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My first thought on seeing that picture was a question: is this a person of privilege showing off her new overpriced merch acquisition, or is it someone who feels she is in enemy territory, and is counting coup?

"In conclusion, transphobia is a land of contrasts"

For a platform whose dedicated users like to promote this as a civilised alternative to The Other Place (or sometimes more cringely The Bad Place) the rage all seems a bit, well, uncivil. Anyway, I look forward to the Montagnard Convention putting my name on various blocklists now I guess! (11/11)

Who do you think had the best glow-up in the MAGA camp? Is politics more than aesthetics or a fun and glitzy game?

I'm quite curious what you think one can infer from a reporter adopting the livery of the subject of their reportage. And particularly why one shouldn't assume "affinity" is among those inferences.

People said that about Elon Musk six months before he went mask-off fascist, so, uh.... you might want to rethink this argument. She's a TERF - a specifically right-wing group - there are plenty of social posts of her cozying up with right-wing groups, and regretting not buying more Trump merch.

90+% of the time when someone says “[X’s] politics aren’t easy to categorize” they’re talking about like Mark Robinson, so you’re really doing a bang up job arguing she’s not a nazi

shut da fuk up

Is she or is she not “gender critical” (i.e. transphobic) On this site that’s going to matter a hell of a lot more than if she agrees with the majority on nearly any other “issue”.

Did you hear that yanks? You simply don't understand! Being a Sloaney, Nepo TERF who wants to buy mar-a-largo merch is a quirky english character trait, not an indication of political alignment.....

What's it like having room-temperature mashed potatoes for brains, Robert

I don't give a shit about her politics. She made a stupid post with a bad story and got some criticism for it, and now she wants to act aggrieved, with your help. Thin skinned reporters circling the wagons for each other isn't new but it is tiresome.

Just stop it. You made 11 posts about this to arrive at "her politics aren't easy to categorize". It's unsurprising you would find no problem with the politics of someone you work with, that doesn't make things confusing for us looking at her posts and articles. You got your attention. Now fuck off.

This is deeply unserious. If an American went to a N. Farage function or a meeting of Reform and just had to get a picture in a Reform T-Shirt it would be pretty easy for a U K. Citizen to understand where that person falls on the political spectrum.

Hope she sees this sport but it's pathetic how you hope to get in her pants like this!

Wow. You're an idiot.

If you're going to make shit up to suit a crappy argument, be more plausible, or at least attempt to be specific. "She's probably left of some of her critics on many issues"

it is unfashionable, but I enjoy reading the work of people whose politics I cannot quickly infer

This is such a fucking funny place to end up in this passionate defense of a transphobic crybaby.

No, he views are easy to characterize, it is just uncomfortable to you because you like her. She is a Nazi curious dilettante who knows that the Nazis coming into power won't affect her personally.

"I wish I would have bought that FAKE NEWS handbag at Mar a Lago!" Yup, very hard to categorize.

Why do you want me to listen to people I don't want to hear? I am happy for the people who see my posts have consented. If anyone doesn't like my opinion, feel free to mute or block as you wish.

Nah, man. I don't owe anyone my time or attention.

I don't block people for what they believe. I block people for being annoying or threatening. I am not required to sift through annoying or threatening posts. There is no way my life is improved by annoyance & threats. Also: nobody has the right to be annoying or threatening in my general direction.

Ideally, I'll never say or do anything that results in that happening, but miscommunication and snap judgments can happen. If people aren't strict about how to apply the label then it can get dicey.

My dude, I will block people for whatever stupid (or valid) reason I so desire, and I neither need nor want anyone's approval. Its my social media experience, not a round table panel discussion on CBS or whatever.

literally stop whining not everyone has to love you

I'd argue both parties benefit from getting blocked by people who are quick to block off lists. A) the quick blockers get the type of social media they want B) the block listed person doesn't have to deal with the type of people who block off lists Less strife all around.

suck my dick I'll block whoever I want whenever I want and you can fucking cry about it

I honestly don't mind being blocked by people who don't know me and don't care to learn. People can block me for any reason or no reason. It's no skin off my nose. Why should I give a single fuck?

It is actually great, though! (9/11)

How do you know why they were put on block lists?

I appear on some of those blocklists for following certain legal commentators despite not posting anything about equality issues myself. It was my honours dissertation subject so retain an interest but certainly not qualified to opine on it.

I've seen this claim made most loudly on behalf of a woman who chairs an anti trans organization and prominently says so in her bio. so excuse my skepticism.

Why would that matter?

Actually, it is great! I think I will block whomever I want to block for any reason I want to block, without even checking with any given cunt at the Financial Times.

What if I blocked her just because I found her annoying? Is that a mistake? Or do I have to do research to verify she holds certain views, and then it’s OK to block her?

rob smith did 9/11

What if I blocked her for publishing an asinine article based on unsupported premises and then whining loudly about people not agreeing with her instead of engaging with legitimate criticism?

It is great, actually. They don't need to have you in their business yelling at them about what you think they believe, and you don't have to be reminded of them ever again & can go on about your life. Not everyone at a party has to become besties, we can ignore one another and it's for the best

Please don't trivialize the weaknesses of online discourse. You can't just expect people to, in masses, wholly understand and respond to a news piece in place of face-to-face conversation. There's no body language, no inflection, no commitment, no facial feedback, and so, so much social pressure.

Maybe those reporting on the use of block should look at the other available tools on Bluesky and expand on their written material. My feed is clear of almost every label on Bluesky Moderation and I now avoid political content, because frankly, you'll always get individuals disputing.

Have you considered that some of us simply don't want to see propaganda disguised as opinion? Having an opt-in model for trusted sources is what I'm here for. Short of exclusively relying on scientific journals, this is a good way to hear what else is going on without a firehouse of falsehoods.

Bigger accounts gace out advice that for Bluesky - one should follow more accounts and then block more freely to get a better experience because of lack of algorithm. Maybe that advice needs to be revisited and people should be less trigger happy with block button.

I don't know who you are or what you believe, but I'm probably going to block you because you're whiny. It's perfectly fine to block people because you're just not interested in the things they say.

I will block whoever the fuck I want for whatever the fuck reason I want. Today might be "I Think You're A Nazi" Day. Tomorrow might be "I Think You're A Transphobe" Day. The next day might be "You Posted A Selfie Wearing A Yellow Shirt" Day. I'll do what the fuck I want.

I'll block whomever I wish to block, thank you very much. You have a right to free speech, not a right to force others to listen! I mean, what more do you want??? Y'all ran us off twitter, and now you want to takeover blusky, too?

absolutely no reason to keep listening to this total stranger to see if my initial interpretation was wrong, or lean over to ask them to clarify. it's actually weird to even suggest I *should* do that. I'm just gonna pop on the ol' noise cancellers and move on so I can enjoy my morning

You can be a booster of things where the community doesn't like you. It's not disqualifying.

Oh no did they call your Nazi-symp columnist bad words? I guess the system is rigged! The whinging for subs here is pathetic.

So you're arguing not for a right to speak, but for a right to force people to listen. Bluesky is as much of an echo chamber as you make it. There are plenty of conservative voices here. What there aren't many of are trolls, and that's because Bluesky recognizes no right to force people to listen.

Here to engage with you!

A lot of British people on the left like me moved here over a year ago when it became clear how deeply Musk was going to impose his ideological position. We live in very different worlds in the same country.

I do not feel obliged to engage with anyone I don't want to engage with, and in the same way that I will put on my noise cancelling headphones for some lairy man at a bus stop, I will do the digital equivalent here. I already live in a world full of sexist right-wingers, thanks.

Anyhow, nobody is going to subscribe to your website for posh cunts by shaming us into, IDK, letting the Nazis back in our lives and conversations. We will just never take the Financial Times seriously. Not that I did before.

We're literally just going back to ignoring dickheads like you before Leon took over the other site you seem to think isn't fulla Nazis nobody wants to advertise to. Just talk like this in person and try not to get shouted at. It's not an echo chamber, you've just normalized being a fascist online.