Joe Ortiz @joeo10@mastodon.sdf.org

Since it's a new year, a #introductions refresh for those new or want to get a reminder of who I'm about:

Here's some hashtags to what I'm all about. If you relate to any of these, I would love to interact with you all!

#culture
#tech
#coding
#programming
#podcasts
#software
#opensource
#fandom
#diversity
#windows
#linux
#gaming
#retrogaming
#hardware

And more!

BULLETIN: A federal judge has set a tentative trial hearing date of Big Publishing's lawsuit against the Internet Archive on November 2021. http://blog.archive.org/2020/09/03/judge-sets-tentative-trial-date-for-november-2021/

#library #libraries #books #reading #archive #web

Heads up for people living in the United States:

The Senate is moving forward with the EARN IT Act AND have introduced a bill that if passed would in fact plant a nuclear bomb into our privacy, our security, AND our online freedom of expression.

Please pay attention and fight this! #privacy #security #cybersecurity #freespeech #Section230 #internet
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200622/17004044763/terrible-dangerous-earn-it-act-set-to-move-forward-senate-attack-both-encryption-free-speech-online.shtml

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200623/17050744767/senators-launch-full-nuclear-war-against-encryption-bill-will-require-broken-encryption-putting-everyone-risk.shtml

Activists rally to save Internet Archive as a lawsuit from publishers threaten to shut it down https://decrypt.co/31906/activists-rally-save-internet-archive-lawsuit-threatens

If people are smart, it's time to archive the Archive right now. In other words, fork it and turn it unto a decentralized platform. I hope someone out there is working on that.

Plus you have to think libraries need some decentralization as well as this lawsuit could kill libraries as we know them.

#library #libraries #books #reading #archive #decentralization #web

Publishers/authors are trying to officially kill the Internet Archive https://torrentfreak.com/publishers-sue-the-internet-archive-over-its-open-library-declare-it-a-pirate-site-200601/

It's become very clear that these publishers and authors want to kill libraries and it would be a dangerous precedent if they win.

For example: libraries never needed permission to lend books, and these same publishers are trying to change that with this suit. https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200519/13244644530/libraries-have-never-needed-permission-to-lend-books-move-to-change-that-is-big-problem.shtml

#library #libraries #books #reading

I missed this last month, but it's a hugely important development in the security sphere: The Linux Foundation and other companies are putting in millions to help secure open-source software we all rely on. https://www.zdnet.com/article/get-paid-to-improve-linux-and-open-source-security/

#linux #opensource #tech

Planning on my first in person lighting talk for the first time in nearly two years in November. Expect a fully vaccinated crowd and reduced capacity thankfully.

We'll see how this goes.

Untitled Duck Game

What a nice day to go out on the park at the last true day of summer with my gjrlfriend.

First week back at business send of things was a success!

Hopefully this continues on.

Wild West government spying on even the most innocent communications gets yet another huge boost this week from a federal appeals court in the Wikimedia vs. NSA case. Congress, which could fix this but both parties (except for a very few like Ron Wyden) really don't take your privacy seriously. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-court-upholds-dismissal-suit-against-nsa-state-secrets-grounds-2021-09-16/

Sir Clive Sinclair may be gone: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/sep/16/home-computing-pioneer-sir-clive-sinclair-dies-aged-81

But the #ZX81 is online (hopefully) forever: https://archive.org/search.php?query=zx81&and%5B%5D=mediatype%3A%22software%22

Can they just pick a Jeopardy! host already? https://www.buzzerblog.com/2021/09/16/mayim-bialik-and-ken-jennings-will-host-jeopardy-for-rest-of-season/

"The Hunter's height is probably around 180cm (5'11)... So in comparison, Maria has to be over 2 meters (6'7)!"

So Maria's over 6'7 without heels?? That's impressive for a woman. That's one part I didn't know about on how tall she really is in the game. https://youtu.be/aT0jCklesWA

#games #bloodborne #goodsmile

Non-covid conditions are in the backburner due to full ERs thanks to unvaccinated patients. This example is a heartbreaker: https://www.propublica.org/article/a-boy-went-to-a-covid-swamped-er-he-waited-for-hours-then-his-appendix-burst

Here's some photos of #Greenland, which I have never been to before and want to someday. https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2021/09/scenes-from-greenland/620086/

Kape Technologies buys ExpressVPN for $936 million https://www.reuters.com/technology/kape-technologies-buys-expressvpn-936-mln-2021-09-13/

Time to look for an alternative if you use that #VPN. My recs are here: https://www.privacyguides.org/providers/vpn/

As this article form the always awesome Karl Bode explains, the delay of staffing a full FCC is getting irritated every day it passes and unless it happens, the current FCC is basically handcuffed.

Also there's a good chance that there could be a 2-1 GOP majority under the current administration if they don't do anything by 2022. https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20210907/08093847515/biden-has-wasted-year-failing-to-fill-top-telecom-oversight-spots.shtml

Back to the co-working space but for now I'm only going to spend two days a week there while the other days at home so it's a good balance considering the circumstances.

I'm glad that someone posted a tribute to my overall favorite #cinderella tale in Ever After. https://www.avclub.com/ever-after-did-the-cinderella-story-right-1847611018

PS: That #glassslipper design is my overall fav out of all of them, Loved it still although I still really want to get a replica of it.

So today is the 20th Anniversary of the last true normal day of my life. I'm sure most of you agree with me.