@john@vyrse.social cover
@john@vyrse.social avatar

john

@[email protected]

Husband, Dad, dog-walker, curious person. Always wants to know more & hopefully even understand sometimes.

vyrse.social mastodon instance admin

I want to learn from others, expand my world view, help to make things better & have fun along the way.

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

@killyourfm@layer8.space avatar killyourfm , to random

I really need to recalibrate my entire online existence to find more good/positive news.

john ,
@john@vyrse.social avatar

@killyourfm it's all in who you follow my friend. Not that I've got the newest to joy ratio right either.

@john@vyrse.social avatar john , to random

RE: https://med-mastodon.com/@cbarbermd/115988249147912979

Some advise you don't bring your phone to protest, bring a 'burner' not tied to your online ID.

Some advise you use makeup to defeat AI cameras from ID'ing you.

Some suggest strong, slightly risky protesters now may save EVERYONE from living through these atrocities later.

@john@vyrse.social avatar john , to random

Holy..... this is gonna leave a mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWKSoxG1K7w

@john@vyrse.social avatar john , to random

" “What happened was that ICE had been chasing my cousin...We were successful in helping my cousin get inside. And as I tried shutting the door, ICE shot me in the leg.”

“The shot that was fired happened when my cousin managed to escape, and he entered inside,” Sosa-Celis said on the livestream. “I closed the door. And as I was locking it, I heard the shot, and that’s when I realized I had been shot in the leg.” "

https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/18/us/ice-agent-shooting-video-minneapolis

@john@vyrse.social avatar john , to random

New Years Resolution suggestions to you and those friends you have influence over:

  1. get them to try fediverse and pre-populate their follows with them, then put it on their phones :)

  2. suggest you all find three corporations with services you can replace with open source alternatives this year.

  3. Be excellent to each other :)

Quote accompanying image of Patrick Stewart as Star Trek Captain Jean-Luc Picard: "The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives." " We work yo better ourselves and the rest of humanity."
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@john@vyrse.social avatar john , to random

Just watched Rebel Ridge.

...damn!

Rebel Ridge - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebel_Ridge

Rebel Ridge is a 2024 American action thriller film[1] written, produced, directed and edited by Jeremy Saulnier. The film stars Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond, a former Marine; he has the funds needed to post bail for his cousin, but the money is unjustly seized via civil forfeiture by a small town's corrupt police force. Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, Emory Cohen, Steve Zissis, Zsané Jhé, Dana Lee, and James Cromwell also appear in the film.
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@john@vyrse.social avatar john , to random

Reason x-million we NEED an opensource phone option that is feature complete and not reliant on AOSP or iOS: corporate fuckery will never, ever stop.

AOSP isn't dead, but Google just landed a huge blow to custom ROMs: https://www.androidauthority.com/google-not-killing-aosp-3566882/

@john@vyrse.social avatar john , to random
Die hard Christmas topper showing herO jumping off exploding Nakatomi building, with FBI helicopter.
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@Daojoan@mastodon.social avatar Daojoan , to random

I've been struggling for the last year with Apple platform lockin. I don't like remaining dependent on one OS, run by one company, particularly when that company seems hellbent (if you'll pardon the pun) on bending the knee.

But Android / Linux / Windows means no OmniOutliner, no OmniFocus, no Devonthink, no Drafts.

john ,
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@Daojoan those tools are excellent... but to make a go of it with open source you have to make your life a little harder and find a workflow that can't be stolen from you in five years when people decide to monetize it or phase it out or sell all your data to XYZ.

@john@vyrse.social avatar john , to random

Cory Doctorow explains why you have to evaluate supporting Facebook very succinctly here @pluralistic :

"10% of Meta's gross revenue comes from ads for fraudulent goods and scams, and; the company knows it, and; they decided not to do anything about it, because; the fines for facilitating this life-destroying fraud are far less than the expected revenue from helping to destroy its users' lives:"

https://www.reuters.com/investigations/meta-is-earning-fortune-deluge-fraudulent-ads-documents-show-2025-11-06/

@randahl@mastodon.social avatar randahl , to random

I feared this day would come:

Trump puts human rights organisations on sanctions list and forces YouTube to delete their accounts, thereby erasing 700 videos documenting Israeli war crimes.

As a political commentator on YouTube, this news is profoundly troubling for me. And yes, I clearly need a plan B.

https://theintercept.com/2025/11/04/youtube-google-israel-palestine-human-rights-censorship/

john ,
@john@vyrse.social avatar

@randahl youTube is hardly considered the library of Alexandria but it's pretty much the closest thing we've got and in fact the entire world needs a solid plan B for that video repository of information...and there isn't one.

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

The most thought provoking article I have read this week:

A Norwegian bus company wants to know if their buses could be abused by China in the case of war.

So they drive two buses deep into a limestone mine to isolate them from the internet and forensically investigate how they work.

In the mine, investigators discover a Chinese kill switch which could destroy all Chinese buses.

In Denmark, that is 57 percent of the bus fleet.

Source (Danish):

https://www.zetland.dk/historie/svNwC3c5-aOPVxA4K-224e5

john ,
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@randahl

huawei suspected of kill switch in routers
dji drones suspected of kill switch
e-cars suspected of kill switch
vacuums suspected of mapping

WHEN DO NATIONS START DEMANDING OS SOVEREIGNTY?

(not expensive or complicated: it's called open source software and linux)

PS: the expensive and complicated part?
EDUCATING VOTERS TO VOTE FOR IT

@molly0xfff@hachyderm.io avatar molly0xfff , to random

The full CBS interview with Trump about the pardon of Binance's Changpeng Zhao is shocking. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/read-full-transcript-norah-odonnell-60-minutes-interview-with-president-trump/

"Why did you pardon him?" "I have no idea who he is. I was told that he was a victim ... They sent him to jail and they really set him up. That's my opinion. I was told about it."

NORAH O'DONNELL: Looked at this, the government at the time said that C.Z. had caused "significant harm to U.S. national security", essentially by allowing terrorist groups like Hamas to move millions of dollars around. Why did you pardon him? PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Okay, are you ready? I don't know who he is. I know he got a four-month sentence or something like that. And I heard it was a Biden witch hunt. And what I wanna do is see crypto, 'cause if we don't do it it's gonna go to China, it's gonna go to-- this is no different to me than AI. My sons are involved in crypto much more than I-- me. I-- I know very little about it, other than one thing. It's a huge industry. And if we're not gonna be the head of it, China, Japan, or someplace else is. So I am behind it 100%. This man was, in my opinion, from what I was told, this is, you know, a four-month sentence. But this man was treated really badly by the Biden administration. And he was given a jail term. He's highly respected. He's a very successful guy. They sent him to jail and they really set him up. That's my opinion. I was told about it. I said, "Eh, it may look bad if I do it. I have to do the right thing." I don't know the man at all. I don't think I ever met him. Maybe I did. Or, you know, somebody shook my hand or something. But I don't think I ever met him. I have no idea who he is. I was told that he was a v
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john ,
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@molly0xfff CNN headline lede says it best:

"The GOP claimed Biden didn’t know whom he was pardoning. Trump now says he doesn’t know whom he’s pardoning"

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/03/politics/presidential-pardons-trump-biden-gop

@randahl@mastodon.social avatar randahl , to random

I constantly try to improve my English. Today I learned several new words from Senator Chuck Schumer.

Oh… and he is right.

video/mp4

john ,
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@randahl is that him or an impersonator? LOL. Nice video either way.

john ,
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@randahl love it... somebody's been reading his polling data :)

did they hide the page about supporting Netanyahu vs sane isreali's or is that next week's polling :)

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

Finally! After 9 months of fascism, the American electorate has awoken!

In the first three days of early voting in New York, more voters have now voted than all early voters in THE ENTIRE mayoral elections of 2021.

223,000 early votes are already in VS a total of 170,000 early votes in the entire 2021 elections.

Wild!

Harry Enten has the story:

https://youtu.be/Y7TfMtRc4f0?si=8Uc9karyrqfXnDxY

john ,
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@randahl hmmm, what's the lesson here ?

Authentic candidates? Yep!

@benroyce@mastodon.social avatar benroyce , to random

" ambassador to goes on expletive-laced tirade at ’s trade representative"

It's just so fucking embarrassing

Americans:

WILL YOU PLEASE FUCKING

enough of your "BoTh SiDeS tHe SaMe" mindless lies and your "votes don't count anymore" premature spineless capitulation

get off your fucking asses and fucking vote, for the side that sucks, but is obviously better. it matters

incremental improvement works, toxic idealism means shit

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ambassador-hoekstra-rant-9.6957854

john ,
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@benroyce @ShredderFeeder in the primaries I mean

@pixelfed@mastodon.social avatar pixelfed , to random

Meet Loops — a new, federated TikTok alternative that’s open-source and self-hosted.

Every movement begins with a spark.

Loops is that spark — breaking down the walls built around creativity and replacing them with doors anyone can open, explore, and build upon.

Join us and spread the word!

https://joinloops.org

New Loops mobile app demo

john ,
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@pixelfed

Out of curiousity, iss there any telemetry shared from self-hosted instances to any centralized service?

john ,
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@dansup @pixelfed

Thanks, glad there's no other telemetry. I've RP'd. Are there any code injections? (Ads, followers, hashtags?)

john ,
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@pixelfed @dansup

Reposting in case it got lost in your no doubt very busy feed today @dansup @pixelfed

Congrats on this release! Glad you confirmed pixelfed collects no telemetry save for the instance's existence outbound.

Did you code in any process to inject any ads, follows, etc INTO instances?

@pluralistic@mamot.fr avatar pluralistic , to random

Remember when we were all worried that Huawei had filled our telecoms infrastructure with listening devices and killswitches? It sure would be dangerous if a corporation beholden to a brutal autocrat became structurally essential to your country's continued operations, huh?

--

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

https://pluralistic.net/2025/10/20/post-american-internet/#huawei-with-american-characteristics

1/

The Earth seen from space. Hovering above it is Uncle Sam, with Trump's hair - his legs are stuck out before him, and they terminate in ray-guns that are shooting red rays over the Earth. The starry sky is punctuated by 'code waterfall' effects, as seen in the credit sequences of the Wachowskis' 'Matrix' movies.
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john ,
@john@vyrse.social avatar

No National Cloud should be hosted outside that nation.

No national Cloud should be designed or maintained by companies with ties to foreign governments-that way lies espionage and kill-switch-fuelled blackmail.

@pluralistic

@dansup@mastodon.social avatar dansup , to random

It’s not finished. It’s not perfect. But it’s real. 🥹

Loops is now open, built in public, and growing every day — laying the groundwork for a future where you can build your own TikTok.

A future where governments can’t censor you. Where corporations can’t control the conversation. Where the social web belongs to the people again.

This is how it starts. ✊

https://joinloops.org/

john ,
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@dansup Dan, thanks for confirming no telemetry but can I also get you to confirm:

Are there any hooks/code for pushing ads/hashtags/etc? Either opt-in or opt-out?

john ,
@john@vyrse.social avatar

@dansup thanks!

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

Coming home from today's hike, I just realised my new video has reached 50,000 views on YouTube.

I am truly grateful to everyone who has watched it, liked, and shared it. That includes @anderspuck who helped pull in a lot of viewers from Bluesky too.

I have no idea how far this video will go, but 50,000 views in just over 48 hours is absolutely awesome for an upcoming channel like mine.

https://youtu.be/5S0gDBjJs48

john ,
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@randahl @anderspuck Randahl, great video all around: production, fx, humor and facts/context. Wonderful job!

@AnarchoNinaWrites@jorts.horse avatar AnarchoNinaWrites , to random

I mean there's a pretty good piece in Common Dreams about why the lady who actually won it ain't no peach:

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/peace-has-no-meaning-when-right-wingers-like-maria-corina-machado-win-the-nobel-prize

You can read it if you want; but mostly that speaks to the core of the award and - who cares?

I dunno, gotta stop doing that thing where being "against Trump" somehow means "good person." George Bush HATES Trump, and yet should still be tried for war crimes and mass murder.

john ,
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@AnarchoNinaWrites Ah, well, shit. I hare learning new thing sometimes.

@Daojoan@mastodon.social avatar Daojoan , to random

Punk’s not dead

it’s just raising a bridging round

john ,
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@Daojoan hahahaha!

@evacide@hachyderm.io avatar evacide , to random

I can no longer tell if I'm holding up surprisingly well right now because I did all of my grieving for the future back in 2024 or if I have just reached a state of emergency dissociation so extreme that I will not be feeling my feelings until 2026.

john ,
@john@vyrse.social avatar

@evacide you and U.S. and all the rest :(

@killyourfm@layer8.space avatar killyourfm , to random

Time for adventure!!
Next stop: Henry Coe State Park.

A red backpack with a solar panel attached to the back sits on a leaf-covered ground. Next to it, a blue Crocs shoe is placed, with hints of evening light in the background.
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john ,
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@killyourfm How much power do those panels put out?

@nixCraft@mastodon.social avatar nixCraft , to random

[Thread, post or comment was deleted by the author]

    •
    john ,
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    @nixCraft you're filling me with dread, is there some zero-day I didn't hear about?

    @indivisibleteam@mastodon.social avatar indivisibleteam , to random

    We asked and you didn’t disappoint: Here’s the music that is helping you get through the Musk-Trump Administration. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0mNHvdRnOeU1CE1ZSyGs2T

    john ,
    @john@vyrse.social avatar

    Indivisible asked and you didn’t disappoint: Here’s the music that is helping you get through the Musk-Trump Administration.

    LIsten, @indivisibleteam I love the sentiment, but perhaps don't use spotify, even if it's more difficult?

    Spotify paid 150K to Trump for the inauguration but can't find change to pay fairer royalties to its users.

    Maybe you could ask supporters to link to the songs and where people can buy them? And help artists get paid?

    @w7voa@journa.host avatar w7voa , to random

    VOA - A new real estate app in the US allows homebuyers to learn about a potential neighbor’s politics before they purchase a house. https://www.voanews.com/a/new-app-tells-homebuyers-about-potential-neighbor-s-politics/7988982.html

    john ,
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    A real estate app that shows neighborhood political leaning? Thorny but necessary maybe?

    If anything could be sweeter than Elon losing billions, it might be rank and file bigots seeing their most precious possessions, their homes, TANKING because they can't get past their own hatred.

    @w7voa

    @pixelfed@mastodon.social avatar pixelfed , to random

    We've received more offers to acquire our platform/assets.

    We belong to the people.

    Our Kickstarter is launching soon, help us prove that we, the people, can build healthy and vibrant communities, without being controlled by vested interests who don't share our values.

    Recent events have proved how vital these open and federated platforms are, help us continue building for the people.

    Spread the word ✨

    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pixelfed/pixelfed-foundation-2024-real-ethical-social-networks

    john ,
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    @pixelfed please tell me more about the Pixelfed Foundation.

    Where can I find info about its bylaws, members?

    @pixelfed@mastodon.social avatar pixelfed , to random

    Open Letter to Mark Zuckerberg

    Dear Mark, I hope this finds you well. I noticed something interesting today - it seems Instagram is blocking links to my little open-source project. You know, the one that lets people share photos without harvesting their personal data or forcing algorithmic feeds on them. I have to admit, I'm flattered. Who would've thought a small team of volunteers could build something that would catch your attention? We're just trying to give people a choice in how they share their memories online. No VCs, no surveillance capitalism, just code and community. Remember when Facebook started? It was about connecting people, not maximizing engagement metrics. Our project might be tiny compared to Instagram, but we're staying true to that original spirit of social media - giving people control over their online presence without turning them into products. You could've ignored us. Instead, by blocking our links, you've given us the best endorsement we could ask for. You've confirmed what we've been saying all along - that big tech is more interested in protecting their walled gardens than fostering genuine innovation. Every time you block a link to our platform, you remind people why we built it in the first place. Your action tells them there are alternatives worth exploring, ones that respect their privacy and agency. So thank you, Mark. You've turned our little project into a symbol of resistance against digital monopolies.
    ALT
    john ,
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    @pixelfed @paul_e_cooley unfortunately, intentionally or accidentally. Dan is following Elon's 'move fast and break things' mentality.

    He's doing great things for fediverse visibility... but being a one man show leads to getting your ego involved or missing things (like Loops' egregious rights over-reach in its TOS).

    Dan's done a lot of good... I just hope he can avoid an Icarus-style crash and burn that could undo a lot of that good.
    ..

    @dansup@mastodon.social avatar dansup , to random

    I've received 5 VC offers "to chat" regarding Pixelfed in the past few days.

    Not for sale.

    Pixelfed belongs to the people.

    I'd rather be broke and true to my beliefs, than sell out.

    That's why I'm organizing a Kickstarter to fund the ethical development of Pixelfed, Loops and more.

    It's time that someone stood up to them, instead of joining them.

    Are you with me?

    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pixelfed/pixelfed-foundation-2024-real-ethical-social-networks

    john ,
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    @dansup
    If funded, can you tell us who will own the assets to pixelfed and loops?

    Who will make day to day decisions about policy and development?

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

    Now that Netanyahu has an arrest warrant does that mean he can become president of the United States?

    john ,
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    @aral Notice how fast the peaace deal was finalized after the Netanyahu WAY TOO LATE was introduced to the 'Find Out' part of the equation?

    @nixCraft@mastodon.social avatar nixCraft , to random

    Suppose you see someone, perhaps your co-worker or friend, or someone switched from Windows to Linux and struggling with the command line. What would you do?

    john ,
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    @nixCraft Honestly? Offer them GUI solutions. The command line isn't for everybody and insisting on it won't get everybody to try Linux.

    @ajsadauskas@aus.social avatar ajsadauskas , (edited ) to Technology

    My real worry with Google's voyage into enshittification (thanks to Cory Doctorow @pluralistic the term) is YouTube.

    Through YT, for the past 15 years, the world has basically entrusted Google to be the custodian of pretty much our entire global video archive.

    There's countless hours of archived footage — news reports, political speeches, historical events, documentaries, indie films, academic lectures, conference presentations, rare recordings, concert footage, obscure music — where the best or only copy is now held by Google through YouTube.

    So what happens if maintaining that archival footage becomes unprofitable?

    technology@lemmy.ml icon Technology

    john ,
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    YouTube as 'too big for ethics' and also 'too big to compete with' is terrifying AF.

    Nothing can replace YT and it's success or failure is in the hands of one unscrupulous company.

    @ajsadauskas @pluralistic technology@lemmy.ml icon Technology