Steven Deobald

3rd wave open source, vipassana, chai, fixies, other stuff.

box: no
home: https://www.deobald.ca
dave in the 'hood: क्षतिबान डियूबाल्ड

Public Key

npub1y6dsugmgw6h8qf9l7ruk98rnu4l9venrm0d2s0p24jvffjlnr2rs7hm6cl

NIP-05 Address

deobald_at_fantastic.earth@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqszdxcwyd58dtnsyjllp7tzn3e72ljkve3ahk4g8s42exy5e0e34pcpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds2hnfyg

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1y6dsugmgw6h8qf9l7ruk98rnu4l9venrm0d2s0p24jvffjlnr2rs7hm6cl

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Last Notes

2026-04-22 08:06:27 UTC

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congrats, dude. :) it's really heart-warming to see all your hard work put on display like this.
and surprising that ubuntu is the first pre-install! surprising and cool! ❤️
step by step, you're getting there. ❤️

2026-03-26 22:04:33 UTC

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"stay out until the street lights come on" feels a lot more 80s than 90s to me.
i was already spending my evenings staring at a 386 most evenings by the early 90s.

2026-03-19 13:26:02 UTC

RE: https://floss.social/@gnome/116251314261667336
in a world where almost all the software you use gets worse by the day, the gnome 50 release makes me smile so much: only upgrades, only improvements, only stuff people asked for.
it just gets faster and more beautiful every release. in a year or two it will absolutely eclipse macos and windows.
thanks for everything you do, #gnome hackers. 🙏
#note1dax…sygn

2026-01-30 20:57:31 UTC

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oh, i thought "more robust" meant you'd been using it already :)

2026-01-30 20:34:50 UTC

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hahaha well, crap:
" Votre organisation de rattachement
SIRET de l’organisation que vous représentez Il est composé de 14 chiffres "
how did you get past this? or did you self-host visio/meet yourself?

2026-01-17 22:11:00 UTC

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is it open source? pretty hard to avoid the evil website / saas doo-hicker vortex without that as a starting point.
(federation & distribution is a good second quality, but harder to do.)

2026-01-16 23:11:18 UTC

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you were at lockergnome?! how did i not realize this.
i guess my memory of 2004 is... shaky

2026-01-10 21:23:24 UTC

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hehe i middle-click paste all the time. i’m real shoot-from-the-hip like that.
i just think the argument is silly as hell

2026-01-10 19:38:54 UTC

if you're just getting back online from a long winter holiday, this week's linux drama is about these. yup. cool.
also, there are no more laws in the usa i guess. but i think we can all agree the real lawlessness was the middles we clicked along the way.
you're all caught up.
#linux #drama #lawlessness
https://fantastic.earth/system/media_attachments/files/115/872/487/889/794/900/original/5a6ad726f86b9843.png

2026-01-07 20:10:20 UTC

ok my dudes it's 2026 and i'm calling it.
a supergroup led by @npub10hd…faqp and [@jorge](https://hachyderm.io/@jorge ) ends up steering the #cloudnative crowd back to the fun of desktop software development.
a small army of distributed systems nerds will make #localfirst on the desktop happen, since every large backend system is always just a big poorly-specified database anyway. puregotk reduces cycle time without forcing people into a dynamic language like javascript or python.
backend devs make buttons. it feels like 1997. boot cut jeans are back in fashion. your apps talk to each other. migration is painless. self-hosting is easy but optional. software is fast and good.
google and facebook go bankrupt. wars end. the people rejoice. peace spreads across the land. a gentle rain falls.

2026-01-06 22:19:28 UTC

surely i'm not the only person who can never remember the difference between "headset" and "handsfree"
"why does my music sound like crap? this must be the wrong one but i couldn't tell you for sure."
i blame the fact they both start with 'h'
aitch bad.

2026-01-01 19:15:24 UTC

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this is extremely cool!

2026-01-01 01:09:05 UTC

happy dumpling, gyoza, potsticker, momo, and bun day!
https://fantastic.earth/system/media_attachments/files/115/817/166/290/811/970/original/d8a89a8ff820c3fb.jpeg

2025-12-27 23:51:37 UTC

RE: https://mastodon.design/@modal/115792759051207408
i'm still waiting for my second contributor, if you're at the install party and looking for a doc to add to. :)
5d47 351f cb8f dee8 1fc4 816a dc82 a149 2e7e 075b c179 33e2 1511 b80c ea25 92c1
#note1dl2…7qqf

2025-12-10 15:51:19 UTC

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i’m happy to do a 2-minute trial of this with you sometime … looks pretty fun.

2025-09-28 22:30:06 UTC

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neat! i was going to say that'd be tough gear to make out of foam and still have intact at the end of the night.
the costume looks really good! now you need some folks willing to do the other characters :)

2025-09-28 22:02:47 UTC

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how did you make the gloves?

2025-09-23 12:43:55 UTC

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i'm pretty sure that @npub198c…jf98 and [@jorge](https://hachyderm.io/@jorge ) will tell you it's all golden. i'm pretty sure they'll be telling the truth?
i'm 98% certain that wootb label is legit:
https://frame.work/ca/en/laptop12?tab=linux

2025-09-23 03:58:32 UTC

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definitely a bit over the top, but i'm definitely digging how many random places across the internet i keep bumping into people who are like "i've thought about installing linux for years and... you can just do it now."
it will be so much better when they can just point to a framework page that sells boxes with linux pre-installed, though. ;)

2025-09-10 00:58:07 UTC

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fancy!

2025-08-29 21:38:14 UTC

today was my last day as the @npub1dug…kxeq foundation executive director:
https://blogs.gnome.org/aday/2025/08/29/thanks-and-farewell-to-steven-deobald/
https://blogs.gnome.org/steven/2025/08/29/so-short-and-thanks-for-all-the-flinch/
still around as a foundation member, though. see you on matrix. :)
if you need help in the land of free software (and the free desktop, in particular), i'm still hoping to stay in the space. ❤️ #getfedihired

2025-08-08 03:10:53 UTC

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i feel like this tortilla bag deserves more attention in this story

2025-07-05 18:09:11 UTC

this week’s @npub1dug…kxeq foundation report is out:
https://blogs.gnome.org/steven/2025/07/05/2025-07-05-foundation-update/
there’s a small appeal at the end for some help for a hacker who is currently in an unsafe situation in the usa. if you can help, please contact me.
#gnome

2025-06-26 06:33:01 UTC

it's been a very difficult year or two for @npub1dug…kxeq and, to continue to exist, the foundation really needs you.
however, we first want to ask you to *donate less*:
https://blogs.gnome.org/steven/2025/06/26/donate-less/
#gnome

2025-06-26 02:06:19 UTC

this is *super* cool:
https://isitreallyfoss.com/
i wonder if #gnome developers want to add their apps? or does someone want to brave putting all of gnome up there? ;)
even #flathub feels like a worthy addition, given that snap store is not?

2025-06-19 00:37:59 UTC

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i’m down! just told the table. haha
@npub1vrl…smf3 @npub17h9…lza8

2025-06-13 20:39:46 UTC

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all cooking in the woods demands a little butter
https://fantastic.earth/system/media_attachments/files/114/677/984/649/970/495/original/2e7e50c40d8261a3.jpeg

2025-06-13 19:30:48 UTC

been holed up in the woods for a couple of days hacking on something new with [@barthalion](https://social.treehouse.systems/@barthalion ) and @npub1za7…0y8l … hopefully landing today or tomorrow.
@npub1ntw…lqwg this is the setup. “rustic.” 😂
https://fantastic.earth/system/media_attachments/files/114/677/710/772/035/135/original/05065d68f8a4f6bf.jpeg

2025-06-11 01:40:57 UTC

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you are so rad.
i am curious about the box labelled "firefly". :)

2025-06-03 15:39:44 UTC

hello #gnome folks! your chance to stand for board of directors elections closes in 8 hours:
"Candidacies must be announced prior to 2025-06-03, 23:59 UTC."
https://discourse.gnome.org/t/gnome-foundation-board-of-directors-elections-2025/28980/6
read more about what it looks like to sit on the board (and what we need this year) here:
https://blogs.gnome.org/steven/2025/05/21/join-the-gnome-board/

2025-05-29 14:35:19 UTC

hello #gnome folks! if you are interested in supporting @npub1fjx…766r (and hopefully you are!), there are now some assets you can use in social media:
https://gitlab.gnome.org/Teams/Engagement/engagement-assets/-/tree/main/Social%20Media/End%20of%2010
once you have a local repair cafe planned, i strongly recommend getting *out of your bubble* ... people on mastodon know about #endof10, and they're already running linux. or openbsd or haiku or something.
go out into the world. make a tiktok. post to instagram or wherever your great-aunt sees your vacation photos.

2025-05-29 01:12:08 UTC

if you've been thinking about running in elections for the gnome foundation's board of directors, this weekend is a good time to post your candidacy. tuesday is the deadline.
i wrote a blurb you might want to read if you're not sure what sitting on the board entails:
https://blogs.gnome.org/steven/2025/05/21/join-the-gnome-board/

2025-05-24 03:00:13 UTC

this week's #gnome foundation report is late, so it didn't make it into https://thisweek.gnome.org/
but here it is!
https://blogs.gnome.org/steven/2025/05/24/2025-05-23-foundation-report/

2025-05-22 04:09:16 UTC

is anyone from #gnome attending local-first conf in berlin?
https://app-2025.localfirstconf.com/schedule

2025-05-21 16:18:20 UTC

hello, #gnome friends! @npub1x2k…nmzr has posted a call for participation in the upcoming @npub1fjx…766r campaign. everyone is welcome to help out by joining #endof10-en:kde.org but if you'd specifically like to be on the promo team, reach out to me or @npub1x2k…nmzr on #engagement:gnome.org!
https://blogs.gnome.org/engagement/2025/05/21/call-for-participation/

2025-05-18 06:56:51 UTC

"this week in gnome" has a new website to celebrate it's 200th week!
https://thisweek.gnome.org/
get it in your rss reader. it's gonna be a crazy couple of years ahead and this is a good way to pay attention if you're a details person.

2025-05-15 12:56:54 UTC

it's global accessibility awareness day and georges stavracas has posted a lovely celebration of all the work that's gone into gnome #a11y so far - and a look to the road ahead:
https://feaneron.com/2025/05/15/in-celebration-of-accessibility/
a lot of work to do but there's also a lot of solid work already underway 💙

2025-04-29 02:13:57 UTC

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my unsolicited advice would be to try the approach i took (or at least planned to take):
- install mint
- if it fails, fedora
- if that fails, debian stable
where “fail” is anything that requires *any* adjustments from you, whatsoever. linux just works now. if it doesn’t, switch distros. you shouldn’t have to customize or install supporting software (like drivers). if you do, the person you give the laptop to will never manage. (including yourself, if you’re me! i’m old and tired and lazy.)
my order was the reverse, though:
- debian (which worked)
- fedora
- mint
…i have more faith in the upstream community than corporations but i also feel cinnamon is too obscure.

2025-04-27 03:13:52 UTC

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that's extremely cool. :)
also, as someone who's soaking in technology but almost ran off to take robes in 2018, i totally get the rolodex password manager and zero cell phone. 🩵

2025-04-27 00:44:09 UTC

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that's believable. even running a software consultancy in bangalore meant dealing with users/customers/clients who had no concept of the scale of something they were asking for. sometimes the answer is "oh, yeah, i can set up a website for you to do xyz in an afternoon." and sometimes the answer is "oh, you only have $20,000 and the problem you're trying to solve probably requires $2 million ... just to get started."
the depth available to us in any given area, across the breadth of all the technology available to us, makes it impressive to me that your library attempts to tackle this at all. broad base troubleshooting skills are bound to run up against a lot of walls, so it's extra cool that you folks just bravely do what you can, regardless.
i have meant to ask before: is this a common thing at libraries? or is it mostly an idea your library came up with?

2025-04-26 21:56:59 UTC

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eek. chromebook. :(
since moving back to canada, i've been rather shocked how many perfectly usable computers are floating around. my own "fun" laptop in the living room is a macbook air from 2011 running linux. (macos simply wouldn't permit software to even be *installed* anymore.)
this continent is full of devices that many would benefit from ... but it's hard to connect supply and demand unless you're already a nerd in the nerd networks, it seems. i've sometimes wondered if our local tool library could fill the gap.
india's used devices scene is a different story, even in bangalore. all demand. near-zero supply.
100% on the tablet/phone thing. that's what most people want anyway, in addition to being what they (probably) need.

2025-04-26 20:14:37 UTC

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...that said, i wasn't suggesting your library's drop-in time and repair cafes are comparable events. :)
rather, they both foster the same kind of community-driven experiences that i'm very happy to see more of in this world. even if they happen for strange reasons, sometimes.

2025-04-26 20:13:18 UTC

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hmm, yeah. it's a tough situation... the argument made by endof10.org is that (with respect to e-waste and climate change) the "best device for the environment is the one you already have."
which is a nice thought... but not where i'm coming from. i know plenty of people who simply can't buy another computer, even if microsoft forces them off their current device. it's kind of a "special" time, in that way. there are people out there whose choice in october will be:
a) linux
b) no computer
i hope, for those folks at least, the endof10.org teams can come up with a setup that requires little to no intervention. that exists with linux (in 2025, it can be as easy as an iphone if your needs are basic), but it's not how 99.9% of linux users set up their computers, unfortunately. 😕

2025-04-26 19:53:13 UTC

https://endof10.org/ is a campaign to get repair cafes and community support for people who are getting abandoned by the windows 10 => windows 11 forced upgrade.
joseph p. de veaugh-geiss (@npub1ekj…md6l) from @npub1ncy…3x0q discussing #endof10 at @npub10uk…m5s5:
https://www.youtube.com/live/qV41qGMUrXY?si=e-qxQCv9SzmHODAD&t=7388
this is delightful stuff. it reminds me of the work @npub1prs…eh8y does with drop-in time: people helping people is the best user experience.
#windows10 #windows11 #windows #windows10eol
https://fantastic.earth/system/media_attachments/files/114/406/008/566/597/389/original/6f7f39a280b82703.png

2025-03-16 13:27:52 UTC

the new old living room laptop seamlessly upgraded to #debian 12.10. 💜
i’ve been talking to a lot of people about software longevity lately. this is a great example.
(it’s so fun and weird to see the #gnome platform 47 installed on top of gnome 43.9 but i’m here for it.)
https://fantastic.earth/system/media_attachments/files/114/172/333/909/137/681/original/48871d31a86fd056.jpeg

2025-03-04 13:44:23 UTC

woo... @npub1vnu…8mqn is looking for a new name. if you have a branding mindset, and especially if you've built a loved brand before, considering submitting a suggestion:
https://postmarketos.org/blog/2025/03/04/pmOS-update-2025-02/
branding an environment is hard. their big-hitter competition ("Android" and "iOS") both have awful names and mostly-awful branding — it would be nice if pmos could leapfrog

2025-02-22 00:43:38 UTC

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earth... link.
wow.
one of these weeks i'm expecting to hear about you helping someone with their compuserve account.

2025-02-15 01:24:18 UTC

this nearly 15-year-old macbook air is still a perfectly good computer but apple forbids upgrades. a colossal waste of electronics, at scale.
#debian installed like a champ. #gnome is delightful. #flatpak is easy and keeps apps up-to-date. everything works perfectly.
i’m just… so grateful. 🙏❤️
https://fantastic.earth/system/media_attachments/files/114/005/286/131/609/803/original/0514a8622f7d08bf.jpeg

2025-01-30 20:21:52 UTC

i am looking for work.
https://www.deobald.ca/essays/2025-01-01-i-am-looking-for-work-taylors-version/

2025-01-28 20:17:44 UTC

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when the time comes, and you need to grow your team, if you're willing to take on an even older guy (in spirit, if not in body, i have no idea how old you are) whose greatest asset is stubbornness, i will always be interested in your mission:
https://www.deobald.ca/essays/2025-01-01-i-am-looking-for-work-taylors-version/
good luck.

2025-01-24 15:05:46 UTC

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on my first trip to halifax (where i live now), we managed to catch a pantera and megadeth concert.
megadeth was so... weirdly heartwarming. i had no idea and i loved it. i'd like to believe there's an explanation buried in the annals of this vocal training, even if it's not actually true. 😂
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Sabine

2025-01-22 13:13:25 UTC

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“noteworthy” hard to pin down. i can’t imagine anyone else doing this work (it didn’t happen until now) and i *can* imagine a world which asks “how did we get here?” — a question which this one document provides answers for, across a pretty big gap. a gap in a product that produced a trillion-dollar corporation. i think the value of your work is self-evident.
i might care a lot more about software archaeology than most people, though. 🤷‍♀️ 😂

2025-01-22 02:24:23 UTC

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i'm not really a competent wikipedia editor, but maybe @npub1prs…eh8y could make. jessamyn, i know you usually just do dead people but i'm kind of surprised nina doesn't have a wikipedia page yet. this is her latest thing, and it's a delight, in addition to being useful hacker archaeology:
https://www.ninakalinina.com/notes/win2/
plz just ignore me if this isn't the sort of thing a person asks another person to do (or on someone's behalf without their permission)... i really have no idea how wikipedia works behind the scenes. maybe it's all like this. maybe it's magic.

2025-01-20 03:04:45 UTC

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that's very sweet. :) i didn't know you were a sask boy!

2025-01-09 04:39:42 UTC

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this is the kind of small-world stuff that makes mastodon extra-special. y'all are making me want to visit vermont sometime. thanks. :)

2025-01-08 22:40:42 UTC

i am looking for work. preferably between india and canada/usa, preferably in open source, preferably leading teams. but i'm good at a few other things, too. :)
https://www.deobald.ca/essays/2025-01-01-i-am-looking-for-work-taylors-version/
retweets appreciated!
(yeah. let's still just call them tweets.)

2025-01-02 19:15:07 UTC

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take @npub198c…jf98 's work on suspend-to-hibernate and make it work upstream in both fedora and debian-based distros
(this isn't framework-specific, but the support could very well be framework-first and it would still make me so, so happy)

2025-01-02 16:34:15 UTC

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ha! what the actual heck. this is very neat

2024-09-19 04:42:47 UTC

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right, i should have clarified. streaming isn’t sufficient - hosts may want to unmute participants (but rarely)
alternatives welcome, but password on a static meeting url (always the same, always accessible) is ideal.

2024-09-18 15:15:31 UTC

dear lazyweb:
i need to create a webinar (no participation from attendees) that folks can join with just a url and password. i can't seem to find a way to do this with google meet or ms teams.
is zoom really the only option to create an event like this? it's a non-technical audience, so i'm hesitant to look at jitsi or bigbluebutton.

2024-08-22 10:42:32 UTC

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i don’t think coss will ever supplant other methods of producing foss entirely. there is also a wide spectrum of the kinds of companies that produce coss.
arguably, sqlite is a form of coss but they’re still public domain, only 3 people, and an earth-shattering success. not everything is bound to spiral into commercial moat-building just because it makes good money.

2024-08-22 08:52:10 UTC

i wrote a little thing on "third wave open source" that's been kicking around my brain for years:
https://www.deobald.ca/essays/2024-08-13-third-wave-commercial-open-source/
i've also been looking at companies that fit this loose categorization (for work). can you think of any really good ones i've missed?