Mastodawn

Scott Wilson

@scottwilson@infosec.exchange

370 Followers

361 Following

114 Posts

28+ year information security “professional”.

I'm a cishet, middle-aged, middle class, Christian, husband, dad, doggy-dad, and friend. I’m supporter of #LGBTQIA rights, a #BlackLivesMatter advocate, a believer in #TransRights and proponent of equality. I support #Ukraine.

I like non-alcoholic #beer, #gardening and yardwork, playing guitar, and reading #books (mystery, thriller, suspense, #scifi, fantasy, astrophysics, and cosmology).

Stage IIIB #ColorectalCancer survivor.

Only hand-crafted, artisanal memes.

Currently clean on OPSEC.

Posts are on auto-delete (1 week).

Home Page	https://bscottwilson.com
Code	https://codeberg.org/bswilson

Scott Wilson 2h ago

Kevin Beaumont 2h ago

50% of the way there on my brothers fund raiser, after his life insurance claim was denied — thanks to those who helped and spread the word. https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-secure-my-familys-future-during-my-battle-with-stage-4?attribution_id=sl:344b7570-4e9d-4850-9689-08f015203bd9&ts=1750936594&utm_campaign=pd_ss_icons&utm_content=amp13_t1-amp14_t2&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

Scott Wilson 2h ago

The Gibson 🅅 3h ago

I will never get tired of Chuck D + Flavor Flav.

Scott Wilson 2h ago

"Trans women look like men"
Ok here's a pic

"It's filters"
Ok I don't use filters—but here's one with zero lighting edits

"It's the makeup"
Ok here's one without makeup

"Well, you're still a man"
Just fucking start there? Y'all gonna pull something moving those goalposts 🙄

Scott Wilson 3h ago

Zack Whittaker 6h ago

Here's the latest edition of ~ this week in security ~ featuring stories on the FBI warning that Scattered Spider are hacking airlines; U.S. charges a prolific U.K. hacker; companies on guard for Iran cyber retaliation, CitrixBleed 2, and more. Plus, Microsoft is booting security firms from the Windows kernel, an unfixable flaw in Brother printers, Salt Typhoon in Canada & more.

Sign up/RSS: https://this.weekinsecurity.com

Read online: https://mailchi.mp/weekinsecurity/this-week-in-security-june-29-2025-edition

Donate/support: https://ko-fi.com/thisweekinsecurity

~this week in security~

a free cybersecurity newsletter by @zackwhittaker, delivered weekly.

Scott Wilson 3h ago

Soldier of FORTRAN

Using Windows these days feels like I'm walking through a major airport. Its bright and glossy, there's ads everywhere, there's random noises and shit getting in your way, the signage is confusing and sometimes the pictorials make no sense, random announcements you can't understand, some of the design aesthetics are new, and some still stuck in the 00s.

Scott Wilson 8h ago

Good.

I’m absolutely against #GenAI. I do think that machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks have a place in this world, but what most people mean when they say AI is complete garbage.

#resist #slop #AI https://www.wired.com/story/generative-ai-backlash/

The AI Backlash Keeps Growing Stronger

As generative artificial intelligence tools continue to proliferate, pushback against the technology and its negative impacts grows stronger.

WIRED

Scott Wilson 8h ago

Man, this seems really bad.

But at least our government isn’t pulling back on the #cybersecurity we need to protect this information!

Whew!

https://www.npr.org/2025/06/29/nx-s1-5409608/citizenship-trump-privacy-voting-database

Scott Wilson 9h ago

Chad McCullough 18h ago

Leaders from countries all over the world are starting to look at Free and Open Source Software options to move their local governments and cities away from the proprietary lock that American tech companies have on them. They no longer want to have to rely on America. Personally, as a Free and Open Source Software advocate, I love to see this. Many of us do. But a question for Trump supporters: How the fuck is this making America Great Again?

I know that I'm preaching to the choir, but Trump supporters are absolute fools.

Scott Wilson 21h ago

How bout Project 2029?! Do it!

Scott Wilson 1d ago

DianaInitiative 1d ago

Congratulations to Abhijeet Kumar, winner of a Diana Initiative scholarship to Hacker Summer Camp 2025!
#TDI2025 #SecuringOurFutureTogether

Find out what you can do to support our scholarship program here - https://www.dianainitiative.org/sponsors-donors/scholarships

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PastaThief Jan 17, 2023

Boost if you're old enough to know why I have one of these on my computer desk.

Dan Q Jan 17, 2023

@PastaThief sometimes 720k just isn't enough!

@PastaThief oooof. Never saw any uned but I can guess :)

Master of Crevettes 1d ago

@temptoetiam @PastaThief (I have one for binders, and my dad used to own the specific one used for horse races betting cards)

@MaitreCrevettes @PastaThief I suspect it was used here to punch holes in punchcards computer programs, but I might be wrong.

Bernd Herd 1d ago

@temptoetiam @MaitreCrevettes @PastaThief Maybe you had a single-sided 5 1/4" floppy drive and you punched a second hole in your floppies to be able to use the backside by placing them rotated in your floppy drive.

I did that in 1982 or so.

Single sided, 34 tracks, single density were about 80 KByte capacity per side. I still have that drive in my cellar.

Master of Crevettes 1d ago

@temptoetiam @PastaThief obviously.

(Note that some knitting machine also ran on punch cards, so you can find such items in knitting tools on Etsy I guess, though they are probably different because you punch in the middle of the card, not only on the sides like this one or the "pince à tiercé")

Master of Crevettes 1d ago

@temptoetiam @PastaThief ohlalalala 😍

https://www.reddit.com/r/specializedtools/s/W6FBBYtjQW

PastaThief 14h ago

@MaitreCrevettes @temptoetiam I actually used them mostly with floppy disks, although you could use them with punch cards, yes. :) A friend of mine actually operated a Jacquard Loom for demonstrations at the local at the local science centre for a time! (I don't know if she's still doing that.)

PastaThief 14h ago

@temptoetiam @MaitreCrevettes There are those who used them for that; I used them for making 5.25" floppies double-sided. :)

Master of Crevettes 14h ago

@PastaThief @temptoetiam trust us both to read all the comments to your post. We both live in *that* corner of the fediverse, and Abie has a thing for finding the best oddities.

Ken Butler 23h ago

@MaitreCrevettes @temptoetiam @PastaThief betting shops used to have floors "carpeted" with losing betting slips. I suppose that's all on phones these days.

Kevin P. Fleming 1d ago

@PastaThief PROTIP: These don't work on SSDs.

Hdunagan 1d ago

@kevin @PastaThief Best post of the week.

@kevin @PastaThief Underrated comment of the day.

Krista, Darth Moose Shark 1d ago

@PastaThief Oh ye gods. Another way for me to feel how old my bones are XD

Hdunagan 1d ago

@PastaThief I know what it is, but I keep three three-version on MY computer desk.

@PastaThief i was never fan of GCR. For MFM drives (of shugart flavor) you could not operate without the index pulse.
So we opened the sleeves, removed the media and drilled that 2nd index hole.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_coded_recording

Group coded recording - Wikipedia

zipkid - Breaker of Systems 1d ago

@PastaThief Like the little wad of paper to push in the hole in the side of the cassette tape :-)

Michael Weiss 1d ago

@zipkid @PastaThief I just used Scotch tape over the hole

Cegorach 1d ago

@PastaThief why you have one on your desk, now?

I have no idea... you like to feel old?

PastaThief 14h ago

@dat I mean, I still have two working 80s-era computers on my desk (an Apple IIe and an Atari 130XE).

Chad McCullough 1d ago

@PastaThief Ha! I know exactly why you have one of these on your computer desk.

Jon Quass 1d ago

@PastaThief
Classic debugger 😂

Jean-Francois Mezei 1d ago

@PastaThief the holes in punched cards or paper tape were rectangular , not round. Thinking this was perhaps used to destroy floppy disks ? (Prior to the 3.5 inch ones).

Olivier Aubert 1d ago

@jfmezei @PastaThief not destroy: double their capacity

Jean-Francois Mezei 1d ago

@olivier_aubert @PastaThief ok remember now. Turn single sided to double sided. One if the corners, right?

PastaThief 14h ago

@jfmezei @olivier_aubert On the side a bit beneath the corner, but yes. :)

Chris Bohn 1d ago

@olivier_aubert @jfmezei @PastaThief If you have poor aim, destroy

Ian Turton 14h ago

@jfmezei @PastaThief paper tape used round holes

Ross of Ottawa 1d ago

@PastaThief in case of impromptu weddings.

UkeleleEric 1d ago

@PastaThief Although it wasn't strictly necessary (punch on ticket machine), I have used one of these in the past.

Darren K. Hobbs

@PastaThief Old enough, but I was fancy. I had the one made for the task.

PastaThief 14h ago

@dkh NICE!

quadrivial 💛🇺🇦🇨🇦🇲🇽1d ago

@PastaThief takes me back to about 1984...

René Dario 1d ago

@PastaThief I do not know why.

considerate 1d ago

@PastaThief you'll face consequences for stealing artifacts from museums! 😅

James Donohoe 1d ago

My floppy of choice back in the day...when I could afford them.

PastaThief 14h ago

@JamesMDonohoe Elephant was nice, although I was a bit of a Dysan afficianado.

James Donohoe 5h ago

@PastaThief Yepper - Dysan also a fantastic choice.

Murphestophelese MurphMeister 1d ago

@PastaThief I recall punching holes in the case with one of these, in my old computers, to reduce weight, and therefore increase speed.

ZenHeathen 🏳️‍🌈1d ago

Audrey Winter 1d ago

@ZenHeathen @PastaThief "So do (I) you!"

Gemma ⭐️🔰🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🎐1d ago

@PastaThief kinky!

Athena L.M.1d ago

@PastaThief I am not old enough, but it's for making 5.25in diskettes double-sided, right?

PastaThief 14h ago

rk: it’s hyphen-minus actually 1d ago

You can make the flip side usable or, if you’re bad enough at it, both sides unusable.

Shriram Krishnamurthi 1d ago

@rk I see all the references to 5.25" floppies, which I knew well, but I have never used a punch with one. What does it do with a floppy?
@PastaThief

rk: it’s hyphen-minus actually 1d ago

@shriramk @PastaThief

http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/F/flippy.html

You could use a hole punch to make another write notch on the other side of a single-sided floppy, doubling your disk space (though at the time most drives could only read one side at a time).

Some disks were also shipped without a write notch at all, so that you couldn’t replace whatever was on them; a hole punch gave you a free reusable floppy!

flippy

@rk I used to own a square hole punch that had a spacer that aligned the floppy to the exact position for the hole. I was a hit at the BBS parties, let me tell ya.

@shriramk @PastaThief

rk: it’s hyphen-minus actually 1d ago

@4raylee @shriramk @PastaThief

Don’t forget to take some Tylenol for your back.

PastaThief 14h ago

@4raylee @rk @shriramk Those were SWEET.

Shriram Krishnamurthi 1d ago

@rk
Wait, this was true of *all* 5.25"s? I'm shocked that I never heard of this before, seems startling to miss a trick like this in India, when we could barely afford one floppy!
@PastaThief