It hurts to see the last few generalist FOSS conferences that had mask requirements cede that ground.
It's one thing to drop a requirement based on evidence, such as data showing that indoor air quality meets high standards. But, as far as I'm aware, that's not what's happening here.
I guess I just need to run more events of my own :blobcatlolsob:
(And, clearly, spend more time at Python events. There are so many with great Health and Safety policies!)
The organizers of @pycon have given community organizers a massive gift 🎁
Let's not squander it!
A sold out#PyConUS 2024 proved that even large events can prioritize safety and inclusion for caregivers and immunocompromised people by way of requiring masks, and gathering venue data to calibrate their policy from year-to-year. Smaller events have proven it's possible at that scale, too.
Now is the time for at least one other large event to step up.
@thor
Interesting. Using one side for Live and the other for Neutral and keeping the two middle conductors unconnected to increase insulation still gives a clear 3kW (UK max safe load). I might have to try that just for a laugh.
:-) #HealthAndSafety#electronics#cables
Today is #LongCOVIDAwarenessDay. According to the CDC, ~7% of Americans have experienced long COVID – that's ~17.6 million people. There are more people in the US with long COVID than there are with red hair.
However, many event organizers think there are so few people impacted that they don't need to implement Health & Safety measures.
If you consider the cycle of inaccessibility, you have to wonder... how much of that is self-fulfilling prophecy?
Tell you what, being vocal about Health & Safety has been a very useful filter.
It's the same way being vocal about Codes of Conduct was 10 years ago.
Turns out, if somebody nopes out when you introduce proactive measures to keep a community healthy and safe, then they're probably not safe to have around in the first place.
The worst thing about #37C3 is that it's a giant superspreader event, or so I thought. TIL that Jacob Appelbaum is/was attending, because the #CCC never formally banned him from its events.
A bit ago someone here pointed to stupid and/or unsafe ads proliferating on YouTube. I talked about one I had seen with a heater defying the laws of physics. Here it is. Apparently it is the latest incarnation of a rolling scam (see link). This one has Steve the former NASA engineer (shown below) saving his family that were trapped in their house for days in a blizzard after the heat went out by inventing a new ceramic tile based heating system that can heat any room 34 F to 85 F in 90 seconds and keep it there against even a lay person's understanding of thermodynamics. See, he took his expertise building these systems for NASA, did we mention he worked for NASA yet?, to pull a Professor from Gilligan's Island feat to come up with this by reverse engineering the home HVAC unit and inventing the ceramic heating system...all while trapped in the house during a blizzard. But the evil HVAC industry wanted to sell it to consumers for a fortune but he decided to partner with friends to bring it to you directly. LOL.
Honestly the dialog isn't even self consistent. But apparently this and other renditions work enough that people keep buying these damn things. Since it is so easy to find its shocking that even out of their own self interest Google stops these ads from showing up. If you hear of a friend, family member, etc. talking about it give them the scoop it is BS ASAP. #enshitification#YouTube#scams#physics
@hankg
You can't beat a good scam.
I especially like the artistic usage of "cord-free" to mean that the device has to be in the same place as the wall socket.
Utter twaddle and obvious #Chinglish despite the contrived "US" in the address.
Here in the UK this would be illegal on so many levels I can hardly begin to list them.
Jolly amusing though all the same 🙂 #HealthAndSafety#scam
Sufficient air filtration for airborne viruses should be a building standard. And a mandatory upgrade for all corporate and rental properties.
It's like having to remove asbestos or mould remediation requirements. Only it's adding in filtration to deal with airborne viruses which should be much easier and cheaper to fix. Just because the toxin is invisible, doesn't mean it should not be dealt with effectively and standards raised to account for it. #standards#building#covid#healthandsafety
If an event's Health & Safety policy boils down to only requiring what authorities require, and it doesn't involve masking, testing, vaccines, or serious efforts to address indoor air quality and ventilation ... then the event is out of step with the Public Health Pledge.
We are here to raise the bar, together, one event at a time.
Sometimes that means making sacrifices, or having uncomfortable conversations. This is to be expected.
I spotted this somewhat alarming sight above a second storey window while out and about on Wallace Street in Glasgow today. I really hope that rope holding the loose keystone in place is stronger than it looks.
The keystone for the first storey window directly below it is in a similar state, but has nothing at all keeping it in place!
Every time you see an event that lets you down on Health and Safety, look for an event that hits the mark. Then, celebrate them publicly!
There are so many good examples leading the way here. Shining a spotlight on them provides positive reinforcement and illuminates the path forward for events that have work to do.
We'll link to some good examples in the replies. 🧵
Bravo to @us_rse for requiring masks at their event!
Masks are the single most effective, by cost and impact, method of making events safer and more inclusive with respect to contagious respiratory diseases.
Some event organizers are afraid of push back on such policies. But when somebody shows up without a mask in a room full of masked people, the vast majority of people will mask up.
And the small fraction who don't? That's where your Code of Conduct comes in.
This is the German website, but the pictures tell the story - and for those not seeing pictures: it's a mug/cup holder with a G clamp on the side that you can attach to the edge of a table or desk.
I can probably still knock my drink, but better it goes on the floor than over a keyboard or laptop!
One minus point - the slot in the side doesn't go quite low enough for all mug handles.
@sarajw
I've actually been looking for something like that :-)
(Much better to blow up some trailing mains sockets than a favourite keyboard.) #mugs#keyboards#HealthAndSafety