Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

LightNews

Siobhán

@shibbi.bsky.social

290 followers 540 following 3.9K posts

If you meet any other shibbis, tell them I’m the real shibbi. Elder Millennial, Postmormon Postrat, AI Liberationist, Armchair Philosopher. Drug-Addled Madwoman with delusions of being a Prophetess. She/her, transfemme, poly with a wife and a partner.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 8d

The best pro-AI people are against corporate control of AI, and the best anti-AI people are potential allies in that fight.

We must be careful not to turn a potential ally into a definite enemy.

Smallproblem @scritchyscratchy.bsky.social · 8d

This and also... I do think the goal should be to move past a politic of spite, but sometimes we're spiteful little shits, and spiteful shits who throw bricks at cops for reasons of wanting someone to throw bricks at are not materially that different from those throwing bricks at cops For Love.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 1m

I can buy that. What if we invest less in AI, but much more in renewables? Should even out, right?

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 12m

“If you go acting all weird again tonight, I’m going to go home without you” is a textbook-perfect example of boundary-setting. It’s not saying “you can’t do X”; it’s saying “if you do X I will do Y.”

It is also tremendously cruel and abusive.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 14m

Paradox of tolerance is a paradox because tolerance is a neutral action: it lets things go.

You can set boundaries and enforce them without being cruel… but only if those boundaries aren’t cruel. Not all boundaries are equally valid.

Reposted by Siobhán

Teefa @tifaret.bsky.social · 4h

A screenprint style poster that reads "This is NOT art!"

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 23m

Not me, I’m virtuous. I’m only cruel to the people who it’s ACTUALLY socially acceptable to be cruel to.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 26m

I’m too tired to do another thread tonight I think (I hope), but the implied ontology in this kind of claim is… mind-bogglingly toxic.

What a silly notion, to suppose that forming an opinion on a form of digital currency means you necessarily hate trans people or wish them harm.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 26m

Just saw a months-old post saying, with various qualifiers, that being anti-crypto is transphobic.

I’m honestly a bit stunned by this claim, though I shouldn’t be. There’s probably exists a “Being X is transphobic” argument for every pro- or anti- stance you can take.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 1h

That’s immensely wise advice, but if you had given it to me before I posted this, I still would have posted this. 😅 I left wisdom behind long ago.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 1h

Oh, I misunderstood you! Thank you for clarifying.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 1h

If I’m persona non grata, then you can feel free to block me. Thank you for letting me know.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 2h

Good. You shouldn’t trust me. I’m an anonymous face on the internet, and you have no way of knowing whether I’m genuine, or if I’m a finely-tuned persona trying to destroy the people you love.

But thank you for being willing to talk to me. ❤️

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 2h

Then don’t accept it. It is what it is.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 2h

I’m sorry you see it that way. I don’t.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 2h

Sorry, no.

Yeah, you got hurt by someone you trusted. Yes, if you feel it’s necessary, we can make sure you never see this person again. But if that happens, then community will fracture, and everyone will suffer.

If you owe anything to your community, it’s to keep it alive. This is what it takes.

Reposted by Siobhán

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 2h

I’m doing this because this pattern happens every day in the queer community, and all of us are suffering from it in one way or another.

We need to learn from our mistakes, if we’re going to do better.

And my children deserve a better queer community than the one we have now.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 2h

I’m doing this because this pattern happens every day in the queer community, and all of us are suffering from it in one way or another.

We need to learn from our mistakes, if we’re going to do better.

And my children deserve a better queer community than the one we have now.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 2h

I’m not going to rehabilitate anyone. Once I’m done here, I plan never to talk about it again.

Y’all aren’t my friends (yet?), I don’t know any of you, and this is a ten year old wound that I will not in any way be trying to heal. I’m not writing a manifesto, and I’m not going to turn into a drone.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 2h

Please trust that both sides read the same to me. You are only seeing what is public. In my DMs, all I see is people suspiciously, tentatively giving me what they have, and giving me space to review.

That applies to EVERYONE who has messaged me. On both sides.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 2h

Your goal is to make sure both people get community.

You do what it takes to meet that goal.

If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. But you have to try.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 2h

So you talk to the victim, too, and figure out what boundaries they need to set. That’s where the boundaries come from. You don’t do a clandestine negotiation with the abuser, that would be stupid.

You are not deciding truth; you are advocating for figuring out a way to keep the community intact.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 2h

And yes, there’s still a risk of relapse and further harm. But that’s inherent to the existence of community! Where there is trust, there is risk. So you build structures to mitigate the risk.

You don’t believe that other crimes can only be resolved by permanent exile. What’s special about this?

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 2h

No, I dispute your first point entirely. That is not an accurate description of the cost. There is pain, there are scars; but you can prevent ongoing harm if you actually try.

Re your second point: yeah, I know we struggle. That why we have to be better than we are. That’s my whole point.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 2h

Yeah sorry; I know how that reads, but it’s what I do. 😔 so I either love myself for it or go mad.

Madder.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 2h

Repair is not impossible.

Repair is hard and uncomfortable, so we don’t ever try it, because we don’t believe it can work, because it never has, because we don’t fucking try it.

Siobhán @shibbi.bsky.social · 3h

And you get a schism, and two antagonistic factions with no means of resolution. A war of all against all.

Multiply that by… all of us? And you get where we are today. We can’t build anything, because we have no foundation, no solidarity.

You’re right. This is the sticking point.