Updated a project I published a few years back;
https://github.com/liquid-utilities/includes-picture
... now it'll attempt to skip generating HTML elements for files that do not exist.
Goes to show, not all projects that haven't been touched in a while are abandoned ;-)
A tip for VS Code editor fans who seek an FOSS alternative.
It exists. And it’s essentially the de-Microsoft version
My Take on Digital soverignty and the urgent need of it in EU.
My first blog post be respectful thanks
#Apple #Dependency #Europe #Facebook #FOSS #GAFAM #Google #Meta #Microsoft #Privacy #Russia #Security #Software #Soverignty #Technology #USA
I’m Aleksandra, a 32-year-old Russian now living in Europe. Back home, from a young age, I felt state control tightening every day—surveillance cameras proliferating from almost none to nearly every street corner, social-media scanners mapping our conversations, and personal data weaponized to crush anyone who dared speak out.
Walking away from my family and the only life I knew was agonizing, but in Europe I discovered the freedom to think, to question, and to connect—liberated from constant eyes and hushed whispers. Yet even here, far from the Kremlin’s reach, I’m haunted by the knowledge that technology in the wrong hands can all too easily become a tool of oppression.
My journey—from underground activism in Kurgan Oblast*, where I bypassed state propaganda in search of the truth, to building a new life in the EU—revealed a terrifying reality: digital surveillance and data manipulation are not confined to a single regime. A handful of U.S.-based tech giants dominate the platforms we use every day—social networks, messaging apps, operating systems, and cloud services. If autocrats or rogue leaders learn to exploit these global networks, none of us, anywhere, can consider ourselves safe.
*In country of the former Soviet Union, an “oblast” is an administrative division roughly equivalent to a “region” or “province” in other countries—so “Kurgan Oblast” simply means the Kurgan Region.
Worse still, Europe’s political institutions—paralyzed by lobbying, bureaucratic inertia, and inconsistent regulations—have failed to push back. Time and again, EU policymakers have green-lit Microsoft, Google, Palantir and Amazon to embed themselves in our energy grids, healthcare systems, and manufacturing plants. Each new data center or “strategic partnership” deepens our vulnerability and erodes the very idea of European digital sovereignty.
This is no distant threat. As geopolitical tensions escalate and state-sponsored hacking grows more brazen by the day, our reliance on U.S. technology leaves us exposed—politically, economically, and personally. Every email, photo, message, or document we entrust to American servers becomes a potential entry point for manipulation, censorship, or outright sabotage.
That’s why I’m raising the alarm: we must stop treating our digital lives as a mere convenience and start treating them as the frontline in a battle for our very freedoms. It’s time for us to ask—why are we so bound to Silicon Valley’s giants, and how do we break free before it’s too late?
Why Sovereignty over Software and Hardware Matters
How to Move Away from U.S. Services and Software
Conclusion
Escaping the Russian government’s digital grip led me to see how easily any population can fall under another power’s technological dominion. For those of us outside the United States, reliance on U.S.-based services might feel inevitable—but it doesn’t have to be. By prioritizing privacy-respecting, open, and locally governed technologies, we can reclaim our digital sovereignty, protect our personal data, and foster sustainable economic growth closer to home. It’s a collective journey—and one we must begin today.
#Apple #Dependency #Europe #Facebook #FOSS #GAFAM #Google #Meta #Microsoft #Privacy #Russia #Security #Software #Soverignty #Technology #USA
A great way to spend an afternoon is watching past #tech talks at conferences... no? 📽️
Well, if it's interesting enough to you, maybe take a look at "Stats roll, baby, stats roll" from Cédric Villemain, presented at #FOSDEM2025. Here, he discusses using the PACS (#PostgreSQL Advanced Cumulative Statistics) extension to explore what is offered by #Postgres as well as how to define your own new kind of statistics.
https://mirrors.dotsrc.org/fosdem/2025/ua2220/fosdem-2025-4496-stats-roll-baby-stats-roll-.mp4
Weeks ago I had issues with both Firefox and Waterfox: after a few seconds, web-browser crashed, even several times in a row. It seems BitWarden extension was causing the issue. I disabled it and now Firefox and Waterfox work fine! 🎇
Interesting article about @purism in #Fortune:
"Its Liberty Phone,... comes with U.S.-made electronics installed on a metal chassis from China. It retails for $1,999. Another phone, the Librem 5, is mostly the same design, except it’s made in China with Chinese parts, and costs $799."
"The Liberty Phone is its biggest seller."
I have been using a #Librem5 as my daily phone for three years now. I like it because the #freedom for the user: #FOSS.
S0AndS0
AnKorage ☑️
Health Is Wealth
Amir Khan
Aleksandra 🇪🇺
heartshadows
Data Bene
Carlos Fernández Miguel
Open Source JobHub
Jan Vlug