Interesting Links

**Starlight Network No-AI List**
List of software projects that are either refusing to use generative "AI" (LLMs)

#software #LLM #AI

**Trump Rolls Out White Carpet For White Migrants**
"Notably, this isn’t a free pass for any South African. The document apparently extends this to whites only, which is a hell of a thing to do in this day and age."
"This administration will not only piss down your leg and tell you it’s raining […]

**We study pandemics, and the resurgence of measles is a grim sign of what’s coming**
"The US eliminated measles in 2000, but the disease is once again circulating."

#measles #PublicHealth #pandemic

AI Sucks, Actually that's it, that's the thesis

**AI Sucks, Actually**
Linkblog

#AI #LLM #TechIndustry

**Your Browser Becomes Your WordPress**
Announcment of My.WordPress.net, a persistent in-browser WordPress that you can use for drafts, experiments, subscribe to feeds, etc. without setting up or signing into an actual server.

#WordPress #WebApps

The ABC’s of Age Verification in the United States

**Age Verification Bills and Laws in the US**

#privacy #law

**The Aurora Tree**
"The beauty of the aurora -- combined with how it seemed to mimic a tree right nearby -- mesmerized the photographer to such a degree that he momentarily forgot to take pictures. When viewed at the right angle, it seemed that this tree had aurora for leaves. " Photographer […]

# Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP) DROP. Delete. Done. * DROP overview * How DROP works * Personal information and data brokers * Unique identifiers * About DROP and the Delete Act * Help with DROP DROP gives you more control over your data. You can tell data brokers to delete and not sell your personal information. Get started with DROP **DROP is** * Safe, secure, and protects your privacy * Fast and easy to use * Free — we will never charge you to use DROP ## Benefits **More control of your data** Using DROP helps you limit the information data brokers collect and sell about you. Data brokers collect a wide range of your personal information, which may include your social security number, data about your children, search history, and much more. **Reduced spam and scams** When your data stops getting sold, you’ll have less unwanted texts, calls, or emails. **Greater security** Decrease risk of identity theft, fraud, AI impersonations, or that your data is leaked or hacked. Keep in mind, if your personal information is deleted by data brokers, it may affect certain online experiences. For example, you may receive fewer targeted ads or personalized content. Find more details about how a DROP request will affect your personal information on Personal information and data brokers. * * * ## How it works DROP is simple to use. Delete your personal information in 3 easy steps: ### Step 1. Verify your eligibility Confirm that you are a California resident. Verify using one of our trusted partners. ### Step 2. Create your profile Give basic information about yourself. You choose how much you provide. ### 3. Submit your DROP request DROP lets you send a single request to over 500 registered data brokers. **Starting August 1, 2026** , data brokers must delete your data within 90 days. Visit How DROP works for more details. * * * ## Eligibility and verification To be eligible to submit a deletion request in DROP, you must be a California resident. To verify you are a California resident, you will be asked to provide basic information through the California Identity Gateway, the State of California’s secure digital platform. The California Identity Gateway allows services to confirm eligibility while protecting your privacy. You do not need to create a California Identity Gateway account, and your information is not retained by DROP. You have the option to enter your information directly or verify your residency using Login.gov. In some cases, you may submit a DROP request for another California resident. For example, a parent may submit a request for a child, or a family member may submit a request for an elderly relative. For more information, review Verify your eligibility. * * * ## How we protect your data DROP is built to keep the information you enter private and secure. * Your information is only used to complete your request. It won’t be sold or shared for any other reason. * You choose what information to provide. Data brokers only need basic information to find and delete the information they have about you. * The personal information you give to DROP is protected and stored in a secure format. Learn more about your data and data brokers. * * * ## Timeline Since this is a new service, data brokers are still getting on board. Here’s what to expect. January 1, 2026 **DROP launches.** Californians can start submitting requests. August 1, 2026 Data brokers **begin processing** requests. Moving forward Data brokers **delete data** every 45 days. * * * ## Take action Submit a DROP request or sign up to receive future updates. **Get started** **Subscribe to our newsletter** ## About * About CalPrivacy * Blog * Subscribeto our newsletter * Contact us ## Businesses * Business resources * Data brokers * Data broker registry Website Accessibility Certification

**Delete request and opt-out platform (DROP)**
For California residents, a central place to request that data brokers delete and stop selling your data.

#Privacy #California #Tools

**A beginner's guide to improving your digital security**
"This 8 item to-do list will help you improve your security, understand why you should do each task, the limitations of these tools, and what not to do."

#OnlineSafety #ComputerSecurity #email #Signal #Privacy #HowTo

**Age Verification and Age Gating: Resource Hub**

#EFF #privacy #AgeVerification

**World of Ends**
Classic 2003 essay on "What the Internet Is and How to Stop Mistaking It for Something Else."
Key point: adding stuff in the middle makes things worse, while adding stuff at the edges makes it better.

#Internet #InternetHistory #networking

WEB会議などで使える「スタジオジブリ壁紙」 - スタジオジブリ｜STUDIO GHIBLI WEB会議などで使える「スタジオジブリ壁紙」。WEB会議などでご利用いただけるスタジオジブリ作品の壁紙を提供いたします。ご活用いただければ幸いです。 今回、ジブリパークの公式サイトに用いられた画像を、新たにジブリパークの壁紙として追加しました。 引き続き皆さまに楽しんでいただけたら嬉し…

**Free backgrounds from Studio Ghibli**
Released during the early days of Covid, still available

#wallpaper #StudioGhibli

**Never bet against x86**
"The problem with Arm processors in the desktop (and laptop) space certainly isn’t one of performance – as this latest design by Arm once again shows. No, the real problem is a complete and utter lack of standardisation, with every chip and every device in the Arm space […]

**Leave big tech behind! How to replace Amazon, Google, X, Meta, Apple – and more**
"A handful of companies monopolise the web, with unprecedented access to our data. But there are many more ethical – and often distinctively European – alternatives"

#BigTech #DeFAANG #DeGoogling #Amazon #Apple […]

GitHub - cloudcommunity/Cloud-Free-Tier-Comparison: Comparing the free tier offers of the major cloud providers like AWS, Azure, GCP, Oracle etc. Comparing the free tier offers of the major cloud providers like AWS, Azure, GCP, Oracle etc. - cloudcommunity/Cloud-Free-Tier-Comparison

**Comparing the free tier offers of the major cloud providers**
Time-limited and usage-limited free trials, and always-free options (and what their limitations are).

#CloudHosting #OracleSoftware #AWS #Azure #Google #Linode #Hetzner #DigitalOcean #Cloudflare

**How to stop a dictator**
"I spent months studying how authoritarians like Trump lose. The answer is shockingly simple."
TL;DR: Make it clear to the general populace that the wannabe dictator is actually trying to dismantle democracy.

#politics #democracy #authoritarianism #Poland #Venezuela […]

Fans Are Better Than Tech at Organizing Information Online Archive of Our Own, the fanfiction database recently nominated for a Hugo, has perfected a system of tagging that the rest of the web could emulate.

**Fans Are Better Than Tech at Organizing Information Online**
An article from a few years back about Archive Of Our Own's tagging scheme

#organization #AO3 #fandom

**Unsung heroes: Flickr’s URLs scheme**
"It was a beautiful and predictable scheme. Once you knew how it worked, you could guess other URLs. If I were typing an email or authoring a blog post and I happened to have a link to your photo in Flickr, I could also easily include a link to your Flickr […]

**Preserving The Web Is Not The Problem. Losing It Is.**
Regarding various news sites blocking the Internet Archive because someone, somewhere, might be using it to train AI.
"The Wayback Machine is built for human readers." "When libraries are blocked from archiving the web, the public loses […]

**Beth Mathews Design — No ICE Sign**
"Protect yourself and your workers by displaying this “Private Property! No ICE” sign on your business’ front door or window. ICE agents MUST have a valid judicial warrant signed by a federal judge to enter and arrest!"

#signs #NoIce #GetAWarrant

**Encrypt It Already**
"End-to-end encryption protects the privacy of your data, puts control over how the data gets used into your hands, and is the best way we have to ensure private conversations remain private. Not enough companies use it as broadly as they should. Learn more here." […]

Genetically Modified Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire A project to save the chestnut tree is gaining momentum—and opponents

**Genetically Modified Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire**
The first article I remember reading about the chestnut reintroduction projects, way back in 2014.

#chestnut #extinction #trees

**Bringing the"functionally extinct" American chestnut back from the dead**
An update on the multiple attempts to bring the species back to its original range, where it once dominated forests before a pair of blights nearly wiped it out.
The hybrids, the genetically modified, and the descendants […]

How the men in the Epstein files defeated #MeToo The emails show the “anti-woke” crusaders are afraid of accountability.

**How the men in the Epstein files defeated #MeToo**
"The emails show the “anti-woke” crusaders are afraid of accountability."

#fascism #harassment #eugenics #racism #sexism

**Signal Contingency Plan**
A recommendation for DeltaChat as a backup plan in case Signal goes down or gets blocked.

#Signal #messaging #DeltaChat

**From magic to malware: How OpenClaw's agent skills become an attack surface | 1Password**
"The same capabilities that make OpenClaw a groundbreaking tool also make it an urgent security risk. This blog contains confirmed examples of agent skills being used as malware vectors, and advice on how […]

Bluefin The next generation cloud-native Linux workstation, designed for reliability, performance, and sustainability.

**Bluefin**
A fork of Fedora Silverblue, focused on automating as much maintenance as possible.

#Linux #Fedora #distro #ImmutableDistro

**Minneapolis Proved Something MAGA Can’t Accept: Most People Are Actually Virtuous**
"The secret fear of the morally depraved is that virtue is actually common, and that they’re the ones who are alone."

#Politics #HumanDecency #ICE #immigration #community

**How To Help if You are Outside Minnesota**
"I’m going to assume that if you’re reading this, you more or less understand the situation in Minnesota and I don’t have to explain it to you!"

#fascism #resistance #antifascism #ICE #Minnesota #immigration #HowTo

**Social Network User Data Storage Map**
Where are Fediverse and ATmosphere servers actually located? (City level, not closer than that.)

#Fediverse #hosting #CloudHosting #maps