⊥ᵒᵚ Cᵸᵎᶺᵋᶫ∸ᵒᵘ ☑️ @falken@social.cleverlibre.org

"Rich people should have to pay for their search and rescue operations!" is such a terrible take for many reasons:

Firstly - it says that S&R should fundamentally be chargeable. Imagine if container ship owners started deciding captains weren't allowed to make a distress call without referring back to the company because it would cost money. Or if small boat owners delayed a mayday call for half an hour because they'd get a bill. People would die.

Secondly - there is an obligation under international law for countries to participate in search and rescue and to provide assistance to vessels in need. The primary purpose of this is not saving property - it's saving lives.

Thirdly - if a rescue has to occur due to a vessel's owner or operators being grossly negligent or incompetent or any other number of things, this can already result in legal action by regulators and massive fines.

Fourthly - just because some European countries are trying to sidestep their obligations in respect of refugee boats in distress doesn't mean everyone else should. This is Europe's problem, not that of Canada or the US or even the company. If anything I hope it reminds them of the fundamental principle that assistance should be offered without fear or favour whenever life is in danger.

Fifth - Yes, this rescue is costing an absolute fortune. But even if they find the submersible a week too late (or even never) the amount of training, experience and data this operation will provide is enormous. That experience will get folded back into future regulations and future operating practices and will almost certainly save lives in future.

Basically - Nobody doesn't "deserve" to be left to die because they're rich or unpopular or because you don't like their politics. Saving lives at sea is the sole priority, because that is what a civilised society does and that is what the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea requires.

If you really think there should be value judgements involved you're right in there with the right-wing arseholes who think the RNLI should let refugees drown or that the Italians should do the same because they find it inconvenient.

I know there are people reading this who work for major companies still advertising on Twitter (Apple, Google, and Amazon at least), so: two days before the SF Trans March, Elon is making it even more explicit that Twitter is a transphobic platform. You have the ability to influence the behaviour of your employers. Maybe do that?

Also, I think we need to stop referring to the US as an 'advanced' country when they continue to use mm/dd date formats and imperial measurements.

"The Jamstack Book" I wrote with @remotesynth is 45% off today!

http://mng.bz/WrEx

You know, the older I get, the more I think about Charles Stross's Laundry Series and how in it, computer science and applied demonology are the same subject, and older experts in this joint field tend to develop spongey brains from accidentally summoning tiny demons in their head.

I'm just saying "your brain doesn't work because your knowledge of programming has caused interdimensional energy beings to manifest in your grey matter" keeps making more and more sense as time goes on.

"The power of the precedent is huge here ... the UK would be first to implement a law [that would allow the scanning of] every message you sent before you sent it"

"It [then] becomes easy for any other country to point and say the UK did it and the UK certainly is a democracy so how can you say this is a move towards authoritarianism?"

Part of a well worthwhile interview with Meredith Whittaker (President of Signal) @Mer__edith

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Sft9LJlN2lb0Q7pJil8T9

I made this little viewport logger: https://viewport-logger.netlify.app/

I'd really appreciate it if you could visit it on your devices — especially small screens — because I want to use the data to illustrate just how much screen fragmentation there is.

Please share with your pals too!

Goodbye to the amazing @northteapower@twitter.com

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/northern-quarter-institution-serves-final-27130912

I spent so much of my Manchester life working from North Tea Power. Going to miss it dearly

The story of the #LEGO goat element is pretty fun #TeamGoat https://www.brickfanatics.com/lego-designers-conspiracy-long-lost-lego-goat/