Semi-regular reminder that my posts don’t originate in the likely place you’re reading them, but start on my site and ship themselves off elsewhere; here’s the story of how and why I’m doing that:
This is very good on several fronts, and also I want to underscore the bit about automation here: a big thread running through what’s happening in both tech and government right now is a concerted effort to deskill workers.
Really important detail in this piece from an anon OPM employee: if you do not already have your coworker’s mobile numbers, or haven’t set up a secure backchannel to talk, do it now.
If there are any gov workers out there who are looking for a sidekick to sort out what to do from here, my door is open and the sliding scale is there for you:
That goes for any trans/nb/queer folks as well.
Work is so often terrible, but it's also a place of organization, collaboration, reciprocity, sabotage! Whatever happens from here, workers will be part of it, and I'm ready and eager to walk alongside you.
Love and solidarity to the folks at 18f getting sucked into this horrible void. If anyone needs a sympathetic ear to talk out what to do from here, my door is open.
Erin is (as usual) exactly right about the ways the big platforms are in “bad shape,” and I’d also argue it isn’t just the social platforms—it’s all of the data-grabbing, ad-supported monstrosities.
