Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Tom Thorley

@tgthorley.bsky.social

1.1K followers 560 following 240 posts

Advocate, Speaker, Technologist

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · Apr 11

Calling America - We are closer than ever thanks to the internet. We have more useable power at our fingertips than before thanks to AI. But we’ve never been more divergent as a country. The technology we have can’t solve deeper human divides and inequalities that we’ve built. We have to stand up.

1 3

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · 10h

Currently managing a preteen who is preteening and so rereading @drkowert.bsky.social ‘s article on Better Screen Time: Quality vs Quantity and I’m reminded of my old home economics teacher’s mantra “There are no bad foods, only bad diets!” nurture.is/academy/bett...

“Better” Screen Time is More Than Just Minutes: Quality vs Quantity

What makes some screen time for kids “better” than others? Turns out, “better” isn’t always better. Learn how to balance screen time quantity (time) with quality (content).

nurture.is

1 1 1

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · 1d

Second ML classifiers can be more accurate than humans and have less bias but they are not always better in either way - it really depends on how they are trained and used. Often we don’t do a good job of measuring bias in either human or ML moderation systems

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · 1d

@rahaeli.bsky.social I broadly agree with what you are saying in this thread but I think there is some nuance that should be injected. First you can be upset at classifiers making mistakes and your data being used for training - we need to do better at informed consent, privacy and data ownership

1 1

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · 4d

#Relax #BlueskyArtShow

My happy place at sunset

11 140

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · 5d

Needed this reminder this morning! #Breathe

Reposted by Tom Thorley

Forking Off @forkingoff.com · 7d

How the fork did we get here? In this episode, Jill and I discuss how morals and ethics were pushed to the limit by changes in the new administration. We'll be releasing new episodes every Monday.

#ForkingOff #FedExit #AltGov #DRP #ComeysHomies

forkingoff.com/how-the-fork/

How the Fork Did We Get Here?

We took the government's deferred resignation because our morals and our ethics were being pushed to the limit...

forkingoff.com

1 1 3

Reposted by Tom Thorley

WIRED @wired.com · 7d

Jane Goodall understood better than most the impact humans have had on the planet. Having witnessed so much environmental deterioration during her lifetime, she was as much an activist as a scientist.

Read our piece from 2024 on the legendary primatologist. 💚

Jane Goodall Thinks It’s Not Too Late to Save the World

The world, the famed primatologist says, isn’t what it used to be—but there’s still time to save it, if we treat crises like climate change, biodiversity loss, and poverty as one.

www.wired.com

7 180 710

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · 11d

#BlueSkyArtShow
#TheRoad in Cirencester on my way to Bath many years ago. It was so dark driving these Cotswold lanes and I couldn’t resist pulling over to take shots of the light trails.

1 1 37

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · 14d

Tonight at #HollywoodBowl was an amazing tribute to Minnie Riperton with Aloe Blacc, George Benson and Stevie Wonder… such a privilege just to be present.

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · 16d

Going for the most #LA day - Brunch in Malibu followed by Pickleball in Calabasas if only I could surf or beach…

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · 18d

#BlueSkyArtShow

From inside the public library in Seattle - Sharp #angles creating a lattice over the Seattle skyline. This place holds a special spot in my heart.

3 31

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · 21d

What do Ruth Asawa’s sculptures have to do with Keeping Developers online?
Let's talk about it! Catch my session as part of the Secure Track at #GitHubUniverse.

🗓️ Oct 28 -29 | San Francisco + Virtual
gh.io/universe-spe...

1 1

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · 25d

I didn’t have anything for #BlueSkyArtShow #Home this week instead here is this…

open.spotify.com/track/40l4DY...

Driftwood

open.spotify.com

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · 27d

Personally I’ve be quiet and reflective today, I always find 9/11 hard. But I’m trying to remember that every action we take is part of a larger effort. Let’s keep showing up with compassion in how we treat each other.
🙏

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · 27d

We’re living through a time of global pain and complexity. From political violence here in the U.S. to the genocide in Gaza, it’s a deeply difficult moment with hate and division driving much of the public discourse. I have no ambition for hot takes or simplifying. None of the solutions are easy.

1 2

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · 27d

Today is 9/11 —a day that holds deep personal meaning for me. It’s one of the reasons I entered Intel work, a long career countering terrorism, and ultimately led me to the role I’m in today. That moment shaped my sense of purpose: to help protect people and make the internet a safer place.

1 3

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · 29d

Gentle reminder for a rocky time

@joyoladokun.bsky.social #lookup

open.spotify.com/track/0oEji7...

look up

open.spotify.com

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · Sep 6

#BlueSkyArtShow
#Summer at Zuma Beach in Malibu

Reposted by Tom Thorley

Martin Woodward @martin.social · Sep 5

GitHub is the home for ALL developers. I spoken to quite a few Syrian developers who had been affected by the trade restrictions and know the positive impact that this change will have.

Thanks for making the world a more collaborative place - one pull request at a time

github.blog/company/gith...

GitHub is enabling broader access for developers in Syria following new government trade rules

With the relaxation of sanctions and export controls on Syria, GitHub will once again be broadly available to Syrian developers.

github.blog

1 6

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · Sep 4

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be speaking at #GitHubUniverse in October! If you care about how we keep developers safe @Github, I hope you’ll join me live in San Francisco or virtually!

🔗 gh.io/universe-spe...

GitHub Universe

GitHub's global developer event is back. Join the world's fair of software.

gh.io

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · Sep 1

This has to be a material from season 2 of the Residence… Uzo Abuda is about to pop out of the bushes with some binoculars.

1 2 9

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · Aug 30

#BlueSkyArtShow
#Shiny

The reflecting pools at the 9/11 memorial - a place of deep grief, sadness and trauma but also a place of hope and renewal. This place is very personally important to me and this morning that dichotomy particularly resonates.

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · Aug 27

*Resists urge to go map out the networks and build a classifier to identify bots on bsky*

a close up of a man with a beard saying `` dont tempt me ! ''

ALT: a close up of a man with a beard saying `` dont tempt me ! ''

media.tenor.com

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · Aug 26

In fairness to @aaron.bsky.team and team this is normally an asymmetry issue. Creating accounts is cheaper than accurately detecting them. There are loads of ways to solve for it but it’s all tradeoffs and for a platform that has grown rapidly deciding where to focus 1st can be really hard.

1 3

Tom Thorley @tgthorley.bsky.social · Aug 26

Still waiting …

John Mayer - Waiting On the World to Change (Official Video)

YouTube video by johnmayerVEVO

youtu.be

1 2