If I can stretch my savings long enough — which I might, it depends on how long that is — I suspect the jobs will come back with lower pay, fewer shiny benefits, and tighter control. Maybe we'll finally organize, though? In the short term, anyway, I'm worried because my household does sort of depend on my earning potential, and outside of tech I don't really have any. We're months away from tough decisions, but months feel like they go pretty fast.
I'm not an ambitious person, in the capitalistic sense. I want to be paid enough that I can pay my mortgage and bills and do small nice things for my family and friends. But I'm min-maxed towards knowledge work, can't easily pivot, and have a strong sense of Honor that makes me incompatible with whole swaths of the tech industry. Possibly I'm simply too autistic for the world. I just want a stable gig doing computer stuff that is at least mostly harmless, is all. And I worry that's not possible.
Friends send me job listings, and I apply. I've been applying to five jobs a week since January. I've reworked my résumé multiple times, and prepared separate versions with and without my "DEI" credentials. I've tried for jobs incredibly close to what I was doing in the last gig and for jobs doing completely different things I know I'm capable of. I've taken crash courses to add Skills. I keep trying, and trying, even though I'm burned out on the whole nightmarish process by now.
I have talked to 5-10 recruiters in the past year, not counting a few spammers. I've had three interview cycles that made it past the recruiter screen. I've been ghosted by a small company a former coworker referred me in to, and by the only company that I've managed to get past the recruiter more than once with. Even during my mother's last multi-year slog trying to get back into industry after years of parenting, she was getting actual interviews pretty regularly. I am not.
A year ago today I got the notice that I was being laid off. I knew it was a terrible time to be on the market, though that was before Trump's unpredictable policy decisions were in play, and I was aware I might have a long job search in front of me. I'd seen tough periods in tech before, my parents having been in it since the 80s, and I have friends who've been out of work longer than I. Still, I wasn't really prepared for how demoralizing it is.
The Python Software Foundation shows more spine than every single tech giant in just one single decision.
> Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core to the PSF’s values
https://pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-funding-statement.html
The PSF has withdrawn a $1.5 million proposal to US government grant program
In January 2025, the PSF submitted a proposal to the US government National Science Foundation under the Safety, Security, and Privacy of Op...
All right. I did it. I worked extra hard and put together all that we discussed into a final version of the essay.
It's called: "Pride & Prejudice: A Call to Dismantle Whiteness From Within." Another English allusion felt appropriate since the English were such consummate colonialists and so we'll pick on them a lot here.
I really liked doing this! It was a little like writing with all of you, @Tattie, @melanie, @spacelogic, @mllsc, @coppercrush, and @melindrea! 💙
I really hope it leads to actionable change for all of us, and that it results in a net increase in worldwide levels of anti-racism.
Check out the full essay here!
https://ellisarcwolf.com/#pride-prejudice
P.S. Guys? Guys! We built culture together today. 😊 😻
#AntiRacism #Whiteness #SocialJustice #Allyship #TCK #Culture #WritingCommunity #EllisArcwolf
Ellis Arcwolf
Ellis Arcwolf is a queer, trans, Latina author of speculative fiction and a former Licensed Professional Counselor. She explores themes of identity, trauma, and justice through storytelling, FFXIV, and philosophy. This is her website.
Knowledge is knowing that Frankenstein was not the monster.
Wisdom is understanding that Frankenstein WAS the monster.
Enlightenment is understanding that I, the person who brings this up at every chance in every conversation, am the monster.
When talking with someone who is a teacher, audiophile and kinky, you have to clarify which kind of sub you're talking about.
media: Portland is a war zone and the city is on fire...
meanwhile in Portland:
daniel:// stenberg://
Ellis Arcwolf (Author)
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