Richard Holgate
@rlholgate.bsky.social
You need my vote.
🇦🇺 🇵🇱 🇬🇧 🇪🇺
Technology, cosmology, speed skating, politics.
🇦🇺 🇵🇱 🇬🇧 🇪🇺
Technology, cosmology, speed skating, politics.
My fortune cookie has abrogated its responsibility.
March 11, 2025 at 12:37 PM
My fortune cookie has abrogated its responsibility.
Around Xmas/NY I was reading reports from China, about a virus, cases vs deaths. Scaled it to a pop of 7bn, and didn't like the answer. It was an overestimate, but even reducing the order of magnitude was alarming. At the time I thought surely not, must be wrong, something will rescue us...
I would really really love to hear other people's notes/strong memories about the specifics of this. I feel like we were all in such trauma that the memories have vanished fast, leaving a blanket of "oh god yuck awful" which isn't helpful for understanding how it's affected us.
#fiveyearson
#fiveyearson
I have this feeling that over the next few weeks I might like to note and mark what I was doing five years ago. Because it is big and real and still feels incredibly present in our lives.
I'll use the hashtag #fiveyearson which as far as I can tell is only used about Covid. Do mute if you need.
I'll use the hashtag #fiveyearson which as far as I can tell is only used about Covid. Do mute if you need.
March 4, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Around Xmas/NY I was reading reports from China, about a virus, cases vs deaths. Scaled it to a pop of 7bn, and didn't like the answer. It was an overestimate, but even reducing the order of magnitude was alarming. At the time I thought surely not, must be wrong, something will rescue us...
Syrian rebels won by... being better at government.?
A surprising, and cautiously optimistic, analysis -
A surprising, and cautiously optimistic, analysis -
🧵Look towards the light.
As Rebel forces in Syria advanced across Syria & never stopped a key question was why the Regime evaporated. Syria by night provides some clues on how the Regime's social contract collapsed.
Read my analysis here aspistrategist.org.au/just-look-at...
& read on
As Rebel forces in Syria advanced across Syria & never stopped a key question was why the Regime evaporated. Syria by night provides some clues on how the Regime's social contract collapsed.
Read my analysis here aspistrategist.org.au/just-look-at...
& read on
December 11, 2024 at 12:23 PM
Syrian rebels won by... being better at government.?
A surprising, and cautiously optimistic, analysis -
A surprising, and cautiously optimistic, analysis -
Reposted by Richard Holgate
Wow. Russia really processes asylum claims quickly.
December 9, 2024 at 8:16 PM
Wow. Russia really processes asylum claims quickly.
Wowsers
28. The deputy director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) is testifying. After the declaration of martial law, Yoon personally called him and ordered the NIS to arrest key politicians. However, he did not carry out the order, deeming it illegal, and resigned the following day.
December 6, 2024 at 7:50 AM
Wowsers
Wowsers
25. ""The Minister of National Defense ordered me to remove the members of the National Assembly from the plenary hall. However, I believed that this was illegal, so I ordered men not to enter the plenary hall of the National Assembly."
December 6, 2024 at 7:50 AM
Wowsers
Nevertheless, great stuff, thank you.
For those just tuning in: I'm an American born in Korea, and I typically work out of the US. This week I am working out of Seoul. I have no particular expertise in Korean politics.
Me being at the protests during the declaration of martial law is just a weird fucking thing that happened.
Me being at the protests during the declaration of martial law is just a weird fucking thing that happened.
December 3, 2024 at 7:53 PM
Nevertheless, great stuff, thank you.
With today's Korean crisis Bluesky has roundly demonstrated its utility for following breaking news.
December 3, 2024 at 5:09 PM
With today's Korean crisis Bluesky has roundly demonstrated its utility for following breaking news.
Reposted by Richard Holgate
I'm at the National Assembly building. The army is here. And I just saw two soldiers in fatigues getting pushed around by belligerent ajusshis. and they looked legit scared.
December 3, 2024 at 3:39 PM
I'm at the National Assembly building. The army is here. And I just saw two soldiers in fatigues getting pushed around by belligerent ajusshis. and they looked legit scared.
Barely enough time to buy the lettuce, Liz Truss must be spinning.
Office of the Speaker of the National Assembly declares martial law declaration invalid
2h48m after declaration
Helicopters seen moving toward National Assembly, crowds outside chanting "IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT"
2h48m after declaration
Helicopters seen moving toward National Assembly, crowds outside chanting "IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT"
December 3, 2024 at 4:31 PM
Barely enough time to buy the lettuce, Liz Truss must be spinning.
Reposted by Richard Holgate
I am, incidentally, pretty drunk rn (the job is 24/7!!!). This is the most Korean thing I've ever done.
December 3, 2024 at 4:12 PM
I am, incidentally, pretty drunk rn (the job is 24/7!!!). This is the most Korean thing I've ever done.
Reposted by Richard Holgate
190 present, 190 voted to DEMAND END TO MARTIAL LAW DECLARATION
December 3, 2024 at 4:01 PM
190 present, 190 voted to DEMAND END TO MARTIAL LAW DECLARATION
Word.
Democratic Party aides are shown spraying fire extinguishers at the infiltrating army to keep them back.
I just want to add that I am a South Korean citizen and Seoul resident and I am *extremely* proud of South Korean democracy and this president has violated something I hold sacrosanct
I just want to add that I am a South Korean citizen and Seoul resident and I am *extremely* proud of South Korean democracy and this president has violated something I hold sacrosanct
December 3, 2024 at 4:05 PM
Word.
And just like that Bluesky surpasses the level of relevance and immediacy offered by Twitter, even at its peak.
December 3, 2024 at 4:01 PM
And just like that Bluesky surpasses the level of relevance and immediacy offered by Twitter, even at its peak.
I don't think it requires much foresight to predict that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will not serve the full length of his term after this.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has declared emergency martial law “to protect the country” from North Korea's communist forces and to eliminate anti-State elements.
December 3, 2024 at 3:48 PM
I don't think it requires much foresight to predict that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will not serve the full length of his term after this.
Quite right.
People are leaving Twitter because it’s not fun anymore and no one is obligated to be on a platform they don’t enjoy.
It’s not rocket science.
It’s not rocket science.
December 2, 2024 at 1:15 PM
Quite right.
I find it very difficult to support assisted suicide, but this post makes a convincing argument for *legislation about* assisted suicide. davidallengreen.com/2024/11/an-a...
An argument about Assisting Dying – matters of life and death need to be properly regulated by law, and not by official discretion
28 November 2024 I almost did not publish the post below. The online (and no doubt offline) debate about this topic is heated and often abusive, and as one gets older one loses usually loses the ta…
davidallengreen.com
November 28, 2024 at 1:29 PM
I find it very difficult to support assisted suicide, but this post makes a convincing argument for *legislation about* assisted suicide. davidallengreen.com/2024/11/an-a...
Facebook is a cacophony of distraction and annoyance. It long ceased to be an effective way of keeping in touch with friends or family. Now the sport group which mainly keeps me there has taken its first step towards another platform, and the end of my Facebook profile feels finally in sight...
November 28, 2024 at 9:52 AM
Facebook is a cacophony of distraction and annoyance. It long ceased to be an effective way of keeping in touch with friends or family. Now the sport group which mainly keeps me there has taken its first step towards another platform, and the end of my Facebook profile feels finally in sight...
Winter Wonderland.
November 28, 2024 at 9:17 AM
Winter Wonderland.
Reposted by Richard Holgate
yes, this. Basic trust/safety function is to be able to control the lists you're on. See also: being able to get labels removed. All of these functions are well-meaning, but equally available to arseholes to abuse.
I wish @bsky.app would:
a) let people remove themselves from lists and
b) auto-remove you from lists belonging to people you've blocked
Lists are already being abused to label people and it's only going to get worse when the folks left on Twitter get bored and come over here
a) let people remove themselves from lists and
b) auto-remove you from lists belonging to people you've blocked
Lists are already being abused to label people and it's only going to get worse when the folks left on Twitter get bored and come over here
November 27, 2024 at 10:19 AM
yes, this. Basic trust/safety function is to be able to control the lists you're on. See also: being able to get labels removed. All of these functions are well-meaning, but equally available to arseholes to abuse.
Reposted by Richard Holgate
As someone that knows the technical details, I can confirm that this platform is different.
There are custom algorithms ("feeds") here which can be implemented by any developer in the world, and those can rank posts however they want.
But if anything ever gets screwy here, indie devs can fix it.
There are custom algorithms ("feeds") here which can be implemented by any developer in the world, and those can rank posts however they want.
But if anything ever gets screwy here, indie devs can fix it.
November 27, 2024 at 6:55 AM
As someone that knows the technical details, I can confirm that this platform is different.
There are custom algorithms ("feeds") here which can be implemented by any developer in the world, and those can rank posts however they want.
But if anything ever gets screwy here, indie devs can fix it.
There are custom algorithms ("feeds") here which can be implemented by any developer in the world, and those can rank posts however they want.
But if anything ever gets screwy here, indie devs can fix it.
People are often surprised when I tell them this: both Twitter and Facebook/insta/threads are now specifically engineered to downgrade, hide, suppress real journalism. If this platform is different, that's a huge change
November 27, 2024 at 6:57 AM
Who knew one of the consequences of "tear it all down" culture might be that we indeed do tear it all down, and that the "it" being torn was once known as "Twitter".
November 26, 2024 at 2:22 PM
Who knew one of the consequences of "tear it all down" culture might be that we indeed do tear it all down, and that the "it" being torn was once known as "Twitter".
Haven't yet worked out how to implement independence from Meta.
We wrote on Saturday about how Meta is going all-out to meet the threat of Bluesky: wapo.st/3OrYxBj
Today they took another step— finally allowing users to set their default feeds to a chronological “following” feed.
Today they took another step— finally allowing users to set their default feeds to a chronological “following” feed.
November 26, 2024 at 6:43 AM
Haven't yet worked out how to implement independence from Meta.