to be the first person to bother making a wiki page for others.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/171/994/550/091/473/original/2d75d9c234d6a0b5.jpg

2024-08-27 23:56:39 UTC

The waves of nostalgia that come when you stumble upon an ex online as part of your normal work, perhaps after years or decades of time.
This happens occasionally to me. It always feels unshareable, as a feeling - surely, my brain thinks, surely I am the only one this happens to.
Kelp gulls flying into the wind over the bay.

2024-08-20 01:18:11 UTC

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Yeah fair! I agree with you on that. I thought you meant "I don't take photos of nice trees I've seen because maples are so done." :)

2024-08-19 22:25:15 UTC

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This is big nature to some creatures.
All art is just pointing and saying, "Look at this I am looking at it too." Other people being good at that doesn't mean it wouldn't be good for you to share your photos of Big Nature™ too.

2024-08-19 06:58:03 UTC

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Hope you're doing ok friend

2024-08-06 05:57:01 UTC

Here we have me in my native environment, at a #FLOSS event (hello @npub1dug…kxeq and #GUADEC), with a pair of binoculars. @npub1ls3…scht for scale.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/913/533/030/181/690/original/2dd95fe9a6a00e41.jpg