Avi Rappoport (avirr)
@avirr.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy
Occasionally curious. Berkeleyite. Mom & partner. Trailing-edge Boomer. Liberal. Librarian and search consultant (currently updating the Faceted Search book) […]
[bridged from https://sfba.social/@avirr on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
[bridged from https://sfba.social/@avirr on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
Scams and malware are why we can’t have nice things https://mastodon.social/@TidBITS/115743039251153209
TidBITS (@TidBITS@mastodon.social)
Compromised Apple Gift Card Saga Ends Well, but Risks Remain https://tidbits.com/2025/12/18/compromised-apple-gift-card-saga-ends-well-but-risks-remain
mastodon.social
December 19, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Scams and malware are why we can’t have nice things https://mastodon.social/@TidBITS/115743039251153209
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
How much of this No More Tears shampoo do I need to rub into this baby's eyes before it stops crying?
December 18, 2025 at 12:10 AM
How much of this No More Tears shampoo do I need to rub into this baby's eyes before it stops crying?
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
I am begging, begging, begging cool people making cool things to please have any presence on the web other than Instagram.
December 15, 2025 at 9:20 PM
I am begging, begging, begging cool people making cool things to please have any presence on the web other than Instagram.
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
[Fascism, Racism, Immigration]
BBC: They were almost American - then Trump cancelled their citizenship ceremonies
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8135qeezwo
BBC: They were almost American - then Trump cancelled their citizenship ceremonies
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8135qeezwo
December 15, 2025 at 3:33 PM
[Fascism, Racism, Immigration]
BBC: They were almost American - then Trump cancelled their citizenship ceremonies
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8135qeezwo
BBC: They were almost American - then Trump cancelled their citizenship ceremonies
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8135qeezwo
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
It has been well established that the owners of a model can make it say anything they like. *
Now as little as 250 bad parcels of information will let _external people_ edit what your AI search tells you.**
This goes beyond surveillance of citizens, this is a "by design" attempt at controlling […]
Now as little as 250 bad parcels of information will let _external people_ edit what your AI search tells you.**
This goes beyond surveillance of citizens, this is a "by design" attempt at controlling […]
Original post on mastodon.ie
mastodon.ie
December 15, 2025 at 6:58 AM
It has been well established that the owners of a model can make it say anything they like. *
Now as little as 250 bad parcels of information will let _external people_ edit what your AI search tells you.**
This goes beyond surveillance of citizens, this is a "by design" attempt at controlling […]
Now as little as 250 bad parcels of information will let _external people_ edit what your AI search tells you.**
This goes beyond surveillance of citizens, this is a "by design" attempt at controlling […]
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
Montreal’s new driverless metro marks a leap in North American public transport. With 14 stations launched in late Nov. 2025, and planned extensions to the airport and western suburbs through 2027, a new light-metro makes Canada’s best second-largest city a frontrunner in cheap, fast transit […]
Original post on wandering.shop
wandering.shop
December 14, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Montreal’s new driverless metro marks a leap in North American public transport. With 14 stations launched in late Nov. 2025, and planned extensions to the airport and western suburbs through 2027, a new light-metro makes Canada’s best second-largest city a frontrunner in cheap, fast transit […]
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
The part of the chart they didn't tell you about
December 13, 2025 at 7:55 AM
The part of the chart they didn't tell you about
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
The UK health service #nhs is using an #ai tool made by Anima. It hallucinated a set of false diagnoses for a patient, and backed it up with a fake hospital and fake address! The poor dude thought he had diabetes and angina 😱 […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 12, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
#canada's #residentialschool #archives are at risk of being destroyed.
It is imperative that these archives be kept for future documentation as a record of what our #survivors suffered, and for our #elders to be the ones making this determination.
Please sign this #petition.
If you are not […]
It is imperative that these archives be kept for future documentation as a record of what our #survivors suffered, and for our #elders to be the ones making this determination.
Please sign this #petition.
If you are not […]
Original post on turtleisland.social
turtleisland.social
December 12, 2025 at 4:35 AM
#canada's #residentialschool #archives are at risk of being destroyed.
It is imperative that these archives be kept for future documentation as a record of what our #survivors suffered, and for our #elders to be the ones making this determination.
Please sign this #petition.
If you are not […]
It is imperative that these archives be kept for future documentation as a record of what our #survivors suffered, and for our #elders to be the ones making this determination.
Please sign this #petition.
If you are not […]
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
"The latest disclosures, released this week by Markey, indicate that Ring’s new facial recognition feature, “Familiar Faces,” launched this week despite what Markey calls “reckless” failures to safeguard the biometric data of people who are unknowingly scanned." […]
Original post on ai6yr.org
m.ai6yr.org
December 11, 2025 at 8:55 PM
"The latest disclosures, released this week by Markey, indicate that Ring’s new facial recognition feature, “Familiar Faces,” launched this week despite what Markey calls “reckless” failures to safeguard the biometric data of people who are unknowingly scanned." […]
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
We set up a CRASH Clock website here: https://outerspaceinstitute.ca/crashclock/
Note that this is a probabilistic calculation. A catastrophic collision could happen sooner than 2.8 days of no maneuvers. In our (extremely computationally expensive) collision […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
Note that this is a probabilistic calculation. A catastrophic collision could happen sooner than 2.8 days of no maneuvers. In our (extremely computationally expensive) collision […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
December 11, 2025 at 2:32 PM
We set up a CRASH Clock website here: https://outerspaceinstitute.ca/crashclock/
Note that this is a probabilistic calculation. A catastrophic collision could happen sooner than 2.8 days of no maneuvers. In our (extremely computationally expensive) collision […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
Note that this is a probabilistic calculation. A catastrophic collision could happen sooner than 2.8 days of no maneuvers. In our (extremely computationally expensive) collision […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
Britain ends new fossil fuel exploration. The government has introduced a legal moratorium on all new oil and gas exploration licences, ending five decades of North Sea expansion and aligning policy with 1.5°C targets. Existing fields will keep producing under stricter climate tests, but future […]
Original post on wandering.shop
wandering.shop
December 11, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Britain ends new fossil fuel exploration. The government has introduced a legal moratorium on all new oil and gas exploration licences, ending five decades of North Sea expansion and aligning policy with 1.5°C targets. Existing fields will keep producing under stricter climate tests, but future […]
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
#elsevier finally (after 25 years) retracted the primary study concluding that #glyphosate is safe for humans. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in #roundup herbicide and manufactured by #Monsanto.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273230099913715
h/t @civodul […]
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273230099913715
h/t @civodul […]
Original post on fediscience.org
fediscience.org
December 7, 2025 at 6:34 PM
#elsevier finally (after 25 years) retracted the primary study concluding that #glyphosate is safe for humans. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in #roundup herbicide and manufactured by #Monsanto.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273230099913715
h/t @civodul […]
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273230099913715
h/t @civodul […]
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
🚨 TODAY is the last day of open enrollment for Medicare. Please immediately check your Part D plan on Medicare.gov Premiums are skyrocketing in 2026 due to Trump Administration REPEALING Biden Administration subsidies. TODAY is your LAST day to change your plan for a more affordable one until 2027.🚨
Welcome to Medicare
The official U.S. government website for Medicare, a health insurance program for people age 65 or older and younger people with disabilities.
Medicare.gov
December 7, 2025 at 4:32 PM
🚨 TODAY is the last day of open enrollment for Medicare. Please immediately check your Part D plan on Medicare.gov Premiums are skyrocketing in 2026 due to Trump Administration REPEALING Biden Administration subsidies. TODAY is your LAST day to change your plan for a more affordable one until 2027.🚨
Asking Republicans in particular is just weird. I checked and couldn’t find corresponding articles about Democratic and Independent voters.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/06/us/6-republican-voters-on-us-strikes-on-boats-suspected-of-smuggling-drugs.html
https://mas.to/@kakape/115674904660181484
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/06/us/6-republican-voters-on-us-strikes-on-boats-suspected-of-smuggling-drugs.html
https://mas.to/@kakape/115674904660181484
Kai Kupferschmidt (@kakape@mas.to)
Attached: 1 image There is something so deeply disturbing about this: Just the NYTimes checking in with ordinary Americans about whether the government killing people it accuses of a crime with no trial is okay or not. That combo of quote and photo alone is some straight-up dark Stephen King fantasy
mas.to
December 7, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Asking Republicans in particular is just weird. I checked and couldn’t find corresponding articles about Democratic and Independent voters.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/06/us/6-republican-voters-on-us-strikes-on-boats-suspected-of-smuggling-drugs.html
https://mas.to/@kakape/115674904660181484
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/06/us/6-republican-voters-on-us-strikes-on-boats-suspected-of-smuggling-drugs.html
https://mas.to/@kakape/115674904660181484
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
Awesome news (gift link)
Salmon returning to Bay Area creek for first time in 70 years could be sign of environmental renewal to come
Chinook salmon, along with the endangered steelhead trout, are considered indicator species for the environment, suggesting that other animals such as otters, eagles, beavers and bears may also ret…
www.mercurynews.com
December 6, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Awesome news (gift link)
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
when the internet goes silent (due to cloudflare)
the fediverse parties loudly :nkotada:
the fediverse parties loudly :nkotada:
December 5, 2025 at 9:13 AM
when the internet goes silent (due to cloudflare)
the fediverse parties loudly :nkotada:
the fediverse parties loudly :nkotada:
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
The U.K. will ban the sale of plastic-based wet wipes from 2026, targeting a major source of sewer blockages and riverine microplastics. Water companies say wipes form up to 90% of fatbergs, costing millions to remove and degrading ecosystems downstream.The ban forces a full market shift toward […]
Original post on wandering.shop
wandering.shop
December 5, 2025 at 5:05 PM
The U.K. will ban the sale of plastic-based wet wipes from 2026, targeting a major source of sewer blockages and riverine microplastics. Water companies say wipes form up to 90% of fatbergs, costing millions to remove and degrading ecosystems downstream.The ban forces a full market shift toward […]
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
The only reason selective colleges and universities are anywhere *close* to parity is because of affirmative action for young men, defended not as a matter of remedial justice but as a matter of maintaining a particular campus atmosphere. Abolish that, you get 60-40 right away, 65-35 soon.
December 4, 2025 at 5:57 PM
The only reason selective colleges and universities are anywhere *close* to parity is because of affirmative action for young men, defended not as a matter of remedial justice but as a matter of maintaining a particular campus atmosphere. Abolish that, you get 60-40 right away, 65-35 soon.
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
I have doubts about whether or not change.org petitions actually do anything. But if you need to do something small right now against space mirrors, a DarkSky International member set up a petition here: https://www.change.org/p/stop-space-mirrors
Sign the Petition
Stop space mirrors!!
www.change.org
December 4, 2025 at 3:22 PM
I have doubts about whether or not change.org petitions actually do anything. But if you need to do something small right now against space mirrors, a DarkSky International member set up a petition here: https://www.change.org/p/stop-space-mirrors
Robots in this case meaning web crawlers, not vacuum cleaners, industrial machines or humanoids
https://social.cryptography.dog/@ansuz/115645366531379004
https://social.cryptography.dog/@ansuz/115645366531379004
ansuz / ऐरन (@ansuz@social.cryptography.dog)
I wrote another blog post about robots, this time detailing my requirements for what constitutes a good bot. "Responsible bot operation" https://cryptography.dog/blog/responsible-bot-operation/
social.cryptography.dog
December 4, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Robots in this case meaning web crawlers, not vacuum cleaners, industrial machines or humanoids
https://social.cryptography.dog/@ansuz/115645366531379004
https://social.cryptography.dog/@ansuz/115645366531379004
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
Costco wouldn't back down on DEI, and now it's going up against the Trump administration, suing on the grounds that Trump overstepped his emergency powers by imposing tariffs — and asking for a refund. Here's more from @CNN on what Costco said in the lawsuit, and the handful of other companies […]
Original post on flipboard.social
flipboard.social
December 4, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Costco wouldn't back down on DEI, and now it's going up against the Trump administration, suing on the grounds that Trump overstepped his emergency powers by imposing tariffs — and asking for a refund. Here's more from @CNN on what Costco said in the lawsuit, and the handful of other companies […]
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
The accompanying News & Views piece "Even in space, satellites photobomb telescopes" by @merrdiff.bsky.social is excellent!
https://rdcu.be/eSZJX
Here's a lovely space-based telescope image, with 560,000 satellite friends. Thanks, techbros.
https://rdcu.be/eSZJX
Here's a lovely space-based telescope image, with 560,000 satellite friends. Thanks, techbros.
December 3, 2025 at 9:15 PM
The accompanying News & Views piece "Even in space, satellites photobomb telescopes" by @merrdiff.bsky.social is excellent!
https://rdcu.be/eSZJX
Here's a lovely space-based telescope image, with 560,000 satellite friends. Thanks, techbros.
https://rdcu.be/eSZJX
Here's a lovely space-based telescope image, with 560,000 satellite friends. Thanks, techbros.
Reposted by Avi Rappoport (avirr)
"The woman, who did not want her name published for safety reasons, added: 'This is not about us. We were beaten for 15 minutes. Palestinians here endure this violence every day, every hour, a thousand-fold.' ...
Activists say that violent incidents have become an almost daily occurrence […]
Activists say that violent incidents have become an almost daily occurrence […]
Original post on mastodon.scot
mastodon.scot
December 2, 2025 at 7:44 AM
"The woman, who did not want her name published for safety reasons, added: 'This is not about us. We were beaten for 15 minutes. Palestinians here endure this violence every day, every hour, a thousand-fold.' ...
Activists say that violent incidents have become an almost daily occurrence […]
Activists say that violent incidents have become an almost daily occurrence […]