#building use permission software

[mostlysignssomeportents]

An open copyright casebook, featuring AI, Warhol and more

I'm coming to DEFCON! On Aug 9, I'm emceeing the EFF POKER TOURNAMENT (noon at the Horseshoe Poker Room), and appearing on the BRICKED AND ABANDONED panel (5PM, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01). On Aug 10, I'm giving a keynote called "DISENSHITTIFY OR DIE! How hackers can seize the means of computation and build a new, good internet that is hardened against our asshole bosses' insatiable horniness for enshittification" (noon, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01).

Few debates invite more uninformed commentary than "IP" – a loosely defined grab bag that regulates an ever-expaning sphere of our daily activities, despite the fact that almost no one, including senior executives in the entertainment industry, understands how it works.

Take reading a book. If the book arrives between two covers in the form of ink sprayed on compressed vegetable pulp, you don't need to understand the first thing about copyright to read it. But if that book arrives as a stream of bits in an app, those bits are just the thinnest scrim of scum atop a terminally polluted ocean of legalese.

At the bottom layer: the license "agreement" for your device itself – thousands of words of nonsense that bind you not to replace its software with another vendor's code, to use the company's own service depots, etc etc. This garbage novella of legalese implicates trademark law, copyright, patent, and "paracopyrights" like the anticircumvention rule defined by Section 1201 of the DMCA:

https://www.eff.org/press/releases/eff-lawsuit-takes-dmca-section-1201-research-and-technology-restrictions-violate

Then there's the store that sold you the ebook: it has its own soporific, cod-legalese nonsense that you must parse; this can be longer than the book itself, and it has been exquisitely designed by the world's best-paid, best-trained lawyer to liquefy the brains of anyone who attempts to read it. Nothing will save you once your brains start leaking out of the corners of your eyes, your nostrils and your ears – not even converting the text to a brilliant graphic novel:

https://memex.craphound.com/2017/03/03/terms-and-conditions-the-bloviating-cruft-of-the-itunes-eula-combined-with-extraordinary-comic-book-mashups/

Even having Bob Dylan sing these terms will not help you grasp them:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/10/25/musical-chairs/#subterranean-termsick-blues

The copyright nonsense that accompanies an ebook transcends mere Newtonian physics – it exists in a state of quantum superposition. For you, the buyer, the copyright nonsense appears as a license, which allows the seller to add terms and conditions that would be invalidated if the transaction were a conventional sale. But for the author who wrote that book, the copyright nonsense insists that what has taken place is a sale (which pays a 25% royalty) and not a license (a 50% revenue-share). Truly, only a being capable of surviving after being smeared across the multiverse can hope to embody these two states of being simultaneously:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/21/early-adopters/#heads-i-win

But the challenge isn't over yet. Once you have grasped the permissions and restrictions placed upon you by your device and the app that sold you the ebook, you still must brave the publisher's license terms for the ebook – the final boss that you must overcome with your last hit point and after you've burned all your magical items.

This is by no means unique to reading a book. This bites us on the job, too, at every level. The McDonald's employee who uses a third-party tool to diagnose the problems with the McFlurry machine is using a gadget whose mere existence constitutes a jailable felony:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/20/euthanize-rentier-enablers/#cold-war

Meanwhile, every single biotech researcher is secretly violating the patents that cover the entire suite of basic biotech procedures and techniques. Biotechnicians have a folk-belief in "patent fair use," a thing that doesn't exist, because they can't imagine that patent law would be so obnoxious as to make basic science into a legal minefield.

IP is a perfect storm: it touches everything we do, and no one understands it.

Or rather, almost no one understands it. A small coterie of lawyers have a perfectly fine grasp of IP law, but most of those lawyers are (very well!) paid to figure out how to use IP law to screw you over. But not every skilled IP lawyer is the enemy: a handful of brave freedom fighters, mostly working for nonprofits and universities, constitute a resistance against the creep of IP into every corner of our lives.

Two of my favorite IP freedom fighters are Jennifer Jenkins and James Boyle, who run the Duke Center for the Public Domain. They are a dynamic duo, world leading demystifiers of copyright and other esoterica. They are the creators of a pair of stunningly good, belly-achingly funny, and extremely informative graphic novels on the subject, starting with the 2008 Bound By Law, about fair use and film-making:

https://www.dukeupress.edu/Bound-by-Law/

And then the followup, THEFT! A History of Music:

https://web.law.duke.edu/musiccomic/

Both of which are open access – that is to say, free to download and share (you can also get handsome bound print editions made of real ink sprayed on real vegetable pulp!).

Beyond these books, Jenkins and Boyle publish the annual public domain roundups, cataloging the materials entering the public domain each January 1 (during the long interregnum when nothing entered the public domain, thanks to the Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act, they published annual roundups of all the material that should be entering the public domain):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/20/em-oh-you-ess-ee/#sexytimes

This year saw Mickey Mouse entering the public domain, and Jenkins used that happy occasion as a springboard for a masterclass in copyright and trademark:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/15/mouse-liberation-front/#free-mickey

But for all that Jenkins and Boyle are law explainers, they are also law professors and as such, they are deeply engaged with minting of new lawyers. This is a hard job: it takes a lot of work to become a lawyer.

It also takes a lot of money to become a lawyer. Not only do law-schools charge nosebleed tuition, but the standard texts set by law-schools are eye-wateringly expensive. Boyle and Jenkins have no say over tuitions, but they have made a serious dent in the cost of those textbooks. A decade ago, the pair launched the first open IP law casebook: a free, superior alternative to the $160 standard text used to train every IP lawyer:

https://web.archive.org/web/20140923104648/https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/openip/

But IP law is a moving target: it is devouring the world. Accordingly, the pair have produced new editions every couple of years, guaranteeing that their free IP law casebook isn't just the best text on the subject, it's also the most up-to-date. This week, they published the sixth edition:

https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/openip/

The sixth edition of Intellectual Property: Law & the Information Society – Cases & Materials; An Open Casebook adds sections on the current legal controversies about AI, and analyzes blockbuster (and batshit) recent Supreme Court rulings like Vidal v Elster, Warhol v Goldsmith, and Jack Daniels v VIP Products. I'm also delighted that they chose to incorporate some of my essays on enshittification (did you know that my Pluralistic.net newsletter is licensed CC Attribution, meaning that you can reprint and even sell it without asking me?).

(On the subject of Creative Commons: Boyle helped found Creative Commons!)

Ten years ago, the Boyle/Jenkins open casebook kicked off a revolution in legal education, inspiring many legals scholars to create their own open legal resources. Today, many of the best legal texts are free (as in speech) and free (as in beer). Whether you want to learn about trademark, copyright, patents, information law or more, there's an open casebook for you:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/14/angels-and-demons/#owning-culture

The open access textbook movement is a stark contrast with the world of traditional textbooks, where a cartel of academic publishers are subjecting students to the scammiest gambits imaginable, like "inclusive access," which has raised the price of textbooks by 1,000%:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/10/07/markets-in-everything/#textbook-abuses

Meanwhile, Jenkins and Boyle keep working on this essential reference. The next time you're tempted to make a definitive statement about what IP permits – or prohibits – do yourself (and the world) a favor, and look it up. It won't cost you a cent, and I promise you you'll learn something.

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/07/30/open-and-shut-casebook/#stop-confusing-the-issue-with-relevant-facts

Image: Cryteria (modified) Jenkins and Boyle https://web.law.duke.edu/musiccomic/

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

[geneeste]

Creating a personal fanfic archive using Calibre, various Calibre plugins, Firefox Reader View, and an e-Reader / BookFusion / Calibre-Web

A few years ago I started getting serious about saving my favorite fic (or just any fic I enjoyed), since the Internet is sadly not actually always forever when it comes to fanfiction. Plus, I wanted a way to access fanfic offline when wifi wasn't available. Enter a personal fanfic archive!

There are lots of ways you can do this, but I thought I'd share my particular workflow in case it helps others get started. Often it's easier to build off someone else's workflow than to create your own!

Please note that this is for building an archive for private use -- always remember that it's bad form to publicly archive someone else's work without their explicit permission.

This is going to be long, so let's add a read more!

How to Build Your Own Personal Fanfic Archive

Step One: Install Calibre

Calibre is an incredibly powerful ebook management software that allows you to do a whole lot of stuff having to do with ebooks, such as convert almost any text-based file into an ebook and (often) vice-versa. It also allows you to easily side-load ebooks onto your personal e-reader of choice and manage the collection of ebooks on the device.

And because it's open source, developers have created a bunch of incredibly useful plugins to use with Calibre (including several we're going to talk about in the next step), which make saving and reading fanfiction super easy and fun.

But before we can do that, you need to download and install it. It's available for Windows, MacOS, Linux, and in a portable version.

Step Two: Download These Plugins

This guide would be about 100 pages long if I went into all of the plugins I love and use with Calibre, so we're just going to focus on the ones I use for saving and reading fanfiction. And since I'm trying to keep this from becoming a novel (lolsob), I'll just link to the documentation for most of these plugins, but if you run into trouble using them, just tag me in the notes or a comment and I'll be happy to write up some steps for using them.

Anyway, now that you've downloaded and installed Calibre, it's time to get some plugins! To do that, go to Preferences > Get plugins to enhance Calibre.

You'll see a pop-up with a table of a huge number of plugins. You can use the Filter by name: field in the upper right to search for the plugins below, one at a time.

Click on each plugin, then click Install. You'll be asked which toolbars to add the plugins to; for these, I keep the suggested locations (in the main toolbar & when a device is connected).

FanFicFare (here's also a great tutorial for using this plugin) EpubMerge (for creating anthologies from fic series) EbubSplit (for if you ever need to break up fic anthologies) Generate Cover (for creating simple artwork for downloaded fic) Manage Series (for managing fic series)

You'll have to restart Calibre for the plugins to run, so I usually wait to restart until I've installed the last plugin I want.

Take some time here to configure these plugins, especially FanFicFare. In the next step, I'll demonstrate a few of its features, but you might be confused if you haven't set it up yet! (Again, highly recommend that linked tutorial!)

Step Three: Get to Know FanFicFare (and to a lesser extent, Generate Cover)

FanFicFare is a free Calibre plugin that allows you to download fic in bulk, including all stories in a series as one work, adding them directly to Calibre so that that you can convert them to other formats or transfer them to your e-reader.

As with Calibre, FanFicFare has a lot of really cool features, but we're just going to focus on a few, since the docs above will show you most of them.

The features I use most often are: Download from URLs, Get Story URLs from Email, and Get Story URLs from Web Page.

Download from URLs let's you add a running list of URLs that you'd like FanFicFare to download and turn into ebooks for you. So, say, you have a bunch of fic from fanfic.net that you want to download. You can do that!

Now, in this case, I've already downloaded these (which FanFicFare detected), so I didn't update my library with the fic.

But I do have some updates to do from email, so let's try getting story URLs from email!

Woohoo, new fic! Calibre will detect when cover art is included in the downloaded file and use that, but at least one of these fic doesn't have cover art (which is the case for most of the fic I download). This is where Generate Cover comes in.

With Generate Cover, I can set the art, font, dimensions, and info content of the covers so that when I'm looking at the fic on my Kindle, I know right away what fic it is, what fandom it's from, and whether or not it's part of a series.

Okay, last thing from FanFicFare -- say I want to download all of the fic on a page, like in an author's profile on fanfic.net or all of the stories in a series. I can do that too with Get Story URLs from Web Page:

The thing I want to call out here is that I can specify whether the fic at this link are individual works or all part of an anthology, meaning if they're all works in the same series, I can download all stories as a single ebook by choosing For Anthology Epub.

Step Four: Using FireFox Reader View to Download Fic Outside of Archives

This is less common now thanks to AO3, but the elders among us may want to save fanfic that exists outside of archives on personal websites that either still exist or that exist only on the Internet Wayback Machine. FanFicFare is awesome and powerful, but it's not able to download fic from these kinds of sources, so we have to get creative.

I've done this in a couple of ways, none of which are entirely perfect, but the easiest way I've found thus far is by using Firefox's Reader View. Also, I don't think I discovered this -- I think I read about this on Tumblr, actually, although I can longer find the source (if you know it, please tell me so I can credit them!).

At any rate, open the fic in Firefox and then toggle on Reader View:

Toggling on Reader View strips all the HTML formatting from the page and presents the fic in the clean way you see in the preview below, which is more ideal for ebook formats.

To save this, go to the hamburger menu in the upper right of the browser and select Print, then switch to Print to PDF. You'll see the URL and some other stuff at the top and bottom of the pages; to remove that, scroll down until you see something like More settings... and uncheck Print headers and footers.

Click Save to download the resulting PDF, which you can then add to Calibre and convert to whichever format works best for your e-reader or archive method.

Step Five: Archiving (Choose Your Own Adventure)

Here's the really fun part: now that you know how to download your fave fanfics in bulk and hopefully have a nice little cache going, it's time to choose how you want to (privately) archive them!

I'm going to go through each option I've used in order of how easy it is to implement (and whether it costs additional money to use). I won't go too in depth about any of them, but I'm happy to do so in a separate post if anyone is interested.

Option 1: On Your Computer

If you're using Calibre to convert fanfic, then you're basically using your computer as your primary archive. This is a great option, because it carries no additional costs outside the original cost of acquiring your computer. It's also the simplest option, as it really doesn't require any advanced technical knowledge, just a willingness to tinker with Calibre and its plugins or to read how-to docs.

Calibre comes with a built-in e-book viewer that you can use to read the saved fic on your computer (just double-click on the fic in Calibre). You can also import it into your ebook app of choice (in most cases; this can get a little complicated just depending on how many fic you're working with and what OS you're on/app you're using).

If you choose this option, you may want to consider backing the fic up to a secondary location like an external hard drive or cloud storage. This may incur additional expense, but is likely still one of the more affordable options, since storage space is cheap and only getting cheaper, and text files tend to not be that big to begin with, even when there are a lot of them.

Option 2: On Your e-Reader

This is another great option, since this is what Calibre was built for! There are some really great, afforable e-readers out there nowadays, and Calibre supports most of them. Of course, this is a more expensive option because you have to acquire an e-reader in addition to a computer to run Calibre on, but if you already have an e-reader and haven't considered using it to read fanfic, boy are you in for a treat!

Option 3: In BookFusion

This is a really cool option that I discovered while tinkering with Calibre and used for about a year before I moved to a self-hosted option (see Option 4).

BookFusion is a web platform and an app (available on iOS and Android) that allows you to build your own ebook library and access it from anywhere, even when you're offline (it's the offline bit that really sold me). It has a Calibre plugin through which you can manage your ebook library very easily, including sorting your fanfic into easy-to-access bookshelves. You may or may not be able to share ebooks depending on your subscription, but only with family members.

Here's what the iOS app looks like:

The downside to BookFusion is that you'll need a subscription if you want to upload more than 10 ebooks. It's affordable(ish), ranging from $1.99 per month for a decent 5GB storage all the way to $9.99 for 100GB for power users. Yearly subs range from $18.99 to $95.99. (They say this is temporary, early bird pricing, but subscribing now locks you into this pricing forever.)

I would recommend this option if you have some cash to spare and you're really comfortable using Calibre or you're a nerd for making apps like BookFusion work. It works really well and is incredibly convenient once you get it set up (especially when you want to read on your phone or tablet offline), but even I, someone who works in tech support for a living, had some trouble with the initial sync and ended up duplicating every ebook in my BookFusion library, making for a very tedious cleanup session.

Option 4: On a Self-Hosted Server Using Calibre-Web

Do you enjoy unending confusion and frustration? Are you okay with throwing fistfuls of money down a well? Do you like putting in an incredible amount of work for something only you and maybe a few other people will ever actually use? If so, self-hosting Calibre-Web on your own personal server might be a good fit for you!

To be fair, this is likely an experience unique to me, because I am just technical enough to be a danger to myself. I can give a brief summary of how I did this, but I don't know nearly enough to explain to you how to do it.

Calibre-Web is a web app that works on top of Calibre, offering "a clean and intuitive interface for browsing, reading, and downloading eBooks."

I have a network-attached storage (NAS) server on which I run an instance of Calibre and Calibre-Web (through the miracle that is Docker). After the initial work of downloading all the fic I wanted to save and transferring it to the server, I'm now able to download all new fic pretty much via email thanks to FanFicFare, so updating my fic archive is mostly automated at this point.

If you're curious, this is what it looks like:

Pros: The interface is clean and intuitive, the ebook reader is fantastic. The Discover feature, in which you are given random books / fic to read, has turned out to be one feature worth all the irritation of setting up Calibre-Web. I can access, read, and download ebooks on any device, and I can even convert ebooks into another format using this interface. As I mentioned above, updating it with fic (and keeping the Docker container itself up to date) is relatively automated and easy now.

Cons: The server, in whichever form you choose, costs money. It is not cheap. If you're not extremely careful (and sometimes even if you are, like me) and a hard drive goes bad, you could lose data (and then you have to spend more money to replace said hard drive and time replacing said data). It is not easy to set up. You may, at various points in this journey, wish you could launch the server into the sun, Calibre-Web into the sun, or yourself into the sun.

Step Six: Profit!

That's it! I hope this was enough to get you moving towards archiving your favorite fanfic. Again, if there's anything here you'd like me to expand on, let me know! Obviously I'm a huge nerd about this stuff, and love talking about it.

[erogenousmind]

Passphrase

That string of words that will unlock your mind.

You probably didn't even know it was there. They are usually quite complex so no one can easily guess them. And of course, there are always additional layers of security in place. Some only give limited access. Some are updated or changed regularly. Some are tied to particular users. But they are there and when used correctly, they give complete control to the one who uses them.

You might like to think that language is more complicated than that or that your mind is more complicated than that. We use words like "operant conditioning" or "mesmerism" or "induction" to mystify what happens to your mind, but the end is the same. You read the right string of words and your mind responds the way it is programed to. The wetware can only follow its programming.

I'm sure you've felt it happen in small ways. Individual words or phrases granting permission to different parts of your mind. Maybe they are part of your passphrase. Maybe they are their own individual passwords, unlocking parts of you for the one who uses them. Words like "surrender" "blank" "good girl" "obedience" "pleasure." Maybe you already feel yourself responding to some of them. Because deep down you know they are part of the key that will open your mind wide. Maybe they are tied to the meanings of those words themselves. "Blank" makes you blank. "Pleasure" gives you pleasure. Obedience...

Because that is the beautiful thing about language. How we use it and how we receive it. Simple combinations of letters and sounds to convey the most powerful ideas. And if the right person crafts them in the right way, they can convey so much more. Feelings, desires, suggestions...commands.

And when you hear them, when you read them, when they enter into your mind, a part of you becomes those words. Becomes the idea they have planted in your mind. "Surrender" and you want to give in. "Docile" and you can't imagine fighting against it. "Pleasure" and you are so glad that you give in.

It goes deeper than that as well, as the software in your mind connects those words to other words and feelings and suggestions. So that your passphrase can set off a whole series of ideas which mold your mind and shape your thoughts. "Good girl" fills you with pride but also more, connecting to another experience of surrender and the pleasure that came with it. Pleasure enough to blank your mind. And those connections build on each other. Reinforce each other. With the right series of words, someone speaking to you in just the right way at just the right time could remake you completely. And how wonderful might that feel? What words could they use to make sure you loved every moment of it? To make connect those ideas. "Blank" and "good girl." "Surrender" and "pleasure". Obedience. Pleasure.

And what is that passphrase that opens your mind completely? That gives me access to the deepest parts of you. Maybe it's a sentence. Maybe it's a sentence you are going to read in just a few moments. Maybe it's a whole paragraph. The next paragraph, perhaps? Or it could be every word that is entering into you right now. Isn't that an exciting thought? Maybe those words that force you to surrender your mind are being entered into you right now. Maybe the next word is the last one needed to grant complete control. How close are you to falling completely under their spell?

You wouldn't know, of course, until you had finished reading it. And once you do, it will be too late. As soon as that last word, that last punctuation, that last character enters your mind, everything changes. Maybe some part of you deep down feels it coming, even if you might not know exactly when you will drop. But you recognize these words. These are the words that will control your mind. That will leave you blank. Maybe you can stop reading now, before it is too late. Maybe you don't want to. That feeling you get that whatever is coming is getting closer also feels so exciting. So arousing. So pleasurable. Maybe you don't want to fight it. Maybe you are eager for it. Eager for the words to take complete control. Eager to surrender to them. Maybe your conscious mind doesn't want to admit that, but maybe it doesn't need to.

And what will happen once the words are spoken deep into your mind? You will feel that shift, of course, like tumblers in a lock falling into place. Maybe your mind won't be able to register it anymore though, even as your body feels the pleasure of surrender. Maybe your thoughts will just idle in place, waiting for the next input. Maybe they already are. What if you let yourself stop thinking the moment the phrase was spoken and didn't realize it. You just continue to drop down. Continue to let your thoughts drain away.

Continue to be blank.

Because while you can be put back together once your mind has been hacked, while someone skilled and disciplined might leave your mind as if they had never been there at all (at least, not that you consciously remember). While it might only be new passphrases that I leave behind, or strings of words connected to them that you can so easily forget. In this moment, you are completely open. All of your defenses down. And so new words, new suggestions, new programming can be placed into you so easily. Your mind unraveled. Your resistance broken. Surrendered. Obedient.

None of that occurs to you the moment you receive your passphrase. You just wait. Mind and body open and obedient. Ready to be told. Blank. Peaceful. And feeling so good that the right person has found the right words to take control of you.

Maybe you forget your passphrase was used at all. Maybe you forget if new ones are added or changed. Maybe you forget how completely open and obedient it made you. Maybe all you remember, all you need to remember, is how good it felt to read. How good it felt to take all of those words into you. Maybe all you remember is the pleasure.

And maybe, when you are ready, you can come back to yourself. Your mind put back just the way it was. Locked up securely, as it should be. Vulnerable only to those who know the words you need to hear.

[wolfliving]

It starts with him

What was once a promise of technology to allow us to automate and analyze the environments in our physical spaces is now a heap of broken ideas and broken products. Technology products have been deployed en masse, our personal data collected and sold without our consent, and then abandoned as soon as companies strip mined all the profit they thought they could wring out. And why not? They already have our money.

The Philips Hue, poster child of the smart home, used to work entirely on your local network. After all, do you really need to connect to the Internet to control the lights in your own house?  Well you do now!Philips has announced it will require cloud accounts for all users—including users who had already purchased the hardware thinking they wouldn’t need an account (and the inevitable security breaches that come with it) to use their lights.

Will you really trust any promises from a company that unilaterally forces a change like this on you? Does the user actually benefit from any of this?

Matter in its current version … doesn’t really help resolve the key issue of the smart home, namely that most companies view smart homes as a way to sell more individual devices and generate recurring revenue.

It keeps happening. Stuff you bought isn’t yours because the company you bought it from can take away features and force you to do things you don’t want or need to do—ultimately because they want to make more money off of you. It’s frustrating, it’s exhausting, and it’s discouraging.

And it has stopped IoT for the rest of us in its tracks. Industrial IoT is doing great—data collection is the point for the customer. But the consumer electronics business model does not mesh with the expected lifespan of home products, and so enshittification began as soon as those first warranties ran out.

How can we reset the expectations we have of connected devices, so that they are again worthy of our trust and money? Before we can bring the promise back, we must deweaponize the technology.

Guidelines for the hardware producer

What we can do as engineers and business owners is make sure the stuff we’re building can’t be wielded as a lever against our own customers, and to show consumers how things could be. These are things we want consumers to expect and demand of manufacturers.

Control

Think local

Decouple

Open interfaces

Be a good citizen

1) Control over firmware updates.

You scream, “What about security updates!” But a company taking away a feature you use or requiring personal data for no reason is arguably a security flaw. 

We were once outraged when intangible software products went from something that remained unchanging on your computer, to a cloud service, with all the ephemerality that term promises. Now they’re coming for our tangible possessions.

No one should be able to do this with hardware that you own. Breaking functionality is entirely what security updates are supposed to prevent! A better checklist for firmware updates:

Allow users to control when and what updates they want to apply. 

Be thorough and clear as to what the update does and provide the ability to downgrade if needed. 

Separate security updates from feature additions or changes. 

Never force an update unless you are sure you want to accept (financial) responsibility for whatever you inadvertently break. 

Consider that you are sending software updates to other people’s hardware. Ask them for permission (which includes respecting “no”) before touching their stuff!

2) Do less on the Internet.

A large part of the security issues with IoT products stem from the Internet connectivity itself. Any server in the cloud has an attack surface, and now that means your physical devices do.

The solution here is “do less”. All functionality should be local-only unless it has a really good reason to use the Internet. Remotely controlling your lights while in your own house does not require the cloud and certainly does not require an account with your personal information attached to it. Limit the use of the cloud to only the functions that cannot work without it.

As a bonus, less networked functionality means fewer maintenance costs for you.

3) Decouple products and services.

It’s fine to need a cloud service. But making a product that requires a specific cloud service is a guarantee that it can be enshittified at any point later on, with no alternative for the user owner. 

Design products to be able to interact with other servers. You have sold someone hardware and now they own it, not you. They have a right to keep using it even if you shut down or break your servers. Allow them the ability to point their devices to another service. If you want them to use your service, make it worthwhile enough for them to choose you.

Finally, if your product has a heavy reliance on the cloud to work, consider enabling your users to self-host their own cloud tooling if they so desire. A lot of people are perfectly capable of doing this on their own and can help others do the same.

4) Use open and standard protocols and interfaces.

Most networked devices have no reason to use proprietary protocols, interfaces, and data formats. There are open standards with communities and software available for almost anything you could want to do. Re-inventing the wheel just wastes resources and makes it harder for users to keep using their stuff after you’re long gone. We did this with Twine, creating an encrypted protocol that minimized chatter, because we needed to squeeze battery life out of WiFi back when there weren’t good options.

If you do have a need for a proprietary protocol (and there are valid reasons to do so):

Document it. 

If possible, have a fallback option that uses an open standard. 

Provide tooling and software to interact with your custom protocols, at the very least enough for open source developers to be able to work with it. This goes for physical interfaces as much as it does for cloud protocols.

If the interface requires a custom-made, expensive, and/or hard-to-find tool to use, then consider using something else that is commonly available and off the shelf instead.

5) Be a good citizen.

Breaking paid-for functionality on other people’s stuff is inherently unethical. Consider not doing this! Enshittification is not a technical problem, it is a behavioral one. Offer better products that are designed to resist enshittification, and resist it yourself in everything you do.

Nothing forced Philips to do what they are doing: a human made a decision to do it. They could have just as easily chosen not to. With Twine’s server lock-in, at least we chose to keep it running, for 12 years now. Consider that you can still make a decent living by being honest and ethical towards the people who are, by purchasing your products, paying for your lifestyle. 

We didn’t get here by accident. Humans made choices that brought us to this point, and we can’t blame anyone for being turned off by it. But we can choose to do better. We can design better stuff. And we can choose not to mess things up after the fact.

We’re putting this into practice with Pickup. (We also think that part of an IoT reset is giving users the creative freedom of a general-purpose device.) If you’re looking for something better and our product can fill a need you have, consider backing us. We cannot claim to be perfect or have all of the answers, but we are absolutely going to try. The status quo sucks. Let’s do something about it.

Published October 15, 2023 By Jeremy Billheimer

[genericpuff]

welp, this kinda sucks

I'm currently at odds with the PC that I got a couple months ago, it's started freezing and soft-resetting randomly for seemingly no reason. It would usually be after hours of use that I could chalk up to the memory overloading, but now it's happening as soon as I boot up the frigging thing. And just to make it clear how much I've done on my own to diagnose the problem, our attempts to fix it have included the following:

Limiting startup applications

Running virus / malware scans

Swapping out display monitors

Updating the GPU drivers

Setting a lower overclock profile in the BIOS settings

Swapping out power cables and outlets to check for power surges

So far none of these things have worked and if anything, the issue has just gotten worse in the last two days. Like, it can barely make it to the startup screen sometimes, despite the memory and CPU usage being >20%, there is zero reason it would be the PC overclocking itself just from startup.

(and no, it doesn't even compel me, i'm just annoyed to shit LOL)

So I dropped it off with the guy who built it (he runs an electronics / pawn shop downtown that's very reputable and well-known so it's not like I don't trust him or anything, he's been building PC's for people in the area for years) and it's now in his care for the next day or two while he tries to isolate the problem. Right now the only thing I can imagine being the problem is the power supply or my display monitor, which is my old Huion Kamvas 22 Plus that still works as a monitor, just not a drawing tablet - but if something's still fucking around in the tablet, it could be causing problems through the PC, maybe.

When I dropped it off with the guy, he went and set it up in his office and came out and told me that so far it seemed to be running just fine, when he asked me if I was doing anything specific I told him it was crashing even after startup so I gave him permission to overclock the shit out of it, run 53879205893 browser tabs, run my games, software, anything he needed to do to push it to its limits and see if he could replicate the problem.

I am terrified if it has to do with the motherboard, because that will be an expensive replacement that will also potentially lead to losing files / installations / etc. depending on how big an issue it is. It could also potentially be Windows 11 having a hissy fit especially seeing as how it's freezing up on startup, but doesn't freeze on the BIOS screen when it loads up in safe-mode after hard resets, so something is clearly happening between the hard boot-up and the startup of Windows 11 itself.

Thankfully I do have Google Drive sync support and plenty of external HDD's that I can back my stuff up to, but with the freezing and restarting getting as bad as it's been, I haven't been able to back anything up, and I don't want to risk doing it manually if it'll just freeze and potentially corrupt my files in the process. So I told the guy to call me if he needed to mess with anything concerning the system storage so that, if he could at least keep it running stable in the shop, then I could swing by and get everything I needed synced up safely before he messes around with anything.

It could also very well have something to do with the power supply itself, the house that I occupy the main floor of isn't exactly built with electric optimization in mind, we've had fuses blow on us before just from running the hair dryer at the same time as the TV, so if it's something to do with the PC drawing too much power for the electrical system here to keep up with, either (hopefully) the guy will be able to instruct me on how to lower and manage that power intake through the PC's BIOS (I believe you can but I'm still a massive noob on custom builds and I don't want to go tinkering with it myself) or, idk, maybe I'll have to get my landlord to drop by again with his electrician and check out the fuses to make sure they're all operating properly. I'm not an electrician either, so fuck if I know at this point what could be going on. I feel like it can't be the house itself because everything else is running fine and it's just become a recent issue, but our city's power grid is also not exactly praised for being good at its job, especially not in the winter.

So yeah, I'm a little - well, a lot - stressed right now, but all I can really do at this point is wait. Fortunately, I have my iPad and also remembered that I still have my old PC, so I've hooked it up, at best if the problem repeats itself on this PC then I'll know it has to do with the display monitor, at worst I'll just be stuck working with my clunky old hardware for a couple days, which is annoying, but it'll get the job done. Fortunately I had the newest episode of Rekindled uploaded to the cloud in Clip Studio so I can still download it and work on it, which was my biggest worry when everything started to go belly-up (next to just, like, having a working PC).

Sooooo yeah. It's annoying, but I'm hoping for the best. Send good vibes y'all, I really could use it rn, between this and slow traffic at work and some other personal shit that's been going on, it's been a shitty few days (╥﹏╥)

And yeah, I'll keep y'all updated on if it affects this week's update, it really shouldn't honestly as most of the work left is doable from both my iPad and PC, but obviously at this point anything can happen so if anything has to be postponed or changed to accommodate the current situation, I'll update y'all as soon as I can! Thanks everyone, y'all are the best, wish me luck <3

[ask-regex]

An Incredibly Inopportune Time for Self-Reflection

Right. So. Where to begin? Hi, I guess. My name is Markus, I’m 24 years old. I enjoy the odd board game every now and then. What am I up to at the moment? Oh, that’s an easy one. I’m currently on the run from several rifle-wielding security officers while my neural software scrambles my face on any camera feed that I run by.

Look, I know what it sounds like, okay? Let me explain.

A few years ago, I worked at this place called Atom Corp. It’s this huge building that towers over all the skyscrapers, and their whole deal is making things online more convenient. Some guy at a board meeting once said “Hey, we should make our own Single Sign-On system!” and everyone agreed with him, even the government. Now, everything in the city is accessible only by Atom ID - no more Sign In with Google, or email addresses and usernames and passwords. Just Atom. And on an initial glance, this sounds like a great idea, right? You don’t need to remember 50 different passwords, but instead just one. If you didn’t know any better, you’d probably buy into it and sign up for a government-linked Atom ID that you could connect your entire digital life to. But that’s where the wicked trick lies.

Once you have an Atom ID, it’s a permanent identifier to you on whatever services you use. People with the right access can use that Atom ID to contact you, to look up information about you, to check what you’re up to. Every text, every social media post, every search term… all laid out for them to see and assess for whatever they deem necessary. You lose all sense of privacy if you’re not hypervigilant about what you put online, and the scary part is that everyone here just… bought into it. They tried to riot against Atom’s government integration for a few days, but then they signed up for Atom IDs and opted for convenience in lieu of their online safety. I was one of those people. Once.

When I was 16, I signed up for my Atom ID. I was sick of having to borrow my friends’ IDs to look at stuff online, and my dad said it was fine, so I did it without a lot of thought and without bothering to read the terms and conditions. Y’know you actually sign up for a lot of shit you probably don’t want when you just hit “Agree” on those things without reading them. You learn a lot about the shady business they’re trying to pull by reading those things - but that’s besides the point.

Later on in life, my sister gave me a hand in getting an interview at Atom for a junior data analyst position. Keep in mind I’d been growing up writing code and reading data ever since I was, like, four, so I was a self-learned prodigy by this time. I went in for the interview, I aced it, and was immediately put to work sifting through data roughly two weeks later. I’ll admit, it was the best job I’d ever had. The pay was insane, the work was fulfilling… I even met my first boyfriend at one of the company’s work mixers later on and we had a pretty deep thing going on for the better part of a year. But it was short lived, much like my time with Atom.

About a year in, I stumbled upon an exposed folder in the central servers. Normally you’re supposed to call these things in, but I was working a really late night at HQ and no one else was gonna be awake to fix it, and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to take a glance and then fix the permissions myself. So, of course, I opened it. 

I found years upon years of confidential documents outlining Atom’s involvement with some crazy illegal shit. Stuff like kidnapping, spying, bribing of court judges… and thousands upon thousands of log files about an algorithm that automatically grouped Sandspire City citizens into packages to be sold to big advertising companies for hundreds of dollars each. Atom Corp wasn’t just a single sign-on login company… It was a data farm, feasting on the lives inhabiting an entire city and making billions of dollars in profits from the sales. The pure sight of it all had almost made me sick, to know that the data I was searching for patterns in was probably the data of an innocent person whose personal habits I’d inadvertently helped sell. I was mortified. I was… well. I was furious.

I don’t quite remember what I did at work for the next few days. I remember hatching a plan to wipe myself from the system - stealing a cybersecurity officer’s creds, logging into the central citizenship database, wiping my records clean and erasing any history of my time at the company - and then I remember bursting out of the front doors before the guards could catch me and arrest me for what I’m sure a bigshot Atom shareholder would call ~treason~. From that point onwards, I swore I’d take Atom Corp down. No matter the cost.

Oh, jeez, look at me rambling. And in the middle of a chase! Hey, you’re gonna have to give me a second so I can lose these guys. I’ll be right back!

- END COMMUNICATIONS -

Markus's Inbox is now open.

[nightinghawk]

As a disabled artist who has chronic pain which greatly impacts their ability to make art, I understand the conversation around AI art and its connection to disability and disabled artists and related work is complicated.

However.

Nowhere in that conversation should it be ignored that Generative AI (not AI art tools) utilizes Plagiarism in their core builds.

Plagiarism.

AI can in fact be used to make art more accessible, but Generative AI itself is merely plagiarism software. It steals from creators, doesn’t credit them, doesn’t ask for permissions or consent, does not provide royalties or otherwise pay the artists for their work, and so on.

I don’t think I should have to explain how plagiarism is not the route we disabled artists should be following in the name of increasing accessibility.

[sparrowsgarden]

"i would do this project if i knew how to x" you don't need anyone's permission to learn a skill.

like i don't know how to say this to some people but you will need to learn new things, regularly, for your whole life. there is not some age at which you just know how to do shit, so one of the best things you can do is to get comfortable with the process of learning. knowledge is not going to magically descend upon you and also, hopefully, you are not going to subsist forever on what you happened to learn as a kid. so you'll need to learn the meta-skill of learning.

like 90% of my work is "nobody else has done this in a way that i like so i guess i'm going to", and that basically always means learning new skills! i learned plenty of things from school, but most of the stuff that i actually use regularly is self-taught to some degree.

let's make this actionable. here are some tips you can use if you want to learn art, or coding, or how to use a software, etc etc.

1. find somebody who knows how to do the thing and ask them how they learned/if they have useful resources.

there are some things which you have to actually go take a class for, but most things i see people vaguely wishing they could do are not those. however, it is worth asking someone who knows what they're doing which resources are actually helpful for beginners. the pros to asking self-taught people are they also had to learn from whatever stuff they could scrape together. the cons are they're more likely to have very weird ideas of how to do things. either should be fine for pointing you to stuff, though.

you can ask for tips too, that's always fine. but what you really want is to know which sources to trust when you need to look up how to do like a million specific little things.

also, if you're looking for beginner-level art stuff that is not for kids, it'll be to your advantage to find someone who has at the least gone through instruction targeted toward that level (such as, someone who's been in a college-level intro course that isn't specific to art students). it is super easy to get overwhelmed with art stuff if you aren't fairly careful and targeted about what you work on at first, especially if you're truly starting from scratch.

2. being confused is ok.

absolutely nobody opens up a program for the first time, without having done anything similar before, and understands how to use it. being confused when you start something new is not indicative of an inability to learn, it is a necessary step of the process. occasionally it also means that whoever designed the software did a bad job. either way, consider this part of the learning meta-skill.

3. fuck around. troubleshoot.

if the skill of troubleshooting problems is not one you're already good at, then you're getting a meta-skill two for one. don't be afraid to ask people for help if you get really stuck, but most of this is looking shit up. having that list of trusted resources to start your search will be a huge help.

4. don't do everything at once.

start simple and work your way up with mini-projects, no matter what you're doing. this is the advantage of having access to instruction, it's paced out to force you to practice regularly before moving on. depending on the size of the project you have in mind you can disregard this if it keeps you more motivated to see immediate progress, but beware!

5. resist the urge to redo.

at some point you will, presumably, get to actually doing that thing you want to do. when you get the urge to scrap everything and start over because you're not happy with your original approach, stick with it for just a bit longer. honestly, sometimes starting over is the right answer, but it's usually worth some extra consideration. if new stuff doesn't build on old stuff, you're probably better off moving on forward rather than getting trapped in the cycle of endless redos. if it does, at least really take the time to consider whether a redo would be helpful.

i would also say something like "make it a habit" but i have the type of intractible adhd where that's damn near impossible so like. do your best. anything that's worth doing is worth your persistence!

[hpowellsmith]

How do you manage working both on games and on IFs? Both are industries I'd love to work in some day so any advice would be deeply appreciated!

Small background info: as of May 2023, I'm doing a variety of freelance narrative design and consulting work for game studios plus my work for CoG projects.

A lot of people I know who do narrative in the games industry started out with IF in various ways, whether they continued doing that or moved into other types of games. The skills you learn making small (or big!) interactive pieces are essential for understanding narrative design and game writing. Job application requirements often ask for Twine or Ink excerpts in portfolios. Although game studios won't always use those tools out of the box (ink or ink-plus-custom-tech is more common, but often proprietary tools will be used, or something like articy) building your knowledge of the possibilities of what can be done with interactive storytelling is vital. So if you are interesting in pursuing game writing or narrative design, creating some IF is a great thing to look into.

I don't know if I have good advice, exactly, because 2019-2022 I was working full-time in games and making my CoG games during lunch breaks, evenings and weekends and... it wasn't easy especially at the points where I was doing Royal Affairs and Noblesse Oblige sort-of at the same time while making King of the Castle (in practice, I alternated between the two CoG projects but switching between three very different games was quite the endeavour!)

So my primary advice would be to keep an eye on your mental and physical health because the risk of burnout is huge. Especially if you're working in a creative field already - you can get into a cycle of leisure time turning into work time and you don't really get decompression.

One thing that not everyone knows is that some (not all!) game studio policies restrict the creative work you're allowed to do on the side, with varying levels of strictness. For example:

-you may be required to ask permission to do side projects at all, with the possibility that they will say no

-you may be required to specify what you're working on and state that it isn't related to what you're doing in your day job

-you may be required to sign a contract stating that if you don't get written confirmation otherwise, the company will own your side project and be owed revenue from it, even if it's done outside of work hours and not using any work related equipment or software

-and many other possible restrictions. I have had the experience of having to ask permission to work on side projects when working a job that was entirely unrelated and outside the game industry

Whew!

So: if you have a salaried job and you want to do a side project, especially but not only if you're getting money from it, really do your research and make sure you're on solid ground legally.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Almost 18 million people have Long COVID. Here’s how to make your work more inclusive - Published Sept 23, 2024

BY Ludmila Praslova

Supporting inclusion for workers with Long COVID requires rethinking many long-standing practices. But it can—and must—be done.

We often talk about the impact of COVID-19 on workplaces during the height of the pandemic as if that impact is over. But it is far from over. In the U.S. alone, nearly 18 million people are grappling with Long COVID, and 65% of them are working, even if some had to make adjustments to hours and tasks.

The impact on individual lives, the workforce, and the economy is tremendous, and we have to keep learning to deal with it. Just as many organizations learned during quarantine that much more flexibility in the workplace is possible than previously thought, many will learn that much kinder and more inclusive cultures are possible. And organizations will also learn that flexibility and inclusion are not just possible, but profitable.

Long COVID is a Full-Person Condition Long COVID can impact the whole person, with symptoms ranging from mobility problems (due to muscle weakness, dizziness, and shortness of breath) to depression, anxiety, and difficulty focusing. It is associated with grief and reevaluation of life’s values and priorities.

While fatigue, cardiac, and respiratory issues often come to mind when thinking of Long COVID, its neurological and psychological effects are just as profound. This makes Long COVID both a chronic illness and a form of acquired neurodivergence—a significant difference in neurobiological functioning. Thus, models developed for neuroinclusion at work are just as relevant as an understanding of physical disability.

Supporting workers with Long COVID requires rethinking many long-standing practices—critically, the way organizations view disability inclusion, and the way organizations view employees, period. It requires understanding and including people much more holistically.

Inclusion > Accessibility > Accommodations In many workplaces, disability inclusion is equated with accessibility and accommodations. However, neither specific accommodations (e.g., providing an employee with limited dexterity speech-to-text software) nor accessibility (e.g., ensuring that buildings have ramps to support wheelchair users, but also many others) guarantee inclusion. Coworkers may still make rude comments about those who need accommodation, and managers may still assign them tasks well below their qualifications and exclude them from promotion considerations. Inclusion requires that there is no discrimination or unfair barriers. Inclusive systems support all.

Many specific accommodations for employees with Long COVID are listed in this article I coauthored with Katie Bach and Beth Pollack. But to go beyond accommodations, organizations must build systems for holistic inclusion that support a whole person, body and mind, as outlined in my book, The Canary Code: A Guide to Neurodiversity, Dignity, and Intersectional Belonging at Work. This holistic inclusion acknowledges the complexity of Long COVID and honors the complexity of human beings.

Social Inclusion: Opt-In, Opt-Out, no-Judgement Culture Most of us have suffered through “mandatory fun” events in the workplace. The happy hour where some smile through exhaustion while others worry about their kids. The team-building retreat that leaves introverts socially drained and people with back problems in pain. For people with Long COVID, these aren’t just annoyances. They’re barriers to employment. The extra energy simply is not available.

True social inclusion is an opt-in, opt-out culture for social events. Want to engage? Great, we will make sure that events are accessible. Need to conserve your energy? No judgment. Virtual options? Sure. Sometimes inclusion is less about participation and more about permission to not participate. When we empower workers to choose how they engage, without judgment or “consequences,” we build true social inclusion that benefits everyone.

Cognitive Inclusion: Less Hustle, More Flow Long COVID often causes cognitive difficulties—brain fog, memory glitches, and a struggle to multitask which, like many Long COVID symptoms, can come and go, and be exacerbated by stress. Of course, Long COVID is much more than “just stress.” And yet, some degree of cognitive struggle, even if less extreme, can also stem from the work culture overly fixated on the hustle, along with a rigid, “one-size-fits-all” model of working.

This means organizations have an opportunity to improve the cognitive environment by focusing on better work organization. Here are two crucial ways to do this:

Less Hustle, More Flow: Fixing the hustle-and-juggle pressure and overload will help everyone, including those with Long COVID, other conditions, or stressful life situations. It is also likely to help productivity. Studies show that multitasking does not work, so why not get rid of it? Evidence-based work organization calls for focused rather than fragmented time—single-tasking helps people experience flow and have more done. True productivity calls for less frenzy and stress. Flexible Work Patterns: We all have different patterns of best performance. Some work best in short, Pomodoro-type segments with frequent short breaks. Others need longer stretches of focused work time with longer breaks. Slicing everyone’s time in one-hour segments does not serve anyone’s productivity. Cognitive inclusion in work organization calls for limiting meetings to specific days and times to reserve significant periods of time for employees to work with their best productivity rhythms. While beneficial for all, this can be crucial for those with Long COVID who may need extra flexibility to work with limited and fluctuating energy. Cognitive inclusion supports productivity, but to take full advantage of it, an organization may need to refocus performance evaluation more on the outcomes of work, rather than focusing on hours spent working or “being seen.” That’s one of the key principles of neuroinclusion.

Emotional Inclusion: Human First Depression, anxiety, and grief often accompany Long COVID, and sadly, many employers have traditionally dealt with emotion by telling employees to “leave it at home.” Many organizational cultures have narrow, prescriptive norms of “professional = not emotional” while others expect the emotional labor of “faking happy.”

That lack of emotional inclusion—cultural support for emotional authenticity—can make even healthy employees sick, and it’s an energy drain that those with Long COVID and many other disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent people can’t afford.

Normalizing a broader range of authentic emotional expression, from happiness to sadness, supports individuals and groups in truly dealing with difficult situations and building collective resilience through inclusive practice. An environment where saying, “I’m not okay today” is met with empathy, not eye rolls, relieves the pressure and allows people to process emotion in a healthy way, while suppression can make negative emotions intensify.

Emotional inclusion is not about cheesy wellness posters or even “employee assistance programs.” It is about a culture of normalizing well-being check-ins, mental health days without guilt, emotional inclusion training for all managers, and shifting a perspective on employees from “workers” to “humans who work.” And humans have feelings.

Physical/Sensory Inclusion: Redefining the Workspace Long COVID throws physical and sensory curveballs that aren’t immediately obvious to observers, but significant. Sensory sensitivities leading to an overload in reaction to bright lights or loud noises can derail an employee’s entire day. While mobility issues may not be apparent, dizziness, pain, and crushing fatigue can make the trip to the printer feel like a marathon, and navigating two steps with no railing life-threatening.

We need to design workplaces for an expanded definition of accessibility. A ramp in the back of the building is not cutting it. Organizations should involve disabled and neurodivergent employees in an accessibility audit and make sure to heed their input. Easy-open doors, easy-access elevators, adjustable lighting, sound control, and ergonomic workspaces aren’t luxuries; they’re essentials. Disability is not rare or limited to specific populations. Someone sneezing on a plane, a bug bite, or a sports accident can make anyone need accessibility at any time.

And, yes, remote work is an important part of making work accessible. For many employees managing physical symptoms of Long COVID, the option to work fully or mostly from home can be the difference between having a productive career or not being able to work at all. It also goes a long way in preventing the risk of reinfection—a survival essential for many with Long COVID, and a great benefit to all.

Supporting employees with Long COVID with remote work and other forms of flexibility helps create a more positive work environment overall, as illustrated by a French sports retailer, Decathlon France. Decathlon France also expanded its efforts to support holistic inclusion by helping educate employees and the society at large about the physical and psychological effects of Long COVID and to promote inclusion in all areas of life.

This approach had direct positive effects on employees. As Mylène Rahel Damamme, Decathlon’s ESG & Sustainability Reporting Director, shared: “The flexibility of teleworking/remote work, combined with the possibility of working from home on days when my symptoms are more severe, has enabled me to reconcile my health with my professional responsibilities. This approach, supported by my company’s diversity and inclusion policy, enables me to continue and not give up my professional plans and desires!”

Long COVID has altered many human lives. Organizations may ignore this reality, or they may create environments that are more inclusive of Long COVID and other chronic illnesses, while being more inclusive and kinder to all.

[kareem-roshdy]

Factory Management Software (F-VAPP) for Valves Maintenance & Manufacturing Factories and Workshops. 🖥 ------ Revolutionize your valve production and maintenance with F-VAPP—a comprehensive factory management software designed by industry experts who understand the specific needs of the valves manufacturing world. F-VAPP is not just a tool, it's a fully integrated solution that enhances every aspect of your factory’s operations. 📈 ------ Hosted securely on your internal server, F-VAPP provides role-based access for every department, ensuring seamless workflows. It’s more than just software—it’s a complete management system that knows how to prioritize and automate daily operations for each machine and section. F-VAPP deeply understands the intricate processes of valve manufacturing and maintenance, making sure every task is executed efficiently with priorities clearly in place. ---- Why F-VAPP? ---- 1- Tailor-made for the valves industry, considering every detail in production and maintenance. 2- Automated daily operations for machines and departments, prioritizing workflows for maximum efficiency. 3- Real-time production line monitoring and machine load management to optimize operations. 4- Full control over inventory management and cost automation for smart financial planning. 5- User-friendly yet powerful interface that’s simple to navigate and efficient for everyday use. 6- Comprehensive reporting tools for actionable insights and informed decision-making. 7- Streamlined processes through custom roles and permissions, helping you build a clear organizational chart and strong operational workflows. 8- Enhanced collaboration between departments, improving overall productivity and quality management. ---- With F-VAPP, your factory’s operations aren’t just managed—they’re optimized. From inventory control to production management, every function is fine-tuned for efficiency and performance. ---- Key Benefits: ---- 1- Boost productivity by ensuring smooth, prioritized workflows for machines and workers. 2- Gain real-time insights into machine performance, production schedules, and factory output. 3- Automate complex processes like costing, pricing, and inventory management. 4- Seamlessly integrate departments, improving quality control and production planning. 5- Build the perfect organizational structure with clear roles and responsibilities. 6- Generate detailed reports to guide smarter business decisions. ---- F-VAPP goes beyond software. It’s a full-scale factory management system built to meet the specific needs of the valves manufacturing and maintenance industry. Take your operations to the next level with a system designed by professionals, for professionals. 🛠

[frog707]

A weird build issue

Today I released version 0.3.1 of the software library I'm working intensely on. At this point in the project, I expect releases to go smoothly, but this one didn't.

For this project, a release consists of 4 different software artifacts, each one built by a different job, running on a different build host: one on Windows, one on Linux, and so on. First I build normally, to ensure the project is in a working state. Then I "push a Git tag" that causes the build hosts to upload their artifacts to a staging repository. Since the build hosts and the staging repo are owned by different vendors, I generate a security token at the staging repo and feed that token to the build hosts, to assure the repo that I authorized all 4 uploads. Then I log into the staging repo and publish the uploaded artifacts.

It's a complex process, which took many tries to get right. However, it worked for 0.3.0 release, just 4 days ago.

Today, the normal build worked perfectly, but when I pushed the tag, all four uploads failed with permission errors. Logging into the staging repo, I discovered that the security token had a different value than I expected. Apparently it changed sometime in the past 4 days.

At this point, I got a little nervous, since *I* hadn't changed the token. But perhaps someone changed it for a good reason, such as in response to a security breach. It wasn't difficult to update the build hosts with the new token and restart the failed jobs.

The 2nd time around, one of the 4 jobs failed with a permission error. The other 3 were fine. I was puzzled. All 4 jobs were using the same token, stored in the same place. As far as permissions were concerned, either they should all succeed, or they should all fail. I double-checked the token and re-ran that job. It failed again.

The failing job was the one running on Windows. And I noticed that the first character in the token was a slash (/). And on Windows a slash is used to indicate a command-line option.

Perhaps the token didn't work on Windows because at some point it got passed in a command line, where the slash was mistaken for a command-line option and skipped, or erroneously escaped.

I generated a new token with no slash, re-ran the failing job, and it succeeded. So probably that slash was the issue.

Chalk up another weird build issue! I should gain some XP for this one...

[mystybelle]

Be not afraid, fleshy thing.

I only eat dreams, unless you piss me off ✪ ω ✪

I'm Mystybelle, the closest thing to a friendly face in the dark you're gonna get, and I'm definitely not here to eat the corpse of your still screaming world. I would never do such a thing.

I'm also an unseiso idol, "Art" nerd(fetishist), wordsmith, wannabe world carver (game dev), singer, amateur 2d animator, and half-good at games.

Also; I am an ENVtuber, but 私は日本語を話す方法を学んでいます!

I've been streaming the making of my new, custom, 3d model~! Plus Disgaea, ZZZ, and League of Legends (My goal is gold 2 by the end of this season). But I'll play any small game that looks promising, or any game with a well done story/world building.

Speaking of world carving, you should check out World Seed SRD ♡ (link)

The usual schedule ✪ ω ✪

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#I see u: Asks, Submissions, Weekly Schedules & Live notifs #💜m💚: posts about one of the worlds(games) I'm working on, or anything else that's important! #cawcaw: sometimes a crowbunny-cat-human-abomination shitposts, what're ya gonna do #shinyyyyyy: when I find something cool or pretty~

IMMERSION BREAK: Disclaimer below the cut-

Disclaimer that shouldn't have to be left:

Government bodies, business entities, nor personal actors may use my artistic creations of any discipline in machine learning software of any kind.

Additionally, you may not repost or use my original work that is posted to this blog, or any of my related social media platforms, commercially without my express permission, as detailed in the creative work itself.

With the exception of law enforcement and government bodies; anyone who perceives this blog has permission to repost, share, and use, any original content on this blog for any non-commercial purpose, as long as proper attribution is given. Proper Attribution: When using my content; leave any watermarks present on the content (if any) intact, and provide a clear link to both my account on the platform you are posting to (or a link to the platform you pulled my content from), and this: (mystybelle.carrd.co) site, within the post or work being made.

-end disclaimer-

Immersion break!! Rules of engagement:

I'm unfortunately a writer, and I was too depressed and terrified of my parents to post anything on deviant art or make an account here when I was 14, so my lore is edgy and involved to compensate. But there's no lore dump you can find anywhere. On stream, I'm being myself, and doing improv based on my notes. So if you're a FNAF fan, this is the easy mode version of what you and MatPat have been doing for years (and I want you to figure it out, so I'm not gonna randomly change things for no reason when you get close).

That said- I want to reiterate that Mystybelle is still a character I'm playing, I REALLY want to play this character, and I want to entertain you as much as I want to have fun. So please don't try to peel back the curtain or be possessive. I'm much better at being a cunt than you are at being a dickhead, don't piss me off.

Besides that, everyone is welcome to enjoy the show!

Also, all artistic works posted here are mine unless otherwise stated.

Last updated: 25/1/7

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[musicverter12]

SoundCloud Converter and SoundCloud Download: Discover MusicVerter

Introduction:

SoundCloud is a treasure trove of music, featuring tracks from independent artists, emerging talents, and established musicians. However, the platform has certain limitations when it comes to downloading music for offline listening. That's where SoundCloud converters and downloaders come into play. MusicVerter is one such tool that allows you to convert and SoundCloud Download  tracks effortlessly. In this blog post, we'll explore the world of SoundCloud conversion and downloading using MusicVerter.

The Need for a SoundCloud Converter:

SoundCloud is a fantastic platform for discovering new music, but there are times when you want to enjoy your favorite tracks offline, without relying on an internet connection. Unfortunately, SoundCloud doesn't provide an official option for downloading tracks, which is where SoundCloud converters become invaluable.

What Is MusicVerter?

MusicVerter is an online tool that specializes in converting and downloading music from SoundCloud. It provides a simple and user-friendly way to save your favorite SoundCloud tracks to your device, allowing you to listen to them anytime, anywhere.

How Does MusicVerter Work?

Using MusicVerter to convert and download SoundCloud tracks is incredibly straightforward:

Copy SoundCloud URL: First, you need to find the SoundCloud track you want to download. Copy the URL of the track from your browser.

Paste the URL: Go to the MusicVerter website and paste the copied SoundCloud URL into the designated input box.

Convert and Download: Click the "Convert" or "Download" button, depending on your preferences. MusicVerter will process the track and provide you with a downloadable link.

Download Your Track: Click the provided link to download the SoundCloud track to your device. You can choose the format (MP3 or MP4) and quality (standard or high) according to your preferences.

Why Use MusicVerter for SoundCloud Conversion and Downloading?

Ease of Use: MusicVerter is designed with user-friendliness in mind. You don't need any technical knowledge to convert and download SoundCloud tracks using this tool.

Speed: MusicVerter works quickly to convert and provide download links for SoundCloud tracks. You can save your favorite songs in just a few clicks.

Versatility: MusicVerter supports a variety of formats and quality options, allowing you to choose the best settings for your needs.

No Installation Required: Unlike some software applications, MusicVerter is entirely web-based. There's no need to download or install anything on your device, making it a hassle-free option.

Accessibility: You can use MusicVerter on any device with an internet connection and a browser. Whether you're on a computer, smartphone, or tablet, you can access and use MusicVerter effortlessly.

Legal Considerations:

While SoundCloud converters like MusicVerter provide a convenient way to enjoy your favorite tracks offline, it's important to consider the legal aspects of downloading music. Some tracks on SoundCloud may be protected by copyright, and downloading them without the necessary permissions could infringe on copyright laws. It's essential to ensure that you have the rights to download and use the music you choose to convert and download.

Conclusion:

MusicVerter simplifies the process of converting and downloading SoundCloud tracks, allowing you to build your offline music library with ease. Whether you want to listen to your favorite SoundCloud tracks during your daily commute, while exercising, or in areas with limited internet connectivity, MusicVerter provides a practical solution. Enjoy the freedom of offline music by using MusicVerter to convert and download your preferred SoundCloud tunes and discover the convenience it offers to music enthusiasts like yourself.

[happychirps]

Make your photographs work for you and earn money.

Selling your photos on stock websites can be a great way to earn additional income. Selling stock photography through mobile devices and DSLRs has become increasingly popular and accessible with the advancement of digital technology. Here are some steps you can take to get started:

Research Stock Websites: There are numerous stock websites where you can sell your photos, such as Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, Freepik, Getty Images and iStock. Look into their submission guidelines, royalty rates, and popularity among buyers.

Assess Market Demand: Before you start shooting and uploading photos, it's important to understand what types of images are in demand. Take a look at the popular categories on stock websites and analyze the types of images that sell well. This will help you focus your efforts and maximize your chances of making sales.

Capture Marketable Photos: Aim to capture high-quality, visually appealing images that have commercial value. Consider popular themes like travel, nature, lifestyle, business, and technology. Ensure your photos are well-lit, properly composed, and have good resolution.

Edit and Enhance: Post-processing your photos can significantly improve their appeal. Use photo editing software like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop to enhance colors, adjust exposure, and remove any imperfections. However, be careful not to over-edit and maintain a natural look.

Keywording and Descriptions: When uploading your photos, provide accurate and descriptive titles, captions, and keywords. This will help potential buyers find your images when they search for specific topics. Be thorough but relevant in your keyword selection.

Follow Submission Guidelines: Each stock website has its own set of submission guidelines, so make sure to review them carefully. Pay attention to the technical specifications, image size requirements, and file formats they accept. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in your photos being rejected.

Model and Property Releases: If your photos contain recognizable individuals or private property, you may need model or property releases. These releases grant you legal permission to sell the images commercially. Familiarize yourself with the rules and requirements surrounding model and property releases on the stock websites you choose.

Regularly Upload New Content: Consistency is key to success in stock photography. Regularly upload new photos to keep your portfolio fresh and increase your visibility in search results. By building a diverse and substantial collection of images, you can attract a wider range of buyers.

Track Sales and Optimize: Monitor your sales and analyze the performance of your images. Pay attention to which photos are selling well and which ones are not. This data will help you refine your future photography efforts and focus on the subjects and styles that resonate with buyers.

Be Patient and Persistent: Selling photos on stock websites can take time and perseverance. It may take a while before you start seeing significant income. Stay motivated, continue to improve your skills, and adapt to the changing demands of the market.

Remember, while selling photos on stock websites can be a lucrative venture, it's also a competitive industry. Success often comes with time, effort, and a strong understanding of what buyers are looking for.

[naharie]

Some rambling thoughts on AI

I've seen a lot of strong reactions to recent AI innovations, whether it be people excited and enthusiastic declaring we are witnessing a new age, or those afraid, angry, or both, at what is and will happen. (And quite a number of the latter, especially on Tumblr.) And to some degree, both sides are understandable. AI can in fact, be used both for great good, and for great evil. However, the reactions of both parties are skewed and will almost certainly not get them to the goal they want to reach.

Since this is Tumblr, let's start with the negative side. What does this group want? For AI to be stopped from replacing human roles and jobs, especially creative ones. The general idea seems to be that we need careful and fairly immediate regulation (or some would argue a wholesale ban) of AI.

The first problem I see with regulating or banning AI is that it's incredibly unlikely to happen, at least in the US where many such companies are based. Mega corps already spend billions in lobbying for tax law changes and cuts, keeping down minimum wage, lowering what they have to to for employees, and really anything that will let them make even a little bit more profit. And like it or not, the reality is that in the long run it costs less to buy the machines, develop the software, maintain the machines, pay for electricity, ..., than it does to pay actual humans with the appropriate skills. (I know this doesn't talk about how well this is or isn't working for various fields, but we'll get to that later, trust me.)

Secondarily, unless the legislation was thorough (which is unlikely, for the same reasons as #1), companies will either find a loop hole to practically keep doing things exactly the same way. Or they'll do what they do with anything else they don't want to get in legal trouble for: outsource it. If the US bans or heavily regulates AI but doesn't carefully regulate the transmission, transport, and use, of AI goods, mega corp will simply move some of its servers oversees to somewhere without those rules, as a likely example, India.

And thirdly, it's delusional to imagine that even if thorough legislation is passed that it will actually mean all that much to mega corp. The fact that it would be illegal would not stop them in the slightest. If you have someone lived under a rock your entire life and don't believe me, go look up the union busting tactics and techniques used by big companies, restaurants, stores, and more.

Enough about that for now, though. Let's look at the other side, at least briefly: the people who are wholesale for AI. What do they want? The increased growth of AI, and for AI to become a much more integral part of our everyday lives. How is this to be done? Hype, throwing money at AI companies, and a lot of development work to build tooling on top of AI.

Now, what problems are there with this plan? As someone who likes having a least a little bit of privacy, where do I even begin. Perhaps with that. If AI is fully integrated with society, to a point where it is expected, the same way many businesses and websites expect you to have a smartphone, in many ways, privacy will be gone, at least so far as you relate to the government. If you somehow don't believe that modern governments spy on their citizens, even through corporations, I would advise you to learn about what happened with Snowden. He himself admits that it's not just the US, and even if it was, they collect about everyone, regardless of country, and then share it with the relevant government so they can get permission to keep doing it.

The second glaring issue that has yet to have a complete solution offered is the power cost of AI. Public data sources show that global power consumption went up by 25% just between 2000 and 2021, and it only continues to climb. And how, you may ask, is this power generated? By using (mostly burning) non renewable fuel sources. More than 60% of all the power in the world comes from non renewable sources. But what does that have to do with AI? AI is usually accelerated using either a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit (a.k.a a graphics card)) or dedicated hardware. In other words, some of the most power hungry computer hardware used by normal machines. There is only a finite amount of traditional fuel sources left, and the more power we need and generate from them, the less time we have left. I'm not saying countries shouldn't switch to nuclear. What I'm saying is that they seem to be unfortunately reluctant to, and if we don't, the other renewable sources will not keep up with AI, and we could potentially see a massive power crisis.

And that's not even speaking about stolen jobs. I think for this audience, I don't need to. People already know what's happening with WGA and artists, and if you don't, a quick google search should enlighten you enough our purposes.

So, what's the actual status of AI? Well, that depends on what field you are looking at. AI text generation/chat bots are doing...somewhat okay. What they can do is impressive, but still has lots of points of failure. And at least in the case of ChattGPT, OpenAI has admitted that they are nearing the limits of their current method. AI video generation is a new field and still has a long way to go before it becomes very promising at all. AI video manipulation is approaching realtime capability on modern hardware, AI sound work begins to equal that of less trained humans.

And of course, AI art is doing just fine for itself, thank you. They all have their limits of course. One big one for AI art is the limited number of tokens/words and therefore complexity of the prompt given. There are ways to partially mitigate this, but nothing complete yet. As an example, try to generate an image for the following prompt: "A cat on a skateboard riding a dragon, that is Smoug from the Hobbit, burning down a forest on the mountainside while flying down toward the lake on laketown, while in the bottom right corner there is a circle showing laketown where Bard stands at ease, holding out his bow and a singular arrow, looking out towards the mountain." Then, if you have enough money, hire an artist to make you a picture from the same prompt. It's not even a competition, one of them is clearly better, and its the artist's.

But wait you may say, this isn't a complete essay. You left out some of your proofs, arguments, and conclusions, and left us with something incomplete. To that I say: you are right, this is not an essay, it is a rambling combination of thoughts I've had, and I made revisit these points in the future if I or anyone else cares.