@adam They can’t reconcile it.
We’re moving into a Dark Age.
@adam Well, that’s disappointing to say the least! I’m a straight CIS white bloke and enquired about putting pronouns on my profile, whether it was me sticking my nose where it didn’t belong. I was reassured that it shows you’re an ally and is welcomed.
@adam Your outrage is misdirected. I wish everyone would stop tweeting too, but no good will come from personal attacks against people still on the platform, especially someone who has been working to make the open web better. Full disclosure: I also love rockets.
@adam This sort of virtue signalling nonsense is counterproductive. There's also absolutely no way shape or form that was a "Nazi salute". Keep the outrage baiting on other platforms.
@adam if it was a Nazi salute, that's awful, but watching it, it definitely wasn't done correctly if that is what it was to be. I'm not going to try to guess what it was, either. The dude will eventually say something about it, and then one could cast judgement if they feel they are truly worthy to judge.
@scattershot @adam Would love to see the mental gymnastics required to make you think that it was nowhere near a Nazi salute. Please, show your working
@adam No, you're taking a few tweets and completely blowing them up. My record on Twitter (quitting 14 years ago, writing a book about how to fix it) speaks for itself, so don't lecture me about Elon. You are making this a fight among people who should be on the same page! Nothing about your posts is punching up.
@DaveyCraney Sorry to hear it. He's a contractor and has done good work for us, but he also has his own business that has nothing to do with Micro.blog. I didn't mean to brush over anything.
@adam Just wanted to make it clear that I love and appreciate that you are not quiet about things like this.
No surprise to see Manton defending him, acting outraged, and calling posts like this performative, when it's clear by his repeated actions that it is his supposed beliefs that are performative.
I've never been happier that I moved away from Micro.blog to omg.lol.
@adam Let us all remember how important it is to the future of America that we all squabble amongst ourselves, strike out at every small perceived slight, and work as hard as we can to fight over scraps whilst ignoring all of the most important things... you know, like a criminal organization now in the White House. Attrition begins at home, after all.
@adam You've made this much more divisive and extreme than it really is. This is a big problem with social media — everyone piling on, amplifying disagreements until they are so terrible they are unrecognizable. I was gutted by the election. But calling someone a fascist over a few tweets...? Come on. Let's focus on where we can make a positive difference.
@adam I find it particularly instructive when someone immediately uses the standard conservative media playbook of missing the point, gaslighting the person they disagree with, acting outraged, and arguing that their previous actions on a completely separate issue should absolve them of any future criticism.
@adam @chrispederick I have a really really strong suspicion that everyone in this thread has a lot more in common than not. Would you all want to jump on a Zoom and talk more? Could be useful to have this conversation in a more productive way. I can arrange if ya'll are interested.
@adam Spot on, Adam... but not really. Not at all, TBH. I was being sarcastic. I thought you might get that, but it's clear I was wrong. You're tilting at windmills. One guy on Xitter who likes space science and tech is nothing to flip a lid over and isn't fighting fascism. Do go after the politicians and their civilian sycophants and the oligarchs and the kakistocracy, but expending as much energy as you have on this thread alone will ultimately go nowhere, and peeps are going to call you out on that. Sure, you'll get some support because it sounds like you're being strong and moral and right, but what's the end goal here? To shame one space nerd who still uses Xitter? Yeah. I don't think you're going to win democracy, so I'm suggesting you find another, more impactful hill to risk life and limb on. -Peace.
@manton @DaveyCraney I'm similarly conflicted about this too. It helps that he's only a contractor for small number of hours but given the team is so small, it does come off as...not right. I had suspected about his views for a while but that incident just made it clear. I agree with Adam that he hasn't apologized or indicated his views have changed. To each their own but then I tend to not associate myself with intolerant people at least until they are willing to change.
@manton This is why I won't look at my feeds anymore. This is growing pattern. People are on edge and looking for a fight, or jumping to conclusions. I just don't need that crap rent-free in my head.
I focus on what I can control and what I can do. Worrying about the rest does me no good.
I don't tend to use micro.blog as a feed. In general, I check certain profiles, post, and check replies and DMs.
@chrispederick @adam
Seconded, it's refreshing to see a platform leader who's not hemming and hawing and hiding behind obfuscations and circumlocutions.
@manton @adam It’s not “a few tweets,” Vincent has a history (transphobia, whining about being “canceled”) that Adam included a link to; and it’s not just rockets, he hit a SpaceX/Tesla/X trifecta of sidling up to Musk with no apparent discomfort.
If your pitch is “software for humans” but you’re comfortable in the Nazi bar and scare-quote pronouns, you absolutely should get called out on it.
@SimonWoods @seadave @manton even before that particular incident, he had once complained about having to skip past a screen on a Disney movie that said something like certain offensive parts have been removed so he quit the movie. I had asked, was it really that inconvenient to click 'ok'? He LOL-ed and said, he didn't want to be forced. Also, the next reaction was, perhaps he should stop writing his real thoughts as opposed to, maybe I'll reexamine my views. Also, we have to be cognizant of the fact that he hasn't yet written about what he really feels about trans people given the brouhaha.
@pratik @SimonWoods @seadave @manton I'm starting to feel uncomfortable about you all (negatively) discussing on my timeline a person who is / was / has been part of this community. Perhaps you'd all be better to continue the discussion via a different channel?
@adam "just know that there’s no justification for trying to silence me when I exercise my right to talk about these things on the open web."
Do you see the hypocrisy, Adam?
@DaveyCraney See my follow up post and an addendum (mention). I'm not tagging Manton anymore coz I don't want it to seem like a pile-on but still want to express my views.
@DaveyCraney Sorry to hear it. Honest question: how would you prefer I handle it? I’m not going to publicly shame someone. I only vaguely remember the example with the Disney movie. I try to be levelheaded with big decisions and not act out of proportion.
@adam I’m relatively new around here, not a developer, just an end user.
But even from my vantage point that is…unfortunate. :(
@pratik I’ve been reading this thread this morning trying to figure out just where I stand & how to articulate it. Wary of drawing any sharp line & declaring anyone on the wrong side of it to be irredeemably evil. That said, Elon is definitely deep into the dark side of whatever grey zone. 1/x
@pratik (And if that wasn’t at least two sieg heils I don’t know what would be.) Don’t know much about Vincent but what I’ve read this morning does make him sound “problematic” as well. But I’ll probably never meet him or have occasion to do business with him, and I’m no one’s moral arbiter. 2/x
@pratik But consigning someone to the side of evil for not publicly condemning someone else for having the wrong opinion about the real bad guy’s henchman goes too far for me. Make your fascism test that strict and you’re going to find yourself with an awfully tiny circle of allies. 3/3
@eurobubba I think you are mistaken about what I'm implying. I'm not consigning someone to be on the side of evil but merely asking why that someone would defend and (keep hired) a person with non-inclusive beliefs. V's beliefs about trans people is well known. He's free to have them just as I am free to not associate with him or his businesses. Now I am not extrapolating V's beliefs to M or at least not yet but I do find their business association problematic since I use the product.
@adam @chrispederick I must admit, I'm taken aback by that reply. I don't know you, and you don't know me, so I thought it might be helpful to like, you know, talk? I'm not going to speak on behalf of anyone other than myself, because I'm just one person.
@pratik yeah, I get that part. I was taken aback because the reply felt very pointed. I just think it would be helpful to talk. I'm not trying to win an argument or anything. Just, you know, talk? I sincerely think everyone is trying to do their best here.
@adam no worries. I totally get what you're trying to do. At this point in time, we need more allies and to step up. I know most of us are out here honestly, just trying to do our best in a dark, muddy time.
@pratik Sorry if I was unclear — it’s not you who I was implying to be labeling anyone as evil. You’re clearly in the lighter side of that infinite grey zone! :-)
@manton @adam It is not about a few tweets. It's his history of transphobic (or at the least adjacent) comments and lack of real apology. Then he sticks around on a platform, and gives them money for the "prestige" of a blue check mark, that is openly and unabashedly transphobic, misogynistic, antisemitic, and islamophobic who is headed by an emerald baron man child who Sieg Heil'd on live television...twice. It is not a secret what X or Meta is any more (it never was to those with eyes) (1/x)