keverets @keverets@librem.one

master: welcome to my Smart Home

student: wow. how is the light controlled?

master: with this on-off switch

student: i don't see a motor to close the blinds

master: there is none

student: where is the server located?

master: it is not needed

student: excuse me but what is "Smart" about all of this?

master: everything.

in this moment, the student was enlightened

Did you know that @OpenAlex now provides saved searchers and scholarly literature alerts that tell you when new papers on a topic are published. I switched my alerts from Google Scholar & really like the change (fewer extra papers that don't really match the search criteria) plus it's based on open scholarly infrastructure produced by a non-profit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGKF6jndCJw

(COI: because I believe in open scholarly infrastructure I volunteer on the board for the folks that make Open Alex)

A Decade of Write.as Sale https://write.as/deals/a-decade-of-write-as-sale

Seems right.
#Birds
🪶

Regarding Amazon's Kindle news, remember that in Portugal it is legal to break technology that stops you from making legal copies (AKA copyright exceptions), like private copies of books you bought, for example. So, do it now.

Kids get it. Adults don't.
We seem to regress as we age

"The UK’s war on encryption affects all of us" via @verge.

Indeed, the UK's actions imperil security across the globe.

It's worth highlighting that open source comms tools, like @matrix and @signalapp, empower researchers and users: you'll _see_ if a backdoor is added.

Not so with proprietary tools. Do you really trust Meta, Apple, or Google not to roll over on you?

https://www.theverge.com/policy/612136/uk-icloud-investigatory-powers-act-war-on-encryption

#FOSS #SoftwareFreedom #OpenSource #Security #Privacy #Encryption

The all-hands meeting implies the existence of the partially-hands and no-hands meetings.

Some countries are willing to stand up for what's right:

Report: The US threatened to cut aid to South Africa unless it withdrew its case of genocide against Israel, & South Africa's foreign minister said, "No chance”.

"Standing by our principles sometimes has consequences, but we remain firm that this is important for the world & the rule of law" ~Ronald Lamola

https://www.palestinechronicle.com/no-chance-south-africa-remains-firm-on-icj-case-despite-trumps-actions/

#SouthAfrica #ICJ #GazaGenocideNotWar #USBullying #USAid #USPol .

There's now an effective, single-dose Malaria vaccine: https://sanaria.com/2025/02/12/a-single-dose-breakthrough-pfspz-larc-vaccines-offer-transformative-protection-against-malaria/

bravo!

@dajb @pgs
How to be a good Fedizen:

1. CW to hide things people may not want to see. This is considerate.

2. #tags allow for discovery for those who may want to see content. Helpful for those who may not follow you but are interested. They will also help people who filter those same tags for reasons.

3. Avoid deliberately misspelling things so that they don’t bypass people’s filters. i.e., don’t use asterisks or jokey nicknames for offensive people or topics.

Bruce Schneier David Ottenheimer have written a tremendous piece for Foreign Policy that everyone should read called "DOGE is Hacking America." It clearly explains why what DOGE is doing has to be stopped, and what's at stake here.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/02/11/doge-cyberattack-united-states-treasury/

I used to subscribe to FP but then found it came with my Apple News subscription. But I realize not everyone has that, so:
https://archive.ph/lSHkJ

Here's an excerpt:

"But the most alarming aspect isn’t just the access being granted. It’s the systematic dismantling of security measures that would detect and prevent misuse—including standard incident response protocols, auditing, and change-tracking mechanisms—by removing the career officials in charge of those security measures and replacing them with inexperienced operators.

The Treasury’s computer systems have such an impact on national security that they were designed with the same principle that guides nuclear launch protocols: No single person should have unlimited power. Just as launching a nuclear missile requires two separate officers turning their keys simultaneously, making changes to critical financial systems traditionally requires multiple authorized personnel working in concert.

This approach, known as “separation of duties,” isn’t just bureaucratic red tape; it’s a fundamental security principle as old as banking itself. When your local bank processes a large transfer, it requires two different employees to verify the transaction. When a company issues a major financial report, separate teams must review and approve it. These aren’t just formalities—they’re essential safeguards against corruption and error.

These measures have been bypassed or ignored. It’s as if someone found a way to rob Fort Knox by simply declaring that the new official policy is to fire all the guards and allow unescorted visits to the vault.

The implications for national security are staggering. Sen. Ron Wyden said his office had learned that the attackers gained privileges that allow them to modify core programs in Treasury Department computers that verify federal payments, access encrypted keys that secure financial transactions, and alter audit logs that record system changes. Over at OPM, reports indicate that individuals associated with DOGE connected an unauthorized server into the network. They are also reportedly training AI software on all of this sensitive data."

Amazon is removing the ability to download purchased Kindle content, which is the only way to read it on my Kobo or elsewhere. What this means is I will no longer be purchasing (“a license to”–ick) any books by the mostly independent authors who exclusively publish there; just cancelled preorders.

But I know what code costs. I know what it costs to create, to maintain, to test and deploy. Whatever the combination of commodification and the cult of agility have told you, none of this is free.

If you're shipping people megabytes of compressed javascript, and I can turn it all off and _not notice anything missing or broken_, then what you're doing is waste. It is pure waste. You've paid for it, and you're making me pay for it, and it's waste.