John Parkinson
@amatyr.bsky.social
Tech-interested, RPG-playing, Fiction-loving lurker
Pinned
John Parkinson
@amatyr.bsky.social
· Apr 16
Trans women are women.
Trans men are men.
Trans men are men.
Trump's lawyers channeling Cornley Drama Society's production of The Lodge here. #mischieftheatre #nichejoke
It certainly starts strong. I don’t think I’ve ever used this many adjectives at once since undergrad, when I needed to pad a word count.
December 16, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Trump's lawyers channeling Cornley Drama Society's production of The Lodge here. #mischieftheatre #nichejoke
Reposted by John Parkinson
Can we stop using the euphemism “women’s rights activist” for ardent transphobe?
Lib Dems announce 5 peers including ex-MP Sarah Teather, Tories announce 3 including Olympic swimmer/ women's rights activist Sharon Davies, historian Simon Heffer and former cabinet minister John Redwood. Reform UK don't get any.
December 10, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Can we stop using the euphemism “women’s rights activist” for ardent transphobe?
Reposted by John Parkinson
I despise transphobes with my entire heart. Absolutely foul people
"Girlguiding had been facing legal action from a parent over its policy allowing transgender girls to join as members and trans women to volunteer in roles reserved for women, claiming it “exposes girls to harassment”
And presumably feared a sustained campaign.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
And presumably feared a sustained campaign.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Trans girls banned from joining Girlguiding
Girls’ adventure charity says it made decision after seeking legal advice in wake of supreme court ruling on gender
www.theguardian.com
December 2, 2025 at 7:20 PM
I despise transphobes with my entire heart. Absolutely foul people
Reposted by John Parkinson
Manchester's a pretty multi-ethnic city, and my 'aw, shit' instincts were definitely always far more triggered by seeing a group of white kids on the corner than Asian ones, out of learned experience.
The fall in violent crime is too big to be explained by any single cause, but I've always thought that immigration from cultures where drinking eight pints and getting into a fight isn't seen as a normal way to spend your Saturday night must be a non-trivial part of it.
November 3, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Manchester's a pretty multi-ethnic city, and my 'aw, shit' instincts were definitely always far more triggered by seeing a group of white kids on the corner than Asian ones, out of learned experience.
Brand recognition is for cowards.
Microsoft’s new Office icons are now available in TestFlight versions of Excel, Word, and PowerPoint on iOS
October 8, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Brand recognition is for cowards.
Reposted by John Parkinson
New! Cassetteboy vs Keir Starmer.
This took absolutely ages, so if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi.com/cassetteboy we'd really appreciate it. Thanks!
This took absolutely ages, so if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi.com/cassetteboy we'd really appreciate it. Thanks!
September 30, 2025 at 10:55 AM
New! Cassetteboy vs Keir Starmer.
This took absolutely ages, so if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi.com/cassetteboy we'd really appreciate it. Thanks!
This took absolutely ages, so if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi.com/cassetteboy we'd really appreciate it. Thanks!
Reposted by John Parkinson
Well don't I feel stupid
September 26, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Well don't I feel stupid
Reposted by John Parkinson
I quite like immigration.
September 22, 2025 at 9:39 AM
I quite like immigration.
Reposted by John Parkinson
Oh.
That doesn’t seem right
That doesn’t seem right
September 18, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Oh.
That doesn’t seem right
That doesn’t seem right
Reposted by John Parkinson
I don’t want to be too shrill about this but I think the BBC, ITV and Sky have disgraced themselves in their coverage of the anti-refugee protests. A massive failure of judgement. But now we know the next time a progressive protest “isn’t news” that it’s nothing to do with numbers
August 24, 2025 at 10:33 PM
I don’t want to be too shrill about this but I think the BBC, ITV and Sky have disgraced themselves in their coverage of the anti-refugee protests. A massive failure of judgement. But now we know the next time a progressive protest “isn’t news” that it’s nothing to do with numbers
😂
We ran a randomized controlled trial to see how much AI coding tools speed up experienced open-source developers.
The results surprised us: Developers thought they were 20% faster with AI tools, but they were actually 19% slower when they had access to AI than when they didn't.
The results surprised us: Developers thought they were 20% faster with AI tools, but they were actually 19% slower when they had access to AI than when they didn't.
July 10, 2025 at 10:47 PM
😂
Reposted by John Parkinson
Reposted by John Parkinson
Not a statement about the weather, but: It is deeply weird that, whenever humans go outside, right there in the sky there's an unthinkably huge ball of nuclear fire so blazing hot it can burn our skin from millions of miles away, and we're just casually habituated to this terrifying cosmic horror.
June 19, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Not a statement about the weather, but: It is deeply weird that, whenever humans go outside, right there in the sky there's an unthinkably huge ball of nuclear fire so blazing hot it can burn our skin from millions of miles away, and we're just casually habituated to this terrifying cosmic horror.
Looks very promising. The people who did it right the first time, coming back for more after Amazon ruined it.
You can sign up already:
neonichiban.com/ref/V2IPQW
You can sign up already:
neonichiban.com/ref/V2IPQW
June 19, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Looks very promising. The people who did it right the first time, coming back for more after Amazon ruined it.
You can sign up already:
neonichiban.com/ref/V2IPQW
You can sign up already:
neonichiban.com/ref/V2IPQW
On a walk up Alderley Edge. Saw Les Dennis doing the same. Left him alone.
Right folks. Feeling rather down at the moment so bringing back an oldie
Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
June 13, 2025 at 1:49 PM
On a walk up Alderley Edge. Saw Les Dennis doing the same. Left him alone.
I loved that. Great to see it in the cinema too. #doctorwho
May 31, 2025 at 7:45 PM
I loved that. Great to see it in the cinema too. #doctorwho
Reposted by John Parkinson
Full blog - you should *absolutely* read it deplet.ing/the-copilot-...
I also find these AI tools helpful when it’s doing the routine task I’ve done many times and can do it with eyes closed
But… it’s not helpful when I want to build something GREAT that is elegant, and better than before
I also find these AI tools helpful when it’s doing the routine task I’ve done many times and can do it with eyes closed
But… it’s not helpful when I want to build something GREAT that is elegant, and better than before
The Copilot Delusion
Disclaimer: This post was written May 2025, and the arguments apply to AI code capabilities at this time. The arguments around lack of competence are certainly likely to become less prevalent-while th...
deplet.ing
May 25, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Full blog - you should *absolutely* read it deplet.ing/the-copilot-...
I also find these AI tools helpful when it’s doing the routine task I’ve done many times and can do it with eyes closed
But… it’s not helpful when I want to build something GREAT that is elegant, and better than before
I also find these AI tools helpful when it’s doing the routine task I’ve done many times and can do it with eyes closed
But… it’s not helpful when I want to build something GREAT that is elegant, and better than before
Reposted by John Parkinson
This blog is SO good at pointing out what should have been obvious about AI for coding (Copilot and others)
These tools are good for re-creating whatever they’ve been trained on.
They are not what will create the next, better generation of frameworks, libraries, technologies.
These tools are good for re-creating whatever they’ve been trained on.
They are not what will create the next, better generation of frameworks, libraries, technologies.
May 25, 2025 at 3:43 AM
This blog is SO good at pointing out what should have been obvious about AI for coding (Copilot and others)
These tools are good for re-creating whatever they’ve been trained on.
They are not what will create the next, better generation of frameworks, libraries, technologies.
These tools are good for re-creating whatever they’ve been trained on.
They are not what will create the next, better generation of frameworks, libraries, technologies.
Reposted by John Parkinson
Seeing an increase in people saying "bluesky is in a bubble about the plagiarism machines that make shit up. Most people use them now" and buddy. That's bad. You get that that's bad, right?
May 20, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Seeing an increase in people saying "bluesky is in a bubble about the plagiarism machines that make shit up. Most people use them now" and buddy. That's bad. You get that that's bad, right?
Tech CEO explain how they’re bad at their job and also at life challenge.
If you thought social media had scrambled America’s CEOs just wait until they’re fully cooked by AI apple.news/AJ_ht7MMyT9G...
May 16, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Tech CEO explain how they’re bad at their job and also at life challenge.
Reposted by John Parkinson
ALAN
FUCKING
GODDAMN
MOORE
FUCKING
GODDAMN
MOORE
May 9, 2025 at 8:34 AM
ALAN
FUCKING
GODDAMN
MOORE
FUCKING
GODDAMN
MOORE
Reposted by John Parkinson
Reposted by John Parkinson
I ended up accidentally writing an entire post on the limits to "harm reduction" voting and why I don't believe it's the appropriate response to Starmer's Labour Party, even in the face of Reform.
Hi Adrian, this deserves a long answer, so this might stretch across a few posts. Sorry about that! So... In normal times, I am largely in favour of harm reduction when voting. No party is perfect, but some parties are clearly less harmful than others – so pick the "least harm" option.
May 3, 2025 at 6:39 AM
I ended up accidentally writing an entire post on the limits to "harm reduction" voting and why I don't believe it's the appropriate response to Starmer's Labour Party, even in the face of Reform.
Reposted by John Parkinson
Fuck the EHRC. Inhumane Trumpian bullshit
April 25, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Fuck the EHRC. Inhumane Trumpian bullshit