Recent comic: Cutting out the Middleman
I suspect that some readers might interpret this cartoon as a call for Luddism, but mostly it's a reflection of thoughts I've been having lately about out-of-control data harvesting and a growing surveillance state.
#tech #technology #privacy #data #comic #cartoon #surveillance #consumers #corporations
This is a view taken from the roadside on my way home from Portree. I do this journey at least twice a week. It never fails to thrill me.
It’s a view looking towards the coast of Minginish from a point high above the main road between Sligachan and Dunvegan near Struan.
We do this drive of necessity as we need to collect laundry and food several times a week. Portree is the nearest supermarket. This is the shortest route...
#isleofskyescotland #MistyIsle #view #Minginish #scenic
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Cool wood carving art by Romanian artist!
Click link to see more awesomeness!
Enchanting Chainsaw Sculptures by Gabi Rizea
Gabi Rizea is a Romanian artist who wields a chainsaw as his sculptor's blade. The above work from a few years ago is what has most captured the Internet's attention and drawn appreciation from around the world.Neatorama
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This article is adorable! Patrick Schlott is a hero!
"According to Pew Research Center, 98% of Americans own a mobile phone. Despite how common they are, cell service can be spotty—or even nonexistent—in many areas, such as long stretches of rural Vermont. Patrick Schlott, an electrical engineer, realized this after moving to the area. Hoping to help the community, he used his skills to install free public telephones in strategic locations. “Think payphones without the ‘pay’ part,” writes Schlott..."
Man Installs Free Pay Phones in Parts of VT Without Cell Service
Patrick Schlott, an electrical engineer, installed free-to-use public telephones in a rural area of Vermont without cell service.Regina Sienra (My Modern Met)
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These engineers have waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much time!
Does anyone else hear The Sorcerer's Apprentice playing in the background?
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Monitoring your system doesn’t have to be ugly. Btop++ proves it.
Btop++: Linux System Monitoring Tool That is Definitely Better than Top
A sleek terminal-based system monitor that gives you detailed insights to your resources and processes.Abhishek Prakash (It's FOSS)
A compost heap in Finland has yielded the country’s first giant virus. Bigger than some bacteria and packed with hundreds of mysterious genes, it might hold clues to early life and new biotech tools.
Gabriel Almeida explains in the eLife Podcast: elifesciences.org/podcast/epis…
Episode 99: June 2025
In this episode, we hear about giant viruses, monkeys who wash their food, sepsis in infant pigs, how cancers can cause extra tentacles to grow in hydra, and the impact of speaking multiple languages on the structure of the cortex.eLife
quizás... busques el "equilibrio digital"?
materialidad? minimalismo? sostenibilidad?
algunas pistas en nuestro repaso mensual de #SábadodeComunes
sursiendo.org/2025/08/hay-un-s…
Hay un sábado de común denominadores | Sursiendo
En el presente #SábadodeComunes abordamos temas tan diversos como las luchas laborales frente a las grandes plataformas, el control estatal sobre la tecnología…sursiendo (Sursiendo)
I was just doing some random reading and learned that the artwork we see for shows on Netflix is personalized by the algorithm! 🤯
gibsonbiddle.medium.com/a-brie…
A Brief History of Netflix Personalization - Gibson Biddle - Medium
This essay details Netflix’s progress from its launch in 1998 to the recent launch of its “I feel lucky” button—a merchandising tactic in which Netflix members rely totally on Netflix’s…Gibson Biddle (Medium)
90% of people on this planet use languages with non-Latin or accented scripts. We should support international characters in usernames on the Fediverse so that people can use their own names or words in their own languages as their usernames.
github.com/swicg/activitypub-w…
Tracking support for non-ascii characters
One of the benefits of using Webfinger is that it's possible, at least in theory, to use non-ascii characters for usernames. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of services that support them -- at l...evanp (GitHub)
A username has, in my view, two requirements:
1. It must possible to type
2. It must be easy to disambiguate
Unicode fails these two requirements. A Japanese user would have trouble typing an Arabic username, a Chinese user would have trouble typing a Russian username. Even a Japanese username for a Japanese user might not be straightforward, as the input systems are quite complicated. On the other hand, everyone has access to the Latin alphabet. Secondly, Unicode is full of homoglyphs.
@Gargron Hackers and scammers are having a field day with homoglyphs because they allow links to be invisibly faked, making phishing attacks so much easier.
The price of being online is eternal vigilance!
@Gargron
The display name supporting Unicode is probably sufficient; but I'm no expert on i18n.
Debian had a discussion about non-ASCII usernames recently: lwn.net/Articles/1000485/
@evan
Debian opens a can of username worms
It has long been said that naming things is one of the hard things to do in computer science. T [...]LWN.net
sometimes, i think about all the airplanes flying around, and i can hardly believe it...
i'm not too far from ORD, and some days i can hear a plane taking off every few seconds.
En este #SábadodeComunes abordamos temas de #SoftwareLibre, de “Minimalismo digital”, de la materialidad de las tecnologías, Fediverso, #CulturaLibre... y más...
con aportes desde
@derechosdigital
@ElSaltoDiario
@gastonsitio
@ElenaMusk
@matizeta
@tunubesecamirio
sursiendo.org/2025/08/hay-un-s…
Hay un sábado de común denominadores | Sursiendo
En el presente #SábadodeComunes abordamos temas tan diversos como las luchas laborales frente a las grandes plataformas, el control estatal sobre la tecnología…sursiendo (Sursiendo)
Fedicon Livestream
Let's get this party started!
Day 1 of FediCon
Take it from someone who's already been through this.
Steam Survey for July 2025 shows Linux approaching 3% gamingonlinux.com/2025/08/stea…
#Steam #SteamOS #Linux #SteamDeck #LinuxGaming
Steam Survey for July 2025 shows Linux approaching 3%
Valve released the data for the Steam Hardware & Software Survey for July 2025, showing the Linux user share making gains towards hitting 3%.Liam Dawe (GamingOnLinux)
stock.adobe.com/fr/images/eter…
Photo Stock Eternal Enchantment: Narcissus and His Reflection | Adobe Stock
Téléchargez la photo Stock Eternal Enchantment: Narcissus and His Reflection et découvrez des images similaires sur Adobe StockAdobe Stock
Make Kodi great with these builds!
Best Kodi Builds to Spice Up Your Experience in 2025
Pimp your Kodi with a new skin and additional features by using one of the Kodi builds of your preference.Abhishek Kumar (It's FOSS)
I really like goldenrod — its big plumes and bright colors, and the way it sways gently in the breeze. Beezels on teasels are fun, too. 🌾🐝
#BikeTooter #wildflowers #bees #bloomscrolling #Colorado
Happy International Friendship Day!
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The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) will shut down operations after losing federal funding due to a $9 billion funding cut passed by the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives. The CPB, created in 1967, distributed funding to NPR, PBS, and over 1,500 local public radio and television stations.
Mastercard release a statement about game stores, payment processors and adult content
Mastercard have today released a short statement to clarify their position on adult content across game stores.Liam Dawe (GamingOnLinux)
When I co-created Serving Up Science with the wonderful people at WKAR, we never imagined the reach our little show about #food and #science would have. We connected with classrooms, rural towns, big cities, and curious minds across the country - all because of public media. 1/2
cpb.org/pressroom/Corporation-… #uspol
Corporation for Public Broadcasting Addresses Operations Following Loss of Federal Funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 1, 2025) – The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced today that it will begin an orderly wind-down of its operations following the passage of a federal rescissions package and the release of the Senate Appropria…cpb.org
Serving Up Science
We'll give you science-backed tips to make your favorite foods even better.www.pbs.org
i feel sorry for all the people who lived through the era of non-standard QWERTY layouts.
you spend a week typing on your dad's Silicon Logistics eQuill+ and get used to pressing SHIFT and SYMBOL LOCK to convert the percent key to a hash symbol. then you get home to your Perry & Samson Electro-Mechanical TypeScribe and whoops, your muscle memory kicks in when you try to type a hash! you've actually just pressed ALT and SUPER to turn the ½ key into a less than or equal to symbol! time to get out the correctional fluid and move the carriage back one character, which is achieved by pressing a key labelled something obtuse like "CRG. REV."!
Sensitive content
Switch 2, sure, but -- have you plugged a tiny piano into a Nintendo DS and used some powerful homebrew software and custom scripts to make a handheld experimental music instrument?
A little-known Nintendo DS piano peripheral meets homebrew sound:
NordVPN launches Call Protection. Scammers beware!
news.itsfoss.com/nordvpn-scam-…
NordVPN Takes on Phone Scammers with Scam Call Protection Feature
NordVPN is taking the fight to scammers.Sourav Rudra (It's FOSS News)
Never lose your phone again. 🧭
#PhoneTrack for #Nextcloud lets you monitor device locations in real time: privately, securely, and on your own server.
📍 Live tracking
🗺️ Geofencing & alerts
📩 GPX import/export
🤝 Share with others
And more!
👉 apps.nextcloud.com/apps/phonet…
PhoneTrack - Apps - App Store - Nextcloud
The Nextcloud App Store - Upload your apps and install new apps onto your Nextcloudapps.nextcloud.com
A message for the Arch Linux users in the house.
news.itsfoss.com/arch-linux-sp…
Arch Linux Users at Risk Again as AUR Hit by Another RAT
A new pest appears in the Arch User Repository.Sourav Rudra (It's FOSS News)
Mastercard release a statement about game stores, payment processors and adult content gamingonlinux.com/2025/08/mast…
Mastercard release a statement about game stores, payment processors and adult content
Mastercard have today released a short statement to clarify their position on adult content across game stores.Liam Dawe (GamingOnLinux)
itch.io to reindex free adult content as they search for new payment processors gamingonlinux.com/2025/08/itch…
itch.io to reindex free adult content as they search for new payment processors
The ongoing saga of payment processors pushing game stores continues, with itch.io now reindexing free adult content but some issues remain.Liam Dawe (GamingOnLinux)
How does a government agency ensure perfect grammar in sensitive documents, while keeping data private?
With Collabora Online, @nextcloud, and the Duden Korrektor. ☑️ Discover how the Austrian Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum achieved GDPR compliance, robust data control, and seamless collaboration in a secure, on-premise environment.
Read the full case study: collaboraonline.com/case-studi…
#CollaboraOnline #DigitalSovereignity
Collabora Productivity Ltd Provides Duden Korrektor Functionality for BFA Staatendokumentation - Collabora Online and Collabora Office
More about Duden Korrektor Fully-featured on all apps (Writer, Calc, Impress) – includes spelling, grammar, punctuation, even style and filler-word analysis.Collabora Online and Collabora Office
Valve finally upgraded the Steam trailer video player, re-encoding around 400,000 videos gamingonlinux.com/2025/08/valv…
#Steam #Valve #Gaming #PCGaming
Valve finally upgraded the Steam trailer video player, re-encoding around 400,000 videos
The Steam trailer video player was old and not especially great, but now perhaps it might actually work a lot better with a big upgrade.Liam Dawe (GamingOnLinux)
Helen LH
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •foo ✅
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •esko
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •The Bird
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Janeishly
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Christian
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •But.. But there are steps in between in "Electronic Communication" and "writing a letter like it's 1850.".
Print Media? From news happening to receiving a printed copy.. Just takes too long.
Nonono. Technology is awesome. Just learn how to use it - and what to use. Right tool for the right job. Not all tools at once!
And please, no drilling holes in heads to relief a headache...
Dźwiedziu
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •The original Luddites were very technologically apt, maintaining and constructing their own looms. They engaged in the destruction of machines belonging to the industrialist willing to reduce pay and quality.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite
organization of English workers in the 19th century protesting adoption of textile machinery
Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)Jennifer Kayla | Theogrin 🦊
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •The way things are going, I genuinely expect some loom-smashing due to a lack of profits being shared with us working-class.
But also, I definitely want a reduction in shitty, unnecessary tech...
F4GRX Sébastien
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Kinene⭐🐻
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Sometimes the simple things work the best.
Overcomplexity leads to multiple failure points.
UkeleleEric
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Zło To 🏴☠️ ᵗʰʳᵉᵉᶠᶦᵈᵈʸ
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Doug Jayne
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Lykso
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Adam Onza
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Adrien Plazas
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •aconux
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •jpujolar
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Jen Sorensen
in reply to jpujolar • • •Edelruth, PBS Passport Holder
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •lemgandi
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •AIienated
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Inspiration Forum
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •We actually hosted a panel discussion on the problems that modern #technology both solves and creates.
We discussed questions surrounding personal #data collection policies and processing, the influence of smart tech, and the right to refuse their use.
You can hear our experts speak on the topic in Czech and English here 😀
👉 inspirationforum.com/video/sma…
Smart Things That Save Time?
www.inspirationforum.comT Jones NoKings FilmICE
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •HELLO!! I would love to hire someone to get my Rogue to stop stalking me! I can drive to you. Midwest.
I am too paranoid to be joking. And is it really paranoia if it's true?
#Job #TechJob
#Hiring
#ServiceRequested
Or I'll have to seriously consider
slate.auto/en
Oh ffs Slate is Bezos' thing. Goddammit.
mastodon.social/@mac4ever/1145…
SLATE
SlateJen Sorensen
in reply to T Jones NoKings FilmICE • • •Christopher Walker
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •I guess every comic has to pass a literal correct test over there.
Chris
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •CaptainMalu
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •A big problem I have with the collection of data is, that they also make it hard or impossible for you to use them by your own as you like.
Sure the other big problem is that the data will be miss used from bad actors against you. But a lot of people are good in underestimating this risk. It's to abstract.
mtc_uk
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •I’m a Luddite (and So Can You!) | The Nib
The NibJen Sorensen
in reply to mtc_uk • • •Dianora (Diane Bruce)
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •gormster
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Joyce Bell 🇺🇦🇨🇦🇲🇽
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •RouseWorld
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •iwein
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •I'm also way more worried about what happens to the data than the often low quality of the 'help'.
"They're taking our jobs", is not the risk we should be worried about 😅
Alex P Roe
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Shrikant Joshi
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •This isn't Luddism, though. This is exactly how evolution of most technology progresses...
1. New technology enables mass production. (printing press)
2. Old tech practitioners go out of business. (scribes & calligraphers)
3. New tech enables cheap, common, and banal output. (self-publishing)
At this point, the old tech practitioners transition from being Luddites to Artists.
And this time, the evolution from step 1 to step 3 has happened over an incredibly short timescale...
Гаврюша AIX
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Focusing on being a little bit more Neo Luddite and cooperate with our peers
That's the key, IMHO.
AbangL
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •organization of English workers in the 19th century protesting adoption of textile machinery
Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)