@james@bne.social cover
@james@bne.social avatar

james

@[email protected]

Passionate about audio · Editor of Podnews https://podnews.net · Host of the Podnews Weekly Review https://weekly.podnews.net · Personal/radio blog: https://james.cridland.net · These messages self-destruct

I also have a thing for craft beer, and did so before it was quite as trendy as today.

I live in Meanjin/Brisbane QLD Australia - in Bardon 4065 - on the land of the Turrbul and Jagera people. I'm British and moved here ten years ago.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. View on remote instance

@scottjenson@social.coop avatar scottjenson , to random

Is there a "professional" Mastodon client for high end users? I'm mostly looking for a tool that helps me sort notifications. When you get a few popular posts it's very hard to track everything.

What I like about the fediverse is that there could be a completely separate tool just for notifications

james ,
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@cheeaun @scottjenson @moira @_elena

Change "Mentions - ALL / PRIVATE" to "Mentions - ALL / FOLLOWING / PRIVATE" so you can filter the view to only see mentions from people who you are following?

That seems a sensible plan for those who get a ton of notifications?

james ,
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@_elena @cheeaun @scottjenson @moira I think that is what Twitter used to offer verified users. (I was one, but Elon took it away.)

@randahl@mastodon.social avatar randahl , to random

The UK economy has suffered tremendously from the decision to leave the EU, but it will all be fixed, if Nigel Farage gets another go at it, thinks 28 percent of Brits.

Madness!

Graph from https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/united-kingdom/
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james ,
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@randahl I agree with @bgrinter ! Preferential voting is much better than first past the post (which they have in the UK). Randahl - here’s an explanation: https://www.aec.gov.au/learn/files/poster-counting-hor-pref-voting.pdf

However, it arguably only really works with the other part of Australia’s secret sauce: compulsory voting. That’s how you ensure 90%+ of the people vote.

james ,
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@randahl @bgrinter Annoyingly, the Aussies have thought of part of that, too. Every Australian “electorate” (the seat, or the constituency) is the same population size. So a vote in inner Sydney counts just as much as a vote in the middle of the Northern Territory. Quite neat.

The downside with proportional representation is that if 1% of the population votes for the racists, then the racists get 1% of the seats.

With first past the post, your vote is often wasted, or you are voting for people you don’t really want to win but they’ll get the others out.

All voting systems have their downsides, but I’m quite impressed (as a Brit) at the way the Aussies work it.

james ,
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@randahl @bgrinter As a British Citizen I still get to vote in the UK General Election. But here’s a strange thing - I get to vote based on where I last lived. So somewhere in North London, I have the chance to change the MP. Ludicrous!

The Italians have an MP for “Italians who live overseas” which seems to be a good system to me. I wish the British did that too. Expats have some things we need fighting for, after all.

(Actually, the Italians have a total of twelve seats for Italians who live overseas, which is less good, but lets gloss over that).

@james@bne.social avatar james , to random

Hey! If you’re new here, or you’re looking to follow more people, I’ve been running this for the last six months or so and it’s been helpful. A simple browser extensions that (privately) keeps a list of the websites you visit that have fediverse accounts to follow.

https://streetpass.social/

@james@bne.social avatar james , to random

Has anyone done any work in a proper list of “podcast apps that support RSS video podcasts”?

(Not alternateEnclosures - proper full video, like This Week In Tech - https://podnews.net/podcast/i41ok )

(Not HLS streams, but proper full video files)

@TheBreadmonkey@beige.party avatar TheBreadmonkey , to random

B52s sex shed

james ,
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@TheBreadmonkey it’s a little old place where we can get “together”

@james@bne.social avatar james , to random

Time for a new browser? I've had a good play with a ton of them, and I think I've found one that could be the thing.

https://james.cridland.net/blog/2025/alternative-browsers/

james OP ,
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@tchambers @Vivaldi Yeah - I get that. I like the concept of an RSS reader, which is why I use one every day. I’d rather a piece of software does one job, and one job well - which is why I’m less sold on the Vivaldi integration.

@randahl@mastodon.social avatar randahl , to random

I am shocked by how fast credit card issuers in Denmark block credit cards based on a hunch.

I have now twice had a card blocked, because their AI system saw a "suspicious usage pattern". Both times it was just me using my card normally.

It is deeply problematic, because you get no warning. You are just standing in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country, and suddenly you cannot pay the cab to the airport, because the AI God has spoken.

Is it like this in your countries as well?

james ,
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@randahl I have had this in the past - UK cards being stopped in the US, and Aus cards being stopped somewhere. The Aus card was more annoying, having to call the bank during Aus hours.

I usually use a Wise card when overseas these days. It can be cheaper than my normal bank card, and it also means that my risk is lower (I’ve got my “real” cards with me as well). It’s also meant for travel, I guess.

I also always use Apple Pay (and before it, Google Pay) rather than the actual cards. I believe that Apple payment comes with GPS coordinates and things to help banks know what is real and what isn’t. Never had an issue in the past five years (and I don’t use cash, ever; and never tell the bank when I’m travelling).

@james@bne.social avatar james , to random

So, ACMA’s thunderous response to Kyle and JackieO has finally been published. 7 cases of broadcasting highly offensive content about urination, masturbation and plenty more, with 16% of their audience being kids.

Does ARN, the licence-holder, get any sanction? A fine?

Um, no. They get - and I’m not making this up - a licence condition that… they must follow the already existing rules. That they broke 7 times just this year. Well, that’ll fix it.

What is the point of ACMA?

https://www.mediaweek.com.au/acma-imposes-licence-conditions-on-arn-over-kyle-jackie-o/

@randahl@mastodon.social avatar randahl , (edited ) to random

Two of Nigel Farage's associates convicted for stealing over 100,000 euro from the EU — which is a complete shock to me, since Farage always talks about immigrants committing the crimes.

https://www.pressreader.com/pakistan/the-pak-banker/20251111/281758455554666

james ,
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@randahl > I vividly recall Farage saying it was always the immigrants who committed the crimes

When we make statements like that, it makes it easy for people to ignore the actual story, because it's easy to point out that they're bullshit.

Farage doesn't say that - at least, doesn't say it out loud. Your point of view is made null and void by just lying about what dangerous people like Farage actually says.

james ,
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@randahl As you well know, these aren’t equivalent to “it’s always the immigrants who commit the crimes”.

If we lie when we give oxygen to these people then we are no better than they are.

james ,
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@randahl Yes, almost.

When you say: "I vividly recall Farage saying it was always the immigrants who committed the crimes" then actually:
a) you don't actually recall it
b) it's not a "vivid" recollection
c) he didn't say it

You meant to say: "He claims immigrants are one of the main sources of crime in Britain".

(continues)

james ,
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@randahl He isn't entirely wrong. In 2024 between 40% and 47% of those charged in London for sexual offences were foreign nationals - despite them accounting for just a quarter of the capital's population. Being charged doesn't mean they were guilty, of course - being a foreign national doesn't mean an immigrant - sexual offences does not mean 'all crime' - but as with Farage's claims, there is a grain of truth.

(continues)

james ,
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@randahl But to claim he says "it is always the immigrants", and back it up with a claim of "vividly recalling" it - well, that's just a lie. And it makes our arguments less convincing.

james ,
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@randahl I think that’s a much more truthful post, yes.

His playbook is to make stuff up. If we make stuff up too, nobody wins.

james ,
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@randahl Sorry to press the point - but you DID lie in your original wording. You claimed something that was not true. That is the definition of a lie. And you did so deliberately to make a point.

I don’t really understand what’s so difficult about telling the truth when we try to fight people like this. I used the word correctly, and in a constructive way: and you have since removed that misleading statement.

Fighting their misinformation is best when done with truthful statements, not lies.

@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

my social network is so cool you've probably never even heard of it

One more step to make a bigger impact! Sharing your purchase is the final step to maximizing your impact. Help spread the word and let others join this amazing cause — it only takes a second! Share on social: - Facebook - Instagram - Linktree - LinkedIn - X - Threads Send a link: - Messenger - WhatsApp - Discord - Copy link - QR Code - Share Done
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james ,
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@FediTips@social.growyourown.services avatar FediTips , to random

Did you know you can install Fediverse servers' websites as apps on your phone? These "web apps" let you have the most fully-featured versions of Mastodon, PeerTube, Pixelfed etc as apps on your home screen, including notifications, full screen interfaces etc.

It's very easy to install web apps on Android and iPhone/iPad, full instructions in this guide:

➡️ https://fedi.tips/how-to-install-web-apps-for-mastodon-and-the-fediverse

Most web apps have more features than app store apps, due to restrictions in app store rules.

james ,
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@FediTips You should add Phanpy to the list of web apps there - an excellent Mastodon client that works brilliantly. @phanpy has lots more info.

@dangillmor@mastodon.social avatar dangillmor , to random
james ,
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@dangillmor Worthwhile mentioning that the BBC’s partner for US news is CBS. So, this news affects much of the world, given the BBC’s global reach.

@dangillmor@mastodon.social avatar dangillmor , (edited ) to random

UPDATE: Thanks to a helpful commenter, I found the setting I was looking for.

I used to be able to delete the advertising ID in Android, but after the latest update (16) I can't find that option. Anyone know if Google has removed that option? (Very very bad if they did...)

james ,
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@dangillmor A quick Kagi search reveals this, if it’s helpful.

james ,
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@dangillmor @peterhuene I changed to iOS a few years ago. Overall impression is that it is significantly better for privacy. (I also block most ads using NextDNS).

18+ @james@bne.social avatar james , to random

Australian government: we’re going to block all social media for under 16s

Also Australian government: in spite of twelve breaches of obscenity in 2025 alone, we’re fine broadcasting Kyle & Jackie O playing “guess from the sound who from our team is taking a piss” while children are being driven to school.

This has to stop.

https://james.cridland.net/blog/2025/kick-kyle-off/

A transcript of part of Kyle & Jackie O’s show
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james OP ,
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It’s fascinating over on LinkedIn, where radio professionals are falling over themselves to tell me why I’m wrong here.

@Kilian@mastodon.social avatar Kilian , to random

This was a tiny feature to implement, but I get so much value out of color coding the address bar depending on the domain I'm working on.

Tab customization in Polypane: https://polypane.app/docs/tab-customization/

Polypane app with a yellow-tinted address bar and tab, alongside a blue-tinted tab.
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james ,
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@Kilian One for @Vivaldi to consider! Seems a "simple" job to add some colouring to the tab and address bar per domain.

james ,
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@Vivaldi @Kilian Not the same, really - would be nice to be able to a) override that with a set colour per domain (for devs); b) for that to remain on the tab at all times.

@james@bne.social avatar james , to random

@Vivaldi I use @kagihq as my search engine but can’t work out how to set it on iPhone. I’ve synched my account but the only custom search engine it wants to give me is “New Engine”. Is there a secret to make it work? (Any chance of adding Kagi natively?)

james OP ,
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@Vivaldi That worked! Thanks!

@james@bne.social avatar james , to random

Wow. This is amazing. If you open-source your firmware, other people come along and say "yeah, you know, I might be able to make this better".

My little TRMNL now has grayscale, and 22% better power consumption. Thank you @fast_code_r_us and @trmnl ! Amazing.

https://usetrmnl.com/blog/no-more-flicker

@LoganFive@beige.party avatar LoganFive , to random

I think we need internet librarians, people who have sifted through all the bullshit online and have all the quality links to good websites and materials in one place.

james ,
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@LoganFive You've discovered newsletters. Congratulations!

james ,
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@vandenberglegs @LoganFive You’ve discovered blogs. Or a newsletter with a website.

(I’ve found that Kagi, a paid search engine, is pretty good at being a better search source than the more obvious ones.)

james ,
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@Doomed_Daniel @vandenberglegs @LoganFive Maybe he discovered webrings

@w7voa@journa.host avatar w7voa , to random
james ,
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@w7voa Given that both China Radio International and Russia's Sputnik have taken over many of the RFA/RFE/VOA frequencies and channels (and even the BBC!), I sure hope someone has a plan to get them back.

@ewen@photog.social avatar ewen , to random

Jacinta "we was robbed" Price. Feeling the heat from our ABC.

Live and delusional
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james ,
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@ewen What a dreadful person she is. Eurgh.

@Daojoan@mastodon.social avatar Daojoan , (edited ) to random

If opting out of the Internet of Surveillance somehow stunts my growth, I’m directionally okay with that.

I don’t need a weather app to tell me if it’s raining.

And I don’t need Google Analytics to tell me if people are reading.

https://www.joanwestenberg.com/the-only-metrics-that-matter/

james ,
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@Daojoan very much agree with this. I don’t run Google Analytics on my main business’s website. I have a page counter (a 1px bug) but it’s my own code, running on my own domain - and only there because I heavily cache stuff so can’t use server logs. That’s there to tell me what people like, but that’s as much as it does. No path tracking, or attribution, or anything else like that.

@aral@mastodon.ar.al avatar aral , to random

“Mozilla doesn’t sell data about you (in the way that most people think about ‘selling data’)”

– Mozilla

;) ;)

(At least Mark Zuckerberg had the good grace to call us “dumb fucks” to our faces.)

https://blog.mozilla.org/en/products/firefox/update-on-terms-of-use/

james ,
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@aral "there are a number of places where we collect and share some data with our partners" it adds. Good grief.

@w7voa@journa.host avatar w7voa , to random

I am live momentarily on ABC TV's News Channel in Australia to speak about the momentous developments in the past week here in America. https://www.abc.net.au/news/newschannel

james ,
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@w7voa Drat, missed you. That’s a shame.

ABC News is available worldwide on their website and on YouTube. I wish other broadcasters would follow.

@kevinrothrock@infosec.exchange avatar kevinrothrock , to random

One more question seeking enlightened guidance in the world of small-time content creation: Where do the good, decent, progressive, and wise podcasters host their podcasts, these days?

james ,
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@kevinrothrock Captivate are good for serious podcasters (I, too, was an advisor). RSS.com are good, and have good things planned (I am an advisor). Transistor are good, and I am not an advisor! Buzzsprout are good and simple and easy (they are a sponsor). But https://podnews.net/article/choosing-a-podcast-host is a long screed about how to choose.

@nixCraft@mastodon.social avatar nixCraft , to random

FFmpeg By Example is a documentation website to showcase all the unique and different ways to use FFmpeg. https://ffmpegbyexample.com/

james ,
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@nixCraft Interesting. I use ffmpeg probably five times a day in my work flow. Never come across the dither command for audio before - and it turns out that the example here (a WAV to a MP3) specifically doesn’t need dithering. https://www.waves.com/audio-dithering-what-you-need-to-know

@james@bne.social avatar james , to random

The only bit of AI I use is for the Podnews Extra podcast, where I use it to summarise conversations. It's really, really good at this, now I've got the prompt about right.

@kagihq @podnews

@w7voa@journa.host avatar w7voa , to random

President-elect Trump says he’s traveling to Paris on Saturday for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral.

james ,
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@w7voa Let's hope it doesn't rain!

@kevinrothrock@infosec.exchange avatar kevinrothrock , to random

Lindsey Graham, ladies and gentlemen. This, not "arsenal of democracy" lore, is what motivates Ukraine support for many of America's bloodthirstiest hawks. Kremlin propaganda couldn't script a more evil-sounding speech.

video/mp4

james ,
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@kevinrothrock “50% of all the food going to Africa comes out of Ukraine” - no. 50% of wheat going to Africa comes from Ukraine or Russia (in the last year, mostly from Russia). https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/econographics/ukraines-grain-exports-are-crucial-to-africas-food-security/

It should also be noted that Ukraine’s rare earth minerals are there, but aren’t actively being mined: so it’s a hypothetical at this point, and certainly won’t magically be pouring out of the ground in a few years. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/natural-resources-ukraine-war-1.6467039

@james@bne.social avatar james , to random

@mike Hello! Your accounts for the BBC don't use the correct BBC logo, which pains me somewhat. The font in the BBC blocks changed, ever so slightly, a few years ago. Would love it if someone took a look at them.

@FediTips@social.growyourown.services avatar FediTips , to random

The official Mastodon app (and most other Fediverse apps) do not collect any data about you.

When you sign up on a Fediverse server, it asks for the minimum amount of information (an email address and a password) and none of this info goes to the app or app makers.

This is in stark contrast to other social networks which seem to collect lots of personal info. See the attached image for a comparison of the privacy policies of various official social network apps.

Tall image containing screenshots of the app store privacy policies of the official apps for Mastodon, Threads, Twitter/X, BlueSky, Instagram and TikTok. The Mastodon app does not collect any information. Threads collects Health & Fitness, Purchases, Financial Info, Location, Contact Info, Contacts, User Content, Search History, Browsing History, Identifiers, Usage Data, Sensitive Info, Diagnostics, Other Data Twitter/X collects Purchases, Location, Contact Info, User Content, Browsing History, Identifiers, Usage Data, Contacts, Search History, Usage Data, Diagnostics, Other Data BlueSky collects Contact Info, User Content, Usage Data, Diagnostics Instagram collects Health & Fitness, Purchases, Financial Info, Location, Contact Info, Contacts, User Content, Search History, Browsing History, Identifiers, Usage Data, Sensitive Info, Diagnostics, Other Data TikTok collects Purchases, Financial Info, Location, Contact Info, Contacts, User Content, Search History, Browsing History, Identifiers, Usage Data, Diagnostics This information is correct as of 19th October 2024.
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james ,
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@FediTips A reminder that the App Privacy section in the Apple App Store is self-reported. Apple doesn’t appear to check, other than “providing resources” to help app developers “fill out this information accurately”. https://support.apple.com/en-us/102399

james ,
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@FediTips @antdesros @AndikaCJ As @Cal pointed out though, the app is different to the server (for the fediverse), which is very different to X, BlueSky, Threads etc, where the app is also run by the same company as the server.

Tracking is undoubtedly possible by instance operators, who can see my 15 most recent connected IP addresses, for example, and find out who else uses the same IP addresses. That’s built-in to the moderation system of anyone using Mastodon. That’s - undoubtedly - tracking a user; especially since my mobile app is pinging the instance every so often for new messages.

I am all for the fediverse, but I’m all for being honest and pragmatic about any issues it has. A privacy comparison between the Apple App Store self-reported claims really isn’t an honest comparison of “the fediverse” vs other social media.

james ,
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@FediTips @antdesros @AndikaCJ @Cal Yes, but it’s dishonest to claim “This is in stark contrast to other social networks which seem to collect lots of personal info.” as you did in the root message. A typical Mastodon server collects a lot of personal information from me (because it kind of has to, to work). Don’t compare a standalone app to a “social network”.

And it’s more dishonest to then show “a comparison of the privacy policies of various official social network apps.” - because that’s not what those policies are. They show the social network privacy details (because they’re one and the same). It’s not a fair comparison.

The point you appear to make is that the fediverse keeps no information about me at all. This is not true.

Is the fediverse better because it isn’t correlating my IP address with ad brokers to work out who is in my household and where I live? Yes.

@james@bne.social avatar james , to random

A mysterious, suspicious-looking email from Google. Couldn't look more spammy and suspicious if it tried. When you click the link, it wants you to sign in. This is so bad, it's comical.