@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

vfrmedia

@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de

Old roaming Tom Cat (zwerfkater) but still young at heart. Toots EN, (NL,FR,DE). #DevOpa - interested more in retro tech / culture / aesthetics than new stuff. Also transport and public infrastructure in general (with a UK/European focus)

Welcome to the secret goose shed!

Avatar is a tabby point Siamese cat - header picture is a Stentor FM radio transmitter designed in the Netherlands; popular with small pirate radio broadcasters in late 1980s

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

futurebird, (edited ) to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

Have you thought much about, or engaged with "liminal space" content in the past 10 years? (Through a reddit group, tumblr, compilation videos etc.)

Regardless if you care about such content now, if you ever spent some time enjoying or being disquieted by such images and media... that's "engaging"

If you don't know what this is about you have not. If you know what it's about but just never paid it any mind? Same.

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@Willow_Crow @futurebird >40 and I engaged with it IRL before it was Internet phenomenon, spending a lot of time in abandoned buildings either used as squats or for raves (or both) and spent a lot of time wandering through such spaces especially in the afternoons after the party was finished and there were few people around (although the squatters were sometimes followed around by an entire gang of local cats, a mix of pets and strays (one tomcat was later rehomed by a fish supplier))

onepict, (edited ) to random
@onepict@chaos.social avatar

Seeing some rather recognisable attitudes in arguments against NetBSDs stance against AI generated code.

How do you know, how would you stop it. You can't stop us.

Like aren't we meant to be better than that?

Disturbingly similar attitude to when we ask folks to not scrape folks posts on the fediverse without asking.

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Plus there are some very real licence considerations which will affect copyright (and copyleft).

https://blog.brettsheffield.com/all-your-base-are-belong-to-llm

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@onepict this is literally the attitiude of a petty criminal / sociopath (not even an activist who generally openly says what act they are going to commit (or admits to it and accepts the consequences). I often suspect folk like this would have done actual crime in previous years (and perhaps some do, all the high tech methods used to nick cars and commit other frauds nowadays must have some tech muscle behind them)

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@onepict whole tech industry is full of it, particularly from sales/marketing types and predatory behaviour is actively encouraged in adtech which quietly funds a lot of "FOSS" projects..

Dianepatterson, to random
@Dianepatterson@wandering.shop avatar

Yes, people really refer to “a war on cars” when any other transportation option gets the slightest bit of attention.

War on cars? Why San Francisco drivers say they feel under siege - San Francisco Chronicle https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/sf-drivers-say-war-on-cars-vs-safe-streets-19451511.php

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@Dianepatterson has a lot of parallels with whats been happening in London, England over last few decades (although at least Mayor Sadiq Khan was comfortably re-elected in spite of major opposition and serious threats to his safety (he has to be shadowed by armed police everywhere he goes in public).

I wonder when this "war on motorists" paranoia started? Its not something I see in old books I collect about motoring from 1950s to 1980s (but then again I guess cars had priority back then)

StillIRise1963, to random
@StillIRise1963@mastodon.world avatar

"We should not in good conscience support or consume the art someone created if they are a piece of crap in reality. One of the reasons some of these horrible celebrities feel empowered to continue their deviant behavior is because they know they will continue to have supporters no matter what, and those supporters will continue to put money in their pockets.”

https://www.theroot.com/after-this-horrific-video-diddy-s-reckoning-is-closer-1851485428

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@StillIRise1963 @MaryAustinBooks I was never into sportsball and only a part of my family are, but I really liked music and was a DJ for many years (particularly on the rave scene), and there are unfortunately too many artists and fellow DJ's who got nicked not just for recreational drugs (which I consider a non-crime) but genuinely nasty stuff like domestic violence and I've had to cut those out of my life..

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@MaryAustinBooks @StillIRise1963 the hardest part of it with the rave scene (as it was a partly underground subculture I was deeply involved in) was dealing both with the facts that even folk you considered friends or acquaintances were involved in abusive behaviour /and/ the realisation the cops/social services/health authorities had a point when they clamped down on the scene (as even partydrug use can lead to impulsive and unpleasant behaviour)

StillIRise1963, to random
@StillIRise1963@mastodon.world avatar

"CBS News, in partnership with The Trace and Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, reviewed records from hundreds of law enforcement agencies across the United States and found that many had routinely resold or traded in their used duty weapons -- a practice that has sent thousands of guns into the hands of criminals.”

Our lives mean NOTHING to these people. THIS IS A SICK GAME.

https://www.cbsnews.com/police-selling-guns/

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@Aviva_Gary @StillIRise1963 @crazybutable @LenW @_L1vY_

I wonder how long it will be before folk just start shooting at each other in the streets like in an action movie over trivial disagreements; or if it does already regularly happen but doesn't make the news unless more than 2 people have been shot...

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@StillIRise1963 @thesquirrelfish @Aviva_Gary @crazybutable @LenW @_L1vY_

Over here this kind of thing only happens (very rarely) in big cities. Everything apart from long guns is prohibited (with very few exceptions) since late 1990s, and firearms licences are only supplied to folk who have a good reason for them (as expected they usually live or work in rural areas).

There have only been 2 shootings in last 5 years in my area, both in semi rural locations..

vfrmedia, to GraphicDesign
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

Margaret Calvert recently turned 88 years old - along with Jock Kinneir she is the graphic designer responsible for the UK's distinctive and
of road signs introduced in the 1960s, which is one of the few things this country can still be proud of (the signs are easy to read from a distance even at night).

The font of the gov.uk website is also the same one from the road signs..

https://designmuseum.org/designers/jock-kinneir-and-margaret-calvert

atomicpoet, to random
@atomicpoet@atomicpoet.org avatar

Hate to say it, but online shopping beats brick and mortar simply because it’s easier to get what you want.

I went to a Sport Check just now, they don’t sell laceless running shoes.

I went to Best Buy just now, they don’t sell 60” inch TV—never mind a dumb (not smart) TV.

Once again, I go with Amazon simply because it has what I’m looking for.

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@atomicpoet @HistoPol @Lazarou

All the decent DIY / car accessories stores are gone in my region, the only one left is Halfords which has been mostly enshittified (and real life places rarely have any stock these days compared to Amazon or EBay). I did find a decent online tool store from SE England where you can even speak to real humans on the phone and they deliver on the promised dates, but they charge quite a price premium for this..

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@atomicpoet @HistoPol @Lazarou

Also my experience of 1980s/90s/00s shopping was if you did get a defective or sub-par product, it wasn't always easy to return it without the shop staff quibbling (and local businesses were slow to sort out problems), compared to Amazon where (at least in UK) they just refund you with few questions asked

vfrmedia, to random
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

Someone in the village must have got a fat fine or even a ban for - the local speedwatch sign has been destroyed - even though the electronic "SLOW DOWN" sign cannot result in a charge even if it contains a camera (some do!) -All that happens is after repeated hits the registration mark is put on a list, driver gets a warning and the list sent to Constabulary (so they would have to be repeat offenders to actually get a ticket)

Solar powered electronic sign that shows 30 SLOW DOWN if you drive past it at >30 mph (it might have a camera inside it, about half of these signs (which appear on various rural and suburban streets from time to time) do contain camera.

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@fitheach where the sign is is just before a 4 way junction and a main route to the highway, its been put there for a good reason (as folk think they can get away with sending it through the village and it has ended badly before, in fact there have been worse incidents than in the large town)

Jaden3, to random
@Jaden3@mastodon.social avatar

Yall good with vaping or nah ? 🤔
Shit I ain't gonna lie I sucking on dis hoe 24/7 now no cap frfr 😅

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@Jaden3 @DoubleTreble

a blunt is an American type of spliff, usually made from a hollowed out cheap cigar rather than cigarette papers and tobacco (more common here in Britain).

I have never had one, and stopped with cannabis many years ago as our varieties were getting too strong and just caused paranoia (and can't touch it now since I started driving as you can get nicked for DUI and banned really easily)

skinnylatte, to random
@skinnylatte@hachyderm.io avatar

There’s a guy I know very distantly in San Francisco who recently ran on a ‘all East Asian Americans are secretly young Republicans like me and Trump is fine actually’ platform and he was very surprised when he didn’t get anywhere with that, and he’s also very surprised that no one wants to talk to him

Other than problematic ideology, I have a problem with him speaking for me

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@skinnylatte you only need to look at England to see what can happen when conservatives manage to capture hearts and minds of the ethnic minority communities (its been going on since 1970s and has resulted in one of the most dysfunctional governments and divided society in history, in spite of many of the prominent politicians being from ethnic minority backgrounds)

thomasfuchs, to random
@thomasfuchs@hachyderm.io avatar

Just read a take that “30 years ago we’d have to wait days for pictures of the Aurora”.

I think this is a case of “mysterious old technology mythical tales”.

First of all, digital cameras or the ability to convert analog video to digital stills existed, widely, since the 1980s. For consumers digital cameras were available in 1994.

For film, the fact is that in the 80s/90s there were 1-hour photo places literally everywhere.

Newspapers had photos of current events since the 19th century.

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@thomasfuchs I've had digital cameras since late 1990s, and have used the 1-hour photo places, but its more the take that these kind of resources and the facility to share hi res photos at low cost are now widely available to everyday folk.

You certainly could have viewed aurora pics within hours in 80s/90s, but would have had to be friends with someone who was really into astronomy and had an SLR camera, tripod and suitable lenses (or waited for a colour magazine to be published)

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@thomasfuchs in Britain something like this would have been shown on "Newsround" for kids and "The Sky at Night" for adults, although I used to watch both and never saw an aurora featured on there (I guess there simply weren't that many geomagnetic storms since early 1980s!) Local and national newspapers were black and white here until 1990s (although it would be the sort of thing that appeared in the Sunday colour supplement, so you wouldn't have had to wait that long)

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@thomasfuchs I do sometimes get the years mixed up, but it would also make sense why there weren't any aurora pics in mid 90s as sunspot activity was relatively low, it didn't pick up until late 90s (I do a lot of radio monitoring so keep an eye on this as it has some interesting effects such as being able to listen to broadcasters hundreds of km away)

dajb, to random
@dajb@social.coop avatar

There must be a word, or term, for at least one of these three things. They all relate to seeing someone you know:

  1. The "are we going to acknowledge each other?" moment.

There's many reasons why someone you know might not acknowledge you, or you might not acknowledge them.

For example, they might be embarrassed at where they are or what they're doing. They might be lost in thought. They may be in a bad mood.

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@fitheach @dajb a great deal depends on your region and/or the age of the strangers, in Suffolk its far more common for people in late middle age or seniors to randomly chat to you (particularly if they are walking dogs) than younger people (this is consistent in both towns and villages).

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@fitheach

I think its a bit of both (although its still a culture shock coming from London/SE England, where folk generally actively avoid talking to strangers irrespective of age, and there are often valid safety-related reasons for this)

@dajb

tony, to random
@tony@hoyle.me.uk avatar

The latest bit of chineseum to cross my path.

Those familiar with the UK plug will see the problem..

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@tony @penguin42

unless the PSU had something with a plastic earth pin, its bizzare anyone made this in the first place - the UK plug should be familiar to many engineers in China as its widely used in Hong Kong..

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

Where do you live and how do you feel about it?

Obviously, don't tell me exactly where you live, no actual addresses please! You can be as vague as you like.

I live in Central Missouri in the U.S.

Pros:

This is an absolutely beautiful place, green rolling hills, lots of rivers, lakes, ponds, and natural springs, cool caves to explore.

Lots of farming here, so great access to quality fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, and dairy.

It's relatively inexpensive to live here compared with other states, because it's a "flyover".

I'm close enough to three major cities, that it's an easy day trip, and I'm about halfway to anywhere in the U.S.

We have one of the best Conservation departments in the U.S. and this is one of the few things that is a bipartisan issue. Lots of awesome nature programs that are free or cheap, state parks, conservation areas, bird watching, hunting, boating, foraging available to everyone.

Cons:

Yeah, it's a big one, it is a RED STATE, while a lot of the cities are blue, there is a large rural population, that votes red. Abortion is not legal here. People often vote against their own self interest.

While I'm not against responsible gun ownership, lots of people aren't responsible, and people have access to guns that definitely should not.

We have very few employee protections here, while the cost of living is relatively low compared with other places, it's taken years to get to a $12 minimum wage, and it's still not enough.

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@Nickiquote @RickiTarr I live in Ipswich, Suffolk but work in semi rural Mid Suffolk.

It is pretty much exactly the same here (including the hard water), except there are fewer Tories in urban Ipswich and more foxes (they now migrate to the towns to avoid hunters, they aren't daft).

There are guns in the rural areas (long guns only, others are forbidden) but only 2 shootings in the last 5 years..

VeroniqueB99, to random
@VeroniqueB99@mastodon.social avatar

😱

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@VeroniqueB99 in what part of the world is that even allowed? For some years British Telecom / Openreach (and presumably other telcos in Europe) won't install anything in a bathroom for safety reasons, going back to the days of analogue telephones where there's a good 100 volts going down the line when a circuit is ringing (and some especially cursed variants of ISDN had constant 120 volts DC on the pairs used to power network terminal equipment, those can bite)

Gwendolyn, to random
@Gwendolyn@mastodon.cloud avatar

If smart phones and social media are the cause of the mental health crisis among young adults (aka teens) in the USA why aren't they having the same crisis in Europe?

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@MisuseCase @Gwendolyn @bmacDonald94

Youthsmental health is still an issue in Europe but to a lesser extent. Gen X heavily self-medicated with drugs (often linked to party scenes), Gen Y/Z is more likely to seek treatment and prescribed medication (or at least accommodations) and we have a slightly better health/welfare safety net than in the USA (although its not perfect), and also try to discourage weapons being brought to places of education..

skinnylatte, to photography
@skinnylatte@hachyderm.io avatar

Some took a photo of me using Polaroid peel-apart film! Here’s the reveal

A video with no audio, of a person pulling apart Polaroid peel apart pack film to reveal a black and white photo of her holding a camera

vfrmedia,
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de avatar

@skinnylatte have not seen that since 1970s - when my late father, who was Malaysian Chinese used to use it a lot (and he sparked my interest in photography and technology)

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