Ronald Rihoo
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ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Ronald Rihoo
@ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
32 followers 30 following 630 posts
Technical founder. Privacy capitalist. Small Al models. Local offline Al tools.

The guy who'll get you the useful next gen tech that no one else will make, like robots that won't spy on you.

Privacy is a luxury.

threads.com/@ronrihoo
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ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Am I just an a**hole or am I right to be annoyed by all of these empty lines that LLMs like to put in Python code? (Even when the instructions stress that they must not.)
A screenshot of part of a Python code file that has numerous empty lines in between code under the same function.
November 13, 2025 at 7:24 AM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Hey, y'all. My Bluesky account has been temporarily suspended. 🙄
Screenshot of a phishing message, in the Bluesky app, from an account using the handle blueskybot33, stating: "We regret to inform you that your Bluesky account has been temporarily suspended due to security-related restrictions. To prevent the permanent termination of your account, it is imperative that you complete the verification process within the next 24 hours by using the following link: [A shortened link ending with "bluesky supp".] If the link does not open directly, please copy and paste it into your browser's address bar. Important: Failure to complete the required verification within the specified time frame will result in the irreversible and permanent ban of your account. We appreciate your immediate attention and cooperation in this matter. Sincerely, Bluesky© Support Team" At the bottom, the regular options are provided: "block or report," "delete," "accept."
November 12, 2025 at 7:32 PM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Day 77:
Reply To Epsilon Response 1
me->Epsilon (email)
11/4/2025

Note:
"We are committed to complying with... 541.051... Which requires... To provide a copy of personal data held... And that you previously provided to [us] in a portable and, to the extent... Feasible, readily usable format."
Screenshot 1 of my reply to the first response from Epsilon (to my email requesting access to all of the data they have about me). Expresses concern that Epsilon Global Privacy & Compliance may not fully understand their obligations under section 541.051 of the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA). It points out that complying with one section (concerning data confirmation and access) is necessary for them to comply with other related sections, including ones covering the consumer's right to correct inaccuracies and delete data. It emphasizes the importance of interpreting these rights independently and not assuming they concern, build on, or are built on each other. Screenshot 2 of my reply to the first response from Epsilon (to my email requesting access to all of the data they have about me). Expresses that two separate rights exist: one for confirmation and access to all personal data and another for data previously provided by the consumer. It suggests that if Epsilon Global Privacy & Compliance is still confused about the law, then the next step could be to submit the matter to the Texas Attorney General. It also clarifies the reason for having provided format information in the previous email, stating that it was meant to help them comply with the law and potentially ease their ability to facilitate access to data, and that it was not a format request. Screenshot 3 of my reply to the first response from Epsilon (to my email requesting access to all of the data they have about me). Reiterates that the request is for confirmation and access to personal data. It references Epsilon's initial data access response, which provided information on what sort of data Epsilon collects about consumers and included a list of categories of a particular set of data that Epsilon has about me and a set of examples of "additional information" from data that they have related to me. It states that I, in the previous email, reminded them of what sort of data they have about me, because they have not yet provided me with access to it. Tries to focus the communication away from a discussion about data format and back to data confirmation and access. Responds to the concern of technical constraints by suggesting two possible solutions: providing access to the original form of encrypted or hashed data, or confirming that it's not stored and therefore cannot be provided. Screenshot 4 of my reply to the first response from Epsilon (to my email requesting access to all of the data they have about me). Reiterates the importance of clear communication regarding the data that they have about me, suggesting that Epsilon Global Privacy & Compliance confirm whether they have or do not have original values without needing to be asked. It also politely declines their offer to communicate personal beliefs to their organization (through their appeals process), stating that it would be more appropriate to take one's beliefs to the lawmakers instead. It brings attention to how this is not about beliefs, but that it's a completely logical procedure -- one that requires them to deny the request (for access to all of the data that they have about me) and provide a justification before one can appeal their decision. It thanks them for their cooperation in fulfilling my rights under the TDPSA. At the bottom, it cites references to the related sections of the law.
November 6, 2025 at 8:11 AM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
False promises?

I've had background data usage off.

Not using cloud. No backups or anything. No Wi-Fi in one period. And the other, only a short instance.

Must be pure analytics. So even if I don't use the app, it'll probably OCR/analyze and tag images on the device, then send reports regularly.
Screenshot of mobile data & Wi-Fi stats for Google's Photos app on Android for the period of September 26 to October 25, 2025. The date of this screenshot is November 3rd, 2025. The app's background data usage is disabled for mobile data. Foreground data usage is 4.64 MB. Background data is 9.12 MB. Screenshot of mobile data & Wi-Fi stats for Google's Photos app on Android for the period of October 26 to November 25. The date of this screenshot is November 3rd, 2025, only about 1 week into the period shown. The app's background data usage is disabled for mobile data. Foreground data usage is 1.98 MB. Background data is 2.23 MB.
November 3, 2025 at 10:12 PM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Got a copy of Enshittification by Cory Doctorow. This might make for an interesting reference.

Will post my thoughts on it sometime after I get past part 2 or 3.

Looks like my use of the term is slightly unconventional. ;)
Picture of Enshittification hardcover book. Enshittification, page 4. Enshittification, page 19.
October 25, 2025 at 3:32 PM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Seemingly, big tech has been using technology best practices on people (e.g. treating publishers like S3 buckets or something).

But imagine if political parties treated politics like business in the last two decades...

("How to get your ideas to spread," Seth Godin, 2007)
youtu.be/xBIVlM435Zg?...
October 19, 2025 at 7:43 AM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Damn... Do y'all need a hand in maintaining the Bluesky Android app?

While I'm replacing Android with PureOS for my own startups, I've been an Android developer for a good while. So, let me know.

(Went to check for an update, because I have to restart the app frequently to load content.)
October 19, 2025 at 1:05 AM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
October 14, 2025 at 1:04 AM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Day 44/90 (10/2/2025)
My first actual communication to Epsilon. An email stating that they did not really show me my data, and that I'd like them to do that, based on my rights as a Texan.

After all, how am I supposed to have them correct errors, if I don't know about the errors?

(See post below.)
October 10, 2025 at 10:50 AM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Day 37/90 (9/25/2025)
Second response from Epsilon. An email with a link to an Office 365 sign-in page that requires a "passcode" (sent via email).

After signing in, it looks like an email with a downloadable PDF file attachment in Outlook.

The PDF contains a token ID for a web access portion.
Contents of Epsilon's encrypted consumer access report response. I redacted it just to be me and take extra precaution to prevent some sort of unknown possibility of the info being misused. I can't come up with an example, but I just felt like it was better this way. It contains no significant information. Epsilon's so-called "access report" for digital IDs. Pretty much, looks like it mostly repeats the same policy and practices information that's stated in the first ~3 pages of the PDF file. The only data provided in this part of the response is -- at the bottom -- some obscure 50-row table of "Additional Information" (columns: Company URLs, Last Order Date, First Order Date, Order Count). No idea what it's supposed to be, but it contains many duplicates (http, https, / at the end, some varied form of the URL). After that it lists a "DTM ID", 5 IP addresses, 1 mobile device ID shown twice (uppercased, lowercased), and 12 items of "site or mobile app (internet activity)" with duplicates like "ROKU, Roku, roku, plus.roku" and "15198, 151908" (whatever it is, looks like someone made a typo, because apparently they added a 0 in a 5-digit scheme based on the other obscure 5-digit numbers in there).
October 10, 2025 at 10:30 AM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Day 15/45 (9/3/2025)
First response from Epsilon. An email stating it requires up to an additional 45 days to "complete" the "Access Report Request."

"Access my personal info" morphs into "Access Report Request." Sounds like a doc containing all the data.

They know I'm from Texas from the get-go.
October 10, 2025 at 9:13 AM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Day 1:
Access Request
me->Epsilon (web form; no text/attachment allowed)
8/19/2025

Day 15:
1st Response (45-Day Extension)
me<-Epsilon (email)
9/3/2025

Day 37:
2nd Response (1st Access Attempt)
me<-Epsilon (email->M365->PDF->web)
9/25/2025

Day 44:
1st Scoped Request
me->Epsilon (email)
10/2/2025
October 10, 2025 at 6:52 AM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
"8 GB & Above"

What comes after 8 GB:

- 10 GB
- 12 GB
- 16 GB
- 20 GB
- 24 GB
- 32 GB
- 48 GB
- 96 GB

Very helpful. Thanks...

I guess Amazon doesn't serve too many AI consumers.

Who even uses 8 GB VRAM, though? Too much for most games, too little for most AI.
August 25, 2025 at 11:11 PM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
The Internet has become a junkyard. It's not what it used to be. It's getting worse exponentially.

Eventually, I'll try to get Texas out of it by helping build a better alternative. Something closer to home – local, decentralized, and distributed.

It can be a model for the rest of the country.
An AI-generated abstract image depicting the Internet as a cyber junkyard. AI was instructed to take inspiration from the style of Nicolas Mignard (1606-1668). An AI-generated abstract image attempting to depict the entire Internet as a cyber junkyard presented as a "cyber galaxy" of computer and smartphone terminals that go on infinitely out in orbits among galaxies of the same. A cyber junkyard universe. AI was instructed to take inspiration from the style of Nicolas Mignard (1606-1668). I'm not happy with it as it did not generate what I had in mind, but it's good enough for a quick post. An AI-generated abstract image, for a second time, attempting to depict the entire Internet as a cyber junkyard presented as a "cyber galaxy" of computer and smartphone terminals that go on infinitely out in orbits among galaxies of the same. A cyber junkyard universe. AI was instructed to emphasize inspiration from the style of Nicolas Mignard (1606-1668) and add more vastness compared to the first attempt. I'm not happy with it as it did not generate what I had in mind, but it's good enough for a quick post.
August 22, 2025 at 12:28 AM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Data collection has gotten interesting... So has data processing and analysis...

Two interesting fronts colliding into one big clapotis.
An AI-generated painting-like image of a clapotis in the ocean, looking like a massive wall of water towering high above the water surface, blocking the sunlight.
August 20, 2025 at 12:47 AM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Is my ad campaign on X impressive or what?
June 29, 2025 at 2:49 AM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
I can't get reach on X even by trying to pay to promote nearly the same post that, on Threads, organically got 4,400+ views, 48 likes, 29 comments (my own included), and 2 reposts (within the first couple or so days).

Threads: free account; no promotions.
X: Premium; plus post promotion.
June 29, 2025 at 2:46 AM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Here's what Claude (Sonnet 4) thinks about that...

Normally, I agree. But I think many do understand there's a privacy tradeoff. They just don't have options for absolute privacy, and they don't really know just how much or what is truly happening.

There's herd behavior.
June 19, 2025 at 4:22 AM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
A common view in the relevant privacy communities tends to be,

"I don't mind you charging me for a product. But once I pay for it, let me have it."

Meaning get your hands off of it, once they purchase it.
June 19, 2025 at 4:22 AM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Short:
ronrihoo.substack.com/p/i-dont-tak...

Long:
ronrihoo.substack.com/p/i-dont-tak...
I don't take business advice from someone whose financial power is significantly greater than mine. Chances of their advice being relatively outlandish is too likely.
April 7, 2025 at 3:21 PM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Claude 3.7 Sonnet developed a pretty awesome snake game. 🔥
April 3, 2025 at 4:35 PM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Flappy Bird clone generated by Claude 3.7 Sonnet within minutes. (Including all assets – sprites and sounds.)

Got the physics down better than the human-made clones. Who told it about that?
¯\_ (ツ) _/¯
April 3, 2025 at 12:56 PM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Bubble pop game (made by Claude 3.7 Sonnet in just minutes).
April 3, 2025 at 12:54 PM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
A 2D platformer developed with Claude 3.7 Sonnet within just minutes.

It definitely needs a lot of work, but imagine having most of the core and essentials built within minutes. (Especially the menus and such... If you know, you know...)
April 3, 2025 at 12:51 PM
ronaldrihoo.bsky.social
Plants vs Zombies game built with Claude 3.7 Sonnet within a few minutes (using HTML/CSS/JavaScript).

It generates the assets, too – in SVG format.

Of course, it needs to be polished and developed further.
April 3, 2025 at 12:47 PM