Tom Coates

Tom Coates

@tomcoates.bsky.social

English technologist, founder and product designer living in San Francisco. Prev: BBC, Yahoo, Time Out, Nokia, Jawbone, Wired & Eero. Founded things too. Currently trying to find something to get excited rather than angry about. http://www.plasticbag.org

13.5K followers734 following20.5K posts

Tom Coates reposted

Chuck Schumer
@schumer.senate.gov

The truest thing JD Vance has said in a long, long time.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

JD Vance: "Gas prices are too high ... they skyrocket every time some tinpot dictator decides to throw a tantrum"

Tom Coates reposted

Otto English
@ottoenglish.bsky.social

Perfect.

Edwin Hayward@edwinhayward.com

Reform plan to bring back imperial measurements to help boost US trade, not realising that US imperial measurements are different from UK ones. So dense a black hole is empty space by comparison.

Tom Coates reposted

Feersum Beasts
@lockfarm.bsky.social

Let's start Monday with an edition of "I told you so" The report into the Online Safety Act landed. It has delivered no significant reduction in harm and sees continued high exposure rates whilst putting many legitimate news and information sites behind age-gates and paywalls.

Tom Coates reposted

Aaron Rupar
@atrupar.com

Trump has a rally tonight in Mississippi, in case you're wondering how things are shaping up for Republicans

Tom Coates
@tomcoates.bsky.social

It feels particularly weird Walter Koenig dying because my main mental image of him is of this sparky, cheerful mischievous kid in TOS. He didn’t grow old in public enough for me to get myself used to the idea of him dying in his nineties. Very sad.

Tom Coates reposted

Andrew D Thaler
@drandrewthaler.bsky.social

I live in a rural town and, like, I don't know how to tell you this, but the girls play on the boys team and vice versa all the time because otherwise we don't have enough players for a game and it's literally always fine so stop being weirdos about kids sports and just let trans kids play.

Tom Coates
@tomcoates.bsky.social

Awww.

George Takei@georgetakei.bsky.social

My heart is heavy. Walter Koenig, our Ensign Pavel Chekov, passed away early today. Walter and I met on the bridge of the Enterprise in the 1960s, and we stayed friends for nearly six decades. When Brad and I married in 2008, Walter stood beside us as our best man.

Tom Coates
@tomcoates.bsky.social

What's that you say? The President of the United States is a petty insane little bitch? But I knew that! What more could one more example teach me... .... .... .... oh, holy shit.

Hemry, Local Bartender@bartenderhemry.bsky.social

checking in on the president of the united states

Tom Coates reposted

Will Jennings📉🗳️
@drjennings.bsky.social

This has all become so normalised and yet... this is not normal.

The Bulwark@thebulwark.com

Norway: "I didn't get the Nobel Prize so I don't want anybody from Norway. I don't want anything to do with Norway…Frankly, Norway sucks. Norway has become a shithouse country, actually."

Tom Coates reposted

lastpositivist.bsky.social
@lastpositivist.bsky.social

Brazil going the way of South Korea. Basically around the world women are desperately trying to keep power out of the hands of incredibly stupid fascistic grifters while men keep trying to hand it over. Men are an embarrassing cringe gender.

Jo Wolff@jowolff.bsky.social

Incredible gender difference in voting intention in Brazil.

Tom Coates reposted

Greg Pak
@gregpak.net

This is garbage. It's very easy to say: "My opponent is a creep who wants to inspect your children's genitalia. I think government should mind its own fucking business." Makes me sick that Turek doesn't have the guts or the interest in fighting for the underdogs here.

Erin Reed@erininthemorning.com

Josh Turek of Iowa, Democrat, comes out with one of the worst anti-trans ads yet. Not only is it an anti-sports ad, it proposes a ban on federal funding for gender affirming care. That would hit all medicaid and medicare patients, and any ACA federally-subsidized plans as well. Horrific.

Tom Coates reposted

Comfortably Boo
@numb.comfortab.ly

PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIVE IN FOX NEW CINEMATIC UNIVERSE: wat

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Trump: "In Washington, all the restaurants were closing. People were being held up. They'd walk into a restaurant. Like Jesse James. 'Stand up! Give us all your money.' They're eating dinner at a fancy restaurant. All the restaurants were closing."

Tom Coates reposted

Kieron Gillen
@kierongillen.bsky.social

My mind is just collapsing at the "we have far-right entryist groups offering themselves as middle-men to hook you up with professional hitmen, but our big priority is covering up pride pins" of the present BBC.

Leicester Gazette@leicestergazette.leicester.news

Two University of Leicester students speak out over ‘absurd’ and ‘Orwellian’ decision by the BBC and ITV Studios to edit out pride pins worn on University Challenge

leicester.newsBBC edits out pride pins on University Challenge in ‘Orwellian’ move* * * This story was published by **The Leicester Gazette** : a local, independent newspaper about Leicestershire. 1,000 people have already joined our community. Just use those buttons below to download our app and **sign up for free**. * * * Astrophysics student Samuel Carlier and History student Emmeline Hague-Wright were shocked to find that their LGBTQ+ pride pins had been edited out of their University Challenge appearance earlier this year. The episode, initially scheduled for BBC Two on 24 August, was delayed twice before airing on 7 September 2026. The pins showed the progressive LGBTQ+ pride flag, the bisexual pride flag and a rainbow feather. Speaking to the Leicester Gazette, Sam said: “Living in a liberal democracy and having the state broadcaster tell you ‘we’re editing how you look’, seems very Orwellian.” Sam described the choice to remove the pins before broadcast as “weird” and “absurd”. He said: “[Censoring] that seemed weird. If I had worn a rainbow shirt, would they have censored that? If the idea is to keep things impartial, where is that line in the sand?” A side by-side image of Sam wearing the pin and with it having been digitally removed. Photograph: supplied Sam contacted the BBC to try to understand why his pins had been edited out. He told the Gazette: “The BBC people said they’d ring me, and I chased them, they just said go to the complaints website and file a complaint there, that’s what I did.” Since then, Sam hasn’t had a response from the BBC as to why his pins were removed. After the episode had aired, Sam noted that his shirt ‘melted’ into itself occasionally, as a result of the editing. Photograph: supplied ## Students believe the decision was made following online transphobia Emmeline was also shocked when she found out that the feather pin she wore was due to be removed from the episode she was in. It was understood by Emmeline that there was online transphobia in response to previous episode of University Challenge, and she had been contacted by the BBC, anticipating support from the broadcaster. When the BBC contacted her, instead of an offer of support, she was told her pin was going to be removed. “At first it was mostly confusion,” she said. “I heard that they had received a lot of nastiness online from people and I thought they were going to call me to say ‘we have support services if needed,’ and that wasn't what I got at all.” Instead, Emmeline was notified that the episodes were going to be delayed. “It was out of left field, I was confused for a while,” she said. “This entire delay has been because of a feather and two badges on a teammate that were basically impossible [for viewers] to see.” Emmeline had expressed her frustrations with the repeated delays from the BBC, spanning from mid-July to early-September. She said: “We were announced on the website and then delayed again, and then announced on the website a second time, and delayed even further. Speaking about the removal, she said: “It takes a lot of time” she said. “Making it [the edit] look good would be even more expensive and time-consuming. It seems like drastically a lot of effort.” ## Join the conversation Our app is more than just a way to keep up – it's a gateway to award-winning journalism and the local community. __Want to support our work?__ Click here for membership__.__ ## Wider criticism on LGBTQ+ support The pins Sam wore during the episode. Photograph: supplied According to leading LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall UK, two in five LGBTQ+ students will hide their identities at university for fear of discrimination. Stonewall has reported that more than 36 per cent of trans students have received hostile conduct from university staff due to their gender identity. Reflecting on the digital removal of the pins, Sam spoke about how disheartening the choice was. He said: “There was maybe like a span of eight years where someone could be uncontroversially out in the open queer – now that’s gone again.” he said. The BBC has also been widely criticised for ‘an attack on the LGBTQ+ community’ by pulling its involvement with the popular show, RuPaul's Drag Race. The broadcaster pulled its involvement in September following “significant financial pressures” as the reason for axing their involvement. The criticism follows another recent controversial edit by the BBC. On its hit show, Strictly Come Dancing, a decision was made to edit out ‘Protect the Dolls’ from contestant Bethany Antonia’s T-shirt. It’s a slogan which has become widely used to support the rights of trans women. The BBC defended their decision, saying the changes were made to meet editorial guidelines. It comes as the LGBTQ+ community has faced challenges amid an increasingly less tolerant political climate. ## What the BBC had to say When we asked them about editing out the pins worn by Leicester’s University Challenge team, a BBC spokesperson said: “In line with our editorial guidelines, we advise that no badges, flags, and emblems or symbols are worn or visible during filming, along with clothing with obvious branding or slogans. If such items are not removed for any reason then a decision is made between the programme makers and the BBC regarding any edits to the programme.” The BBC said the delays to the episode were unrelated to the decision to edit out the pins. A spokesperson for ITV Studios said: “University Challenge is an entertainment quiz show and is made in accordance with the BBC Editorial Guidelines requirements for impartiality.” The University of Leicester refused to comment on the matter. * * * **Before you go…** We’ve recently surpassed 1,000 subscribers, which is amazing considering we’re a small team on a shoestring budget. Now, we’re ready for the next stage of the Leicester Gazette. **Download our new app and get all of our journalism anytime, anywhere.** The app connects with **Bluesky** , **Mastodon** and **Threads** , giving you access to a network of around 60 million people. It’s a safer, more meaningful alternative to mainstream social media – owned by the community. * * *

Tom Coates reposted

Governor JB Pritzker
@govpritzker.illinois.gov

Absolutely disgusting, but what can we expect from an adjudicated rapist and a congenital liar?

Headquarters@headquartersnews.bsky.social

Q: Amy Acton's stepfather was indicted for rape. Now that you know all that, sir, do you change your mind about the ad? Trump: No. I don't care

Tom Coates reposted

Derek Powazek
@fraying.bsky.social

This is a really good ad.

Team Talarico@teamtalaricohq.bsky.social

NEW AD: Have you seen these anti-Talarico attack ads? Elon Musk paid for nearly all of them. The world's first trillionaire knows if he drags the most corrupt politician in Texas across the finish line, Ken Paxton will owe him everything. Elon Musk: Texas is not for sale.

Tom Coates
@tomcoates.bsky.social

Understanding why someone is bigoted is obviously the first step in healing them and leading them back to sanity and decency. But I'm going to be honest with you, with limited time, I would rather spend it helping their victims than trying to save them from themselves.

Tom Coates
@tomcoates.bsky.social

Plus the amount of times people will tell us that we need to try and reach our oppressors by understanding their pain as they stomp our rights under their feet, and then expect us to be … I dunno, grateful for their insights? I mean… wow.

Tom Coates
@tomcoates.bsky.social

Yeah, he hit them with his car and he's eating the roadkill.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Trump: "Did anybody ever see the build, the body, on Bobby? Did anybody ever see? He's got the body of a 30 year old."

Tom Coates reposted

George Takei
@georgetakei.bsky.social

They’re not alleging fraud or misconduct. They’re preemptively suing to block certification based on an outcome they haven’t accepted yet. It’s no longer a hypothetical talking point. The Justice Department is officially Trump’s election interference machine.

Tom Coates reposted

bossk baby
@bonnnt.bsky.social

found out that my mother in law decided she was aggressively pro trans rights literally by going, I don't know anything about this but everyone who is against trans rights is also against free school lunch, the issue I know and care a lot about, so this must be the correct way to feel about this

Tom Coates reposted

Anthony Green
@anthonycgreen.bsky.social

Is the pace of change really such a shock? plasticbag.org/archives/200... – @tomcoates.bsky.social

plasticbag.orgIs the pace of change really such a shock? – plasticbag.org
Lewis Goodall@lewisgoodall.com

TV news is in crisis- and the way it operates guarantees its extinction in the attention economy. I've thought a lot about how it needs to change. On Wednesday, I had the honour of delivering the Steve Hewlett RTS Lecture. Watch/read below. goodallandgoodluck.substack.com/p/can-tv-new...

goodallandgoodluck.substack.comCan TV news be saved?And is it worth saving?
Tom Coates
@tomcoates.bsky.social

Same with gay people. Behave as you wish, but the minute someone tells you you’re “not like other gay people” and “why can’t they be more like you - reasonable and quiet”, then you’ve fucked up and must disabuse them of this notion immediately.

This post is unavailable.
Tom Coates
@tomcoates.bsky.social

My beautiful iPhone Duo … case … is surprisingly small. I look forward to playing with … the case … until such time that the phone decides to arrive.

Tom Coates
@tomcoates.bsky.social

Not even vaguely surprising to me since their version of free speech has always been, “I should be able to use racial, ethnic, sexist and homophobic slurs without consequence”

Will Jennings📉🗳️@drjennings.bsky.social

It's always the people you most suspect...

theguardian.comFree Speech Union hit by internal allegations of racism and sexually inappropriate remarksExclusive: Key figure in campaign group accused of saying she would ‘never hire a black person’, and second figure discussed Sydney Sweeney’s ‘assets’

Tom Coates reposted

Tom Coates
@tomcoates.bsky.social

The Royal Society is hiding all posts that mention that they still refuse to remove noted White Supremacist Elon Musk from their number.

The Royal Society@royalsociety.org

For #BlackHistoryMonth, we're highlighting the achievements of the Black scientists, mathematicians and engineers who have made their impact on the modern world. Read our thread below.

Tom Coates reposted

Atul Haria (immigrant)
@atulharia.bsky.social

Replying to @royalsociety.org

This is all performative BS. You support a racist nazi and then come out with this rubbish. www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

reuters.comTesla faces major trial for alleged bias against Black workers, after years of lawsuitsA California agency's lawsuit accusing Tesla ​of allowing rampant race discrimination at its flagship assembly plant is set to go to trial ‌on Monday, one of a series of similar lawsuits being faced b...
Tom Coates
@tomcoates.bsky.social

The Royal Society is hiding all posts that mention that they still refuse to remove noted White Supremacist Elon Musk from their number.

The Royal Society@royalsociety.org

For #BlackHistoryMonth, we're highlighting the achievements of the Black scientists, mathematicians and engineers who have made their impact on the modern world. Read our thread below.

Tom Coates reposted

Atul Haria (immigrant)
@atulharia.bsky.social

The @royalsociety.org support the biggest white supremacist on the planet and then come out with this performative BS. All of you ticking up the posts by @royalsociety.org need to find a backbone and some morality. Have some fucking self-respect.

The Royal Society@royalsociety.org

For #BlackHistoryMonth, we're highlighting the achievements of the Black scientists, mathematicians and engineers who have made their impact on the modern world. Read our thread below.

Tom Coates reposted

ceej
@ceej.online

it's cool that you can send "STOP" to instantly block an automated political fundraising text message so they have to text you from a different number five minutes later