Neil Brown

{ "id": "60e0f47224295e443cc7f6833ac32aff09144ea5d66cf77c7d639d7532b4c187", "pubkey": "bf1c558df876c73c89964562510404684b0741570dd8f169da6fc5c83ea95d0b", "created_at": 1789609076, "kind": 0, "tags": [ [ "t", "nobot" ], [ "t", "nosearch" ], [ "t", "nonononononononotheresnolimit" ], [ "t", "noIndex" ], [ "t", "nogenai" ], [ "proxy", "https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/users/neil", "activitypub" ], [ "L", "pink.momostr" ], [ "l", "pink.momostr.activitypub:https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/users/neil", "pink.momostr" ], [ "-" ] ], "content": "{\"name\":\"Neil Brown\",\"about\":\"English Internet, telecoms, and tech lawyer, running a law firm (https://decoded.legal) on Free software.\\n\\nLinux / FOSS, legal stuff, Airsoft, and puns. Terrible puns.\\n\\nHe/him. Cishet, lucky husband.\\n\\n💚 means I am empathising / supportive.\\n\\n#NoBot / #NoSearch / #NoIndex / #NoGenAI #NoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoTheresNoLimit\\n\\nPronouns: he/him/his\\nMy business: https://decoded.legal/\\nBusiness onion: http://dlegal66uj5u2dvcbrev7vv6fjtwnd4moqu7j6jnd42rmbypv3coigyd.onion\\nPersonal (mostly tech stuff): https://neilzone.co.uk\\nPersonal onion: http://6x27vvtf5vic2slpfe3yr7p2w37vbum2w5edt7ghw477mwxnnazjl2yd.onion/\\nOnline Safety Act: https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk\\nOnline Safety Act onion: http://3kj5hg5j2qxm7hgwrymerh7xerzn3bowmfflfjovm6hycbyfuhe6lrqd.onion/\\n\",\"website\":\"https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/@neil\",\"picture\":\"https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/system/accounts/avatars/000/000/003/original/1686a2608fa9766e.jpg\",\"banner\":\"https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/system/accounts/headers/000/000/003/original/9a08baae61263762.png\",\"nip05\":\"neil_at_mastodon.neilzone.co.uk@momostr.pink\"}", "sig": "2cd3b9c72fe9e7c4ff5295e4c49f33c53b947b35166900bbbe2e0a586c53302fe8c843e1edab3550623d80ef7ac67491819443e5b23fad980a19845410895a5e" }

Last Notes

2026-08-09 19:26:59 UTC

For me, one of the most eye-opening aspects of the fediverse is seeing just how many fedizens are struggling at the moment.
Health, money, transphobia, whatever.
I don't recall seeing this on other social networks that I've used in the past.
Mutual aid posts - people asking for help, usually financial, from other people here - are so common in my feed. People just scraping by, bill to bill, or not actually scraping by at all.
What a rubbish state of affairs.
I appreciate that Universal Basic Income - UBI - would not solve *everything*, but for goodness' sake it must be worth a try.

2026-07-24 13:37:36 UTC

I don't get why people who want to use LLMs to generate code are grumpy because Codeberg doesn't want to host it.
Surely they can just use their LLMs to generate a replacement for Codeberg, which they can operate on whatever basis they choose?

2026-07-24 05:50:26 UTC

# AI and that Guy at the bar
On consent and respecting boundaries.
https://dotart.blog/cobbles/ai-and-that-guy-at-the-bar

2026-07-21 17:50:01 UTC

I've been holding off switching away from Firefox.
I'm back to exploring viable-for-me alternatives.
Le sigh.

2026-07-16 20:13:11 UTC

I miss forums.

2026-06-05 20:31:07 UTC

Sandra has bought herself a new Kindle, as (well, despite) Amazon killed off the last one.
I must admit, the screen is *gorgeous*.
(I am willing to jump through hoops with my bought-broken-on-eBay Tolino Shine, loading books via Calibre; Sandra is not.)

2026-05-21 16:14:27 UTC

Here's a fun one, which is probably quite fedi-relevant.
I am part of a disparate group of people, who all work together for a common cause.
We generate a *lot* of email traffic.
I am old. I like email.
Other people... not so much. (As in, they don't like email as much as I do. Not that I don't like other people that much. True though that is.)
But what is the alternative?
I use IRC, XMPP, and Signal, but not Matrix. And the last thing I want is a deluge of IMs, where searching history is tricky.
Others like Matrix. These things could be bridged.
A forum is fine for some things, but not real time chat.
Mattermost etc. feels like yet another thing to monitor (or bridge).
I guess that I'm unpersuaded that more channels is the answer. Perhaps fewer communications with so many people - but then people like to be "in the loop".

2026-05-20 05:23:13 UTC

I do zero analytics on any of my web traffic, so this is just a guess, but I should be surprised if many people come to my sites via Google.
I am just a bloke with a Raspberry Pi running a website and two blogs.
I suspect that, of whatever traffic I get, most comes from links I (and others) post here, and from RSS subscribers.
Similarly, I don't think that I found any of the blogs or sites that I read regularly via a search engine.
Word of mouth (webrings, people posting about stuff they've enjoyed / their own work etc.) ftw.

2026-05-14 17:07:47 UTC

When you can't even spell your own name correctly in your haste to place an order.
Le sigh.

2026-05-13 19:16:08 UTC

"There's nothing more expensive than a cheap Land Rover."
But that is a lovely Land Rover (1995 D 90), and it is cheap (and, for me, utterly unnecessary and impractical)...

2026-05-09 15:39:15 UTC

After "age verification" for VPNs, age verification for DNS-over-https? Or just DNS?
Or simple age verification to use the Internet.

2026-05-06 18:36:48 UTC

- reply

This applies more broadly too.
I've no idea who makes good new laptops these days. My feeling is that they probably all suck. I buy used machines on eBay.
I don't know which version of Windows or macOS might work. I just stick Debian on my computers, job done.
I am not well placed to suggest what blogging tool or website generator might work. I write in Markdown and convert it, then rsync the files into the right places.
And so on.

2026-05-06 18:31:13 UTC

I'm sorry, but I am probably one of the worst people to give advice about which email provider to use. I simply have no idea.

2026-05-06 14:17:48 UTC

If you are in the UK/EU and tempted by Thunderbird Pro, it seems that:
* the contract does not include a data processing agreement. It is unclear how any professional user in the UK/EU might use the service in a manner consistent with the UK or EU GDPR.
* the servers are in Germany but the agreement (and presumably MZLA) are subject to US law:
> this Agreement between you and MZLA and any access to or use of the Website or the Services are governed by the federal laws of the United States of America and the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict of law provisions. You and MZLA agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the courts located in the City and County of San Francisco, California.
https://www.tb.pro/en-GB/terms/

2026-05-04 06:30:05 UTC

I wonder if my DIY skills extend to fixing a power shower...?

2026-04-30 15:34:29 UTC

Well isn't learning how to run your own CA a lot of fun?
And by "fun", I mean "debugging".
And by "a lot", I mean "a looooooooooot".
I am making progress, today around SAN and Firefox, but this is a bit like plodding around in treacle.
(I'm not looking for advice, although sympathy is welcome :))

2026-04-28 19:57:39 UTC

~~Greece to ban anonymity on social media~~
Greece to make using social media impossible for all manner of people, while doing nothing to inhibit those who spread bile and lies under their own names.
Timeō Danaōs et dōna ferentēs.
https://www.euractiv.com/news/greece-to-ban-anonymity-on-social-media/

2026-04-28 15:46:32 UTC

- reply

I don't think that I have seen this set out quite so starkly.
But... it also makes little sense (policy wise; the sentence doesn't work but that's an aside).
One cannot consult meaningfully on the "how" without having a clear problem statement.
We do not have a clear problem statement.
What is it that the UK is trying to solve here?
Which means we will end up - once again - "doing something" because "something is better than nothing", rather than a coherent plan.

2026-04-28 15:41:01 UTC

The UK's plan to further censor people's Internet access continues:
> We are consulting on the mechanism, which is the right thing to do, but we are clear that under any outcome we will impose some form of age or functionality for children under 16. .. we aim to do so by the end of the year.
*sigh*
https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026-04-27/debates/09FEE6E7-FF12-45A0-A358-1E18BE4A44DF/Children%E2%80%99SWellbeingAndSchoolsBill

2026-04-21 17:37:53 UTC

If you run a publicly available online service *which is not available over IPv6*, might you share why not, please?

2026-04-18 09:28:13 UTC

Just let me compute in peace.
https://neilzone.co.uk/2026/04/just-let-me-compute-in-peace/
#blog

2026-04-17 18:55:29 UTC

Things that I really do not have time for: looking into various countries' proposals around age verification requirements for computer operating systems.
Things that I am, nevertheless, doing: looking into various countries' proposals around age verification requirements for computer operating systems.

2026-04-13 11:14:15 UTC

I am looking for reading recommendations, for a *partner* of someone who is going through the perimenopause / menopause.
Any recommendations for stuff from your own personal experience, please?

2026-04-08 06:30:56 UTC

- reply

> the package having been misrouted
A lovely use of the passive voice to avoid responsibility!

2026-04-08 06:03:33 UTC

Reflecting on @npub17pm…kws7's thread (https://lgbtqia.space/@alice/116364914347035018) that
> I've never met a femme-presenting¹ person who didn't have a sexual harassment/assault story.
This jives with my own experience, and is horrific.
But more than just expressing sympathy, perhaps men here can share actual, tangible steps they will / already take to bring this to an end. (It is our responsibility to solve it.)
I've tooted this before but, IMHO, it is a pretty good resource in terms of helping men do better offline:
https://metro.co.uk/2024/11/28/small-things-can-make-a-woman-feel-safer-22039888/
Annoyingly, I can't find the link that I wanted in terms of men doing better online, so links / suggestions welcome!

2026-04-07 18:20:46 UTC

If you were waiting for a bloke with an English accent to read
"A Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace"
aloud, well today is your lucky day.
https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/system/media_attachments/files/116/364/798/455/498/132/original/85ac6f84277fdb4c.mp3

2026-04-07 16:03:52 UTC

New blogpost (based on a discussion here over the weekend, so some of it might be familiar):
"Sex and the Fedi"
https://neilzone.co.uk/2026/04/sex-and-the-fedi/
#blog #sex #fediverse

2026-04-07 07:58:30 UTC

- reply

Well, the proclamation, anyway...
https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/system/media_attachments/files/116/362/358/957/220/102/original/d950f5757220122e.mp3

2026-04-07 07:44:08 UTC

Have you have heard of the saying "to read someone the Riot Act", in the sense of warning someone / telling someone off?
Have you *actually read* the Riot Act?

2026-04-06 19:18:27 UTC

I left our picnic rug outside this afternoon.
Apparently, it was quite attractive to ants and woodlice.
I am now debugging it.

2026-04-06 16:05:54 UTC

No, we don't need to make the tent bigger.
We need to make the tent safer.

2026-04-06 12:34:27 UTC

- reply

More seriously, if someone wants to set up an instance dedicated to discussions about AI, they can.
If they want to set up an account on someone else's server and toot about AI, they can, assuming that the server rules permit it.
They can share their opinions to their heart's content.
What they cannot do is ensure that anyone else engages with them, boosts them, makes them feel important etc.
I unfollow people who post about vibe coding / slop / AI, and mute or block if needed.

2026-04-06 12:29:37 UTC

*waves at everyone else in this echo chamber, which actually makes it a delightful place for civilized discussion*.
Apparently the fediverse is not a place for people to debate different opinions about technology.
That is untrue. I even saw someone using emacs the other day.

2026-04-06 10:58:35 UTC

It is a beautiful day on the common!
https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/system/media_attachments/files/116/357/402/747/216/567/original/319f01a6dc48c899.jpg

2026-04-06 08:27:50 UTC

- reply

> not wanting to be blocked by whole servers or booted off one for boosting something they see as not ok.
Yes, I can see the challenge there.

2026-04-06 07:01:00 UTC

- reply

I've broken my self-imposed rule of "more than three toots means it should be a blogpost", so perhaps I should do that.
Although whether anyone will share it is a different matter :)

2026-04-06 06:57:30 UTC

- reply

Hmm... I wonder (I told you that I was pondering!) if there is an added factor here, of the fedi demographic: of older people, perhaps especially men (don't laugh), being self-aware of engaging with younger adults posting sex-related stuff, and coming across as creepy. Perhaps?

2026-04-06 06:46:21 UTC

- reply

But this also comes against a backdrop of increasing difficulties for sex workers and other people post sex-related stuff.
Payment processors denying income streams.
Platform operators enforcing their ever more restrictive morality rules, making working harder, and requiring more admin just to keep going.
But if people take, take, take, without giving back in some meaningful way, then that is challenging even for those who create and share for fun (for apprecistion, perhaps, rather than tooting into the void), let alone those for whom this is their livelihood.

2026-04-06 06:38:49 UTC

- reply

I suspect that it comes down to a mix of:
* stigma about sex as pleasure / being embarrassed about what others here might think
* concerns relating to professional expectations and obligations
* sex as being in the sphere of one's private life
I can understand each of these, and why they might lead to a "like" rather than a "boost".
None of them inhibit paying or tipping someone, as a thank you for their work though, which is another way of being supportive.

2026-04-06 06:29:28 UTC

I woke up still pondering @npub10gl…seww's lamentation (I think; https://mastodon.social/@girlonthenet/116353766078817354), that while lots of people enjoy her sex blog, few people boost her toots about it.
I follow and chat with quite a lot of sex positive / sex-related people here, and many have expressed similar sentiments. It must be demoralising.
I don't have good ideas here, but it would be such a shame to lose this wonderful diverse friendly bunch of creative people.

2026-04-05 16:32:50 UTC

This day in 2017 - nine years ago - Mashable published an article saying that Mastodon would not survive (https://mashable.com/article/mastodon-wont-survive).
Thank goodness it was wrong.
If Mastodon, and indeed the broader fediverse, had not survived, I would not have all you fantastic, amazing, fun, interesting, and diverse people to share things and chat with.
Yes, that includes *you*!
It is a genuinely delightful social media experience, and I am incredibly grateful for it.

2026-04-04 17:19:37 UTC

The thing about camgirls in the fediverse is that many of them wrote their own webcam drivers too.

2026-04-04 16:12:34 UTC

Have you ever...

2026-04-04 15:00:52 UTC

If it is indeed the case that any country's EIDAS (electronic identification, authentication, and trust services) implementation requires an account with a third party tech company - Apple, or Google, or whatever - then that is repugnant and reprehensible.

2026-04-04 14:48:50 UTC

Large Language Model
Extra Large Language Model
Plus-Sized Language Model
Family-Sized Language Model
Party-Sized Language Model
Cadbury's Language Model For Sharing (contains 24 servings)

2026-04-04 13:21:22 UTC

Sorry folks. New global alcohol ban has landed.
https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/system/media_attachments/files/116/346/639/762/413/409/original/94b91561c8819c2b.jpg

2026-04-04 06:13:43 UTC

- reply

It may vary by country, but phone books have not been a thing here for years.

2026-04-04 05:36:35 UTC

"DNS is the Internet's phone book"
This ceased to be a useful analogy many, many years ago!

2026-04-03 18:32:19 UTC

I am reading some of Ofcom's switching information and somewhat ruing the state of the UK connectivity market.
Churn appears to be a sign of market / regulatory success, resulting in promotional prices and a race to the bottom, and a need for end of contract reminders because of how poorly customer loyalty is treated by those providers.
Conversely, I have stayed with the best UK ISP, @npub1sv0…rq9x, for goodness knows how many years, without giving any thought to churning, because I am very happy with the service and the price, with no annual penalty, and yet that loyalty makes me an uninformed consumer from a regs perspective.

2026-04-03 08:39:17 UTC

Thoughts for tickets for oversubscribed recurring events, without just "making it bigger", to lessen the need to be clicking on a website at a specific time, for all or some tickets:
- a raffle-based approach (but open to gaming, with multiple email addresses etc?)?
- batches of tickets reserved for first time attendees (good faith self-attestation?)?
- no more than two events in a row before you have to sit out an event?

2026-04-02 10:13:12 UTC

You wot?
https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/system/media_attachments/files/116/334/576/455/396/499/original/3990e3143307504a.png

2026-04-01 10:08:33 UTC

[Yes, I am old. Yes, I am grumpy.]
I am in an office today.
Two people here want a cup of coffee.
Yes, there is a kitchen with free coffee. Yes, there is a coffee shop on site, two minutes away.
But... Starbucks will deliver them two cups of coffee, at normal retail price (£10!), with no additional delivery charge.
How on *earth* can it make any sort of sense - environmental or economic - to offer this service.

2026-04-01 09:35:15 UTC

- reply

This might help:
https://neilzone.co.uk/2023/11/a-web-ui-for-label-creation-and-printing-on-a-brother-ql-710w-on-linux/
I have used a roll of pre-sized labels rather than a continuous roll of label paper, but the slicer works, so I suspect that this is "just" a config thing.

2026-03-31 15:00:57 UTC

Places are often named according to what happened there.
Newcastle, for example, changed its named to reflect a new castle built in 1080.
Basingstoke was the western settlement of Basa's people, the Basingas.
And then there is this little village...
https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/system/media_attachments/files/116/324/361/789/748/943/original/4f6e0ea8c0334351.jpg

2026-03-30 21:30:42 UTC

- reply

`gopher decoded.legal` should do it :)

2026-03-30 21:27:13 UTC

- reply

Could you just use gopher, please?
https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/system/media_attachments/files/116/320/238/658/873/864/original/ee0015bfcd79d4cc.png

2026-03-30 21:23:26 UTC

- reply

I use but a fraction of what I have already :(
In theory, more would be nice, but in practice, I host text files...

2026-03-30 21:13:18 UTC

It looks like Openreach is running a trial of a 8.5Gbps line.
I have zero need for it, much less the kit to take advantage of it, but then I doubt many, if any, services could upload at more than a fraction of that.
Still...

2026-03-30 12:17:43 UTC

New blogpost:
"Three months of not reading the news"
I can't *prove* that this experiment has been good for my mental health, but it certainly feels that way.
https://neilzone.co.uk/2026/03/three-months-of-not-reading-the-news/

2026-03-29 06:45:35 UTC

> I believe that talking about sex without shame is not only a positive thing, it is actually a moral good. In a society where we weren’t ashamed of sex it would be a morally neutral act, but given that sex has been steeped in stigma for centuries, right now I’m going to say it’s outright good.
@npub10gl…seww knocks it out the park again.
(Obvs, her blogpost contains sexual references.)
https://www.girlonthenet.com/blog/embarrassed-talk-about-sex/

2026-03-28 09:36:40 UTC

Fancy some RSS inspiration?
I *love* RSS, as a way of reading a range of wonderful blogposts from interesting people, in a convenient interface.
I self-host FreshRSS, and read using a variety of different clients (usually NewsBoat and Readrops).
Here's my current list of feeds:
https://forge.neilzone.co.uk/neil/rss/src/branch/main/neil_rss_feed.opml.xml
I've found some fun new blogs today, which I will add when I get a moment!
#RSS #blog #SmallWeb

2026-03-28 06:45:47 UTC

- reply

Perhaps I am some kind of dangerous computer radical these days, thinking that one should be able to buy or make a computer, install one's choice of OSs and software, create a local user account, and get on with one's affairs, privately and without interference.
Quiet enjoyment of one's computer.
* No age or ID verification
* No jumping through hoops to install software, or third parties restricting the software that one can run
* No third party accounts

2026-03-28 06:27:31 UTC

The idea that one should be forced to verify one's age or identity to use one's own computer absolutely baffles me.

2026-03-27 18:09:29 UTC

If you meet *all* the following criteria, please let me know here!
* I know you
* You have a blog, which is not on substack
* You do not use AI in any way as part of creating your blog
* You are willing to be listed in a humans.json file by me (https://codeberg.org/robida/human.json)

2026-03-25 18:19:08 UTC

Em dashes.
Especially if she needs a wee.

2026-03-25 18:00:09 UTC

Often, I ask "what is the problem that this is trying to solve" or "why would a user want this".
If the answer is vague, I am immediately sceptical.
If the answer is not forthcoming, I may as well stop reading at that point.

2026-03-25 13:43:51 UTC

- reply

Yes - I am using a secondhand Tolino Shine (which has a backlight) for that!

2026-03-25 13:34:31 UTC

- reply

Here it is.
https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/system/media_attachments/files/116/290/067/312/358/974/original/7f508c4a4502cd30.jpg

2026-03-25 13:32:35 UTC

What fits nicely in my hand and gives me hours of pleasure? A tiny ereader!
New blogpost:
"Initial thoughts on the tiny XTEINK X4 ereader"
https://neilzone.co.uk/2026/03/initial-thoughts-on-the-tiny-xteink-x4-ereader/
#ereader #bookstodon #books #xteinkx4

2026-03-25 09:54:20 UTC

Excuse me, ma'am. I just need to search your bag for *checks notes* illegal routers.

2026-03-24 21:59:18 UTC

I just misread "massive spam attack" as "massive sperm attack", which suggests that it is time for me to stop reading things for the night.
(Q. whether the attack was massive, or each sperm was massive.)

2026-03-21 20:59:13 UTC

- reply

I imagine that, if I lived in a city, I'd likely use a car share.
It would also be lovely if we had north/south trains, rather than east/west (from Newbury).

2026-03-21 20:50:31 UTC

- reply

> Do you have a car already, just not an electric one?
Yes - an old Honda Jazz. And I quite like it, but I am attracted by an EV.

2026-03-21 19:27:21 UTC

I am quite keen on the idea of an electric car.
I am less keen on the idea of a car which spies on me.

2026-03-21 16:10:14 UTC

It has been brought to my attention that some of my posts about DIY from earlier today could be misinterpreted as containing innuendo.
While the English language can indeed be a bit of a mouthful, this feels like a bit of a stretch.
Nevertheless, I will take myself firmly in hand, and get to the bottom of it.
I will report back when I have come to a conclusion.

2026-03-21 09:54:44 UTC

Where the rotary washing line goes.
It has gone missing over winter.
https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/system/media_attachments/files/116/266/554/682/931/851/original/41775f0fa6afff7c.jpg

2026-03-21 08:17:11 UTC

- reply

For the last 25 years, I've relied on RSS for a lot of blogs that I read regularly.
If some of those have adopted slop images, I won't necessarily know, as I don't see their images.
And, if your blog does not have (full text, please) RSS, please do consider adding it! It is the future.
And the past.
#rss

2026-03-21 08:13:26 UTC

*sigh*
No matter how good the blogpost or article itself might *actually* be, if I spot, or suspect, that it has a slop header image, I probably won't read it.
Sure, perhaps I am missing out, but that is a boundary for me.
I appreciate that not everyone has the time, skill, or spoons to create or search for a CC-licensed image. My approach is just not to use a header image, which is a simple and free approach.

2026-03-20 19:41:51 UTC

📹
https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/system/media_attachments/files/116/263/200/898/633/531/original/b3397ec52ebfe90e.mp4

2026-03-20 13:12:44 UTC

- reply

https://neilzone.co.uk/2024/07/attempting-to-stop-microsoft-users-sending-reactions-to-email-from-me-by-adding-a-postfix-header/
:)

2026-03-18 21:18:30 UTC

New blogpost:
"Musings on 'digital sovereignty'"
I wanted to jot down some of my thoughts, before I forgot them.
The more I think about it, the less clear the whole thing seems...
https://neilzone.co.uk/2026/03/musings-on-digital-sovereignty/
#DigitalSovereignty #FOSS #SelfHosting

2026-03-18 14:45:59 UTC

Walk around spraying salty water on metal, and you too have experience as a rust developer.

2026-03-17 07:35:22 UTC

An appropriate T-shirt for today.
https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/system/media_attachments/files/116/243/355/190/031/281/original/196ba6802ee062cc.jpg

2026-03-17 07:16:38 UTC

- reply

I'd happily pay ~£10/month for a local news website, which:
- has informative, not clickbait, headlines
- was ad-free (a classifieds section is fine)
- does not require an app, and works well in all browsers including text mode browsers
- has full text RSS
Our local news site is none of these.

2026-03-17 07:07:00 UTC

# Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation
> For example, new tools and software - such as adtech, apps or better website architecture - could help local media tap into new or younger audiences and revenue streams...
Wait, the government is spending £12m of taxpayer money to help news sites fund *adtech*?!
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/future-of-news-is-local-says-culture-secretary-as-she-launches-the-first-action-plan-to-back-local-news-in-a-generation

2026-03-16 17:54:40 UTC

LibreOffice is not down.

2026-03-15 07:20:56 UTC

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On the consumption side, I am absolutely in a fortunate position that I can afford to pay, and see value in paying, for books, to support authors, and so on (although I suppose that I see blogs as free-to-read). Perhaps there's a circle there.
Slop has no value to me, so I would not knowingly pay for it.
But perhaps someone who doesn't value creativity or human expression would not willingly pay for it anyway, so slop is attractive enough?
(Sorry, pondering aloud here.)

2026-03-15 06:52:39 UTC

*Edit*: here at least, I am clearly not isolated!
Perhaps I am increasingly isolated in holding this position, but I have no interest in reading "AI"-generated slop.
I love reading.
I read people's blogs and toots and whatever *because people wrote them* and I want to read their own thoughts and opinions.
I buy books, and read numerous different authors. I like finding new authors, bringing new ideas, styles etc.
Same with "AI" images. I'd prefer no image at all.

2026-03-14 10:48:35 UTC

Saturday mobile Linux-ing in the sun.
#Linux #termux #BBSG
https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/system/media_attachments/files/116/227/124/879/374/541/original/9e9cb625cf492254.jpg

2026-03-13 06:56:40 UTC

# Check your gigabit broadband availability
A new service (albeit not working at the moment) for people in the UK, to check when / if they can get gigabit broadband.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-your-gigabit-broadband-availability

2026-03-12 07:05:15 UTC

Thanks goodness for RSS.
When I wake up, I get the joy of reading a while range of blogposts, distraction free, written by people whose writings I choose.
All there, in one place.
The best of the web, and an underrated technology.
(With many thanks to @npub1v95…0sqh!)

2026-03-11 19:54:09 UTC

Horses can't use laptops.
They use maneframes.

2026-03-10 20:15:20 UTC

Mastodon has a new human-over-AI contribution policy.
tl;dr:
- The human contributor is the sole party responsible for the contribution.
- If AI was used to generate a significant portion of your contribution (i.e. beyond simple autocomplete), we require you to disclose it in the Pull Request description.
- If you cannot guarantee the provenance and legal safety of the AI-generated code, do not submit it.
- Cases of repeated violations of these ... guidelines could result in a ban from our repositories.
https://github.com/mastodon/.github/blob/main/AI_POLICY.md
#AI #Mastodon #fedimeta

2026-03-10 18:32:20 UTC

Does Norton stop toots going viral?

2026-03-09 12:07:38 UTC

After a few years of being booked pretty solidly, I have some space in my diary to take on new clients / new legal work!
If you have English Internet, telecoms, data protection, or tech legal needs - small or large - please do just drop me a line.
Details here:
https://decoded.legal/hiring_us/
(I don't do AI-related stuff.)
#fedihire #lawfedi #law #dataprotection

2026-03-08 06:41:28 UTC

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Do you call out other men when they behave inappropriately to women? Do you push back publicly against misogynistic toots?
Are your own online interactions welcome and consensual? At the very least, do you check that your behaviour is not creepy / threatening / harassing, making women feel unsafe? It is simply unwelcome or unwanted.
Are you mansplaining? Sealioning? Well actually-ing?
Are you demanding free labour?
Are you boosting content which is harmful to women? Interacting with someone who espouses views which are harmful to women?
Can you, personally, do more to make the fediverse a wonderful experience for women? Even, perhaps especially, if that means reading and boosting, rather than replying.
Enthusiastic consent is sexy. For goodness' sake, if they want a photo of your penis, they will ask.
#IWD2026 #InternationalWomensDay

2026-03-08 06:20:53 UTC

Today is International Women's Day.
Heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful women in the fediverse, who help create it, maintain it, advance it, and use it.
May we all - especially men - continue to work towards, and behave to ensure, a fediverse that is safe, enjoyable, and useful for women everywhere.
#IWD2026 #InternationalWomensDay #TransWomenAreWomen

2026-03-07 20:53:46 UTC

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I admire your optimism! I'd fear though that the first one would mean that people who rely on cars for accessibility with have even fewer options, and the sexond would mean that many, many people not involved in making decisions around genAI will lose their jobs :(

2026-03-07 07:00:36 UTC

TIL that there are fedizens using Pixel phones but not using GrapheneOS.
I guess that, next, I'll hear of someone using a ThinkPad but not *nix.

2026-03-06 19:33:30 UTC

From "your OS must enable you to declare your age" to "developers must attempt to verify your age" to "you must declare your age" to "you must prove your age" to "you must verify your identity to go online" in how long?