James Booker

5 Followers
124 Following
193 Posts

Edit: I believe I have someone interested in the SPARCstation now, but feel free to register an interest if you like, I'll try to keep track. It makes me happy that there's so much interest in this nice old machine :)

Original post below:

Would you, or anyone you know, be interested in a free SPARCstation 20 and be able to collect it from the South of Scotland in early April? Some more details here: https://mackenga.ro/blog/2026/free-sparcstation-and-more/index.html

Boosts appreciated if you think someone downstream of you might want it.

#sparc #retrocomputing

Free SPARCstation and more — mackenga.ro

Trump threatens allies with retribution for not bending the knee.

UK digital infrastructure can be used as leverage or disrupted on his say so.

We need interoperable open-source systems, so we're not locked in to services owned and controlled by foreign tech firms.

Sign the petition for #DigitalSovereignty ⬇️

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-trump-s-kill-switch-secure-our-digital-sovereignty

#Trump #nato #starmer #ukpolitics #ukpol #petition #opensource

Stop the "Kill Switch": Demand the UK takes back control of our technology.

From the NHS to our energy grid, we are too reliant on US tech. Help us demand digital independence.

38 Degrees
In my online undergraduate P5.js course, students are about to begin the module on motion and physics, including a bit of physics simulation using Matter.js. It suddenly occurred to me that I had never seen anybody put together this particular demo before, and I realized it had to be done. Messy source code at https://editor.p5js.org/isohedral/full/vJa5RiZWs.

- do you want to use google to sign in?
- do you want to add a passkey?
- do you want to add a 2FA token?
- we know you have 2FA but we've sent you an email instead
- this login attempt seems suspicious we've sent you a text about it
- can you click on these buses?
- you failed to click on the buses click on these bicycles instead
- should we save these details for next time?
- do you accept these trackers?
- you can opt out but we've decided it's legitimate interest anyway
- would you like to see a list of our 847 partners we share your data with?
- can we send you desktop notifications?
- can we access your location?
- do you want 10% off for signing up to the mailing list?
- do you want me to translate this page?
- hi I'm your friendly chatbot how can I help?
- oh no you can't buy this, reach out to us for a quote!
- do you want—

I'm tired boss

I went to my GP today for complications of my recent dose of chicken pox. She spent time, did every tedt she could at the surgery, listened to me, explained her thinking, and advised me to go to A&E that afternoon.

A&E gave me a chest X-ray, an ECG, and half a dozen blood tests. The doctor again took the time to listen, assess me and explain his thinking at all stages. He then ordered more blood tests that'll take a day or two to come back and sent me home with a promise that I'll be called back for an appointment when the results are in.

Both doctors went the extra mile and then some, to make sure my treatment was correct.

Total cost to me? Seven quid for hospital parking.

The #NHS is a bloody miracle. Don't let anyone break it down or sell it off.

I've been building an RSS reader for the past year. No unread counts, no inbox to clear. Just a river that flows at its own pace.

Today it's live on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. I wrote about everything that went into it.

https://www.terrygodier.com/current

#rss

Current

An RSS reader that doesn't count. What happens when you stop treating your feeds like an inbox and start treating them like a river.

Terry Godier
"When you empower a couple, you allow them to build a family. When you empower families, you allow them to build a community. When you guarantee a fundamental minimum income, you’re providing a foundation for those connections between us to grow and thrive, and that is the incredible power and value of community that we will unlock. That is what we’re investing in. Each other." https://rgmii.org/blog/welcome-to-rgmii/
Welcome to RGMII

Hello, and welcome to the Rural Guaranteed Minimum Income Initiative! What RGMII is an effort to provide a Guaranteed Minimum Income to folks in rural US counties — direct, regular, obligation-free cash payments to those most in need. This idea has a surprisingly long history in America, and forms of GMI

Rural Guaranteed Minimum Income Initiative • RGMII

Yesterday I wondered aloud why RSS readers look like email clients.

@brentsimmons replied. Turns out he borrowed that layout for NetNewsWire in 2002 — and twenty years later, he's asking why no one's tried something different.

That conversation became an essay. I built a visual version (with an ASCII fallback).

https://www.terrygodier.com/phantom-obligation

#rss

Phantom Obligation

Why RSS readers look like email clients, and what that's doing to us.

Terry Godier

Introduction to Linux (LFS101): Develop a good working knowledge of Linux using both the graphical interface and command line across the major Linux distribution families with this free training course. It is a free course.

https://training.linuxfoundation.org/training/introduction-to-linux/

Introduction to Linux (LFS101) | Linux Foundation Education

Develop a good working knowledge of Linux using both the graphical interface and command line with this free introduction to Linux course.

Linux Foundation - Education
Bose open-sources its SoundTouch home theater smart speakers ahead of EoL
If companies insist on bricking gadgets, this is a better way to do it.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/01/bose-open-sources-its-soundtouch-home-theater-smart-speakers-ahead-of-eol/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social