Phil Landmeier @shuttersparks@qoto.org

I see some people talking about screen reader accessibility, so I want to point out a real bad habit some people have gotten into on Twitter and on Carrd pages which wreaks havoc on screen reader accessibility. I thankfully haven't seen it on the fediverse much.

Usually people refer to the habit as "Twitter fonts". This is a misnomer, though; these so-called "fonts" are just misusing various Unicode characters (mostly those designated as mathematical symbols) because someone thinks they "look cool". DO NOT DO THIS. Depending on the screen reader, some of them might be moderately legible, some of them might get spelled out, and the worst of them will spit out garbage like "JAPANESE LETTER JAPANESE LETTER CHINESE LETTER SQUARE ROOT CHINESE LETTER".

I recorded a video a while back to demonstrate how bad this can get:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLDvg0cZYZ8

🦇

#ScreenReader #Accessibility

I have a thick skin. I’m not unaccustomed to attacks. And I surely don’t mind reasonable people raising opposing views. But the bird app has been swamped with MAGA Republicans determined to drive away progressives with false narratives and ad hominem attack. A dispiriting display of the human condition and a waste of time. Alas.

The Biden White House Is Making Trump's Nazi Thanksgiving Painful For Republicans https://open.substack.com/pub/politicususa/p/the-biden-white-house-is-making-trumps?r=40ncs&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web #politics #USPol #Democrats

As you're considering the other new Twitter alternatives, ask yourself if you really want to go to another corporate entity that could end up being just as bad as Twitter and Facebook. Algorithmic sites, by design, reward hate and outrage. You're jumping into another fire.

We have a rare and fleeting chance to build something different right now.

I'm choosing to spend my time trying to make this place succeed — helping new users and saving my best content for here.

Today’s Far Side is on topic for this place! It’s like a rerun gift from Gary Larson to us all. https://www.thefarside.com

but yeah I have seen a few tech people claiming that fedi is doomed as a social network because the ~regular~, everyday, non-techy people will NEVER be able to figure out how to use mastodon, and that has been feeling a little bit weird and patronising to me, a non-tech-y person

and also just kind of funny because I have never heard that said about tumblr, and yet, tumblr currently has me wanting to throw my laptop at the wall

ATTENTION EVERYONE WRINGING THEIR HANDS OVER “#MASTODON ADMINS CAN READ MY DIRECT MESSAGES”: #SysAdmins have *always* been able to read your #email and DMs unless encrypted, including at the big #SocialNetworks and Internet providers. We used to have t-shirts that said, “I READ YOUR EMAIL.”

It’s just hitting now because you got used to places where the admins were kept away in their cubicles and data centers instead of greeting you at the front door.

#privacy #security #InfoSec #cybersecurity

I still think this didn't get enough attention.

Thousands of smartphone applications in Apple (AAPL.O) & Google's (GOOGL.O) online stores contain computer code developed by a technology company, Pushwoosh, that presents itself as based in the United States, but is actually Russian.

The US Army said it had removed an app containing Pushwoosh code in March because of the same concerns. That app was used by soldiers at one of the country's main combat training bases.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/exclusive-russian-software-disguised-american-finds-its-way-into-us-army-cdc-2022-11-14/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Having run my own test mastodon server, I can tell you that boosting is REALLY important. That's how posts propagate between servers that are not federated together.

I may get a bit technical, and it can be hard to describe but it's something like this:

Let's say that you have 2 servers, A and B that are not connected. They have their own federated timelines that is vastly different.

let's assume they have their users @a@A and @b@B that are mutuals. If user @a@A sees something interesting on theirs federated timeline and boosts it, user @b@B will see that on their own home page. But more importantly server B will now know about and download that post, and everyone else on B server will be able to see that post on their own federated timeline!

And that's why you boost, guys! It helps posts to spread.

#FediTips

@syed Look for the lazy people #Simplicity

It's not how I'd imagined.

I'm here for the radio. Currently working on CW, building an antenna for the first time, trying to solve noise problems in the city, and studying for Amateur Extra.

#introduction

At Protests, #Guns Are Doing the Talking

Armed Americans, often pushing a right-wing agenda, are increasingly using open-carry laws to intimidate opponents and shut down debate.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/26/us/guns-protests-open-carry.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Have taken T off my phone.... trying to replace my t habit with a mastodon habit

https://t.me/United24media/636 🇺🇸🇺🇦USAID donated 80 generators to Ukraine, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said. “While Russia tries to turn off the lights, USAID is providing 80 generators to keep the power supply going. This assistance is only part of the US response to Russia's brutal and ongoing attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure as we continue to support Ukraine,” Brink wrote #Ukraine #News #War #Russia