Sean Blakey
seanwb.bsky.social
Sean Blakey
@seanwb.bsky.social
Dad, reader, software guy, sometimes a few other kinds of nerd. I am not defined by my day job, which involves software stuff at a big online bookstore that does much more, these days.

Mastodon: @seanb@hachyderm.io
Signal: seanb.23
Reposted by Sean Blakey
In light of record submission rates and a large volume of AI-generated slop, SocArXiv recently implemented a policy requiring ORCIDs linked in the OSF profile of submitting authors, and narrowing our focus to social science subjects. Today we are taking two more steps:
/1
November 27, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Currently on leave, so I haven't read the "mandatory dogfood" memo, yet.

I have questions, but ... they can wait
November 26, 2025 at 4:47 AM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
Like, it's so bad that "the microtransactions, lootbox gambling, gift card fraud, and undisclosed advertising" problems are not even in the top 10 issues!
November 23, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
Literally EVERY parent should ban Roblox
Every parent whose career has to do with online safety also bans Roblox.
Every game designer parent I know bans Roblox for their kids
November 22, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
Let us clarify that those priorities are:

"I got mine, fuck everyone else"

and

"People who aren't cruel enough to steal from babies don't deserve to succeed"

and

"If you're not succeeding it's because God hates you"
Medicare for All would save $450B a year.

Every dollar spent on food stamps generates $1.50-$1.80 in economic activity.

Each dollar going to low-wage workers adds $1.20 to the economy overall.

It’s not about what this country can or can’t afford.

It’s about priorities.
November 19, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
NEW: We traced out a devastating outbreak of bird flu to its source: an egg farm in Ohio. Where the wind blew, the virus followed.

Within weeks, the farms downwind were about 20 times as likely to see outbreaks as those that weren’t.
What the U.S. Government Is Dismissing That Could Seed a Bird Flu Pandemic
Egg producers suspect bird flu is traveling through the air. After a disastrous Midwestern outbreak early this year, we tested that theory and found that where the wind blew, the virus followed. Vaccines could help, but the USDA hasn’t approved them.
www.propublica.org
November 18, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
Please let us love you! 🍵🫶 Every time someone contributes to or draws from the card, our hearts get a lil glowier. What is a tea house for if not to care for one another?
November 16, 2025 at 8:25 PM
I’ve had my doubts whether this political football has any chance of actually leading to restorative justice or removing abusive men from abusable power, but …

When the women who were most directly harmed as children come forward to say “release all the files”, the only ethical response is to do it
NEW: Epstein survivors release the most powerful PSA I have ever seen.

Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
November 17, 2025 at 5:04 AM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
Those claiming Dems should retreat on racial justice aren't hard-headed realists, they're pushing against the electoral tide rather than leaning into it. The story of Gen Z isn't about racist backlash or red-pilled young men. It's the most racially progressive generation in American history. 🧵
November 14, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
Incredibly smart PR tactic from ICE to continue assaulting very handsome priests
Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:
November 15, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
The nationwide strike coincides with the company’s popular holiday Red Cup Day, one of the coffee giant’s busiest days of the year.
'I'm not buying Starbucks and you shouldn't either.' Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson joins striking baristas
Just hours after Bruce Harrell conceded the narrow Seattle mayoral race to her, Mayor-elect Katie Wilson joined striking Starbucks employees on the picket line and urged people to boycott the company.
www.kuow.org
November 14, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
RE starbucks picket line--the relevant detail is "picket line, do not cross." Pass that along. Proclaiming that you are in no danger of doing so because you are too aesthetically pure to let Starbucks coffee pass your lips is...unhelpful and does not give the impression you perhaps imagine it does.
November 13, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.

Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
November 13, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
I keep beating this drum: the kind of people one thinks of as Silicon Valley "techbro" are so often finance people with an engineering cosplay habit, not actual technologists

Elon Musk was famously *never* a good coder and I can't believe he ever scienced a rocket either. But he craves that respect
the worst part is that for the people at the top "good at math"/sciencey is essentially a vibe one socially codes their way into by being minimally competent at informally discussing things actual math/science people do, unless (e.g.) Elon Musk has proven a theorem I didn't hear about.
I think the belief by the powerful that "people will put up with many things if you are excellent at math" is incredibly revealing in terms of understanding How We Got Here
November 12, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
Where’s the version for people with short attention spans and no patience who hate to listen to something they could read much faster?
November 10, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
agreeing to make a terrible deal while your main opponent is quite literally being boo'd on live tv by an entire stadium of people is the kind of political instinct you'd normally only find in a 3 week old dead goldfish
November 10, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
The US Department of Agriculture has ordered that "states must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025".
November 9, 2025 at 5:50 PM
One thing I like about Mamdani (speaking as a rando from the West Coast): he makes cities sound like good places to live, and suggests we should make living-in-cities better for everyone and more accessible.

(I'm hoping we get informed of a Katie Wilson win here in Seattle on Monday)
November 9, 2025 at 5:43 AM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
The world’s first trillionaire initiated a move that has left more than half a million people dead, most of whom are children.
November 7, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
posted this four months ago but tonight as buckaroos like mamdani sweep elections i will post again. hope this is sign to all establishment goofs that trotting to the center is not the move. protect the buckaroos who are in perilous circumstances and do not give an inch
how about no
November 5, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
If the votes move the same way as they did last time, Harrell would end up losing to Wilson 48-51. Different electorate, but that would be the equivalent swing.
November 5, 2025 at 4:20 AM
Seriously, #Seattle, if you haven't voted yet, get it into the ballot box before 8PM

Convenient map at kingcounty.gov/en/dept/elec...
Ballot drop boxes - King County, Washington
kingcounty.gov
November 5, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
Your regular reminder that the number of trans kids using puberty blockers to delay puberty is tiny, and the vast majority of prescriptions for the medication in children and adolescents are used to delay precocious puberty in cisgender kids.
Because it’s cis kids.
The NHS will quite casually give cis kids whatever treatment they need, even PBs👇
No trials. No concerns about side effects. No moral panic.
November 2, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
Honestly, this is all the Sworn Soldier books in a nutshell.
Easton is trying to put things right in the most sensible ways possible but their subconscious keeps wanting them to have a little extra PTSD, as a treat.
October 31, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Reposted by Sean Blakey
🚨 BREAKING News: Federal court just GRANTED Democracy Forward’s court order to block Trump admin from shutting down SNAP.

Order also issued in state AG case.

democracyforward.org/updates/snap...
Federal Court Blocks Trump-Vance Administration’s Attempt to Cut Off Food Assistance for 42 Million People in America - Democracy Forward
democracyforward.org
October 31, 2025 at 6:17 PM