Author: Josh Simmons
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Maybe in error, but never in silence
You may or may not agree with me, and that’s OK. I hope, though, that my approach and my track record make it clear: when you and your community are suffering injustice, I will not stand idly by.
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An event organizer’s duty of care: from Codes of Conduct to Health and Safety policies
If you’ve been organizing events in tech over the last couple of decades, you’ve seen significant improvement in the way organizers think about inclusion. There was the #CoCPledge movement that made it mainstream for our events to have Codes of Conduct (CoC), and increasingly we see events offering childcare, providing financial aid, and incorporating live…
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Stop defining people by what they’re not: on “non-code contributors”
I’ve been outspoken about my dislike of the term “non-code contributors” for a while now. I mentioned it again on my socials recently, beginning: “I suggest that if you find yourself about to use the phrase “non-code contributors” or “non-technical contributions,” you should stop, remind yourself of your goals, and use entirely different language.” The…
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Summer’s call
I’ve been a bit quiet as I work through personal and professional transitions. In a twist of fate, I was laid off immediately after I felt I had finally found my footing in a new role back in March. More soon, my friends. A haiku for Northern California […]
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Celebrating Scotty
Not a day goes by that I don’t think of my late brother Scott. I find myself with a surge of excitement, with something I can’t wait to share with him. Or reflecting with regret or warm nostalgia as I turn over the memories. Or falling out of conversation when something someone says reminds me.…
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Fresh coat of paint for this professional
Since my role, as of last November working as Senior Principal Foundations Advocate at Tidelift, is again very public-facing, I’ve been meaning to update my professional bio, resume, and LinkedIn. But I’ve found it harder to find my professional voice without in-person events as a laboratory since 2020. Finally found the inspiration today — thanks…
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New possibilities as I cut ties with Meta
This week, I am ceasing my use of Instagram. Over the course of 2023, I will cease use of Messenger. My timeline for departing Facebook is less clear, but it is a certainty that I will leave the platform. I’m not interested in persuading others to follow, but I will explain: For-profit social platforms will…
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There’s no going back, let’s adapt to our pandemic present and future
COVID is still ripping through the populace, growing increasingly transmissible, each infection degrading the immune system, making each successive infection more likely to leave us disabled and leaving us more vulnerable to other diseases. A full 20% of infections, regardless of severity, have consequences that never fully go away. And vaccines aren’t a magic bullet.…
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Being creative in public
I used to write short stories and poems, but somewhere along the line I became afraid to share and eventually just … stopped writing. But life is too short to live inauthentically. Yesterday, in a travel-weary state of mind, I challenged myself to write something, anything. Because I’ve been reconnecting with my love of poetry,…
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Making a tradition of connection
I’ve long aspired to be the kind of person who sends cards or letters. Recently, I became that kind of person. Skip to the bottom for links to photo albums from Chris and Josh’s 2018 Wedding and from Scotty’s 2022 Celebration of Life. The initial spark was losing my brother Scott unexpectedly last June. I’ve…