Old Fucking Punk @lwriemen@librem.one

An #AI slop farm stole my #identity - https://algorithmwatch.org/en/an-ai-slop-farm-stole-my-identity/ fascinating and troubling tale... #journalism

RE: https://mastodon.social/@Edent/115467654159795435

"#OpenSource is facing a crisis. The code that the world relies on is often developed by underpaid engineers on the brink of burn-out. While I don't think anyone wants Open Source to have a paywall, it seems obvious that large organisation should pay their way and not rely solely on volunteer labour."

Imagine being such an irredeemably enshittified trillion-dollar company that makes bad products that you need to resort to dark patterns or straight out ostracism (#Immich is only the latest example, anyone remembers when they pulled K9-Mail from the Play Store?) in order to discourage people from using open-source software that competes with your products.

With all the resources it has, #Google could simply make Google Photos better.

But I guess that scaring off those who use its open-source alternatives is much easier and doesn't even cost development time.

https://immich.app/blog/google-flags-immich-as-dangerous

By the way, forgot to mention, a while back I set up another PeerTube instance in Aotearoa (thanks again to Prodigi.nz for their sponsored infrastructure!) for people to use: https://peertube.iridescent.nz

Idle speculation: given that Meta/Facebook control both ends (via proprietary mobile apps) of every (supposedly encrypted) WhatsApp communication, wonder if they offer a service to high-rollers (e.g. gov'ts and scions) to 'unmask' (sending the same content from both parties to FB unencrypted) the transmission... 🤔 Because they certainly could and no one would know... could be a nice little addition to shareholder value

Google's phone security is crap, according to a leaked presentation of a hacking tool widely used by law enforcement -- and no doubt corporations and crooks, too.

I'd bet that this insecurity is deliberate, given Google's increasing friendliness with fascists.

https://www.404media.co/someone-snuck-into-a-cellebrite-microsoft-teams-call-and-leaked-phone-unlocking-details/

On Saturday, health insurance premiums are projected to double for millions of Americans and 42 million working families will lose the benefits that keep them fed.

This weekend, join the No Kings Alliance and millions of Americans, from rural farms to suburban neighborhoods to city centers, who are coming together to provide mutual aid and care for our communities. https://www.nokings.org/alliance

I also dusted off my #CD of #JeffWayne's musical version of the book and listened to it recently. It occurred to me how strange it was to pick 19th century work of #fiction for a #RockOpera. But, then again, why not? Great voice performance by #RichardBurton and contributions by musicians #DavidEssex and #PhilLynott, among others.

#Literature #Books #ScienceFiction #Music

More than half of UK businesses changing #DEI approach due to Trump’s criticism - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/30/more-than-half-of-uk-businesses-changing-strategy-on-ethical-policies-research-finds "corporate legal leaders from five sectors – technology, retail, hospitality and leisure, energy and the public sector – overwhelmingly (83%) said that they believed that “doing the right thing” came secondary to profit" #pathetic

US climate activists condemn 18-month jail term for nonviolent art museum protester - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/30/climate-activist-art-protest-jail-term ‘It’s hard to fathom how a peaceful protester can receive more prison time than many of the insurrectionists,’

No, law enforcement should not be able to purchase our data instead of getting a warrant. 🚫 We're dedicated to closing this loophole: https://takebackctrl.org/get-a-warrant

Most Europeans want controls on how data centres are powered, and the impact they have on society.

https://beyondfossilfuels.org/2025/10/27/europeans-agree-time-to-put-limits-on-big-tech-data-centres/

When @Wired made FOIA-based stories free, subscriptions went up.

When @404mediaco published public records reporting without a paywall, new sources came forward.

We spoke to both about why dropping paywalls like this is good for journalism — and for business.

https://freedom.press/issues/wired-and-404-media-make-foia-reporting-free-other-news-outlets-should-too/

if you believe that a better world is possible, you may be tarred as a doomer, because achieving a better world involves calling attention to what is wrong with this one.

your very optimism is called pessimism, particularly by people for whom the current world is more than comfortable.

First I heard of it.
Atorvastatin recall may affect hundreds of thousands of patients – and reflects FDA’s troubles inspecting medicines manufactured overseas.

https://theconversation.com/atorvastatin-recall-may-affect-hundreds-of-thousands-of-patients-and-reflects-fdas-troubles-inspecting-medicines-manufactured-overseas-268364

How #NGOs die — Europe's playbook for dismantling democracy - https://euobserver.com/news/ar1c67c9a3 this is terrible: the #EU has lost its mind

"What China shows us is that, contra the whole line of technology-first scholarship following McLuhan, it’s the social system technology is embedded in that matters. China is not a utopia, but its citizens have a brighter future than ours, and they will be able to read about it, thanks to a sociopolitical system that still sees literacy as necessary and retains primacy over private capital."

"While literacy remains a mass phenomenon, the number of readers and the quality of what they read are declining. At the same time, while memory is traditionally the organizing principle of orality, those immersed in its second coming have seen their faculties of recall replaced by data centers, leaving them bereft of meaningful culture of either the print or oral variety."

https://thebaffler.com/salvos/we-used-to-read-things-in-this-country-mccormack

Dr Oz says healthcare premiums will increase by $13 and that’s “not a big deal”

Most premiums will increase far more

It’s interesting that $13 is “no big deal” when folks are screaming that their tax dollars shouldn’t fund SNAP

You know what the taxpayer pays for SNAP? $36

#uspol #aca #fascism #disability #healthcare #ableism