Do you remember the surprise announcement of a new social network in Davos this past January? Something that promised to be the "first" European social network?
Its name is #WSocial and it's a fork of #Bluesky. Its founders have ties with European politicians - but there is no official involvement by the EU.
You wouldn't know any of this from media reports because they all rehashed their talking points. So I wrote a post about it, dispelling some myths:
https://blog.elenarossini.com/w-social-uncovered-the-reality-behind-the-hype/
@freecad Needed to drill a hole through a house wall for an EV charger cable... so used #FreeCAD to get the angle spot on!
Also designed a 17deg angled cover, as the hole isn't perpendicular.
#freecadfriday
Made with #gradia #FOSS
this is why we're seeing so much performative slop from those working at big tech
if you ain't in, you're out
RE: https://zirk.us/@ShaulaEvans/116536950302945076
Related question: Can anyone recommend a good alternative to Zoom for hosting webinars A) that doesn't have AI or data harvesting issues (are there any?) and B) that is freely available and easy to use for non-technical people?
On May 4th 1945, the BBC broadcast news of the German surrender in Denmark. Danes tore down their Nazi-imposed curfew blackout blinds and lit candles in their windows. Every May 4th since, people mark the liberation by putting a candle in their window at dusk. Every year, someone says: that tradition is dying out. Only old people do it now. Every year, the candles in windows and on balconies in our mixed-use, mixed-generation, mixed-age neighbourhood tell a different story.
ICE protesters sue to stop DHS from seizing DNA samples
Lawsuit accuses DHS of plugging DNA database into ICE surveillance machine.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/05/ice-protesters-sue-to-stop-dhs-from-seizing-dna-samples/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social
It’s fun to make fun of Spirit Airlines closing, but thousands of flight attendants are out of work without severance.
Here is their fundraiser, I encourage contributions for mutual aid: https://unionly.io/o/afadrf/relieffund?link_id=13
John Roberts Wants You To Stop Believing Your Own Eyes - https://www.techdirt.com/2026/05/07/john-roberts-wants-you-to-stop-believing-your-own-eyes/ "Maybe the problem isn’t the public’s understanding. Maybe it’s the Court’s behavior."
This is BAD bad. Instructure has been bragging about their data hoard to investors for years, and now it's been stolen. This seemingly affects every school that uses Canvas.
In addition to names and personal email addresses, the hackers got personal messages and discussion posts.
In celebration of Migratory Bird Day on May 9th, join Library Freedom Project for a deFlocking event! Learn about the tech in Flock cameras, how to find them in your area, and ways to fight back. Hear from EFF's Cooper Quintin, Lucy Parsons Lab, and LFP. RSVP below
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/s3SZadG8RU28vDQr9bc1MQ#/registration
Protecting Our Neighbors from ICE
A do-it-yourself guide to community defense skills with which you can protect your neighbors from ICE and other federal mercenaries.
The Chinese #EV standard winning globally is banned in the U.S. - https://restofworld.org/2026/us-china-ev-tech-ban-isolation/ #murica left behind again thanks to #trump
10 trillion downloads are crushing #opensource repositories - here's what they're doing about it - https://www.zdnet.com/article/open-source-repositories-are-being-overwhelmed-but-there-is-an-answer/ " Companies are treating these repositories like content delivery networks - now the Linux Foundation and colleagues are saying enough is enough. Here's the plan. "
It's a myth that you need #Mythos to find bugs: #Opensource models can do it just as well - https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/04/24/open-source-models-can-find-bugs-as-well-as-mythos/5224166 "OpenAI's first security hire, Ari Herbert-Voss, thinks more automated bug finding will improve security without costing jobs"
World Health Organization expects more #hantavirus cases but doesn’t ‘anticipate large epidemic’ - https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/may/07/ukraine-russia-drones-latvia-hungary-bulgaria-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-69fc9f258f089ae78b6e4d71#block-69fc9f258f089ae78b6e4d71 that doesn't sound very reassuring...
Thousands of #VibeCoded Apps Expose Corporate and Personal Data on the Open Web - https://www.wired.com/story/thousands-of-vibe-coded-apps-expose-corporate-and-personal-data-on-the-open-web/ "Companies like Lovable, Base44, Replit, and Netlify use AI to let anyone build a web app in seconds—and in thousands of cases, spill highly sensitive data onto the public internet." as expected...
Solid-state #batteries hold more juice, but keep cracking up. Now researchers know why - https://www.theregister.com/offbeat/2026/04/23/solid-state-battery-discoveries-could-improve-energy-storage/5220941 "Two teams, similar diagnosis: Ceramic electrolytes still refusing to cooperate"
#ShlaerMellor, #FunctionPointAnalysis, #punk, #environmentalist, #unionAdvocate, #anarchosocialist
"with a big old lie and a flag and a pie and a mom and a bible most folks are just liable to buy any line, any place, any time" - Frank Zappa