justforfun

@[email protected]
2 Followers
98 Following
49 Posts
justforfunJan 2
Amir KhanJan 2

CORRECTION!
Turns out the Reddit post I shared isn’t credible so I’m retracting screenshots.
These things only distract from the real issues, which are serious enough on their own.

I do believe the exploitation & manipulation concerns are legitimate though.
The Human Rights Watch’s report does lay out thoroughly, how platforms exploit workers, underpay them, & avoid responsibility -all while framing it as progress.

Worth a read even if the whistleblower post was fake

https://www.hrw.org/report/2025/05/12/the-gig-trap/algorithmic-wage-and-labor-exploitation-in-platform-work-in-the-us

The Gig Trap

The 155-page report, “The Gig Trap: Algorithmic, Wage and Labor Exploitation in Platform Work in the US” focuses on seven major companies operating in the US: Amazon Flex, DoorDash, Favor, Instacart, Lyft, Shipt, and Uber. These companies claim to offer gig workers “flexibility” but often end up paying them less than state or local minimum wages. Six of the seven companies use algorithms with opaque rules to assign jobs and determine wages, meaning that workers do not know how much they will be paid until after completing the job.

Human Rights Watch
justforfunDec 29
kravietz 🦇Dec 28

Being aesthetically impaired I rarely post photos or art, but this…

A Man Feeding Swans in the Snow, Poland | Marcin Ryczek

justforfunDec 26
Show threadMike OlsonDec 26

Cory Doctorow, @pluralistic, “Picks and Shovels.” The third book in the Marty Hench series. If you’re a Homebrew Computer Club wannabe with a fascination for forensic accounting, you won’t find a better character or story arc than this collection. Episode three lives up to its predecessors.

https://bookshop.org/p/books/picks-and-shovels-a-martin-hench-novel-cory-doctorow/c61cac2a169d7bfe

5/

justforfunDec 24
Jess RoseDec 24

Early Christmas present from me if you're reading this and you're a:

- Senior web developer
- In London
- Really into books and libraries
- Looking for work rn

I am excited to inform you that the British Library is hiring a new head of web development

https://ce0752li.webitrent.com/ce0752li_webrecruitment/wrd/run/etrec179gf.open?WVID=5071482BMD&LANG=USA

Show threadjustforfunDec 23
@gangrif @pluralistic
I’m sure they’d love will. I checked with the owners of the indie store that I designated through Libra.fm and bookshop.org and the do get from 300-1500 a month, not sure what the average is. Another store owner said that they also appreciate free and early access to some books for review purposes for all their staff.
Show threadjustforfunDec 22

@gangrif @pluralistic

Approximately 8 weeks left on my Libby hold, I might end up using one of my Libro.fm credits and buy it to listen over winter break. I’d love to get a hard copy at some point.

Show threadjustforfunDec 9
@b0rk
Thank you 😊
justforfunDec 9
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒Dec 9

And we are FEDERATED! This is awesome!
Follow @WelcomeHome for all your Linux For Everyone videos, podcasts, news, and notes.

#Fediverse #Linux

justforfunNov 29
Chuck DarwinNov 29
With the holidays upon us, it's easy to default to giving the tech gifts that retailers tend to push on us this time of year:
smart speakers, video doorbells, bluetooth trackers, fitness trackers, and other connected gadgets are all very popular gifts.
But before you give one, think twice about what you're opting that person into.
One big problem with giving these sorts of gifts is that you're opting another person into a company's intrusive surveillance practice,
likely without their full knowledge of what they're really signing up for.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/think-twice-giving-surveillance-holidays
Think Twice Before Giving Surveillance for the Holidays

With the holidays upon us, it's easy to default to giving the tech gifts that retailers tend to push on us this time of year: smart speakers, video doorbells, bluetooth trackers, fitness trackers, and other connected gadgets are all very popular gifts. But before you give one, think twice about...

Electronic Frontier Foundation
justforfunNov 6
Cat HicksNov 6

Nearly 6,000 UCSD students receive CalFresh benefits (the California SNAP) which means these thousands of students are now struggling to eat. An emergency effort is underway to help -- and all efforts are being MATCHED by an anonymous donor. They could use support.

I hope you will consider donating, and do please share either way. I was a student who could not afford enough food consistently when I was in college. My heart breaks for them and all they go through.

https://basicneeds.ucsd.edu/donate/index.html

Donation

Donation