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Category: Personal

Largely discussions of transition and my experience of the tech industry as a trans lady.

What’s a PhD Anyway?

I’m technically Dr. Jordan Thayer. I have a doctorate in the philosophy of computer science, focusing on AI. I have a weird relationship with my doctorate. Sometimes, it’s useful to credential myself: I know a lot about this, look at the letters! Other times, it gets in the way: I…

Thoughts on Pride

I didn’t celebrate pride the first few years after I realized I was queer. At first, it was because I was closeted, and well, that’d sort of ruin that wouldn’t it? After I came out though, I still struggled with pride. What would I be proud of, exactly? I’m proud…

Trans in Tech

I’d like to tell you that being a trans woman doesn’t impact my work. I’d like to tell you that it doesn’t impact my work, but I bump up against it every day. That might seem surprising. I’m a technical person. An Engineer! My whole value proposition is being a…

Solo TTRPG Philosophy 201

ChatGPT describes the solo ttrpg thusly: In a typical tabletop RPG, a group of players collaborates with a game master to create and navigate a story within a fictional world, making decisions and interacting with the narrative. Solo tabletop RPGs adapt this concept for individual play. The player takes on…

Coming Out at Work

Disclaimer Before I get too far, I should reiterate, this story is largely from my recollections. It was… a rough time in my life. I’m not big on diaries. Almost all of what I’m relating happened in a non-archival way. Other people who were there may feel it went down…