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Ethan Marcotte

@ethanmarcotte.com

9.9K followers 370 following 1.9K posts

designer, writer, roommate to two kittens. I think you deserve a union, and I wrote a book about that: https://ethanmarcotte.com/books/you-deserve-a-tech-union/ hi friend

ethanmarcotte.com

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Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · Mar 17

🦊

I am downright delighted to announce that my latest book, YOU DESERVE A TECH UNION, has a brand new look. I really love it, and I hope you do too.

Here’s a look at what’s changed and—maybe more importantly—what’s stayed the same:

ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/refres...

#YDATUbook #books #unions #1u

Refresh. — ethanmarcotte.com

In 2023, I wrote a book. Several months later, my publisher closed its doors. And now? We’re back, and better than ever.

ethanmarcotte.com

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 3h

the tech industry’s tagline since 2023, right there

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 5h

[updates browser]

i am so tired

Screenshot of a browser’s right-click context menu, with a new “Ask an AI Chatbot” menu item selected. The submenu has three options: “Summarize page (labeled as new)”, “Choose an AI Chatbot”, and “Remove AI Chatbot”.

Reposted by Ethan Marcotte

Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 26d

This is excellent.

“…the technology’s real value isn’t improving productivity, or even in improving products. Rather, it’s a social mechanism employed to ensure compliance in the workplace, and to weaken worker power.”

mandy brown @aworkinglibrary.com · 26d

We are well past the point at which talking uncritically about AI should be seen as deeply embarrassing. https://ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/against-stocking-frames/

Against the protection of stocking frames. — ethanmarcotte.com

“Artificial intelligence” is a failed technology. It’s time we described it that way.

ethanmarcotte.com

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 6d

I take psychic damage from this image every time I scroll past it on my phone lol

well, “lol”

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 6d

Ugh, yeah — I was doing that math yesterday. I hope your claim goes through, at least.

Reposted by Ethan Marcotte

Matthias Ott @matthiasott.com · 7d

“The fact that copyrighted works aren’t eligible unless they’ve formally registered feels like a lawyerly dodge: a legal maneuver to help Anthropic reduce the size of its payout pool …”
— @ethanmarcotte.com

ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/a-righ...

A right to copy. — ethanmarcotte.com

This is one author’s short, failed journey to file a claim in Anthropic’s copyright lawsuit. (Oops. Spoilers, sorry.)

ethanmarcotte.com

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 7d

🦊

IN WHICH ONE AUTHOR tried to file a claim in the Anthropic copyright case, failed, got frustrated, then blogged about it while still pretty hot under the collar.

(it’s me; i’m author)

ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/a-righ...

A right to copy. — ethanmarcotte.com

This is one author’s short, failed journey to file a claim in Anthropic’s copyright lawsuit. (Oops. Spoilers, sorry.)

ethanmarcotte.com

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 8d

omg

lmk if you’d like any links!!

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 8d

Thanks! Really appreciate y’all <3

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 8d

ahhhhh yes

the robert johnson setting of this is easily one of my favorite pieces of music 💜🥹

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 8d

sent! thank you so much!

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 8d

Thanks for asking! I just tried submitting another ticket, and the form still throws an error for me; and I just tried emailing [email protected] again, and got the same “Undelivered Mail Returned to Sender” error.

Reposted by Ethan Marcotte

jenny (phire) @phirephoenix.com · 9d

hey I run my own invite-only mastodon server and it's a little decrepit and in need of some sysadmin love from its somewhat neglectful landlord (me), and lord knows fedi has its own multitude of Problems™ and is not a solution, but if you want a backup space and we're mutuals dm me for an invite

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 9d

None bads detected! Really appreciate the clarification. And thanks again for the update on the question.

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 9d

Thanks for this update, Ben.

(Small clarifying question, sorry: was it the ballot question that gathered >10k signatures, or the objection?)

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 9d

brb asking bing about the macroeconomic outlook for q1

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 9d

“A ChatGPT-based analysis”

i’m going back to bed

Reposted by Ethan Marcotte

Anil Dash @anildash.com · 11d

This was a quick one — I think video creators are under a big risk right now, bigger actually than before Kimmel was pulled off the air. One part of the reason why is a behind-the-scenes consolidation that almost nobody is paying attention to. youtube.com/shorts/3cK51...

The Threat to Video Creators Online

YouTube video by Anil Dash

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 11d

Agreed all around 💜

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 11d

“But that's how it's always been, when change has to happen. There's nobody to do it but us.”

As always, but especially right now, @dansinker.com’s words are worth your time:

dan sinker @dansinker.com · 11d

ICE unleashed tear gas on the street in Chicago’s Logan Square today and I tried to find meaning among the fog and my own anger about, well, everything. dansinker.com/posts/202…

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 12d

agreed all around!!

Reposted by Ethan Marcotte

Aaron Sojourner @aaronsojourner.org · 12d

This is the essential value of a union contract.

Without one, the boss always has the right to change terms and conditions.

With one, both sides are legally bound to the agreement and changes have to be negotiated. If management wants a change, they have to make it worthwhile to employees.

For the last few years, employees have had a four-day, 32-hour workweek. The crux of the contract fight has been around codifying this provision so that management cannot unilaterally take it away.

“They continue to say, ‘We have no intention of returning to the five-day workweek, but we want to be able to reserve the right to,’” said Dannel Jurado, a senior software engineer at Kickstarter who has worked there for more than six years and has held several union leadership roles. “If you have no intention of it, why do you need to reserve the right?”

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 12d

Really enjoyed this piece by @jjlee.bsky.social on the @kickstarterunited.org strike: what the union is fighting for, and why it matters to all of us. medium.com/labor-new-yo...

Kickstarter Employees Launch Strike Over Four-Day Workweek, Pay Floor

The union wants the company to pay an $85,000 minimum salary to its workers.

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 13d

feels like nine years ago

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 13d

Hi! Sorry to bump an old post, but I’m trying to submit a bug report. The contact form on www.sketch.com/support/cont... is throwing an error for me, and the email listed in the error message ([email protected]) just bounced back to me. Is there another email I could use?

Thank you!

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