Kernel Snarky @kernelsnarky@penguicon.social

A large trash company is running slick youtube and FB ads to convince folks in our tiny rural farming town to change our bylaws and let them build a 45 acre landfill over a sensitive watershed.

They had the chutzpah to use the URL http://www.sustainablehardwick.org

This is the same company that has been fined in other towns for leaks and water contamination. The same company that is embroiled in controversy in NH and Maine over dumps.

They had a much smaller dump here about 15 years ago that they were forced to shut down because of contamination. A farm nearby was permanently condemned.

But I guess they think we have short memories.

Anyway, it would be a real shame if their web survey got filled with useless data...

Boosts of this *very much* welcome.

Before you create a Threads account you should know that you can’t delete it without nuking your entire Instagram account.

@mhoye 💯

What's too often missed is that this is also contextual and context changes with time.

Some piece of information that is "benign" today might turn out to be life-threatening tomorrow. Or in five years. Or in ten.

People keep missing that. And that's such an important aspect of why we need control over our personal data.

Everyone who's ever said "if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear" is somebody trying to bully you into giving them the power to strip you of your dignity at a moment's notice.

On a whim, whenever it's convenient for them.

That's the fight. It's not about privacy, it's not about secrets, and it never was. It's about about power.

I think it’s important to repeat: you don't "have something to hide" when you put blinds on your windows or close the door when you're on the can or wear clothes.

Privacy isn't about having something to hide. It's not about keeping secrets. It's about you being the person who chooses what you reveal about yourself, and when, and to who, and the other word we have for that is "dignity". Your inherent dignity, as a human being.

Your privacy is the agency you have over your dignity.

I've made what I think might be a really helpful short video for newcomers to the fediverse. Just a little hi and welcome, and to give just a little background on the place, how it works, but mostly the people, the instances, the memes, and dramas .

Welcome to the fediverse, I hope this helps you find your feet a little! Once you're used to this place you'll never want to give it up #feditips #mastodev #mastotips #Linux #women

In retrospect, it might have been a mistake to give Facebook all of my personal information in exchange for seeing what my high school friends eat for dinner.

The internet has ushered in an era of unprecedented invasive surveillance. Commercial operators large and small spy on us in every way and sell and give away and leak our data to criminals, cops, spies, advertisers and stalkers.

This isn't because you're not paying for "the product," which makes *you* the product. Companies that *can* abuse you *do*.

1/

Let's give a big penguicon.social welcome to @MagicG , @Mishatuesday , and @Configures !

Let's give a big penguicon.social welcome to @WolfBearWomvat @pkemner @Improvaloo @dougjon10 and @Colleen_RJ_Nora !

Penguicon.social needs a cute penguin as a favicon instead of the default Mastodon icon. Because penguins. 🐧

And maybe it should be linked to in the "Find us on social media" section of the Penguicon.org site?

People will continue to use big centralized sites like Discord until the alternatives drop the literal paragraphs of technobabble to explain what they are.

Most users do not know tech well. If they see pages of words they don't understand it's clear the software 'isn't for people like me'
so they go back to centralized sites.

If people don't understand what any of those acronyms and words mean it won't matter that the site is easier or better to use.

There's nothing wrong with technical explanations.
But they can be deeply alienating as a first impression and explanation to someone with no tech or coding skills who's after 'a site I can talk to my friends on'.

Folks know the sites they use are bad. But the alternative isn't accessible to the vast majority of people.

Non tech users need to be included and respected as potential users if open source is to appeal to all the communities it could benefit.

pictured: vulpine.club members taking a quick snooze between reet fits