I just finished reading Issue 42 (Spring 2023) of the Free Software Foundation's Bulletin. It has a story, by Alper Atmaca (@alper) of the Free Software Association (Özgür Yazılım Derneği) in Turkey, about how the "OsmAnd+"/"OsmAnd~" mapping application -- available on #FDroid for #Android devices -- was crucial in aiding them while they were responding to the earthquakes in #Turkey in February. #OsmAnd works offline (for both mapping and routing), can work with raw UTM coordinates, and is #FreeSoftware. While other proprietary solutions were dependent upon the now-defunct grid system of electricity and internet to function, OsmAnd kept on trucking, enabling the rescuer to effectively perform their duties. The #OSM community itself also shines here, in that they volunteered by the thousands to map the extensive damage in days.
It's definitely worth the read, and is a testament to the power and value of Free Software over the supposed superiority of proprietary offerings.
Incidentally, OsmAnd also saved me from (far less mission-critical) headaches once too when the otherwise-reliable cell network in my city went offline while I was doing #GigWork, working for #DoorDash: https://octodon.social/@aspensmonster/109862233485843081
Some people believe there's no purpose to "liking" something on Mastodon since it doesn't affect any algorithm.
Not the case.
It does something incredibly valuable: it acknowledges people.
Which is incredibly powerful, and is all the more important *because* it's not connected to gaming any algorithm.
By liking something on Mastodon, you are doing it honestly -- without any agenda at play other than that you like it.
So go ahead. Click that like button for its own sake.
its tough luck the atmosphere of socially acceptable bullying with the backing of the state and large corprate funds was aloud to stiffle discourse. Dr Pelech invited public debates yet no one would rise to the occasion instead using slander and soft censoring as the tactic.
https://rumble.com/v24xgzy-merediths-story.html
Thanks Canadian Covid Care Alliance.
I happen to know one of the founding members and have had personal discussions with him. Dr Steven Pelech, a senate board member at the University of British Columbia and an esteemed neurologist.
All of our advocacy efforts wouldn't be possible without the generosity of donors like William Hill Jr., Emin Martinian, Portia Jones, Guus Sliepen, Yidong Chong, and Uday Kale #ThankGNU
The more things change, the more they stay the same. The only solution is taking platforms out of the moderation game. The content-layer of the internet should be moved to neutral protocols.
*You* should be the one who decides what you can read. Not a company. Not a government.
Assigning your copyright to the FSF helps defend the GPL and keep software free. Thanks to Gregory Martin Pfeil, Danny Yihan He, and Daniel Robert Ziltener for assigning their copyright to the FSF! #GNU #Emacs Learn more at https://u.fsf.org/3ht #CopyrightAssignments
Our Email Self-Defense guide teaches you how to defend yourself and others by using encryption. Check out the updated version, get your GnuPG set up, and share with absolutely everyone you know with #UserFreedom: https://u.fsf.org/3f5
@freemo Holy shit twitter melt down, hows your numbers? am I still free to say anything I want here?..
is your server getting banned yet.
buckle up.
A mob of red deer stags in Richmond Park, they were on the edge of the woods and unless you stopped to look from most angles they were perfectly hidden, I crouched down to take the shot, that's when I could see how many there were (shot with a long lens it looks like I was a lot closer than I actually was). #RichmondPark #RedDeer #Stags #RedStags #WildLifePhotography #Nature #Photography #AltText
I'm a freedom loving, human loving, nature loving, concerned citizen.