@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

jamesmarshall

@jamesmarshall@sfba.social

pro-compassion, therefore:
anti-bigotry, anti-fascism, anti-puritanism

I'll listen to you if you'll listen to me.

As an active pacifist, I try to separate people from their toxic beliefs.

I write open source software for human rights.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

jamesmarshall, to stackoverflow
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

As we all know by now, Stack Overflow has alienated their primary contributors by letting OpenAI train on SO's (CC-protected) content, and forcefully preventing countermeasures. Therefore, SO content will likely become worse and even more outdated as time goes on.

So, time to migrate. What's the preferred open source, community-run alternative to SO for everyone to migrate to? Here's one list of alternative software to run such sites:

https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2267/are-there-any-clones-alternatives-for-running-a-stack-exchange-style-qa-site

Which site(s) are gaining traction? If none, who wants to start one?

skykiss, to random
@skykiss@sfba.social avatar

Rachel Maddow discusses her research into fascism, disinformation, and propaganda.

It's not merely an attempt to foster animosity towards a particular group. Fascist disinformation is to erode our democracy by convincing us that a specific group is perilous, untrustworthy, and should be disenfranchised.

What has transpired since 2016 with the former president is not just the vilification of ethnic minorities. He, along with Fox propaganda and other purveyors of disinformation, have escalated lies and disinformation into a violent domestic terrorist movement and a MAGA-driven fascist party. The presence of Republican fascists is a reality now.

👇
Fascism ... is about getting us to undo and we shouldn't stand for it.

Rachel Maddow discusses her research into fascism, disinformation, and propaganda. Rachel is sitting on chair and helping to educate Americans about the rise in hateful republican-fascism.

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@skykiss relevant tangent-- another significant goal of fascist disinformation is to undermine people's belief in the very notions of "truth" and "facts", so that genuine truth and facts can be dismissed by followers as just "opinion" or "perspective". As the zone gets flooded, it's more difficult yet more critically important to be able to pick the facts of a situation out from the intentional flood of disinformation.

cdarwin, to random
@cdarwin@c.im avatar

A European court on Thursday upheld Italy’s right to seize a prized Greek statue from the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles,
ruling that Italy was justified in trying to reclaim an important part of its cultural heritage and rejecting the museum’s appeal.

The European Court of Human Rights, or ECHR, determined that Italy’s decades-long efforts to recover the “Victorious Youth” statue from the Getty were not disproportionate.

“Victorious Youth,” a life-sized bronze dating from 300 to 100 B.C., is one of the highlights of the Getty collection.

Though the artist is unknown, some scholars believe it was made by Lysippos, Alexander the Great’s personal sculptor.

The so-called Getty Bronze, which was pulled from the sea in 1964 by Italian fishermen and then exported out of Italy illegally, was purchased by the Getty in 1977 for $4 million and has been on display there ever since.

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-05-02/european-court-upholds-italys-right-to-seize-prized-greek-bronze-from-getty-museum-rejects-appeal

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@cdarwin wait, why doesn't Greece have the rights instead of Italy?

evan, (edited ) to random
@evan@cosocial.ca avatar

Did you know before reading this poll that you can put a Mastodon account into "private" mode?

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@evan I hadn't heard the term "private mode" here, but I know you can require approval for every follow, and then post to only followers, so I replied QY. Is there another way to get privacy here?

evan, (edited ) to random
@evan@cosocial.ca avatar

Should unauthorized immigrants to the state of Palestine be given a path to citizenship?

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@evan I answered QY before considering the settlements. But considering them, I would say OK, sure, but they would still be subject to the laws of Palestine, which would make them criminals (land theft, murder, other violence, etc.).

alshafei, to privacy
@alshafei@mastodon.social avatar

An overview of how @simplex works and what sets it apart from other messaging apps and protocols:

https://linuxiac.com/simplex-chat/

"SimpleX is one of the most private and secure chat and applications platform that you can find out there."

#Privacy #Messaging #E2EE

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@alshafei @simplex this is great, thanks for posting it! Always glad to see improvements in privacy protocols, especially when that includes metadata.

This can almost be used as the transport for a social media system to replace FB private posting. The piece missing is efficient one-to-many message delivery; right now their group messaging is limited to small groups since (as I read it) the full message is encrypted and sent to each recipient separately. Ideal would only require one upload per message, which the receiving server would then fan out to the recipients. You can do this while keeping e2ee by encrypting the full message once, then encrypting that decryption key for each recipient, for a total overhead of 32 bytes of encrypted key material per recipient. (Maybe this already happens and I missed it.)

A smaller concern is that if there's only one server on the delivery path (i.e. 2 hops) then that server sees the IP addresses of both the sender and the recipient. Using Tor mitigates this.

1/

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@alshafei @simplex the group fanout I mentioned earlier could also be done efficiently through arbitrarily long delivery paths.

Anyway, I've implemented a protocol to do all this, but SimpleX looks better. I hope more apps are written using it, and the protocol continues to be developed.

2/2

J12t, to random
@J12t@social.coop avatar

Status: "broadband" connection is smoking.

I put "broadband" in quotes because in the middle of this technology desert called Silicon Valley, I have a choice of exactly two broadband providers, and the one that has the less-horrible privacy policy has date rates that were last acceptable maybe last century.

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@J12t can you get Sonic? I use them in Berkeley, and they're consumer-friendly and have good support.

TexasObserver, to history
@TexasObserver@texasobserver.social avatar

Featured story: “[Molly Ivins] came already baked, so to speak. She was already almost fully developed as a writer. So there was not much editing to do, except maybe tone down some of the excesses. I think I saved a couple of libel suits ...” https://www.texasobserver.org/forging-their-own-way-kaye-northcott/

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@TexasObserver Molly! 💖💖💖

seb, to random
@seb@sfba.social avatar

We are thinking hard about the non-profit we want to start to fund services. (After OCF’s shutdown announcement this has become our number one priority.)

If you know of online communities that run such a model successfully, please give us a hint!

If you have ideas about things to consider when planning non-profit memberships, governance, votings, etc. please tell!

We want to keep overhead low, so we can focus on our community and don’t get buried in bureaucracy. We want to continue focusing on the San Francisco Bay Area.

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@seb I know @evan and others have been running a coop-based instance in Canada, and would likely have great advice. They seem to share a lot of your values and goals for sfba.social .

mattblaze, to random
@mattblaze@federate.social avatar

"One person, nine votes", as the saying goes.

https://wapo.st/3PDFzZe

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@lauren @mattblaze yes, in Texas. She didn't even know she was ineligible to vote. She got 5 years.

evan, (edited ) to random
@evan@cosocial.ca avatar

How often do you use a dating app?

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@evan for me it's never. So... is that "about weekly"?

ErickaSimone, to books
@ErickaSimone@mastodon.social avatar

Hey team. Where’s at? Looking for the and people into self improvement really fast. Anyone have any suggestions for anyone into this phase of their life/career? Taking all suggestions.

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@ErickaSimone I've heard that is a good fedi-based platform for book lovers to discuss and recommend books. I haven't used it myself.

https://bookwyrm.social/

brewsterkahle, to random
@brewsterkahle@mastodon.archive.org avatar

Non-profit housing for non-profit workers 'Foundation Housing' is working for the @internetarchive

A good use of an endowment, maybe better than classic stocks-and-bonds thing.

now 1/2 filled with non-profit workers. $1000/month rent is a good deal in SF.

if 5% of housing were foundation housing...we would support non-profit workers close to their work.

is it 'Effective Altruism'? (it passes the metrics test, not sure what EA is now)

https://brewster.kahle.org/2013/09/28/affordable-apartment-building-for-non-profit-workers-the-first-foundation-house/

https://brewster.kahle.org/2012/01/19/debt-free-housing-for-public-benefit-workers-2/

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@brewsterkahle @internetarchive nice! Great to see nonprofit workers getting affordable housing.

Regarding EA, I believe that these days it's come to mean something other than actual altruism, as it's part of the TESCREAL bundle and includes eugenics. :(

w7voa, to random
@w7voa@journa.host avatar

A federal judge dismisses Disney’s lawsuit against Florida Gov. DeSantis, saying the company’s argument that it was unlawfully punished over free speech lacked standing and merit. https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2024/01/31/judge-dismisses-disney-lawsuit-against-desantis/

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@w7voa note that the judge is a Trump appointee.

GottaLaff, to california
@GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

“ state lawmakers introduced a slate of bills, including a proposal to restore property taken by “race-based” cases of eminent domain.

The package marks a first-in-the-nation effort to give restitution to Americans who have been harmed by centuries of racist policies and practices” https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/31/california-black-reparations-bills-00138854

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@GottaLaff @MisuseCase @BernieDoesIt Newsom tries to look like a progressive and claims he is one because he knows that's where the votes are, but he's firmly a neoliberal through and through. He's said some good things in the culture war, but economically he supports landlords over tenants and big business over workers. He's totally in bed with PG&E. I've watched his career since he was appointed as an SF city supervisor in the 1990s. He comes from a very wealthy family and is elitist in his actions.

dangillmor, to random
@dangillmor@mastodon.social avatar

Cory Doctorow (@pluralistic) gave a talk in Berlin that everyone should read. In it, he explains enshittification's rise and rise and rise -- and how everyone but monopolists is victimized.

It doesn't have to be this way. Cory tells us what we can do about it.

He is a sage for our times, and we should take his advice, now.

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/30/go-nuts-meine-kerle/

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@lauren is it really a techie/nontechie thing, or a puritan/antipuritan thing?

@bhawthorne @dangillmor @pluralistic

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@lauren OK, convincing people is a worthy goal that I aspire to also. I try hard not to talk down to anyone either. I guess I don't see why using a word banned by the FCC is talking down to someone or being "cutesy". I think the word in question is useful and plainly descriptive. If you need another phrase, perhaps "inevitable UX degradation of monopolies" would work. Or you could invent another that fits your audience.

Maybe it's a free speech thing from my own radio days, my discomfort with the fact that we're prohibited from using quite useful but arbitrarily-banned words. The ban comes across as puritanistic to me, since those words are mostly to do with sex.

Anyway, my original reaction stemmed from the "talking down to" notion, as I don't see use of the word as talking down to anybody. And right-wing politicians always seem to be telling right-wing voters that "those liberal coastal elites are talking down to you", to deepen divisions for their own benefit.

@bhawthorne @dangillmor @pluralistic

micahflee, to random

35% of Americans believe Israel is committing genocide https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/24/americans-believe-israel-committing-genocide-poll

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@Dubikan @micahflee more about genocide:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocide

The article lists 10 stages in the section "Stages, risk factors, and prevention", as suggested by Genocide Watch. The current government of Israel has already committed a few of those with regard to Gaza, such as dehumanization (#4) and persecution (#8). Classification (#1), i.e. splitting into "us" and "them", has already been committed for decades in both Israeli and Palestinian societies.

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@Dubikan @micahflee regardless of whether it's a "majority voice" in the government, it is certainly the voice of those in power, including Netanyahu. He has many times called Palestinians "animals" that must be wiped out. Only seldom, and under pressure, does he ever make the distinction between hamas and Palestinians.

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@Dubikan @micahflee I haven't seen him specifically call to wipe out Palestinians, but I have seen statements by him that refer to wiping out the attackers, while not distinguishing between hamas and Palestinians. So the subtext seems clear, though there is plausible deniability. I'm sorry I can't find such statements now, but I've seen them on either France24 or DW.

In any case, the attack on Gaza as it's happened, while claiming moral high ground, is extremely dehumanizing. It's clear that he and others don't believe a Palestinian life has as much value as an Israeli life.

KFuentesGeorge, to KindActions

You can donate to the UNRWA and also support GFM and mutual aid requests for individual Palestinian families like this one: https://gofund.me/a34664ca

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@escarpment @alda @KFuentesGeorge what exactly was the purpose of posting a detail from her resume?

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@escarpment what is your authority on the matter of UNRWA?

@alda @KFuentesGeorge

jamesmarshall, to random
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

An Israeli history teacher has been held in solitary confinement there for online posts against the massacre of innocent civilians in Gaza. He never posted in support of hamas, but he has been accused of being a hamas supporter. This article has other revealing details about Israel's domestic actions in this war, especially about information control within Israel toward Israelis.

Any government which tries to hide the truth from you is not your friend. If their cause is righteous, they should not be afraid of the truth getting out.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/13/it-is-a-time-of-witch-hunts-in-israel-teacher-held-in-solitary-confinement-for-posting-concern-about-gaza-deaths

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

Popular opinion in the US turned against the war in Vietnam at least partially because of the brutal war imagery in mass media. This is why the Bush 2 administration went to such great lengths to hide damning war images and footage coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan, including measures to control mass media by charm and by threats. Even images of flag-draped coffins were prohibited.

In this context, it makes sense why the Netanyahu government is trying to prevent the Israeli public from learning more about what is happening in Gaza.

skykiss, (edited ) to instagramreality
@skykiss@sfba.social avatar

Ginni, Ginni she's the coup planner

Ginni Thomas Under Scrutiny Following Arrest of Michigan Fake Electors

#fake #electors #fraud
https://www.newsweek.com/ginni-thomas-arizona-fake-electors-michigan-1813950

jamesmarshall,
@jamesmarshall@sfba.social avatar

@skykiss because there's effectively no way to enforce conflict-of-interest violations against SCOTUS justices, even if they had a real code of conduct, which they don't. Another way to explain it is that a major political party has been coordinating an administrative coup for decades, and will happily break any laws if they can get away with it; part of that coup includes a majority of SCOTUS, including the Chief Justice.

Yes, it's absolutely absurd. They don't care. Their citizen followers don't care either, or are oblivious to what's happening. As a party, they only believe in democracy if it goes their way-- in other words, they don't believe in democracy. :(

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