I probably should do something productive with my evening, but instead I'm going to put on my headphones and listen to Suicidal Tendencies at full blast. #jointhearmy #howwillIlaughtomorrow
The Hasbro OGL fiasco. The fragmentation of social media. The onslaught of AI slop. The ever-evolving threat of tariffs. Attempted rollbacks of safety nets.
It's a minor miracle any small-time creators are left in this industry. Send best wishes to a #ttrpg creator today because times are tough.
"They were threatened" or they were opportunistic and thought they could capitulate on the nomination and compliance because it all represented their values?
RFK Jr. didn’t “misspeak” when he called autism an “epidemic” that “dwarfs COVID.” That’s eugenicist rhetoric.
We’re not a disease—we’re people.
The spectrum includes those who need support and those building the future. Diagnoses have expanded because understanding has improved—not because autism is “spreading.”
Dehumanizing us is not health policy. It’s dangerous
If RFK Jr is so worried about autism I propose he goes and locks himself into an underground bunker to get away from whatever causes it. I'll help by scanning the foods to see if the have the mysterious autism causer and giving them back to him if they're safe. I'll also lock the door for him! 🙂
@jonjimama It makes no difference. Even if he meant Down’s he’s still horribly wrong and dangerous. The man has a drug-addled and worm eaten brain and he has no business making pronouncements about anything, especially healthcare.
@Carnivius No one with legitimacy would work for him. The biggest trolls were selected. Election losers, narcissists, etc. It was to rub it in our faces. Main goal? Dismemberment of the US.
@Carnivius @jonjimama they don't care, they just "keep calm and carry on" doing everything to "make America great again" for themselves. So, what the press thinks is not important, they are... That's what's going on I'm affrade.
RFK Jr. no se equivocó al llamar al autismo una "epidemia" que "eclipsa al COVID". Eso es retórica eugenésica.
No somos una enfermedad, somos personas.
El espectro incluye a quienes necesitan apoyo y a quienes construyen el futuro. Los diagnósticos se han expandido porque ha mejorado la comprensión, no porque el autismo se esté "propagando".
Deshumanizarnos no es una política sanitaria. Es peligroso.
@flexghost. Here's the thing about cults: they need to have an enemy. Fighting this enemy is the only way they can justify the things they demand of their adherents. If a valid enemy doesn't exist, one must be manufactured.
This is intentional. They don't care who it harms.
What's worrying for everyone is he feels safe to say these things. Without being afraid he's getting fired immediately and ridiculouled until eternity.
My experience with autism has been different. Autism seems to facilitate extremes, and in my case, it explains my heightened ability to think independently, speak clearly, understand emotions, visualize how complex systems work, have compassion, value honesty and integrity, and avoid delusional reactions.
I lack the brain wiring that simplifies communication but can make non-auts susceptible to errors. And dulls their senses. I'm ok with my autism.
If we started calling him Junior Mengele he'd think we were calling him a doctor and say thank you. Stabbing heroin in your arm for half your pampered life and telling your customers how to not OD on your junk, or else, doesn't make you a doctor, Bob.
@InorganicFella as long as something tragic personally happens to every single Republican because of the regime… We have a chance of them growing empathy
Personally, I like some of my autistic traits (like my tendency toward explicit reasoning and my very good memory for certain things), and I dislike some other traits (like how exhausting it is for me to navigate social dynamics, and my uneven executive function).
I wouldn't want to be less autistic, but there are things I would like to be better at, and things I'd like some more accommodation for from society at large. @flexghost
I never use social media on Sunday. I am compelled to do so today so I can say this: RFK Jr. is a complete joker (he just doesn’t wear makeup) What a stupid ass… I guess even the Kennedy family has THAT relative… What a disgrace RFK Jr. is to the Kennedy’s…
Chosen by psychopath Trump for that purpose, RFK Jr. frequently emits an epidemic of BS. He shouldn't be, where he is now!
Even his sister knows.
"... Rory warned her production team they had a potential liability: Her brother, though a prominent and successful environmental lawyer known for suing polluters, could be fast and loose with the facts. “He can say some crazy shit,” she told them, according to a person involved in the film. Kennedy’s interviews had to be thoroughly fact-checked “even though he might come across as an expert,” she said. “That’s who he is.” ..." vanityfair.com/news/story/robe…
In true Fascist fashion, Bobby Kennedy Jr calls autism a disease that must be wiped out. Eventually, we'll all have a disease Fascists want wiped out. There will be no exceptions.
yep, it is pretty much in line with Nazi bullshit. RFK Jr. needs to be dragged down, screaming, and trump needs to pay hefty price for putting him in post.
According to a Rutgers study published earlier this year, autism rates in the US have increased some 500% over the past 16 years. And “profound autism” cases — those who are likely to n…
Before figuring out I'm autistic, my struggles were just me being a worthless piece of shit. Now I know what's going on and can actually manage my struggles a whole lot better and suicidality has dropped. So, some doctors are fucking wrong. How bout that!
RFK Jr’s positions are as crude as they are illogical. When facts don’t back the fearmongering, the next step is always scapegoating. Today it’s autistic people—tomorrow it’s anyone who doesn’t fit the mold. We’ve seen this playbook before.
The unemployment rate for people with autism is 85%.
I dont know what you call that other than a disability that negative impacts a child's life. Having autism is not the sole thing that makes up a person so I don't know why RFK saying autism is a bad thing equates to him saying "you guys are soley a disease." Because Autism is the not the SOLE defining thing of a person.
Saying OCD is a problem is not "Dehumanizing people" its simply pointing out a problem. same with autism
they came for the #migrants a wasn’t a migrant. They came for #trans people, for pinguïns, for blacks, for left, for jews. And now for autist people. #fascist never stop blaming, dehumanise groups of people and then terminate them. That’s the truth behind #fascism
Ever wonder how most people were able to go on living their mundane lives as best they could while the Nazis were taking over Germany or in the days of the London Blitz or the US Civil War or Caesar's return to Rome or one of the Mongol invasions or any of the other stupendous historical events so consequential, so immense, as to eclipse any concern for petty things?
I spend my entire day trying to figure out what I CAN do.
What hasn't worked: Voting Protesting Speaking out Contacting elected representatives
I think the question is more "Why didn't the things people did to stop it not work?"
The answer is that fascism doesn't end without violence. "They" are putting us in a position to do unspeakable things that people like us have never wanted to do.
They’ll also remember that mass hysteria, hatred, bigotry, and lots of money from the very wealthy helped elect an incompetent man as President. The Federal government became his personal plaything. He became intoxicated with power, firing hundreds of thousands of Federal workers, alienating our trading partners by imposing ridiculously high tariffs. Our stock market became unstable. He blatantly disobeyed our Supreme Court and legal system. The period was dark.
sadly, if things continue to go the way that The Heritage Foundation | Project 2025 | MAGA folks want them to, kids in what remains of the US either won’t get to go to school at all or will be schooled primarily in DoubleThink so that they will simply believe that current (and future) events were all DoublePlusGood 😕
#Gleichschaltung live to witness, no doubt about that. And just like with „Mein Kampf“, the road to #fascism was available in print beforehand with „Project 2025“. There is no excuse to act surprised now!
When Canadians and Greenlanders become US citizens, do they get to get sent to El Salvador concentration camps too? Does Elon get to DOGE their government offices too?
Being German and old I got asked so many times why my parants or grandparents didn't do anything to stop Hitler.
Well, now the US can find out....
ICE is the new Gestapo, the prisons in El Salvador are the new concentration camps and somewhere in America there is the latino Anne Frank hiding from the Gestapo.
Let's hope that this time te fascists can be stopped before they set the world on fire.
Actually no, it's been like this the whole time. Since the dawn of agriculture, humans resisted the changes that involved more disease, strife, torture, domination and death and we're descended from the ones that didn't listen. We all participate in the absolute scam that is money, bending over for tyrants every minute of our born lives, and now we're all surprised pikachu face? Don't make me laugh. Tell me now - has it all been worth it? All the sacrifices? Do the ends justify the means?
"Nous vivons officiellement la partie de l'histoire qui amène les écoliers à se demander pourquoi personne n'a fait quoi que ce soit pour les arrêter."
Well, some of us are working our freaking butts off behind the scenes, trying to stop it. But we also need to do it quietly, to not be stopped ourselves.
it's time to choose sides, unerringly, unmistakably.
No excuses, no "nuances"... it's either with the nazis or with Humans. No other option. Omission means supporting nazis. Neutrality means supporting nazis.
‘Good chance’ of agreement, says JD Vance – but a source close to the administration says his concerns over Britain’s hate speech laws ‘are still a red line’
He probably would have gotten that concession had he asked during his first term because brexit and covid proved Boris had no qualms about endangering others for personal gain, and to benefit his donors. Starmer is a neoliberal but he knows he would never be forgiven for such a betrayal and he would be opening the door to fascism and permanent right wing rule if he so much as contemplated that or letting American healthcare companies dismantle the NHS.
@passenger @sufferforme @Rycochet And you just have to look at who he appointed Health Minister to see how little he fears selling off the NHS. My only hope is that he's too scared of a back bench rebellion to try and force the necessary legislation through parliament.
@duckwhistle @passenger @Rycochet If Starmer hadn't been a Trojan Tory, he probably could have stayed in power for at least 10 years. I think he'll be lucky to survive five years.
@sufferforme @duckwhistle @passenger @Rycochet I think this year could be his last hopefully. There has to be a terrible result for Labour at the May 1st elections though
@Rycochet I believe he's contemplating both those things. At the moment he's trying his usual trick of sitting on the fence and refusing to commit, but there is only so long he can do that. He will choose his response, and either way Britain will suffer. The only real choice he has is whether or not to act with integrity.
@MostlyTato @Rycochet he's not contemplating them, he's actively pursuing them, see the winding up of NHS England's independence, yesterday's Supreme Court ruling that he welcomed, …
I wondered why this very un-British change was being sought. I didn't think the UK wanted to be like the USofA, but apparently on that subject, money talks.
Very disappointing watching everyone roll back the centuries.
One consequence of this has been a demand by two senior #Laɓour members of the #uk parliament - chairs of the foreign affairs and trade select committees - for there to be a debate and vote on any such deal.
The UK has a plethora of responses one might use, to respond to Trump's demand that it rescind civil rights for a particular class of people.
Many are wielded at losing race horses, ex-spouses, the losing side in an FA Cup match, and bus drivers who fail to pick you up when it's raining,
Keir Starmer hasn't the charm or balls to use any of them. Or the brains to know that one demand will be followed by another and another, and yield no trade deal ever.
@HeerWodan Possibly, but that would mean judiciary is already buclking without pressure, even in the UK. I hope not. And the request to change this law came from within the UK a while back...
Here's the crazy thing about Trump: after the UK tells him to f*** off properly (hopefully), in his idiocy he'll take that to mean they respect him just because he demanded it.
The fascist mind has very few variations. Just look at what they have liked and disliked throughout history. It’s all pretty identical and that’s what they can be expected to go for.
as a Queer British man I dont think the State will protect me at all. Starmer has been hostile to the needs of he Queer minority, he consorts with hate preachers instead of us.
a great many in the UK would really prefer it if starmer turned his back and walked away. That's even without the chance of his rolling over to such demands as this. A great many indeed.
What Trump calls Free Speech, the rest of the world calls Hate Speech. And it's any society's right to decide what speech they will tolerate, and what they won't.
I suggest the UK tell Donnie to kick rocks. He'll cave like he always does.
He wants a foreign country to change their law, which is stupid.
But it's to get rid of hate speech laws, which have always been unconstitutional here (and for good reason). We've managed to make discrimination illegal without criminalizing hate speech. This is hardly an "anti-LGBTQ" request.
Admonishes Americans that they will lose their country if they let fanaticism and hatred turn them into suckers. Let's forget about 'we' and 'they' --...
In the UK, I think we're smart enough to understand that there is no such thing as a "deal" with Trump. Any agreement is only valid as long as it serves his purpose, than as soon as it becomes inconvenient he simply breaks it.
If the UK got rid of laws protecting LGBTQ people they would be a country on my boycott list, and that should be a position for the EU too. Don’t buy from bigots.
One would hope they’d tell him off, but judging by their tolerance for billionaire involvement & removing protections for trans persons, they may welcome this heinous bully behavior.
Ok, so, here's the thing, I know it'll be difficult in the short term, but everything will be better in the long term: Don't trade with someone who demands you do unethical things as a prerequisite for trade. Just don't. The US has had a bully mentality for a while, now they're actively threatening countries. Just stop, there are other countries to trade with.
@StarkRG I hope that will be the position every country takes. There will be some pain in the short term, but appeasing a bully just brings more bullying, as they never have enough. Does the USA want to be against everyone else? They can get their wishes fulfilled. Everyone else can reorganise and move on.
Well I guess the trade talks will fail if that is a sticking point. I don't expect the UK to give way on this point (thankfully). If they did then there would be another demand, than another etc.
The UK should be politely firm whilst standing with the EU on most issues - we do far more trade with them anyway.
If Starmer had any balls he'd tell them to piss off. Hopefully he doesn't believe he'd be able to get any such bollocks through Parliament. It would be ironic if a new trade agreement failed because of the USs red lines.
Not saying this isn't true but The Independent is not a reliable news source and has not been so for a long time. Since it stopped being "independent", in fact.
Mind you, Trump is still a nasty, bigoted, piece of shit...
No deal then. We’re in the UK look at the US and see you as 40 years behind, even though you lead so many things.
Your beef is full of steroids, your drinking water is often polluted, your cities don’t let pedestrians walk, your bread is full of corn sugar, everything is full of corn sugar. Your tech exploits the young… And Trump wants us to deny our brothers, sisters and others their love in exchange for a trade deal?
No thanks. We don’t want a trade deal. I like French 🇫🇷 wine, Italian 🇮🇹 coffee, German 🇩🇪 sausage, Belgian 🇧🇪 beer Spanish 🇪🇸 rice, Dutch 🇳🇱 pancakes, Irish 🇮🇪 lamb, British 🇬🇧 beer, Danish 🇩🇰 bacon, Greek 🇬🇷 yogurt, Cypriot 🇨🇾 halloumi, Canadian maple syrup and I could go on.
I love the US 🇺🇸. I do genuinely. But Trump can fuck off.
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No deal then. We’re in the UK look at the US and see you as 40 years behind, even though you lead so many things.
Your beef is full of steroids, your drinking water is often polluted, your cities don’t let pedestrians walk, your bread is full of corn sugar, everything is full of corn sugar. Your tech exploits the young… And Trump wants us to deny our brothers, sisters and others their love in exchange for a trade deal?
No thanks. We don’t want a trade deal. I like French 🇫🇷 wine, Italian 🇮🇹 coffee, German 🇩🇪 sausage, Belgian 🇧🇪 beer Spanish 🇪🇸 rice, Dutch 🇳🇱 pancakes, Irish 🇮🇪 lamb, British 🇬🇧 beer, Danish 🇩🇰 bacon, Greek 🇬🇷 yogurt, Cypriot 🇨🇾 halloumi, Canadian maple syrup and I could go on.
I love the US 🇺🇸. I do genuinely. But Trump can fuck off.
scuzz or slime seems to be to good a word to describe trump. I personally like Orange Pusbag. You're welcome to use the phase for as long as you want too.
This is straight up "don't criticize Dear Leader" that would be - and is -- directed at any Democrat regardless of their religious affinity.
Unless Mesuer said something explicit that's not included in the article, calling his comments "antisemitism" is inaccurate and, I would argue, counterproductive.
I take your point but the MAGA hat, to my mind, signifies antisemitism, racism, homophobia, transophia, et al. It doesn't need to be voiced; it's on the hat.
Not far from pre-1933 Nazi SA terror & street fights against Hitler's opponents. While in the U.S. the tyrant & chief psychopath already grabbed power to have bootlicking loyalists installed in strategically important government positions.
Before there was Smash Bros., the Sega Saturn had Keriotosse!, with a similar gameplay premise right down to a bunch of unlockable fighters. To expedite access to all those characters, Bo Bayles came up with an Action Replay code to unlock them all — read about it in Double Dime’s story:
Bo Bayles shared a very handy Action Replay code over the weekend that unlocks the remaining 15 fighters in the Saturn exclusive four-player fighter Keriotosse! This brings the fighters roster from…
it’s also really important to watch what they’re trying to pull in the state that you live in. I live in New Hampshire where the Republicans have a trifecta and since January the house bills that have been pouring in our straight out of project 2025. They’re the same thing that the Republicans are trying to do on a national level. And it’s not just New Hampshire, they’re doing it everywhere in all the states.
The only thing that has been saving us here is that we have the ability to oppose or support newly introduced house bills on line when they are presented in front of the committee, and then also when they go to the Senate.
We had an abortion ban we crushed with public comment on line and in person at committee. 10,000 people opposed it and only 800 supported it.
My favorite was when they tried an anti-education bill that would have removed a whole bunch of classes from public school classes like music and art and civics and personal finance. People said absolutely the fuck not.
By the time they opened that morning 30,000 p
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it’s also really important to watch what they’re trying to pull in the state that you live in. I live in New Hampshire where the Republicans have a trifecta and since January the house bills that have been pouring in our straight out of project 2025. They’re the same thing that the Republicans are trying to do on a national level. And it’s not just New Hampshire, they’re doing it everywhere in all the states.
The only thing that has been saving us here is that we have the ability to oppose or support newly introduced house bills on line when they are presented in front of the committee, and then also when they go to the Senate.
We had an abortion ban we crushed with public comment on line and in person at committee. 10,000 people opposed it and only 800 supported it.
My favorite was when they tried an anti-education bill that would have removed a whole bunch of classes from public school classes like music and art and civics and personal finance. People said absolutely the fuck not.
By the time they opened that morning 30,000 people had opposed it on line. They had to move the hearing because they were afraid even 10% of those people would show up. It was amazing the final count was like 64 in support and more than 30,000 opposed.
The sponsor should be embarrassed. People were so mad the school administrator he claimed asked for this contacted NHPR so they could run an article the next day calling the sponsor out on the lies. I don’t think that man will win his next election. They need to know their nonsense is not popular outside of facebook or gab or whatever.
And as much as I complain about the Democrats, they’ve sponsored some really good stuff. They are trying to increase minimum wage, they’re trying to increase the amount someone can get an unemployment, they’re trying to pass laws that say we have a right to clean air and clean water, they pretended they were trying to pass a bill for body autonomy and anti discrimination in medical care, but that was a scam to get support from childree people because that bill only gives body autonomy to people with specific reproductive diseases (specifically so trans people can’t use the bill to get care per the dem who sponsored it) so it’s important to support the good that some of them are trying to do. I really appreciated the pushback against the bad bills, it was shocking to see very few people had opinions about things like minimum wage.
(Sorry this is so long idk how to make it shorter without losing some of the sense of importance here)
In the early 1990s Texas Instruments PC Scheme for MS-DOS was my very first Lisp system. A few days ago I rediscovered and installed it on my Linux PC and you will believe what happened next.
In the early 1990s Texas Instruments PC Scheme for MS-DOS was my very first Lisp system. A few days ago I rediscovered and installed it on my Linux PC and you will believe what happened next.
My journey to Lisp began in the early 1990s. Over three decades later, a few days ago I rediscovered the first Lisp environment I ever used back then which contributed to my love for the language. Here it is, PC Scheme running under DOSBox-X on my Linux PC:
Using PC Scheme again brought back lots of great memories and made me reflect on what the environment taught me about Lisp and Lisp tooling.
As a Computer Science student at the University of Milan, Italy, around 1990 I took an introductory computers and programming class taught by Prof. Stefano Cerri. The textbook was the first edition of Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (SICP) and Texas Instruments PC Scheme for MS-DOS the recommended PC implementation. I installed PC Scheme under DR-DOS on a 20 MHz 386 Olidata laptop with 2 MB RAM and a 40 MB hard disk drive.
Prior to the class I had read about Lisp here and there but never played with the language. SICP and its use of Scheme as an elegant executable formalism instantly fascinated me. It was Lisp love at first sight.
The class covered the first three chapters of the book but I later read the rest on my own. I did lots of exercises using PC Scheme to write and run them.
Soon I became one with PC Scheme.
The environment enabled a tight development loop thanks to its Emacs-like EDWIN editor that was well integrated with the system. The Lisp awareness of EDWIN blew my mind as it was the first such tool I encountered. The editor auto-indented and reformatted code, matched parentheses, and supported evaluating expressions and code blocks. Typing a closing parenthesis made EDWIN blink the corresponding opening one and briefly show a snippet of the beginning of the matched expression.
Paying attention to the matching and the snippets made me familiar with the shape and structure of Lisp code, giving a visual feel of whether code looks syntactically right or off. Within hours of starting to use EDWIN the parentheses ceased to be a concern and disappeared from my conscious attention. Handling parentheses came natural. I actually ended up loving parentheses and the aesthetics of classic Lisp.
Parenthesis matching suggested me a technique for writing syntactically correct Lisp code with pen and paper. When writing a closing parenthesis with the right hand I rested the left hand on the paper with the index finger pointed at the corresponding opening parenthesis, moving the hands in sync to match the current code. This way it was fast and easy to write moderately complex code.
PC Scheme spoiled me and set the baseline of what to expect in a Lisp environment.
After the class I moved to PCS/Geneva, a more advanced PC Scheme fork developed at the University of Geneva. Over the following decades I encountered and learned Common Lisp, Emacs, Lisp, and Interlisp. These experiences cemented my passion for Lisp.
In the mid-1990s Texas Instruments released the executable and sources of PC Scheme. I didn't know it at the time, or if I noticed I long forgot. Until a few days ago, when nostalgia came knocking and I rediscovered the PC Scheme release.
I installed PC Scheme under the DOSBox-X MS-DOS emulator on my Linux Mint Cinnamon PC. It runs well and I enjoy going through the system to rediscover what it can do.
Playing with PC Scheme after decades of Lisp experience and hindsight on computing evolution shines new light on the environment.
I didn't fully realize at the time but the product packed an amazing value for the price. It cost $99 in the US and I paid it about 150,000 Lira in Italy. Costing as much as two or three texbooks, the software was affordable even to students and hobbyists.
PC Scheme is a rich, fast, and surprisingly capable environment with features such as a Lisp-aware editor, a good compiler, a structure editor and other tools, many Scheme extensions such as engines and OOP, text windows, graphics, and a lot more. The product came with an extensive manual, a thick book in a massive 3-ring binder I read cover to cover more than once. A paper on the implementation of PC Scheme sheds light on how good the system is given the platform constraints.
Using PC Scheme now lets me put into focus what it taught me about Lisp and Lisp systems: the convenience and productivity of Lisp-aware editors; interactive development and exploratory programming; and a rich Lisp environment with a vast toolbox of libraries and facilities — this is your grandfather's batteries included language.
Three decades after PC Scheme a similar combination of features, facilities, and classic aesthetics drew me to Medley Interlisp, my current daily driver for Lisp development.
Hey if anyone gets desperate and needs to do some crimes to survive, may I recommend looking for these designer trash bags on trash day to determine who will have piles of stuff to sell.
They won’t have any cash, people who buy stuff like this are living on credit cards. But they’ll have a whole bunch of stuff in their house. A lot of it will be worthless garbage, but they’ll have stuff to steal.
Hey if anyone gets desperate and needs to do some crimes to survive, may I recommend looking for these designer trash bags on trash day to determine who will have piles of stuff to sell.
They won’t have any cash, people who buy stuff like this are living on credit cards. But they’ll have a whole bunch of stuff in their house. A lot of it will be worthless garbage, but they’ll have stuff to steal.
And this isn’t unique to #target. When I was at the little market down the road I heard a woman in the frozen food section talking to one of the employees about how his boss is laughing at us because they left the regular price tag next to the sale price tag showing that we would save exactly one cent by taking advantage of the “sale“. (I love the employees who made the decision to leave the original price tag there though.)
I found out about this ridiculousness because YouTube showed me a video made by a woman who’s trying to tell us how to best score these items. 🤡 NO THANK YOU SCAMMERS NO THANK YOU.
And target must be getting desperate for some foot traffic because if you want that $10 strawberry bag charm that has no purpose at all except to hang off of your bag and get caught on things, you have to go into the store to get it. You can’t order it online so if you really want to waste your money you’re gonna have to go into the target store because that is “exclusive”.
I don’t know anything about Kate Spade other than how she died, but it seems really disrespectful to her life and talents to sell a garbage bag in her name.
Hi Amanda - I enjoy your writing and have pointed out repeatedly though, that the Salon Cookie policy is horrible and illegal in Europe.
I suspect you don’t actually visit Masto personally but just have a double posting bit doing it for you. Anyway - there’s no point in me following you just to see links I can’t and won’t open. So bye.
EBAY automatically opted all folks in to AI training.
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@martinmunthe Life long American here. Trust me, we *have* gulags here. I find my nationality deeply embarrassing. Those recently tariff afflicted penguins have more honor than most Americans. We're the "good Germans" of 1933 reborn. We will pay dearly for our failure to stand up to fascism. The blood they spill will be on our hands. And don't for a minute imagine they won't spill blood. They've already started.
@LevZadov @martinmunthe I've yet to see an "enlightened centrist" or right winger take a stance against the carceral system. But have met a lot of far left anti carceral activists. It's such a non thing, I barely ever see any leftist pretend the USSR was a great thing that had no flaws, and the gulags were definitely a part of that. But that isn't an inherent quality of the framework of leftism at all, and it's so intellectually dishonest to pretend it is.
SCOOP: YouTube removes 'gender identity' from hate speech policy. "YouTube quietly removing ‘gender identity and expression’ from its list of protected groups is a major radical shift away from best practices in the field of trust and safety." usermag.co/p/youtube-removes-g…
Under the list of examples of hate speech provided on YouTube’s policy site, the line “[Protected group status] is just a form of mental illness that needs to be cured,” was also removed. usermag.co/p/youtube-removes-g…
Just a few weeks ago, the governor of Iowa specifically removed “gender identity” from the state's anti-discrimination protections, becoming the first state to make such a change. usermag.co/p/youtube-removes-g…
Adding expression takes it a step further, meaning that while men still can't technically harass women or girls just for being female, they explicitly can harass them for not having long hair or wearing a dress, hijab, etc. And people, though most frequently that would probably be other men, can also freely harass men for not looking or acting macho enough.
They were always this way, now they just have liberty to be who they always were. They were this way when they were pretending, and now, we all have to decide if we are okay with this in our lives. The pandering is delightful, plus, we are gullible AF, all for the shiny. We get what we get, and it’ll get worse.
@danielberkman @werawelt @thedudeabides420 I wish there was a usable open source answer to YouTube. Peertube by it's decentralized nature unfortunately can't really provide the same thing.
I always thought there should be a public institution that just builds and maintains server farms to provide people resources to use for non-profit applications. Google-like infrastructure without the Google.
PeerTube accounts' followers don't need to be on PeerTube.
People on Mastodon can follow and interact with PeerTube accounts, so if you set up a PT account you can encourage your Mastodon followers to follow it too (fedi.tips/how-do-i-use-peertub…).
There's a simple thing youtube could have done: replace "gender identity" witth "identify of gender". Then DOGE's 20-something programmers using simple pattern matchers to scan websites will miss it. This can work: some years ago, wise-ass young Chinese referred to Kim Jong Un as Jin San Pang (Kim Three Fat in Mandarin) on social media. North Korea complained, so the phrase was banned. Then the wise guys used homonyms (different characters but the same pronunciation).
I know others are already saying this, but PLEASE folks start owning your content. Find a good #peertube instance or spin up your own. It integrates seamlessly with the #Fediverse.
@ozoned I’m gonna be an old and ask, where do I find info on peertube? Our search engines have been deprecated to the point of uselessness, so a link to how to use and how to create for peertube would be useful if you have any handy?
Best place is sepiasearch.org/ but it's honestly less than ideal. I'd state check out #peertube tags on your instance or even just go to Mastodon.Social and search tags there.
Also I've been asking Youtubers to support Peertube. Not getting a lot of traction, but every person that invests in themselves, hedges their bets, and puts their stuff on Peertube invests in all of us.
I might have misunderstood your question though MissConstrue. For finding out general info about Peertube: joinpeertube.org/
If that doesn't help, let me know. Maybe I can do a video on installing and configuring Peertube. I have a Peertube myself for my gaming videos, tech videos, and I do a Fedicast called Fireside Fedi.
A free software to take back control of your videos! With more than 600,000 hosted videos, viewed more than 70 millions times and 150,000 users, PeerTube is the decentralized free software alternative to videos platforms developed by Framasoft
@ozoned I tried before but does anyone...USE peertube? The instances were there but didn't seem worth using. I was going to try setting up torrents instead
The best idea I could come up with off the top of my head:
Ask if Mr. Beast would consider joining a group that is willing to go on strike to bring back protections for trans people.
I don't know if there are enough high-profit youtubers who support trans people to make up for all the money they're making off Joe Rogan. They might choose that it's okay to be a platform only for transphobes, like twitter did. But maybe???
Me in 2008 : I dont want people to know my real email(gmail) so ill create a fake one for all the spam and ads Me in 2025 : I dont want people to know my real email so ill type in my gmail for all the spam and ads
I suggest switching to PeerTube or at least mirroring your videos there, as elaborated on by @FediVideo. cuddly.tube is a good starter instance with unlimited storage IMO, it even lets you sync over your YT content (including old videos, not just as videos are published)
YouTube has been toxic ever since Google took possession of it and increasingly over time. I feel sorry for those whose income depends upon their activities on YouTube, but we need to build or find a better venue because YouTube is not serving us well. Any of us!
If all this means is that you don't get in trouble for calling someone by pronouns based on actual sex (the "traditional" way) rather than by their claimed gender, then that's a good thing.
Of course, this is hypocrisy and it should rightfully be called out—but the problem here is: Ted Cruz can say "Okay, call me Edward from now on then", but many #trans and #nonbinary people cannot
The year is #2025, the war on Ukraine has been going on 3 years, and after decades of attrition and austerity, some sh!tstain just tanked the whole economy and brought back fascism, and this account still works more wonders for my #mentalhealth than most professional services I’ve paid for over the years.
Thank you, Skeletor, for reminding me that I HAVE THE POWER
Fuck I need to write blog post about it. I feel lile #MAGA and far rights do not understand that "#law" is not something written by #politicians. Its something people believe in and respect.
Once you fuck around with people who have nothing to loose you will see that they dont respect law anymore.
No matter how many white policemans you will put on the streets. People will uprise and you won't stop them with guns.
"Have you ever wondered why your printer is always out of yellow ink, even when you print only in black and white? There's a reason why this always happens."
"Typically, each time you print, your printer creates a series of dots all over your printed paper using only the yellow ink. They're small and hard to spot with the naked eye, but they're much easier to see with a black light."
"Every single time you click print, it does this. It's why you're always out of yellow ink, and it's why your printer refuses to work even when you're only printing in black and white. It's a requirement for your printer to work."
"These dots work kind of like the way a QR code does. It essentially creates a picture with information, metadata, embedded in the way the dots are arranged."
Also, I really love writing these posts and I work really hard on them. If you appreciate my writing, maybe consider a free subscription to my newsletter via email or RSS. 💜✨
One thing you didn't mention (or I missed) is that this tracking is in place only for *colour* printers. So a monochrome laser printer is likely to be safer.
The reason for these dots in the first place was that governments (even non-facist ones) were concerned about easy counterfeit money, which is only a problem with colour printers.
So, second-hand airgapped B&W laser printer with a nice random stippled background on your poster.
So, I do address this in the full post on the website. Yes, the yellow dots are only with color printers; however, as I mention, it's likely that they have implemented other tracking ability by other means with B&W printers, such as through variations in laser intensity or within the greyscale, etc.
That being said, I mention the second-hand printer, but getting a B&W one second-hand is likely a safer bet. And I love the idea of the stippled background, especially if you can use some of the same ink that is used in the printer. Even better!! I *love* the stippled background idea-- I will add this idea to the website! -- do you mind if I cite you or would you prefer to go unmentioned?
@suetanvil I've been wondering for years if there's any hard evidence re whether current generation black-ink-only printers do, or don't, do this. The original overt purpose of the yellow dots was to deter *counterfeiting* of paper money, and there's no plausible argument that anyone could pass black-and-white facsimiles of (current design) paper money as the real thing, so that *might* mean printer manufacturers were never asked to implement watermarking in their B&W products. And I've never heard of anyone *discovering* any watermarks in B&W printer output and the yellow dots are blatant enough that I feel like any B&W equivalent would also have been caught by now.
Without hard evidence either way, though, my feels are not something to rely on.
@zwol @suetanvil Yeah, I hadn't heard that about counterfeiting. I'm not sure the overt reasoning of it in this sense is anything more than a simplistic justification for what was already just a massive spying program for all sorts of reasons. And the fact that it was done in secret and at the massive expense of consumers (ink costs) and other issues just feels too much like it's still difficult to justify it on that basis. Plus, there have got to be a lot better ways of counterfeiting than an inkjet printer.
But yeah, similar to you, I think it's *possible* the B&W stuff hasn't been implemented, it's just that I don't think it's realistic, and like you imply, it's just not *safe* to rely on the mere possibility that the government didn't bother when we already know the lengths they go.
That being said, it actually did take a while for people to catch on to the inkjet yellow
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@zwol @suetanvil Yeah, I hadn't heard that about counterfeiting. I'm not sure the overt reasoning of it in this sense is anything more than a simplistic justification for what was already just a massive spying program for all sorts of reasons. And the fact that it was done in secret and at the massive expense of consumers (ink costs) and other issues just feels too much like it's still difficult to justify it on that basis. Plus, there have got to be a lot better ways of counterfeiting than an inkjet printer.
But yeah, similar to you, I think it's *possible* the B&W stuff hasn't been implemented, it's just that I don't think it's realistic, and like you imply, it's just not *safe* to rely on the mere possibility that the government didn't bother when we already know the lengths they go.
That being said, it actually did take a while for people to catch on to the inkjet yellow dots, and also took even longer to crack the cryptography, so I do think it's very possible that there could be patterns we're just not seeing. I don't know how many people are actually working on solving this riddle, and if black lights and yellow dots take that long to expose to the public, I have no idea how long it would take to expose subtle shifts in laser printing, especially if researchers aren't super focused on it.
@suetanvil looks kinda like this- the advantage black and white printers have over colour is they usually have higher dot density, so there’s smaller scales they can hide patterns in
@suetanvil hey and this isn’t even very technology either. there’s these amazing things called microdots that can encode data into the microscopic plastic dust embedded into the paper itself. even if you nail the printing process they can still nail you with your paper supply
This is a good point, too. I've considered that if I were to do some of this, trying to source old paper, reclaimed paper, etc., or even specialty paper from small suppliers, paid in cash, etc.
Obviously older and reclaimed paper helps with environmental concerns, too. And possibly cheaper.
I think reclaimed things just generally will always be more likely to add obscurity.
@bri_seven @suetanvil (it is also very easy to encode data in dither patterns when the input contains any gray levels (or by interpreting pure black and white input to introduce them))
@suetanvil haha, love it. I'm sure it's on a lot of people's minds right now. Yeah, I shared that same tool on my post. I think it's cool. But like this post mentions, I worry a little about the arms-race of it all. I think your stipple idea, especially with the same ink, is likely to be safer, probably especially if used in combination with tools like these.
One thing I want to point out is that even if there’s no tracking dots, old tech usually has quirks that if you get raided, a flyer, printout, etc. could be confirmed as coming from that machine. Similarly for anything hand made like a print block. Unless it’s used and then discarded, if raided, it can be used to confirm that the flyer, artwork, etc was produced with that block.
It’s harder for gov agencies, but they can still be traced
@mira Thanks, Mira! I do try to highlight that a couple times in the full piece on the website.
Yeah, there's definitely a risk.
The way I look at it is that if you were hypothetically to print something spicy on a new printer, it points directly to you. If you were to use stencils and make a spicy poster, they have to suspect you first, and then they can find ways to confirm that suspicion, which is significantly more friction, work, effort, expertise, etc., and if nothing else, they then have to do a cost-benefit analysis to determine if it's worth it to go after you. If you're already pointing to yourself, though, they don't have to do any work because you've basically turned yourself in already.
It's really important to bring up those risks. But at the same time, sometimes risks have to be taken, and hopefully by combining methods, in the right situation, it's enough to stay safe.
@burnitdown @mira Build the Linotype, yes! But donate it to your public library or makerspace and get it good and widely used before you do anything subversive yourself.
So my question would be: if you don't want to be tracked via those yellow dots, couldn't you just run it through a black and white copier afterwards? It wouldn't be able to reproduce the colors.
@FrugalGamer I discuss this in the full piece on the website. The answer is maybe-- but only if you believe that they haven't embedded a different mode of tracking in the black and white, something which is very possible, and if I were making a threat assessment, I wouldn't trust it.
Possibly. But there's no reason why they wouldn't implement this in every one, either. As I mention in the big piece, there are other ways of doing it beyond the yellow ink. That was discovered and deciphered more than 20 years ago. There are lots of ways to do it.
The better question is, do you feel confident in any of them *not* to broadcast tracking info?
@vxo that's a good question. As for monochrome, it's more complicated because monochrome laser is *suspected* but not proven to have metadata embedded. I did link to an EFF page on the piece on my website-- I used it to cite that they stopped updating color printers they thought were safe up until 2017, but I didn't read much of the rest of the outdated info, but might give you insight into the past?
@vxo not that I'm planning to print anything particularly spicy, and I get that stencils or print rollers would be safest, but I was wondering the level of anonymity* with a combination of printing on 2014 BW laser printer (no WiFi capabilities) using "compatible" unbranded toner + photocopies done at local copy shop without surveillance cameras, cash payment.
* Understanding that nothing can ensure 100% anonymity - as testified by recent incident of journo added to signal chat
@Ann_in_a I have the feeling it's pretty good on those machines, especially if it was obtained through difficult to trace means (like you thrifted it or bought it from a recycler)
Yeah, I have a feeling that the copy store would actually make things worse for yourself in this respect. Here's why. If I wanted to catch you, here's what I would do.
* Get dots (or other identification marker) from your poster * Match it with my database of dots from other posters in the area and get a match with a bake sale poster * Either triangulate or even easier, ask the local bake sale where they got their copies made. * Stakeout/position camera * Cuffs
On the other hand, having the printer under your control makes it less difficult to triangulate or match, etc.
and let's add: don't use a typewriter (and if you do anything manually by hand, think of fingerprints, DNA evidence, etc.)
The Stasi, East Germany's secret police, used to specialise in tracking the little oddities each typewriter had – spacing slightly off, chipped corners in letters, etc. – and trace them back to individual activists. All it would take for a modern oppressive regime to trace a certain poster back to you is to suspect you and compare the poster or zine with your typewriter.
@amberage So, yes, and I do actually bring this up in the piece. The FBI has those records in the US and would do the same thing.
The difference, of course, being that with the printer, your printed piece points directly to you. With the typewriter, they have to suspect you first, and they need some way of linking it to you. It's a similar risk to buying an old second-hand printer with cash. It still has identifying info, but not enough context to point. But if found, it could definitely be used to corroborate the evidence as a match.
oh oops, my bad. I'm so used to ignoring little boxes in texts (usually it's "other people also read/bought: X") that I read straight past the typewriter bit. Sorry 😅
This is something I've been wondering about for zinemaking purposes, it is not trivial to get a hold of a mimeograph in this day and age, and this article contains a pretty handy list of options.
It's not even something I'm just considering for radical political purposes, I'm just getting so tired of seeing fandom projects that bills themselves as zines when they are really fanmade artbooks that cost 20+ dollars and have editorial standards that'd make a catholic literary magazine seem permissive and I'd like to show them how it's done.
@Owlor Totally understand. Security issues aside-- I otherwise like the spirit of people using copy machines, printers, etc., for non-radical stuff because it's still that use-whatcha-got attitude, but at the same time, it's definitely a different vibe than the older stuff. And that doesn't even touch on the editorial standard feel you mention.
It's great to feel that rough and raw feeling from a zine. It feels like that's what it *should* be. But then if I get into feelings of *should* then I've turned the spirit of it on its head.
That aside, while what you said is true, it's not trivial to find a mimeograph machine, it *is* possible, and generally for not a wild amount of money. Some of the bigger issues aren't the machines, but needing to maintain it yourself without access to parts (luckily they are relatively simple machines), and lack of stencils, and needing to make your own.
But the paint can roller is really cool and so is the frame style, and the stencils are les
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@Owlor Totally understand. Security issues aside-- I otherwise like the spirit of people using copy machines, printers, etc., for non-radical stuff because it's still that use-whatcha-got attitude, but at the same time, it's definitely a different vibe than the older stuff. And that doesn't even touch on the editorial standard feel you mention.
It's great to feel that rough and raw feeling from a zine. It feels like that's what it *should* be. But then if I get into feelings of *should* then I've turned the spirit of it on its head.
That aside, while what you said is true, it's not trivial to find a mimeograph machine, it *is* possible, and generally for not a wild amount of money. Some of the bigger issues aren't the machines, but needing to maintain it yourself without access to parts (luckily they are relatively simple machines), and lack of stencils, and needing to make your own.
But the paint can roller is really cool and so is the frame style, and the stencils are less complicated to make. And they're not *that* slow, especially for the types of projects most zine makers would want to use them for. There's a lot of flexibility in the process for those in ways they're not flexible for the machine. I think it's somewhat a toss-up. Regardless of the options chosen, they all seem to be really fun.
I've been digging into this recently after buying a much higher quality color inkjet printer than I had before, and I haven't found any evidence that these dots are printed by inkjets. The EFF site you link to very clearly says it's talking about laser printers, which are higher resolution than inkjets and therefore more likely to be used for counterfeiting, the original justification for the tracking.
That said, if people are not comfortable with taking the risk their printer may identify them then they shouldn't. It's my own worry about it that's had me looking into it myself.
@theotherbrook Yes, it's a similar point to monochrome printers and whether or not they are transmitting metadata. You're right about the EFF piece, although I didn't intend for it to be understood as comprehensive, just illustrative.
I think there is a potential issue with the bleed on an inkjet with regards to dots. However, there are still methods and incentives enough to assume that if your threat model demands it, then I wouldn't trust any printer or copier, essentially.
Interestingly enough, the Wikipedia page on it actually links to a 2006 paper discussing research into making it more viable for monochrome and inkjets, etc.
Yeah, like you said, it's a matter of what risks does a person want to take? What is their threat model? Because for most things, none of this matters in the slightest, but when it does matter, then a person has to decide what it means for them.
Yeah. I've made a few stickers that I handed out to people. Nothing that I think would warrant going to the effort of tracing but it does make me wonder about my printer. It uses ink reservoirs that I believe are all the same and I've thought about switching the red and yellow just to see if I can spot any dots.
@theotherbrook Yeah, see, that's perfect. There's printing radical stuff and then there's printing *radical* stuff. And obviously, what is truly *radical* (and dangerous to print) is likely to shift.
There's nothing wrong with having both. There's nothing wrong with using a printer. It's just that it's dangerous to use *under the wrong circumstances*, most of which most people will never have to worry about, and wouldn't even necessarily be the bulk of most printer jobs today. But it's definitely a good time to prepare for that eventually if you live under an increasingly oppressive regime.
great read and awesome information. With all the access exploits around printers and tracking potential from hidden dots, it is time to get an offset printing press.
@Pink_black_insr Thank you! And that's definitely a great option! (At least in my opinion, please don't blame me if I'm wrong and you get caught printing something spicy, lol)
fwiw it's not true that all color printers do this, my understanding is that it's largely only color laser printers that do — that's what the EFF page says. if you know of anyone who's found inkjet printers that do this, i would love to know about it, but i haven't found that.
@alive Yes, someone brought this up, and it's similar to the monochrome issue. The thing is, there are other ways of embedding information, which I mention in the piece. The EFF citation was meant to be illustrative, not comprehensive. The dots are simply the only proven ones *so far*, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been happening in other ways. So, a person has to decide based on their own threat models what is worth it or not.
I also mentioned that even the Wikipedia page on this topic has a link to a 2006 pdf at Purdue concerning research into other methods of embedding this information in other ways.
well, "but in 2017 they stopped doing so, believing all color printers actually do have the capability" is simply incorrect, you should at least fix that to be factually accurate.
imo spreading fear about types of surveillance that are theoretically possible but elaborate to implement and there isn't any evidence is actually happening in practice is counterproductive.
also, it's factually incorrect that these dots played a role in the Reality Winner case, printers are only involved in that she used a work printer that maintained a log of every document printed and who printed it.
@alive you're right, I'll fix that wording. Thank you.
I don't believe it's counterproductive to highlight an issue that I do believe is likely, and yes, is a huge risk for people who might print radical content under an oppressive regime. I fail to see how highlighting this issue would be *counter* productive. This isn't about fear from printing *anything*, or using a printer at all, it's only under specific circumstances where people would need to be aware of heightened risks where they fear being taken by secret police in the middle of the day to be taken to an enslavement concentration camp in El Salvador for the words they print-- a risk that increases day by day.
I thought I double-checked the Reality Winner case, I'll double-check and edit in that case. I do remember there was more than the dots, but I did believe the dots played a role.
the reason this seems counterproductive to me is that it is hyperbolic about the capabilities of the state with regard to tracing printers, while not discussing other risks that imo are more significant. for instance, you don't discuss physical fingerprints and dna, which i think are much more likely to get people traced than digital fingerprints generated by printers (except in the case of color laser printers, which very few people use, since they're so expensive). distribution channels are also a huge factor, distroing paper stuff in ways that are truly anonymous is really difficult, and the security considerations there depend a lot on the specifics of what's being distributed and the threat model. in general, i think it's irresponsible to provide security advice for a general audience that doesn't discuss threat modelling with examples.
most people are not going to get and use a mimeograph or a printing press, and discouraging people from using printers for fear of digital fingerprinting means that people will be scared
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thanks for fixing that and looking into it.
the reason this seems counterproductive to me is that it is hyperbolic about the capabilities of the state with regard to tracing printers, while not discussing other risks that imo are more significant. for instance, you don't discuss physical fingerprints and dna, which i think are much more likely to get people traced than digital fingerprints generated by printers (except in the case of color laser printers, which very few people use, since they're so expensive). distribution channels are also a huge factor, distroing paper stuff in ways that are truly anonymous is really difficult, and the security considerations there depend a lot on the specifics of what's being distributed and the threat model. in general, i think it's irresponsible to provide security advice for a general audience that doesn't discuss threat modelling with examples.
most people are not going to get and use a mimeograph or a printing press, and discouraging people from using printers for fear of digital fingerprinting means that people will be scared off from distributing paper media in general, even if that isn't your intention.
@alive I'll consider these thoughts, but I think most people are aware of fingerprints and they're aware of how it can be difficult to distribute something without get caught due to camera surveillance, etc., if for no other reason than the fact that most people have seen TV and movies. I don't think that people are generally aware that their printed pages give info that points directly at them.
I don't think the risk is insignificant when it comes to other types of printers-- I believe it highly likely that other methods are implemented, likely enough to take precaution if you have a high enough risk level and they are printing risky enough stuff. Moreover, there are solutions and approaches presented that do not involve mimeographs-- I present the other approaches that make it safer to use printers first. And for the record-- I do mention the significance of a threat model in this post and in others I've written.
I take to heart the accusation that I am irresponsible-- more
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@alive I'll consider these thoughts, but I think most people are aware of fingerprints and they're aware of how it can be difficult to distribute something without get caught due to camera surveillance, etc., if for no other reason than the fact that most people have seen TV and movies. I don't think that people are generally aware that their printed pages give info that points directly at them.
I don't think the risk is insignificant when it comes to other types of printers-- I believe it highly likely that other methods are implemented, likely enough to take precaution if you have a high enough risk level and they are printing risky enough stuff. Moreover, there are solutions and approaches presented that do not involve mimeographs-- I present the other approaches that make it safer to use printers first. And for the record-- I do mention the significance of a threat model in this post and in others I've written.
I take to heart the accusation that I am irresponsible-- more deeply than you know on a topic like this, where I've been subject to life-altering consequences (positive and negative) due to OPSEC failures by others. To that point, I'll consider your perspective as best I can.
However, my current feelings are that I don't think that people need to have the full picture in one single post which is already almost 2500 words-- it belongs in the context of the other pieces I write and that they can find elsewhere by other authors and experts.
I believe that people have to build on their OPSEC knowledge by building upon what they know one piece at a time, and implementing each piece when they know it. This is because most OPSEC work isn't about obscurity and anonymity, which is all but impossible given time and resources. OPSEC is generally about *friction*, about making the cost too high to be tracked.
By switching their approach from a printer that is either guaranteed or likely to broadcast their exact whereabouts, they have increased the friction significantly. How to go undetected by CCTV or cell phone triangulation or whatever is a totally different topic and many different posts, and I don't think that anyone should be expected to include all of that in one single essay bringing exposure to the topic.
there’s always a work around . By which I mean you can either tear out your hair with comp fuckery or you can teach yourself how to use an old school type manual printer. Oh, you didn’t know they still made them? They do, all levels,all prices. Analog should be a good friend. Now let’s talk about surveillance cameras.
Is it weird to anyone else that there isn't a strong community developed open source 2d printer project? It's one of the most familiar touchstones where everyone recognizes enshittification, they're literally snitching on their owners while picking their pockets, and even beyond that, they're constant sources of frustration because they work so poorly. I don't personally have the technical knowhow, but I'm POSITIVE the maker community does!
@TheGreatLlama Good point. I debated whether or not to include this as an option. There *are* some projects, but unless I was looking in the wrong places, none of them seemed so great. Then again, it's not like we have great open source laptops and phones, either, so idk.
I'm sad that everyone is missing the distinction between "at least some printers encode identifying information that will bring the cops to your doorstep" and "just about any printing method can tie you to the printed output if the printing method is found in your possession by the cops and compared to the output." The latter risk has existed since the printing press was invented and the solution is just as old: burn/destroy the type or the press after the subversive print run.
My own theory-crafted favorite printing device for subversives is a late-20th century IBM Wheelwriter daisywheel printer. They were sold in huge quantities, they're still fairly easy to find, buy, and repair, it's not that hard to kludge them to a modern computer, and the print wheels are common enough that you could pitch/replace one after a sensitive print job.
Although I feel as if I should make token statement that, in the age of rising fascism, making it harder for the cops to absolutely PROVE that you are the weirdo that did the subversive publication matters a whole lot less than it does under normal circumstances when they still need to more or less convince a jury to a more or less beyond a reasonable doubt standard. If they're just gonna black bag you anyway because you're a weirdo with weird printers, well, print lustily I guess!
I'm not going to try, it's not worth the risk, but this is making me wonder how sensitive the yellow dot readers are and what would happen if you printed on yellow paper
Option 1: Buy the cheapest disposable one at Walmart with cash. Wear an N-95 mask if you want to be super paranoid.
Option 2: Buy used on Craigslist or at the thrift store.
Used inkjets are likely to be clogged. A lot of thrift stores won't even carry inkjets because they had too many people demanding refunds. Used laser printers usually work, and you can test in the store.
You have a burner phone. You need a burner printer.
you're an absolute darling for putting this together 💜 save's me from making it and you put in so many explainers that's comprehensive but still easy to understand.
Laser printers put a pattern of charge onto a roller, which then collects toner, or transfers the charge to a film which collects toner. So if the roller were not holding a charge, or had a pattern of charge other than that intended by the attacker, the yellow dot message would be harder to read.
I once saw a Brother where two of the toner cartridges had been swapped. The transposition of colours was amusing.
I suppose yellow paper is available, but the toner would show.
Great post, and maybe look into risograph? I'm in the UK and here you can get a refurbed Riso for about £1000 which would make you a one man radical printing press with the chicest pamphlets and zines available
@Talia oh wow! I thought risographs were more expensive than that. I do know that in the mimeograph community people use riso paper with tattoo thermal printers (or thermal fax machine) to make stencils, so there's also kind of some crossover, too.
great post on printers, if a little depressing. I've always wondered if there is such a thing as an open source, assemble it yourself printer, like some 3d printer projects ?
Is it weird to anyone else that there isn't a strong community developed open source 2d printer project? It's one of the most familiar touchstones where everyone recognizes enshittification, they're literally snitching on their owners while picking their pockets, and even beyond that, they're constant sources of frustration because they work so poorly. I don't personally have the technical knowhow, but I'm POSITIVE the maker community does!
I just heard that a cryptography professor at Indiana University had his house raided and was fired. Don’t know much more. heraldtimesonline.com/story/ne…
He has always been a hard-working play by the rules colleague. I do not know what he is charged with. I am not confident that he is being provided full due process for a named chair by the University. I may be wrong, but I do not have the information that would provide that confidence right now.
He has been an excellent colleague for 20+ years. Being under investigation is not a crime. I have been asking for information. I do not have it. Unless he is found guilty in a court of law or I get significantly more information, I would like to say I am standing with him. But I do not know how to. So right now, I will say that I have been proud to have been his colleague for two decades. I do not even know if he is still my colleague? He is on administrative leave.
I can not say he is not getting due process - clearly there was a warrant issued. I do not know what is happening.
There is nothing more patriotic in America than demanding transparency in justice and due process, except possibly the notion of innocence until proven guilty.
He has always been a hard-working play by the rules colleague. I do not know what he is charged with. I am not confident that he is being provided full due process for a named chair by the University. I may be wrong, but I do not have the information that would provide that confidence right now.
He has been an excellent colleague for 20+ years. Being under investigation is not a crime. I have been asking for information. I do not have it. Unless he is found guilty in a court of law or I get significantly more information, I would like to say I am standing with him. But I do not know how to. So right now, I will say that I have been proud to have been his colleague for two decades. I do not even know if he is still my colleague? He is on administrative leave.
I can not say he is not getting due process - clearly there was a warrant issued. I do not know what is happening.
There is nothing more patriotic in America than demanding transparency in justice and due process, except possibly the notion of innocence until proven guilty.
@ljean @adamshostack Your other reply is showing under your Posts and Replies tab from your profile, but not on this thread (or at least not with Mastodon « official » app—I know, I should use a different Mastodon app)
He has always been a hard-working play by the rules colleague. I do not know what he is charged with. I am not confident that he is being provided full due process for a named chair by the University. I may be wrong, but I do not have the information that would provide that confidence right now.
He has been an excellent colleague for 20+ years. Being under investigation is not a crime. I have been asking for information. I do not have it. Unless he is found guilty in a court of law or I get significantly more information, I would like to say I am standing with him. But I do not know how to. So right now, I will say that I have been proud to have been his colleague for two decades. I do not even know if he is still my colleague? He is on administrative leave.
I can not say he is not getting due process - clearly there was a warrant issued. I do not know what is happening.
There is nothing more patriotic in America than demanding transparency in justice and due process, except possibly the notion of innocence until proven guilty.
@ljean Has anyone been in contact? I hear he’s been missing for two weeks and his students can’t reach him. How does this not get noticed for two weeks???
James H. Rudy Professor of Computer Science, Indiana University at Bloomington - Cited by 18.286 - AI-Centered Security - Systems Security and Privacy - Healthcare Privacy - Incentive Engineering
Is it normal for a university to memory hole a former professor's pages? I thought the norm was to keep scholarship present, but possibly mark it as an inactive page.
@adamshostack This is the part that's especially concerning. We don't know what the arrest was about (and whether it was even for a crime or an immigration matter), but it's hard to imagine what reason there could be for the university to scrub its website as if he never worked there.
Either the government put pressure on them or the university was involved in whatever it was about.
@mattblaze If only they had a literature department, something like this might come to mind:
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man As modest stillness and humility: But when the blast of war blows in our ears, Then imitate the action of the tiger; Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood...
@cigitalgem @mattblaze @adamshostack Be strategic in your questions. They're *not* going to tell you what's going on, nor will they say if it's a traditional “spying for China" investigation. They may be willing to say if the situation is related to the current ICE nonsense. No idea if they'll explain why they memory-holed his web page, etc.
@SteveBellovin @cigitalgem @adamshostack If I understand correctly, there is still no public information (from anyone) about his status or whereabouts. He could be in custody, a fugitive, kidnapped, or simply missing.
If there's a criminal case associated with any of this, I can't find it in the docket for the Southern District of Indiana (or the DC or Eastern VA Districts, either, which are also venues for this sort of case).
It's possible that I missed something (damn you, PACER search), that it's not yet listed, or that it's still under seal. Or that there's no case filed.
I should also note that there seems to be essentially no confirmation of anything, and the rapid pace at which this is moving suggests quite a bit that's yet to be explained.
- Accepting a tenured job elsewhere, failure to disclose grants, etc, all can be grounds for involuntary revocation of tenure, but that process is lengthy.
- A professor voluntarily resigning to go elsewhere isn't usually kept secret.
@adamshostack @noplasticshower @SteveBellovin @cigitalgem @spaf And while accepting foreign research grants can, under some circumstances, constitute fraud (e.g., against funding agencies), that's complicated, and criminal charges would generally be accompanied by press releases, etc.
In short, while it's possible to speculate, none of the speculation matches the currently known facts particularly well.
@adamshostack @noplasticshower @SteveBellovin @cigitalgem @spaf Once again, there is absolutely no publicly available information sufficient to support any conclusions here. And some of the speculation is of the form "Oh, he's of Chinese origin? I know what it must be!". In other words, racist.
Maybe he's a spy. Maybe he's a serial killer. Maybe he's suffering amnesia and wandering around in some desert. We just don't know yet.
Professor Alex Tanford, president of the American Association of University Professors Bloomington chapter, got access to communications between Wang and IU administrators.
@cigitalgem @adamshostack @mattblaze @SteveBellovin @violetblue "Their legal team is not currently aware of any pending criminal charges against them, and while the couple’s attorneys have viewed a search warrant from the Department of Justice, Covert says they have not received a copy of the affidavit establishing probable cause."
@mattblaze @adamshostack I’ve seen that sort of approach once or twice before in cases of egregious academic fraud - falsified research kind of stuff. That’s about it.
@adamshostack Yeah, this is the most bizarre thing. Maybe the Professor was accused of spying and got arrested, or maybe he's being unfairly prosecuted - we don't know. But in either case, why did the University remove his page?!
Update to this story: I’ve now heard reports that Wang’s students have been unable to contact him since mid-March. His website was taken down on the 19th.
There’s a very weird situation developing at the Indiana University. It’s a case where there are lots of red flags but mostly a lack of information. I’ll try to…
I don't know these people, but I do know that fascists run the FBI and the Homeland Gestapo, so I tend to believe this is regular fascist racism and not a legitimate legal action.
Sorry, but I see no reason to believe anything this administration says.
Wang has a history of coauthoring papers with academics working and studying at sensitive universities, on sensitive topics. I hope this isn't the beginning of an inhuman dragnet.
@hovav So I say sensitive and it definitely understates Wang's contributions to computer science - his h-index alone puts him within the 80th percentile of researchers. It's hard to be influential and prolific without some of your work being sensitive
In 2023-2024 alone, he specialized in confidential computing, info leaks, and exploitation. There isn't a singular answer which sticks out.
Some of his research (e.g. Wang et al 2024) is with coauthors based at China Academy of Science institutions which have been subject to some major scrutiny. I don't think this alone has been cause for concern in the past, but who knows these days.
It's possible he was considering changing employment, perhaps to a PRC university, and that alone is enough to trigger a major investigation. I consider this a chilling effect that will cause more brain drain. I don't blame anyone for getting perturbed by that level of suspicion.
Or it's possible that some more precedented kind of misappropriation or breach occurred. That would be a shame.
confidential computing, info leaks, and exploitation
Color me confused. Those are mainstream topics in systems security research, published at the mainstream academic security conferences. I work on many of the same topics and publish at the same venues [cs.utexas.edu/~hovav/publicati…]; is my research "sensitive"?
The multiplication made sure that the driving parts of the formula behaves differently as far as the folding properties of the planar surface is concerned. 🤣
The disadvantage of this method is, that it takes a certain effort and time to implement. But it works pretty well. 👍
@yours_truly @number6 it is the only drinking vessel where I think it is not only appropriate, but also reasonable to use a straw not only to drink, but also to fill it
#ALT4you "billionnaire cofounder of airbnb joe gebbia has joined musk's doge team, so let's spread awareness and make sure nobody books a goddamn thing through airbnb ever again, shall we?". written on a billboard, atop a busy road, a group of people seem to be protesting on the sidewalk.
@wordmark Worth noting that Booking.com sometimes has months-long "technical issues" preventing them from paying hotel operators who use they're platform, tho strangely they don't have any "technical issues" taking money from customers
As Israel deploys tanks in the West Bank for the first time in 20 years, we reveal how two of the world’s biggest travel companies are helping settlers commercialise stolen land
Meanwhile. JD Vance and his wife spent only three hours in Greenland during a visit—entirely on a U.S. military base. Protests and a full business boycott forced them to leave, as locals refused to serve or admit them anywhere.
@X31Andy @TimWardCam I can tell you for a fact that's not what he took away from this. That version of comprehension would require having a spine....and working brain cells.
@TimWardCam Haha, are you kidding? You think any of these crazies gives 1 cent about "some fuel". These fuckers would burn down every forest on Earth if they thought it would make them more powerful.
@TimWardCam if we don't get this autocratic shit under control, there will be no stopping global warming. Stopping Trump's autocratic power grab is more important than any other issue.
Let's be clear. #Vance did not visit #Greenland, because he realized he'd be met with protests if he did. He flew to #Pituffik Air Base (which I'm sure he wants to rename back to Thule Air Base, as an insult to the locals), met some US troops stationed there, and slinkered back to DC like the coward he is.
I read some very funny posts about the Vance's. Seems quite clear that there is very little respect for Vance, for the position of Vice President or for the US itself under Trump. "JD & Usha Vance are the kind of trashy people who crash a party after being told repeatedly that they were not invited and not welcome." yahoo.com/news/jd-vance-ruthle…
@QuantumAspect To be fair, “i’ll be a dictator on day one” and “they’re eating the cats and dogs” was how they got elected, so maybe its time for the rest of us to arm up and be open to their very unique form of mental disorder (to isolate it and neutralize it, of course).
@Sanderde @QuantumAspect @gemelliz Unfortunately, most Austrians did welcome the Nazis and didn't mind being part of Germany. No fun being communist or social democrat though.
No doubt there were many Austrians that wanted to become part of Germany (like some Canadians want to become the 51st state).
However, under pressure from pro-union activists there was a referendum held that was not secret ballot and therefore open to threats and coercion that resulted in a 99.7% vote for acceptance.
The Catholic Church was against it, then Cardinal Theodor Innitzer was assaulted and made a statement in support.
@nichni @Sanderde @QuantumAspect @gemelliz Hitler was from Austria. Would Austrians see it as Germany annexing Austria or Austria annexing Germany?
Perhaps the people in Greenland would see things differently if a Greenlander had assumed power in the US and wanted to unite the US with his home country?
@leeloo @Sanderde @QuantumAspect @gemelliz Correct, I had forgotten that part. Also bear in mind that Austria must have been in a kind of existential crisis after the loss of the Empire after World War 1.
@Sanderde @QuantumAspect @gemelliz It reminds me of a scene in Casablanca. Rick and Ilsa and Sam are drinking the last of the champagne while the Nazis are coming into the city. The Germans make an announcement (in German) and Ilsa explains that they're telling the people how to act when the Nazis show up the next day.
And if you can’t be sure you’ll get an admiring crowd:
“The Trump campaign paid a contractor who then hired a subcontractor, Extra Mile Casting, to provide services [actors] at the 16 June 2015 rally where Donald Trump announced he would run for U.S. president.”
@Sanderde @QuantumAspect @gemelliz Yeah, Austrians are still embarrassed about that. But, after all, Hitler was at least Austrian by birth. The Vances do not really look like Greenlanders to me ...
Good! The notion that people should offer hospitality to would-be invaders is ridiculous. Only an out-of-touch would-be autocrat could expect anything other than hostility.
And still he persists in the lies he has been serving during this visit. Enough is enough. He has no shame. Same lies he was spreading in Munich. Vile and evil…
Great value for the American people! Send your fucking *VP* half way around the world for fuck all, other than to piss off some local folks. The best value....
"JD Vance and his wife spent only three hours in Greenland during a visit—entirely on a U.S. military base. Protests and a full business boycott forced them to leave, as locals refused to serve or admit them anywhere."
Well, Vance did come across as a mafia underboss. In response to "Will you use military force?" he didn't say no. Just "we are hopeful the people of Greenland will wecome us."
They and the cult in charge of US only want the minerals in the underground of #Greenland 🇬🇱 Wance hate #diversity so why take over a new group of people? And how is life for the Inuits in #Alaska? Not good at all.
The people of Greenland are lucky in that they didn’t have Reagan or Thatcher seeding a populist cult of morons. Those families whose children die fighting the oligarchs and their cult of fascists should get a fair proportion of their wealth once they are defeated. Unless of course enough rise up before they can start their ultra campaigns of war and terror on all the people ending in biosphere collapse! #OligarchsEcocide #StopOligarchsWars #OligarchsTerror #OligarchsFascistCults #OligarchsWars #StopOligarchEcocide
They haven't even visited Greenland, just a US military base. They're cowards as well as fascists. Useless snobs who should be working like crazy. They think they're living in a Hollywood movie where those who think they're superior to everyone else can do whatever they want and order everyone around. They're completely wrong. They're completely illiterate.
That's the new mentality of "being efficient" in the #US... Travelling to Greenland to stay three hours there because they couldn't prove their point - all this fuel wasted...
And then #Musk says he is hellbent on providing value for money for #Americans.
@WittyDragon I think we need to organize, mobilize, protest and occupy the streets to get rid of fascists.
Then more activist action when that isn't enough.
I think the time has passed for us to point out their hypocrisy. We've been doing it about #MAGA for 10 years now. They revel in how it annoy us. They think we're cucks.
We know they're irrational. They don't care. They don't think like us. Get. In. The. Streets.
@WmOrcutt Thank you for your post. You speak the truth. Also, why is trump allowed to go to the Super Bowl and Daytona Beach, much less playing golf while he intentionally makes the majority of Americans suffer?
Qualified immunity doesn't extend to intentional torts. Nor does it extend to knowing and intentional deprivation of civil rights, as far as I can tell.
Also should be observed that Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia, etc. all had tens of millions of men and women more than happy to be the eyes and hands of the fascist leadership and fully supportive of their goals. Some of these people are your neighbors and perhaps friends.
Political dissidents being abruptly whisked away by secret police... When it happened in Latin America it was called being disappeared. It's literally the same thing. The US needs to see what it has become, the School of the Americas is having a Homecoming.
![Indiana University
IU Alliance of Distinguished and Titled Professors
Xiaofeng Wang
Rudy Professor - 2017
[Xiaofeng Wang photograph]
Wang is a co-director of the Center for Security and Privacy in Informatics, Computing and Engineering, and was the director of the Master of Science in secure computing program. He is the director and lead principal investigator of the Center for Distributed Confidential Computing, a Frontiers Project in Secure and Trustworthy Computing funded by the National Science Foundation. The project is a multi-institution effort, involving faculty from IU (lead), CMU, Duke, OSU, Penn State, Purdue, Spelman and Yale. In the past 20 years, Wang has been working on a broad range of research topics in systems security and data privacy. He is considered to be one of the most prominent systems security and privacy researchers, and a top author according to online statistics such as CSRankings, System Security Circus and Top Authors, the Systems Circus. Since joining IU in 2004, Wang has been serving as principal investigator on research projects totaling nearly $23 million. Founded in 1848, AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science. The five faculty members’ election brings the number of AAAS fellows affiliated with IU to 138. Election as a fellow is a lifetime honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.
https://alliance.iu.edu/members/member/8580.html
https://archive.is/UyV3P](https://friendica.world/photo/preview/640/42220518 "Indiana University
IU Alliance of Distinguished and Titled Professors
Xiaofeng Wang
Rudy Professor - 2017
[Xiaofeng Wang photograph]
Wang is a co-director of the Center for Security and Privacy in Informatics, Computing and Engineering, and was the director of the Master of Science in secure computing program. He is the director and lead principal investigator of the Center for Distributed Confidential Computing, a Frontiers Project in Secure and Trustworthy Computing funded by the National Science Foundation. The project is a multi-institution effort, involving faculty from IU (lead), CMU, Duke, OSU, Penn State, Purdue, Spelman and Yale. In the past 20 years, Wang has been working on a broad range of research topics in systems security and data privacy. He is considered to be one of the most prominent systems security and privacy researchers, and a top author according to online statistics such as CSRankings, System Security Circus and Top Authors, the Systems Circus. Since joining IU in 2004, Wang has been serving as principal investigator on research projects totaling nearly $23 million. Founded in 1848, AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science. The five faculty members’ election brings the number of AAAS fellows affiliated with IU to 138. Election as a fellow is a lifetime honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.
https://alliance.iu.edu/members/member/8580.html
https://archive.is/UyV3P")
Stargeezer Smith
in reply to George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽 • • •Arrens
in reply to George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽 • • •GFIdk
in reply to George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽 • • •🔥 Mireille Sillander 🔥
in reply to George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽 • • •Karsten Johansson
in reply to George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽 • • •Fox never seems to report the near-daily failings the Trump presidency has brought upon the USofA.
They really should. They'd finally get those ratings they crave so much.
Eric Lawton
in reply to George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽 • • •TBH, the rest of the world needs more leaks about the US invasion plans.
@bonaventuresoft
petrd1 likes this.
MasterMischief
in reply to George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽 • • •