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# description = Public posts from @aral@mastodon.ar.al
# updated_at  = 2023-12-01T12:03:39Z
#
2023-08-17T14:50:36Z	****
“We see you’re using an ad-blocker.”

I see you’re douchebags.

[#surveillanceCapitalism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/surveillanceCapitalism) [#adtech](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/adtech) [#web](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/web) [#tracking](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/tracking) [#douchebags](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/douchebags) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110905513539285035)
2023-08-18T08:40:00Z	****
Does the term have “big” in it? Are you defending it? Congratulations, you might be an asshole.

Big Tobacco, Big Oil, Big Tech, … ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110909718571399268)
2023-08-18T11:20:11Z	****
This took me way too long to figure out…

If your [#js](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/js) function takes a parameter object and uses spread syntax to collect arbitrary additional properties (rest) and you want to document it using [#JSDoc](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/JSDoc), the syntax is:

[p:string]:any

e.g.,

\`\`\`js

/\*\*

@param {{

state: import('./SetupState.script.js').default,

[p:string]:any

}} argumentObject

@returns {string\|string[]} html

\*/

export default ({state, ...props}) => html\`…\`

\`\`\`

So ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110910348405653090)
2023-08-18T11:50:37Z	****
Do I want it?

↓

Is it by a startup?

↓

No.

(A ‘startup’ is not just any new small business. It’s a temporary venture capital funded company that must either fail fast or exit. An exit is where you’re either bought by Big Tech or become Big Tech through an IPO. To understand this better, if you have a sustainable small company, a startup is what will put you out of business.)

[#startups](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/startups) [#SiliconValley](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SiliconValley) [#ventureCapital](https://masto ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110910468063158602)
2023-08-18T11:54:32Z	****
PS. They won’t necessarily put you out of business because they have a better product or anything like that. They will put you out of business because they have a minimum of $5 million to burn to undercut you and starve you out.

[#startups](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/startups) [#SiliconValley](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SiliconValley) [#ventureCapital](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ventureCapital) [#vc](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/vc) [#SurveillanceCapitalism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SurveillanceCapitalism) [#Peop ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110910483505349648)
2023-08-18T15:52:53Z	****
(Actually, it’s even worse because after the first time, I called them up and they said to try again. So now I have two pre-authorisations reducing the balance of our bank account by roughly €1,200. Not fun.

It looks like they’re using Stripe on the back-end. We use Stripe too for Small Technology Foundation and I just can’t understand how they can’t just refund the amount/remove the pre-authorisation.

Very odd. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110911420724450055)
2023-08-18T15:49:53Z	****
Be careful ordering the new [#StarLite](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/StarLite) [#Linux](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Linux) [#tablet](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/tablet) from [#StarLabs](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/StarLabs) Systems.

If their system declines your credit card, it still places a pre-authorisation for the full amount into your bank account – thereby reducing the balance of your account for the full amount. The authorisation is for a whole month and so you cannot touch that money for a month.

I called and  ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110911408930736540)
2023-08-18T16:03:34Z	****
Funny thing is, I know these folks. Been promoting their stuff for ages and bought one of their Star LabTops myself. Heck, even suggested a new name for it (the StarBook), which they ended up using.

They’re doing great work. Which is why I was so excited about trying out the new Linux tablet.

Really would have expected more than just ‘computer says no’ and having to file disputes with my bank.

\*sigh\* ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110911462735530677)
2023-08-18T16:23:46Z	****
I’ve just written to them again asking them to look into why their system is placing pre-authorisations on cards for failed transactions. Once/if they get back to me that they’ve fixed whatever their configuration issue is and that it’s working as it should, I’ll update you all here. Until then, I would hold off on trying your luck. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110911542184139935)
2023-08-18T16:38:40Z	****
Update: Looks like one of the pre-authorisations has now been cancelled. One down, one to go. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110911600730997828)
2023-08-18T17:12:04Z	****
Update #2: Both preauthorisations have now been cancelled.

Will update once/if there’s some confirmation of what the core was/is and when/if it’s fixed.

In the meanwhile, they also accept payment via (spit) PayPal and invoice. The last of those is likely the safest option until this is properly sorted.

I’m going to try that now. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110911732118826508)
2023-08-18T17:27:38Z	****
Right, so I just put in an order, selected their invoice option at checkout and was able to transfer them the money via IBAN in seconds. Wish I’d done that from the start.

\*Phew!\* That was way harder than it needed to be.

(Again, I’ll update you all if/when they get back to me let me know the issue with failed transactions resulting in preauthorisations is fixed. Until then, if you’re going to pre-order the [#StarLabs](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/StarLabs) [#StarLite](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/StarLite) [#Linux]( ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110911793305937635)
2023-08-18T17:37:01Z	****
So, after all that, I’m back to being very excited about my early(ish) birthday present (it doesn’t ship for another two months).

I have some very neat plans for this little tablet… hehehe!

![:awesome:](https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mastodon-aral/custom_emojis/images/000/010/725/original/38dd73cee0f6cc9b.png)

[#StarLabs](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/StarLabs) [#StarLite](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/StarLite) [#Linux](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Linux) [#tablet](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/tablet) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110911830211511020)
2023-08-19T09:58:10Z	****
The year is 2027. Elon Musk has just announced his world tour to personally visit and take a literal dump on the heads of the remaining 28 people on X. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110915688256564462)
2023-08-20T09:41:26Z	****
BBC talking over the indigenous folks speaking on stage now is just everything you need to know about England.

[#womensWorldCup2023](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/womensWorldCup2023) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110921284747628694)
2023-08-20T12:12:13Z	****
What a match that was!

Congratulations to the Spanish team. Well deserved :)

[#womensWorldCup2023](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/womensWorldCup2023) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110921877664400737)
2023-08-20T16:29:12Z	****
“Nice people made the best Nazis. My mom grew up next to them. They got along, refused to make waves, looked the other way when things got ugly and focused on happier things than “politics.” They were lovely people who turned their heads as their neighbors were dragged away. You know who weren’t nice people? Resisters.”

– Naomi Shulman ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110922888151985183)
2023-08-21T09:09:26Z	****
PS. It’s so valuable to keep talking about and sharing what you’re building/working on. I found two issues that need fixing (a bug with database updates and some missing documentation) while writing up the previous post alone.

You discover so much about the thing you’re building by attempting to explain it to someone else in the simplest possible terms. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110926821206863184)
2023-08-21T09:07:19Z	****
It’s so cool to be able to tail your database (append-only JavaScript log¹) when playing with Kitten².

(If I do say so myself.)

![:kitten:](https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mastodon-aral/custom_emojis/images/000/134/702/original/3630b351addf5d80.png) 💕

¹ [https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#using-javascript-database-jsdb-a-not-so-scary-database](https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#using-javascript-database-jsdb-a-not-so-scary-database)

² [https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#kitten](https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#kitten)
 ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110926812926821644)
2023-08-22T14:15:02Z	****
So this just happened! :)

💕 🎉

[#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallWeb) [#Kitten](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Kitten) [#Domain](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Domain) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110933685207194623)
2023-08-22T14:18:00Z	****
(Domain¹ can now deploy any Small Web app written in Kitten² when you give it its git URL.)

There’s still a lot I have to build, including automatic updates of deployed Small Web places. But we’re getting there one baby step at a time :)

(If you’re wondering what this “Small Web” thing I keep referring to is, it’s a peer-to-peer Web of places owned and controlled by individuals… currently under development.)

¹ [https://codeberg.org/domain/app](https://codeberg.org/domain/app)

² [https://codeberg.org/kitten/app](htt ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110933696885318006)
2023-08-22T14:30:42Z	****
The Small Web is the personal web. It’s the peer-to-peer web.

There’s no concept of ‘users’ on the Small Web. You own and control our own place on it. With your place, you can be public should you so desire and follow each other’s public activity but you can be private – actually private, i.e., communicate via end-to-end encrypted messages.

It’s very early days and it’s not ready for use yet but you can find out more and follow along:

[https://ar.al/2020/08/07/what-is-the-small-web/](https://ar.al/2020/08/07/what-is ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110933746835994860)
2023-08-23T09:46:51Z	****
Folks: AI will solve all the world’s problems.

Meanwhile, AI: Uh, I drew you a hand with six fingers, I hope you like it. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110938292984891168)
2023-08-23T10:01:25Z	****
⁤ Is it hype?

↓

Is it from Silicon Valley?

↓

Yes. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110938350271899709)
2023-08-23T10:13:19Z	****
“Learn privacy” a new course from… surveillance capitalist Google.

These people have no shame.

[https://web.dev/learn/privacy/](https://web.dev/learn/privacy/)

[#google](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/google) [#surveillanceCapitalism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/surveillanceCapitalism) [#peopleFarming](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/peopleFarming) [#surveillance](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/surveillance) [#capitalism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/capitalism) [#webDotDev](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/webDotDev) [#web](https: ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110938397038796696)
2023-08-23T13:32:11Z	****
Hi there, if you don’t want me to hit you, please carry this sign that says “please don’t hit me” with you always. Otherwise, I can’t possibly be held responsible if I hit you. Because it’s in my nature to hit you. I can’t live without hitting people. It’s just who I am and what I do. Thank you for your understanding in this delicate matter.

Sincerely,

OpenAI

[#ai](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ai) [#optOut](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/optOut) [#openAI](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/openAI) [#chatGPT](https://mastodon.a ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110939179030243779)
2023-08-23T13:42:27Z	****
It’s just one of those days, I guess… ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110939219397646785)
2023-08-23T16:50:20Z	****
I had a need for it while working on Domain¹ today, so I just added optional and wildcard parameters to Kitten’s² file system based router.

The syntax is as follows:

• books\_[year].page.js only matches /books/<year>/

• books\_[optional-year].page.js matches /books/ and /books/<year>/

• Wildcard: books\_[any].page.js matches any path that starts with /books/

Documentation: [https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#route-parameters](https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#route-parameters)

Enjoy!

![:kitten:](https://s3-eu-central ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110939958160612051)
2023-08-23T17:25:27Z	****
So I don’t know what’s scarier, that Revenue just barfed a full development-mode stack trace on me or that they’re using Apache Tomcat version 8.0.53 when the latest release for the 8.x line is currently 8.5.92.

[#ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ireland) [#revenue](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/revenue) [#security](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/security) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110940096248575947)
2023-08-23T18:47:20Z	****
If the thing you’re making wouldn’t exist if people had to opt in instead of having to opt out, maybe the thing you’re making shouldn’t exist.

[#technology](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/technology) [#humanRights](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/humanRights) [#consent](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/consent) [#respect](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/respect) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110940418246906992)
2023-08-24T08:37:05Z	****
Hey, thanks to you and a billion other people whose work we’ve scraped and used for free, we now have a billion dollar company.

Ah, that’s great, so I guess we can scrape your work too and use it for free?

Fuck no! What are you, a communist?

[#artificialIntelligence](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/artificialIntelligence) [#ai](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ai) [#machineLearning](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/machineLearning) [#ml](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ml) [#llm](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/llm) [#SiliconValley](http ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110943680977357353)
2023-08-24T20:41:14Z	****
So thank goodness no one (but me) is using Kitten\* yet because apparently there was a regression a while back that meant that on terminals without Sixel support, the command-line interface was hanging.

(Pro-tip: environment variables are always strings, don’t be a muppet and treat them like booleans.)

Anyway, it’s fixed now :)

![:kitten:](https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mastodon-aral/custom_emojis/images/000/134/702/original/3630b351addf5d80.png) 💕

\\* [https://codeberg.org/kitten/app](https://codeberg.org/k ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110946528397844040)
2023-08-24T21:17:21Z	****
“There isn’t enough bullshit in the world, we should automate the generation of it.”

– Silicon Valley, circa 2023 ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110946670422444485)
2023-08-25T05:54:33Z	****
So who’s going to update [#Wikipedia](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Wikipedia) to use this as his photo?

[#DonaldTrump](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/DonaldTrump) [#mugshot](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/mugshot) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110948704135136770)
2023-08-25T12:16:47Z	****
It’s really rather simple: either our species continues to tolerate bullshit or it survives.

(And, yeah, billionaires and trillion-dollar corporations most definitely count as bullshit.) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110950207141926693)
2023-08-25T12:22:53Z	****
You know, I’m pretty sure no one will remember my name when I’m gone and that’s perfectly fine; that really doesn’t matter to me. All I want when death comes knocking is to know that I looked bullshit in the eye and said “not today, Satan!” Every. Fucking. Time. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110950231173768934)
2023-08-25T17:44:20Z	****
“I don’t want to sound X, but…”

People who are definitely X. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110951495170526521)
2023-08-25T17:50:52Z	****
Well, I didn’t get a huge amount done today but I did get some things done and I have to keep telling myself that that’s OK and this is a long road and every little step in the right direction counts. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110951520819887957)
2023-08-26T11:08:46Z	****
Breaking: Neanderthals, once thought extinct, discovered at Spanish Football Federation.

[https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/aug/26/spain-football-federation-threatens-to-sue-protesting-female-players](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/aug/26/spain-football-federation-threatens-to-sue-protesting-female-players)

[#rubiales](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/rubiales) [#spain](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/spain) [#WomensWorldCup](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/WomensWorldCup) [#toxicMasculinity](https://mastodon.a ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110955602007347791)
2023-08-26T12:24:08Z	****
It has been brought to my attention by a number of you that comparing the penis brains at the Spanish Football Federation to Neanderthals is patently unfair to Neanderthals.

I just wanted to state for the record that I agree wholeheartedly and apologise profusely for any offense caused to actual Neanderthals who, I’m sure, would have been appalled by the behaviour of the knuckle-draggers at the Spanish Football Federation.

[https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/aug/26/spain-football-federation-threatens-to-sue-pr ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110955898368503292)
2023-08-26T12:42:34Z	****
Also, may I just say that if you’re a man who gets upset when other men criticise the patriarchy, fuck you.

(That is all. Thank you for your attention.) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110955970829895864)
2023-08-26T17:50:46Z	****
If you haven’t heard it, stop what you’re doing and listen to Hi Ren (and fall in love with Ren):

[https://yewtu.be/watch?v=s\_nc1IVoMxc](https://yewtu.be/watch?v=s_nc1IVoMxc)

(That was apparently one take, sung live.)

Now watch this amazing analysis of it by Elizabeth Zharoff (and fall in love with Elizabeth):

[https://yewtu.be/watch?v=twUZCctHwJU](https://yewtu.be/watch?v=twUZCctHwJU)

And, to end on a high note, I just read that Ren’s fundraiser for his treatment exceeded its goal and, thanks to the success of h ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110957182738019445)
2023-08-26T21:10:31Z	****
Oh ffs, Mastodon, why can’t I set these limits from the administration interface on an instance of one?

(It’s a rhetorical question. It’s because Mastodon isn’t optimised for instances of one. Then again, that’s why I’m working to try and birth the Small Web… longest pregnancy ever, mind you.)

PS. I don’t manage my own instance. If I did, I could, of course, configure it. But it shouldn’t require that. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110957968169447261)
2023-08-26T22:29:08Z	****
Be yourself… you’ll attract the kind of people who you actually want to be around. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110958277356734162)
2023-08-29T08:22:13Z	****
I’m excited to announce to our latest startup… Schnailmail™: Free Real Mail Forever!™

[https://ind.ie/archive/summit/videos/opening-keynote/index.html](https://ind.ie/archive/summit/videos/opening-keynote/index.html)

[https://ar.al/notes/schnail-mail-free-real-mail-for-life/](https://ar.al/notes/schnail-mail-free-real-mail-for-life/)

(An oldie but a goldie from almost a decade ago now – from when we were just starting out – that I was just reminded of.)

[#schnailmail](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/schnailmail) [#free ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110971934020141999)
2023-08-29T10:52:25Z	****
Helix Editor is about to get support for multiple simultaneous language servers, which should make web development with it so much nicer (especially when creating Small Web¹ places using Kitten²).

[https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/8086/files](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/8086/files)

The only thing that would make it better is if the inline diagnostics branch also got merged sometime soon because it’s sad to have to choose between one or the other.

[https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/6 ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110972524631084074)
2023-08-29T12:39:00Z	****
We shouldn’t be teaching colonialism in history class.

We should be teaching it in every class. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110972943761834017)
2023-08-29T17:07:55Z	****
Been doing some research into implementing migrations for Domain’s JSDB database (basically, JavaScript data structure migration) and it’s amazing to me how many of the solutions out there use semver to version databases with no good reason.

If your database requires a migration, it is a major version. Where does minor and patch even come into it? Why complicate it beyond version 1, 2, 3… etc.?

I do wish folks would stop and think for a moment before adopting things without understanding them. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110974001183494496)
2023-08-29T17:12:26Z	****
I’m actually now wondering if implementing lazy migrations at the object level is madness or not.

e.g., myDatabase.someTable.someObject.latest().someProperty

Where the latest method ensures migrations for the object are lazily run as necessary.

Of course, that would complicate authoring quite a bit because if you forgot that latest() call things would go poof!

Hmm… if only there was a way to run an initiliser when using Object.create()… [#JSDB](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/JSDB) already uses proxies so maybe?

[#js] ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110974018927811110)
2023-08-29T19:00:27Z	****
Watch this incisive speech by Justin Jones:

[https://yewtu.be/watch?v=AirflOtA-rc](https://yewtu.be/watch?v=AirflOtA-rc)

Now guess what the people in the room did after hearing it…

Did you guess they voted to silence him?

You’d be right.

[https://www.rawstory.com/justin-jones-white-supremacy/](https://www.rawstory.com/justin-jones-white-supremacy/)

Because the people in that room are the very white supremacists he was talking about.

[#JustinJones](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/JustinJones) [#nashville](https://mas ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110974443694305501)
2023-08-29T22:10:19Z	****
Neoliberal is when you’re like “we really care about progressive stuff, now turn off your tracker blocker so we can surveillance capitalism the fuck out of you, motherfucker!” ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110975190262344194)
2023-08-29T22:16:48Z	****
Neoliberals are basically just fascists with manners. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110975215754150891)
2023-08-29T22:27:00Z	****
Mozilla is a for-profit not-for-profit. And that’s all you need to know to explain everything that doesn’t seem to make sense about the chasm between what they say and what they do.

[#mozilla](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/mozilla) [#hypocritical](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/hypocritical) [#bullshit](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/bullshit) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110975255876452369)
2023-08-30T08:35:12Z	****
I love it whenever some random asshat comes, unprompted, into my mentions, lets rip a big old stinking ad hominem, gets told in no uncertain terms to please fuck right off, and then runs to their instance moderator crying because their feelings were hurt.

Don’t piss on a tiger and then get surprised when it bites off your dick. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110977647441101948)
2023-08-30T08:39:07Z	****
That feeling when you’re looking for your phone while looking at your phone.

🤦‍♂️ ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110977662835407955)
2023-08-30T10:08:27Z	****
So FairPhone are launching the 5th version of their phone and right there on the page (which I won’t link to):

“All of your favorite Google Apps will be right there with you.”

Nothing like a good bit of fair trade, environmentally-friendly surveillance capitalism, eh?

(I spoke with them when they were just starting out. They fully know and understand what [#Google](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Google)’s business model is. They fully understand what [#SurveillanceCapitalism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SurveillanceCap ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110978014080809471)
2023-08-30T10:12:01Z	****
And please do not enter my mentions with “but you can install a different operating system on it.”

Statistically speaking, no one does that.

No one buys a car and changes the engine except for car geeks.

(Not to mention the legitimacy an organisation with the stated goals of Waag/FairPhone gives to surveillance capitalism by endorsing Google… I mean, that’s something special that money can’t buy.) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110978028131056921)
2023-08-30T13:44:46Z	****
Some folks are suggesting you get a FairPhone without Google’s apps from Murena and I’m very confused… why would anyone want to do that?

FairPhone is an ethical company that makes fair trade and environmentally-friendly phones. And FairPhone includes Google’s apps and promotes their use as a feature on their phones. As an ethical organisation, they would not do that if Google was in any way unethical. So Google must be at least as ethical FairPhone.

So why buy a version without Google’s apps? ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110978864673373831)
2023-08-30T13:51:31Z	****
Oh ffs, why do I even look into these things? I think I’m being harsh and then it’s always worse than I thought:

FairPhone has taken venture capital.

[https://www.fairphone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Crowd-Notification.pdf](https://www.fairphone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Crowd-Notification.pdf)

They’ve been invested in by, among others, Invest-NL (currently three exits, all IPOs¹) and Quadia (also three exits, all acquisitions²).

I would just like it if for once – fucking once – it wasn’t just about making ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110978891238384918)
2023-08-30T15:42:51Z	****
Just got reminded in another thread of one of the last talks I gave before the pandemic hit – the opening keynote at NextM Warsaw:

Small Technology: the antidote to Big Tech

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rhzge9r6k4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rhzge9r6k4)

(This was before Kitten so at the end I’m demoing its precursor, Site.js. Although a lot of the core pieces are similar. If you want to see how far it has come since then, see the peer-to-peer end-to-end encrypted Kitten chat recording below¹)

¹ [https:// ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110979328993255729)
2023-08-31T09:25:30Z	****
Ran into this basic JavaScript scope gotcha today.

Just goes to show, you could be programming in a language for years and still get tripped up by some of the simplest issues.

[https://codeberg.org/aral/gists/src/branch/main/javascriptScope.md](https://codeberg.org/aral/gists/src/branch/main/javascriptScope.md)

[#JavaScript](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/JavaScript) [#scope](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/scope) [#web](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/web) [#dev](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/dev) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110983507503887945)
2023-08-31T10:16:17Z	****
Heads up if you’re playing with Kitten¹ (and playing with it is all you should be doing at the moment because it is pre-release and things can will break, which brings us to…)

I’m going to be splitting Kitten’s per-place database into two databases soon: One for Kitten’s own settings for your place and one for your place’s settings.

You will need to recreate the databases of existing projects.

[https://codeberg.org/kitten/app/issues/129](https://codeberg.org/kitten/app/issues/129)

[#Kitten](https://mastodon.ar.al/t ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110983707188686026)
2023-08-31T10:32:28Z	****
It would appear that “former Tory MP Antoinette Sandbach has threatened the University of Cambridge with legal action after a historian named her as a descendant of merchants who enslaved his ancestors.”

[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/31/ex-tory-mp-threatens-sue-cambridge-university-slavery-research-antoinette-sandbach](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/31/ex-tory-mp-threatens-sue-cambridge-university-slavery-research-antoinette-sandbach)

Oh, my… It would be a damn shame if more people knew of t ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110983770826730647)
2023-08-31T10:47:23Z	****
What am I doing? Why, voting to help decide [@Codeberg](https://social.anoxinon.de/@Codeberg) policy as a member.

(Wait a minute, you can’t do that on GitHub? How odd… sounds a bit autocratic to me…) ;)

Seriously, though, check out [https://codeberg.org](https://codeberg.org) – they’re doing everything right.

There are alternatives and if we want them to survive, we must support them.

[#codeberg](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/codeberg) [#git](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/git) [#scm](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/scm) [# ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110983829458743373)
2023-08-31T14:59:22Z	****
Another heads up, since above is a big breaking change requiring all examples, etc., to be modified, I’ve decided to bite the bullet and also carry out a major API change at the same time that I’ve been putting off for a while:

All current references littering the global namespace will be neatly organised under the new kitten namespace.

So, for example:

html\`<h1>Woo!</h1>\` will become kitten.html\`<h1>Woo!</h1>\` and db will become kitten.db, etc.

[https://codeberg.org/kitten/app/issues/130](https://codeberg.org/ ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110984820339206052)
2023-08-31T17:33:00Z	****
Kitten’s¹ runtime has now been updated to Node version 20.5.1.

Kitten, once released for production use, will be using the latest Node LTS as its runtime. For the time being, I’m following the latest Node 20 line due to a bug in the latest LTS (and 20 will become LTS soon).

[#Kitten](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Kitten) [#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallWeb)

¹ [https://codeberg.org/kitten/app](https://codeberg.org/kitten/app) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110985424447748549)
2023-08-31T17:44:46Z	****
So who wants to help the [@Codeberg](https://social.anoxinon.de/@Codeberg) folks implement code search?

[https://codeberg.org/Codeberg/Community/issues/904](https://codeberg.org/Codeberg/Community/issues/904)

[#git](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/git) [#codeberg](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/codeberg) [#search](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/search) [#scm](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/scm) [#versionControl](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/versionControl) [#foss](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/foss) [#openSource](https://mastodon.ar ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110985470714605973)
2023-09-01T06:41:57Z	****
The people who own X are sentencing people to death based on their posts.

[https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/08/29/saudi-arabia-man-sentenced-death-tweets](https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/08/29/saudi-arabia-man-sentenced-death-tweets)

[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/28/saudis-kingdom-holding-company-to-maintain-twitter-stake](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/28/saudis-kingdom-holding-company-to-maintain-twitter-stake)

[#x](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/x) [#twitter](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/twitter) [#musk] ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110988526740803157)
2023-09-01T06:36:27Z	****
Glad to hear Apple has killed its plans to implement privacy-destroying on-device scan and snitch into its devices (although it will make autocrats like Erdoğan unhappy to hear it because they likely had plans for it).

[https://www.wired.com/story/apple-csam-scanning-heat-initiative-letter/](https://www.wired.com/story/apple-csam-scanning-heat-initiative-letter/)

Here’s what I wrote about it at the time:

[https://ar.al/2021/08/08/apple-is-trying-to-redefine-what-it-means-to-violate-your-privacy-we-must-not-let-it/]( ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110988505072326832)
2023-09-01T07:28:02Z	****
Dear [@EU\_Commission](https://social.network.europa.eu/@EU_Commission),

If I own a social media network and sentence some of the people who post on it to death, will I be allowed to keep operating in the EU?

Asking for Twitter/X and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

[https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/08/29/saudi-arabia-man-sentenced-death-tweets](https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/08/29/saudi-arabia-man-sentenced-death-tweets)

[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/28/saudis-kingdom-holding-company-to-maintain-twitter-stake](h ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110988707918829060)
2023-09-01T09:44:40Z	****
Recently stumbled on Alt + Esc instead of Alt + Tab in GNOME and found myself using it more often, especially on my multi-monitor setup at home.

Unlike Alt + Tab, which brings up a switcher, it cycles through the open windows across your monitors, highlighting the current one with a thick border that’s very easy to distinguish.

[#GNOME](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/GNOME) [#linux](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/linux) [#AltEsc](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/AltEsc) [#AltTab](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/AltTab) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110989245153746009)
2023-09-01T11:20:03Z	****
Helix golf competition

[https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/discussions/8130](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/discussions/8130)

🧬 ⛳

[#HelixEditor](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/HelixEditor) [#geeky](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/geeky) [#dev](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/dev) [#editor](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/editor) [#golf](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/golf) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110989620242321056)
2023-09-01T17:57:41Z	****
All Kitten¹ globals are now neatly in the kitten namespace².

(See @small-web/kitten³ for a lovely type safe object to work with.)

I’ve updated all the docs, etc., but if notice I’ve missed something, please do let me know either here on in an issue⁴.

I plan on updating Domain⁵ to use the new namespace over the weekend.

![:kitten:](https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mastodon-aral/custom_emojis/images/000/134/702/original/3630b351addf5d80.png) 💕

¹ [https://codeberg.org/kitten/app](https://codeberg.org/kitten/app) ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110991183826956667)
2023-09-02T18:37:26Z	****
We call it capitalism because greedy shortsighted self-destructive shitfuckery is too much of a mouthful.

[https://futurism.com/neoscope/brain-implant-removed-consent](https://futurism.com/neoscope/brain-implant-removed-consent) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110997002413400302)
2023-09-02T21:22:11Z	****
GNOME is moving to standard ESM imports for extensions in version 45. This means all existing extensions will break. Please try and update yours before then.

[https://blogs.gnome.org/shell-dev/2023/09/02/extensions-in-gnome-45/](https://blogs.gnome.org/shell-dev/2023/09/02/extensions-in-gnome-45/)

[#GNOME](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/GNOME) [#extensions](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/extensions) [#linux](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/linux) [#dev](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/dev) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/110997650223111954)
2023-09-03T09:03:17Z	****
We’re being ruled by psychopaths with an extinction fetish. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111000407101422216)
2023-09-03T09:27:06Z	****
Props to the Lord Mayor of Cork for showing you how it’s done: you don’t engage fascists in conversation.

(These are the handful of bigots trying to get LGBTQ+ books banned from Cork Library.)

[https://www.corkbeo.ie/news/lord-mayor-cork-hilarious-response-27601567](https://www.corkbeo.ie/news/lord-mayor-cork-hilarious-response-27601567)

[#cork](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/cork) [#library](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/library) [#ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ireland) [#farRight](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/far ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111000500748751906)
2023-09-03T09:39:12Z	****
Aww, did the annual Silicon Valley yuppy desert retreat get rained out?

🎻

[https://eu.rgj.com/story/life/arts/burning-man/2023/09/02/burning-man-2023-rain-keeps-burners-confined-to-camps/70749751007/](https://eu.rgj.com/story/life/arts/burning-man/2023/09/02/burning-man-2023-rain-keeps-burners-confined-to-camps/70749751007/)

[#BurningMan](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/BurningMan) [#SiliconValley](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SiliconValley) [#worldsSmallestViolin](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/worldsSmallestViolin) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111000548303519342)
2023-09-03T09:57:55Z	****
Twitter/X is a Nazi bar.

If you’re still on Twitter/X, you frequent a Nazi bar.

You might say, “But I’m not a Nazi!”

So the question remains: Then why are you drinking at a fucking Nazi bar?

[https://mastodon.lawprofs.org/@coreyrayburnyung/110997938267873087](https://mastodon.lawprofs.org/@coreyrayburnyung/110997938267873087)

[#twitter](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/twitter) [#x](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/x) [#naziBar](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/naziBar) [#fascism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fascism) [#elonMusk] ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111000621922002315)
2023-09-03T10:09:25Z	****
Stop thinking about markets and start thinking about people. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111000667114604663)
2023-09-03T10:40:57Z	****
You’re probably using the wrong dictionary

[https://jsomers.net/blog/dictionary](https://jsomers.net/blog/dictionary)

Fascinating read. Also led me to do a quick search and find that Webster’s 1913 edition is available online:

[https://www.websters1913.com](https://www.websters1913.com)

(Anyone know who made/maintains this?)

Another interesting dictionary to check out, from the other side of the pond, is The Chambers Dictionary.

[#dictionary](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/dictionary) [#websters1913](https://mastodo ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111000791122298843)
2023-09-03T16:58:33Z	****
![:drake_dislike:](https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mastodon-aral/custom_emojis/images/000/010/715/original/ea422239911ae962.png) Big Tech went to shit.

![:drake_like:](https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mastodon-aral/custom_emojis/images/000/010/716/original/2509b6079b5e87f9.png) Big Tech was always shit.

[#BigTech](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/BigTech) [#SiliconValley](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SiliconValley) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111002275889764130)
2023-09-03T21:23:15Z	****
I’m going to go ahead and block rage.love from my instance now and I guess everyone else can make up their own minds about who to block and why.

[#fediblock](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fediblock) [#rageDotLove](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/rageDotLove) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111003316776473628)
2023-09-03T21:19:56Z	****
So the rage.love folks seem lovely; asking for me (apparently “a massive tool”) to be fediblocked because I called Twitter/X a Nazi bar.

Hmm… 🤔

[#fediblock](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fediblock) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111003303715163519)
2023-09-04T06:38:29Z	****
“Virtually every institution seized upon that term, ‘diversity.’ And I always ask, ‘Well, where is justice here?’ Are you simply going to ask those who have been marginalized or subjugated to come inside of the institution and participate in the same process that led precisely to their marginalization? Diversity and inclusion without substantive change, without radical change, accomplishes nothing.”

– Angela Davis

[https://jezebel.com/angela-davis-on-racial-reckoning-diversity-and-inclusi-1844853369](https://jezebel. ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111005500018921660)
2023-09-04T06:40:07Z	****
“‘Justice’ is the key word. How do we begin to transform the institutions themselves? How do we change this society? We don’t want to be participants in the exploitation of capitalism. We don’t want to be participants in the marginalization of immigrants. And so there has to be a way to think about the connection among all of these issues and how we can begin to imagine a very different kind of society.”

– Angela Davis

[https://jezebel.com/angela-davis-on-racial-reckoning-diversity-and-inclusi-1844853369](https://jez ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111005506459918529)
2023-09-04T10:18:34Z	****
Don’t you just love it when an anonymous American (you know, the folks who bomb Brown countries) labels you—a white-presenting guy with two Middle Eastern parents—as someone with “marginalized European ethnic identity” (hey, fellow Turks, now we know what we are because some asshole American just learned us; ain’t that great?)

I’m so fucking sick of bloody Americans who couldn’t point out where you were born on a map acting like Webster’s dictionary when it comes to dictating your identity. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111006365411645545)
2023-09-04T10:37:47Z	****
You get held in the Brown room at Brussels airport and JFK airport because of your place of birth and who your parents are and then you lecture me about my “‘marginalized European ethnic identity’”, you clueless American imperialist asshole.

Fuck you. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111006441006263046)
2023-09-04T11:02:04Z	****
That feel when you find yourself editing your rage posts because no matter how angry you are, proper punctuation matters.

\*sigh\*

You gotta laugh, right?

I’ll see you all in a bit; I’m stepping away to calm down and maybe even try and write some code. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111006536496502627)
2023-09-04T17:03:43Z	****
If you’re still on Twitter/X does that mean you’re a fascist?

No, of course not.

It just means fascism isn’t a deal breaker for you.

[#twitter](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/twitter) [#x](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/x) [#fascism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fascism) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111007958527663358)
2023-09-05T13:28:04Z	****
Hopefully these should be the last of the large refactors/changes until launch.

This was necessary to optimise server start time (and it just makes sense not to pollute the database used by apps with data not specifically stored there by the app for the same reasons you don’t pollute the global namespace).

(There’s still a lot to build – most importantly automatic updates but it’s getting there… one small step at a time.)

[#Kitten](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Kitten) [#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallWeb) ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111012772839655235)
2023-09-05T13:24:55Z	****
Kitten¹ now keeps two JSDB² databases per project: an internal one ('kitten.\_db\`) that holds data Kitten manages (sessions, uploads, etc.) and the default one (\`kitten.db\`) that holds your own tables.

You’ll mostly only care about the latter.

I also took the opportunity to create a Database App Module example and document it in the readme:

[https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#database-app-module](https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#database-app-module)

¹ [https://codeberg.org/kitten/app](https://codeberg.org/kitten/app ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111012760485478810)
2023-09-05T13:44:24Z	****
Your Twitter/X account is a microphone connected to a mixer controlled by a fascist. You can speak all you want. The fascist controls your volume and can mute you whenever he wants. And you might not even know you’ve been muted because you can still hear yourself in your headphones.

It’s not called resistance when your volume knob is in someone else’s hand.

[#twitter](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/twitter) [#x](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/x) [#algorithmicTimeline](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/algorithmicTimeline) [#elon ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111012837073757215)
2023-09-05T18:22:26Z	****
Just saved a little fly from my beer, thoroughly admonished it (“you silly fly!”) and left it to dry off/sober up on a napkin and hopefully reevaluate its life choices. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111013930361057935)
2023-09-06T06:18:49Z	****
Very sorry to hear of the passing of Molly Holzschlag. She was a good egg. Too good for the likes of Silicon Valley.

She was one of the few people I’ve known who really believed in the promise of the “open web” and I miss our conversations railing against the hypocrisies of mainstream tech.

There’s a bit of you that will live on forever in the web there is as well as the better one we are building, Molly, without any of the bullshit you were never hesitant to call out.

Rest in peace.

💕 ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111016747294345585)
2023-09-06T10:08:41Z	****
Just published a minor update to @small-web/kitten¹ (the type safe library for accessing the Kitten² namespace).

The default export now contains all individually-exported objects.

(Previously, I’d left out some of the more esoteric ones to not clutter the auto-complete list during authoring but got bit by it myself in Domain³ when my unmet expectation that a property should exist lead to a crash).

¹ [https://codeberg.org/kitten/globals](https://codeberg.org/kitten/globals)

² [https://codeberg.org/kitten/app](https: ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111017651146828398)
2023-09-06T11:02:55Z	****
w00t! Domain¹ is back up and running after I refactored it to use the new Kitten² API 🎉

Given how thoroughly Domain uses every feature of Kitten (and given the 37 Kitten example apps³ have also passed the smoke test), I’m pretty confident that the new API and database changes are working as intended.

![:kitten:](https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mastodon-aral/custom_emojis/images/000/134/702/original/3630b351addf5d80.png)💕

¹ [https://codeberg.org/domain/app](https://codeberg.org/domain/app)

² [https://codeberg. ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111017864399417595)
2023-09-07T06:26:34Z	****
Looks like [#Ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Ireland) is limiting its [#covid](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/covid) booster program (when it’s ready) to over 50s? I don’t get it. Surely the goal should be to limit spread as much as possible and it’s not only over 50s who are spreading this airborne virus… or suffering from long Covid.

(Interesting footnote about speaking to your GP if you’re not eligible. I wonder if you can get it via referral even if you’re under 50 or something.)

[https://www2.hse.ie/screening- ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111022440100831393)
2023-09-08T07:35:58Z	****
If you’re switching to [#Firefox](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Firefox), remember Firefox is not private by default. Consider the [#LibreWolf](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/LibreWolf) fork, which is. Otherwise, go into your settings and adjust its tracking features (like having [#Google](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Google) as the default search engine), turn off telemetry, “experiments”, etc.

(Also, if you all switch and Google goes bankrupt, [#Mozilla](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Mozilla) will go bankrupt too because th ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111028375283506702)
2023-09-08T07:30:01Z	****
War is Peace

Freedom is Slavery

Privacy Sandbox

[https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/googles-widely-opposed-ad-platform-the-privacy-sandbox-launches-in-chrome/](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/googles-widely-opposed-ad-platform-the-privacy-sandbox-launches-in-chrome/)

[#google](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/google) [#chrome](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/chrome) [#adtech](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/adtech) [#surveillanceCapitalism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/surveillanceCapitalism) [#PeopleFarming](https: ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111028351875047083)
2023-09-08T07:55:58Z	****
I see people who work at Google being quoted on ethics and I can’t help but wonder where are the quotes from the folks at Halliburton, ExxonMobil, and Philip Morris?

It’s a bit unfair, isn’t it, to ignore the poor ethicists at other horrible huge corporations?

[#google](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/google) [#ethics](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ethics) [#pr](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/pr) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111028453921478051)
2023-09-08T10:21:32Z	****
Dear governments,

The “clinical risk group” for the Covid booster is anyone at risk of long Covid.

So, yes, that’s everyone.

[#covid](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/covid) [#longCovid](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/longCovid) [#autumn](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/autumn) [#booster](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/booster) [#ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ireland) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111029026312009249)
2023-09-08T17:01:21Z	****
In case you’re wondering, Google has been a spyware company for a long time now…

[https://ar.al/notes/spyware-2.0/](https://ar.al/notes/spyware-2.0/)

[#spyware](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/spyware) [#google](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/google) [#chrome](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/chrome) [#spyware2point0](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/spyware2point0) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111030598490411902)
2023-09-09T15:59:13Z	****
Fuck Elon Musk.

That’s it. That’s the whole toot. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111036016461065929)
2023-09-10T22:01:54Z	****
To understand technology is to understand its limitations. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111043104928081589)
2023-09-11T08:00:25Z	****
Finally.

[https://www.inkl.com/a/lawnMBhvnxv](https://www.inkl.com/a/lawnMBhvnxv)

[#rubiales](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/rubiales) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111045458364346254)
2023-09-11T18:22:58Z	****
Never forget:

9/11

Forget:

\- white supremacy

\- systemic bigotry

\- American imperialism

\- segregation

\- slavery

\- settler colonialism

🤔

[#NeverForget](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/NeverForget) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111047906310764380)
2023-09-11T19:54:36Z	****
I don’t know who needs to hear this but the boundaries of intersectionality are not traced by the borders of the United States of America.

[#intersectionality](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/intersectionality) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111048266649363145)
2023-09-12T10:25:17Z	****
Just added a few more basic examples of route parameter usage in Kitten to the routing sample app:

[https://codeberg.org/kitten/app/src/branch/main/examples/routing](https://codeberg.org/kitten/app/src/branch/main/examples/routing)

[#Kitten](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Kitten) [#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallWeb) [#routing](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/routing) [#web](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/web) [#dev](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/dev) [#documentation](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/documentation) [#exam ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111051690319621504)
2023-09-12T10:37:26Z	****
The only legitimate use of privilege is to help bring about the kind of world where you would not have had it to begin with.

[#privilege](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/privilege) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111051738097034988)
2023-09-13T09:21:12Z	****
Oh, poop, esbuild doesn’t have dynamic import support yet.¹

(esbuild is amazing and adding that feature isn’t trivial by any means.)

Well, vm.Script(), my old friend, I guess we meet again.

¹ [https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/issues/700](https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/issues/700)

[#esbuild](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/esbuild) [#dynamicImport](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/dynamicImport) [#vm](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/vm) [#nodeJS](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/nodeJS) [#js](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/js) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111057100634186965)
2023-09-13T09:36:15Z	****
Clean Up The Web!

Just got reminded of this little site I put together when Google had first announced FLoC – now Topics and in Chrome.

Developers, it’s up to you to clean up the web:

• Don’t make sites that only work in Google Chrome.

• Remove Google’s trackers from your web sites and apps

• Don’t legitimise Google (and other surveillance capitalists) by becoming dev advocates, writing for them, etc.

[https://cleanuptheweb.org/](https://cleanuptheweb.org/)

[#CleanUpTheWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/CleanUpThe ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111057159797507685)
2023-09-13T09:43:05Z	****
PS. That site was posted before DHH started airing his bigoted views on diversity and inclusion, etc. Back then, he was paying lip service to “small tech” (clearly I now realise we do not view things the same way at all).

Please consider the bit recommending HEY and Basecamp rescinded. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111057186662947773)
2023-09-13T10:30:59Z	****
That feeling when the developed country with the worst healthcare system in the world is actually more progressive than Ireland in its Covid booster strategy.

[https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/111054462846953835](https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/111054462846953835)

(In Ireland the autumn booster is available only to people over 50\*. Because everyone knows people 49 and under cannot develop long Covid or spread the disease.)

\\* [https://www2.hse.ie/screening-and-vaccinations/covid-19-vaccine/get-the-vaccine ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111057375007945038)
2023-09-13T10:44:01Z	****
Enshittification is not something that was not shit becoming shit. Enshittification is you becoming aware of something being shit that was always shit.

Every new venture-capital funded startup is shit. The shit just happens to be covered in a thick layer of chocolate. That’s what they feed you. Until the chocolate runs out and, well…

[#startups](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/startups) [#ventureCapital](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ventureCapital) [#vc](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/vc) [#privateEquity](https://mastodon.ar ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111057426295445323)
2023-09-13T13:10:40Z	****
Working on improving Kitten’s¹ build/deployment process as we get closer to having other developers be able to deploy Small Web places and it has already made a huge difference in Kitten’s build time, cutting it down from ~1.5 - 2 seconds to ~0.5 seconds locally.

I can’t wait to see the impact it has on speeding up server provisioning for Small Web places as the gains there should be even larger :)

¹ [https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#kitten](https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#kitten)

[#Kitten](https://mastodon.ar.al/tag ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111058002921228418)
2023-09-13T13:22:12Z	****
…Note that this is Kitten’s own build process. As in the process that builds Kitten.

(Basically, an esbuild of the module loader and main process so as to reduce deployment size as well as packaging together Kitten’s own internal web app.)

It’s not the build process for Small Web places you build using Kitten.

Those don’t have a build process.

Because web development shouldn’t require a build process.

[#Kitten](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Kitten) [#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallWeb) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111058048310641493)
2023-09-14T08:39:51Z	****
“British Petroleum, the second largest non-state owned oil company in the world, with 18,700 gas and service stations worldwide, hired the public relations professionals Ogilvy & Mather to promote the slant that climate change is not the fault of an oil giant, but that of individuals. It’s here that British Petroleum, or BP, first promoted and soon successfully popularized the term ‘carbon footprint’ in the early aughts.”

[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/aug/23/big-oil-coined-carbon-footprints-to-blame- ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111062600324160230)
2023-09-14T08:59:00Z	****
“First past the post” in the UK is keeping people from voting for the party most likely to help tackle the climate crisis.

[https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/09/13/first-past-the-post-is-an-exercise-in-undermining-democracy/](https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/09/13/first-past-the-post-is-an-exercise-in-undermining-democracy/)

Via [@RichardJMurphy](https://mas.to/@RichardJMurphy)

[#UK](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/UK) [#UKPol](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/UKPol) [#climate](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/clim ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111062675680150185)
2023-09-14T09:15:55Z	****
“The West”, circa 2023.

[#democracy](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/democracy) [#capitalism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/capitalism) [#scoobyDoo](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/scoobyDoo) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111062742149903543)
2023-09-14T10:44:43Z	****
A person in a suit should never be allowed to make a decision of consequence.

It wouldn’t fix everything but gosh would it improve a helluva lot of things. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111063091372337551)
2023-09-14T13:12:16Z	****
Against the Logic of the Guillotine

Why the Paris Commune Burned the Guillotine – and We Should Too

[https://crimethinc.com/2019/04/08/against-the-logic-of-the-guillotine-why-the-paris-commune-burned-the-guillotine-and-we-should-too](https://crimethinc.com/2019/04/08/against-the-logic-of-the-guillotine-why-the-paris-commune-burned-the-guillotine-and-we-should-too)

Every word in this article speaks directly to my soul. I have no desire to burn down the world we live in yet every desire to try and help bring about the ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111063671561684544)
2023-09-14T14:46:51Z	****
Your choice: a handful of psychopath billionaires or the survival of the species.

Capitalists: Hmm, now this is a difficult one… I feel like saying we keep the billionaires? 🤔 ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111064043443465526)
2023-09-15T08:27:16Z	****
It’s not that we’re not doing anything about the climate crisis, we’re just waiting to see if we actually go extinct before acting. No need to rush into these things and accidentally end up improving human welfare for no good reason.

[#climateCrisis](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/climateCrisis) [#shortsighted](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/shortsighted) [#humans](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/humans) [#anthropocene](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/anthropocene) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111068213179327414)
2023-09-15T08:36:26Z	****
Who’d have thunk it, data-obese autocorrect was the answer to all our problems.

[#ai](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ai) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111068249213776534)
2023-09-15T14:17:30Z	****
“A young woman walks down a street in Tehran, her hair uncovered, her jeans ripped, a bit of midriff exposed to the hot Iranian sun. An unmarried couple walk hand in hand. A woman holds her head high when asked by Iran's once-feared morality police to put a hijab on, and tells them: ‘Screw you!’”

[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-66788392](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-66788392)

[#iran](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/iran) [#religion](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/religion) [#misogyny](https://masto ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111069590352636005)
2023-09-17T11:32:38Z	****
Rich old white American man in rich old white American man is racist shocker.

Clearly, not all dinosaurs went extinct.

[https://www.inkl.com/a/bxolAqhLNmL](https://www.inkl.com/a/bxolAqhLNmL)

[#everydayRacism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/everydayRacism) [#privilege](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/privilege) [#us](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/us) [#rollingStoneMagazine](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/rollingStoneMagazine) [#rockAndRollHallOfFame](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/rockAndRollHallOfFame) [#JannWenner](https://masto ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111080266686048530)
2023-09-17T13:34:44Z	****
(The irony is I once made an app called Feathers that let you do that for Twitter/Facebook back in the day when I didn’t know better.) 🙈 ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111080746835018758)
2023-09-17T13:34:17Z	****
Mathematical italic capital h mathematical italic small e mathematical italic small l mathematical italic small l mathematical italic small o.

WTF?

Oh, I just said “Hello” to you in italics.

(That’s similar to what someone who uses a screen reader hears when you use fancy non-alphabetical Unicode characters to simulate italics or boldface on your fediverse posts. So please don’t do that.)

[#fediverse](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fediverse) [#acessibility](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/acessibility) [#a11y](https://ma ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111080745041438642)
2023-09-18T07:37:03Z	****
Never do something so terrible you get Elon Musk to defend you. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111085002643811040)
2023-09-18T11:13:29Z	****
The Help to Buy scheme being extended to second-hand homes would make a huge difference.

🤞

[https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/budget-plan-to-help-first-time-buyers-purchase-second-hand-homes-amid-pressure-to-extend-schemes-beyond-new-builds/a45804983.html](https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/budget-plan-to-help-first-time-buyers-purchase-second-hand-homes-amid-pressure-to-extend-schemes-beyond-new-builds/a45804983.html)

[#ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ireland) [#housing](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/housing) ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111085853703714245)
2023-09-18T13:16:09Z	****
Just published JavaScript Database (JSDB)¹ version 3.0.4.

\- Null and undefined values are correctly persisted. Setting object property to null no longer results in error².

\- Tests no longer crash on Windows due to path issue³.

\- Code coverage is back to 100%.

Many thanks to [@koteisaev](https://mastodon.online/@koteisaev) for making this release possible with his contributions.

¹ [https://codeberg.org/small-tech/jsdb#javascript-database-jsdb](https://codeberg.org/small-tech/jsdb#javascript-database-jsdb)

² [ht ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111086336044494151)
2023-09-18T16:08:43Z	****
“Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was charged for a second time on Friday for not leaving a protest near an oil terminal after police ordered her to do so… If convicted again … she could face up to six months in prison.”

If Greta is thrown in prison while oil executives continue to walk free, I sure hope people start burning things down. I mean, burn it all down for all I care at this point. We’re being led by absolute fucking muppets.

[https://www.commondreams.org/news/greta-thunberg-could-face-jail](https:// ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111087014626830437)
2023-09-18T19:20:45Z	****
Please join me as I defend my PhD thesis proving Elon Musk is Pennywise the clown…

Pennywise lives in a sewer.

Sewers are full of excrement.

X is full of excrement.

Therefore X is a sewer.

Elon Musk lives in X.

Therefore Elon Musk lives in a sewer.

Therefore Elon Musk is Pennywise.

Thank you.

Please leave in an orderly fashion through the comments.

[#ElonMusk](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ElonMusk) [#Pennywise](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Pennywise) [#PhD](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/PhD) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111087769745775759)
2023-09-19T09:37:56Z	****
If you’re using JSDoc to cast, say, a global object to a class, here’s how you do it (TL; DR: Use \`typeof\` – it wasn’t immediately clear to me).

[https://github.com/DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped/discussions/66713#discussioncomment-7043990](https://github.com/DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped/discussions/66713#discussioncomment-7043990)

[#JSDoc](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/JSDoc) [#JS](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/JS) [#web](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/web) [#dev](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/dev) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111091140321869243)
2023-09-19T11:31:32Z	****
Scratch that, with \`typeof\` is only works when creating new instances. Somewhat unbelievably, this doesn’t seem to be a solved problem currently:

[https://github.com/jsdoc/jsdoc/issues/1349](https://github.com/jsdoc/jsdoc/issues/1349) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111091586981096560)
2023-09-19T12:20:21Z	****
Yeah, I have no idea how this is still an issue in JSDoc in 2023. It looks like the project is abandoned – which is a damn shame for those of us who want type safety without having to introduce a build step using TypeScript in our projects.

[https://github.com/jsdoc/jsdoc/issues/1349#issuecomment-1725400751](https://github.com/jsdoc/jsdoc/issues/1349#issuecomment-1725400751)

[#web](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/web) [#JS](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/JS) [#JSDoc](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/JSDoc) [#typescript](https:// ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111091778967687934)
2023-09-20T09:51:45Z	****
It’s not democracy if your only choice is Muahahaha, Fuck Your Feelings Evil or Awfully Sorry, Pardon Me Evil. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111096856951764104)
2023-09-20T13:17:34Z	****
Me, yesterday: everything’s broken, nothing works, this is a disaster, maybe it’s doomed!

Me, today: ah, ok, fixed it, and it’s actually better than it was, everything’s running smoothly again, life is good, I’m so excited about how it’s turning out!

The dev roller-coaster.

\*sigh\*

🎢

[#dev](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/dev) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111097666233650811)
2023-09-20T17:39:14Z	****
Run Linux, post on the fediverse, and care about accessibility?

You need Frog.

[https://github.com/TenderOwl/Frog#readme](https://github.com/TenderOwl/Frog#readme)

Frog extracts text from images.

Use it to copy and paste the text in images into your image descriptions and help make the fediverse more inclusive.

[#frog](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/frog) [#ocr](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ocr) [#altText](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/altText) [#accessibility](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/accessibility) [#a11y](https:// ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111098695153718327)
2023-09-23T06:10:39Z	****
The fuck kind of headline is that, The Independent?

“OLD Biden has told Zelensky US will give Ukraine long-coveted ATACMS long-range missiles, report says”

[https://www.inkl.com/a/WMRGyqcygzy](https://www.inkl.com/a/WMRGyqcygzy) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111112974455461162)
2023-09-23T09:43:20Z	****
Imagine having just one life to live and spending it being an apologist for asshat corporations. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111113810745548520)
2023-09-24T07:25:08Z	****
“I imagine the growth-based economy beet-faced, with clenched, pounding fists, demanding more, faster, and now. A bottomless pit for a stomach, it eats with an insatiable appetite anything and everything within reach. This machine has grown so massive and powerful, I’m uncertain if it belongs to us, or if we belong to it.” – Nikayla Jefferson

[https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/09/opinion-lets-free-ourselves-from-the-story-of-economic-growth/](https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/09/opinion-lets-free-ourselves ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111118929670639471)
2023-09-24T07:56:01Z	****
“Growth!”

– Famous last words, the human race. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111119051092731130)
2023-09-24T10:28:56Z	****
A core fallacy of technologists is to conflate an approximation of a thing with the thing itself.

This is particularly harmful when the thing in question happens to be a human being.

[#humanRights](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/humanRights) [#technology](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/technology) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111119652420313358)
2023-09-25T10:13:20Z	****
Hands up, who lives in/around Dublin and is interested in Small Web¹ and Kitten²?

(Am I trying to gauge if there’d be enough interest for an impromptu, informal little meetup over food/drinks this evening? Maybe…) ;)

¹ [https://ar.al/2020/08/07/what-is-the-small-web/](https://ar.al/2020/08/07/what-is-the-small-web/)

² [https://codeberg.org/kitten/app](https://codeberg.org/kitten/app)

[#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallWeb) [#Kitten](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Kitten) [#Dublin](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111125253349280303)
2023-09-25T10:20:26Z	****
On a property ad I saw today: “\*\*Some images contain virtual staging\*\*”

Really?

So some images are fake. Nice. Like trying to find somewhere to live in Ireland wasn’t difficult enough as it is.

[#ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ireland) [#property](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/property) [#virtualStaging](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/virtualStaging) [#ffs](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ffs) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111125281286159725)
2023-09-25T16:43:37Z	****
PS. I think it’s best to leave this for a little later and maybe plan a slightly more formal Small Web meetup at some point. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111126788017885700)
2023-09-26T08:27:15Z	****
I can’t even… Was an MA in NFTs already taken?

BA? More like BS.

[#ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ireland) [#SETU](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SETU) [#academia](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/academia) [#BigTech](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/BigTech) [#bullshit](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/bullshit) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111130498505553116)
2023-09-26T08:59:57Z	****
Enshittification isn’t things that were not shit becoming shit; they were always shit, you just didn’t feel it.

Surveillance capitalism isn’t some horrible corruption of capitalism, it’s just capitalism in the age of the ubiquitous digital network.

The problem isn’t things that were good becoming bad. The problem is things that have always been bad finally negatively affecting even those with bucketloads of privilege who are now attempting to explain away why they were ok with it all before. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111130627100757444)
2023-09-28T06:54:16Z	****
Raspberry Pi: spy cops are great, actually!

Folks: Ooh, shiny new Raspberry Pi is out! Shut up and take my money!

[https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/09/rpi\_maker\_in\_residence\_police/](https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/09/rpi_maker_in_residence_police/)

[#RaspberryPi](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/RaspberryPi) [#spyCops](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/spyCops) [#surveillance](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/surveillance) [#acab](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/acab) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111141457498155559)
2023-09-28T07:00:25Z	****
Oh, and it wasn’t an “oops, we hired a spy cop by mistake, we’re sorry” either. It was a “we hired a spy cop, fuck your feelings.”

[https://petapixel.com/2022/12/09/raspberry-pi-under-fire-by-creators-who-are-upset-it-hired-a-former-cop/](https://petapixel.com/2022/12/09/raspberry-pi-under-fire-by-creators-who-are-upset-it-hired-a-former-cop/)

[#RaspberryPi](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/RaspberryPi) [#spyCops](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/spyCops) [#surveillance](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/surveillance) [#acab](https: ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111141481685796237)
2023-09-28T07:33:15Z	****
I see the “what’s so bad about spy cops anyway?” neoliberal Twitter tech crowd have made it to Mastodon.

Guys, I gotta say, I hadn’t missed you one bit. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111141610844439486)
2023-09-28T07:48:33Z	****
If your first thought when you hear that a company that makes computers and writes curricula that trains kids how to use computers proudly hired a spy cop and gave the middle finger to those who raised ethical concerns is to defend the company and the spy cop in question, you should take a moment, stop what you’re doing, and give yourself a firm slap in the face.

It won’t change anything but it’ll make me feel better at least.

[#RaspberryPi5](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/RaspberryPi5) [#RaspberryPi](https://mastodon.a ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111141670947506713)
2023-09-28T10:12:42Z	****
Folks, when somebody blocks you on the fediverse, it’s not an invitation to email them instead.

Don’t be a creep. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111142237775081623)
2023-09-29T06:34:30Z	****
Artificial intelligence is like artificial flavourings: nothing like the real thing and generally not great for your well-being.

[#ai](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ai) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111147042121909638)
2023-09-29T08:25:24Z	****
Server farm (n): a place where human beings are farmed for their data by corporations.

See also: people farming.

[#peopleFarming](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/peopleFarming) [#BigTech](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/BigTech) [#SiliconValley](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SiliconValley) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111147478201165912)
2023-09-29T08:35:56Z	****
Data (n): information about a thing.

With enough data about a thing, and the right algorithms, we can begin to create digital approximations of the thing.

If that thing happens to be a human being, the resulting approximation (proxy/simulation/profile) is considered highly valuable. In fact, the business model of mainstream technology (people farming) is to own these profiles to both exploit them internally and to rent out selective access to third parties.

[#peopleFarming](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/peopleFarming) ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111147519584941937)
2023-09-29T20:15:16Z	****
Of course he fucking does.

[https://www.zawya.com/en/business/manufacturing/turkish-president-erdogan-asks-musk-to-build-tesla-factory-in-turkey-v17fydue](https://www.zawya.com/en/business/manufacturing/turkish-president-erdogan-asks-musk-to-build-tesla-factory-in-turkey-v17fydue)

[#erdoğan](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/erdo%C4%9Fan) [#musk](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/musk) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111150269503016306)
2023-09-30T13:12:37Z	****
Found an illustrated edition of Robinson Crusoe published in 1863 at a local charity store in England and I can still read and experience it as intended by the typesetter and illustrator 160 years later\*.

Will you be able to say the same thing of the things we publish on the web today?

\\* As intended aesthetically, that is, but otherwise through the critical lens of reading a book steeped in 18th century slavery and imperialism.

[#robinsonCrusoe](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/robinsonCrusoe) [#web](https://mastodon. ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111154269853593899)
2023-09-30T14:05:54Z	****
[@MonaApp](https://mastodon.social/@MonaApp) Heya, heads up: looks like you can’t post a reply that contains only an image. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111154479413700373)
2023-09-30T21:21:23Z	****
All Onewheels recalled. Software update fix for latest models.

Don’t ignore this if you have one:

[https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/29/23896151/onewheel-cpsc-recall-future-motion-crash-death](https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/29/23896151/onewheel-cpsc-recall-future-motion-crash-death)

[#onewheel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/onewheel) [#recall](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/recall)

Via [@robby](https://zoinks.one/users/robby) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111156191792548683)
2023-10-04T08:39:44Z	****
Who has two thumbs but one’s in a plaster because he broke his hand (wait for it…) playing tennis?! 👀

(Almost 47 and first broken bone ever… not bad given I’ve skated all my life, ski, and ride a OneWheel… but fucking tennis? \*smh\*)

🎾🕺🏥

[#extremeSports](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/extremeSports) [#tennis](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/tennis) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111175846111101181)
2023-10-05T10:52:26Z	****
Reminded once again why you should never use 301/308 permanent redirects after spending yonks trying to clear one for Firefox after testing on localhost.

Hint: Checking the Disable Cache checkbox under Network did the trick.

(Stick to 307s and you’ll lead a happier life. Nothing in software dev is permanent. Future you will thank you later. And the first person who replies “buh, seo!” will get a swift telling off.) :)

[#web](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/web) [#dev](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/dev) [#redirects](https: ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111182030229153066)
2023-10-06T14:21:17Z	****
Note: “An Post will never send a link requesting payment for a parcel via email or SMS.”

[https://www.anpost.com/Security](https://www.anpost.com/Security)

[#AnPost](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/AnPost) [#Ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Ireland) [#scam](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/scam) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111188513741914705)
2023-10-06T14:19:17Z	****
Heads up: very believable An Post missed parcel SMS scam is making the rounds, asking you to pay a small redelivery fee to capture credit card information.

[#ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ireland) [#AnPost](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/AnPost) [#scam](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/scam) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111188505893931967)
2023-10-06T19:09:56Z	****
“I support the broad aim of the policy, but not the methods. All students should be treated fairly and equally. But the methods of this policy could result in discrimination against those who do not subscribe to gender identity theory and who believe that biology is more relevant than gender identity in matters such as women’s sports and changing rooms,” she said.

\\*\\*\\*

“I support people not being bigots but I also support bigots.” Good one, Karen.

[https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/education/2023/10/05/lecture ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111189648743893536)
2023-10-08T11:15:14Z	****
Programmable keyboards with free and open firmware are not just geek toys but an accessibility tools.

I was just able to create a new layer in Vial that moves the arrow keys to the left side of the keyboard and maps them to s/z/x/c to make them easier to use in some keyboard shortcuts after breaking my right hand.

[#accessibility](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/accessibility) [#a11y](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/a11y) [#keyboard](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/keyboard) [#qmk](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/qmk) [#via](https:/ ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111199106789025826)
2023-10-12T08:02:20Z	****
Spoke with Doc Searls and Dan Lynch yesterday about Small Tech, Small Web and more for FLOSS Weekly.

[https://twit.tv/shows/floss-weekly/episodes/753](https://twit.tv/shows/floss-weekly/episodes/753)

[#SmallTech](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallTech) [#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallWeb) [#Kitten](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Kitten) [#FOSS](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/FOSS) [#FLOSSWeekly](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/FLOSSWeekly) [#Twit](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Twit) [#interview](https://mastodon.ar.a ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111220997520427629)
2023-10-12T08:36:24Z	****
Fediverse be like…

[#fediverse](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fediverse) [#capitalism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/capitalism) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111221131491090739)
2023-10-12T19:55:33Z	****
Hey, [@EU\_Commission](https://social.network.europa.eu/@EU_Commission), you listening?

(Basically a summary of what I told the European Parliament a while back\*, from my interview with the folks at [@TWiT](https://mastodon.social/@TWiT) yesterday.)

You can watch the whole episode here:

[https://twit.tv/shows/floss-weekly/episodes/753?autostart=false](https://twit.tv/shows/floss-weekly/episodes/753?autostart=false)

\\* [https://ar.al/2019/11/29/the-future-of-internet-regulation-at-the-european-parliament/](https:/ ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111223802007731308)
2023-10-12T21:24:24Z	****
Anyone know which assholes decided to set off a barrage of fireworks in [#Kilkenny](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Kilkenny) just now, scaring our dog half to death?

[#ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ireland) [#fireworks](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fireworks) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111224151360548015)
2023-10-12T22:16:53Z	****
💥 Fireworks! Fun, right? 💥

“Léan Kennedy, Adovcacy and Policy Officer with Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, says she has to change her whole daily schedule to avoid fireworks at this time of year, after previously experiencing their negative impact on her guide dog.”

[https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2023/0926/1407483-fireworks-ireland/](https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2023/0926/1407483-fireworks-ireland/)

[#fireworks](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fireworks) [#ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ireland) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111224357753327232)
2023-10-12T22:21:36Z	****
💥 Fireworks! Wow! Shiny!💥

“The loud noises, bright flashes, and pungent scent of gunpowder that accompany fireworks can be a trigger for people who have served in the military, are refugees of war, participated in protests, or survived a natural disaster … For some, these aerial explosions can trigger a full-body response, ranging from heightened anxiety to complete dissociation and hallucinations.”

[https://www.popsci.com/diy/pstd-fireworks-guide/](https://www.popsci.com/diy/pstd-fireworks-guide/)

[#fireworks](http ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111224376308495813)
2023-10-13T10:37:19Z	****
Israel-Hamas war: Israeli military orders 1.1 million in Gaza to evacuate south ‘ahead of operation’

[https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2023/10/13/israel-hamas-war-latest/](https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2023/10/13/israel-hamas-war-latest/)

This is prelude to genocide. Gaza is an open air prison with 2 million people, nearly half of which are children. The places being told to evacuate include hospitals. There is nowhere to go.

You cannot condemn the barbarism of one group while cheering on  ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111227269265190683)
2023-10-13T16:48:13Z	****
ActivityPub feature request: make it so you can turn off replies on posts and/or limit replies to followers only.

[#ActivityPub](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ActivityPub) [#moderation](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/moderation) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111228727665459851)
2023-10-14T09:43:50Z	****
Let the character of those who hate you be the only references you need.

Warning: Racism, homophobia, body shaming.

* * *

[#racism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/racism) [#homophobia](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/homophobia) [#bodyShaming](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/bodyShaming) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111232721249774886)
2023-10-16T20:55:56Z	****
If a tumour were to write a manifesto on cancer…

[https://a16z.com/the-techno-optimist-manifesto/](https://a16z.com/the-techno-optimist-manifesto/)

[#a16z](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/a16z) [#MarcAndreessen](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/MarcAndreessen) [#BigTech](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/BigTech) [#manifesto](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/manifesto) [#SiliconValley](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SiliconValley) [#growth](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/growth) [#cult](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/cult) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111246688701821621)
2023-10-17T06:34:34Z	****
The asshole manifesto.

[#a16z](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/a16z) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111248963987390396)
2023-10-17T09:07:23Z	****
“Infinite growth with finite resources!”

– Cancer. Also, Marc Andreessen.

[#a16z](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/a16z) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111249564886536518)
2023-10-17T14:19:33Z	****
Dying Gazans Criticized For Not Using Last Words To Condemn Hamas

[https://www.theonion.com/dying-gazans-criticized-for-not-using-last-words-to-con-1850925657](https://www.theonion.com/dying-gazans-criticized-for-not-using-last-words-to-con-1850925657) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111250792356095905)
2023-10-17T15:41:33Z	****
Can we all just take a moment and acknowledge the hard work [@lisihocke](https://mastodon.social/@lisihocke) has put into the detailed alt text in all her sketchnotes?

[https://mastodon.ar.al/@lisihocke@mastodon.social/media](https://mastodon.ar.al/@lisihocke@mastodon.social/media)

Thank you! 💕

[#accessibility](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/accessibility) [#a11y](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/a11y) [#fediverse](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fediverse) [#sketchnotes](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/sketchnotes) [#tech](https:/ ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111251114810605879)
2023-10-17T18:07:32Z	****
‘At least 500’ dead after Israeli airstrike on Gaza hospital

[https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2023/10/17/israel-hamas-war-air-strikes-pound-gaza-as-efforts-made-to-break-deadlock-on-aid/](https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2023/10/17/israel-hamas-war-air-strikes-pound-gaza-as-efforts-made-to-break-deadlock-on-aid/)

More than 1,000 children have reportedly been killed in 11 days of airstrikes on Gaza – one child every 15 minutes – with children making up a third of total fatalities in Gaza.

[ht ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111251688821318297)
2023-10-17T18:33:02Z	****
What is enough?

A thousand dead children is clearly not. Two eyes for an eye is clearly not. Is three enough? Four? Five? All?

What is enough?

[#gaza](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gaza) [#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#genocide](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/genocide) [#settlerColonialism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/settlerColonialism) [#apartheid](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/apartheid) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111251789068070435)
2023-10-17T18:58:57Z	****
The fire of injustice might be kindled with the weakest among us but it will grow to consume us all. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111251890986574408)
2023-10-17T19:00:45Z	****
The flame of injustice might be kindled with the weakest among us but it will grow to consume us all. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111251898103772471)
2023-10-17T21:35:20Z	****
The Irish Times has updated its headline to “Hundreds dead after Gaza hospital strike as conflict continues to escalate” as Israel denies it was responsible for that particular strike, blaming a failed rocket launch from Gaza.

This is madness. And I fear it’s only going to get worse. And my heart breaks at the senseless loss of life and human suffering. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111252505939436609)
2023-10-18T14:56:22Z	****
Well, the cast is off. It’s going to be a while until my dominant hand is back to normal again but at least my skin can breathe again :)

[#hand](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/hand) [#fracture](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fracture) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111256599431840347)
2023-10-19T07:43:27Z	****
“Israel’s police chief, Kobi Shabtai, has said there will be ‘zero tolerance’ for protests in support of Gaza in Israel, threatening to send anti-war demonstrators to the besieged Palestinian enclave that Israel has been bombarding daily for nearly two weeks.”

[https://www.inkl.com/a/nxLAbxCJNlJ](https://www.inkl.com/a/nxLAbxCJNlJ)

“Democracy.”

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#gaza](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gaza) [#democracy](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/democracy) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111260559429695610)
2023-10-19T09:51:43Z	****
It shouldn’t have to be said but no one living in a civilised society should have to walk on eggshells or fear blacklisting for speaking out against war crimes and the slaughter of innocent civilians regardless of who is carrying out said atrocities. The people who create such hostile environments to silence criticism of human suffering are nothing more than playground bullies. They are no friend to human rights, democracy, or civilisation. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111261063780599546)
2023-10-20T11:43:58Z	****
Looking forward to finally getting back to work today after breaking my hand and recovering from a mild bout of the latest strain of COVID (I’m assuming – at least two other folks who were with us tested positive even though neither Laura nor I did over multiple tests) while away in Spain at the start of the month.

There’s a big update to Kitten deployments in the works in its own branch that will also bring about a bunch of other improvements when it lands.

[#kitten](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/kitten) [#SmallWeb](h ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111267167488040944)
2023-10-20T11:48:56Z	****
Oh and in the middle of all that we just went sale agreed on a house. Fingers crossed all goes well and we get it. It’s a huge expense and distraction but,ironically, we found ourselves having to buy because we just can’t afford to rent any longer in Ireland. Not that there is anywhere to rent, even if we wanted to and the thing I need the most to keep working on the Small Web is stability. Given how often we’ve been forced to move while renting, this should hopefully help.

🤞

[#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/S ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111267187019140651)
2023-10-20T13:14:21Z	****
Your daily reminder that condemning genocide does not make you a ‘terror supporter.’”

(And yes, fuck Hamas. They’re barbarians. The very low bar for any state that purports to be a democracy is to be better than barbarians.)

[https://www.politico.eu/article/greta-thunberg-calls-global-pro-palestinian-strike-gaza-genocide-israel-slam/](https://www.politico.eu/article/greta-thunberg-calls-global-pro-palestinian-strike-gaza-genocide-israel-slam/)

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#hamas](https://mastodon.a ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111267522886276601)
2023-10-20T13:42:42Z	****
Gillian Anderson pulls out of conference after organiser writes: “War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies, and should be called out for what they are.”

[https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2023/10/20/intel-siemens-and-actor-gillian-anderson-pull-out-of-web-summit-over-cosgrave-israel-hamas-comments/](https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2023/10/20/intel-siemens-and-actor-gillian-anderson-pull-out-of-web-summit-over-cosgrave-israel-hamas-comments/)

I guess that must mean she believes war crimes are not  ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111267634372671809)
2023-10-20T13:55:12Z	****
I mean, it’s even worse:

\> A spokesperson for G-Spot, the former X-Files actor’s drinks brand, said she had made the decision to withdraw from a slated appearance at Web Summit because the “brands’ values do not align”.

Imagine thinking about your brand at a time like this. Imagine being a multimillionaire, seeing thousands of children die, and thinking “what’s best for my brand right now? How can I sell more drinks?”

Like, fuck you lady. Hope dead Palestinians don’t harm your bottom line. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111267683505743980)
2023-10-20T14:05:45Z	****
Don’t get me wrong Web Summit is a Silicon Valley love shrine and I have the smallest violin for Paddy Cosgrave for profiting from legitimising surveillance capitalism in Ireland. I’d say maybe this would make him question what else about Big Tech is wrong but something tells me that’s too much to ask for. His mistake was to make an ethical statement in a fundamentally unethical industry/world. I can only assume he won’t make the same mistake twice if he wants to get back into their good graces. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111267724985867513)
2023-10-21T07:27:48Z	****
“Excuse me, is this war carbon neutral?”

– Neoliberals, probably. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111271822492659789)
2023-10-21T07:47:30Z	****
The market didn’t fix it. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111271900014808130)
2023-10-21T08:00:25Z	****
How is it I’m only just learning about Feedle – [@feedle](https://mastodon.social/@feedle) – by [@preslavrachev](https://mastodon.social/@preslavrachev)?

Search for a topic – e.g., JavaScript or ethics or whatnot – and the returned result is available as an RSS feed.

This might just get me back into using an RSS reader again because the thing I struggle with the most is curating feeds.

[#RSS](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/RSS) [#feedle](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/feedle) [#OpenWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/OpenWeb ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111271950756684009)
2023-10-21T15:51:43Z	****
How we detected human induced climate change in Irish weather records

[https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2023/1020/1412054-human-induced-climate-change-irish-weather/](https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2023/1020/1412054-human-induced-climate-change-irish-weather/)

[#ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ireland) [#climateChange](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/climateChange) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111273804025977254)
2023-10-23T18:23:38Z	****
I love how this “Created by AI, edited by humans” summary of the chat I had with Doc this month starts off mildly enough with “A great chat on FLOSS Weekly regarding alternate funding models to support ethical tech projects…“ and ends a few paragraphs later with “…Balkan provided an urgent call to action to avoid extinction at the hands of unchecked capitalism.”

Well that escalated quickly! 😬 👍

[https://twit.tv/posts/inside-twit/aral-balkan-calls-new-funding-models-support-ethical-tech](https://twit.tv/posts/inside-t ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111285726006539331)
2023-10-24T12:02:51Z	****
On the Internet, public space is not a place like Facebook or Xitter. It is the sum total of the interconnections between individually owned and controlled places.

This is why I’m designing the Small Web to enable everyone to have their own place on the web.

[https://ar.al/2020/08/07/what-is-the-small-web/](https://ar.al/2020/08/07/what-is-the-small-web/)

And if you want to help us continue to exist, you can fund our work (because folks like the EU sure as hell aren’t).

[https://small-tech.org/fund-us](https://smal ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111289890986137527)
2023-10-24T18:08:19Z	****
Israel calls on UN chief to resign over comments to Security Council

[https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2023/1024/1412756-israel-calls-on-un-chief-to-resign-over-comments/](https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2023/1024/1412756-israel-calls-on-un-chief-to-resign-over-comments/)

Yeah, fuck that.

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#palestine](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/palestine) [#genocide](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/genocide) [#apartheid](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/apartheid) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111291328101793738)
2023-10-24T18:17:30Z	****
“Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law.” – UN Secretary-General António Guterres

[https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2023-10-24/secretary-generals-remarks-the-security-council-the-middle-east](https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2023-10-24/secretary-generals-remarks-the-security-council-the-middle-east)

Israel is calling for his resignation for these remarks. Read his remarks for yourself. If those remarks are so unpalatable to Israel it is because I ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111291364211912880)
2023-10-24T19:11:47Z	****
Wix fires employee for Gaza support, tells staff to “join a company initiative to create videos and creative campaigns”, to “support Israel’s narrative” … “show Westernity” in posts, as “unlike the Gazans, we look and live like Europeans and Americans”. It’s “very important to emphasise this in texts and images so that they feel close to us”

[https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/10/24/internal-wix-chat-encouraged-staff-to-support-israels-narrative-in-hamas-conflict/](https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/10/24/in ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111291577652182114)
2023-10-24T22:23:11Z	**** ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111292330221674939)
2023-10-25T10:35:08Z	****
👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽 ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111295208384899430)
2023-10-25T10:35:03Z	****
👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽 ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111295208055854681)
2023-10-25T10:34:55Z	****
👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽 ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111295207541452960)
2023-10-25T10:34:49Z	****
👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽👶🏽 ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111295207132436698)
2023-10-25T10:40:44Z	****
2,000 children. That’s how many children have been killed by Israel in two weeks of siege and bombing in Gaza.

Two. Thousand. Children.

This is unconscionable.

Nothing justifies this.

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#genocide](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/genocide) [#gaza](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gaza) [#ceasefire](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ceasefire) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111295230405086092)
2023-10-26T02:08:02Z	****
“It is equally true that no amount of rhetoric can change the reality that the Israeli government has engaged in mass murder during the last two weeks. Israel’s horrific military actions in Gaza have already killed several thousand Palestinian civilians of all ages. That too meets the definition of terrorism.”

[https://www.inkl.com/a/pYBVXnIrAQr](https://www.inkl.com/a/pYBVXnIrAQr)

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#palestine](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/palestine) [#gaza](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gaz ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111298876680324491)
2023-10-26T02:07:18Z	****
“No amount of rhetoric from defenders and apologists of Hamas can change the reality that the group committed mass murder in Israel two weeks ago. The horrific and indiscriminate killings of more than 1,000 Israeli civilians of all ages meets the dictionary definition of terrorism.”

[https://www.inkl.com/a/pYBVXnIrAQr](https://www.inkl.com/a/pYBVXnIrAQr)

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#palestine](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/palestine) [#gaza](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gaza) [#hamas](https://mastodon ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111298873795338066)
2023-10-26T13:15:19Z	****
If you think religion – and by extension our inability to think rationally, which it legitimises at the highest levels of society – has “nothing to do with it”, you’re clearly not paying attention.

And by “it”, I mean the climate crisis (the habitat crisis), I mean the human tragedies unfolding in Gaza and elsewhere… I mean our inability to tackle the existential challenges of our times in a logical and reasoned manner because we have 21st century technology driven by 1st century thinking. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111301500598124053)
2023-10-26T13:25:33Z	****
I’m seriously considering buying a bunch of Bluetooth earphones and gifting them to anyone I see blaring a video or game or music in a quiet public place from their phone.

What do you think, shall we crowdfund it for the sanity of us all?

[#firstWorldProblems](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/firstWorldProblems) [#earphonesForAll](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/earphonesForAll) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111301540784393238)
2023-10-26T17:07:13Z	****
“[P]erhaps the late in ‘late capitalism’ isn’t a description of capitalism but of us. Maybe it’s we who are late—late to the work of building what comes next, of believing that there can be a next, that this isn’t all there is. Happily, as the saying goes, the only thing worse than late is never.” – [@aworkinglibrary](https://mstdn.social/@aworkinglibrary)

[https://aworkinglibrary.com/writing/late-pandemic](https://aworkinglibrary.com/writing/late-pandemic) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111302412462695801)
2023-10-27T10:02:04Z	****
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

– George Orwell, 1984 ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111306402959151334)
2023-10-27T12:59:54Z	****
(And yes, I’m often tempted to draw the curtains.) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111307102278938427)
2023-10-27T12:57:08Z	****
You call it social media, I call it a window into a crumbling civilisation. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111307091349258465)
2023-10-27T20:35:44Z	****
UN General Assembly adopts Gaza resolution calling for immediate and sustained ‘humanitarian truce’

[https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1142847](https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1142847)

[#UN](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/UN) [#gaza](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gaza) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111308894689618491)
2023-10-28T09:59:36Z	****
According to Israel:

The UN Secretary General is “supporting terrorism” and should resign.

[https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2023/1024/1412756-israel-calls-on-un-chief-to-resign-over-comments/](https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2023/1024/1412756-israel-calls-on-un-chief-to-resign-over-comments/)

Amnesty International is “antisemitic.”

[https://www.politico.eu/article/israel-calls-amnesty-international-antisemitic-and-biased-after-it-criticized-war-crimes-by-all-parties/](https://www.politico.eu/article/israel-calls-amnest ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111312055590397094)
2023-10-28T14:39:03Z	****
James Schneider (Progressive International):

“76% of voters in this country want to see a ceasefire now… it is the common sense, right thing to do, and our political class is not offering it to us”

David Mencer (Labour Friends of Israel):

“It’s time to expose your love of Jew haters… you support evil James! You support evil Hamas! … EVIL HAMAS! CHILD KILLERS! WOMEN RAPERS! CHILD BEHEADERS! YES, EVIL HAMAS, JAMES! YOU SUPPORT THEM!”

[https://nitter.net/AaronBastani/status/1717920557721628945](https://nitter.net/Aaro ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111313154427019485)
2023-10-28T15:25:01Z	****
“I have never seen a Western official say the sentence: Palestinians have the right to defend themselves.”

– Queen Rania of Jordan

[https://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/queen-rania-decries-western-double-standard-and-deafening-silence-war-gaza](https://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/queen-rania-decries-western-double-standard-and-deafening-silence-war-gaza)

Separate clip from her interview with CNN:

[https://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2023/10/24/exp-queen-rania-exclusive-intw-10242301pseg1-cnn-world.cnn](https://e ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111313335175974605)
2023-10-29T08:41:45Z	****
In case it helps some folks empathise:

Over 7,000 Matthew Perries have been killed in Gaza this month, including over 3,000 baby Matthew Perries.

[#gaza](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gaza) [#genocide](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/genocide) [#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#palestine](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/palestine) [#MatthewPerry](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/MatthewPerry) [#RIPMatthewPerry](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/RIPMatthewPerry) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111317411797343694)
2023-10-29T11:32:58Z	****
Can we please have a setting in the administrator panel to set the character limit for a Mastodon instance?

The current lack of such a setting does nothing apart from create a two-tier fediverse where folks who have the time to maintain their own Mastodon fork and folks who use other ActivityPub servers can write as much as they like whereas everyone else is limited to 500 characters. We’re not kids; make the option accessible and let instance owners decide for themselves.

[#mastodon](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/mast ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111318085070715114)
2023-10-31T07:27:02Z	****
“Almost 90% of primary schools require a certificate to teach religion according to the Catholic faith.”

What in the name of fuck? What century are we living in again?

[https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/education/2023/10/31/only-catholics-need-apply-is-religion-a-barrier-to-getting-a-job-as-a-primary-teacher/](https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/education/2023/10/31/only-catholics-need-apply-is-religion-a-barrier-to-getting-a-job-as-a-primary-teacher/)

[#ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ireland) [#education](htt ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111328442600956779)
2023-10-31T07:34:36Z	****
“In his history of a Roman invasion of northern Britain, Tacitus gives the Caledonian chieftain Calgacus a famous speech. Of the Romans, he says “They make a desert and call it ‘peace’.”

This is not meant to be an instruction manual. But Israel seems to be treating it as one. It will, after many thousands more civilians have died, eventually declare peace in a blood-soaked wasteland of rubble and dust.

There is, however, an obvious difference…”

[https://web.archive.org/web/20231031073225/https://www.irishtimes.com/o ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111328472395462037)
2023-10-31T09:14:31Z	****
“The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, says 64 of its staff have now been killed in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war.

One colleague was killed yesterday along with his family - eight children and his wife - while he was at home, spokeswoman Juliette Touma tells BBC World Service’s Newsday.”

[https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-middle-east-67258466?ns\_mchannel=social&ns\_source=twitter&ns\_campaign=bbc\_live&ns\_linkname=6540b1b38ae7803bb6845bbf%26UN%20says%20employee%2C%20wife%2C%20and%20eight%20children%20 ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111328865287425505)
2023-10-31T12:59:55Z	****
“8,525 Palestinians reported killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since start of war…

Israeli troops continue ground attacks in Gaza as 800,000 flee area under siege…

UN agency says urgent ceasefire in Gaza ‘matter of life and death’ for millions…”

[https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2023/10/31/israel-hamas-conflict-un-agency-says-urgent-ceasefire-in-gaza-matter-of-life-and-death-for-millions/](https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2023/10/31/israel-hamas-conflict-un-agency-says-urgent-ceasefire-in-gaz ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111329751541448009)
2023-10-31T13:09:48Z	****
May I just say, fuck Benjamin Netanyahu. Mass murdering psychopath, war criminal, fascist.

(And yes, before you ask, I condemn all mass murdering psychopaths, war criminals, and fascists. Sorry to rob you of that particular gotcha.) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111329790403846346)
2023-10-31T13:54:19Z	****
The audacity to wear a yellow star emblazoned with “Never Again” as your government commits genocide against the Palestinian people.

[https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231031-israel-envoy-wears-yellow-star-at-un](https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231031-israel-envoy-wears-yellow-star-at-un)

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#palestine](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/palestine) [#gaza](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gaza) [#holocaust](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/holocaust) [#neverAgain](https://mast ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111329965493118490)
2023-10-31T18:30:18Z	****
OK, [@skaly](https://mastodon.social/@skaly), since you’ve gone ahead and made a public post calling me out, let’s play that game:

[https://mastodon.social/@skaly/111330965067192756#](https://mastodon.social/@skaly/111330965067192756#)

I didn’t send you “false information” about your country.

In a thread, you denied that what Israel is committing in Gaza can be called genocide so I sent you this link by Raz Segal, associate professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Stockton University and the endowed professor  ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111331050684741191)
2023-10-31T18:37:12Z	****
[@skaly](https://mastodon.social/@skaly) Further, I wrote:

“I empathise with the suffering on both sides. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain of the indefensible inhumanity inflicted by Hamas on Oct 7. But I equally do not need to have my mind changed about the unconscionable human catastrophe being perpetrated by Israel in Gaza as we speak.

Sending you love back and hoping for peace also.”

[https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111331011575748818](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111331011575748818)

After which you wrote yo ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111331077826264933)
2023-10-31T18:33:21Z	****
[@skaly](https://mastodon.social/@skaly) Then, you offered to have a conversation with me “to learn from someone who lives through it instead of Jewish people who never even visited and somehow think they have the right to speak from personal experience as if they know what it's like to live in the middle east?”

I politely declined because:

[https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111330904522750762](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111330904522750762)

Then you told me I was getting my casualty numbers from Hamas. To which I repli ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111331062663126391)
2023-10-31T18:54:21Z	****
[@skaly](https://mastodon.social/@skaly) So let me take this opportunity to state with my whole chest: I will never be ashamed for condemning war crimes or the slaughter of innocent civilians no matter who is carrying out the atrocity.

Let those who justify this brutality be ashamed.

I’m going to leave you with [@timnitGebru](https://dair-community.social/@timnitGebru)’s thread on genocide denial. Born Turkish, it’s an area I have some first-hand knowledge in also (many Turks deny the Armenian genocide):

[https://da ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111331145276400171)
2023-11-01T07:07:31Z	****
“Maria Julia Assis was sitting down to a meal in her terraced home in north London when her 6-year-old son ran into the dining room, his face pale.

The puzzle game on his Android phone had been interrupted by a video showing Hamas militants, terrified Israeli families and blurred graphic footage. Over a black screen, a message from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the first grader: ‘WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WHO HARM US PAY A HEAVY PRICE.’”

[https://www.reuters.com/world/graphic-pro-israel-ads-make-the ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111334028204176842)
2023-11-01T10:16:00Z	****
How far will Rishi Sunak’s government go to deny the slaughter in Gaza?

“Hamas is a vicious, barbarous, repugnant terrorist organisation. Innocent Palestinian men, women and children have not morally or legally forfeited their lives, limbs, loved ones and homes because of what Hamas did on October 7th.”

[https://web.archive.org/web/20231101101025/https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2023/11/01/how-far-will-rishi-sunaks-government-go-to-deny-the-slaughter-in-gaza/](https://web.archive.org/web/20231101101025/https://www. ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111334769346928114)
2023-11-01T11:06:04Z	****
“A petition signed by nearly 100 French journalists demanding access to Gaza and the protection of journalists covering the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants comes from a simple assessment: a war needs to have field reporting from both sides.”

[https://www.inkl.com/a/qlNJoBUMLpM](https://www.inkl.com/a/qlNJoBUMLpM)

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#palestine](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/palestine) [#gaza](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gaza) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111334966182290801)
2023-11-01T13:06:36Z	****
Spoiler: it is genocide.

[https://jewishcurrents.org/a-textbook-case-of-genocide](https://jewishcurrents.org/a-textbook-case-of-genocide) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111335440183665332)
2023-11-01T13:05:30Z	****
But what if it wasn’t a genocide and we needlessly stopped the endless slaughter of innocent civilians? ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111335435824465155)
2023-11-01T22:06:53Z	****
“The entire population of Gaza is “being dehumanized,” the chief of the main UN agency operating there told the UN Security Council”

[https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/31/middleeast/israel-gaza-hamas-war-tuesday-intl-hnk/](https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/31/middleeast/israel-gaza-hamas-war-tuesday-intl-hnk/)

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#palestine](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/palestine) [#gaza](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gaza) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111337564613238155)
2023-11-02T07:17:46Z	****
🚨 Another EU mass surveillance attempt. Will kill privacy on web. Must not pass. 🚨

“[A]ll web browsers distributed in Europe will be required to trust the certificate authorities and cryptographic keys selected by EU governments.

These changes radically expand the capability of EU governments to surveil their citizens by ensuring cryptographic keys under government control can be used to intercept encrypted web traffic across the EU.”

[https://last-chance-for-eidas.org](https://last-chance-for-eidas.org)

[#eu](http ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111339730776490891)
2023-11-02T13:58:19Z	****
Just got notice that RIPE NCC will not be funding the [#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallWeb). Not surprising, since we haven’t had a single successful funding application and I’m done wasting my time with this crap.

small-web.org will launch as a commercial service (host your own Small Web place for ~€10/mo) and hopefully that will make Small Technology Foundation sustainable. Since everything we do is free and open, others will also be able to host Small Web places.

Also, you can fund us directly: [https: ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111341305848477539)
2023-11-02T14:03:02Z	****
Once it has launched, and hopefully as people start to use it, we’ll review who we might want to partner with to possibly support Small Web places from the commons. (Like the prototyping we carried out with the City of Ghent a few years ago or possibly with EU funding once they see it works and FOMO kicks in… That seems to be a powerful driver in those circles.)

But I won’t be wasting another minute of my time this lifetime filling out another funding application.

[#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallWeb) [#S ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111341324380537157)
2023-11-02T20:27:05Z	****
JSDB (JavaScript Database) version 4.0.0 released

This is a breaking change.

Removed table-level proxies for the table delete(), addEventListener(), and removeEventListener() methods. These were erroneously being injected not just into table objects but into every data object in them (which was destructive in the case of delete()).

Given you can persist custom JavaScript objects in JSDB, this namespace pollution was a problem.

Change log: [https://codeberg.org/small-tech/jsdb/src/branch/main/CHANGELOG.md#4-0-0-2023 ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111342834520808193)
2023-11-03T08:26:36Z	****
“[W]hat I’m seeing unfolding at the moment isn’t just self-defence. It looks, it resembles something more approaching revenge. I don’t think that’s how Israel will guarantee its future freedom and its future security.”

– Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister)

[https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2023/11/03/israel-hamas-war-israel-war-resembles-something-approaching-revenge-taoiseach-says/](https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2023/11/03/israel-hamas-war-israel-war-resembles-something-approaching-revenge-ta ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111345663750995892)
2023-11-03T10:11:30Z	****
My desktop when it goes to sleep versus my desktop when it wakes.

[#GNOME](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/GNOME) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111346076266908099)
2023-11-03T10:31:53Z	****
I might be popping into NodeConf EU in Kilkenny this Sunday/next week.

If you’re around and want to chat about Small Web¹ and Kitten², let me know.

¹ [https://ar.al/2020/08/07/what-is-the-small-web/](https://ar.al/2020/08/07/what-is-the-small-web/)

² [https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#kitten](https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#kitten)

[#NodeConf](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/NodeConf) [#NodeConfEU](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/NodeConfEU) [#Kilkenny](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Kilkenny) [#Ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/ ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111346156417948446)
2023-11-03T11:46:44Z	****
“The most shocking thing about my time over there was how uncomplicated it actually is,” says Coates, who calls segregation in Palestine and Israel “evil.”

“There's no way for me, as an African American, to come back and stand before you, to witness segregation and not say anything…”

Coates acknowledges the suppression of those advocating for Palestinian rights … “I have to measure my fear against the misery that I saw.”

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_df\_u7yJj3k](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_df_u7yJj3k)

[# ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111346450712288870)
2023-11-04T08:46:34Z	****
“The head of mission for Doctors Without Borders has called for a ‘permanent ceasefire’ following a recent attack outside the Al-Shifa Hospital gate in Gaza which has left hundreds feared dead and scores more injured.

Ann Taylor, speaking from Jerusalem, said the latest attack outside the hospital … is an ‘untenable and outrageous’ situation for all medical staff.

…

‘Two of staff have had their entire family members wiped out by falling buildings,’ Ms Taylor said.”

[https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2023 ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111351404563042444)
2023-11-04T08:54:37Z	****
“One effect of the perceived double standard has been to poison European efforts to build global solidarity in support of Ukraine and isolate Russia. ‘They see violations of international humanitarian law, the flattening of entire districts, and they ask how is that different from Kharkiv and ask us to condemn it,’ a European diplomat in the region said. ‘The Europeans are quite silent. The Russians/Chinese will exploit this in the future and are already exploiting it.’”

[https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2023/1 ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111351436247801337)
2023-11-04T09:09:24Z	****
PS. You can follow Naomi, the author of that piece (and many other excellent ones), here on the fediverse:

[@naomiohreally](https://mastodon.world/@naomiohreally) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111351494354611991)
2023-11-04T10:25:23Z	****
“I don’t care about your calls for a premature ceasefire, about your demand that we provide them with electricity, that we stop fighting for ‘humanitarian reasons.’

…

I don’t care that you wave the flag of ‘human rights’…that you shout fancy slogans you don’t understand such as proportionality, occupation and apartheid.

…

I don’t care that you blame us for 1948 refugees, for the fact that they have no state, for…their fantasy of ‘right of return.’”

[https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/dear-world-i-dont-care/](https:// ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111351793154986355)
2023-11-04T12:43:16Z	****
In almost three decades of writing JavaScript (yes, I’m older than JavaScript), this is the first time I’ve used a label and a break label statement for a conditional.

I feel strangely fine about it.

[#JavaScript](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/JavaScript) [#js](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/js) [#conditional](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/conditional) [#labeledStatement](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/labeledStatement) [#break](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/break) [#NodeJS](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/NodeJS) [#web](https://mas ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111352335317543901)
2023-11-04T15:33:17Z	****
Israel’s Minister of Heritage Amihai Eliyahu (עמיחי אליהו) makes Facebook post with video of bulldozers at work with the following caption (machine translated):

“The northern part of the Gaza Strip is more beautiful than ever. Blowing and flattening everything, just a delight for the eyes. (A soldier in Gaza) We have to talk about the day after. In my mind's eye, we are distributing plots to all those who fought for Gaza”

[https://www.facebook.com/eliyau.a/videos/148918588283326/](https://www.facebook.com/eliyau.a/vi ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111353003873128074)
2023-11-04T15:44:32Z	****
And here’s some press coverage of the post:

[https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2023/11/358737/more-beautiful-than-ever-israeli-minister-delights-in-gaza-genocide](https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2023/11/358737/more-beautiful-than-ever-israeli-minister-delights-in-gaza-genocide)

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#palestine](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/palestine) [#gaza](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gaza) [#ethnicCleansing](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ethnicCleansing) [#genocide](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111353048113307855)
2023-11-04T16:07:05Z	****
Yay, [https://kittens.small-web.org](https://kittens.small-web.org) is now live! 🥳

That’s going to be where Kitten¹ distributions are served from (previously, they were shallow cloned straight from the Kitten git repository’s distribution folder).

There’s no distribution there right now and I have to update Kitten itself to deploy to it/use it during installation but it’s a step forward :)

The Kittens site itself, of course, is built using Kitten².

¹ [https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#kitten](https://codeberg.org/kit ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111353136756631784)
2023-11-04T16:42:40Z	****
“Sky's Mark Austin has spoken to Gaza War veteran Benzi Sanders who said ‘Hamas is stronger’ even though they ‘had dealt them a decisive blow’.

The ex-Israel Defence Forces soldier added: ‘The only way to defeat the idea of violent resistance is to create an alternative. One our government [Israel] opposes. So, this government can’t defeat Hamas.’”

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fPtN4hVlFA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fPtN4hVlFA)

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#palestine](https://mastodon.ar. ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111353276677937134)
2023-11-04T21:11:25Z	****
“Anyone who wants to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state has to support bolstering Hamas and transferring money to Hamas … This is part of our strategy.”

– Benjamin Netanyahu, 2019

[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/03/war-israel-hamas-conflict-peace-extremists](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/03/war-israel-hamas-conflict-peace-extremists)

Via [@blepharon](https://mas.to/@blepharon)

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#palestine](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111354333450905625)
2023-11-05T15:57:03Z	****
… But their name filter is diacritic-sensitive… so I give you my doppelganger – or should I say doppelgänger – now with 50% more Frenchness…

![:awesome:](https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mastodon-aral/custom_emojis/images/000/010/725/original/38dd73cee0f6cc9b.png)👍

\*sigh\*

PS. To pronounce my name correctly, all the vowels would have accent graves on them.

[#facebook](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/facebook) [#name](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/name) [#unicode](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/unicode) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111358759623842288)
2023-11-05T15:51:40Z	****
We’re moving to a new city and the only community I can find for it is on [#Facebook](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Facebook).

So, as much as I don’t want to, I decide to make a Facebook account again just to access this community…

(This is why communities must not be locked behind the walled gardens of surveillance capitalists. But even if we create fedi/Small Web alternatives, we still need to let the existing ones know they exist somehow.)

…Anyway, long story short, I can’t – they’ve [#blacklisted](https://mastodon ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111358738475858344)
2023-11-06T07:23:21Z	****
Israel-Hamas war: Israel says Gaza ‘cut in two’, as Jordan airdrops medical supplies to hospital

[https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2023/11/06/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-latest-news/](https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2023/11/06/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-latest-news/)

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#palestine](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/palestine) [#gaza](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gaza) [#genocide](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/genocide) [#ethnicCleansing](https://mastodon.ar ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111362402013204347)
2023-11-06T13:35:44Z	****
At the kind of mainstream conference where you overhear folks casually uttering phrases like “he didn’t really do anything too horrible” about Sam Bankman-Fried and I’m so glad to not in any way be part of this swamp.

[#SiliconValley](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SiliconValley) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111363866291152324)
2023-11-07T15:39:21Z	****
No, please, tell me again what your silly 2,000-year-old book says about the nature of the universe. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111370014646636674)
2023-11-07T16:04:01Z	****
Meanwhile in Yeehaw Bang Bang Land…

[https://texasobserver.social/@TexasObserver/111366122411798121](https://texasobserver.social/@TexasObserver/111366122411798121) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111370111670375527)
2023-11-08T15:00:15Z	****
US Congress censures only Palestinian American in Congress for speaking out on behalf of the Palestinian people.

“‘It's a shame my colleagues are more focused on silencing me than they are on saving lives, as the death toll in Gaza surpasses 10,000,’ wrote Tlaib in a statement on the censure effort. ‘Many of them have shown me that Palestinian lives simply do not matter to them, but I still do not police their rhetoric or actions.’”

[https://www.businessinsider.com/which-democrats-voted-for-rashida-tlaib-censure-isra ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111375523185928402)
2023-11-08T22:08:26Z	****
Israel-Hamas war leaves thousands of Palestinians in Gaza facing ‘death by starvation,’ aid group warns.

[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestinians-face-death-by-starvation-aid-group-says/](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestinians-face-death-by-starvation-aid-group-says/)

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#palestine](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/palestine) [#gaza](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gaza) [#genocide](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/genocide) [#ethnicCleani ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111377206876274148)
2023-11-09T05:30:03Z	****
Public Service Announcement:

Please make sure your favourite extensions have been updated for GNOME 45 before updating to Fedora 39 to avoid nasty surprises.

[#gnome](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gnome) [#fedora](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fedora) [#gnome45](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gnome45) [#fedora39](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fedora39) [#fedoraSilverblue](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fedoraSilverblue) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111378943405811195)
2023-11-09T05:35:00Z	****
1\. Read this:

“Just as GitHub was founded on Git, today we are re-founded on Copilot.”

[https://github.blog/2023-11-08-universe-2023-copilot-transforms-github-into-the-ai-powered-developer-platform/](https://github.blog/2023-11-08-universe-2023-copilot-transforms-github-into-the-ai-powered-developer-platform/)

2\. Go here:

[https://codeberg.org/](https://codeberg.org/)

[#git](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/git) [#gitHub](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gitHub) [#codeberg](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/codeberg) [#enshitti ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111378962892548135)
2023-11-09T05:57:07Z	****
Upgrading from Fedora Silverblue 38 to 39?

If you have rpm-fusion layered, do the following before upgrading:

1\. Pin your current distribution so you can roll back in case something goes wrong:

sudo ostree admin pin 0

2\. Reinstall rpm-fusion:

rpm-ostree update --uninstall rpmfusion-free-release --uninstall rpmfusion-nonfree-release --install rpmfusion-free-release --install rpmfusion-nonfree-release

3\. Continue upgrade as usual: [https://fedoramagazine.org/how-to-rebase-to-fedora-linux-39-on-silverblue/](https ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111379049841276768)
2023-11-09T06:02:18Z	****
PS. If you get the following error on Step 1: “Cannot pin staged deployment”, it just means that you already have an operating system update pending so just reboot (\`sudo reboot\`) to apply it and then carry out the major version upgrade.

[#fedoraSilverblue](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fedoraSilverblue) [#fedora39](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fedora39) [#upgrade](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/upgrade) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111379070192680276)
2023-11-09T06:50:48Z	****
Smooth upgrade in a couple of minutes to Fedora Silverblue 39.

(And, if for some reason it hadn’t been, I could have rolled back to Fedora Silverblue 38 with a single gesture. Try that when a macOS upgrade gets borked. And yes, I’ve had macOS upgrades get borked\*. Not fun.)

\\* Hint: make sure there’s enough disk space before installing an upgrade or get ready for a world of hurt.

[#fedoraSilverblue](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fedoraSilverblue) [#fedora39](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fedora39) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111379260915708209)
2023-11-09T07:04:23Z	****
Here’s a list of extensions I’d recommend if you’re using GNOME. These work well under the new extension system in GNOME 45 and I wouldn’t want to use GNOME without them:

• Just Perfection ( [https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/3843/just-perfection/](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/3843/just-perfection/))

• Tiling Assistant ( [https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/3733/tiling-assistant/](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/3733/tiling-assistant/))

• Night Theme Switcher ( [https://extensions.gnome.org/ ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111379314334141089)
2023-11-09T07:23:48Z	****
Anyone else use WezTerm¹ with GNOME Shell (44/45) and multiple monitors?

If so, can you reproduce this crash and/or help debug it?

[https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-shell/-/issues/7176](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-shell/-/issues/7176)

Thanks :)

¹ [https://wezfurlong.org/wezterm/index.html](https://wezfurlong.org/wezterm/index.html)

CC [@gnome](https://floss.social/@gnome)

[#gnome](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gnome) [#gnomeShell](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gnomeShell) [#WezTerm](https://mastodon.ar.a ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111379390677232022)
2023-11-09T07:34:09Z	****
Here’s a wild idea: If you don’t like being criticised for committing genocide, how about try not fucking committing genocide?

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#palestine](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/palestine) [#gaza](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gaza) [#genocide](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/genocide) [#ethnicCleansing](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ethnicCleansing) [#crimesAgainstHumanity](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/crimesAgainstHumanity) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111379431401767179)
2023-11-09T13:44:26Z	****
“‘Palestinian lives and Israeli lives are of equal value’…there can be ‘no peace, nor security for Israel, without justice for the Palestinian people…Seventy-five years of war, displacement, dispossession, and terrorism teach us that…through dialogue, diplomacy and politics, however difficult or unimaginable that may seem today…From Ireland, we know that peaceful coexistence and indeed partnership is possible, even after a period of prolonged conflict.’” – Varadkar

[https://www.thejournal.ie/taoiseach-gaza-aid-confere ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111380887435520800)
2023-11-09T18:33:25Z	****
w00t! 🥳 Soon, Kitten installations should be around ~2.5× faster¹ as they’re moving from a shallow git clone on Codeberg to the download and extraction of an optimised .tar.xz distribution from the new Kitten distribution site at [https://kittens.small-web.org](https://kittens.small-web.org) :)

![:kitten:](https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mastodon-aral/custom_emojis/images/000/134/702/original/3630b351addf5d80.png) 💕

¹ In a recent test on my machine: installation time was reduced from 2.13 seconds to 0.84879 sec ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111382023708039098)
2023-11-09T18:35:42Z	****
(Having the bespoke Kittens site will also allow Small Web deployments to auto update more easily while adhering to Kitten API versions.)

[#Kitten](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Kitten) [#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallWeb) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111382032700500757)
2023-11-11T15:04:31Z	****
When the folks defending you are fascists, maybe it’s time to ask yourself “are we the baddies?”

[https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2023/nov/11/police-and-far-right-protesters-clash-near-cenotaph-video](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2023/nov/11/police-and-far-right-protesters-clash-near-cenotaph-video)

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#palestine](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/palestine) [#gaza](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gaza) [#genocide](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/genocide) [#ethnic ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111392526933449838)
2023-11-12T09:55:55Z	****
A “war crime” is apparently something you commit knowing no one will hold you responsible for it. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111396975768477713)
2023-11-12T09:59:45Z	****
“Rule of law” refers to the god-given right of white people to make shit up as they go along. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111396990835355370)
2023-11-12T20:32:57Z	****
![:kitten:](https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mastodon-aral/custom_emojis/images/000/134/702/original/3630b351addf5d80.png) 🎉 Kitten is now using the new versioning/deployments system hosted on [https://kittens.small-web.org](https://kittens.small-web.org)

This is going to allow us to handle automatic updates of Small Web places rather elegantly.

Installation is also now much faster.

You can find out more about Kitten at [https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#kitten](https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#kitten)

Known issu ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111399480685326964)
2023-11-12T20:43:21Z	****
PS. Like everything else I do, the Kittens site¹ is free and open source and written in Kitten itself. So if you’d like to see a real-world example of simple site created in Kitten, head over to:

[https://codeberg.org/kitten/kittens.small-web.org](https://codeberg.org/kitten/kittens.small-web.org)

(I also just added a View Source link to the bottom of the Kittens site.)

¹ [https://kittens.small-web.org](https://kittens.small-web.org)

[#Kitten](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Kitten) [#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/t ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111399521576731155)
2023-11-12T20:53:02Z	****
Also, if you are looking at the code, notice how I’m persisting and retrieving custom JavaScript objects from the database and generally interacting with the database as I would with any JavaScript object.

e.g., [https://codeberg.org/kitten/kittens.small-web.org/src/branch/main/upload.post.js#L80](https://codeberg.org/kitten/kittens.small-web.org/src/branch/main/upload.post.js#L80)

That’s thanks to the built-in JavaScript Database (JSDB) that Kitten uses:

[https://codeberg.org/small-tech/jsdb#javascript-database-jsd ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111399559690739581)
2023-11-12T20:59:14Z	****
Finally, please ignore the annoying and incorrect “This file contains ambiguous Unicode characters!” messages on [@Codeberg](https://social.anoxinon.de/@Codeberg). This is a longstanding [@forgejo](https://floss.social/@forgejo) bug:

[https://codeberg.org/forgejo/forgejo/issues/564](https://codeberg.org/forgejo/forgejo/issues/564)

[#codeberg](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/codeberg) [#forgeJo](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/forgeJo) [#ambiguousCharacters](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ambiguousCharacters) [#bug](https://mast ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111399584034886274)
2023-11-13T10:07:07Z	****
(For those of you who might not know, Fedora Silverblue is based on rpm-ostree.

Think of it as your OS on git.

Upgrades are like a simple git pull and take almost no time at all, even between major versions. It’s very common that I’m running today’s OS on my machine.

And if something goes wrong, you can always roll back. Not that I’ve had to yet.)

[#FedoraSilverbule](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/FedoraSilverbule) [#rpmOstree](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/rpmOstree) [#ostree](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ostree) [#tran ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111402682132190387)
2023-11-13T10:02:33Z	****
So I was being gung-ho and upgrading from Fedora Silverblue 38 to 39 on my laptop when the battery died midway.

Oh, the horror! 😱

Can you imagine?! In the middle of an operating system upgrade! Oh, no!

So I restarted and re-ran the command and finished the upgrade.

The End.

[#fedoraSilverblue](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fedoraSilverblue) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111402664148857648)
2023-11-13T11:11:52Z	****
Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in…

[#DavidCameron](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/DavidCameron) [#ukpol](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ukpol) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111402936698181622)
2023-11-13T13:39:07Z	****
Human beings are living proof that intelligence does not imply wisdom. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111403515740641322)
2023-11-13T16:43:48Z	****
Just published a userstyle for the Stylus Firefox extension¹ that removes the ambiguous Unicode character warnings on [@Codeberg](https://social.anoxinon.de/@Codeberg) code listings (for example, when you use proper curly quotes in comments and strings, etc.)

Should work with any [@forgejo](https://floss.social/@forgejo) install if you tweak the domain it pertains to.

[https://userstyles.world/style/13057/remove-ambiguous-character-warnings-on-codeberg](https://userstyles.world/style/13057/remove-ambiguous-character- ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111404241967521456)
2023-11-13T18:59:53Z	****
The new Kittens site now also serves the Kitten installation script and I’ve updated the installation commands accordingly.

On my machine, it now takes ~2.5 seconds to install Kitten the first time and ~0.8 seconds to install it a second time (the difference is the amount of time the installer takes to download and install the Node.js runtime).

I think I’m happy with that performance now so I’m going to move onto implementing server auto updates now.

![:kitten:](https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mastodon-aral/cu ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111404777018195807)
2023-11-14T10:20:58Z	****
Dear [@EU\_Commission](https://social.network.europa.eu/@EU_Commission),

If your best effort at regulating surveillance capitalists results in “give us €9.99/month not to see ads or use for ‘free’ with ads¹”, you should all probably resign and go hide your heads in shame.

And maybe watch my EU Parliament before you do:

[https://ar.al/2019/11/29/the-future-of-internet-regulation-at-the-european-parliament/](https://ar.al/2019/11/29/the-future-of-internet-regulation-at-the-european-parliament/)

¹ Not even turn off tr ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111408398909708594)
2023-11-14T11:25:23Z	****
I believe the enforcement body for privacy law in the EU is called [@noybeu](https://mastodon.social/@noybeu) – did I get that right?

[#eu](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/eu) [#gdpr](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gdpr) [#privacy](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/privacy) [#enforcement](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/enforcement) [#edps](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/edps) [#dpc](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/dpc) [#dpo](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/dpo) [#farce](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/farce) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111408652179473650)
2023-11-14T11:45:00Z	****
“…violence in the [#WestBank](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/WestBank) is also spiking. Attacks on Palestinians by the Israeli military and settlers are up, according to the UNOCHA, which estimates more than 170 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,600 injured in the West Bank since the war began.

…Abuhejleh says that when he tries to get to his olive trees, the war is the reason Israeli soldiers point to for stopping him. He is convinced they are using the war as an excuse to seize Palestinian land.”

[https:// ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111408729345045108)
2023-11-14T11:59:37Z	****
Anyone who defends the status quo in 2023 is either a fool or an asshole and quite possibly both.

[#climateCrisis](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/climateCrisis) [#lateStageCapitalism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/lateStageCapitalism) [#neoliberalism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/neoliberalism) [#riseOfFascism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/riseOfFascism) [#etc](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/etc) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111408786823767898)
2023-11-14T12:16:55Z	****
People will find a million excuses for bullshit that benefits them personally at the expense of others rather than entertain even the idea of non-bullshit alternatives that benefit everyone equally. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111408854810636836)
2023-11-14T16:40:02Z	****
That feeling when you fix a bug that’s been open a year and the fix is literally just adding two characters in one place and two characters in another.

[#dev](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/dev) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111409889446785562)
2023-11-14T17:57:40Z	****
UN humanitarian official: Situation in Gaza ‘worst we’ve ever seen’:

“1.5 million people displaced

…

‘There is no water … the people of Gaza are getting 1.5 litres per person per day, which is way below the emergency threshold of 50 litres per day’

…

‘There’s no electricity for the incubators in the hospitals and so we’ve literally had people dying, babies dying the last few days because of the lack of electricity…’”

[https://www.thejournal.ie/un-official-aid-plea-in-dublin-6222666-Nov2023/](https://www.thejourna ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111410194700166344)
2023-11-14T18:28:53Z	****
“Don’t call it genocide!”

– Folks committing genocide ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111410317452465372)
2023-11-14T18:40:38Z	****
“‘I welcome the initiative of the voluntary emigration of Gaza Arabs to countries around the world,’ Smotrich said in a statement. ‘This is the right humanitarian solution for the residents of Gaza and the entire region after 75 years of refugees, poverty and danger.’”

– Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich

It’s not ethnic cleansing if it’s “voluntary emigration” after displacing 2 million people and killing over ten thousand, is it, you motherfucker?

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/israel) [#palestine]( ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111410363630686686)
2023-11-15T10:37:53Z	****
Capitalism destroys everything. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111414127705812409)
2023-11-16T11:00:40Z	****
Just saw Twitter/X called birdchan.

\*chef’s kiss\*

[#twitter](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/twitter) [#x](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/x) [#birdchan](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/birdchan) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111419879651772104)
2023-11-16T13:49:31Z	****
\- We really appreciate the work you do for the common good.

Enough to pay us for it so we can continue to exist?

\- Don’t be ridiculous, of course not! What do you think we are, communists? ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111420543591215738)
2023-11-16T15:18:13Z	****
Anyone else seeing random DNS lookup failures from systemd-resolved in [#fedora39](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fedora39)?

e.g., if you run:

dig kittens.small-web.org

(Random SERVFAIL errors.)

or

resolvectl --no-pager status; resolvectl query kittens.small-web.org

(Random “'kittens.small-web.org' does not have any RR of the requested type” and SERVFAIL errors. Calls reportedly routed from stub at 127.0.0.53 → my router. DNS on router set to 1.1.1.1 & 1.0.0.1)

It’s always DNS… ![:neko_roling_eyes:](https://s3-eu-c ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111420892349818378)
2023-11-16T19:26:37Z	****
You can now update (upgrade or downgrade) Kitten using:

kitten update [API version]

This will update Kitten to the latest publicly-available version on [https://kittens.small-web.org](https://kittens.small-web.org) or, if the optional API version argument is passed, to the latest publicly-available version for that version of the Kitten API.

You can also downgrade to a public package from a more recent development build.

Next: auto updates of Kitten servers…

Docs: [https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#update](https://c ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111421869077241565)
2023-11-17T12:27:21Z	****
“This is small web, consent driven, artist populated, non-commercial mechanism, attribution promoting, community radio from the fediverse.”

[https://radiofreefedi.net/](https://radiofreefedi.net/)

Find out how you can support this excellent initiative:

[https://blog.radiofreefedi.net/state-of-the-station-report-august-2023](https://blog.radiofreefedi.net/state-of-the-station-report-august-2023)

[#RadioFreeFedi](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/RadioFreeFedi) [#fediverse](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fediverse) [#radio](h ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111425882802891542)
2023-11-17T13:16:19Z	****
“Israel-Hamas war: UN warns of ‘immediate possibility of starvation’ in Gaza”

[https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2023/11/17/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-latest-news/](https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2023/11/17/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-latest-news/)

Looking forward to Israel’s spin on this. If we are to go by previous announcements, probably something along the lines of “The science says a low-calorie diet is good for you and, being the most compassionate state/army/child killers in the world ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111426075330697164)
2023-11-17T13:30:02Z	****
Remember folks, it’s antisemitic to say that Israel is starving Palestinians in Gaza. The correct term you’re looking for is “compassionate calorific restriction.” ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111426129267246148)
2023-11-17T17:25:06Z	****
In 2021 at the UN, out of 182 countries only two voted against recognising a “right to food” for everyone.

Can you guess which ones?

Did you say Israel and the US?

You’re right.

[https://press.un.org/en/2021/gashc4336.doc.htm](https://press.un.org/en/2021/gashc4336.doc.htm)

Via [@XenoLurch](https://kolektiva.social/@XenoLurch)

[#Israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Israel) [#US](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/US) [#RightToFood](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/RightToFood) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111427053600036488)
2023-11-18T08:07:37Z	****
Mehdi Hasan to Mark Regev, senior Netanyahu advisor:

“If Hamas gunmen were hiding out in a school in Tel Aviv or in an apartment block in Haifa, would you be OK with the Israeli military dropping bombs on those buildings, leveling them, killing the innocent Israelis inside in order to get the Hamas gunmen? Would you do that?”

He doesn’t answer the question.

[https://www.msnbc.com/mehdi-on-msnbc/watch/-that-was-a-mistake-mehdi-challenges-israeli-adviser-mark-regev-on-false-israeli-claims-198054981873](https://www.msn ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111430523754479910)
2023-11-19T11:00:24Z	****
“Palestinians are forbidden from gathering rain water for domestic or agricultural needs.”

– Third Periodic Report of Israel’s violations of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights with regard to the human rights to water and sanitation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

(September 2011)

[https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-195880/](https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-195880/)

But, yes, this all started on October 7, 2023.

[#israel](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111436865509619160)
2023-11-19T17:42:51Z	****
Used to love playing Soko-Ban back in the day (in glorious 4-colour CGA). It has held up remarkably well for a game that’s turning 40 next year :)

You can play it online here:

[https://archive.org/details/soko-ban\_1984](https://archive.org/details/soko-ban_1984)

[#dos](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/dos) [#cga](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/cga) [#retroGaming](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/retroGaming) [#sokoBan](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/sokoBan) [#puzzle](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/puzzle) [#game](https://mastodon.ar ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111438447991150869)
2023-11-20T12:35:25Z	****
“The only solution is a Land of Israel devoid of Arabs. There is no room here for compromise. They all must be moved. Not one village can remain, and not one tribe. Only through this transfer of the Arabs living in the Land of Israel will redemption come.”

– Yosef Weitz, director of Land and Afforestation Department, Jewish National Fund (Diary entry, 1940)

Source: [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosef\_Weitz](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosef_Weitz)

Via [@oatmeal](https://kolektiva.social/@oatmeal) (see [https ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111442901441505867)
2023-11-20T13:00:21Z	****
Corporations: just let us regulate ourselves, it’ll be fine…

Also corporations: [https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/17z8hsz/youtube\_has\_started\_to\_artificially\_slow\_down/](https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/17z8hsz/youtube_has_started_to_artificially_slow_down/)

Regulate the absolute living crap out of the these bastards. (But who’s going to when the folks who should be regulating are having drinks with them at the pub every evening and eyeing their next gigs at them?\*)

\\* Did you know Google’s ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111442999489831984)
2023-11-20T13:27:46Z	****
Hey, maybe the good [#Google](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Google) folks at web.dev can write an article about how the [#Firefox](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Firefox) slow-down trick on YouTube works so other sites can implement it too.

[https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/17z8hsz/youtube\_has\_started\_to\_artificially\_slow\_down/](https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/17z8hsz/youtube_has_started_to_artificially_slow_down/)

[#google](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/google) [#web](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/we ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111443107273701287)
2023-11-21T18:35:32Z	****
Spoke with [@timothep](https://hachyderm.io/@timothep) for [@devjourney](https://octodon.social/@devjourney) on [#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallWeb) and more and the podcast is now out.

Listen at:

[https://devjourney.info/Guests/280-AralBalkan](https://devjourney.info/Guests/280-AralBalkan)

(Or wherever you get your podcasts.)

💕

[#podcast](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/podcast) [#devJourney](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/devJourney) [#SmallTech](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallTech) [#BigTech](https://ma ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111449979758251544)
2023-11-22T07:46:04Z	****
If you ever wonder what a “not-for-profit that owns a for-profit” means or who really calls the shots at a Silicon Valley “not-for-profit”, remember this.

[https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/nov/22/sam-altman-openai-ceo-return-board-chatgpt](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/nov/22/sam-altman-openai-ceo-return-board-chatgpt)

Hint: always follow the money.

PS. What other organisation can you think of that’s a “not-for-profit that owns a for-profit” and gets all its money from a surveillance capital ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111453088278732512)
2023-11-22T08:15:09Z	****
“YouTube has provided a statement on the issue … ‘Users who have ad blockers installed may experience suboptimal viewing, regardless of the browser they are using.’

…

This does not completely explain how the five-second delay goes away when using Google Chrome.”

[https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-reportedly-slowing-down-videos-firefox-3387206/](https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-reportedly-slowing-down-videos-firefox-3387206/)

So a slower experience for those who protect themselves from tracking and oo ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111453202625704460)
2023-11-22T10:39:55Z	****
The singularity will not be properly centred.

[#css](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/css) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111453771879273203)
2023-11-22T13:00:39Z	****
AI will not fill the hole in your humanity. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111454325286653963)
2023-11-22T18:06:14Z	****
Scratch that, spoke too soon. The final install also succeeded but now the box won’t reboot. So all was well until 20.04 and 20.04 → 22.04 borked it.

Fun times.

Can’t even get an ssh shell in.

Meh, rebuild from scratch it is then, I guess.

![:awesome:](https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mastodon-aral/custom_emojis/images/000/010/725/original/38dd73cee0f6cc9b.png) 👍

[#web](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/web) [#dev](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/dev) [#ops](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ops) [#rpmOstree](https://mastodo ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111455526878453643)
2023-11-22T17:58:54Z	****
Just updated a server I hadn’t touched in over six years from Ubuntu 16.04 → 18.04 → 20.04 → 22.04 and it all went smoothly; not a single issue.

I can’t wait for a server with Fedora Silverblue-style upgrades (CoreOS?) that’s supported by the major VPS providers in default images. Tried a while back to get Hetzner to support CoreOS but the process appears somewhat stuck:

[https://github.com/coreos/fedora-coreos-tracker/issues/1324](https://github.com/coreos/fedora-coreos-tracker/issues/1324)

[#web](https://mastodon. ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111455498041459014)
2023-11-22T18:12:47Z	****
Right, managed to get a diagnostic console up and it looks like the problem is a kernel panic: ‘System is deadlocked on memory’.

Appears my server had 512MB and 22.04 requires a minimum of 1GB.

Upgrading the server now…

🤞 ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111455552660300520)
2023-11-22T18:19:39Z	****
🎉 Right, all good, it was the lack of memory.

So keep in mind if you’re going to update a server that has 512MB memory from Ubuntu 20.04 to 22.04 that 22.04 requires a minimum of 1GB to boot.

It would be a neat if, say, oh, I don’t know, do-release-upgrade actually checked how much memory your system has and told you that before carrying out the upgrade and throwing you into a kernel panic on first boot.

[#ubuntu](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ubuntu) [#systemRequirements](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/systemRequirement ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111455579653151815)
2023-11-23T09:41:48Z	****
The problem with capitalism is its lack of ambition and imagination. The epitome of achievement under capitalism is owning the most profitable fishmonger’s stall. Fishmongers are useful and have their place. But should we limit the potential of a whole species by their success criteria? I think not. Humanity can end war, wipe out hunger and disease, and explore the stars. But not while our ambitions are curbed by the myopic worldview of those whose only expertise is making a profit.

[#capitalism](https://mastodon.ar.a ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111459205699444173)
2023-11-23T09:58:51Z	****
Exploit one person and you’re an abuser. Exploit dozens of people and you’re a sociopath. Exploit everyone and you’re a titan of industry.

(With apologies to Jean Rostand.) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111459272701941924)
2023-11-23T11:39:56Z	****
The Israeli government arrested this history teacher, ransacked his house, and kept him in solitary confinement for days for his Facebook posts.

“These days, Israeli citizens who are showing the slightest sentiment for the people of Gaza – opposing the killing of innocent civilians – they are being politically persecuted, they go through public shaming, they lose their jobs, they are being put in jail… so they are afraid.”

[https://www.democracynow.org/2023/11/22/meir\_baruchin](https://www.democracynow.org/2023/11/2 ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111459670202113859)
2023-11-23T11:45:17Z	****
No criticism of capitalism can ever top the suits at Netflix seeing Squid Game and thinking “Let’s make it real!”

[#capitalism](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/capitalism) [#SquidGame](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SquidGame) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111459691237848740)
2023-11-23T17:41:33Z	****
And, of course, Kitten now has native support for 404 → 307.

[https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#404-307](https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#404-307)

(Currently for developers to play with via the Kitten.json file but soon to be exposed as a setting in the web-based settings interface.)

[#Kitten](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Kitten) [#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallWeb) #4042307 [#web](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/web) [#dev](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/dev) [#evergreenWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/evergreenW ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111461092101132492)
2023-11-23T17:36:31Z	****
(Re)introducing 404 → 307 (the evergreen web technique)¹

What if links never died? What if we never broke the Web? What if it didn’t involve any extra work?

It’s possible. And easy.

Just make your 404s into 307s.

[https://4042307.org/](https://4042307.org/)

¹ Previously, I was doing 404 to 302 but 302 redirects do not keep the request method so 307 is the correct redirect to use. I’d been meaning to update the site for ages and so I finally made some time to do so this week.

[#web](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/web ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111461072338967289)
2023-11-23T18:14:37Z	****
HSE urges people to get Covid-19 vaccine this winter amid ‘disappointingly low’ uptake

[https://www.longfordleader.ie/news/national-news/1354607/hse-urges-people-to-get-covid-19-vaccine-this-winter-amid-disappointingly-low-uptake.html](https://www.longfordleader.ie/news/national-news/1354607/hse-urges-people-to-get-covid-19-vaccine-this-winter-amid-disappointingly-low-uptake.html)

Are they taking the piss? It’s only being offered to those 50 and above and you can’t even pay for it if you wanted to. How exactly do you ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111461222125397812)
2023-11-23T19:00:31Z	****
Daft is so apt.

What the fuck state are those switches in, Daft?

[#daft](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/daft) [#ios](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ios) [#app](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/app) [#ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ireland) [#gdpr](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/gdpr) [#cookies](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/cookies) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111461402665355555)
2023-11-23T20:21:50Z	****
The autocomplete will kill you now.

[https://www.yahoo.com/news/pentagon-moving-toward-letting-ai-120645293.html](https://www.yahoo.com/news/pentagon-moving-toward-letting-ai-120645293.html)

[#ai](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ai) [#military](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/military) [#murderBots](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/murderBots) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111461722395345398)
2023-11-24T09:07:24Z	****
“These pitiful thugs are not us. They do not act for us or speak for us or burn buses for us. We are not so stupid as to allow ourselves to be exploited and manipulated by people whose sense of humanity has shrunk so drastically that they see a vile assault on little kids as their moment in the sun. And their moment to loot a pair of high-end trainers while still feeling righteous and seeing themselves, in some weird hall of mirrors, as Irish patriots.” – Fintan O’Toole

[https://web.archive.org/web/20231124085704/http ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111464732689300564)
2023-11-24T12:50:28Z	****
“Remove sleeve and film and Pierce film in several places.”

I don’t know but it feels like it’s personal.

[#microwaveInstructions](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/microwaveInstructions) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111465609882231340)
2023-11-24T12:59:23Z	****
The patriarchy created god in its own image. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111465644928867808)
2023-11-24T16:09:25Z	****
Today I learned that each time you derive an OpenSSH private key (say from an ed25519 private key), by design, you get a slightly different key (12 of the characters will be unique to each exported key even though the keys are equivalent to one another).

[https://carlosbecker.com/posts/ssh-marshal-private-key/](https://carlosbecker.com/posts/ssh-marshal-private-key/)

[#openSSH](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/openSSH) [#cryptography](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/cryptography) [#ed25519](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ed25519 ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111466392172842601)
2023-11-24T19:32:04Z	****
Kitten is 100% off today and every day.

[https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#kitten](https://codeberg.org/kitten/app#kitten)

![:kitten:](https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mastodon-aral/custom_emojis/images/000/134/702/original/3630b351addf5d80.png)💕

[#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallWeb) [#Kitten](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Kitten) [#FreeSoftware](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/FreeSoftware) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111467189020312792)
2023-11-24T20:33:09Z	****
When we move to Bray, I’m thinking of starting up Small Web¹ meetups given Kitten² is maturing nicely and Domain³ should be operational within a couple of months.

So, to get a quick feel…

¹ [https://ar.al/2020/08/07/what-is-the-small-web/](https://ar.al/2020/08/07/what-is-the-small-web/)

² [https://codeberg.org/kitten/app](https://codeberg.org/kitten/app)

³ [https://codeberg.org/domain/app](https://codeberg.org/domain/app)

[#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallWeb) [#Kitten](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Kitt ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111467429231275674)
2023-11-25T10:15:40Z	****
“Ireland has long laboured under the misapprehension that because we do not have a consolidated far-right party in the Dáil, there is no need to worry about their rise here in the same way other European countries do. A night like this, indeed no night more than this, should shatter that illusion forever.“

[https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/surrealing-in-the-years-25-6231286-Nov2023](https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/surrealing-in-the-years-25-6231286-Nov2023)

[#Ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Ireland) [#DublinRio ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111470663442220381)
2023-11-25T10:58:27Z	****
Your daily reminder that an immigrant shouldn’t have to carry out heroic acts to justify their existence or to be deserving of the same rights, privileges, and dignity that you enjoy as someone who just happened to be born where you live. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111470831714857354)
2023-11-25T10:51:59Z	****
🌲 Coming soon to Kitten: one-step evergreen web

One day, you might want a Small Web place at your personal domain. I know I will, at [https://ar.al](https://ar.al). Problem is, I already have a site there with 20 years of content. And I don’t want all those links to break.

So I’ll simply point a subdomain (e.g., archive.ar.al) to my current server and enter that domain in Kitten’s Settings page.

Learn more: [https://4042307.org](https://4042307.org)

[#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallWeb) [#Kitten](https: ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111470806251684919)
2023-11-25T12:11:54Z	****
Free software is inclusive or it is bullshit.

(With apologies to Flavia Dzodan.)

[#foss](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/foss) [#inclusivity](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/inclusivity) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111471120491871273)
2023-11-25T12:10:34Z	****
The GNU folks: Hehehe, we called it GIMP. And the main branch is called master. Because GIMP, get it?! We couldn’t possibly change it because \*fart noises\*

Also GNU folks: Why does everyone think we’re three misogynistic 12-year-old boys in a neckbeard suit?

There are so many low hanging fruits for you folks to embrace inclusivity and make a dedicated effort to clean up your act but you seem too bloody busy pissing all over the tree to mark your territory.

[#foss](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/foss) [#fsf](https://m ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111471115272565580)
2023-11-25T12:21:28Z	****
“Fork it then!”

The mating call of the fossbird when called out on its lack of inclusivity.

[#foss](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/foss) [#inclusivity](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/inclusivity) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111471158157403515)
2023-11-25T12:37:07Z	****
PS. Before more of you jump down my throat, a reminder that I spend 100% of my time writing free and open software. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111471219689536808)
2023-11-25T12:36:24Z	****
Want a case study in wounded privilege?

Criticise fossbros.

[#privilege](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/privilege) [#foss](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/foss) [#fossbros](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fossbros) [#inclusivity](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/inclusivity) [#culture](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/culture) [#freeSoftware](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/freeSoftware) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111471216884573317)
2023-11-26T08:58:41Z	****
Thanks for voting folks. Seems like lots more online information, etc., might be called for before an in-world meetup. Or maybe we’ll do both :) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111476023083380323)
2023-11-26T10:22:53Z	**** ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111476354148717793)
2023-11-26T18:42:48Z	****
Ah, would you look at that, after a few days of respite following Halloween, the bellends with fireworks are back to scare the living shit out of pets like our puppy, folks with PTSD, etc.

PS. Wanna hear a joke? Fireworks are illegal in Ireland.

[#ireland](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ireland) [#fireworks](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/fireworks) [#bellends](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/bellends) [#pets](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/pets) [#ptsd](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/ptsd) ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111478319885305481)
2023-11-26T19:17:46Z	****
Really enjoying how building things with Kitten just feels so elegant…

Here, there’s a model class (that manages all aspects of Kitten’s version information) and you can use the \`Component\` getter to get a Kitten component you can add to your page to display the version information.

For a separate view, you can call the \`printToConsole()\` method to have it output the same information to the console.

Not revolutionary or rocket science but still, pretty neat ;)

[#Kitten](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/Kitten) [#Sma ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111478457420610861)
2023-11-28T11:52:58Z	****
So let’s do some maths:

Israel’s military estimates that out of the 13,000 or so Palestinians it has killed in seven weeks, 1,000 - 2,000 of them are Hamas fighters.

They estimate about 30,000 Hamas fighters in total and their stated goal is to wipe out Hamas entirely.

Given the current ratio of deaths, how many Palestinians will they have to kill to wipe out Hamas?

Answer: 195,000 - 390,000

(But don’t call it genocide.)

Figures: [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/26/idf-messaging-suggests-gaza-truce-unl ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111488032996361458)
2023-11-29T08:33:44Z	****
Your culture only values the bullshit people do for money and you wonder why your society is drowning in bullshit. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111492911911261700)
2023-11-29T09:19:50Z	****
“To have one’s moral compass questioned by a country currently displacing a million and a half of its neighbours and demolishing their homes while continuing to build illegal settlements on their territory smacks of parody.”

Gift link (the Irish Times doesn’t do gift links but I’m a subscriber and I do):

[https://web.archive.org/web/20231129091750/https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2023/11/29/kathy-sheridan-when-elon-musk-agrees-that-conor-mcgregor-should-run-for-office-reality-has-overtaken-parody/](https://web.arch ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111493093189117392)
2023-11-30T11:41:01Z	****
So did I mention that no company or government pays me for the work I do?

But you can support my work if you want to live in a world where we have the Small Web as an alternative to the Big Web of Google, Facebook, and other people farmers.

[https://small-tech.org/fund-us](https://small-tech.org/fund-us)

[#SmallWeb](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallWeb) [#SmallTech](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/SmallTech) [#funding](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/funding) [#foss](https://mastodon.ar.al/tags/foss) [#freeSoftware](https:/ ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111499310633044328)
2023-11-30T11:55:11Z	****
Folks: where’s the alternative to the trillion-dollar surveillance capitalists you’re working on? Why isn’t it ready yet?

Also folks: Here’s your €457/mo war chest… don’t spend it all in one place now!

(I can’t express how grateful I am to our patrons over the years but how the fuck do we compete when we live in a world where some random techbro raises $2.6M to build a people farming social network where you can only say “Yo!“ while we struggle to pay the rent?)

[https://small-tech.org/fund-us](https://small-tech.or ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111499366350295208)
2023-11-30T12:03:12Z	****
“We’re so glad you exist.” is a phrase I hear often.

Say what you will about Silicon Valley and venture capitalists but when they say “we’re so glad you exist” to the latest people-farming startup, they back it up with, on average, $5M in cash.

When MEPS, etc., tell me they’re so glad we exist, they back it up with perhaps an invitation to talk for free at their next event.

(We’ve had exactly €0 in EU funding but I’ve spoken twice at the parliament so yay, I guess.)

[https://small-tech.org/fund-us/](https://small-t ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111499397874827468)
2023-11-30T12:07:03Z	****
So, yeah, regardless of whether we receive any funding or not I’m going to keep doing the only thing I can, which is to keep working on making the Small Web exist ( [https://ar.al/2020/08/07/what-is-the-small-web/](https://ar.al/2020/08/07/what-is-the-small-web/)).

And the goal is that once we get to the point where we (and anyone else who wants to) can host Small Web places, that will hopefully make us sustainable (because clearly we can’t depend on public funding).

But it sure as hell would be nicer if we didn’t ha ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111499412998413219)
2023-12-01T09:56:54Z	****
Good morning to everyone except those actively engaged in committing genocide. ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111504563513477151)
2023-12-01T12:00:28Z	****
“So it’s over for you, Elon Musk. You are a public failure of a man. You’ll still be rich, but you no longer matter. That’s all you really wanted out of this, wasn’t it? You bought Twitter because you thought that owning it would make you the most special person in the whole wide world, only to reveal yourself as an unremarkable shithead with no good ideas … Go fuck yourself, Elon. Go. Fuck. Yourself. Is that clear?”

[https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/elon-musk-nyt-interview-18524602.php](https://www.sfgate.co ... ⌘ [Read more](https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/111505049415924736)