Botond
@botond.bsky.social
Critic of concentrated power, whether in tech or government. Culture war conscientious objector. Participant in the hopium trade. Fan of coalition-building.
Reposted by Botond
"In recent months, we have received numerous reports from users across West Asia and North Africa (WANA) expressing alarm over a little-known but deeply intrusive bloatware application—AppCloud—pre-installed on Samsung’s A and M series smartphones."
Open Letter to Samsung: End Forced Israeli-Founded Bloatware Installations in the WANA Region
<p>In recent months, we have received numerous reports from users across West Asia and North Africa (WANA) expressing alarm over…</p>
smex.org
June 21, 2025 at 10:38 AM
"In recent months, we have received numerous reports from users across West Asia and North Africa (WANA) expressing alarm over a little-known but deeply intrusive bloatware application—AppCloud—pre-installed on Samsung’s A and M series smartphones."
Reposted by Botond
Google and Meta search both report that Cape Breton Island has its own time zone 12 minutes ahead of mainland Nova Scotia time because they are both drawing that information from a Beaverton article I wrote in 2024
June 10, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Google and Meta search both report that Cape Breton Island has its own time zone 12 minutes ahead of mainland Nova Scotia time because they are both drawing that information from a Beaverton article I wrote in 2024
Reposted by Botond
People who don’t consider themselves “criminals” underestimate how quickly things they take for granted having the right to do can become criminalized under authoritarianism. I have friends who’ve been imprisoned for years for protesting (Egypt) and defending a client as a human rights lawyer (KSA).
December 1, 2024 at 11:15 PM
People who don’t consider themselves “criminals” underestimate how quickly things they take for granted having the right to do can become criminalized under authoritarianism. I have friends who’ve been imprisoned for years for protesting (Egypt) and defending a client as a human rights lawyer (KSA).
Reposted by Botond
It is time for us, as volunteers running a real-time communication platform, to address burnout. Doing this is important for the future of our work, and we will be leveraging ✨emerging technologies✨ to achieve it.
libera.chat/news/burnout
libera.chat/news/burnout
Addressing Burnout
A next-generation IRC network for FOSS projects collaboration!
libera.chat
April 1, 2025 at 12:06 AM
It is time for us, as volunteers running a real-time communication platform, to address burnout. Doing this is important for the future of our work, and we will be leveraging ✨emerging technologies✨ to achieve it.
libera.chat/news/burnout
libera.chat/news/burnout
Reposted by Botond
as it turns out there are worse options than hypocrisy, politically speaking
We can discuss how self-serving it was, but I do think it was valuable that Americans *used* to think that we *should* be a force for good and be willing to reach out and help. Beyond soft power, it was a good thing folks would expect us to send aid, to organize around it and to offer support.
March 31, 2025 at 12:13 PM
as it turns out there are worse options than hypocrisy, politically speaking
Reposted by Botond
7. My colleagues are afraid. Our work is scrutinized for forbidden works like "gender" and "climate". The pipeline of talent has been cut off. We can no longer train graduate students and postdocs. These are individual dreams crushed, causing collective damage that will take generations to undo.
March 19, 2025 at 7:32 PM
7. My colleagues are afraid. Our work is scrutinized for forbidden works like "gender" and "climate". The pipeline of talent has been cut off. We can no longer train graduate students and postdocs. These are individual dreams crushed, causing collective damage that will take generations to undo.
Reposted by Botond
The @nytimes.com just discovered parallel computing.
March 17, 2025 at 6:11 PM
The @nytimes.com just discovered parallel computing.
Reposted by Botond
Good commentary from Nicco Loves Linux. Just released this morning. Of course, he's a KDE dev, not a lawyer. He does make the point of it's concerning and they goofed on the messaging, but not worthy of a "delete Firefox and switch to Lynx" level of panic.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDpK...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDpK...
Mozilla is NOT SELLING your DATA! (But they did mess up…)
YouTube video by Nicco Loves Linux
www.youtube.com
February 28, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Good commentary from Nicco Loves Linux. Just released this morning. Of course, he's a KDE dev, not a lawyer. He does make the point of it's concerning and they goofed on the messaging, but not worthy of a "delete Firefox and switch to Lynx" level of panic.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDpK...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDpK...
Reposted by Botond
Reminder:
There will be a boycott against American corporations, especially Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon on February 28th!
It's 24 hours of not buying anything from a corporation. Easy to do. If you truly *need* to buy something, please find a small business to get it from.
There will be a boycott against American corporations, especially Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon on February 28th!
It's 24 hours of not buying anything from a corporation. Easy to do. If you truly *need* to buy something, please find a small business to get it from.
February 20, 2025 at 1:04 AM
Reminder:
There will be a boycott against American corporations, especially Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon on February 28th!
It's 24 hours of not buying anything from a corporation. Easy to do. If you truly *need* to buy something, please find a small business to get it from.
There will be a boycott against American corporations, especially Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon on February 28th!
It's 24 hours of not buying anything from a corporation. Easy to do. If you truly *need* to buy something, please find a small business to get it from.
Reposted by Botond
The number of conversations I've had where people tell me, "I've got nothing to hide." Or "I'm not that interesting" when I share my concern about our lack of digital privacy. When framed as, but did you know they might increase your insurance rate because of your driving data? That perks them up.
This is a lovely example of journalism (@kashhill.bsky.social), advocacy (consumer reports Mozilla, EFF), and government (FTC, Lina Khan) working synergistically to make the world a better place
General Motors Is Banned From Selling Driving Behavior Data for 5 Years
An investigation by the Federal Trade Commission determined that consumers had not been aware that the automaker was providing their driving information to data brokers.
www.nytimes.com
January 17, 2025 at 7:18 PM
The number of conversations I've had where people tell me, "I've got nothing to hide." Or "I'm not that interesting" when I share my concern about our lack of digital privacy. When framed as, but did you know they might increase your insurance rate because of your driving data? That perks them up.
Reposted by Botond
This hit me kind of hard.
January 2, 2025 at 7:20 PM
This hit me kind of hard.
Reposted by Botond
ADVENTURER: Dragon! We are here for your gold! Prepare to die!
DRAGON: My gold?
ADVENTURER: Yes! We climbed this great mountain, swam it's flooded caverns and-
DRAGON: Fair enough
ADVENTURER: Wait, what?
DRAGON: It's yours
ADVENTURER:
DRAGON: How are you carrying it out of here?
ADVENTURER: Um... /1
DRAGON: My gold?
ADVENTURER: Yes! We climbed this great mountain, swam it's flooded caverns and-
DRAGON: Fair enough
ADVENTURER: Wait, what?
DRAGON: It's yours
ADVENTURER:
DRAGON: How are you carrying it out of here?
ADVENTURER: Um... /1
December 30, 2024 at 1:50 PM
ADVENTURER: Dragon! We are here for your gold! Prepare to die!
DRAGON: My gold?
ADVENTURER: Yes! We climbed this great mountain, swam it's flooded caverns and-
DRAGON: Fair enough
ADVENTURER: Wait, what?
DRAGON: It's yours
ADVENTURER:
DRAGON: How are you carrying it out of here?
ADVENTURER: Um... /1
DRAGON: My gold?
ADVENTURER: Yes! We climbed this great mountain, swam it's flooded caverns and-
DRAGON: Fair enough
ADVENTURER: Wait, what?
DRAGON: It's yours
ADVENTURER:
DRAGON: How are you carrying it out of here?
ADVENTURER: Um... /1
Reposted by Botond
If you want to send money to Gaza, here's how to do it, so it benefits everyone there and not a few scam jockeys in Lagos or Los Angeles.
- Medecine Sans Frontiers has been operating emergency desalinization plants in Gaza that are providing a vital water supply.
- Medecine Sans Frontiers has been operating emergency desalinization plants in Gaza that are providing a vital water supply.
How we're responding to the war in Gaza
What to know about the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and MSF’s medical and humanitarian response.
www.doctorswithoutborders.org
December 19, 2024 at 11:03 PM
If you want to send money to Gaza, here's how to do it, so it benefits everyone there and not a few scam jockeys in Lagos or Los Angeles.
- Medecine Sans Frontiers has been operating emergency desalinization plants in Gaza that are providing a vital water supply.
- Medecine Sans Frontiers has been operating emergency desalinization plants in Gaza that are providing a vital water supply.
Reposted by Botond
Do not follow police me, do not tone police me, honestly do not police me at all, I am a furious goat and I will chew on your wiring
I follow lots of people and I need approval from precisely no people
December 6, 2024 at 7:42 PM
Do not follow police me, do not tone police me, honestly do not police me at all, I am a furious goat and I will chew on your wiring
Reposted by Botond
December 21, 2023 at 4:07 AM
"It’s incredibly difficult for people to learn about anything — including why their presuppositions are wrong — if they are living in terror of being labeled a bigot for saying the 'wrong' thing."
www.slowboring.com/p/israel-pal...
www.slowboring.com/p/israel-pal...
Israel, Palestine, and the need for principled free speech
Pointing out hypocrisy isn't good enough
www.slowboring.com
November 6, 2023 at 2:40 AM
"It’s incredibly difficult for people to learn about anything — including why their presuppositions are wrong — if they are living in terror of being labeled a bigot for saying the 'wrong' thing."
www.slowboring.com/p/israel-pal...
www.slowboring.com/p/israel-pal...
@etvpod.bsky.social I'm wondering whether I should find this reassuring...
October 29, 2023 at 9:57 PM
@etvpod.bsky.social I'm wondering whether I should find this reassuring...
"If Klein’s side of the political divide devotes all of its energy to gleefully denouncing people on social media instead of formulating a radical alternative to an economic system that’s increasingly not working for most people, it won’t win... "
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fd6b...
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fd6b...
Naomi Klein — my life being mistaken for a notorious conspiracy theorist
At first Naomi Klein thought it was funny that people kept confusing her with her fellow writer Naomi Wolf. But when her doppelgänger turned into one of the world’s most notorious conspiracy theori...
www.thetimes.co.uk
October 21, 2023 at 11:40 PM
"If Klein’s side of the political divide devotes all of its energy to gleefully denouncing people on social media instead of formulating a radical alternative to an economic system that’s increasingly not working for most people, it won’t win... "
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fd6b...
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fd6b...
"the global capitalist system doesn’t care whether or not you want to use the technology, or whether you believe it should be used to save your time. You will have to use it, and you’re not in charge of how it will be used systemically"
brettscott.substack.com/p/tech-doesn...
brettscott.substack.com/p/tech-doesn...
Tech doesn’t make our lives easier. It makes them faster
Breaking through the illusion of convenience that's used to sell us automation
brettscott.substack.com
October 15, 2023 at 2:45 AM
"the global capitalist system doesn’t care whether or not you want to use the technology, or whether you believe it should be used to save your time. You will have to use it, and you’re not in charge of how it will be used systemically"
brettscott.substack.com/p/tech-doesn...
brettscott.substack.com/p/tech-doesn...
Reposted by Botond
The Onion going unbelievably hard with the ultimate editorial on the current crisis. No notes. www.theonion.com/the-onion-st...
October 13, 2023 at 4:50 PM
The Onion going unbelievably hard with the ultimate editorial on the current crisis. No notes. www.theonion.com/the-onion-st...
"people in the fintech industry are weaponising the fact that there’s these far-right-type people involved to try and say any pro-cash position is regressive and conspiratorial ... People now basically associate ‘progressive’ thought with Visa and Mastercard. That’s kind of scary.”
September 18, 2023 at 2:45 AM
"people in the fintech industry are weaponising the fact that there’s these far-right-type people involved to try and say any pro-cash position is regressive and conspiratorial ... People now basically associate ‘progressive’ thought with Visa and Mastercard. That’s kind of scary.”
Reposted by Botond
New "holy shit what an awful fucking human being" has dropped.
September 13, 2023 at 12:31 AM
New "holy shit what an awful fucking human being" has dropped.