I’m moderating lightning talks this year! It’s such a sweet, full circle moment because WTD lightning talks in 2017 were my first time on stage and that’s what got me into conference speaking 🥰
Submission form is already open for day one (follow the link below) ⚡️
If you’re able to, consider supporting our strike fund. Your donations help replace lost income for the freelancers who create more than half of The Berliner’s content 🩷
www.gofundme.com/f/raise-stri...
What we're asking for is simple:
- A transparent, public editorial policy
- Removal of the Nova Festival Exhibition ads from all platforms
Many of us have spent years - some even decades - ensuring The Berliner is a trusted space for independent English-language journalism in Berlin. Seeing that work compromised, and our voices dismissed, has been heartbreaking.
Every proposal we made to protect the magazine's editorial integrity was refused. The silence from management since then has only deepened concern for the state of a publication we loved.
We took this step reluctantly - but out of necessity. Management’s decision to run ads for the Nova Festival Exhibition, combined with months of restrictions on Palestine-related coverage, sent a clear message.
Another ad for the Nova Festival exhibition has gone up on The Berliner social media channels, another day of our strike in protest.
The freelance editorial staff of The Berliner have been on strike since October 5. We have heard nothing from management.
It's a shame that unwillingness to open a dialogue is depriving coverage of so much great culture in this city. As we wrote to management on October 13, we call for English-language journalism with clear editorial independence.
Support the strike! Done to the strike fund to help freelancers replace lost income! Our city - and our readers - deserve better.
It’s been nearly two weeks since we went on strike at The Berliner (@exberliner.bsky.social). We haven’t heard a single word from management.
We’ve set up a strike fund to support writers, illustrators, proofreaders, and other contributors who’ve foregone pay for November. Many are full-time freelancers sacrificing a significant portion of their income.
Please consider sharing or donating if you can 🙏🏼
www.gofundme.com/f/raise-stri...
That’s what makes this so devastating — the ads and preceding “neutrality” policies undermine everything we’ve built and the integrity of our work as journalists.
Our strike is a refusal to let management blur the line between ads and editorial.
I joined The Berliner as the Love & Sex Editor last year to build up the Carnal Knowledge section, once dismissed as “trivial,” and create reporting that treats difficult subjects seriously.
Working with people who trusted me with their stories has been the highlight of my career.
The decision of The Berliner magazine to run an ad campaign for the Nova Festival Exhibition was taken against the explicit objections of its editorial staff and regular freelance contributors.
As we expressed in a letter to management, we freelancers consider these ads clear evidence of ownership taking a political stance on Gaza, having for months pressured the magazine to suppress editorial coverage of Palestine.
As such, we have no other choice but to protest the campaign by withdrawing our collective labour for the magazine's next issue. We demand that The Berliner withdraw the ads. If the ads continue, our protest will continue.
We’re on strike.
The Berliner (@exberliner.bsky.social)'s decision to run ads for the Nova Festival Exhibition was made against explicit objections from staff and regular freelancers.
The ads follow months of pressure to suppress or soften coverage of the genocide in Gaza and its impact in Berlin.
lightly modified version of a tumblr post that says: ~can't wait until i have~ loving having a wife ~so~ bc i can say "i love my wife" and introduce her to people by saying "id like you to meet my wife" and get out of boring social engagements by saying "i have to go home to my wife" and talk about her to anyone who will listen to me because she's my wife and i adore her
my vibe this pride month
My first article for SEXTECHGUIDE 💖🎉
I wrote a review about my experience at the SxTech EU last weekend and their new festival/conference format.
We've made a (hopefully) helpful Sextech Starter Pack
go.bsky.app/Uk4teih full of super smart and useful people. And us.
Go forth, follow, share!
#sextech #welcome #gettingstarted #starterpacks
Oooh this one has been on my list forever! Seems like a sign to finally dive in thanks 💖
Front cover of The Berliner magazine’s March print issue. The cover story is “how to have fun in Berlin without breaking the bank”.
The March edition of the Carnal Knowledge section in the print magazine (pages 1-2/4). The main feature is titled “Nothing about us without us”.
Have you grabbed this month’s issue of The Berliner yet? It has 4 PAGES of Carnal Knowledge (double the usual size) and one of my favorite features I’ve written so far covering sex work legislation in Germany.
Here’s where to find a copy: www.the-berliner.com/berlin/where...
Coming online soon 💓
Very late, but thanks to all the ace Berliners who reached out to be interviewed for this article 🥰 The response was incredible and I can’t wait for you to read it in less than two weeks!
And yes, the current logo is pure AI slop and temporary 💀 If you’re a graphic designer with reasonable rates and fun ideas, get in touch!
For 5+ years, I’ve reported almost exclusively on sex tech, and I’ve been in the European startup scene as a software engineer even longer. Along the way, I’ve collected tons of interviews and research that never made it into my published work.
So, I’m making a space to share them.
Headshot of Carolyn surrounded by the text “I’m enrolled in Sextech School”.
Screenshot of the “Attention Vohr” signup page.
Huge news: I’m in Cohort 16 of Sextech School AND launching my substack “Attention Vohr” 📢💜🗯️
Everything’s under construction for the next 6 weeks, but if sex tech industry insights and technical analysis sounds appealing—please subscribe!!! attentionvohr.substack.com
👋🏼 I’m looking to speak to people on the asexual spectrum with experience dating in Berlin for an upcoming article in The Berliner magazine (@exberliner.bsky.social).
DM me or email hello@workwithcarolyn.com if you’re interested or please share with anyone who might be 🙏🏼
🖤🩶🤍💜
I'm writing sex toy reviews again 💓 To start, I'm going through some products I've had in my collection for years.
Currently up:
- Air Pulsing Arouser by plusOne
- 3-Speed PowerBullet by BMS Factory
- One Night Stand by Satisfyer
More to come 👀
Find them all at toychats.com/@attentionvohr
Recommendations for a week in Manchester 🇬🇧? @carolstran.bsky.social and i like bookstores, fun museums, tasty lunch spots and wholesome date night activities 👀
Tempting but it’s like 200€ a year 🫠
The "Wait! Are you human?" modal on Discord that launches the captcha.
Welp ok now we're back here I guess I'm never logging into discord again 💀
Same image as the previous tweet with three turtles on the floor with pizza but now the big image has a neon yellow and purple background with pink squares, two semi-trucks, two sexy looking capybaras, one pizza, and one tomato.
"Why does this capybara wanna fuck" - @codebyte.re
Same image as the previous tweet but the cursor is on the pizza in the large image.
Alright nevermind you're just supposed to click on the item in the big image? Not which floor turtle pizza matches??
Same image as the previous tweet with three turtles on the floor with pizza but now the big image has a pizza that matches. Instead of all semi-trucks, there is one semi-truck, two capybaras and two tomatoes.
Ok reloaded it and this one makes sense (kind of) because one of the pizzas matches