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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates
@tomcoates.bsky.social
11K followers 690 following 11K posts
English technologist, founder and product designer living in San Francisco. Prev: BBC, Yahoo, Time Out, Nokia, Jawbone, Wired & Eero. Founded things too. Currently trying to find something to get excited rather than angry about. Http://plasticbag.org
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Reposted by Tom Coates
goodlawproject.org
Jolyon Maugham KC @goodlawproject.org · 17m
“I’ve spent six months talking to trans people who are afraid to go out because of the climate of fear the EHRC’s interim guidance created,” Maugham said. “Some are suicidal – and I am aware of people who have sought to take their own lives." goodlaw.social/9j3v
EHRC withdraws interim guidance encouraging trans exclusion
After six months of confusion and delay, the EHRC has taken down interim guidance rushed out in April. But the damage has already been done.
goodlaw.social
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Reposted by Tom Coates
politico.com
Politico @politico.com · 20m
Two more members of a Young Republican group chat strewn with racist epithets and hateful jokes stepped down from their jobs Tuesday after we published an exclusive report on the Telegram exchanges.
‘It’s revolting’: More Young Republican chat members out of jobs as condemnation intensifies
POLITICO report on private Telegram chat filled with racist slurs and tropes ignites debate from New York to Washington.
www.politico.com
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Reposted by Tom Coates
goldengateblond.bsky.social
shauna @goldengateblond.bsky.social · 2h
these people have the self-reflection of a vampire
atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2h
Mike Johnson: "They berated a Capitol police officer, screamed at him. He was merely standing his post. It shows, again, their disdain for law enforcement, the Democrats, screaming, assaulting officers."
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Reposted by Tom Coates
nycsouthpaw.bsky.social
southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 1h
A foundational truth of this republic is it has no king.
atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1h
Johnson: "We call it the Hate America Rally that will happen Saturday. Let's see who shows up for that. I bet you you'll see Hamas supporters, I bet you'll see antifa types, I bet you'll see Marxists on full display, people who don't want to stand and defend the foundational truths of this republic"
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Reposted by Tom Coates
hamiltonnolan.bsky.social
Hamilton Nolan @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social · 53m
Bari Weiss launched her own path to stardom with the argument "it is oppression to dislike me for being bad" and now we will get to see what an entire media ecosystem built with that philosophy looks like
albertburneko.bsky.social
Kurtbert Barlowko @albertburneko.bsky.social · 1h
"disliking me is persecution" describes so incredibly many people's entire outlook these days defector.com/free-press-r...
Free Press Reporter Discovers That Being An Amoral Dickhead Can Cost You Friends | Defector
It can be hard to maintain friendships as an adult. People move to new cities, start families, and experience all sorts of other life events that make it difficult to keep in touch. Sometimes, you end...
defector.com
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 1h
I’m with you. I think it was an entertaining movie - not overly complex or challenging - that looked great. I also think it was 100% only going to be entertaining to men around fifty - and they were the large majority of attendees at my screening
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Reposted by Tom Coates
goodlawproject.org
Jolyon Maugham KC @goodlawproject.org · 9h
Labour is telling you VERY LOUDLY who to vote for if you value human rights. And it's definitely NOT LABOUR.
goodlawproject.org
Jolyon Maugham KC @goodlawproject.org · 22h
Woah! So Labour's position really is, 'telling us off for breaching human rights undermines the case for human rights'? Proper Trumpian stuff from Labour's answer to Suella Braverman.
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 10h
Eesh
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 11h
Now, I’ve written far too much; I’m tired and I have a bunch of things to deal with this evening so I’m going to go and get that stuff done.
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 11h
… and also acknowledge that if you don’t feel comfortable with the ethics of the business you work in or the work they produce, you (1) can persuade people to change (2) can unionize or organize or (3) you can quit and find a different company that *does* have values you can live and work with:
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 11h
My suggestion is we encourage designers to understand what kind of influence they are likely to have and what they’re not likely to have, encourage them nonetheless to use their influence and Utopianism where they can on occasion to make things a bit better…
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 11h
More importantly, I feel like if we somehow accept this as an a priori assumption we’re already and immediately conceded a massive amount of ground at a time where, not being weird, various companies are compromising their principles and it’s like actually super dangerous for people like me.
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 11h
… only to watch it turn to a steaming pile of extractive shit. I’m not a natural optimist. And yet I’m not quite ready at this point to accept the idea that the only thing you should ever consider at work is how you can make the company more money. I think you can and should expect more.
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 11h
… to be more than cynical about the world we operate in and to have many of my woolly aspirations and belief in the world summarily crushed. I mean I’m a 53 year old gay technologist who survived a pretty difficult and homophobic time and fell into the web on full Utopian mode…
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 11h
… and that any sense you have of trying to influence the discussion, operate in a way you feel respects your craft and your users (while *obviously* still trying to make money) is somehow flawed or foolish. I’m not going to lie I’ve been in the design and tech industry long enough…
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 11h
I’ll no doubt be unclear here again, and I may have misrepresented it, but I *do* find it an uncomfortable framing. I’m not trying to be difficult. I’m not being contrary. I think it’s risky to imply that your choices in a company are (1) shut up and do as you’re told or (2) quit …
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 11h
… but then my first post and most of the comments afterwards have not been statements of absolute clarity and certainty. I’ve just expressed a discomfort with the framing and a concern that as originally presented it borders telling passionate moral people to give up on any matter of principle…
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 11h
I find this very frustrating. I am very unsure about Erika’s original position as expressed, but she’s talked around it a bit more and I sort of feel like I’m getting the edge of what she’s saying even if my understanding is imperfect. I also feel like I’m communicating imperfectly
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 11h
I mean, that wasn’t actually what the argument was, and that was one of several examples I provided, all showing that various trades and tradespeople expect and want that the people who come to work in them will bring a sense of purpose, mission and values to their work as well as revenue production
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 14h
Unfortunately, there’s not a very large market for nuance right now. I’d be much more in demand if there was.
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 14h
It’s the *intensity* of these expectation poles that are causing the problems. The more someone talks about how world transforming it’s going to be, the more half the population feel queasy and worried about their kids futures.
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 14h
And I think the potential power and impact of the technology fuels the polarization on this one - because if it’s manifested, the people who are excited think it’ll carry them to a far better world, and the people who are horrified think it’ll carry them to a far worse one.
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 14h
The antipathy is normally more complicated than the boosterism, I think. It’s a mix of very reasonable fears about their future and prospects and the alienness of the world it creates expressed often as “it’s useless and doesn’t work”.
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 14h
It’s a version of altruism and values that I find quite repellant, but it’s not purely money that motivates them. You could say the same of most media organizations at this point, certainly anything owned by Rupert Murdoch, along with the ones more aligned with my values - Guardian / BBC.
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tomcoates.bsky.social
Tom Coates @tomcoates.bsky.social · 14h
Absolutely agree. Also wouldn’t work at Twitter. Oh there’s another example for you - I absolutely can’t stand Twitter but the designers there aren’t motivated by making the company money. They’re motivated by pleasing Elon and/or by right-wing politics.
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