Ian Kenway @iankenway@social.cleverlibre.org

@Gargron Havent said this in a while, but in case you havent hear it lately I just wanted to thank you for all you do developing mastodon. Your contribution is appreciated. That is all.

Facebook says hand over your data or we're bricking your VR headset.
---
RT @oculus
Today, we’re announcing some important updates to how people log into Oculus devices, while still keeping their VR profile. Starting in October 2020, everyone using an Oculus device for the first time will need to log in with a Facebook account. // http://ocul.us/updates
https://twitter.com/oculus/status/1295769244894785538

It doesn't matter how old I am, whenever I think about my 5 years younger self, I always feel embarrassed by what a clueless fool I was back then.

This either means I'm constantly growing and learning... or that I'll forever remain a clueless fool.

Probably the latter.

Here be #dragonflies, thriving in #Britain as never before | #Environment | The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/16/here-be-dragonflies-thriving-in-britain-as-never-before

#UK #Wildlife #Insect

We've had a bit of up-and-down in the #Covid19Cymru official death figures lately. Today, unusually for a Sunday, is an up, with 2 new deaths reported. But we've been seeing generally lower figures than a week ago.
Total: 1589
7-day average: 1.43 (cf 2.0 a week ago)
New cases reported today: 18 (that's relatively low for recent weeks) - 10 of these being in Betsi Cadwaladr area (North Wales):, 4 Cardiff, 3 Carmarthen, 1 Pembs

If you're a software developer who, like me, thinks Microsoft & the rest of the "Frightful Five" have way too much power an influence... the best way to take them all down a few pegs is to release the software you write under a #Copyleft license like the GPL/AGPL. They *hate* that, because they can't co-opt it like they can all the "weak" MIT/Apache/BSD licensed open source. #FOSS is MSFT's kryptonite. Pass it on.

Yesterday I posted this image on my FB profile. It's the most engagement I've had all year. 🙂 Oh and I was being serious.

Focus on #COVID might hamper state’s push against rising sea

#SeaLevelRise will likely put at least $8 billion in property underwater by 2050, and could affect tens of thousands of jobs and billions in gross domestic product, according to studies cited by the office...

https://www.ocregister.com/2020/08/11/focus-on-covid-might-hamper-states-push-against-rising-sea/

#ClimateCrisis

North Powys is getting fairly hammered tonight.

And some more drystane dyke pictures. Lovely lychens!
#photography
#fediart

When it comes to the privacy vs usability debate, I come down hard on the side of privacy. Doesn't matter how pretty it is if it's going to get you rubber hosed.

An example of this in practice is eschewing software & services which use privacy and security in their marketing but whose implementations don't hold up under scrutiny, such as Protonmail and Keybase.

A lot of people will defend such products regardless, resulting in a trend I've been thinking of as "privacy roleplaying". It's harmful and needs to stop.