Brian Beach has moved @bwbeach@qoto.org

I've long argued that, if you're looking to comparing programming to anything, then writing laws and contracts is closer than most. I really like how Bruce Schneier frames vulnerabilities in tax regulations

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2023/02/hacking-the-tax-code.html

Waking up every morning and seemingly finding more bad news on #climatechange impacts doesn't bring an uplifting start to the day but this news must be shared to continue to warn of the irreversible damage we are doing day-in day-out to earth's fragile ecosysytems.

This story from the Guardian highlights a new low in sea ice cover around #Antarctica

What this means is less reflectance of heat from the sun and more heat accumulation in the waters surrounding the frozen continent and therefore more melting of icesheets adjoining the ocean and so the cycle continues.

This is the reality of the current 1.1 degrees C temperature increases - this only gets worse and worse and worse as temperatures increase.

I was asked yesterday what can we do as individuals - I'd suggest our most tractable action is to share the news and research on the ever worsening #ClimateCrisis (painful as it is) and to put pressure at every single opportunity on our governments and opposition parties and especially when new #fossilfuel activities are being enabled, as is so widespread across the world today.

Equally we need to share the progress on #renewables but contextualise this to explain that the latest wind farm and big battery announced is only a fraction of what is needed and that we need so much more during this current vital decade.

None of this is easy and progress to bring change seems (ironically) glacial but the fight to combat #ClimateChange must go on.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/15/antarctic-sea-ice-hits-record-low-climate-crisis

Happy #BlackHistoryMonth !

Still working through white US history.

Q: Why are so many Black folk early adopters of tech like Uber and Amazon? Sometimes this willingness to try new tech early backfires on y'all, like the whole crypto scam. Tech companies don't always love you back. So... why so eager? Is it because of Deltron 3030 and André 3000? 🤔You're... you're going to say racism aren't you?

A: Yep! Racism. And go ahead and add Sears to that list of "technology" companies.

1/N

#BlackMastodon

Doubtless you've heard that "we all get the same 24 hours in the day." Of course it's not true: rich people and poor people experience very different demands on their time. The richer you are, the more your time is your own - not only are many systems arranged with your convenience in mind, but you also command the social power to do something about systems that abuse your time.

1/

You should be able to exercise your #GDPR #DataRights directly in the chat prompt. “I want to access all the personal data you have on me after your verify my identity” “ok thanks, now delete it from your model, and untrain yourself on it” #SyntheticMedia #ChatGPT
https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-is-a-data-privacy-nightmare-if-youve-ever-posted-online-you-ought-to-be-concerned-199283

And now NBC News has an excellent article out on the homophobic smear campaign targeting #gigisohn

Still crickets from the White House and Senate Democrats...

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/fcc-gigi-sohn-nomination-turns-ugly-rcna68224

We are all stardust.

That oxygen you breath? That comes from dying massive stars, ending their light in a supernova.

The iron in your blood? Some massive stars dying, but mainly white dwarfs, the leftovers of dwarf stars like our own Sun, exploding.

The gold ring on your finger? Mostly merging neutron stars, leftovers from supernovae.

#astrodon #scicomm #astronomy

Oh hey, I just realized that with so many new people I'm connecting with many of you may not be aware of the be my eyes app. If you find yourself with extra time and just want to give visual assistance to someone over video, it's a free app that connects blind people like myself with sighted volunteers. I've used it for all kinds of things over the last few years.

“Give Cyclists Space”

I just got successfully phished for the first time in 31 years of internet use. I'm mortified, but also fascinated by the unique combination of factors that contributed to my successful hoodwinkery. #LiveAndLearn

“True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.” (#MLK Beyond Vietnam, 1967)

https://sacobserver.com/2023/01/some-lesser-known-yet-still-powerful-mlk-quotes/

Do yourself a favour and add @auschwitzmuseum to your timeline. In the turmoil of the day, It will give you a short reminder of what really matters and help put things into perspective.

If you like writing, or you just want to get better at it, I highly recommend doing something you ought to be doing anyway.

Put descriptive alt text on your photos.

The more I do it, the more I enjoy it. It’s strengthening my ability to describe things; whether scenery or a technical diagram.

And check the settings in your Mastodon client. Most of them have a setting you can turn on that won’t let you post photos without adding alt text.

#WritingTips #writing #AltText

Nothing will make me close your website faster than finding I have to watch a fucking video to find something out

One of the most frustrating and depressing things is the right has a coordinated, well funded plan to impose reactionary white fascist rule on the rest of us, democracy and legality be damned, and they're succeeding, and there is no comparable counter mobilization to stop them.

This actually isn’t surprising at all, but it still needs to said over & over — the biggest barrier to more urban biking in cities is the fear of cars.

“A study confirms that if we are serious about getting people on bikes, they need a safe place to ride.”

Via @lloydalter #TreeHugger #bikes #cities #urbanism #cars #BikeLanes
https://www.treehugger.com/fear-of-cars-biggest-biking-barrier-study-6979522