Bob K Mertz :distressedUS: / is on Nostr

Coaster Enthusiast, Pinball Competitor, Data Center Technician...... Not a member of the red or blue parties.

My coaster/park account: @RagingWolfBob

Rest in Peace, Mom 💙 1959-2024

WV/NoVA
:distressedUS:

Last Notes

2025-05-17 00:49:32

- reply

@nprofile…fynq
Ironically I've wanted to donate to 404 for a while but couldn't bring myself to do so when they had been forcing people to give them their email address in order to read articles. I like what they research and report on but reporting on privacy issues and requesting personal information or cookies with every site visit is a bit of a contradiction.
@nprofile…5neh @nprofile…ncxj

2025-04-06 14:09:35

- reply

@nprofile…r0kn
I have confirmed that URLs for mastodon.social and beige.party also disappear into the void. Interestingly URLs to threads.net get through just fine.
@nprofile…7nr8
#SMS #Filter #Mastodon #tmobile #verizon

2025-04-06 14:02:11

It has come to my attention that sending Mastodon links via text message are being filtered by either T-Mobile or Verizon.... Specifically, at least in this case, links to infosec.exchange ... I shared something with my family in a group SMS last night and no one received it. Today I'm with members of my family and have confirmed that any message with a infosec.exchange link does not go through but all messages without the link do - this involves messages of JUST the URL and ones with text and the URL. I also tried SMS to just my nephew with the URL and it disappeared into the void as well.
I use T-Mobile and the entirety of my family uses Verizon. I have not been able to test to another T-Mobile customer as of yet. I will test with other instance links in a bit.
@nprofile…r0kn @nprofile…7nr8
#SMS #Filter #Mastodon #tmobile #verizon

2025-04-01 05:32:02

I'm tired of legal experts constantly saying that Trump can't do something. When you don't have enforcement of laws the laws don't exactly mean anything. The fact that he is talking about a third term this early ensures that he has nearly 4 years to warm his base up on the idea.
https://www.wtae.com/article/trump-says-hes-not-joking-about-serving-third-term/64344297
#USpol #constitution #trump

2025-03-27 22:29:11

- reply

@nprofile…m8mr
Interesting. I had thought that Play Services was absent in Graphene. My Fairphone 4 came with eOS installed and they had a decent concept but it was a complete mess when it came to some Android apps and they had no interest in offering any information or support. Are paid and subscription apps supported as well? Is root access possible on Graphene?
The sandbox thing is cool. I've always kind of wanted virtualization so I could run an "insecure OS" in a container that I launched only when needed... Sandbox is probably next best.
@nprofile…dgqd @nprofile…r26y

2025-03-27 21:11:13

- reply

@nprofile…dgqd
"Where they find their apps" is exactly the problem with mobile in general. I really want to use something like @nprofile…m8mr but it's hard for a lot of people to not have access to Play or the App store because functions of their daily life rely on apps only designed to work on Android and iOS. Banking and navigation are the biggest problems for me but others have propriety networks being used by their employer. The biggest problem is there aren't any real stepping stones... Those focused on security just say your only choice is to change your entire life overnight which I can appreciate their reasoning but it does nothing to effect change in the wider public and keeps security and privacy a niche and actively scares people away from it.
Linux is a difficult switch but many/most propriety things have web that function well on a computer browser but (intentionally) run like complete shit on a mobile browser.
@nprofile…r26y

2025-03-08 16:18:53

I am glad to see there is at least *some* checks and balances that are still functioning. I know the overall outlook still doesn't look great but seeing *something* is encouraging.
https://www.wtae.com/article/federal-judge-blocks-trump-administrations-medical-research-funding-cuts/64099060
#USpol #nih

2025-02-27 15:24:18

- reply

@nprofile…9s8w
Seeing Shopify and Proton as sponsors is a little off-putting if I'm being honest. The way proton enshitified especially makes it worrisome.
@nprofile…lz7q @nprofile…lzvn

2024-12-05 23:41:03

"Don't shoot us, bro"
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/anthem-blue-cross-blue-shield-anesthesia-coverage-policy/

2024-12-05 23:41:03

"Don't shoot us, bro"
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/anthem-blue-cross-blue-shield-anesthesia-coverage-policy/

2024-11-23 00:37:55

- reply

@nprofile…5k2y
The most frustrating thing to me is the news sites say it's because no one wants to pay for news but the reality is they don't provide a fair option for us to pay them. If I want to read about something in a small town 5 states away I'm not about to get an annual subscription to read just 1 or 2 articles. I suspect if all of these outlets worked together to provide reciprocal memberships/subscriptions we would see a lot more people subscribing. If subscribing to my local paper would give me access to local papers across the nation I would absolutely subscribe.
And to anyone that points out that some papers provide an option to pay per article I hear you but most don't and considering the logistics of breaking out my credit card every time I want to read an article is just not practical. Perhaps a service that you pay into a bank and then all news sites accept payment from that bank?

2024-05-30 01:27:25

Oops I guess? 😂😂😂
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j_-1CeYEwVY

2023-07-04 01:22:28

- reply

@npub1683…f0qg
It's all about choosing your experience. You're obviously following the wrong people. I personally see very very little negativity which is probably why your recent posts are hitting me.... Most people talking like you've been I'd just unfollow and be done with but I enjoy your content so I'm really torn.
I come here and just enjoy the platform and the conversations that I want to follow. I'm in so much more control of my feed that the last decade that I used Twitter. I love it here.... And I hate that you're having a bad experience but, in some ways, you are inviting that toxicity everytime you post about it. You get out of Mastodon what you put into it.

2023-07-04 01:08:35

- reply

@npub1683…f0qg
You have 28k followers here that want you here but honestly if you hate it that much why don't you just leave?
It's frustrating..... I can't convince you to like it and won't try but I follow you for your content and not to watch you complain about the place that I've finally found to call home.

2023-06-27 02:52:15

- reply

@npub1683…f0qg
It's just growing pains. The interoperability of different platforms through ActivityPub is an incredible feature.... Its just new. When you replied you almost certainly posted a comment in the thread on the lemmy instance and, like on Reddit, you're now receiving notifications from that conversation. Prior to this point ActivityPub has basically just been Mastodon for the mainstream and now with the Reddit shenanigans we're really seeing the first major cross platform interaction.... This is where the protocol will adjust and when the next major platform becomes popular with ActivityPub the protocol will be more ready to handle these weird cases.
We are all early adopters..... I don't think that we just have to accept that it'll always be like this but we do have to expect weirdness at first.
@npub19fk…quap