Way back when I was on that other service, I had a pinned tweet for a time that concluded with something like the following line:

... when they're handing out "make your own internet policy at home" kits, they should some with a label saying "Adult supervision required."

In a post commemorating Ross Anderson on her blog, Heather Burns (@webdevlaw somewhere, I'm sure) quoted him regarding the same concern. However, compared to my snark, his phrasing is sublime, maybe even divine:

The idea that complex social problems are amenable to cheap technical solutions is the siren song of the software salesman and has lured many a gullible government department on to the rocks.

There is no "easy fix" for online toxicity. Anything that will be effective will be very difficult to put in place and will likely be the result of millions of hours of combined thought, analysis, experimentation and disputation on the part of thousands of experts in the fields being considered.

Something I would say infrequently and irregularly on the only other social service I've ever used, and will translate to the #Fediverse:

All boosts, re-toots or re-posts (or whatever they're called) from this account are to be considered endorsements. If I don't endorse the post, I will either not boost, re-toot or re-post it, *or* it will be clear in my comment accompanying the boost, re-toot or re-post.

"Data centre restrictions driving investment to other countries, says industry group"

In other news, Mr. Holmes accepts that there is no fecal matter.

Data centre restrictions driving investment to other countries, says industry group

Government policies and curbs on electricity grid access creating continued uncertainty, say data centre operators

^{Arthur Beesley (The Irish Times)}

I suspect that the Dems lost the 2016 election because they and their candidate didn't take the election or the electorate seriously. 8 years later, it looks like they're doing it again.

Philip Bump

2024-05-16 17:26:06

A new national poll shows that younger voters are less enthusiastic about voting and view Biden less favorably than Trump. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/16/biden-polling-democratic-voters/

"Those responsible for temporary closure of Dublin portal have ‘let us all down’"

I have a simple rule of thumb: anyone in authority who describes others of having "let us all down" is someone not to be taken seriously.

Those responsible for temporary closure of Dublin portal have ‘let us all down’

Dublin City council said a small minority of people have engaged in 'inappropriate behaviour' which has been amplified on social media

^{Cate McCurry, PA (Irishexaminer.com)}

With all these stories of "the portal" and problems of inappropriate behaviour, I am reminded yet again of the how easy it is for mischief-seeking inner-city lads to tear down the blind smugness of the middle-class city administrators.

Almost certainly the question "What could possibly go wrong?" was asked. It's just that the only answer they could come up with was "Nothing."

"Gardái detect 2,148 people using phones while driving in first month of new roads policing plan"

I was so shocked by that figure when I read it I nearly crashed the car.

Gardái detect 2,148 people using phones while driving in first month of new roads policing plan

The plan involves all frontline gardaí dedicating 30 minutes of their shift to do roads policing.

^{TheJournal.ie}

"So you’ve got to read a 1200 page consultation"

Another banger of a post from Heather Burns. I recommend putting her site into your #RSS feed thingy.

https://heatherburns.tech/2024/05/14/so-youve-got-to-read-a-1200-page-consultation/

"Israeli army claims UN vehicle hit in Rafah was in 'combat zone' after worker dies"

Yes. If you view your whole world as one great big combat zone, where only you are the good guys, then of course that UN vehicle was within it.

Israeli army claims UN vehicle hit in Rafah was in 'combat zone' after worker dies

Monday’s attack marked the first time a UN international employee has been killed in the Gaza war.

^{TheJournal.ie}

We do know, don't we, that data centres are used for many things that we utterly depend on:

• Our banking -- without which we would not be able to plan for the next day/next month/next year/retirement?
• Our social welfare payments?
• Our tax payments?
• Keeping in touch with our loved ones?
• Engaging in society in general?
• Keeping our homes safe?
• etc.

I get that data centres are causing serious issues for Ireland and its electricity supply and that we need a coherent environmental policy to deal with that, but burning down all the data centres without regard for whether we like the full range of consequences is not really a coherent policy.

Data centres are used for some vital purposes, as well a frivolous shite. We need to define what uses fall into the various categories[^1], understand the proportional breakdown for each category and develop a policy to support the continuity of the vital services while discouraging the frivolous shite[^2].

[^1] Large Language Models and their generative AI counterparts being categorised as frivolous shite, in my opinion.
[^2] We could talk about banning it, but you can be assured such a ban would not get through a court challenge.

Is there a more perfect ending to a most perfect performance of a most perfect arrangement of a most perfect composition than this?

https://youtu.be/6SFNW5F8K9Y?si=LzOQTjZDNK9KA6lZ