Hey,

#curl -v https://google.com as a metal song is a must see and hear experience. A masterpiece. I just love it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atcqMWqB3hw

When I was a teenager in the 2000s I somehow got the opportunity to interview the drummer from Minor Threat for a hardcore zine.

I asked him for his advice for young musicians. He said “you’re not going to listen to this advice because you don’t think it’s cool, and one day you’ll regret it, but always wear earplugs.”

I didn’t listen.

Didn’t think it was cool.

Permanent ear damage by my mid 20s.

So, you know how Facebook is a corporation with a lot of spread-out servers that talk to a centralized database and algorithm that controls and manages all your posts, opaquely, for profit.

And so is Xwitter. And so is LinkedIn. And so is TikTok.

And so is BlueSky. 😲

BlueSky's big claim is that they're "decentralized" with "no algorithm". And yeah, technically, ironically, everything's an algorithm, but I'm not well-actuallying that word. Their current default feed algorithm is not The Algorithm; it lets you see all the posts from all your friends and that's great. It also lets you block at will, and won't shove spam on your feed, or shadow-ban your friends' political posts. It's not evil (yet). It's fine.

But. It's not decentralized. #BlueSky is a centralized corporate app, running a theoretically-decentralized network protocol that currently has only one (1) active node on the network: BlueSky. The other minor members of the ATP network are just piggybacking on BlueSky's 13 million captive users for auth and reach.

It (allegedly?) uses #ATProtocol to pass messages between its edge nodes. But all its central features are still centralized, and the protocol allows "reach" to be centrally managed separately from "speech" (to enable centralized blocking, and goosing and filtering in various feeds), and the protocol isn't even fully implemented as designed.

For example, ATP allows for "DID"s for identity portability, so if you later want to switch to a hypothetical GreenSky competitor, you won't lose your followers and blocklist and post history.

But the actual BlueSky app does not implement DIDs. It's called "did-placeholder" on their github. It's a stub. It's TBD. It's not a feature, it's a feature request.

And guess who just bought a seat on BlueSky's board with a $15M Series A round? That's right, a crypto vulture named Blockchain Capital.

Their general partner Kinjal Shah -- whose cryptocurrency-fueled career has careened from Bitcoin to NFTs to DAOs to VC -- is now on the BlueSky board, and methinks the press release doth protest too much when it defensively claims, with just a pinky promise, "the Bluesky app and the AT Protocol do not use blockchains or cryptocurrency, and we will not hyperfinancialize the social experience (through tokens, crypto trading, NFTs, etc.)."

Go ahead and enjoy BlueSky. It's better than Facebook. It's easier than Mastodon. It's sassier than TikTok. It's not motherfucking Xitter. But it's not decentralized.

links:

https://www.jwz.org/blog/2024/10/bluesky-now-owned-by-crypto-grifters/

https://bsky.social/about/blog/10-24-2024-series-a

https://github.com/did-method-plc/did-method-plc

Before you tell a disabled person that they need to “just make the healthcare worker mask”… please understand the imbalance of power that exists in hospital settings.

We can’t “just make them” do anything. If they refuse -our options are to take the risk or go without care.

There’s little recourse when a HCW refuses to mask - there’s almost NO recourse that exists in the moment.

You can file a complaint after the fact - but if the care you require is urgent or an emergency - that won’t help you

Imagine you’re taken to the emergency room with an urgent (or life threatening) issue. The doctor comes in and refuses to wear a mask.

Do you walk out? Throw a fit? These are not good options

Even if you manage to keep your composure and strongly advocate for them to reconsider - the longer you argue the more potential virus you’re being exposed to.

The more you “annoy” the staff - the greater the odds of retaliation or reduction in care.

This isn’t like telling a friend or a colleague to mask. The dynamic is completely different.

HCWs have the ability to help you or harm you. You want them on your side.

A note in your chart indicating you’re anxious, difficult, non compliant etc can follow you around and impact all your care going forward. Getting charts corrected and notes removed is a time consuming and difficult process

As a result many patients don’t push the issue. They delay medical care as long as possible and then just cross their fingers they will get a compassionate HCW when they do finally go.

These delays can also cause harm - and shouldn’t be necessary.

Hospitals have never been terribly safe places. They’re where the strongest and most resistant bugs thrive. They’re also where the sickest and most vulnerable people are.

At least before Covid it felt like hospitals were TRYING to prevent infection.

These days it’s as though any amount of infection control is seen as weak. People are actually bragging about how many times they’ve had Covid or about the risks they’re taking with their health. Staff aren’t masking even around babies, cancer & transplant patients

We have to change course. Our healthcare systems could barely handle the amount of chronic illness they were facing before Covid - they certainly can’t handle the constant influx of disabled patients and staff that Covid is causing.

This is why we need mandatory masks in healthcare settings. The responsibility to keep themselves and others safe should NOT fall on the vulnerable patient.

Many are unable to advocate for themselves - and others are unable to mask.

Mandatory masking protects everyone

Lastly - the solution to this problem should not be “don’t go to the hospital”. It’s not right to make ANY patient feel like they’re wrong for seeking care. Like they’ve somehow “failed” if they end up with Covid.

Until you’re facing a life threatening emergency or serious health challenges - you can’t possibly know what you would do.

Is it scary to go to the hospital right now? Of course. Is it also necessary? Absolutely.

Patients should never be blamed for needing care or for being unable to get HCWs to mask. The system is failing us - we aren’t failing each other.

If you need the hospital - you have all my love & support. It’s impossibly hard - and I will keep fighting to make it better.

As long as hospitals refuse to do what’s right to prevent COVID (hello clean air & mandatory masking)… the onus is unfairly on the PATIENT to avoid COVID.

My guide offers tips to reduce your risk of hospital acquired COVID (and other HAIs)

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/how-to-stay-covid-safe-when-in-hospital

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

The worst mistake we are making right now is criticizing Elon Musk for buying Twitter, when the real problem is, he is trying to buy the USA.

Twitter is just a weapon in Elon's arsenal. AI is just a weapon in Elon's arsenal. Trump is just a weapon in his arsenal.

I believe, Elon's end goal is much bigger. He does not support Trump, because he thinks Trump will make the right decisions. Elon supports Trump because he thinks that will give Elon enough power, so Elon can make the right decisions.

So, with the new release of Sonic × Shadow Generations, and some discussion with a friend of mine, I’m curious… How do we feel about hubworlds in #SonicTheHedgehog games in general?

Personally, I’ve enjoyed most of them that have come through the series myself, but apparently that’s an unpopular feature in the series. I was not aware of this.

So I want to know… Do we really think hubworlds are bad, or is my friend’s supposed consensus not what it seems?

(Please boost to get more eyes on this.)

#Sonic #VideoGames