T. Ryan GregoryJul 9, 2023

So, I really like the atmosphere here so far, and the folks running zeroes.ca have been great, and 5000 characters is sa-weet. But I need to be clear that I am not, and have never been, a hardcore zero COVID person. I wish we had stamped it out in 2021, but we didn't, and we won't now. I have described myself as a Less-COVID-than-this zealot. At this stage, my focus is on balancing evidence (such as we still get) and risk vs. being able to keep being cautious as the rest of the world has moved on. That means extending grace to people who are doing their best and making decisions based on their own circumstances, even if they're doing less than what the strictest measures would entail. I need to be clear about that after what happened on Twitter.

That's all to say that if zeroes.ca is or turns into a hardcore zero COVID zone I am not likely to fit in. I do have an account again on mstdn.science, but haven't switched over.

Show threadPlantingTrees😷🇨🇦🌻👠Jul 9, 2023

@TRyanGregory

Is wanting an effective, neutralising vaccine too much to ask for?

How do the immuno-compromised, the elderly, the disable fit in?

#COVID

Show threadT. Ryan GregoryJul 9, 2023

@JaneDoeTheFirst Yeah, so here we go. I've been through all of this on Twitter already and what my goal is in terms of keeping as many people as possible doing the best they can for as long as possible.

But for the record, I very much want that kind of vaccine (though most people probably won't take it at this point), and I also want clean indoor air to make spaces more inclusive. What isn't going to happen is 100% of people masking 100% of the time in perpetuity.

Show threadPlantingTrees😷🇨🇦🌻👠Jul 9, 2023

@TRyanGregory

I have no doubt your mission is noble. I don't follow Twitter. Is this not a fair question?

Editing this in response to your edit. Fair enough. When hospitals won't allow you to wear N95s, what do you do to keep safe?

Show threadT. Ryan GregoryJul 9, 2023
@JaneDoeTheFirst I will try to copy over some recent threads about all of this. Short answer: I care deeply about protecting the most vulnerable, and in fact my family has dealt with that for most of the past year, but I also understand that people need to be able to recharge and reconnect in order to keep being cautious as much as they can.
Show threadPlantingTrees😷🇨🇦🌻👠Jul 9, 2023

@TRyanGregory

I appreciate the labour! I have no doubt you care deeply. I don't think anyone is fixated on zero #Covid as much as wanting a vaccine and decent protection for the time being. This, while the world has moved on. Honestly, I don't think anyone can answer that because again, the world has moved on.

Show threadT. Ryan GregoryJul 9, 2023
@JaneDoeTheFirst Oooooohhhh there's people fixated on zero COVID.
Show threadIdealistic Pragmatist Jul 9, 2023
@TRyanGregory @JaneDoeTheFirst I’m agnostic on Zero COVID? I do think the time to talk about whether Zero COVID is possible (or desirable, or necessary, whatever) is after the point where we get to “less COVID than this”. Not right now. 🤷‍♀️
Show threadIdealistic Pragmatist Jul 9, 2023
@TRyanGregory @JaneDoeTheFirst (for the record, though, that’s not why I’m not on the zeroes server, which I’m glad exists—I wanted a non-topic-specific server because I was afraid of putting across the message that I’d primarily be talking about one topic in the Fediverse. An academic-related server wouldn’t have worked for me either, for the same reason.)
Show threadPlantingTrees😷🇨🇦🌻👠Jul 9, 2023

@IPEdmonton

I like 'zeroes' because I can access 'local' for #covid and still have the entire Fediverse to explore. I post way more on other topics.

Show threadIdealistic Pragmatist Jul 9, 2023
@JaneDoeTheFirst I’m glad! I was afraid for myself that any topic-specific server would lead me and others to make assumptions about what I’d post, so I avoided it.
Show threadPlantingTrees😷🇨🇦🌻👠Jul 9, 2023

@IPEdmonton

I don't think people even look at the instance identifier or know what it means. I also chose it because it's Canadian. I do understand your hesitancy though. So far, it's been first rate. Agreed, the 5000 limit is much appreciated. It allows informative posters like @TRyanGregory to spell things out for us.

Show threadIdealistic Pragmatist Jul 9, 2023
@JaneDoeTheFirst for the record: some people do look at which server different people chose? (I know this because I do!)
Show threadPlantingTrees😷🇨🇦🌻👠

@IPEdmonton

That is true. The nice thing is we always have a choice. Can't please everyone anyway, amongst the Fediverse millions. 😎

Jul 9, 2023 at 4:17pmWeb