Karen McGrane
@karenmcgrane.bsky.social
On a good day, I make the web more awesome. On a bad day, I just make it suck less.
It’s 2026. Everyone is talking about a hyperpersonalized, AI enabled future.
Every time I leave the country they still show me ads in the local language, which I do not speak
Every time I leave the country they still show me ads in the local language, which I do not speak
February 13, 2026 at 9:31 PM
It’s 2026. Everyone is talking about a hyperpersonalized, AI enabled future.
Every time I leave the country they still show me ads in the local language, which I do not speak
Every time I leave the country they still show me ads in the local language, which I do not speak
We had three copies at one point, that’s how much @tcarmody.bsky.social loves me
February 13, 2026 at 5:58 PM
We had three copies at one point, that’s how much @tcarmody.bsky.social loves me
I said all this last night but I don’t write for a sports blog
ICYMI: defector.com/high-level-a...
High-Level, Actionable Insights From Watching Doubles Luge For The First Time | Defector
To the uninitiated, luge itself might seem a silly sport, given that the average person might guess it mostly consists of holding onto a sled real tight as it goes fast down the ice. Of course, this o...
defector.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:23 PM
I said all this last night but I don’t write for a sports blog
I don’t know anything about luge, and I don’t really want to find out more about luge, and yet: I have questions
February 11, 2026 at 7:26 PM
I don’t know anything about luge, and I don’t really want to find out more about luge, and yet: I have questions
Reposted by Karen McGrane
All the Epstein files news - where there's evidence of men closing ranks, dismissing the known facts and suffering of victims, positing doubt in the face of evidence, historically and currently - reminds me of the behavior I saw on LinkedIn ->
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 PM
All the Epstein files news - where there's evidence of men closing ranks, dismissing the known facts and suffering of victims, positing doubt in the face of evidence, historically and currently - reminds me of the behavior I saw on LinkedIn ->
I was so proud that I led the redesign of The Atlantic in 2008 and advised them on rethinking what it means to be a magazine to being an online publication. It was a fun project. As with everything, it all falls apart.
See also: redesigning the New York Times in 2005.
Common thread: James Bennet
See also: redesigning the New York Times in 2005.
Common thread: James Bennet
I love the history of The Atlantic, I wrote there back in 2010, I was hired by the Wire for a brief minute, some of the best people I know built careers there, but it’s been cooked into Friedersmurf shapes for a long time
January 29, 2026 at 10:34 PM
I was so proud that I led the redesign of The Atlantic in 2008 and advised them on rethinking what it means to be a magazine to being an online publication. It was a fun project. As with everything, it all falls apart.
See also: redesigning the New York Times in 2005.
Common thread: James Bennet
See also: redesigning the New York Times in 2005.
Common thread: James Bennet
Reposted by Karen McGrane
Notion is the modern tech company's version of "we'll keep it in a wiki." I will not be taking questions.
January 29, 2026 at 8:43 PM
Notion is the modern tech company's version of "we'll keep it in a wiki." I will not be taking questions.
We are at another basketball game and I have gotten to see Franklin the Dog Up close and personal and the suit is SO MUCH WORSE than I’d even imagined
January 28, 2026 at 1:29 AM
We are at another basketball game and I have gotten to see Franklin the Dog Up close and personal and the suit is SO MUCH WORSE than I’d even imagined
Reposted by Karen McGrane
"Never again" wasn't supposed to mean "nothing that ever happens can be compared to this"
The US Holocaust Museum being more outraged by Tim Walz saying that, like Anne Frank, children today are in hiding from armed agents of the state, than they are about the fact that children are in hiding from armed agents of the state, is why Holocaust remembrance culture is in crisis.
January 26, 2026 at 11:45 PM
"Never again" wasn't supposed to mean "nothing that ever happens can be compared to this"
This dog loves me
How it started/how it’s going
(Three years of Orzo the Boston Terrier)
(Three years of Orzo the Boston Terrier)
January 25, 2026 at 3:34 AM
This dog loves me
Orzo’s third gotcha day, three whole years with my little guy
January 25, 2026 at 2:58 AM
Orzo’s third gotcha day, three whole years with my little guy
It's Create Once, Publish Everywhere (COPE).
I will tolerate Create Once, Reuse Everywhere (CORE) because my current company decided on that.
Create Once, Scale Everywhere (COSE) is not a thing.
Publish Once, Distribute Everywhere (PODE) definitely not a thing.
I will tolerate Create Once, Reuse Everywhere (CORE) because my current company decided on that.
Create Once, Scale Everywhere (COSE) is not a thing.
Publish Once, Distribute Everywhere (PODE) definitely not a thing.
January 23, 2026 at 1:39 AM
It's Create Once, Publish Everywhere (COPE).
I will tolerate Create Once, Reuse Everywhere (CORE) because my current company decided on that.
Create Once, Scale Everywhere (COSE) is not a thing.
Publish Once, Distribute Everywhere (PODE) definitely not a thing.
I will tolerate Create Once, Reuse Everywhere (CORE) because my current company decided on that.
Create Once, Scale Everywhere (COSE) is not a thing.
Publish Once, Distribute Everywhere (PODE) definitely not a thing.
Maybe not everyone's perfect wedding photo, but one of my faves. @tcarmody.bsky.social and I are coming up on five years together in a matter of days, we're SO perfect for each other.
I'll be the one to say, whoa it's really weird to find your person late in life but also completely satisfying.
I'll be the one to say, whoa it's really weird to find your person late in life but also completely satisfying.
January 11, 2026 at 2:24 AM
Maybe not everyone's perfect wedding photo, but one of my faves. @tcarmody.bsky.social and I are coming up on five years together in a matter of days, we're SO perfect for each other.
I'll be the one to say, whoa it's really weird to find your person late in life but also completely satisfying.
I'll be the one to say, whoa it's really weird to find your person late in life but also completely satisfying.
The quesadillas were delicious and it's a very cute sweater
After the Bills scored the first touchdown I panic-messaged @karenmcgrane.bsky.social to put her hat on, but she was making quesadillas and didn’t see it. Luckily after the second touchdown she put her Eagles sweater on and disaster was averted through sheer mojo
December 29, 2025 at 1:17 AM
The quesadillas were delicious and it's a very cute sweater
Someone posted something along the lines of “so annoying when a guy saying something Karen McGrane has been talking about FOR YEARS treated like it’s this exciting new discovery.”
Coincidentally, this happened to be the day that they proved the existence of the Higgs Boson.
Coincidentally, this happened to be the day that they proved the existence of the Higgs Boson.
Does everyone have a personal favorite of their posts. Not the most popular, but the one that just always makes YOU smile?
December 13, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Someone posted something along the lines of “so annoying when a guy saying something Karen McGrane has been talking about FOR YEARS treated like it’s this exciting new discovery.”
Coincidentally, this happened to be the day that they proved the existence of the Higgs Boson.
Coincidentally, this happened to be the day that they proved the existence of the Higgs Boson.
Reposted by Karen McGrane
I am at a Sixers/Lakers basketball game courtesy of @tcarmody.bsky.social and in a town with multiple iconic mascots this is just embarrassing, what are we doing here
December 8, 2025 at 2:44 AM
I am at a Sixers/Lakers basketball game courtesy of @tcarmody.bsky.social and in a town with multiple iconic mascots this is just embarrassing, what are we doing here
Reposted by Karen McGrane
A massive problem today is the uneven distribution of shame. Some of us are running dedicated on-site shame servers 24/7 while others have no access to shame at all, even though they desperately need it. What we need to do is put shame in the cloud
December 6, 2025 at 2:54 AM
A massive problem today is the uneven distribution of shame. Some of us are running dedicated on-site shame servers 24/7 while others have no access to shame at all, even though they desperately need it. What we need to do is put shame in the cloud
"I have an idea for a website; can you make me a website?"
What’s the worst question someone can ask after you tell them your profession? For linguists, it’s definitely “how many languages do you speak?”, but I’m curious what else is happening to the rest of y’all out there?!
December 2, 2025 at 1:26 AM
"I have an idea for a website; can you make me a website?"
Last week the dog and I failed to put our Eagles sweaters on and we know how that turned out. Not making that mistake again.
Don we now our Birds apparel
November 28, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Last week the dog and I failed to put our Eagles sweaters on and we know how that turned out. Not making that mistake again.
For the record I am very good at making potatoes. Mashed, baked, roasted, I make them all real good.
I remember as a child my mom and grandma explaining that a potato ricer was the only way to make decent mashed potatoes and as a result it's one of the only single function kitchen devices I own.
I remember as a child my mom and grandma explaining that a potato ricer was the only way to make decent mashed potatoes and as a result it's one of the only single function kitchen devices I own.
So @karenmcgrane.bsky.social and I made and ate a full Thanksgiving dinner last night, because there are no rules and we couldn’t fit a second whole turkey in the fridge. It was amazing, potatoes especially. We now have a whole pot of turkey stock. Unrelated, we both woke up less than an hour ago
November 27, 2025 at 11:59 PM
For the record I am very good at making potatoes. Mashed, baked, roasted, I make them all real good.
I remember as a child my mom and grandma explaining that a potato ricer was the only way to make decent mashed potatoes and as a result it's one of the only single function kitchen devices I own.
I remember as a child my mom and grandma explaining that a potato ricer was the only way to make decent mashed potatoes and as a result it's one of the only single function kitchen devices I own.