ML2 @mathlover@social.cleverlibre.org

I only realised today that many crypto bros are basing their beliefs on the idea that near-instant and low cost electronic currency transfers are impossible using the regular banking system. So basically… we’re all having to suffer because the US banking system is antiquated. They have not grasped that for the vast majority of the world crypto is a nothingburger because its sole value proposition is only really of interest to drug traffickers and a few enthusiasts. Huh..

@drskyskull We already had Richard Mellon Scaife, John D. Rockefeller et al. Gates was never the worst we could imagine.

I miss the naive old days when Bill Gates was the worst billionaire we could imagine

I’m excited to announce my new app: Mona for Mastodon, a Mastodon client for iPhone, iPad and Mac, powered by the same amazing features of “Spring for Twitter.” A preview version of Mona will be available to Spring customers soon. You could also follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theSpringApp

getting a bit tired of people bemoaning the loss of twitter as a ‘public square’ when it was nothing of the sort.

it was a place where the algorithmically selected and advertiser friendly could hear their own voices amplified, and the rest of us were allowed to listen in.

someone’s thumb is always on the scale and it certainly isn’t the ‘public’.

the fediverse isn’t perfect, but *we* are the ones who determine what it is and can become.

the weights have been removed from the scale and what you see is what people can create when left to their own devices.

the voices you hear are those that have been amplified by the people and communities around them.

isn’t that what you mean by a ‘public square’?

Fight for the Future PETITION: Mega-corporations are trying to ban libraries from owning digital books! Sign on now to tell @AmericanPublish
to turn over a new leaf in 2023 by standing up for libraries + diverse voices.

https://www.fightforthefuture.org/actions/2023books

I took a look at Elon's new advertising plans for Twitter, and how they almost certainly violate (1) FTC consent decree (2) California privacy law and (3) EU privacy law.

It's a choice!

https://www.techdirt.com/2022/12/14/twitters-big-ad-plan-violate-both-ftc-consent-decree-california-privacy-law-to-force-users-to-hand-over-info-for-ad-targeting/

6. Over the last few weeks, we've learned of a systematic campaign, headed up by Reverend Robert Schenck, to influence Supreme Court Justices through charitable donations and invitations to social events

It was called "Operation Higher Court"

Just what we don't need - more low Earth orbit satellites polluting our night sky: FCC Approval Of New Starlink Satellites Should Help Growing Congestion Issues https://www.techdirt.com/2022/12/13/fcc-approval-of-new-starlink-satellites-should-help-growing-congestion-issues/

Will be participating in a year-end discussion of #COP27 and the state of climate progress on @bbcworld Radio TODAY 3:30pm London local time (10:30am ET): https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service

We’re throwing quite a lot of time & resource into building our #Bylines Mastodon server, building our Bylines App and expanding our network to cover more areas.

Please do keep supporting what we’re doing!!
👉👉 https://bylinesnetwork.co.uk/donate/

WARNING: If we don’t push back against this recent stylish hype about another proprietary Twitter clone, we may as well just slit our cultural and political throats right now. We’ll just be going right back to the same future hellscape we just came from.

Twitter is considering forcing users to let the company sell their data and phone numbers to advertisers, in potential breach of #Apple rules

#Twitter is working on plans to force some users to agree to data sharing or lose access to the app in a bid to save its ad business, according to Platformer.

Elon #Musk's platform, like #Google and #Facebook, currently allows users to opt out of personalized ads, but this option could soon disappear.

https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-plans-to-force-users-to-share-data-with-advertisers-2022-12

2022, like every other year, was cruel to so-called blasphemers. I wrote about how people continue to suffer under blasphemy laws and norms, and how some countries are currently trying to make it even less safe for dissenters.

New post on Substack: https://sarahemclaugh.substack.com/p/2022-this-year-in-blasphemy

Even if he hadn’t written three of the most-loved #DoctorWho stories, Chris Boucher would be a legend for just this line:

"You know, the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the facts. They alter the facts to fit their views, which can be uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that needs altering."

RIP Chris 💙💙

Ooops: Tesla stock hit a new 52 week low on Tuesday. Before Elon musk began focusing on Twitter the stock was over $400 a share. It’s now below $160-a 60% drop. Turns out Neo Nazis and other vile trolls Musk has embraced on Twitter don’t have the income needed to buy a Tesla 😀

"It’s likely the [staff] reductions will force Twitter to concentrate content moderation efforts on regions with stronger regulations governing social media platforms like Europe, where tech companies could face big fines under the new Digital Services Act if they don’t make an effort to combat misinformation and hate speech... “The few content moderators left are going to be focused on Europe, because Europe is the squeakiest wheel.”"

Article --> https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-europe-business-1b3d4266c5acdab47fc1c95fe8026590