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Scott Gordon

@scottgordonwi.bsky.social
1.1K followers 958 following 715 posts

Playing guitar and going on the computer at shrimpranch.bandcamp.com. Co-founder of @tonemadison.bsky.social (2014-2026). Free Palestine and Fuck ICE Signal: scottgordonwi.34 scottgordonwi@protonmail.com yaharaflyer.com 📍Madison, Wisconsin

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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
The story we keep hearing about body cameras in Madison skips over a lot of context. I explore the last couple years of this process in the latest issue of my subscriber-supported newsletter, Yahara Flyer.
yaharaflyer.com
After more than a decade, MPD's plan for body cameras is still sketchy
The story we tell ourselves about bodycams. Also, apples.
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Police agencies are hardly the only gov't agencies that pull this kind of thing, but they are the most brazen about it. They should literally not be allowed to have their own PR teams and should not have control of their own records. The benefit to media and society in general would be massive
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Reposted by Scott Gordon
Jesse Russell @cometstarmoon.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Cenobites. That's it. That's the bleet.
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
static.klipy.com
Tim And Eric Awesome Show Great Job Grum
ALT: Tim And Eric Awesome Show Great Job Grum
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
My friend @millbot.bsky.social also published a piece about the Madison bodycam discourse today. Emily gets into a lot of points I haven't managed to hit in my series, and way more incisively than I ever could. As always, curse them for making the rest of us look like witless slime molds
grist-from-the-mills.ghost.io
Focus on preventing police violence in the first place
Mandating body-worn cameras for Madison's police may be one tool in the toolbox for increased accountability but focusing on it as a panacea is another example of misdirected energy. Vol. 92 IN THIS...
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Copies are out now at all four spots :) They're free to grab. If you subscribe for $10/month or more, I'll snail-mail them to you. And no, it's not too late to sign up and get the first two issues in mail. Very much appreciate everyone who's supporting this little experiment already!
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Flight 002 of Yahara Flyer is out! I wrote more about police bodycams. @jesseraub.online wrote about apples. Hoping to get the print edition distributed by this evening at @giantjonesbrewing.bsky.social, Cool Bikes North, @roomofonesownbooks.bsky.social, and @4starvideo.bsky.social
yaharaflyer.com
After more than a decade, MPD's plan for body cameras is still sketchy
The story we tell ourselves about bodycams. Also, apples.
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
The Wisconsin State Journal editorial has been tripping over itself to argue for the virtues of police body cameras. One recent claim was so misleading and unsupported that I up and wrote a letter to the editor archive.ph/QuBk7
archive.ph
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Does a day ever go by that isn’t one?
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Reposted by Scott Gordon
Matthew Guariglia @mguariglia.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I spoke to a local reporter recently who said Flock follows the "typical cycle" of coverage--regurgitating glowing press releases, then skepticism, then covering the outrage. Reminder: You don't have to take police or companies' word for how safe, effective, or cool tech is even if its new.
eff.org
"Selling Safety": A Journalist's Guide to Covering Police Technology
selling_safety.pdf
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Pushing toward the finish line on Yahara Flyer 002, due out October 1. It's more yelling about body cameras. Incredibly annoying bodycam stuff keeps happening so I keep having to revise. Also @jesseraub.online—excuse me, JR Appleman—will have a fall treat for you subscribe/support: yaharaflyer.com
Printed-out draft of an in-the-works article with some editing marks on it
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
The first edition of Yahara Flyer is up. Print copies will be available by tomorrow at @giantjonesbrewing.bsky.social and Cool Bikes North. Read/subscribe/support here!
yaharaflyer.com
Madison's body-camera discourse and the endless cry of "if only"
The bodycam discussion is pointedly not about preventing police from killing more people.
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Putting the finishing touches on the first issue of Yahara Flyer. If you haven't subscribed yet, now's the time :) Also there was a problem that blocked free subscriptions but I've fixed that
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
If there is a dumb way to die from a fall in a video game, I absolutely will find it. In Witcher 3 I died falling from a scaffold DURING THE TUTORIAL. But I mostly just find it funny tbh
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Paid subscriptions should be working now :)
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Slight hitch with setting up paid subscriptions, shall be solved by EOW
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
OK I am launching a very minimal monthly newsletter about Madison. First issue is due out September 1. Some details here, subscribe and support to start the cranes a-croakin'! And other, even more tantalizing details TBD!
yaharaflyer.com
Yahara Flyer
Madison can have one page of alternative media per month.
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
I mean yeah, he acts that way if you ask him a single question he doesn't like tonemadison.com/articles/an-...
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
I mean you can have those for free but alright!
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Madison friends: If I launch a monthly, locally focused newsletter—with the caveat that it would be *very* minimal and might only last a few issues—would you read it and would you be willing to subscribe for $5/$10 per month?
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
"Computer, execute query" is what all the cool zoomers say
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
The header photo of this is just an incredible encapsulation of Madison, Wisconsin in the 2020s 🎯
wpr.org
Madison protesters shut down Capitol concert after police shoot, kill man with knife
One officer fired shots, although a total of four officers were involved in the incident and have been placed on leave.
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Reposted by Scott Gordon
captimes.com @captimes.com · 18/07/2026
Scott Gordon: Despite Act 10, unions were able to deal a blow to a surveillance state that is gaining traction in Wisconsin and in the nation.
captimes.com
Opinion | UW-Madison's unions were key to Flock camera removal
Scott Gordon: Despite Act 10, unions were able to deal a blow to a surveillance state that is gaining traction in Wisconsin and in the nation.
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Good. The "drug-soaked mail" panic is so immensely harmful and no self-respecting journalist should take it at face value
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dylan @gropeforluna.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
help keep the tone archives up! support weird ambient music! exclaim things on the internet!
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Also I'm paying for the hosting etc. out of pocket now and probably til I croak, so if you want to help me with that you can buy my weird ambient EP shrimpranch.bandcamp.com/album/finger...
shrimpranch.bandcamp.com
Fingerpainting With The Damned, by Shrimp Ranch
4 track album
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
The new Tone Madison archive site is up. We're still working out various bugs/design problems/the usual pesky migration issues, so if you see something that doesn't look right... eh, don't bug me about it just yet lol tonemadison.com
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Reason one million bajillion for having robust (and actually public) public arts funding: It would make the local cultural scene less dependent on sketchy vanity projects like this
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
I love Odyssey. I have an LP copy that I found used somewhere and it had a nice press photo still in the sleeve. It enjoys pride of place in my household ofc
Black-and-white press photo of James Blood Ulmer
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
How anyone falls for this guy’s flopsweat-soaked gimmicks is beyond me
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
More discourse theater when the right demands it. Less debate and fewer voices in the room when it comes to actual decision-making at UW. These are complementary, not contradictory, goals for someone like Rothman
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
It would be nearly impossible to say something more wrong about the governing body of a public institution (from the Journal Sentinel version of the same op-ed archive.ph/toM6F). Astonishing
Text screenshot:

•When the regents deem it appropriate to speak either publicly or in meetings with legislators, the business community, and other external stakeholders, it is important that they speak with a consistent and coordinated message. There is no place for a regent going rogue on topics that impact the entire Board. The message provided by any regent needs to be set by Board leadership and then consistently delivered to all stakeholders.
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
It’s always horseshit o’clock somewhere
Text screenshot:

"Also, I must state the irony of the situation. We're one of the few technology companies in this space dedicated to radical transparency [.] |
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
A few supervisors tried to pull this maneuver of “oh can we just keep the $80k in the sheriff’s budget for something else later?” And then other supervisors had to get up and explain that government budgeting does not work that way. Embarrassing.
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
“But the sheriff lamented that the board ‘elected, once again, to reduce funding for the sheriff’s office.’” OK. That’s how cutting a budget item works. If you don’t have another specific thing to allocate it to, you don’t just get to keep the money around for whatever
wpr.org
Dane County pulls funding for Flock license plate cameras
Dane County supervisors have cut off funding for automatic license plate cameras, citing concerns about privacy and about how that data is shared.
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Thursday night!
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Working on some live stuff in this vein, aka mole man plugs his bangy paddle into the durned ol computer
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
lmao
Text screenshot: 

“Our understanding is it was a settlement and that we’re moving forward,” Scheibler said. “Businesses get sued all the time; we can’t prevent ourselves from working with people because of that.”
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
If you work at UW-Madison and are categorized as University Staff, you have a union! And we’re having a happy hour on Thursday, April 23 at the Terrace, 5 to 7 pm! Any and all campus workers are welcome—bring a friend or a coworker!
A flyer shows a line drawing of two people sitting at a brightly decorated bar, with the following text:

HAPPY HOUR
THURSDAY APRIL 23 5-7PM
MEMORIAL UNION
DER RATHSKELLER
AFSCME
LOCAL 171
THE WORKDAY ENDS HERE
ENJOY SPECIAL DRINKS AND A RELAXED EVENING WITH FELLOW UNION MEMBERS
FEEL FREE TO BRING NON-UNION UW STAFF FRIENDS!
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Idk if “I probably killed no more than a dozen” refers to blocking/deleting stupid comments but I choose to believe it’s just Ebert being really fucking funny
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
Let’s say your farewell to @tonemadison.bsky.social is salty because you were accustomed to a nonstop approval enema in Madison and noticed that we, one fucking exception, didn’t line up eagerly with bulb and bucket. That was the point! No apologies to you or your pampered fundament 😘
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Really appreciate this given how many media people who should know better have drunk the AI-inevitability Kool-Aid. It really doesn’t have many uses for journalists except for embarrassing oneself. "I’ve always hated the zero-to-one process of writing a story.” Join the club, welcome to hell, etc.
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Amelia Zollner aka @manateemailbox.bsky.social is a freelancer you should hire if you are an editor looking for games or music coverage steeped in wonderful internet weirdness, also made a lovely video game you can buy on Steam
store.steampowered.com
Garage Sale on Steam
It's garage sale day! Embark on a small scavenger hunt throughout Lettuce Village's community-wide garage sale. In this story exploration game, you'll collect items with strange backstories, help your...
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
We were lucky enough to publish @janeburns.bsky.social's writing on sports, Patti Smith, and more. Jane continues her longtime focus on women’s sports in her newsletter, The Crossover
janeburns.substack.com
Archive - The Crossover
Full archive of all the posts from The Crossover .
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Definitely need to add more to this thread later… we worked with so many awesome people that it’s hard to keep track of it all off the top of my head. Yell at me if I missed you
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Lewis Peterson did a lot of wonderful film writing for Tone Madison. He is also still keeping an enduring Madison institution alive at @4starvideo.bsky.social, where you can rent many fine vidya discs and sign up for a monthly subscription
fourstarvideorental.com
Four Star Video Cooperative
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
It just wouldn’t be Madison without @millbot.bsky.social running circles around the rest of us. They also have a newsletter you should get!
grist-from-the-mills.ghost.io
Grist From the Mills
Wisconsin-based opinion, interviews, and suggestions covering state and national politics, environment, LGBTQ issues, music, culture, and more.
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Former Music Editor @stevenmps.bsky.social has re-launched his longtime project Heartbreaking Bravery, and is available to take photos and do other multimedia work
heartbreakingbravery.com
Heartbreaking Bravery
@heartbreaking_bravery | heartbreakingbraveryllc@gmail.com | @hbreakbravery
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Or how about @jesseraub.online's anachronistic, generous, and often very personal writing about food and movies? He’s got a newsletter called Good Ones and I happen to think it’s delightful
jesseraub.online
Good Ones, a Newsletter from Jesse Raub
a weekly-ish medium-dive into tv, movies, music, and food
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
If you liked comics artist and writer @racheldl.bsky.social's penetrating journalism on disability and housing in Madison, there is more where that came from on Rachel’s Patreon: www.patreon.com/c/RachelDL/p...
patreon.com
Get more from Rachel DL on Patreon
Queer, Disabled Cartoonist. Comics, & Graphic Novel updates
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