@sarahmei's Threads
I can’t stop thinking about this bit in the Theranos book.
Company executives (Balwani was one) used this functionality to convince people that their machines were working - just slowly - when they were, in fact, not working at all.
Company executives (Balwani was one) used this functionality to convince people that their machines were working - just slowly - when they were, in fact, not working at all.
These demonstrations were used to cement partnerships, wow journalists, and secure company funding - all on false pretenses.
And worse - these non-working machines ACTUALLY INJURED PEOPLE.
And worse - these non-working machines ACTUALLY INJURED PEOPLE.
One lawsuit in progress alleges a man suffered a preventable heart attack because the machine returned incorrect blood test results that, if correct, would have indicated the danger.
PSA: “diversity of thought” is always used disingenuously. It’s in the same category (& used by the same people) as terms like “SJW” and “PC.”
“Diversity of thought” basically means they’re going to get a bunch of white men together who disagree about stuff.
“Diversity of thought” basically means they’re going to get a bunch of white men together who disagree about stuff.
This isn’t real diversity. You can tell, because it doesn’t give you any of the benefits (e.g. greater creative thinking, etc.) that real diversity gives you.
The social science around diversity is actually pretty interesting. When diversity is visual (e.g. race, gender, disability) groups are more creative. The theory here is that nobody’s in the majority, they don’t fall back on groupthink the same way many homogenous groups do.
Reminders:
1. The @fsf board is still run by Alexandre Oliva, who has more compassion for Stallman than for his harassment victims
1. The @fsf board is still run by Alexandre Oliva, who has more compassion for Stallman than for his harassment victims
@fsf 2. The @fsf has not separated itself from its main project - GNU - a project that Richard Stallman continues to run. The FSF provides all of the project's funding and organizational support.
@fsf 3. The board has issued no statement on the departure of its founder and board chair, beyond a 57-word strictly factual account published almost 2 weeks ago.
If they’re not the same, why are they both listed as URLs for the free software foundation?🤔
Who pays for the gnu.org website? Are there any paid staff on the project?
It sure seems like the @fsf thinks it has found a loophole enabling it to keep funding a serial harasser. #cancelstallman
It sure seems like the @fsf thinks it has found a loophole enabling it to keep funding a serial harasser. #cancelstallman
If the GNU project is sponsored, funded, and run by the @fsf (which their nonprofit paperwork implies), then Stallman cannot continue to run it.
It’s been more than a week since Stallman resigned from the @FSF. The organization has still not communicated even _vague_ plans for moving forward.
#cancelstallman means not just removing him from power. It means rethinking what the org he created is for - & who it serves.
#cancelstallman means not just removing him from power. It means rethinking what the org he created is for - & who it serves.
Beyond the 57-word resignation statement, published on September 16th, the @FSF website has zero content about the upheaval.
Since the 16th, though, they’ve published two blog posts and one news item on unrelated free software topics.
Since the 16th, though, they’ve published two blog posts and one news item on unrelated free software topics.
Where are the signs of introspection? Where are the apologies to Stallman’s harassment victims? Do they really think they can just keep going like nothing happened?
I am super excited about the work @CoralineAda is doing to create new types of software licenses.
Latest project: The Hippocratic License firstdonoharm.dev
Latest project: The Hippocratic License firstdonoharm.dev
@CoralineAda Whether or not the Hippocractic License gets wide adoption, it still moves the conversation forward in a very useful way.
@CoralineAda I also want to point out that between this, the contributor code of conduct, and many other works, Coraline has been & continues to be a relentless force for ethics, transparency, and openness in our communities.
You are welcome to try.
These ones are the funniest replies. "OMG I'M GONNA HOLD YOU TO YOUR PUBLISHED STATEMENTS AND TELL UR EMPLOYER"....like, ok, please do.
Maybe I'll get a bonus :D
Maybe I'll get a bonus :D
I want to be clear that it takes an enormous amount to privilege to be able to tell people like this to fuck off.
The me of 15 years ago - less sure I belonged here, more scared to lose income - probably would have been scared silent by comments like this.
The me of 15 years ago - less sure I belonged here, more scared to lose income - probably would have been scared silent by comments like this.
[cw: child sexual assault]
Heh, well, as long as we’re going for “technically correct”...
You’re right. “All” Stallman did was defend Marvin Minsky’s rape of a 16-year-old girl.
Said rape was facilitated by Epstein, so in defending it, he indirectly defended Epstein’s actions.
Heh, well, as long as we’re going for “technically correct”...
You’re right. “All” Stallman did was defend Marvin Minsky’s rape of a 16-year-old girl.
Said rape was facilitated by Epstein, so in defending it, he indirectly defended Epstein’s actions.
Even if you object to drawing the line between defending the rape and defending Epstein, the fact remains that he
defended
Minsky’s
rape
of a 16-year-old girl.
defended
Minsky’s
rape
of a 16-year-old girl.
Let’s assume, for a minute, that the rape never happened. It’s STILL morally repugnant to defend the idea of Minsky, an old man, having sex with (i.e., raping) a 16-year-old girl.
“What if the IT professionals [...] inside ICE could actually help reduce the number of separated families by having visibility and the information they need to stop raids before they happened?”
THE SEPARATION & THE RAIDS ARE THE POINT
YOU’RE HELPING THEM DO MORE OF THEM
THE SEPARATION & THE RAIDS ARE THE POINT
YOU’RE HELPING THEM DO MORE OF THEM
“The reality is, withholding access to better software and systems for IT departments doesn’t change the policies that agencies have been given by their commander in chief.”
BUT SELLING THEM YOUR SOFTWARE SURE HELPS THEM RIP FAMILIES APART MORE EFFICIENTLY. NICE JOB
BUT SELLING THEM YOUR SOFTWARE SURE HELPS THEM RIP FAMILIES APART MORE EFFICIENTLY. NICE JOB
Been thinking a lot about what comes after “free software” & “open source.”
Both terms were coined when the tech industry (& the world) was a very different place. I think we’ve outgrown them.
Both terms were coined when the tech industry (& the world) was a very different place. I think we’ve outgrown them.
Early thoughts: both concepts are too code-centric and too license-oriented.
Many things that we think of as indispensable to modern open source projects are not included in the formal definitions. This is a good sign that we have another, as-yet-unnamed concept in play.
Many things that we think of as indispensable to modern open source projects are not included in the formal definitions. This is a good sign that we have another, as-yet-unnamed concept in play.
Things not included in either concept include:
- community building
- accepting contributions from other people
- ethical use of software
- distribution mechanisms
- governance
- use of paid vs free labor
- community building
- accepting contributions from other people
- ethical use of software
- distribution mechanisms
- governance
- use of paid vs free labor
Yesterday we learned that @fsf's acting president, Alexandre Oliva, thinks Stallman's life is now "destroyed" because he is experiencing consequences for 30 years of bad behavior.
Here's a thread from a bona fide academic who studies this, on whether people's lives are "ruined":
Here's a thread from a bona fide academic who studies this, on whether people's lives are "ruined":
@fsf Spoiler alert: no. And in fact, people often use their "my life was ruined" story to gain EVEN MORE advantages than they had before said life was "ruined."
One thing I've wanted for a long time: an independent organization I could join, that I could file a report with if my boss asked me to do something unethical. Then they'd have my back (financially & legally) if I quit or was fired.
This is another thing unions could do for us.
This is another thing unions could do for us.
ACM, IEEE, etc. - they all have codes of ethics for software developers, but the codes are toothless without an enforcement body - especially for developers from marginalized groups, for whom a job change is much riskier than for the white guys.
We, as an industry, _will not write ethical software_ until we remove the financial risk that accompanies acting ethically.
The more I look into the writing of the @fsf's acting President, Alexandre Oliva, the more it feels like I'm back reading Stallman effluvia. To wit:
1. A "pattern" of "inflated accusations" against Julian Assange, Marvin Minsky, & Stallman.
HMM ALL SEX-RELATED ACCUSATIONS🤔
1. A "pattern" of "inflated accusations" against Julian Assange, Marvin Minsky, & Stallman.
HMM ALL SEX-RELATED ACCUSATIONS🤔
@fsf 2. Stallman is apparently now the "father of open source" and the "main author of linux."
I'd say "self-aggrandize, much?" but he's...aggrandizing someone else?
I'd say "self-aggrandize, much?" but he's...aggrandizing someone else?
@fsf 3. I just....can't with this one. Just...read it.
This is really important. Stallman is gone, but the house he built remains. The @fsf board is still stacked with his supporters.
As we look towards what the future of free software COULD be, we need to dismantle that twisted structure and rebuild something better.
As we look towards what the future of free software COULD be, we need to dismantle that twisted structure and rebuild something better.
@fsf The acting President of the @fsf board, Alexandre Olive, had these comments on Stallman's departure:
#cancelstallman
#cancelstallman
@fsf Useful to note here is Oliva's complete lack of consideration for Stallman's victims. Like Stallman, he believes his 'dear friend' has done nothing wrong.
[re-posted to correct Oliva's last name]
[re-posted to correct Oliva's last name]
Get yer tin-foil hats ready....apparently I'm part of a CONSPIRACY!
Add "corporate tech goon" to my twitter bio?
I think it’s pretty funny that I’ve started getting the “who’s paying you??? OMG CONSPURACY” mentions.
As if Stallman didn’t make enemies of EVERY woman he interacted with in the 90s?!
As if Stallman didn’t make enemies of EVERY woman he interacted with in the 90s?!
Powerful statement this morning from @conservancy, another free software nonprofit: “We [...] want to underscore that allowing Stallman to continue to hold a leadership position would be an unacceptable compromise.”
#cancelstallman
#cancelstallman
It continues: ”Most importantly, we cannot support anyone, directly or indirectly, who condones the endangerment of vulnerable people by rationalizing any part of _predator_ behavior.” (emphasis mine)
That’s an important word to have in this discussion.
That’s an important word to have in this discussion.
Worth reading the whole thing. Aligning social justice with software freedom is not an approach I’ve seen officially before. sfconservancy.org/news/2019/sep/…
I was expecting a terrible non-apology from Stallman, but this is even worse than I thought it would be. #cancelstallman
Still canceled. Perfect summary:
EXACTLY. Stallman is incapable of preventing “misunderstanding,” so as long as anyone listens to him, he will continue to lob these grenades of “misunderstanding” into our communities that just “happen” to push women & girls, specifically, out of software.
I've tweeted for many years about how awful Richard "RMS" Stallman is - the pedophilia, the ableism, the misogyny.
Inevitably, each time I do, dudes examine my receipts & then say "all those incidents are from years ago! he's changed now!"
NOPE. medium.com/@selamie/remov…
Inevitably, each time I do, dudes examine my receipts & then say "all those incidents are from years ago! he's changed now!"
NOPE. medium.com/@selamie/remov…
Stallman was the founder - and is STILL the President and Board Chair - of the Free Software Foundation. The FSF is enormously influential. Among other activities, it publishes the software licenses used by much of the 'copyleft' world - the GPL, LGPL, and AGPL licenses.
I've been a diehard free & open source software user, contributor, and backer since college in the 90s. But at this point, I would rather run proprietary software that I can NEVER see or change if the alternative is to run software licensed by the FSF.
Hey do you need any more examples of how software development is like writing instead of like math? Because I got a great one for you.
Large companies often have huge amounts of written documentation. Salesforce, for example, has docs for end users, potential customers, employees of all stripes, external developers, and literally dozens of other categories of people.
Most of these pieces of documentation (save maybe github READMEs, and even those sometimes) are written by professional writers. But at scale, their output can't be just unstructured documents, like, just like opening a word doc and typing.
1,000,000% this.
If a senior engineer
can’t explain it to you
in a way you understand -
even if you are a lot less experienced -
that’s THEIR deficiency.
Not yours.
When this happens, it means THEY actually don’t understand it well enough.
If a senior engineer
can’t explain it to you
in a way you understand -
even if you are a lot less experienced -
that’s THEIR deficiency.
Not yours.
When this happens, it means THEY actually don’t understand it well enough.
Also:
One more thing: it indeed takes two to communicate!
But when there’s a power imbalance present - such as always accompanies an experience gap - the onus is on higher-power person to make sure they’re adapting to their partner.
But when there’s a power imbalance present - such as always accompanies an experience gap - the onus is on higher-power person to make sure they’re adapting to their partner.
Antivaxxers kill people. They kill their own kids, AND they kill people who can’t be vaccinated.
Their children should be taken away and they should go to jail.
washingtonpost.com/national/healt…
Their children should be taken away and they should go to jail.
washingtonpost.com/national/healt…
If you’re an antivaxxer, go ahead & block me - I don’t want anything I say to be useful to you. Thanks in advance!
Refusing to vaccinate your kids is not a “philosophical choice.” It’s child abuse, and if your kid catches e.g. measles, you should be prosecuted for child abuse AND manslaughter. Because:
For the most part, I really value the conversations I have around my threads. Getting feedback is an integral part of the writing process for me.
People make interesting recommendations, tell me about other directions they’ve seen that thought process go in, etc. Mostly A++++!
People make interesting recommendations, tell me about other directions they’ve seen that thought process go in, etc. Mostly A++++!
But there’s a particular variety of entitlement that sometimes crops up that I find reeeeally grating.
I’m not talking about the braindead replies from the troll packs - those are easily giffed & muted, and I could do that all day😅
I’m not talking about the braindead replies from the troll packs - those are easily giffed & muted, and I could do that all day😅
The ones that really annoy me are the men who are clearly used to women being VERY INTERESTED in how they feel. Like I had one yesterday who said my thread “had a promising start but then disappointed me.”
My dude....I do not give a single fuck about your disappointment level
My dude....I do not give a single fuck about your disappointment level
I talk a lot about how you can’t be a great developer without great communication skills, but I don’t think people grok how _directly_ your communication skills are reflected in your codebase. Let me give you an example.
Let’s say you’re working in a legacy codebase that, in places, resembles a house on Hoarders (BEFORE they clean it out).
These types of codebases are distressingly common. They’re so full of STUFF that you can hardly move around. To get your work done, you’ve got little goat trails of understanding running through it, like the narrow space between piles of junk in an overcrowded living room.
Software patterns and their contexts, a thread:
When we talk about software patterns, we spend most of our time discussing the _technical_ contexts they make sense in.
Building an API? Use the gateway pattern! Extracting functionality from a monolith? Use the strangler pattern! Etc etc etc.
Building an API? Use the gateway pattern! Extracting functionality from a monolith? Use the strangler pattern! Etc etc etc.
In addition to its technical contexts, though, every pattern also has a set of _organizational_ contexts that it makes sense in - and these are usually implicit in our discussions.
