Really enjoying day 1 of #positconf2026. Lots of great ideas being shared. I definitely need to dig in on ShinyChat and data-dict to make public data more accessible.
@jaredknowles.com
@jaredknowles.comReally enjoying day 1 of #positconf2026. Lots of great ideas being shared. I definitely need to dig in on ShinyChat and data-dict to make public data more accessible.
@smachlis.bsky.socialPosit's @hadley.nz told #PositConf2026 about his latest projects:
data-dict, a YAML spec & CLI for data documentation data-dict.tidyverse.org
data-diff - a "tool that compares two Parquet files and emits a semantic diff as a compact, operation-oriented summary." github.com/hadley/data-... 1/2
@jonthegeek.comHad to leave... Which is good, cuz it looks like rain's coming for the next couple hours. Glad to be watching talks from my hotel during that time, then I can walk back for the party. #PositConf2026
@smachlis.bsky.socialThe shinychat package now can include citations in its LLM responses š
#PositConf2026
@smachlis.bsky.socialquerychat now has a /handoff command that will generate a downloadable report from your chat in formats such as Quarto, a Jupyter notebook and more, Carson Sievert tells #PositConf2026 .
@jonthegeek.comStaying in Ballroom A-F as long as I can for these talks but jeebus it's freezing in here when the room isn't full. Gonna have to remember to bring a jacket tomorrow #PositConf2026
@tcash21.bsky.socialWrite shit down: data-dict
Look at how shit changed: data-diff
Lightweight YAML spec, very similar to semantic layer in Snowflake.
@tcash21.bsky.socialāCoding has irrevocably changed due to AIā
AND
āYou shouldnāt torture the data until it confesses to somethingā š„
@smachlis.bsky.socialnoted at #PositConf2026 "AgentsView brings your AI coding sessions into one searchable archive. Browse recorded conversations from more than 60 agent formats, compare activity and costs, and reuse lessons from past work. The archive stays on your machine unless you turn on a feature that shares it."
@tcash21.bsky.socialBig crowd for #positconf2026 keynote here in Houston. So excited to be here with my data people šŖš #rstats #datascience
@smachlis.bsky.socialUseful tip: Give your agent a FILE PATH instead of pasting in an entire file, Posit engineering manager Sharon Wang advises #PositConf2026 attendees. This uses fewer tokens and lets the AI search for what it needs in the file.
![A conference presentation slide beside a speaker at a podium. The slide reads:
ātip 2: tell the agent where to look
ā¢ reference a file path rather than pasting the whole file
ā¢ reference files and text over screenshots/images
āā¢ HTML, QMD, SVG, etc.
ā¢ connect to external sources for live data
āā¢ check out Neal Richardsonās talk on MCP in this session!ā
ātip 2,ā āfile path,ā and āfiles and textā are highlighted in yellow; āNeal Richardsonā is bold. The podium sign reads āposit conf(2026).ā
[Alt text by ChatGPT]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:z4cp3uwgxiioi7uaxn2boq47/bafkreie2sev7purhdfit6emhyddnmcznmyqmlbd5ehdouvsjas6nlj7jf4@jpeg)
@kellybodwin.comWarm fuzzies listening to @rpodcast.bsky.social pitch R-Weekly to the #positconf2026 audience. š„°
Eric's positive impact on the community, via his consistent dedication to the blog and highlights podcast, is immeasurable.
@jaredknowles.comHey #positconf2026 here's a data source you might find useful to connect with or for your next training! If you want to learn more about the way public money has been used in your community over time - check it out!
@mcmullarkey.bsky.social"If you don't talk to people, AI is a great way to automate misunderstanding" - @tcash21.bsky.social
A theme across talks: building natural language tools exposes ambiguities that can otherwise hide
Aligning on definitions + standardizing processes matters more now than ever
@gigiomics.bsky.socialThis next (and final) talk for this session came with a handout?? Influencer with Quarto: Designing Reports that Drive Decisions #positconf #positconf2026
@smachlis.bsky.social"Small habits applied in the source make a document accessible by default
Accessibility: necessary for some, useful for everyone. Openness is only complete when the results are accessible." - Dr. Bjƶrn Fisseler
Slides on his accessibility #PositConf2026 presentation:
2026positconf.bfisseler.de
@flaviaerius.bsky.socialChat vs. workflow vs. agent evaluation in a medical evaluation (patient) context, shows that for this context agent means better quality by the lowest cost.
Extracted from the great presentation by Timothy Keyes at #positconf2026.
@jonthegeek.comWell dammit. I didn't take a {commons} sticker yesterday cuz I didn't know what it was and I try to stick to things I use or plan to use... But, now that @simonpcouch.com introduced it, I can't find a sticker š #PositConf2026
@smachlis.bsky.socialThe commons #RStats š¦ aims to help people build better data science agents by having them rely on trusted code and context when possible. Also a Python version #PositConf2026
opensource.posit.co/blog/2026-09...
@smachlis.bsky.socialHuman in the loop is no guarantee of accuracy. One important goal, they say, is to make your agent more accurate . . . and less bad when they're wrong.
#Positconf2026