It's just three weeks to FediForum June 5-7! Join us for 3 half-days of discussions, presentations, software demos and plotting next steps with your fellow enthusiasts for a better and more open social web.

And a couple of special other things 😀. Stay tuned.

https://fediforum.org

Residents across the United States are being inundated with text messages purporting to come from toll road operators like E-ZPass, warning that recipients face fines if a delinquent toll fee remains unpaid. Researchers say the surge in SMS spam coincides with new features added to a popular commercial phishing kit sold in China that makes it simple to set up convincing lures spoofing toll road operators in multiple U.S. states.

"The ultimate goal of these kits, he said, is to phish enough information from victims that their payment cards can be added to mobile wallets and used to buy goods at physical stores, online, or to launder money through shell companies."

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/01/chinese-innovations-spawn-wave-of-toll-phishing-via-sms/

I'm thrilled to announce, especially on the occasion of the #Fediforum, that @medlab is launching an Open Social Incubator.

Our mission is to support a cohort of community builders who could use extra support in getting to know and learning to use open social tools.

Participants will receive $3,500, hands-on support, and a peer community.

Please spread the word! Learn more here: https://www.colorado.edu/lab/medlab/2024/09/11/open-call-join-open-social-incubator

heard on #fediforum day 2 today:

propublica raised more money via mastodon/fediverse than via all other platforms combined

wait what?

in my book, that reads like:

'get ready for platform hell to freeze over sooner than expected'

https://mastodon.social/@quillmatiq/113131462367409798

FediForum is in 8 days!

Registration is still open. Join us?

https://fediforum.org