#Create an AOL account

[a-bit-too-much-of-a-zelda-fan]

Guys. Why is there even a debate here. Some of the games were explicitly written to be connected, some of them weren't. Not everything has to fit into one cohesive timeline. As a matter of fact, they can't. Now, there is some more nuance to it. Read below for my explanation (infodump) plus a more nuanced chart.

Red and blue lines are canon within the games' text. Ambiguities are filled in with green. I'll get more into that later. Let's first explain the two completely separate mini timelines.

The Four Swords miniseries stands mostly alone. The Master Sword and the Triforce are present in every other game or (mostly--looking at you, Master Sword in LoZ and AoL) have a good reason not to be, but they are not present at all in these three games. Instead, we have the Four Sword and Light Force. The only wrinkle is that Ganondorf shows up in FSA... so I don't know about that one. I don't think anyone does.

As for BotW and TotK. Oh brother. What do we do with these. Skyward Sword is intended to take place seemingly millennia, or at least several centuries before Ocarina. We see the founding of Hyrule with the first monarch and her chosen knight, the cycle of recurring evil and heroism being established, and the forging of the Master Sword

Wait. What about Rauru and Sonia? I thought they were the first rulers of Hyrule. And if the Zonai were around long before Hyrule, where is any of their presence in Skyward Sword? Huh. Alright. We don't know how much time passed between the first Calamity and the second, but from the past era of TotK to its present, we can account for at least 10,105 years of history. We don't even need to get into how Zora and Rito coexist or anything smaller like that. There's just no fucking way these two games fit with any of the others. Fine, that's fine. Moving on.

There's also a little hiccup around the Oracles. Nintendo seems to go back and force on whether the Oracles feature the same Link as in ALttP and LA, but if they do, it probably makes more sense that Oracles happen before LA (the linked Oracle game ends with Link boarding sailing off on a small ship and LA starts with him on one). So like... I guess they fit there?

Either way, let's take a second to look back at where this idea of a timeline split happened. Remember that WW and TP both clearly take place after OoT. That isn't theorizing, that's in the actual text of each game. The thing is, they're mutually exclusive. TP has Ganondorf being executed, as he would have been after the Hero of Time goes back to his original era and warns Zelda that her plan to get to the Triforce first isn't going to work (which is implied to be what happens at the "The End" screen of OoT). WW has Ganondorf coming back by breaking the seal put on him, and the Hero of Time didn't appear to stop him again (as would happen if Link was sent back in time). Fans started theorizing way back in 2006 that OoT created separate timelines, with WW and TP being mutually exclusive sequels to it as the evidence.

Some fans have asserted that Nintendo just "took" the fan theory. But come on, put everything together here. The texts of OoT, WW, and TP HEAVILY imply the timeline split. The only reason we called it a theory is because the writers didn't literally say "And then the timeline split in two". The texts are pretty clear though. It's the only thing that makes sense. That isn't to say that there needs to be a cohesive timeline, and that the split is the only way to fit it together. No, OoT is connected to both WW and TP no matter what. That was the intent. It's just that the explanation for OoT to have mutually exclusive sequels actually fits neatly into the texts of the games.

And now we come to the tricky part. Put yourself back into the 90s real quick. ALttP seems to have been written as a prequel to Zelda 1, showing Hyrule before its period of decline. Alright, let's just accept that because it may as well be true. The lore at that point was so thin that it made enough sense. I kinda slapped Zelda 1 and 2 at the end there to show it, because we do have a cohesive timeline from ALttP to TFH. That's fine, all well and good.

Likewise, OoT seems to be written as a prequel to ALttP. We see conflict over the Triforce, the origin of Ganon, the seven sages, and an earlier iteration of the Master Sword. Back in 1998, we had no reason to not believe it. These are tenuous connections that are not explicit in the games' text, so I've paired them with green lines to show it.

But wait. ALttP is ALSO mutually exclusive to TP and WW. Oh brother. What do we do about this? Even after figuring out the timeline split in 2006, fans didn't know what the fuck to do with the first four games of this franchise. They could go after TP, but that's even messier than putting them right after OoT. Yuck. This doesn't feel good at all. Oh yeah, and then there's the Four Swords games that don't fit anywhere.

Now you can imagine the position the writers of Hyrule Historia found themselves in when they were tasked with creating an official timeline. Some of the games have certain explicit connections, as detailed in my first chart. But they had to cram everything into one timeline. Well. They knew they had a timeline split in OoT, because that's what the texts of OoT, WW, and TP collectively say. The lore of ALttP also mentions seven sages (or wise men, but let's call them sages), but not a legendary hero. So... if you really stretch your brain out here... it kinda makes sense that there's a timeline where the Hero of Time died fighting Ganon. Maybe. Kinda. Not really, but kinda. And then there's the Four Swords miniseries. Fuck it, throw them in randomly.

The two-way split doesn't disagree with OoT's text at all, which said that Link won. The three-way split does disagree with it by asserting that Link lost. But if we're really trying to fit everything into one timeline, that is the cleanest place to put them. Some people really hate this, but it does seem that those are the same people that demanded that there be an official timeline in the first place. ie the same people who were gonna be pissed off with anything Nintendo gave them that wasn't exactly their own theory being confirmed.

Alright, real talk. The producers of the Zelda series have said time and time again that they think of what would make a fun game then write a story that fits around it. The Wind Waker devs wanted you to sail around the ocean. Then the writers decided "oh, we could put this after Ocarina! After all, weren't they left without a hero? What if Ganon came back with no one to stop him? How would that problem resolve itself? What if the gods just flooded the world?" Then the Twilight Princess devs wanted a spiritual successor to Ocarina, with an epic adventure on horseback across the traditional Zelda kingdom setting. So the writers went "hey, in Ocarina, Link warned Zelda about Ganon, right? What if he was executed then, and then the world was never flooded?"

We have to realize that trying to put games with this design philosophy into a neat little timeline is a futile effort. It's never gonna work because it wasn't designed to. More so than any other storytelling medium, video games take so many approaches to continuity. The Halo games were all meant to be sequential and fit neatly into a strict timeline. Pokemon is all canon within itself but the ties between games are less important than the stories of each game. Mario essentially has no canon except for recurring characters and settings. Zelda is gameplay first, canon second. That's why the two most recent mainline games don't even try to fit in the canon of the previous eighteen. That's just how it works and we're gonna have to accept that.

[thirst2]

It's been said, before, and I think anyone remotely familiar with open-source has experienced or heard it but I'm still always taken aback by how much technological infrastructure was built to be general-purpose and malleable by the common user and how much corporations obfuscated and erased this.

Even in the tagging system for .mp3 files – ID3, an open standard –, I'm finding all kinds of functionality they accounted for that makes a lot of sense for a music file to specify (like lyrics synch.ed to timestamps and being able to specify events in the song like the outro or intro or the refrain or an interlude).

And I was just completely unaware of them because no music player on Windows ever offered them (alright; I mostly used iTunes, at the time, but the point stands).

iTunes saves any ratings you apply to songs in its own database; I never used the system in part because I've never found a need but, primarily, because I didn't want to invest a bunch of time and effort into something I'd lose the second I switched music players.

Oh; but did you know ID3 (v2) has a rating tag? One that iTunes could have used and then I'd take my ratings wherever I take my files with me?

Not only that but rating for a song are marked by an E-mail of the person rating; I expect it was largely to provide a unique identifier of some sort (and very 90s/00s to assume an E-mail is one's primary form of unique ID) but that means that songs can be rated by multiple people.

When your friends give you a copy of their favorite songs on a USB drive, those songs would've had their ratings.

Like a lot of tech. (especially early) architecture, this part fails to account for the presence of bad actors and spam but it also means you could reach out to those who rated the song, before you; their E-mail's right there.

Back when we traded AOL handles and the notion of communicating with those you knew but weren't nearby was exciting and new, we could have reached out to the friend of a friend of a friend at school who'd rated the song before handing it off until it reached us.

Even – now –, accounting for not wanting to attach your E-mail to a file that you'd, then, have to worry about getting into hands which might abuse that personal info. about you, being able for multiple people to tag a song is cool.

If I setup a Raspberry Pi at home and setup the Music Player Daemon on it for Jude and I to both put our songs on to listen to, etc., we could both tag the songs with our ratings and see what the other thought of the music we were sharing.

Like…this is some cool functionality ideas; this is some nice architecture. You just need the players to implement the functionality.

But they didn't; iTunes setup their own rating system (whether to tie people to their music player or not, I have no idea) and I never bothered to use what could be a sort of communal feature.

When I get excited about tech., these are the things that initially drew me to it – the ability to not only make my life, as a spoonie, easier but the ability to make all kinds of stuff we do everyday easier and with more people and to connect us all even more.

From the ability to making things more accessible without having to rely on others as much for it to…I dunno; the possibilities are endless.

Instead, the sheer joy so many of my generation had at creating their personal web pages by playing around with HTML and CSS became harder to construct because these businesses didn't care to make these experiences accessible because they didn't make them money.

I will never not be angry about that.

In any case, I'm at the point where anything further I might say is something I've already said before here on the subject; but I'm going to have these other tags be more accessible in my player. There's some really neat functionality in there that someone might want to utilize if presented in a more user-friendly manner (the original job of the music player implementations, to begin with…).

[xsylcuenco]

MERROCK TASK #20

SOCIAL MEDIA

at what age did your character start using social media?

sometime in middle school, so 12 or 13

did their parents monitor their use, if they were young?

they certainly tried. there were parental controls on the family desktop but there were also ways to get around it without them knowing. but it wasn’t for lack of trying!

has your character ever had fake identities or accounts online?

wasn’t everyone in AOL chat rooms pretending to be 18 at 13? she also absolutely has a burner she uses for FBI activities

no shame: do they remember myspace? did they use it?

she lived on MySpace! the dramaaaaaa! high school would not have been the same without it.

who would be in their top eight today?

Stelly, Livvy, Mandy, Jamie, Nari, her sister, and her closest cousins

what social media platforms do they use today?

Instagram and TikTok mostly, Tumblr sometimes, the salon technically has a Facebook page but it’s only updated as needed for important info

do they have public profiles, or go private?

everything in her name is public, nothing to hide here

how about their following? are they pretty lowkey, or do they have a decent following?

she has a decent following due to the salon and roxie each having their own pages but nothing crazy

do they tend to pick obvious usernames, ones with sentimental value, funny things? how do they decide?

when she was younger, her usernames were out there and creative. these days most are simple and a variation of her name. something along the lines of “xsylcuenco” or “sylviacb”

profile pictures: the same across all platforms?

Nope. Every app has a vibe, your profile photo should match the vibe

and just what profile pictures do they use?

selfies and they are updated often for her pages, the salon page has the salon logo

what kind of bio writer are they? silly, cute, sweet, or just basic?

depends on the season of life, she changes her bios often, sometimes it’s even just emojis

how much time per day would you say that your character spends on social media?

too much. she scrolls first thing in the morning and last thing at night, plus her job requires advertising on socials sooo… a lot. between clients, she’s usually scrolling.

is there one platform that they visit more than others?

TikTok, hands down

if they have kids, do they use social media? how do they feel about that? if not, and they want kids, will they let them use it someday?

Roxie has an Instagram, does that count? that’s the closest to a child she’ll ever have so it’s not a huge concern for her, personally

be honest: have they ever created an account for something else, like a hobby, or... to try to make their cat internet famous?

both the salon and Roxie’s pages started out for fun so you can say so

do they run any professional or business accounts?

the salon has both an Instagram and TikTok

have they ever left a social media platform (or more than one) for any specific reason?

she used to be on Twitter a lot more, these days it’s more broken than anything so she rarely checks it

do they plan on using social media into their older ages?

she can’t function without it so she doesn’t see that changing

have they ever made any long-lasting friendships through social media?

yes, she’s been deep on social media long enough not to have. some of those friendships have even made it to real life.

or on the flip side, gotten into any big social media beef?

see high school MySpace drama.

have they ever felt negatively impacted by social media as a user?

Sylvia’s reputation probably wouldn’t have suffered as much as it did the way that social media allowed for gossip to spread but in her mid-20s, all of that became irrelevant so looking back, it just toughened her up

who is their favorite person / account to follow on social media?

she follows lots of celebrities and influencers, it’s tough to pick just one

would they say that social media has had an overall more positive or negative impact on the world?

these days, it is positive. social media has allowed her to build her client base and therefore her business much quicker than it would have otherwise

and finally: a/s/l? (and do they know what that means?)

32/F/ME - duh!

[vidreview]

VIDREV: "Why Did Link's Cel Shading Disappear?" by Jasper

[originally posted december 2nd 2022]

when i was in college, i worked in the oklahoma film industry for a few years as a grip-electric swing. in simplest terms, an electrician sets up the lights and a grip shapes the light. the swing's job is to, naturally, swing between both departments depending on what they need. this gave me an intimate understanding of all the ways a set is fictionalized by skilled workers so that it might appear real on screen. that experience colors much of how i approach creative work both practically and critically, because i very much dislike how the labors of so many talented technicians are conglomerated to one of a handful of names on the poster. there is an art to carving light into a proper shape. you can spend hours lighting a room just to make it look like night. it's not easy and it's not automatic. it is exactingly technical work that requires measurement and precision (if you want to do it right).

i say all this to say that video games are impossible. you can't just write some random symbols and numbers and then seriously expect me to believe that creates an immersive triple-a gaming experience. how do they do that? how does a horizon zero dawn exist? math is the devil's playground. my nvidia gtx 3070ti is the apple of eve, and i partake with reckless abandon on a daily basis (especially now that the associated credit card debt is almost paid off). it's sorcery is what it is, and i will never understand it. those wizards whose tongues have been trained to fork in C++, fingers long and spindly with wretched computational vigor, are sinners in the eyes of god, and i have nothing but respect for the thankless work they do to create the vile abominations we all know and love.

this video, nominally about an obscure graphical glitch in the legend of zelda: breath of the wild, did not convince me that video games are "real" as such. but it did give me a momentary glimpse of what it would be like to be a me who, instead of working in film, had worked in video games. i felt for a second like i had a real appreciation for the kind of labor that goes into making a game, beyond the popular imaginary of "some folks sit at computers and type." i don't think i've ever appreciated just how ruinously complex even the simplest of digital visual expressions can be to produce in real-time, and i appreciate how patiently Jasper lays it all out. i may be a digital native of the world wide web from the age of aol instant messenger, but i'm still a poetry animal who has to do basic math on her cloven hooves. talk slow and i'll get it, but you gotta talk slow.

i understand some things about how various mediums treat the film frame. celluloid is a physical surface with depth, a lumaphilic topography of the universe as visible to a piece of glass. digital sensors, however, capture raw signal data and either store it in RAW files or process it through the manufacturer's proprietary algorithm to create a suitable recreation of the universe as visible to a piece of glass. i just think it's interesting. i like to understand the rote physical processes which produce the raw materials of art, and i find it endlessly fascinating that the constituent parts of a medium are so often the realm of highly skilled technicians, and yet the final product is somehow produced by an artist who is not necessarily expected to know a single solitary thing about those processes. think of taika waititi just sorta casually throwing cgi effects artists under the bus in a press video for the bad thor sequel he didn't want to make. i know he knows a lot about the technical production of cinema because he's been a hands-on guy his whole career, and by all accounts he seems to care a lot about his crew (often making sure maori and indigenous film workers are on set and getting real experience). alas, solidarity is an elusive quality even among the decent ones.

besides having an interesting premise with a surprising amount of depth, this video reminded me that in games as well as movies, nothing you see is an accident. also light is magic no matter what medium it's captured in. anyway it's a good video and you should watch it

[canichangemyblogname]

Literally crying in a dark room at work because I’m hard of hearing and AT&T’s voicemail portal no longer plays voicemails in the browser without the error “Unexpected Authentication Challenge: Access Manager WebSEAL received an unexpected authentication challenge from a junction Web server,” and when I try to forward our voicemails to email, a feature which also provides a transcript, they never hit my inbox. I was told this is because AT&T’s portal— despite operating in a browser— requires QuickTime, which Apple no longer updates & supports.

Although, it makes zero sense to me why QuickTime would affect the ability to forward emails to an office Gmail account. Especially given that I can forward them to a personal AOL account, which is not a sustainable strategy given that these are work voicemails, not personal ones. That information should not be sitting in a personal inbox. So, I went to create an AOL for the office. Guess what? Requires a mobile number to create. We only have a landline.

So my only option— because I cannot get transcripts— is to dial *98 and listen to every voicemail in succession. “Well, yeah, why don’t you just do that, dumb ass?” I cannot make out the recordings. I have no idea what they’re saying, and I have no ability to pause, play back, rewind, or turn up the volume like I did in the browser.

So, yeah, I’m crying in the dark because I am so frustrated and this shouldn’t be this hard. My job shouldn’t be made more difficult because a bunch of companies have made their services worse.

[cy-cyborg]

So, you're old, (no hate but it's true) so that must mean you were on the internet during the AOL days. Which websites are good to post fanfics too? I realise not everyone uses FFN, so should I also upload them to Tumblr? DA? Facebook? How did you start your internet career? Ao3 needs an invite >>

Lmao I'm not even 30 yet, damn 😂 (no offence taken btw, I did get a good laugh from that start to the question though)

While I was technically around then, my home town was a good 10-15yrs behind the rest of the world in regards to the internet, so we didn't get reliable/constant internet access at my house until I was in high school so I missed a lot of that era - and even when we did get it, it was expensive, so my sister and I were only allowed to use it occasionally.

I got my start on Deviantart, but I'm not sure if I can still recommend it - they got bought out a few years ago and have been... not great, ever since. The brought in a lot of changes which drove away pretty much all of the userbase outside of scammers, crypto-bros and AI "artists". I don't know how good they are for writers now but I can't imagine they're much better. I still log on and post occasionally but unless you have nostalgia for DeviantArt, I don't think it's worth it, not for new users. Inkblot might be a good alternative though - they specialise in art but do allow you to upload written works too! I never had any luck there but I know a few others who have, so it's worth checking out.

I'd also recommend against Facebook. I know there are writing communities there, but most of the ones I found were a much older demographic - the few that weren't were not exactly welcoming to anyone who wasn't a straight/cis, white, able-bodoed man. I also know facebook has policies that allow them to use your content without permission - probably not something you need to worry about for fanfiction since it's usually based on existing work but still worth being aware of.

I haven't done this myself, but my partner used to post fan fiction to Reddit for a bit and had some luck there - you just have to find the right subreddits for the fandom you want to create for. some are more active than others, but I know there's a fairly active community there if you know where to look. They can be pretty brutal though, so be prepared.

Honestly, outside of AO3, Tumblr and FFN seem to be the two big platforms today for fan fiction and related content. I'm pretty out of the loop though, I haven't been heavily involved in fandom communities in years so take all this with a grain of salt (if anyone has better advice please feel free to leave it). Honestly, since leaving Deviantart I've jumped around between a lot of different platforms, basically just throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what stuck lol. Tumblr, Mastodon and Tik Tok were the three where I got the most traction for my stuff, but Tumblr is the only one where my fandom-related stuff consistently gets any sort of traction.

Also is the Ao3 invite a new thing? I could have sworn I had an account but don't remeber getting an invite lol. Maybe I'm thinking of something else.... fuck I do sound old lmao

[westcoastmidnightrun]

REBEL MOON AND ALL KIND OF SCIFI FROM WEST COAST MIDNIGHT RUN™

The two-part Rebel Moon movies from Zack Snyder this year may not have been a fan favorite, however we not only created special original artwork for the science fiction adventure, but we promise you will find a whole lot more sci-fi exclusive original artwork for registered members to download that will celebrate this art form in both visual media and in print (novels and paperbacks).

We invite you to stop by our websites and peruse the vast library of original exclusive posters, most of which are available for download.

The Burning Question For American Surfers??? WHY MIDNIGHT IN “WEST COAST MIDNIGHT RUN”? #WHYMIDNIGHT

West Coast Midnight Run is about to present a series of artwork posters from our senior editor Pierre Maertin, all the while attempting to answer the elusive question, WHY MIDNIGHT indeed?

You can find an answer to a lot of your questions plus discussions forums and coverage the National Media will censor or will not touch. Visit us at

URL wifi [dot] midnighttracks [dot] org

and enjoy a view never before afforded the average web surfing lover. Keep in mind our content is available on mobile devices but displays much better on desktop PC’s large screens and monitors.

Also keep in mind our membership is free of cost, you can register using just your email (you dont need a credit card) and you can use any of the free emails from Yahoo, Gmail, Outlook and AOL selections, or you can just login using your existing social media account.

More things to keep in mind, we do NOT USE DIGITIAL COOKIES on our websites and forums, thus we do not in any way track your actions or intrude on your online privacy. We do NOT have censors for our Forums and Kiosk’s comments sections for members. A member can start any thread on the Forums and should not be concerned about Free Speech issues. We don’t censor unlike Yahoo or MSN on social and political topics.

We do not require the use of credit cards to register, some vendors offer free products and services and yet require you to register by using your credit card. We have no such requirements for registration as a member for a free standard account.

Some of the Why Midnight series posters will be available to download for members in super large size.

ANY QUESTIONS? Just reach us via the website’s Contact form.

#WHYMIDNIGHT

[bokettochild]

Okay, using Incognito, go to the email provider or your choice (Outllok, Google, AOL) and basically, when you go to their page online, it will offer the option to create a brand new, free account. it may or may not require you to use a pre-existing email to sig up, but you can use your current one for this, just be sure to delete the varification emails after you get what you need from them, and empyty your current email's trash.

Once you have been confrimed for your new account, use it and it's information to sign up for a tumblr account in much the same way: open tumblr in your Incognito browser, hit the "sign up" option you will be presented with, and sign up using your new email account. It may take a tick or two to be cleared for an account, or it may happen right away, but regardless, it doesn't take long to make and start using an account.

Once you have an account though, be sure to persoalize it with at least one reblog or original post, and a profile picture that isn't a default one, otherwise you might get mistaken for a bot and blocked by other blogs

Then, you should be good to go!

[xtrablak674]

Not Withdrawing, but Reclaiming and Reprioritizing

In the last few months I have shelved my Facebook Messenger account after having over a year ago turned off my FB proper, this was followed with my Instagram account also being put away. Just this week I have decided to step away from my Deviant Art account after getting dinged for violations by a snitch on the platform. If my creative insight doesn't fit into the terms of service or community standards, than I need to leave you alone.

A few years ago my Flickr account was deleted with no notice whatsoever. I remember how disrupted my life felt because I was on that platform before it was bought by Yahoo ('05) and was subsequently passed around like a low-priced sex worker. I developed relationships, friends and even met some folks IRL. I had participated in moderating groups, creating them and utilizing all of the tools the platform offered. As I have said in my artist talks, it was the jump-off for my artistic career giving me the confidence to believe that my work could exist in the real world and be purchased, consumed and enjoyed.

Albeit I have never downloaded TikTok myself, the young people in my life send me many links and in some cases videos from the platform. I can relate to the anxiety some of these same young people are feeling about the platform being shutdown or restricted. These digital spaces become places for connection and a way to interact with people offline, and this can be addictive and affirming. But in a lot of ways I still have to wonder the same thing behavioral scientist, economist and sociologist are wondering, at what cost?

Initially the only reason I ever got on anyone's social media was to promote my artwork, but after my foray into the art world, the drying up of employment and the depletion of my funds I let that go, but kept up the pretense for a while, maybe too long. As I approach another turn around the sun I am reevaluating if these spaces are the place for me.

I can recall in the pre-internet 2.0 world, when DSL was king and AOL wasn't such a distant memory, that there wasn't a lot of love for me online. Who I am and how I embody those aspects wasn't ever something that sold easily. This was reflected to me from my brief stint as an escort during my summer off from college, reinforced by the first ad agency that I worked at, where the only time I was ever utilized in an ad was when my face wasn't showing.

I say this to say, I understand I am not everyone's cup of tea. Not that I think my physical appearance or personality are lacking, I think our societies idea of what is beautiful, palatable or interesting are lacking. We are supposed to imbibe of a limited set of flavors never truly contemplating a more complex palette. And I was a persons whose very identities used all the colours in the Crayon box.

I've mentioned before I haven't had intimate relations since '12 and dated since '07 the last platforms I was on were antiquated things like Adam4Adam and match.com, which curiously enough is still around. No one has ever swiped right on me, because I have never been on those apps. Not to date myself, but I can recall when hookups happened on the phone, where you would call a number talk to someone and maybe possibly be chosen, or in a lot of instances be swiped left on.

In some ways I guess it can feel like I am withdrawing from the world especially since I am still not a fan of leaving the house, something that pre-dated the pandemic by nearly a decade. I have just grown weary of unfulfilling friendships, empty acquaintances, and neglectful niblings (using this as a catch-all for the children of my siblings). I have always been a person who wanted more, deeper connections, complex conversation, real intimate relationships but the time for those things have waned completely becoming shadows of things I had in the past and I simply refuse to accept less than the best, even if that means that I am keeping my own company.

Settling, it has never been something I was good at, I'd rather be bad by myself than in a situationship that makes me compromise who I am, or partition my identities to be more acceptable, or accept less than what I deserve. "Maybe I'm just like my mama, she's never satisfied." Why should I accept mediocre when I aspire to greatness?

As I enter the third day of a fast that I didn't even plan, deeper into my quinquagenarian years and I pass around the sun for another rotation or colloquially as I say to the kids, the celebration of my first appearance (a la comic book) I want to move away from the things that aren't serving me, celebrating me, acknowledging me and keeping me close to their heart. If I am not getting this from those around me I will be content to be happy with myself, by myself.

[Photos by Brown Estate]

It's All Temporary

Fuck Your Community Standards

[contrarianperspectives]

How Chainsaw Al Dunlap Ruined Lives And Made Billions: The Shocking Story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VikNN746jCo Albert John Dunlap, famously known as "Chainsaw Al," was a corporate legend who delivered massive profits but left a trail of devastation in his wake. Known for his aggressive cost-cutting measures, Dunlap's rise to power through companies like Scott Paper and Sunbeam earned him both admiration and fear. This video explores his ruthless leadership style, how he boosted stock prices at the cost of employees, and the fraudulent accounting that led to his downfall. Discover how short-term gains resulted in long-term disaster for the companies under his control. If you’re curious about the fine line between profit and corporate responsibility, this is a story you can’t miss. This video is about How Chainsaw Al Dunlap Ruined Lives And Made Billions: The Shocking Story. But It also covers the following topics: Ruthless CEO Business Strategy Corporate Scandals Like Chainsaw Al Chainsaw Al Scott Paper Story How Chainsaw Al Dunlap Ruined Lives And Made Billions: The Shocking Story ✅ Stay Connected With Us. 🔔 Don’t miss out on inspiring insights—subscribe today to explore the impactful stories and challenges of business minds that are redefining success across the globe! https://www.youtube.com/@ContrarianPerspectives/?sub_confirmation=1 🔗 Support Our Other Channels ✨ Patreon: https://ift.tt/Emgxwu1 ☕ Buy us a coffee: https://ift.tt/2exYMbC 📩 For Business Inquiries: contrarianperspectives@gmail.com ============================= 🎬 WATCH OUR OTHER VIDEOS: 👉 Steve Jobs: The True Story Behind The Genius Who Created Apple https://youtu.be/NC0n35sxL-Q 👉 How Gerald Levin's Gamble Destroyed AOL And Time Warner https://youtu.be/hlRnrmZQ1wA 👉 J.P. Morgan: Was He Wall Street's Biggest Villain Or A Financial Genius? https://youtu.be/QfXdeV_DoC8 👉 Did Stephen Elop Really Destroy Nokia? The Truth Behind The Fall https://youtu.be/fN7d_pHwx9A 👉 The Man Who Created America’s Money Problem: Alan Greenspan’s Legacy https://youtu.be/PHLyBPsQGCs ============================= ✅ About Contrarian Perspectives. Welcome to Contrarian Perspectives! We're passionate about uncovering the most captivating stories of businessmen and women who have shaped or are shaping the world around us today. From innovative entrepreneurs to influential leaders, we delve into their journeys, the challenges they've faced, and the impact they’re making. Our mission is to enlighten, inspire, and inform our audience by offering fresh insights and perspectives that spark curiosity and motivate change. We believe that every story has the power to teach us something new, and we’re here to share those lessons with you. Join us & explore the minds redefining success. For Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below: 📩 Email: contrarianperspectives@gmail.com 🔔 Stay informed and inspired—subscribe now and uncover the untold stories, challenges, & the impact of the world’s influential business minds shaping our world! https://www.youtube.com/@ContrarianPerspectives/?sub_confirmation=1 ================================= #chainsawal #ceoscandals #corporategreed #wallstreetstory #jobcuts #businessfailures ⚠️ DISCLAIMER: We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of watching any of our publications. You acknowledge that you use the information we provide at your own risk. Do your research. Copyright Notice: This video and our YouTube channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are the property of Contrarian Perspectives. You are authorized to share the video link and channel and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to our YouTube channel is provided. © Contrarian Perspectives via Contrarian Perspectives https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8j1vtxBoUVRmJ-G2at4-bA November 08, 2024 at 02:00AM

[techexamineryt]

How Chainsaw Al Dunlap Ruined Lives And Made Billions: The Shocking Story

How Chainsaw Al Dunlap Ruined Lives And Made Billions: The Shocking Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VikNN746jCo Albert John Dunlap, famously known as "Chainsaw Al," was a corporate legend who delivered massive profits but left a trail of devastation in his wake. Known for his aggressive cost-cutting measures, Dunlap's rise to power through companies like Scott Paper and Sunbeam earned him both admiration and fear. This video explores his ruthless leadership style, how he boosted stock prices at the cost of employees, and the fraudulent accounting that led to his downfall. Discover how short-term gains resulted in long-term disaster for the companies under his control. If you’re curious about the fine line between profit and corporate responsibility, this is a story you can’t miss. This video is about How Chainsaw Al Dunlap Ruined Lives And Made Billions: The Shocking Story. But It also covers the following topics: Ruthless CEO Business Strategy Corporate Scandals Like Chainsaw Al Chainsaw Al Scott Paper Story How Chainsaw Al Dunlap Ruined Lives And Made Billions: The Shocking Story ✅ Stay Connected With Us. 🔔 Don’t miss out on inspiring insights—subscribe today to explore the impactful stories and challenges of business minds that are redefining success across the globe! https://www.youtube.com/@ContrarianPerspectives/?sub_confirmation=1 🔗 Support Our Other Channels ✨ Patreon: https://ift.tt/sPWgk6B ☕ Buy us a coffee: https://ift.tt/KQvIot3 📩 For Business Inquiries: contrarianperspectives@gmail.com ============================= 🎬 WATCH OUR OTHER VIDEOS: 👉 Steve Jobs: The True Story Behind The Genius Who Created Apple https://youtu.be/NC0n35sxL-Q 👉 How Gerald Levin's Gamble Destroyed AOL And Time Warner https://youtu.be/hlRnrmZQ1wA 👉 J.P. Morgan: Was He Wall Street's Biggest Villain Or A Financial Genius? https://youtu.be/QfXdeV_DoC8 👉 Did Stephen Elop Really Destroy Nokia? The Truth Behind The Fall https://youtu.be/fN7d_pHwx9A 👉 The Man Who Created America’s Money Problem: Alan Greenspan’s Legacy https://youtu.be/PHLyBPsQGCs ============================= ✅ About Contrarian Perspectives. Welcome to Contrarian Perspectives! We're passionate about uncovering the most captivating stories of businessmen and women who have shaped or are shaping the world around us today. From innovative entrepreneurs to influential leaders, we delve into their journeys, the challenges they've faced, and the impact they’re making. Our mission is to enlighten, inspire, and inform our audience by offering fresh insights and perspectives that spark curiosity and motivate change. We believe that every story has the power to teach us something new, and we’re here to share those lessons with you. Join us & explore the minds redefining success. For Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below: 📩 Email: contrarianperspectives@gmail.com 🔔 Stay informed and inspired—subscribe now and uncover the untold stories, challenges, & the impact of the world’s influential business minds shaping our world! https://www.youtube.com/@ContrarianPerspectives/?sub_confirmation=1 ================================= #chainsawal #ceoscandals #corporategreed #wallstreetstory #jobcuts #businessfailures ⚠️ DISCLAIMER: We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of watching any of our publications. You acknowledge that you use the information we provide at your own risk. Do your research. Copyright Notice: This video and our YouTube channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are the property of Contrarian Perspectives. You are authorized to share the video link and channel and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to our YouTube channel is provided. © Contrarian Perspectives via Contrarian Perspectives https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8j1vtxBoUVRmJ-G2at4-bA November 08, 2024 at 02:00AM

[phoneclone]

How to Read Someone's Secret Message by a Messenger Hacker

In this digital age, communication has increased dramatically. Current social media and messaging platforms have made it much easier for people to communicate day by day. Who has changed the way of communication around the world. Among these messaging platforms, the popularity of Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp is at the top of all apps. With these platforms, a downside has emerged at present and that is infidelity. And Facebook messenger and WhatsApp hacking is needed to find out this fraud. So in this blog we are going to tell you how to hack messaging platforms like social media i.e. Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp and see secret messages.

Birth of Messenger

The concept of instant messaging has been around since the early days of the internet. However, the real revolution began with the introduction of platforms like AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) and MSN Messenger in the late 1990s and early 2000s. These platforms allowed users to send real-time text messages to each other, laying the groundwork for modern messaging applications.

Facebook Messenger, originally known as Facebook Chat, was launched in 2008. It quickly became an integral part of the Facebook ecosystem, allowing users to communicate seamlessly. In 2011, Facebook launched a standalone Messenger app, which further boosted its popularity. With features like voice and video calling, group chats, and multimedia sharing, Messenger has become a staple in online communication.

WhatsApp, on the other hand, was launched in 2009 by Jan Koum and Brian Acton. Its simplicity, coupled with the ability to send messages over the internet, made it an instant hit. WhatsApp has since evolved to include a plethora of features, making it one of the most popular messaging apps worldwide.

What is a Messenger Hacker?

A messenger hacker is an individual or entity that exploits vulnerabilities in messaging platforms to gain unauthorized access to private conversations. The term encompasses a wide range of activities, from  hacking (conducted with permission) to malicious hacking aimed at stealing information or invading privacy. Messenger hackers use various techniques and tools to bypass security measures and access the contents of messages.

How to See Facebook Hack Messages

One of the most sought-after abilities in the realm of hacking is accessing Facebook messages. This involves intercepting or gaining entry into someone’s Facebook account to read their private conversations. Techniques for achieving this include:

Phishing: This involves creating a fake login page that mimics Facebook's interface. When the target enters their credentials, the hacker captures them.

Keylogging: This technique uses software to record keystrokes on the target's device, capturing login details and other sensitive information.

Social Engineering: This involves manipulating the target into divulging their login details through psychological manipulation.

📌 Read Also: Best Way To Monitor Facebook Messenger Without Them Knowing

Facebook Messenger Call Hack

Hacking Facebook Messenger calls is another area of interest. This involves intercepting voice or video calls made through the platform. While this is more complex than text message hacking, methods used can include:

Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks: This involves intercepting the communication between two parties, allowing the hacker to eavesdrop on the conversation.

Exploiting Vulnerabilities: Occasionally, vulnerabilities in the app or the underlying protocols can be exploited to gain access to calls.

Facebook Messenger Hacking Tools

There are various tools that hackers use to exploit Facebook Messenger. These tools are designed to simplify the hacking process and increase the chances of success. Some common types of tools include:

Phishing Kits: These provide templates and tools to create convincing phishing pages.

Keyloggers: Software that records keystrokes and sends the information to the hacker.

Spyware: Software that monitors and reports on the target's activities, including messages sent and received.

Hack Message App

Hacking message apps involves gaining unauthorized access to various messaging platforms. This can be achieved through several methods:

Brute Force Attacks: This involves systematically guessing the password until the correct one is found.

Exploiting App Vulnerabilities: Occasionally, security flaws in the app can be used to gain access.

Using Spyware: This software can monitor and report on the target's messaging activity.

Hack WhatsApp Chat Online

Hacking WhatsApp chats online involves intercepting or gaining access to someone’s WhatsApp messages. Techniques include:

Using Web WhatsApp: By scanning the target’s QR code, hackers can gain access to their WhatsApp on a different device.

Exploiting Vulnerabilities: Security flaws in WhatsApp or the underlying protocols can be used to intercept messages.

Phishing and Keylogging: Similar to Facebook Messenger, these methods can capture login credentials.

📌 Related Topic: WhatsApp Spy Online Tracker App for Android and iPhone

Hacker App for Messenger

A hacker app for Messenger is designed to facilitate the hacking process. These apps can range from keyloggers to more sophisticated spyware. The primary goal is to monitor and report on the target’s activities, including message contents, call logs, and more.

Hackers on Facebook Messenger

Hackers on Facebook Messenger use various techniques to gain unauthorized access to accounts and messages. These techniques can range from simple phishing attacks to more complex exploits targeting vulnerabilities in the app or the underlying protocols.

WhatsApp Chat Hacking Software

WhatsApp chat hacking software is designed to intercept and access WhatsApp messages. These software solutions can include spyware, keyloggers, and more. They are typically used to monitor and report on the target’s messaging activity.

WhatsApp Hacker Chat

A WhatsApp hacker chat involves intercepting and accessing someone’s WhatsApp messages. This can be done using various techniques and tools, including phishing, keylogging, and exploiting vulnerabilities.

Messenger Account Hacker

A messenger account hacker is someone who specializes in gaining unauthorized access to messaging accounts. They use a variety of methods, including phishing, keylogging, and exploiting vulnerabilities, to achieve their goals. Contact with them

Conclusion

The world of messenger hacking is complex and multifaceted, involving a range of techniques and tools to gain unauthorized access to private conversations. As messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp continue to evolve, so too do the methods used by hackers. Understanding these methods is crucial for staying informed and protecting oneself in the digital age. While this blog provides an overview of some of the most common hacking techniques, it is important to note that using these methods for malicious purposes is il and un. For those seeking legitimate assistance, platforms like HackersList offer professional services in a manner.

[leashade]

about nostalgia and the old internet

During one of my nostalgia episodes I decided to check on jabber.ru and stuff.

Way back in the day (early 2000s) ICQ was a pretty popular messanger in Russia and other post-USSR countries. And ICQ was using the same protocol as AOL IM (and ICQ was owned by AOL at the time too).

But nobody here used the official ICQ client as it sucked way too much. People used unofficial mobile client Jimm mobile instead. And also used a piece of software called QIP -- a multi protocol messanging app.

At some point other protocols (MRIM aka Mail.ru Instant Messaging and XMPP/Jabber) started gaining popularity. At some point I found out about XMPP and its clients. QIP became an XMPP app at some point, even forcing users to create a "QIP account", providing people with their own XMPP instance.

And on mobile I used Bombus (a very popular J2ME XMPP client) and then BombusMod. XMPP also supported "transports", basically providing "portals" into other protocols and adding "special" gateway contacts to your contacts list. So from your perspective as a user you were just using Jabber as usual, but had all your ICQ, MRIM and Skype contacts all in one place (this is exactly what I did).

But that wasn't all. I also used to join all sorts of group chats (or "conferences" in XMPP terms, usually about Linux, tech and programming), as well as some IRC channels (connecting them as "conferences" via transport in my Jabber account). And this was how I found a lot of people I'm still in touch with today.

There was also a hot new thing I found out about back in 2009 -- Juick.com. It was basically a "twitter for nerds", where all interactions happened via a special Jabber bot, using special commands. If you didn't use any commands and just wrote anything to this bot, it became a new blog post.

While it was trying to be a "twitter clone", characters limit was 2048 bytes. So people went wild here, telling all sorts of stories about politics, life and even writing a sort of roleplay sci-fi story.

Eventually some complicated events led to downfall of Juick in ~2011, and then the tech moved on. Jabber/XMPP and ICQ silently died, being replaced by social networks and their messaging apps. People started using Facebook, VK, Instagram, Twitter and later on Telegram for messaging, group chats, communities and blogs. And in this new world most of these old communities and technologies kinda died. Well, not DIED, but were basically forgotten by the majority of people.

...

Nowadays most of these apps and projects don't even have a functioning website. Many of the projects didn't survive the paradigm shift and the start of the smartphone era. OSCAR and XMPP protocols became kind of relics of the past, old and hard to support, without many modern features (seemingly).

ICQ was eventually bought by Mail.ru, who then merged with VK. Later down the road ICQ was "reborn", but it didn't have anything that the original had, and turned into a yet another messanging app. MRIM was forgotten. Jabber was a niche thing to begin with, though it's still used in corporate networks AFAIK.

Nowadays it's really hard to find any decent Jabber client apps even. There's a BombusMod build for Android, and it's the best you can find, even though it wasn't really made for touchscreens. Everything else is either made for corporate networks or has terrible UX/UI.

There's also Miranda NG for Windows. And also Pidgin and Telepathy for Linux. All three support all modern protocols and standarts, even support Telegram! And even Psi+ still exists, even though it's a jabbber only app. But still -- they exist!

But it's kinda wild to think about. All this jabber-juick-icq nonsense was the center of my world throughout my teenage years. Everyone around me -- young and old -- used ICQ, advanced users used Jabber. I was using Juick and was active and many conference chats until about 2012-2013.

And now there is nothing left from any of it.

Sites of the projects turned to nothing. The actual apps are not supported for many years now. And even the standards were seemingly forgotten. People kind of went different ways since then, and the world has changed. The only thing left from all this old "world" is the memories in the minds of people who were there.

I found my old Juick blog, and my last post here had a timestamp starting with "1 decade ago". And when I was active on Juick, it lasted for AT LEAST five years.

Funny how the time flies and how things that mattered the most to you yesterday don't mean jack shit today. In the end, nobody will remember any of it, and everything will turn to dust, leaving nothing behind.

...it's such a russian thing it seems -- starting a 2 hours long lecture to convey a single thought

[contrarianperspectives]

John Stumpf and the Wells Fargo Fake Accounts Scandal || #shorts #scandalexposed #fakeaccounts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YdJZbBfHxg John Stumpf and the Wells Fargo Fake Accounts Scandal || #shorts #scandalexposed #fakeaccounts Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8j1vtxBoUVRmJ-G2at4-bA/join ADD SHORT DESCRIPTION ✅ Stay Connected With Us. 🔔 Don’t miss out on inspiring insights—subscribe today to explore the impactful stories and challenges of business minds that are redefining success across the globe! https://www.youtube.com/@ContrarianPerspectives/?sub_confirmation=1 🔗 Support Our Other Channels ✨ Patreon: https://ift.tt/4ftsgIQ ☕ Buy us a coffee: https://ift.tt/McSezJw 📩 For Business Inquiries: contrarianperspectives@gmail.com ============================= 🎬 WATCH OUR OTHER VIDEOS: 👉 How Gerald Levin's Gamble Destroyed AOL And Time Warner https://youtu.be/hlRnrmZQ1wA 👉 J.P. Morgan: Was He Wall Street's Biggest Villain Or A Financial Genius? https://youtu.be/QfXdeV_DoC8 👉 How Bob Nardelli Almost Ruined The Home Depot: The Real Story https://youtu.be/iPZN5prdlHU 👉 Did Stephen Elop Really Destroy Nokia? The Truth Behind The Fall https://youtu.be/fN7d_pHwx9A 👉 The Man Who Created America’s Money Problem: Alan Greenspan’s Legacy https://youtu.be/PHLyBPsQGCs ============================= ✅ About Contrarian Perspectives. Welcome to Contrarian Perspectives! We're passionate about uncovering the most captivating stories of businessmen and women who have shaped or are shaping the world around us today. From innovative entrepreneurs to influential leaders, we delve into their journeys, the challenges they've faced, and the impact they’re making. Our mission is to enlighten, inspire, and inform our audience by offering fresh insights and perspectives that spark curiosity and motivate change. We believe that every story has the power to teach us something new, and we’re here to share those lessons with you. Join us & explore the minds redefining success. For Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below: 📩 Email: contrarianperspectives@gmail.com 🔔 Stay informed and inspired—subscribe now and uncover the untold stories, challenges, & the impact of the world’s influential business minds shaping our world! https://www.youtube.com/@ContrarianPerspectives/?sub_confirmation=1 ================================= ADD TAGS ⚠️ DISCLAIMER: We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of watching any of our publications. You acknowledge that you use the information we provide at your own risk. Do your research. Copyright Notice: This video and our YouTube channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are the property of Contrarian Perspectives. You are authorized to share the video link and channel and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to our YouTube channel is provided. © Contrarian Perspectives via Contrarian Perspectives https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8j1vtxBoUVRmJ-G2at4-bA October 16, 2024 at 01:00AM

[techexamineryt]

John Stumpf and the Wells Fargo Fake Accounts Scandal || #shorts #scandalexposed #fakeaccounts

John Stumpf and the Wells Fargo Fake Accounts Scandal || #shorts #scandalexposed #fakeaccounts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YdJZbBfHxg John Stumpf and the Wells Fargo Fake Accounts Scandal || #shorts #scandalexposed #fakeaccounts Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8j1vtxBoUVRmJ-G2at4-bA/join ADD SHORT DESCRIPTION ✅ Stay Connected With Us. 🔔 Don’t miss out on inspiring insights—subscribe today to explore the impactful stories and challenges of business minds that are redefining success across the globe! https://www.youtube.com/@ContrarianPerspectives/?sub_confirmation=1 🔗 Support Our Other Channels ✨ Patreon: https://ift.tt/sCLxkPo ☕ Buy us a coffee: https://ift.tt/BOUNS1Q 📩 For Business Inquiries: contrarianperspectives@gmail.com ============================= 🎬 WATCH OUR OTHER VIDEOS: 👉 How Gerald Levin's Gamble Destroyed AOL And Time Warner https://youtu.be/hlRnrmZQ1wA 👉 J.P. Morgan: Was He Wall Street's Biggest Villain Or A Financial Genius? https://youtu.be/QfXdeV_DoC8 👉 How Bob Nardelli Almost Ruined The Home Depot: The Real Story https://youtu.be/iPZN5prdlHU 👉 Did Stephen Elop Really Destroy Nokia? The Truth Behind The Fall https://youtu.be/fN7d_pHwx9A 👉 The Man Who Created America’s Money Problem: Alan Greenspan’s Legacy https://youtu.be/PHLyBPsQGCs ============================= ✅ About Contrarian Perspectives. Welcome to Contrarian Perspectives! We're passionate about uncovering the most captivating stories of businessmen and women who have shaped or are shaping the world around us today. From innovative entrepreneurs to influential leaders, we delve into their journeys, the challenges they've faced, and the impact they’re making. Our mission is to enlighten, inspire, and inform our audience by offering fresh insights and perspectives that spark curiosity and motivate change. We believe that every story has the power to teach us something new, and we’re here to share those lessons with you. Join us & explore the minds redefining success. For Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below: 📩 Email: contrarianperspectives@gmail.com 🔔 Stay informed and inspired—subscribe now and uncover the untold stories, challenges, & the impact of the world’s influential business minds shaping our world! https://www.youtube.com/@ContrarianPerspectives/?sub_confirmation=1 ================================= ADD TAGS ⚠️ DISCLAIMER: We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of watching any of our publications. You acknowledge that you use the information we provide at your own risk. Do your research. Copyright Notice: This video and our YouTube channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are the property of Contrarian Perspectives. You are authorized to share the video link and channel and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to our YouTube channel is provided. © Contrarian Perspectives via Contrarian Perspectives https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8j1vtxBoUVRmJ-G2at4-bA October 16, 2024 at 01:00AM

[starrwulfe]

When Mastodon Met Threads 🐘➕🧵🟰❓

It has started:

Mark Zuckerberg announced social network Threads will be starting its activity pub interoperability testing now. 🔗

I have been saying for a very long while now that ActivityPub as a protocol and within it Mastodon as the flagship app need to separate themselves from the fringe in order to gain more traction and usage.

Understand that ActivityPub itself is a protocol not unlike IMAP and HTTP under the W3C. Just like email doesn’t rely on any one server to transport mail traffic across the Internet, By using ActivityPub social media can enjoy the same freedom and transparency. I shouldn’t have to join every single social media and existence to get a complete picture of what everyone is up to… we actually had this about 20 something years ago when the then biggest part of the fledgling social media universe decided to use XMPP as a standard to federate their instant messenger networks. What that meant was my ICQ handle was able to contact all my friends on AOL instant messenger and MSN without having to do anything strange. Ironically it was Facebook that broke this paradigm when they took Facebook messenger behind closed doors in order to add all the functionality that it has now.

OK, but you know Meta ain’t doin’ this outta the kindness of their hearts, right? 😒

It should not be forgotten that the reason why this is probably happening is because of the very strict policies that the European Union has imposed on how companies operate on the open Internet. It’s far easier for Mattar, the company that owns Facebook to create this new net work and design it from the start with open standards and then slowly bring everything over to it, rather than having to bolt on the same functionality to Facebook or Instagram as it stands now. While it may be seen as a self-serving move on their behalf, I personally welcome it because it means suddenly it might be one less thing to have to join and maintain in order to still be a part of the social media landscape.

Imagine a world where people on TikTok can communicate with people on YouTube and people on twitch. It might sound kind of strange at first but the same is already happening here in the #fediverse with Mastodon , PeerTube, and WordPress.

(Obligatory “how it works” link here.)

This integration is happening methodically and with a lot of advice from all stakeholders it appears; Threads users are going to get a window into the fediverse soon; as I type this, some accounts are getting read-only access. Evan Prodromou, one of the founding architects of the very underpinnings of ActivityPub  (@evan@cosocial.ca and @evanprodromou@threads.net) has been able to talk to the team over at Meta in charge of this undertaking along with a host of others in the #indieweb realm. Believe me when I say, these discussions got into the weeds and no stone was left untouched according to most of the attendees. This is the part that makes me feel Meta is acting in good faith.

Will everyone be OK with federation though?

It’s very easy to say “I’m not going to federate with Threads” or “I don’t want to associate with those Mastodon loons” (posts I won’t link to here, but use the appropriate search technique and you will find them in short order). The point is being missed insofar as the networks being interoperable if nothing else for the sake of creating a new standard and influencing the wider internet to “de-silo” all this content is a good thing and needs to be encouraged, not shunned.

As of this writing, there are no official timelines on when any of this will go into effect for us, but I have my educated guesses that it will coincide with the opening of Threads.net to EU signups and the move to be a federated network should keep regulators over there from breaking out the ban hammer. That’s supposed to be in a few days so we’ll see.

Stay tuned!