That’s the problem I’m trying, likely failing, to communicate/point out though. All other things being equal those groups and types of people tend to be less receptive to my opinions and perspectives on things just because of what I am even when they have known me for a while. I have experienced on more than one occasion someone getting upset with me for pointing something out where when someone else who wasn’t a white dude said almost the exact same thing verbatim they accepted it without an issue.

People are people and dumb tribalism and prejudice is present in almost every space and I am also hardwired to detect it and call it out when I see it. Keeping quiet about it and just watching it happen makes me very agitated and takes a lot of mental energy to keep in check. So take that in combination with the above and well…

I’m tired boss. Not tired of fighting for others’ right to exist, I’ll do that every day. I’m just tired of fighting for my own.

It would just be nice if it ever felt like I wasn’t standing naked out in the middle of no mans land. I generally don’t have any community that provides protection even when I need it and this particular conversation thread is a good example of why. I can’t go into the spaces or communities where I most identify with others experiences without being treated for what I appear to be, and even if I wanted to capitalize on being being a white dude (I really don’t), it doesn’t take very long before I piss off the wrong person or make problems by pointing out how something isn’t OK.

If/when things really do go sideways I fully expect that I will be one of the first individuals to be put on the proverbial trains because I’m target. No one is going to show up in support of me.

That’s all I’m saying.

Well, as a white guy with autism that is just mild enough that it isn’t apparent when people first interact with me my entire existence is basically trying to figure out where all the invisible traps are. To an outside observer it would very much appear like I’m keeping my head down and being complicit, and yet I often find myself identifying most with people in marginalized groups because of their experiences, how they feel, and how they are treated. I have no qualms standing up for someone when I can, but it’s rare that anyone ever stands up for me because I’m just another white guy despite the fact that I’m usually confused and barely keeping my head above water on the inside.

Did you read the article? Blender isn’t doing AI stuff.

That’s my biggest issue with Fairphone and I’m typing this comment on one.

The way it feels to me is that Framework actually cares about the principles it espouses at its core which is reflected in their design decisions, whereas Fairphone merely decided to target an underserved niche within the context of capitalism.

Don’t get me wrong, Framework has their own issues, and I’m well aware of the problems that phone manufacturers face when it comes to hardware not being as interchangeable, but FP really hasn’t done anything on the hardware side to make uplifting a current phone viable.

Something like keeping the same battery form factor so a higher energy density chemistry for the newer generation could be used on an older generation for example.

I still live in my home country and I also feel a similar way. I’m too weird to be normal, but I’m too normal to be weird. I can fit in anywhere and adapt to just about anything, but no where does it feel like I belong. It’s an existence that feels and is very liminal.

It’s not anyone’s fault. I’m wired in a very peculiar way. There isn’t really anything I or anyone else can really do. All I can do is keep trying to meet people, do things I like, and trying new things I like and maybe some day something will click. Being about 1/3 of the way through my life though that’s not super likely. Could be worse. Could be better.

It can be both.