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Chris Oates

Chris Oates

@chrisoates.bsky.social

340 followers 1.5K following 860 posts

Civic tech and making government accessible to policy professionals and #COYS

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Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · Nov 18

The starter packs are great, but I'm trying to combine a list of all #mapoli electeds on Bluesky and was hoping a good old fashioned crowdsourced Google sheet might be easier since so many are joining.

Please add anyone who the voters put into office here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

mapoli bluesky electeds

docs.google.com

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 10m

Is there any candidate for Somerville elections that has come out in favor of starting our own Palio?

We have lots of squares. We have lots of animals (dogs) who can race around in circles. We have neighborhood pride.

What’s the holdup?

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 2h

on.ft.com/3LjMgAz How sport unites us

How sport unites us

In a divided world, fandom is a social superpower

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 2h

Big thanks to @simonkuper.bsky.social for this column that I’ll be using every time my wife asks me why I’m watching Tottenham not score from open play at 7:30 am on a Saturday

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 23h

Opening day should be a national holiday

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 1d

What an interesting photo choice with that particular shirt style

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 1d

That quote was selected by ChatGPT as one of the most interesting of the hearing. (I ask it to find the five best just in case I missed anything while reading the transcript)

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 1d

We also see that the #mapoli Bluesky discussion this past week has been dominated by talk of SNAP cuts.

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 1d

New #mapoli digest this week looks at how you can learn about what city officials care about by seeing how they testify at Beacon Hill. We look at a climate hearing with quotes from @etelhaxhiaj.bsky.social, @mayorkatjana.bsky.social, and others

massachusettsdigest.substack.com/p/to-learn-a...

To learn about city officials, look to Beacon Hill

Municipal policy shown in State House committees

massachusettsdigest.substack.com

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 2d

At the very least, this race is a giant fuel tank for the take machine

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 3d

The real hero is Sam!

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 3d

Which is a great point against. I'm not saying it's cut and dry, but I'm like 55/45 after working on a ballot question in 2020 and seeing how hard it was to get attention once the presidential campaign started (COVID didn't help of course).

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 3d

I could be persuaded otherwise, but the last decade has shown the importance of the media and local news at fostering civic discourse and there's a finite amount of attention to go around.

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 3d

I originally thought this, but I've come around to the opinion that it's better to have municipal elections in odd years. Turnout is lower, but you have a less crowded informational space to have people debate the issues and let candidates emerge.

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 3d

New series is pretty great

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 3d

Uh oh, is my classics major going to be used to suggest I’m alt-right?

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 4d

Sitcom idea: remake of Full House, but it’s three podcast hosts who move in together when one becomes a widower. They broadcast from the basement. Kids become part of act and they pivot to doing YouTube children activity how tos. Working title - Arts and Craft Kings.

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 4d

Has this host never met a South Asian person before?

Chris Sommerfeldt @c-sommerfeldt.bsky.social · 4d

In a bit of a tense moment, one of the La Mega co-hosts presses Mamdani on why he "lied" about his "aunt" having been scared to ride the subway after 9/11 while wearing a hijab.

Mamdani says it was "not a lie" because he refers to his father's cousin as his "aunt."

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 4d

Worst bit of umpiring I’ve seen this year. Wow.

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 5d

Would love to get people's opinions about a prototype we built to make @bostoncitycouncil.bsky.social transcripts (sponsored by @bostonpolicyinst.bsky.social) more accessible using a chatbot form factor.

Check it out and let me know how we should tweak it.

bos-city-council-chatbot.streamlit.app

Boston City Council Chatbot

This app was built in Streamlit! Check it out and visit https://streamlit.io for more awesome community apps. 🎈

bos-city-council-chatbot.streamlit.app

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 5d

It looks like that reel is no longer available so I got taken to a reel of a World War II pilot and was very confused how it related to modern politics

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 6d

I love Spurs’ set piece goals. I hate what it means for the future of the Premier League that we can spend 50 minutes with barely a peep from our striker and still be up 2-0

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 6d

I totally agree. I’d rather they interact with the users on LinkedIn since those seem saner (and I know one congressman who does)

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 6d

For me, politicians should be broadcasting on every platform. But Twitter had never been a representative look at the world, much less after 2022

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 6d

That’s great. How many units per year is it expected to build?

Chris Oates @chrisoates.bsky.social · 8d

In my brief time in standup, I was always amazed at the people that would come in and crush with a bunch of ad libbed riffs, only to see them at a different open mic night a week later doing the same ad libbed riffs