Some Interesting Things I Read Today (19 September)
related tags: #ShortReading #GoodWorkAbuse
- “But he does good work” by Violet Blue (2016)
This piece focuses on Jake Appelbaum and his repeated abuses within the hacker community, but it is yet another piece of evidence for how men's abusive actions will be excused while their victims are sacrificed on The Altar of Good Work.
When harassment, sexual or otherwise, requires a cost-benefit analysis, you have failed.
This is true, and the comment that someone made on this precise sentence is a perfect representation of how abusers get to stay because victims' statements are never seen as “evidence.”
- Sally Rooney just defeated a data center by Dan Sheehan (2026)
Some good news coming out of data centers, for once. I'm sure it was more than just Sally Rooney, but having her assistance in destroying this bullshit is definitely a good example of a person using their platform for good.
- Two reasonable people amicably resolve potential dispute by RJ Rushmore (2012)
Not a fan of the writing or style, but it's an interesting way of handling a situation where someone has “stolen” from you. It has a good ending, and it's a good example of how to handle things without invoking copyright (or at least not doing it openly).
- The Battle for Reality by David Solnit (2008)
This was one of the things I wanted to read for context in Peter's book (because he complains about both Solnits), but it's not really worth my time to make a post about it because it's... not as offensive as Peter made it out to be. Is there a focus on nonviolence? Sometimes. But it's also primarily an essay that's been taken from a book of a similar title that is also trying to relay more of the history of that moment. Is it perfect? No, but nothing is. And Peter's representations of this essay are largely inaccurate to make a point for something that isn't really what was done.