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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.


Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.


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.

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Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.


We found our first #Y2K38 bug today, in #Keycloak‘s Client credential rotation feature. github.com/keycloak/keycloak/i…

Will probably not be the last one - the runup to 2038 will be interesting.

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My son (on piano) and daughter (on violin) played Mozart's Allegro and Menuetto from Serenade No. 2.

Their mum recorded it with her 'phone, and uploaded it to YouTube as a private video to share with the kids' granddad.

YouTube has issued a #copyright strike on her.

Fuck #copyright.


Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.


Today is 2024-11-21, the sun sets at 16:19:27 and the grand auld stretch tonight was 13 mins and 44 secs. #GrandStretch #ShrinkingStretch

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Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.


-7.53750000000000031e-01 + 3.56249999999999969e-02i at zoom 5.4380662127e+01.

Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.



Harris says he would've supported John McGahon's selection even if he saw footage beforehand

This is hardly news. If he said anything else, McGahon would be finished as a candidate, and Fine Gael would be in serious trouble.


Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.


It's “ocean”, not “oceans”. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

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Irish house prices continue to rise at annual rate of 10%

Inflation in Ireland for October 2024 is 0.7%/year. In 2024, inflation didn't exceed 6%/year.

If house prices are increasing at 10%/year, then buying a house gets harder and harder and harder. *This* is a major, major contributor to homelessness.

Yet, #FiannaFail and #FineGael will tell us that house prices increasing like this is a great thing for the economy and all of us, and they'll take credit; we need to tell them it must mean they want to increase homelessness, too.



Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.


A neighbourhood has three cafes: Threads cafe, BlueSky cafe and Mastodon cafe.

Some people prefer one, while others go from one to another to say hello.

A few like all three.

All good: no reason for there just to be one.

But we all avoid the once-popular place that went bad under new management.

Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.

in reply to d a t green

Do you have an opinion on why people are so unconcerned with the management of the new cafes?
in reply to Declan

@True_Heresy

Because most people are more concerned with coffee and the atmosphere and the space, rather than sitting there just staring at the manager with a scowl.

in reply to d a t green

I understand.

I think I’m overly cautious after the place I’d loved for years was ruined so fully & so quickly.

The idea of setting up somewhere that has all the same management & infrastructure weaknesses - sometimes literally the same people who’ve destroyed other places - is more off putting than good vibes can make up for.

For now, at least, I’m happy to pass by and look in the window.

I’m happy my table is reserved here.

(strained metaphor klaxon)

in reply to d a t green

And Threads and Mastodon cafes have some shared tables where you can sit with people patronising the other place if you wish…

Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.


Reading now. Character Limit by Conger & Mac #books #popculture

I don't know if this is a good idea or not but my number came up on the library hold list.

Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.

in reply to Sharon of the Strange Times

don’t worry the Minister of Efficiency will decide you’re inefficient one way or the other


I really don't understand the vitriol or bitterness many on the ActivityPub network have towards BlueSky. Are we supposed to be tribal about these things in order to be considered good fedi citizens?


Self-Hosting Guide to Alternatives: Feedly, Inoreader

An excellent run-down of the alternative, self-hostable RSS/Feed readers. I'm a big fan of commafeed.



Academic Papers Yanked After Authors Found To Have Used Unlicensed Software - Slashdot

Y'know, it's much easier these days to use #copyright to suppress information than it is to promote its dissemination.

Fuck #copyright.


Academic Papers Yanked After Authors Found To Have Used Unlicensed Software science.slashdot.org/story/24/…



I wonder how many civil servant resignations Trump expects from the appointment of such terrible people to high office in the U.S.


Democratic Party can win in 2028 if it accepts three difficult truths

The summary of this article, by the chief US political commentator for the Financial Times, is that if the Democrats don't out-Republicans the Republicans, then they'll never succeed again.

I don't like this analysis, in part because I think it's wrong. But that's probably my confirmation bias.

The other part of why I don't like the analysis is that he seems to say that all vulnerable people must be abandoned by the Democrats in the same way the Republicans have, and protecting Democracy should not be part of their platform.

That's just horrific, and can only be understood as support for majoritarian, anti-democratic policies. I.e. fascism.


Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.


psst c’mere a sec

stop calling Musk “Elonia”

it disrespects a real name, something transphobes do

it perpetuates that it’s funny for a perceived cis man to be associated with femininity, something transphobes do

Musk is a horrid transphobe, you are helping him and hurting US

please stop

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Unknown parent

Tilly Bridges
man check the other replies, you’re not helping
This entry was edited (5 days ago)

Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.


I remember, when I was a small boy in the 1960s, saying "Dad, what's an anachronism?", and he simply replied "Google it".

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Family of Tyrone man concerned over his detention in UAE

State-sanctioned cowardice in action.


[13:13] Co Tyrone man detained in Dubai over online review

Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill has been urged to intervene after a Co Tyrone man was arrested in the UAE over an online review he posted.

rte.ie/news/ireland/2024/1113/…

#NorthernIreland's #First #MichelleO'Neill #CoTyrone #UAE


in reply to Éibhear 🔭

lad screwed over already by Petro state returns for second helpings.....


Irish woman in line for top White House role under Donald Trump

Cue all the public numpties in Ireland saying isn't it great that there's an Irish woman high up in the administration.

Remember who else they lionised? Sean Spicer, a guy who was literally paid to lie for Donald Trump multiple times per day, and John Brennan, chief implementer and apologist for George W. Bush's illegal torture programmes.



Trump stuns the Pentagon by picking Fox News host as defence secretary

This is oddly comforting.

It means "his team" this time 'round isn't much more in control of his impulses as they were the last time. They had 4 or more years to prepare, and they still can't stop him from making the most ludicrously self-destructive, ego-driven, decisions.



#GE2024

I know it's hard, but I suggest people voting in #GE24 consider filling the ballot out completely.

From 2019, I give an explanation here.

in reply to Éibhear 🔭

Oh, sure. But when the last three candidates in my area are 'Freedom', National Alliance, and "independent racist"...
in reply to Samhain Healy-Rae-Nua

If they're the only candidates fighting for the last seat, it won't matter if you don't give them preferences. If they're fighting with a Fine Gaeler for the last seat, however, if your ballot can't be transferred to the gaeler, then it could help one of the others to get elected.

In the end, it boils down to whether your ballot can help someone get elected, or help prevent someone from being elected. You cannot predict with certainty who's going to vie for the last seat, but if your ballot still has power at that point, it will be used against those you reject, or -- even better -- for those you support.

In the OG I said that I know it's hard. So, if someone just can't give preferences to those candidates, it doesn't change the validity of the ballot, and I will always wish well on its journey from pile to pile.



Google Research Chief Says Learning To Code 'as Important as Ever' - Slashdot

If this is true, why is Google and all its peers in the tech monopolisation industry so keen on removing skilled coders and replacing them with artificial parrots?


Google Research Chief Says Learning To Code 'as Important as Ever' developers.slashdot.org/story/…

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Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.


Every journalist still active on the ex-site is a slowly boiling frog.

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in reply to Gerard Cunningham ✒️

Yeah, I saw one of them crop up there the other day, so my hunch is some/all will follow to there. Probably also staying on the hell site, too, of course.

Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.


Budgeting tip: scream directly into a jar to save your screams for later
in reply to JA Westenberg

Instead of a jar, use a thermos. It will keep your screams at full volume all day.

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Just finished season 2 of The Diplomat. I'm going to be very cross if season 3 isn't available tomorrow.


Forty-Three Monkeys Escape From US Research Lab - Slashdot

Ah lads! It was only supposed to have been 12!


Forty-Three Monkeys Escape From US Research Lab news.slashdot.org/story/24/11/…


Samhain Healy-Rae-Nua reshared this.


Simon: Good afternoon, a Uachtarán.

Michael D: Good afternoon, a Thaoisigh.

Simon: I've come to exercise my constitutional prerogative; to formally request that you dissolve the Dáil.

Michael D: I see. You know that I have a constitutional prerogative to decline your request?

Simon: I am aware, a Uachtarán.

Michael D: I hear they call you the Tiktok Taoiseach.

Simon: They do. It's not something I cultivate, *he says, with false humility, falsely.*

*Michael D takes his 'phone out of his pocket, fires up Tiktok to record and points it at Simon*

Michael D: Grand. Let me see you Floss.

#GE2024

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When you don't examine the actual URL you're copying from the e-mail your colleague sent to you before you use it in the official web site (from citizensinformation.ie/en/gove…):
in reply to Éibhear 🔭

... also, when preparing the #alttext for the pic in the OG, I noticed that the silly URL contains the name and e-mail address of a member of the Citizen's Information Board. Possibly -- though, of course, not definitely -- a data breach.


So. As I think about #GE2024 #GeneralElection2024 in Ireland, I wonder if anyone know the answers to these:

  • What is the closing date/time for registering candidatures?
  • Will the candidate lists be published on some official list? or will I need to depend on the diligence of a news outlet like the Irish Times or RTÉ for the detail?
in reply to Ray Cunningham

I think the returning officers will publish an official list of candidates? But RTE, Irish Times etc will get that list and include it in their coverage
in reply to Ray Cunningham

this is the best list I know of right now
adriankavanaghelections.org/20…


Q: who knew that owning the libs could be such a colossal self-own?

A: the libs.


Maurice Milligan reshared this.


Ireland will join South Africa case against Israel by 'end of year'

My prediction: "Oh! No! They won't!"

This is the crowd who offered lots of public support for the people of #Gaza while secretly telling Israel that they'll block the Occupied Territories Bill, and while ignoring illegal transportation of armaments to Israel, to be used in the currently-ongoing genocide in Gaza, through Irish airspace.

This is one of those things whereby I will believe those sniveling cowards only when I fucking-well see it.

#gaza

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aidan reshared this.


So. I get up this morning to see loads of alerts on my Android 'phone from the #Nextcloud app, advising me of the 100s of files that have been synced to my phone, and of the 100s more that failed to sync. Alongside those alerts were alerts of how my phone is running out of storage and how I've vastly exceeded my bandwidth limits.

Turns out, a new update to the Nextcloud app was installed from F-Droid with a feature I wasn't aware of: Internal two way sync.

Sounds interesting. But it was deployed to my 'phone turned on. I.e. as soon as the installation completed, it seems, nextcloud -- without letting me know -- started to sync 100s of GiB of files to my 'phone.

Seriously, @Nextcloud 📱☁️💻? Seriously not cool.

I now need to clear out my phone storage, and before I do I need to figure out how to do that without deleting the files on my nextcloud server! I also now need to contact my provider to see how much overage money I owe them and to agree a payment plan.

FFS, lads.

Jesus.

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in reply to Éibhear 🔭

Thanks! I was wondering why mine had blown up as well.

Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.

in reply to aidan

@aidan_walsh Jeeeeeezus. Tell me that was at least on WiFi not metered mobile data 🙏

Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.


Politicians who claim to represent me are falling over themselves to congratulate Donald Trump on his re-election. Some are running for election in Ireland in 3.5 weeks' time. Some of them will be asking for my vote. Here's what I will be saying to them.

Letting my election candidates know where I think they should stand

gibiris.org/eo-blog/posts/2024…

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This is a powerful call to action by Heather Burns

Mná na hÉireann


Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.


I’m sorry, but I’m not going to be able to host #pancakescon this year and I’m going to have to cut off mentoring after currently registered appointments. I hope I’m somewhere safe and stable to resume them in the future. All SANS classes, clinics, and announced talks are on through April. I will not be making any cons beside those in the foreseeable future.

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in reply to Lesley Carhart :unverified:

Take care of yourself and I hope you can find safety again. I’m sorry this country let you down. 😢


Given that we know who he is, what he stands for and how he goes about his "business", who in the U.S. will look back in 2028 on their choice to vote for him in 2024 and say "Oops"?

Eoin O'Beara reshared this.


I've seen a few messages this morning recommending people switch to #Signal to protect themselves.

I would recommend an alternative: Switch to #Matrix (at matrix.org), and join its foundation.

It doesn't have the same reach as Signal (and some would say it's not as mature, but I would debate that!), but it does one thing that Signal doesn't: you can join a Matrix node (i.e. "Homeserver") that is independent of all other Matrix nodes, and still be a part of the greater Matrix federation.

It's possible to spin up a Signal server, but -- as far as I understand it -- you can't use it to communicate with others on the centralised Signal server.

Matrix needs support. If federation is important to you, please consider supporting this alternative to Signal.

Oh! and you can use your independent Matrix homeserver to communicate with people on the Signal network, because bridging between the two networks is part of the Matrix architecture and there's an excellent matrix-signal bridge already.

This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)
in reply to Éibhear 🔭

Just installed that. Looking into creating my own server to host it too. Thanks.
in reply to Éibhear 🔭

if we are talking about Matrix and Signal in this specific context, it should also be mentioned that the bridge you mentioned is breaking end2end encryption and is processing plaintext messages on the matrix server.

Possibly not necessarily the best thing to do under current circumstances.


Éibhear 🔭 reshared this.


Up early to let our plasterer in. He's Ukrainian. He broke the news to us on the verge of tears.