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Links 02/10/2022: KStars 3.6.1 and DjangoCon Europe 2022



  • GNU/Linux

    • Server

      • GNU World Order (Audio Show)GNU World Order 480

        **kldap** , **kleopatra** , **klickety** , **klines** , and **kmag** from the KDE software series of Slackware.

      • VideoGoogle Assimilates Your Heath Data - Invidious

        This week in the Weekly News Roundup, Google will start Assimilating Your FitBit Data, 2FA is falling apart, and more IT work is being done by non-IT employees.

    • Instructionals/Technical

      • [Old] CSS Fundamentals

        My team recently recruited 6 new grads. As part of their onboarding they were going to tackle CSS. I wanted to give them my take on what's important to know in CSS.

      • Linux CapableHow to Install Plex Media Server on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

        Plex Media Server is a widely used software to store all your digital media content and access it via various client applications. It is popular among users for its ability to store TV Shows and Movie Libraries and share content with friends and family members. Plex Media Server has continuously grown in popularity and now supports many platforms. Some of the most popular client applications for accessing content from a Plex Media Server include NVIDIA Shield, Roku, Mobile App, and many more. The software organizes your files and content into categories, making it easy to find and use. In addition, the Plex Media Server provides security and privacy features that allow you to control who can access your content and when. The Plex Media Server is a great way to store and share your digital media content with others.

        In the following tutorial, you will learn how to install Plex Media Server on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish by securely importing the GPG key and official Plex repository and some tips on basic sets creating a reverse proxy with Nginx.

      • Data SwampMy NixOS workflow after migrating from OpenBSD

        After successfully switching my small computer fleet to NixOS, I'd like to share about the journey.

      • Linux CapableHow to Install qBittorrent on Raspberry Pi OS

        qBittorrent is a cross-platform free and open-source BitTorrent client. qBittorrent is a native application written in C++ which uses Boost, Qt 5 toolkit, and libtorrent-rasterbar library.qBittorrent aims to meet the needs of most users while using as little CPU and memory as possible.

        The program also has a built-in search engine with support for healthy trackers and mirrors. You can create torrents through the interface or by passing parameters to qBittorrent on the command line. qBittorrent is very popular amongst torrent users as the main alternative to UTorrent due to its lightweight footprint, lack of intrusive advertising, and additional features such as an integrated search engine, remote control via the Web user interface, IP filtering, sequential downloading, etc.

        In the following tutorial, you will learn how to install qBittorrent on Raspberry Pi desktop GUI and qBittorrent-nox, which can be installed on a desktop or headless server using the command line terminal to access the WEB UI.

      • Linux HintHow to Install Roblox on Linux Mint 21

        The developers of Roblox introduced their tool as an “Imagination Platform” where people can play millions of games. Not only this, but it’s also a game creation platform used by game lovers to create their own games.

        This online game platform Roblox is growing rapidly and getting popular among users. They made millions of worldwide users in a small period. Developers can create games by making use of language Lua.

        Roblox is a Windows/macOS application and cannot run on a Linux system directly. In the below-mentioned process, you will see Roblox platform running on Linux Mint 21 system.

      • Linux HintHow To Read exFAT Partitions in Linux

        This tutorial explains how to mount and read exFAT partitions in Linux. After reading this tutorial, you will be able to read the content within exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table) partitions.

        After the practical instructions, I briefly introduced the different Microsoft partition types, which will also help you understand the possible reasons behind your difficulty reading the exFAT file systems. Basic mount commands are also described at the end of this document.

        All instructions in this tutorial include screenshots, making it easy for every Linux user to understand and apply them.

      • Linux HintDocker Commands

        Are you new to Docker? Are you struggling with the Docker commands? Are you curious about how Docker works and how do Docker container images build? Well, luckily, you have reached the right place!

        In this hands-on, brief, and self-paced tutorial, we will help you use the Docker commands in the Ubuntu operating system. This guide will provide a brief overview of what Docker is and how it works, how to install Docker on Ubuntu, and how to use Docker commands in Dockers. We will demonstrate the primarily used Docker command and present some quick examples to enable you to use the Docker commands in your applications.

      • Linux HintAutoSSH Command in Linux

        Working with Ubuntu allows you to use all essential applications like email, Office Suite, browsers, media, or social apps. Most applications required to run an organization, home, school, or enterprise come pre-installed, and thousands more are available in the Ubuntu software center. The Ubuntu operating system is very simple and easy to use and clean. In fact, it is way simpler than any other mainstream competition. Windows and Mac operating system users may experience some differences in the Ubuntu operating system, but they certainly will not feel any difficulty using it. This article is designed around using the AutoSSH command in Ubuntu operating system. We will define the basic meaning of the AutoSSH command and how to use it in the Ubuntu 22.04 operating system.

      • Linux HintHow to Install TimeShift on Raspberry Pi

        Having your data backed up can really save you a lot of trouble in case of any unexpected error that causes your system to not function properly. Though reinstalling the Linux operating system is not much of a big deal, you must install all the applications again and most importantly you might lose some of your important data.

        TimeShift is one of the free tools that can create a backup for your Linux operating system and in case of something goes wrong, you can restore your system. So read this guide to go through the procedure of installing TimeShift on Raspberry Pi.

      • Linux HintHow to Install Raspup Puppy Linux OS on Raspberry Pi

        Raspup, a port of Puppy Linux, is a lightweight, easy-to-use operating system designed for low-powered devices like Raspberry Pi. You can run this entire operating system on RAM. Its latest version takes hardly 600MB of memory, making it an ideal operating system to run even on old Raspberry Pi models. Several lightweight applications are already installed, such as the Midori browser, Abiword, Mplayer, and more. You can install other applications from the built-in Puppy Package Manager.

      • Linux HintHow to Find Hardware Details Raspberry Pi GUI

        Getting hardware details about your Raspberry Pi device through commands is a hectic task for most users. You will need to search for commands; each command will provide different results. You won’t get all your system hardware information with a single command. However, there is a GUI-based application designed especially for Linux users that provides them the freedom to get real-time system information.

        If you are a Raspberry Pi user and want to find hardware details, follow this article to install the GUI application and get the information onto your system desktop.

      • Linux HintThree Ways to Delete the Partitions Under Linux

        This tutorial explains how to remove the partitions under Linux using different tools including fdisk, cfdisk and gparted. After reading this article, you will be able to delete the partitions in Linux by applying a few steps. The command line techniques that are shared in the following examples are valid for all the Linux distributions. In some cases, some additional packages need to be installed. Additionally, we also included the steps for the users who are looking for a graphical method.

        All the instructions in this document contain screenshots to make it easy for every Linux user to understand and implement them independently of their experience level.

      • Linux HintHow to Place the Brave Browser’s Cache in RAM

        Your web browser cache stores images, HTML, and JavaScript from the sites that you visit in a local cache. This allows for much faster page loading and less bandwidth usage. Basically, once an asset is saved to the cache, it is reread locally unless there has been some sort of change remotely.

    • Desktop Environments/WMs

      • K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt

        • KStar DevelopmentKStars v3.6.1 Released

          KStars v3.6.1 is released on 2022.10.02 for MacOS, Linux, and Windows. It's a bi-monthly bugfix release with a couple of exciting features.

          Due to major changes in this release, we are releasing it as Early Preview. We hope to release final stable release in a few weeks given the user feedback.

  • Distributions and Operating Systems

    • Canonical/Ubuntu Family

      • Tom's HardwareUbuntu 22.10 Arrives For Beta Testing

        New features in 22.10 include a new Quick Settings menu that lets you toggle changes rather than flying out a whole menu, including quickly changing an audio device. There's been a revamp of the Nautilus file manager, which now uses the GTK4 toolkit and has tabs, a pop-out sidebar, redesigned spacing and icons, and generally a fresh new modern look that’s (whisper it) somewhat Mac-like. You can also finally use your mouse to select multiple files by dragging a box around them.

    • Open Hardware/Modding

      • [Old] ElectroDacus

        Due to semiconductor shortages products are out of stock until around November 2022.

      • AdafruitThe Most Legendary Arcade In North America

        I had never heard of the fighting game community before but somehow watching this video made me feel nostalgic for it. [...]

  • Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

    • Web Browsers/Web Servers

      • How much time do we waste waiting for websites to load?

        After all, a slow website leads to a lower ranking on Google which can cost a website dearly. In 2013 a case study found that an extra 2 seconds of load time resulted in 87% less conversions on an e-commerce website. This often cited number tells us that speed matters. Yet website speeds clearly haven't improved.

    • Education

      • Introduction to the Theory of Programming Languages: full book now freely available

        Short version: the full text of my Introduction to the Theory of Programming Languages book (second printing, 1991) is now available. This page has more details including the table of chapters, and a link to the PDF (3.3MB, 448 + xvi pages).

        The book is a survey of methods for language description, particularly semantics (operational, translational, denotational, axiomatic, complementary) and also serves as an introduction to formal methods. Obviously it would be written differently today but it may still have its use.

      • Paolo MelchiorreDjangoCon Europe 2022

        A lightning talk on the history of the documentation full-text search function on the djangoproject.com site, a report on the latest implemented features and an invitation to contribute.

    • Programming/Development

      • Ruben SchadeDo I need line numbers? Yes

        I’ve been having fun lately challenging assumptions about my operating environment. I’ve got into the habit of blindly enabling settings without stopping to think if I need them, or for what reason. I’ve been surprised how much stuff was either built on sand, or that have been held over by sheer inertia and force of habit.

        Line numbers are one of these. No matter if I’m starting with Vim, Kate, or a code repository site, I instinctively reach for the tool’s respective line number setting or dotfile config, and everything is right in the world.

        But… why? What use are they?

      • Daniel LemireA review of elementary data types : numbers and strings

        Computer programming starts with the organization of the data into data structures. In almost all cases, we work with strings or numbers. It is critical to understand these building blocks to become an expert programmer.

      • My Developer Setup in 2022

        Getting to know the vast ecosystem around Developer Experience made me more passionate about the open source community and led me ultimately to even build my own OSS project that helps other developers.

        I believe that "optimizing" my setup sparked renewed interest in development for me. Working on a Developer Experience product could be my next passion.

        And there are many companies that work on tools to help developers and non-developers alike that I might be interested in exploring as future job candidates. Companies that develop things like IDEs (replit, VSCode), or others that write an app launcher (Raycast), Calendar (Cron) or maybe a better tool for work messaging (Slack 😠).

        Hopefully I gave you some motivation to work on your dev setup, but let's look at the more concrete reasoning.

      • The Renaissance of the Command Line

        Recently, I've been falling in love with the CLI.

        I went through a rabbit hole of trying to make my developer experience better and found that a lot of stuff are snappier to do on the terminal. On top of that, there have been a lot of innovation surrounding the terminal.

        So hopefully I can convince you to give the terminal more attention and that you find it rewarding.

      • Linux HintFunction Pointers in C

        “Whenever we declare any variable in the program, it allocates some memory for itself, and we can access the values stored in this variable by pointing to the address of the memory location of the variable. Likewise, whenever we make a function in the program, some memory size also gets allocated for that function, and if, at any point in the program, we want to access that function, we may simply point towards the memory address of that function. This is done by the function pointers; the function pointers in the programming language C simply make the call to the function for which they are appointed as a pointer, just as a normal type of function. The declaration of the function pointer is represented with the symbol “*” and it has the same parameters of the function, just like the same function to which it points.”

      • Linux HintHow to Reverse a String In C

        “We use the reverse string function whenever we are required to change or reverse the order of string in a program. For example, if we have initially declared a char string of memory size 5 as “cloth”, now if we want to apply the string reversal operation on this string, then we will get the output string as “htolc”. There exist several methods to perform the string reversal in the C, and they are strev func (), recursion func (), and string reversal using the pointers. We can also verify the palindrome string using the string reversal methods. A palindrome is a string whose order of the characters remains unchanged even after the implementation of the string reversal operation on it.”

      • Mandell O Mandell, Please Grant Me Some Insight! | Everyday Is A School Day

        Bring a textbook to life by Using a simple Natural Language Processing method (Ngram) to guide focused reading and build a robust differential diagnosis

      • Nicholas Tietz-SokolskyRC Week 1: Getting Unexpected Extrovert Energy | nicholas@web

        Pair programming is hard. It's really freaking hard. If you're not careful (and, reader, I'm not careful) it can turn into performance, and that is not what it's supposed to be! I'm working through some feelings of needing to be right, needing to not flail around or be ignorant when I'm the driver. Fellow Recursers have given me some really great advice on how to work on this. Next week, pairing will be a focus, and I am looking forward to the practice!

      • TeX

        • Linux HintHow to Write and Use a Derivative Symbol in LaTeX

          There is a fundamental approach to calculus known as derivatives. Calculating the derivative of a real variable function involves measuring how sensitive a change in the input value (the argument) is to a change in the output value (the function value).

          While calculating any mathematical number or question of derivatives, it is essential to write a derivative symbol. That’s why document processors like LaTeX provide simple source codes to write derivative symbols. So in this tutorial, we will give you some brief information on how to write and use a derivative symbol in LateX.

        • Linux HintHow to Create and use summation symbol in LaTeX

          In mathematics, summation refers to adding a series of any type of digits. We can easily perform summation on other forms of values along with the new numbers. In mathematics, we express summation with the sigma symbol, “∑,” which is a Greek capital letter.

          An index accompanies this symbol that encompasses all the essential terms to be considered in the sum. Hence, the summation symbol has a vital role in mathematical expressions. So, let’s look at the methods for creating and using summation in LaTeX.

        • Linux HintHow to Add a Line Break in LaTeX

          A document may include a long paragraph, so it is good to break the paragraph into short ones to make it more readable. A line break or paragraph break helps writers to create clean documents. Breaking a paragraph or line also helps readers read long sentences.

          That’s why document processors like LaTeX contain various source codes to add a line break in the document. However, many new users don’t know how to create the line break in the LaTeX document page. So, in this tutorial, we will show different ways to add the line break in LaTeX.

        • Linux HintHow to Wrap a Text Around Figures in LaTeX

          Sometimes, it is essential to wrap text around a figure to maintain the flow of the information in the document. Usually, wrapping text stands for the figure caption and the context of the images.

          Many document processors support the text wrapping feature to create clean research papers. LaTeX also has the same feature, but many users don’t know how to do it. So if you are also interested in learning, this tutorial is for you. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to wrap text around figures in LaTeX.

        • Linux HintHow to Write and Use an Angstrom Symbol in LaTeX

          An angstrom symbol is a unit of length that equals 0.1 nanometres. This symbol is mainly used in physics to measure wavelengths, including their compound structures and microscopic components.

          The angstrom symbol is also abundantly used in chemistry and natural sciences to measure atoms, molecules, and other chemical bonds. In LaTeX, you can write an angstrom symbol, but it requires the correct source code. So, in this tutorial, we will give you a complete brief on the source codes to write an angstrom symbol in LaTeX.

      • Java

        • Matt RickardThe Promise of Write Once, Run Anywhere

          The idea can be traced all the way back to the 1960s with the start of virtualization (the IBM M44/44X that emulated multiple IBM 7044 mainframes).

          The catchy slogan wouldn't come around until 1995 when Sun Microsystem was marketing Java and the JVM. While Java had many advantages, its portability was instrumental to its success.

        • Linux HintFibonacci Numbers in Java Language

          The Fibonacci numbers is a particular sequence of positive (whole) integers, beginning from zero to positive infinity. The current Fibonacci number is obtained by adding the immediate previous two Fibonacci numbers. The immediate previous two Fibonacci numbers are not just any numbers.

  • Leftovers

    • New York TimesThe Long Road to Driverless Trucks

      Companies like Kodiak know the technology is a long way from the moment trucks can drive anywhere on their own. So they are looking for ways to deploy self-driving trucks solely on highways, whose long, uninterrupted stretches are easier to navigate than city streets teeming with stop-and-go traffic.

      “Highways are a more structured environment,” said Alex Rodrigues, chief executive of the self-driving-truck start-up Embark. “You know where every car is supposed to be going. They’re in lanes. They’re headed in the same direction.” Restricting these trucks to the highway also plays to their strengths. “The biggest problems for long-haul truckers are fatigue, distraction and boredom,” Mr. Rodrigues explained on a recent afternoon as one of his company’s trucks cruised down a highway in Northern California. “Robots don’t have a problem with any of that.”

    • Education

      • HackadayDIY Wind Tunnel Aims To Educate The Youth

        Typically, when we talk about wind tunnels, we think of the big facilities in use by the aerospace and motorsports industries. However, there’s nothing stopping you building a wind tunnel of your very own, and it may even be easier than you think! [Jude Pullen] has whipped up just such a design with DIY in mind.

    • Hardware

      • HackadayBuilding A Tessellated NeoPixel Clock

        Anyone can buy a clock, but building your own lets you express your creative flair along the way. [Edison Science Corner] did just that with this neat sci-fi looking design.

      • HackadayDREEMWORK Lets You Code Morse From Inside Your Dream

        Lucid dreaming fascinates hackers. Every few years for over a decade now, we’ve seen a serious project dedicated to studying or taking advantage of this phenomenon, and the interest in this topic hasn’t faded still. [Michael] has contacted us to tell about a small and unconventional breakthrough that a few lucid dream hackers have accomplished — communicating in Morse code from their dream using eye movements.

      • Hackaday2022 Cyberdeck Contest: A Chorded-Keyboard Wearable Cyberdeck

        Those of us who are unreformed hunt-and-peck typists are often baffled by the keyboard skills of those with more formal training. Home row? Specific fingers for specific keys? The mind boggles. And chorded keyboards? That’s straight-up witchcraft!

      • HackadayLamp Flashing Module Is Perfect For Automotive Use

        Modern cars tend to have quite advanced lighting systems, all integrated under the control of the car’s computer. Back in the day, though, things like brake lights and indicators were all done with analog electronics. If your classic car needs a good old-fashioned flasher module, you might find this build from [DIY Guy Chris] useful.

      • HackadayDVD Drives Turned Into Microscopes

        With the advent of streaming services, plenty of people are opting to forego the collection of physical media. In turn, there are now a lot of optical drives sitting unused in parts bins and old computers. If you’d like something useful to do with this now-obsolete technology, you can have a try at turning one into a laser microscope.

    • Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

    • Proprietary

      • India TimesHere's why Apple has fired its vice president of procurement

        The TikTok interview that got Blevins sacked was taken by TikTok creator Daniel Mac who he asked Blevins what he does for a living, to which the Apple executive’s answer was: “I race cars and play golf and fondle big-breasted women. But I take weekends and major holidays off.” The interview was taken earlier this month and went viral.

    • Security

    • Defence/Aggression

      • Damaged cultural sites in Ukraine verified by UNESCO

        UNESCO is conducting a preliminary damage assessment for cultural properties* by cross-checking the reported incidents with multiple credible sources. These published data which will be regularly updated do not commit the Organization. UNESCO is also developing, with its partner organizations, a mechanism for independent coordinated assessment of data in Ukraine, including satellite image analysis, in line with provisions of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

      • MedforthIslamic headscarf: for the European Union “freedom will be found by wearing the hijab”

        The campaign, which initially went relatively unnoticed and was co-financed by the European Union, eventually aroused the ire of [Internet] users and numerous politicians such as Nadine Morano, who wrote to Ursula von der Leyen. “Madam President of the European Commission, I call on you to put an immediate end to this scandal of using EU funds for scandalous Islamist propaganda. This campaign is an insult to Iranian women who are dying for their freedom,” she tweeted on Wednesday September 28.

      • MeduzaUkrainian forces enter Lyman — Meduza

        Ukrainian forces have entered Lyman. A video appeared on social media showing the Ukrainian military raising a flag on a monument at the entrance to the city. Witnesses confirm that Ukrainian forces are in the western part of the city. The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced that “in connection with a developing threat of encirclement” Russian troops have been withdrawn from Lyman “to more advantageous lines.”

      • Meduza20 civilians killed by shelling in Kupiansk — Meduza

        A convoy of cars carrying civilians was hit by shelling in the Kupiansk area of Kharkiv. Regional Governor Oleh Synehubov reported on Telegram that 20 people were killed.

      • MeduzaRussia limits trucking for companies from the EU, Ukraine, Norway, and UK — Meduza

        The Russian government will ban truck transport through Russia for companies from countries which have previously taken analogous measures against Russian freight carriers. The decree was published on October 1.

      • MeduzaRamzan Kadyrov calls for drastic measures in Ukraine — Meduza

        Ramzan Kadyrov, head of Chechnya, reacted to Russia’s loss of Lyman with a Telegram post full of harsh criticism of the commander of the Central Military District, Colonel General Alexander Lapin.

      • MeduzaPoland completes wall on its border with Belarus — Meduza

        Poland has completed construction of fences on its border with Belarus, says Stanislaw Zaryn, a representative of Poland’s public security services.

      • MeduzaPoet Boris Bulgakov was handed a draft summons as he walked out of jail — Meduza

        The poet Boris Bulgakov, who took part in the Mayakovsky Readings, an anti-draft demonstration with roots in Soviet dissident movements, told Mediazona that he was handed a summons as he was released from detention.

    • Environment

      • The HillUN: Nord Stream pipeline rupture largest single release of methane recorded

        Methane has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years in the atmosphere, although carbon dioxide has a longer lasting effect, according to the Environmental Defense Fund.

      • ReutersNord Stream rupture may mark biggest single methane release ever recorded, U.N. says

        Researchers at GHGSat, which uses satellites to monitor methane emissions, estimated the leak rate from one of four rupture points was 22,920 kilograms per hour. That is equivalent to burning about 630,000 pounds of coal every hour, GHGSat said in a statement.

      • HackadayUnintentional Emissions

        First, it was the WiFi router: my ancient WRT54G that had given me nearly two decades service. Something finally gave out in the 2.4 GHz circuitry, and it would WiFi no more. Before my tears could dry, our thermometer went on the fritz. It’s one of those outdoor jobbies that transmits the temperature to an indoor receiver. After that, the remote for our office lights stopped working, but it was long overdue for a battery change.

      • Common DreamsOpinion | Climate Extremes and a Democracy Under Threat

        The hurricane season and the election season have converged in the United States. The prospect of catastrophic, irreversible climate change and the potential demise of democracy are both very real. The fate of these essential pillars of our society hinge largely on what we all do in the coming weeks and months.

      • TruthOutCalifornia Gov. Newsom Proposes Windfall Profits Tax on Big Oil
      • Common DreamsCalifornia Gov. Newsom Proposes Windfall Profits Tax on Big Oil

        While crude oil prices are down nationally, big oil companies have increased gas prices in California by a record 84 cents per gallon in just the last 10 days.€ 

      • Energy

        • Björn WärmedalJust Happy For Bike Lanes

          It's about 8 km from my home to the airport, a little longer by car I believe. Taking the bike is actually quite a breeze, because there's a protected bike lane all the way. While I do cross some roads it's really just streets with very little traffic. And bikes have the right of way in almost all of those places. The airport even has dedicated bike parking, with a somewhat protective roof.

        • BitcoinSEC Charges 2 Firms and 4 Individuals in [Cryptocurrency] Pump-and-Dump Scheme

          The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said Friday that it has filed charges against two firms and four individuals allegedly perpetrating a cryptocurrency pump-and-dump scheme.

          The two companies are Bermuda-based Arbitrade Ltd. and Canadian firm Cryptobontix Inc. The other defendants are their principals — Troy R. J. Hogg, James L. Goldberg, and Stephen L. Braverman — and Max W. Barber, founder and sole owner of SION Trading. SION is named a relief defendant in the case.

    • Finance

      • CoryDoctorowTwitch does a chokepoint capitalism

        When Amazon bought Twitch, the story was that the new conglomerate would be more efficient and that would benefit everyone – streamers and audiences. That's the story we hear about every anticompetitive merger, and it's always a lie.

        [...]

        But for Twitch's most valuable streamers – the ones it courted most aggressively – there's a better revenue split: 70/30 (the worker gets 70%, while Amazon takes 30%). These are the deals that Clancy is unilaterally cancelling.

        Clancy says it's not fair that the company's favored streamers should be earning more than the majority of streamers, which is a pretty good point. What he doesn't explain is why the solution to that unfairness isn't to just give all the streamers a 70/30 split – especially in light of all the new revenue he boasts about.

        After all, nearly all of Twitch's costs are fixed – adding a new monetization feature costs the same whether there are a million Twitch streamers or just two of them. That means that every streamer boosts the dividends from new monetization features.

        The major variable cost for Twitch – the cost that changes based on the number of streamers on the service – is bandwidth, which may be why Clancy blames the clawback on it. But this is weird. As Sam Biddle wrote, "Amazon is charging Amazon so much money to run the business via Amazon that it has no choice but to take more money from streamers."

      • TruthOutCorporations Are Spending a Ton to Stop Low-Wage Workers From Unionizing
      • TruthOutGEICO Is Trying to Crush Workers' Attempts to Form an Independent Union
      • Common Dreams'Enough is Enough': Hundreds of Thousands March Across the UK

        The organizers of the 'Enough is Enough' campaign lists their five demands as:

    • AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

      • New York TimesBig Tech Should Support the Iranian People, Not the Regime

        For Twitter, there’s one initial easy step: making #MahsaAmini and #مهسا_امینی “official.” Despite the record-breaking number of #MahsaAmini tweets, the hashtag remains flagless. Hashflags are custom emojis specific to Twitter that help boost a particular hashtag on the platform and draw attention to a movement.

        By introducing a hashflag, Twitter would also make it less likely that misleadingly similar hashtags for #MahsaAmini will divert attention. Whether just an accidental typo, or an effort ​​by pro-government or government-owned accounts to reduce engagement, similar hashtags can divert attention and cause confusion.

        The latest protests have once again highlighted the dangers of Telegram’s lack of effective content moderation policies and practices. This has endangered vulnerable users, especially activists targeted by authoritarian states. Telegram channels associated with or supporting the Islamic Republic’s security forces have sprung up to identify protesters. We do know that in the past Telegram has responded to pressure to protect their users: They banned Russian state media accounts following the invasion of Ukraine. It’s past time for Telegram to commence dialogue with civil society and experts to proactively put in place basic human rights standards.

      • MIT Technology ReviewThe EU wants to put companies on the hook for harmful AI

        The new bill, called the AI Liability Directive, will add teeth to the EU’s AI Act, which is set to become EU law around the same time. The AI Act would require extra checks for “high risk” uses of AI that have the most potential to harm people, including systems for policing, recruitment, or health care.

        The new liability bill would give people and companies the right to sue for damages after being harmed by an AI system. The goal is to hold developers, producers, and users of the technologies accountable, and require them to explain how their AI systems were built and trained. Tech companies that fail to follow the rules risk EU-wide class actions.

      • Common DreamsOpinion | Climate Idiocy of DeSantis Exposes Him as Threat to Entire Nation

        Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has abruptly been handed an honest-to-God crisis that may distract him from his usual antics of trolling Venezuelan asylum-seekers, firing elected prosecutors who disagree with him on coerced childbirth, and firing scientists who wouldn't manipulate state COVID statistics for him.

      • Common DreamsOpinion | Fascist Victory in Italy a Setback for the Future

        In any unequal society becoming substantially more unequal, democratic forces better directly address that growing inequality. Or else get prepared to face the consequences.

      • Common DreamsOpinion | New GOP Agenda Proves These People Are Just Plain Nuts

        Let me say one word to you: Nuts.

      • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

        • Scoop News GroupNord Stream pipeline disinformation fits pattern of Russian information warfare

          Cyber scholar Thomas Rid, who has written extensively on Russian disinformation, said Sikorski’s tweet did something “very important,” in part because it “predictably got lots of engagement, most interestingly by the Russian Foreign Ministry pointing the finger at us.” (On Tuesday, Russian official and United Nations representative Dmitry Polyanskiy retweeted Sikorski’s now deleted message, thanking him for “making it crystal clear who stands behind this terrorist-style targeting of civilian infrastructure!”)

    • Censorship/Free Speech

      • Static MediaCensorship Was The Spark That Sent Rod Serling To The Twilight Zone

        Serling was expecting to deal with a lot of pushback and censorship with his script, but was still surprised by how extreme it all turned out to be. He later claimed the story was "gone over with a fine-tooth comb by 30 different people," and that by the time it aired it was basically unrecognizable from the story Serling was trying to tell. As Smithsonian Magazine put it, "Any hint of the South was removed from the plot; not even a Coca-Cola bottle could appear, lest viewers invoke the idea of the region."

        The whole thing made Serling rethink his approach to social commentary, and soon after he had the idea for "The Twilight Zone," a show that was about apolitical sci-fi/fantasy concepts on the surface, but often used them as an avenue to explore more controversial ideas. It was through the "Twilight Zone" that Serling managed to get his Emmett Till-inspired story aired on TV: the aforementioned episode "I Am the Night," which is still one of the most memorable episodes of the series.

      • Frontpage MagazineChristians ‘Face Routine Torture’ in Afghanistan

        The estimated 15,000-20,000 Christians who remain in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover “face routine torture and persecution from both the government and their own friends, families and communities,” a new report finds.

        This is not a new development. From the start, matters significantly worsened for Christians on August 15, 2021, following the Biden administration’s abrupt and poorly-planned withdrawal of U.S. troops, which caused the Central Asian nation to fall right back into the grips of the Taliban, an Islamic terrorist group complicit in the 9/11 attacks on the U.S.

      • ScheerpostThe Hill Cancels Katie Halper for Telling Truth About Israel

        Katie Halper recorded a segment for The Hill’s Rising defending Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib from attacks over calling Israel an apartheid state. The Hill presents itself as a channel that opposes cancel culture and censorship. Halper says she was told that The Hill has a ban on opinion videos about Israel. When she pushed to have it aired as a show segment, she says she was fired.

    • Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

      • Iranian journalist seized after reporting on Mahsa Amini funeral

        Elahe Mohammadi (pictured) – a reporter for the pro-reform Hammihan newspaper – had been summoned to face the judicial authorities.

        But she was arrested on the way there on Thursday, 29 September, according to the newspaper.

      • uni MichiganHere’s how journalism could work better for all of us

        It’s a well-established truth that one of the greatest indicators of a healthy and functioning democracy is the ability to disseminate accurate and accessible journalism to the general public. And, as midterm elections loom right around the corner, journalism could not be more crucial right now: the continuation of democratic backsliding, economic turmoil and deep political divisions are some of our most obvious challenges as a country. On the surface, not much is different from the American political landscape of the ’60s and ’70s. And yet, in living rooms and handheld devices across the country, our reality is much more stark: whether a fact is in fact a fact is being contested, misinformation runs rampant and common ideals such as democracy, citizenry and voting have become foundations for contentious debate.

      • CPJZambian officials threaten journalist Wellington Chanda over reporting

        At least four officials with Zambia’s ruling political party, United Party for National Development (UPND), threatened Wellington Chanda, a reporter for the privately owned City TV broadcaster in the northeastern town of Kasama, during two separate phone calls on August 7 and 8, 2022, over a City TV report, according to news reports, a statement by the Zambia chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa press freedom group, the journalist, and recordings of the calls.

      • CPJKhashoggi’s legacy will forever haunt his killers, says CPJ’s Sherif Mansour

        Washington, D.C., September 30, 2022 — The four years that have passed since Washington Post columnist and Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered and dismembered underscores the global failure to punish the killers of journalists around the world, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.

    • Civil Rights/Policing

      • France24How China uses zero-Covid policy to crack down on Tibetans

        There has been a widespread outcry from the residents of Lhasa, the capital of the Chinese autonomous region of Tibet, about how local authorities are managing a Covid-19 lockdown, instated on August 9. Many people have gone online to post videos showing crowded quarantine centres, which they have nicknamed pigsties. When the videos were quickly censored, locals said it was another example of the Chinese government silencing Tibetan voices.

      • 'You do not automate people out of their jobs': Data journalism bosses on the rise of robots

        Deepna Devkar, vice president of data science and engineering at CNN, said: “It’s actually the exact opposite. We’re here to enable journalists to do what they do best…

      • Hindustan TimesIran: Woman arrested for eating at restaurant without hijab, says report

        Donya Rad was arrested after a photo of her and another woman eating at a Tehran restaurant without their headscarves was widely circulated online, reported CNN.

      • CNNIranian security forces arrest a woman for eating at restaurant in public without her hijab, family says

        Iranian security forces arrested a woman after a photo of her and another woman eating at a Tehran restaurant without their head scarves was widely circulated online, her family said Friday. The photo emerged Wednesday showing the two women having breakfast at a cafe that, like most coffeehouses in Iran, is traditionally patronized by men.

        One of the women in the photo, Donya Rad, was arrested shortly after the photo was published online. CNN spoke with her sister who said security agencies contacted Donya and summoned her to explain her actions.

      • Saudi ArabiaIran arrests woman for eating in restaurant without headscarf: Sister

        “Today, after going where she was told, she was arrested. After a few hours of silence, Donya told me in a short call that she was transferred to ward 209 of Evin prison,” she said, referring to a notorious wing of the Tehran jail which is reputedly run by the intelligence ministry.

      • The Straits TimesIran arrests woman for eating out without hijab: Sister

        Persian media outside Iran have over the last days pointed to growing images of civil disobedience, with women in Iran sharing images of themselves walking, shopping or in cafes without headscarves.

        "They just went to get breakfast without headscarves. They were arrested. This is how brutal/sick the hijab policy is in Iran," commented prominent US-based campaigner and journalist Omid Memarian on Twitter.

      • TruthOutProtests Against Compulsory Hijab Sweep Iran, With Spotlight on Bodily Autonomy
    • Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

      • The Register UKUN's ITU election may spell the end of our open [Internet]

        Speaking of Huawei, in 2019 it and China Mobile, China Unicom, and China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), did something unexpected: submit a proposal to the ITU for a standard called New IP (as in, Internet Protocol, the standard that helps glue our modern communications together). The entities behind New IP claimed it is needed because existing protocols don't include sufficient quality-of-service guarantees, so netizens will struggle to handle latency-sensitive future applications, and also because current standards lack intrinsic security.

        New IP is controversial for two reasons.

        One is that the ITU does not oversee IP. That's the IETF's job. The IETF is a multi-stakeholder organization that accepts ideas from anywhere – the QUIC protocol that's potentially on the way to replacing TCP originated at Google but was developed into a standard by the IETF. The ITU is a United Nations body so represents nation-states.

        The other is that New IP proposes a Many Networks – or ManyNets – approach to global internetworking, with distinct, individual networks allowed to set their own rules on access to systems and content. Some of the rules envisioned under New IP could require individuals to register for network access, and allow central control – even shutdowns – of traffic on a national network.

      • Internet SocietySender Pays: What Lessons European Policy Makers Should Take From The Case of South Korea

        As proponents of new interconnection rules in Europe champion a new settlement regime, based on a model of “sending party pays”, there is one important question looming over the debate: why are proponents not championing the case of South Korea, where similar rules were implemented?

        The simple answer: it’s not a favorable example.

    • Monopolies

      • Stacey on IoTPodcast: The FTC eyes Amazon’s iRobot buy - Stacey on IoT | Internet of Things news and analysis

        The Federal Trade Commission is looking into Amazon’s decision to purchase the maker of Roomba vacuum cleaners for $1.7 billion. The agency this week asked Amazon and iRobot for more information about the deal, so Kevin and I took a moment to explain exactly what the FTC should worry about. Then we talk about Wi-Fi sensing showing up in Signify’s WiZ lightbulbs, and a wireless power provider paired with smart tags enabling a new retail experience — all without batteries. We touch on Nvidia’s continued forays into the metaverse and its plans to create digital twins for retailers with its new Omniverse services. We also cover two surveys this week from MachineQ and Hitachi Vantara. Those surveys focus mostly on enterprise IoT adoption and things that stand in the way of them. We also cover Helium’s new deal to bring its decentralized 5G wireless network to T-Mobile and then discuss Tile’s new QR code stickers to create a tech-savvy label for your stuff that might get lost. It’s better than sewing your name in your underwear. Kevin then discusses his review of a LoRa-based IoT development kit from Blues Wireless. We end by answering a listener question about leak monitoring and water shut off tools.

      • Copyrights

        • Torrent FreakDNS Providers as Piracy Fighters? Enforcement Groups Weigh Options

          The World Intellectual Property Organization's Advisory Committee on Enforcement recently heard how DNS providers have the ability to fight online piracy but could also face liability as secondary infringers. Veiled warnings like these are nothing new, but with piracy colossus Fmovies cited as a primary example, pressure on DNS entities is building once again.

        • Final Space and the (sweet) path to the Torrent

          Final Space has been removed from the face of the earth and has kind woke some people up regarding digital ownership of items, this is not something new, of course. Think about your Spotify library, if at some point Spotify kills your account, you’d loose [sic] everything in a heartbeat. Same with Netflix and all of the other services.

        • Digital Music NewsEd Sheeran ‘Thinking Out Loud’ Copyright Lawsuit to Proceed, Federal Judge Rules

          Back to the newest development in Structured Asset Sales’ copyright complaint against Ed Sheeran, though, the Halifax, West Yorkshire-born artist had been seeking a summary judgement dismissal of the infringement claim, which the litigants agreed involves elements (related to the aforementioned chord progression) that are “commonplace and unprotectable” when considered on their own.

  • Gemini* and Gopher

    • Personal

      • Re: Regarding Life Beyond Earth

        Ah, that’s not a good fit for how I see things. I’ve messed around enough with emergent systems to not presuppose a pre-existing blueprint or fully formed Intelligence. Great things can grow out of simple things, as you might remember from Luke (13:18–19) (and in the parallel gospels). In the legendary book, we saw a story about God coming to Earth as a human form and learning things, experiencing things from a new point-of-view. (Hebrews 5 for an explicit example.)

        There’s no reason to diminish and shrink down God to a particular image or icon, to this one-week, one-planet, static, unyielding picture frame, when our own senses and hearts and minds show us aeons and galaxies and this unfolding, learning, teaching, listening resounding symphony.


* Gemini (Primer) links can be opened using Gemini software. It's like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter.



Recent Techrights' Posts

Comparing U.E.F.I. to B.I.O.S. (Bloat and Insecurity to K.I.S.S.)
By Sami Tikkanen
New 'Slides' From Stallman Support (stallmansupport.org) Site
"In celebration of RMS's birthday, we've been playing a bit. We extracted some quotes from the various articles, comments, letters, writings, etc. and put them in the form of a slideshow in the home page."
Thailand: GNU/Linux Up to 6% of Desktops/Laptops, According to statCounter
Desktop Operating System Market Share Thailand
António Campinos is Still 'The Fucking President' (in His Own Words) After a Fake 'Election' in 2022 (He Bribed All the Voters to Keep His Seat)
António Campinos and the Administrative Council, whose delegates he clearly bribed with EPO budget in exchange for votes
Adrian von Bidder, homeworking & Debian unexplained deaths
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Sainsbury’s Epic Downtime Seems to be Microsoft's Fault and Might Even Constitute a Data Breach (Legal Liability)
one of Britain's largest groceries (and beyond) chains
Matthias Kirschner, FSFE analogous to identity fraud
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
 
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 18, 2024
IRC logs for Monday, March 18, 2024
Suicide Cluster Cover-up tactics & Debian exposed
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 19/03/2024: A Society That Lost Focus and Abandoning Social Control Media
Links for the day
Matthias Kirschner, FSFE: Plagiarism & Child labour in YH4F
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Linux Foundation Boasting About Being Connected to Bill Gates
Examples of boasting about the association
Alexandre Oliva's Article on Monstering Cults
"I'm told an earlier draft version of this post got published elsewhere. Please consider this IMHO improved version instead."
[Meme] 'Russian' Elections in Munich (Bavaria, Germany)
fake elections
Sainsbury's to Techrights: Yes, Our Web Site Broke Down, But We Cannot Say Which Part or Why
Windows TCO?
Plagiarism: Axel Beckert (ETH Zurich) & Debian Developer list hacking
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 18/03/2024: Putin Cements Power
Links for the day
Flashback 2003: Debian has always had a toxic culture
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
[Meme] You Know You're Winning the Argument When...
EPO management starts cursing at everybody (which is what's happening)
Catspaw With Attitude
The posts "they" complain about merely point out the facts about this harassment and doxing
'Clown Computing' Businesses Are Waning and the Same Will Happen to 'G.A.I.' Businesses (the 'Hey Hi' Fame)
decrease in "HEY HI" (AI) hype
Free Software Needs Watchdogs, Too
Gentle lapdogs prevent self-regulation and transparency
Gemini Links 18/03/2024: LLM Inference and Can We Survive Technology?
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, March 17, 2024
IRC logs for Sunday, March 17, 2024
Links 17/03/2024: Microsoft Windows Shoves Ads Into Third-Party Software, More Countries Explore TikTok Ban
Links for the day
Molly Russell suicide & Debian Frans Pop, Lucy Wayland, social media deaths
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Our Plans for Spring
Later this year we turn 18 and a few months from now our IRC community turns 16
Open Invention Network (OIN) Fails to Explain If Linux is Safe From Microsoft's Software Patent Royalties (Charges)
Keith Bergelt has not replied to queries on this very important matter
RedHat.com, Brought to You by Microsoft Staff
This is totally normal, right?
USPTO Corruption: People Who Don't Use Microsoft Will Be Penalised ~$400 for Each Patent Filing
Not joking!
The Hobbyists of Mozilla, Where the CEO is a Bigger Liability Than All Liabilities Combined
the hobbyist in chief earns much more than colleagues, to say the least; the number quadrupled in a matter of years
Jim Zemlin Says Linux Foundation Should Combat Fraud Together With the Gates Foundation. Maybe They Should Start With Jim's Wife.
There's a class action lawsuit for securities fraud
Not About Linux at All!
nobody bothers with the site anymore; it's marketing, and now even Linux
Links 17/03/2024: Abuses Against Human Rights, Tesla Settlement (and Crash)
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, March 16, 2024
IRC logs for Saturday, March 16, 2024
Under Taliban, GNU/Linux Share Nearly Doubled in Afghanistan, Windows Sank From About 90% to 68.5%
Suffice to say, we're not meaning to imply Taliban is "good"
Debian aggression: woman asked about her profession
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 17/03/2024: Winter Can't Hurt Us Anymore and Playstation Plus
Links for the day