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Words by Robin
Musings, rough cuts, and misadventures.

Latest

27
Jan
A selfie of Robin at Matrix Conf 2024 wearing a blue KN95 mask indoors.

Mask up: echoes of early 2020 as I travel to FOSDEM

Later this week, I'm going to see a lot of people I care deeply about and a lot
3 min read
20
Jan
A photo on a hike in the rolling green hills of Petaluma, during golden hour on a spring day.

Walking away from Facebook

In this blog post, I detail my approach to leaving Facebook and other Meta services, and share my rationale. But
7 min read
19
Jan
The nonbinary pride flag, featuring four horizontal stripes. From top to bottom: yellow, white, purple, and black.

Hello, my name is Robin Riley

You've known me as Josh, or Joshua Riley Simmons, and there's a lot I don'
1 min read
09
Dec
Great nations, like great men, should keep their word. – US Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black.

Maybe in error, but never in silence

Existence and visibility is political. I came out as bisexual the day my fellow Californians voted to make same-sex marriage
2 min read
19
Oct
A photo of koalas in a tree at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. A baby koala hangs on to their parent's back.

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
4 min read
29
Sep
A photo of the words "mind the gap" written in yellow paint on the ground in an underground train station in London.

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
3 min read
06
Jun
Looking uphill in the garden on a sunny spring day. Orange, pink, and yellow flowers fill the view.

Summer's call

I’ve been a bit quiet as I work through personal and professional transitions. In a twist of fate, I
26
Mar
A flower mandala laid out in an oak grove, at its center the tail of a red-shouldered hawk stands upright.

Celebrating Scotty

Not a day goes by that I don’t think of my late brother Scott. I find myself with a
1 min read
02
Mar
A photo of Josh balancing an apple on his head.

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’
1 min read
25
Jan
A photo of Tasmania's Mount Murchison rising into view between dense forest on either side of the road.

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.
1 min read