In 3 days nearly the entire Bluesky team doubled, tripled, quadrupled down on the "WAFFLES" thing in response to upset users, and now Jesse Singal etc are using it as a Nazi slur against trans people https://bsky.app/profile/nogoodwyfe.bsky.social/post/3m2co5wqgfk2m

It would have been so easy to just, not do this

I wrote in support of @thisismissem's letter saying that ATProto and ActivityPub ecosystems ought to engage kindly and constructively with each other. https://writings.thisismissem.social/statement-on-discourse-about-activitypub-and-at-protocol/

I have explained my thinking more here: https://github.com/swicg/general/pull/45#issuecomment-3263275752

We face a lot of threats, especially ones greater than each other right now. We should challenge each other, but it is worth engaging so in a constructive way.

Jessie Gender's account on Bluesky suspended seemingly because she said "I also wish ill will to JK Rowling" https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:zy7ifa3dmd46dcrbjkgkg2xz/post/3lwiszke4bk2x

I don't just want to focus on the negative: if not Gnome, what *should* we use? Well, I'm not sure anything else is currently ideal. Maybe it's time for something else.

I particularly like the bit about the above essay that talks about how Hypercard helped its users grow to become experts. Topical, and thoughtful.

This is the kind of direction I want to see from software, one where users are part of the story: software that grows with users, users that grow with software.

Ink and Switch wrote a nice blogpost recently talking about "Malleable Software" https://www.inkandswitch.com/essay/malleable-software/

It resonated with me a lot. The idea of building software that has an on-ramp that keeps on-ramping, guiding a user to not only become an expert, but to make the software their own, really resonated with me.

It's felt for a long time that Gnome has gone in the opposite direction. Trying to make something easy and clean, but end users aren't part of that journey.

@puppygirlhornypost2 truth be told that's even more true in Germany

BUT

most of the water is carbonated so I forgive them because I love carbonated water

I am back in a North American grocery store, there are 2000 items in this store, there is no pumpernickel, what the fuck

The things I miss most about Germany truly are the friends and community I grew attached to and left behind there

But the thing I miss second most about Germany is the bread.

I am back in North America, where is the fucking pumpernickel

Where is the "dinkel"

If you're thinking "maybe it's time for me to leave", it very likely is, but at the very least, it's a good idea to scope exits. Trans World Express contains a lot of good information https://transworldexpress.org/

I can't tell you whether or not it's the right decision to leave. I can tell you I think things are getting dangerous.

I know not everyone has the resources or ability though.

And it's cruel for anyone to have to consider it.

I'm sorry this is where we are at. :(