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Reposted by Ruth Malan

the Mountain Goats @themountaingoats.bsky.social · 2d

ahem

30tgrs.ffm.to/coldatnight-...

The Mountain Goats - Cold at Night / Rocks in My Pockets

Choose your preferred music service

30tgrs.ffm.to

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Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 2d

and don’t imagine me happy about this part ;)

Frank Garrett @frankgarrett.online · 2d

I saved this from Tumblr just yesterday bc I needed it.

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Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 2d

It was so good to see you again—you bring so much to the discussions!

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Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 2d

The “et al” is such an amazing community! For those who weren’t able to join us: the paper is a valuable read and the discussion was so vibrant and engaging, we were a minute over before I even looked at the clock :D

Thank you @rebeccawb.bsky.social , @mathiasverraes.bsky.social and everyone there

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Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 2d

Discussion today will be interesting — illustrating examining models, with the following examples:

hierarchical, social network, and the value creation (as organizing model)

and

the Spotify Model, the Agile Fluency Model, and Team Topologies.

Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 3d

Discussion will be led by @rebeccawb.bsky.social and @mathiasverraes.bsky.social

Also, for those who can stay on after the hour, there is a further 30 minutes of “hallway chat.”

All of which makes for a place to have a focused discussion, and some time to range further, and connect.

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Reposted by Ruth Malan

Yvonne Lam @yvonnezlam.bsky.social · 3d

People who work on big software systems, you need to read this set of branching convos/threads.

👻madeline boOoOoOodent👻 @oldenoughtosay.com · 3d

There’s a secret underground room at the Bodleian Library where they were installing a new boiler system and the old one was too hard to remove so they just bricked up the entire room and then dug a new underground room somewhere else

Nicole Guenther Discenza @ndiscenza1.bsky.social · 3d

The same addition had a water heater closet built around the water heater—stop me if I've told you this one before. It was a holiday weekend when the heater went, and the plumber couldn't remove the busted one
He installed a new, smaller one and pushed the old one to one side.

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Reposted by Ruth Malan

Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 9d

“Every model makes a choice about what is important, what categories we classify things in, what we see, what’s invisible, what’s valued, or even what’s valid.“
— @rebeccawb.bsky.social and @mathiasverraes.bsky.social

from the paper we’re discussing on Monday, Oct 6 👇

Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 25d

Next in the #PapersInSystems Discussion Series:

Critically Engaging with Models, by @rebeccawb.bsky.social
and @mathiasverraes.bsky.social

When: October 6th, 2025, 1–2pm Eastern Time (US/Canada)

Paper: wirfs-brock.com/rebecca/blog...

More info/Sign-up: ti.to/bredemeyer/p...

Rebecca’s Web – Critically Engaging With Models

Rebecca Wirfs-Brock On the Web

wirfs-brock.com

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Reposted by Ruth Malan

Ian Coldwater 👻🌿 @lookitup.baby · 12d

Children should be seen and heard.

Mik | Graphic Designer + Strategist @oksoboom.blacksky.app · 12d

I was supposed to teach an 8th grade class of girls for a week about my work and navigating as a Black female entrepreneur. But when I got to talk to them, we spent most classes just chatting about self esteem, their family life, etc.

Almost all of them said nobody ever listens to them.

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Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 4d

In two weeks:

System Design and Software Architecture Workshop:

Oct 20-22 and Oct 27-Oct 29, 2025 at 11 am - 3:30 pm Eastern Time (live remote)

Info/enroll: ti.to/bredemeyer/s...

Sample sections (think FREE pdf ebook):

www.ruthmalan.com/Bredemeyer/2...

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Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 4d

Monday! Join us?

Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 25d

Next in the #PapersInSystems Discussion Series:

Critically Engaging with Models, by @rebeccawb.bsky.social
and @mathiasverraes.bsky.social

When: October 6th, 2025, 1–2pm Eastern Time (US/Canada)

Paper: wirfs-brock.com/rebecca/blog...

More info/Sign-up: ti.to/bredemeyer/p...

Rebecca’s Web – Critically Engaging With Models

Rebecca Wirfs-Brock On the Web

wirfs-brock.com

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Reposted by Ruth Malan

Margaret Mitchell @mmitchell.bsky.social · 4d

This.

Ryan J. Gallagher @ryanjgallag.com · 5d

I think Bluesky is building dated approaches to moderation and resolution, compared to how modern the other aspects of the protocol feel

It feels like they pull in the latest tech innovations for the protocol, but none of the latest cutting edge ideas for moderation and trust & safety governance

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Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 4d

Quoted in: www.ruthmalan.com/systems/2025...

Which is a useful “workshop” in System Seeing.

page with the Cilliers quote used upthread

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Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 4d

"Complex systems have a history. Not only do they evolve through time, but their past is co-responsible for their present behaviour. Any analysis of a complex system that ignores the dimension of time is incomplete"

- Paul Cilliers, Complexity and Postmodernism: Understanding Complex Systems

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Reposted by Ruth Malan

lindsey adler @lindseyadler.bsky.social · 4d

Great story. Can't overstate the desperation in creative industries right now. Nearly every person I know who previously had a viable, or even lucrative, career in media/entertainment is in a financial panic, leaving longtime apartments, desperately taking any work they can find. It is really bad.

Ben Fritz @benfritz.bsky.social · 6d

The most important human story in the entertainment industry right now is the severe downturn in film and TV production in LA and how it's affecting middle-class crew workers. I spoke to dozens of them for this story about the depressed Hollywood economy. www.wsj.com/business/med...

L.A.’s Entertainment Economy Is Looking Like a Disaster Movie

Work is evaporating, businesses are closing, longtime residents are leaving, and Los Angeles’s creative middle class is hanging on by a thread.

www.wsj.com

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Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 5d

Pleased to be participating in the Sketch Your Mind virtual Conference! Lots of cool folks sharing their approaches to visual thinking - should be exciting & generative! My talk is Thursday October 16 at 12pm PT (I’ll share process…). Site & free registration sketch-your-mind.com/2025/session...

Sketch your mind Conference promo with photo of me, description and time Thursday October 16 12PM PT

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Reposted by Ruth Malan

Pavel @spavel.bsky.social · 5d

Business leader: Our user persona? Well we don't want to constrain our customer base, this product is for everyone

Designer: That's great! Let's talk about accessibility

Business leader: Oh, I didn't mean it like *that*

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Reposted by Ruth Malan

‮Jeff Eaton @eaton.fyi · 9d

Love this perspective; it’s one that is overlooked so often in pursuit of “correctness.”

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Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 9d

“Every model makes a choice about what is important, what categories we classify things in, what we see, what’s invisible, what’s valued, or even what’s valid.“
— @rebeccawb.bsky.social and @mathiasverraes.bsky.social

from the paper we’re discussing on Monday, Oct 6 👇

Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 25d

Next in the #PapersInSystems Discussion Series:

Critically Engaging with Models, by @rebeccawb.bsky.social
and @mathiasverraes.bsky.social

When: October 6th, 2025, 1–2pm Eastern Time (US/Canada)

Paper: wirfs-brock.com/rebecca/blog...

More info/Sign-up: ti.to/bredemeyer/p...

Rebecca’s Web – Critically Engaging With Models

Rebecca Wirfs-Brock On the Web

wirfs-brock.com

3 10 18

Reposted by Ruth Malan

Newcrafts Conference @newcrafts.bsky.social · 13d

From advocating technical excellence in developers daily practices to exploring horizons like AI observability, machine learning, and green IT—these sessions span foundational coding practices through survival strategies for operating in unfavourable professional contexts.
👉 buff.ly/mWxJ2Mq

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Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 10d

On Monday Oct 6:

Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 25d

Next in the #PapersInSystems Discussion Series:

Critically Engaging with Models, by @rebeccawb.bsky.social
and @mathiasverraes.bsky.social

When: October 6th, 2025, 1–2pm Eastern Time (US/Canada)

Paper: wirfs-brock.com/rebecca/blog...

More info/Sign-up: ti.to/bredemeyer/p...

Rebecca’s Web – Critically Engaging With Models

Rebecca Wirfs-Brock On the Web

wirfs-brock.com

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Reposted by Ruth Malan

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 12d

Good heavens! @jesselonergan.bsky.social - this is mind blowing out-of-this-world work! Inspiring use of the grid in relentless innovation - really blown away by it page after page. Bravo!! 1/2

Cover to Drome - grid of squares and figures within and without them

Interior spread - built on a grid of squares - one side has some diagonals the other circles cutting up the grid

Interior spread - built on a grid of squares action cutting through the space

Interior spread - built on a grid of squares - here lots of curves cut through it acting to create more panels

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Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 12d

In this case, I still have that physical note… from 🤫 .. several years ago :)

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Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 12d

I find leadership hard to characterize pithily, in a way that is flexible across the various situations and styles of leaders. For example, I balk at characterizations that (further) encode stereotypes… So when i encounter a characterization that does important *work* I tend to um hang on to it.

Diana Montalion @dianamontalion.com · Aug 20

I love feeling sensed back by thinkers I respect.

Original post: mastodon.social/@RuthMalan/1...

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Ruth Malan @ruthmalan.bsky.social · 12d

And I draw on Mary Parker Follett’s work; it’s from ~100 years ago, but not only deserves a place in the formative history of the system design (and leadership) field, but in the discourse that helps shape our understanding and approaches today.

page from material linked upthread, with quotes:

The "Law of the Situation"
"Our job [..] how to devise methods by which we can best discover the order integral to a particular situation."
DYNAMIC
ADMINISTRATION
- Mary Parker Follett

"understand the situation, must see it as a whole, must see the interrelation of all the parts [..] must do more than this. He [sic] must see the evolving situation, the developing situation.
His wisdom, his judgment, is used, not on a situation that is stationary, but on one that is changing all the time."
— Mary Parker Follett, 'The Giving of Orders'

"That's always our problem, not how to get control of people, but how all together we can get control of a situation."
— Mary Parker Follett

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