Mastodawn

Rob Brown May 5, 2024

Angus McIntyre May 2, 2024

This excellent article by @molly0xfff reminded me of the sci-fi trope where everyone in the future lives in a domed bunker & gets told not to go outside because it's a wasteland filled with Bad People.

Of course the protagonists leave the dome & find that the reality is a bit different: outside can be scary, but it's not the hellscape they were told.

Big Tech walled gardens are the dome; outside them is a risky wonderland that’s ours for the taking.

Leave the dome.

https://www.citationneeded.news/we-can-have-a-different-web/

We can have a different web

Many yearn for the “good old days” of the web. We could have those good old days back — or something even better — and if anything, it would be easier now than it ever was.

Citation Needed

Rob Brown Mar 7, 2024

Terra Field Mar 6, 2024

Trans people in the US: Whatever you think about staying and fighting versus living to fight another day, please get an up to date passport with your correct information on it before November if you’re able to. https://transequality.org/know-your-rights/passports #USPol #trans

Passports

Find out how to obtain a passport with the correct gender.

National Center for Transgender Equality

Rob Brown Feb 26, 2024

How about a new Federal law that prevents courts from injecting religion into decisions? ... and isn't this the literal point of the US constitution's first amendment Establishment Clause? No religion should be favored over another?

... Maybe it is time to start a new religion that "believes in the right to do whatever one wants to ones own body, and the life derived or to be derived from it".

#reproductiverights #us #religion

Rob Brown Oct 16, 2023

To fight the #echochamber of #biased #algorithms #socialmedia should be mandated to grade #news orgs based on which way they lean, and then populate #feeds with one story, but then surround that with the headlines of the same topic from different parts of the spectrum.

Turns out that www.allsides.com has already done half the work. Now for social media platforms / servers to take the next step.

Discuss

#allsides

Rob Brown Oct 16, 2023

Taylor Lorenz Oct 13, 2023

Despite the end of the Public Health Emergency, C*vid remains a pandemic by definition. Yet the media has uncritically advanced the idea that if the public appears to be tired, bored, or noncompliant w public health measures, then the pandemic must be over
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/covid-pandemic-panic-calm-advice/

The Coronavirus Still Doesn’t Care About Your Feelings

The Covid-19 pandemic is not a state of mind—and telling us not to panic isn’t healthcare.

The Nation

Rob Brown Jun 26, 2023

Dan Gillmor Jun 26, 2023

This is important reading. What Google did to the open XMPP messaging protocol -- adopting and then poisoning it -- is an object lesson as the fediverse ponders Facebook/Meta entry.

I'm still leery of pre-emptively blocking Meta here, but we need to be absolutely clear on what's at risk -- and ready to instantly respond if they try to take over.

https://ploum.net/2023-06-23-how-to-kill-decentralised-networks.html

How to Kill a Decentralised Network (such as the Fediverse)

How to Kill a Decentralised Network (such as the Fediverse) par Ploum - Lionel Dricot.

Rob Brown Jun 24, 2023

#apple is so completely out of line with #trademark infringement of anyone using an apple image (bite or no bite) 🍎. Maybe next will be Audi telling the Olympics to back off their use of interlocking rings, Google banning anyone using the letter G anywhere in their company name, and Amazon asking for the rainforest to be renamed. https://www.popsci.com/technology/apple-swiss-trademark/

Apple is suing Swiss fruit farmer over a decades-old apple logo

Over the years, Apple has submitted trademark applications in dozens of countries to own the generalized image of 'apples.'

Popular Science

Rob Brown Mar 31, 2023

Indictment of #donaldtrump ... a reminder that #alcapone was convicted of tax evasion. They couldn't get a water tight case on the other more obvious [danger to society at large] things, so they found a different angle to get him out of the game. Was society ultimately sad about that? I say it is good to remove the ability of monsters from society, with whatever means possible. Even if not the obvious path. Discuss.

Rob Brown Mar 4, 2023

Mike Masnick ✅Mar 3, 2023

Today on Techdirt I wrote about two newly proposed state laws, one from the Texas GOP and one from the Florida GOP, both of which are blatantly, laughably unconstitutional attacks on free speech and the first amendment in pursuit of culture war nonsense. But never let the GOP claim that they support the 1st Amendment when they constantly pull shit like this.

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/03/03/another-day-another-blatant-attack-on-the-1st-amendment-from-the-florida-gop/

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/03/03/texas-which-recently-passed-law-to-ban-content-moderation-now-pushing-law-banning-abortion-related-info/

Another Day, Another Blatant Attack On The 1st Amendment From The Florida GOP

I keep hearing people pretend that the GOP in general, and Florida GOPers more specifically, and Governor Ron DeSantis most specifically, are fighting for “free speech,” when they conti…

Techdirt

Rob Brown Mar 1, 2023

Miriam Boosh Mar 1, 2023

Today marks the start of Women's History Month - let's celebrate the amazing contributions of women!

#WomensHistoryMonth

Art by: Karen Hallion