Tootfinder

I've seen a bunch of "the CA age verification law is the best way to do a bad thing and so we shouldn't oppose compliance" takes, which others are rightly pointing out is a bad stance because it's blindingly obvious that compliance now sets the stage for compliance later and the clearly set up later is mandatory verification of age data. Even if you think that, for example, California's current "progressive" government won't go there, we're all currently seeing just how easy it is for a new government to pick up the oppressive tools the "good" government was using "restraint" with and put them to worse ends.
On the other hand, I'll freely admit that distros *do* need a way to shield themselves from liability right now. The clear (to me; IANAL) correct solution is to say on your website "don't download this OS if you're in a jurisdiction where it's not legal for us to provide it."). Assuming this does put you in the clear liability-wise, it has several positive effects:
- Stops zero people from downloading it.
- Makes it clear that your project will not collaborate with fascists/oppressive regime enjoyers.
- Means that when the next law makes verifying user ages mandatory (and/or explicitly requires using Palantir-adjacent services to do so) you've already got a strategy in place and there's no need for a "debate" in your "community" about compliance.
- Gets users more practice with "the law is malicious/needlessly bureaucratic/oppressive; let's ignore it" which to be honest people in general clearly desperately need at this point.
- Is the most effective political move if you want to resist the way things are going. Forcing the other side to explain why "California bans Linux" is good rhetorical strategy. Make *them* try to explain "well it's actually not so harmful since we let users set it themselves" and answer your follow-up "but what if next year the requirements change; I just refuse to go along with this slippery slope stuff and I'm not bothered if that means you want to *ban* me."
#AgeVerification

The ability to chat with AppleCare, via the messages app, is a game changer.
I don’t mind the waits when I get a notification on all my devices when they respond.
I wish more companies would offer Customer Service and Support via Text or Messages instead of those website chatbots.
I know Delta Airlines does this as well, I don’t think I interact with anyone else who does.
Please reply with other companies that do this. It’s important enough to me that I’d consider the…

Why is it that two of my hobbies have US national organizations who are actively working against their membership? The ARRL's bylawys changes to try to disqualify from election anyone who argues for change were embarrassing, and now AOPA is using legal action to try to stop a movement for transparency.
I think they are probably both em…

So far I don't care for how I have activityPub integrated in to #tvmarks. It tried to be a full activityPub app but I think I just want to oauth with mastodon/bluesky and make post updates to the authed account.
I guess maybe this will mess up the idea of being able to reply to a post and it shows up on the website as a comment? I'm not sure, but I'm thinking about it.

Built To Last
Challenge the way you think, so you can change the way you live...
Great Australian Pods Podcast Directory: #AusPods

RE: https://mastodon.social/@cheeaun/116052332060770274
Now that the poll is done, thinking if something like this make sense?

The Roast
Hey, we're Lachy and Edan. Each week we get a mate (or someone pretending to be) to roast life's little annoyances - think slow walkers, cringe airport moments, and anything else that makes you go seriously...
Great Australian Pods Podcast Directory: https://www.greataustralianpods.com/the-ro

I see no sign of any recognition from those who would want such a ban that they see any of the collateral damage a successful ban would have on the majority of kids who are not falling for this bullshit. That they are banning any good at all along with the bad.
Under 18s only
I see that the lobbying for these laws are funded by the absolute worst companies on the internet, those who will be entrenched by the legal compliance costs, that will cement themselves as the arbitrators of who is allowed to access the internet.
It’s a gift to Palantir and other surveillance companies. The very people running these algo-feeds are the ones who benefit from IDing every user and stalking them across the internet on their government-approved internet-licence IDs.
I don’t think even a successful ban on social media for kids would actually address the issue of kids being exposed to sexism and misogony or reduce the kids alienation and depression.
A ban can’t help, will make many things worse, won’t address the problem, and will make competing with the worst surveillance capitalists on the planet more difficult.
Going to war with every internet site and advice forum and making internet access harder won’t fix anything, and will have massive collateral damage against everyone seeking support from strangers or trying to learn things their parents won’t teach them.
But I see we are going to do it anyway.
The direction is clear.
Those companies do get what they lobby for, and they are lobbying hard for ID checks on every website, wrapping their desire to enclose the internet commons for themselves in a faux concern for children’s welfare.
And governments wish to monitor and control the internet, so they will pass these laws.
I wonder how many parents have a family group-chat that they’re going to accidentally ban their kids from using, not realizing that ‘social media’ might include Whatsapp? 😆
It won’t fix anything, it will make the situation for kids worse, impose costs and rents and hacks and exploits on all of us, and increase government and corporate power.
Many will lose access to their networks of support and help.
So it goes.
We will build a better more censorship resistant internet. It’s already here really: Briar. Matrix. Nostr. Bitchat. Veilid. Spritely. And the rest.
The laws may push us there faster.
The race will go on.

Creative Conversations
Designed for creative thinkers interested in how ideas become artworks...
Great Australian Pods Podcast Directory: https://www.greataustralianpods.com/creative-conversations/