Sam Whited

Cooperator :TwinPines:, neo-luddite 🔨, Atlantan, solidarity forever 🌹, probably wants to be out swing or blues dancing 🕺, backpacking ⛺🥾, climbing 🧗, or mountain biking 🚵.

#biking #bicycles #climbing #bouldering #coops #backpacking #Atlanta #nobot #nobridge

Public Key

npub1jwsg8a4nac4mqlkwgf2v85zegh6qwrrdwqafxwkmzq9tdn9s9srqatd9m8

NIP-05 Address

sam@social-coop.mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsf8gyr76e7u2as0m8yy4xr6pv5taq8p3khqw5n8td3qz4kejczcpspz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43qz9nhwden5te0wfjkccte9ehx7um5wghxyctwvsrhfw26

Publishing to

relay.mostr.pub

relay.nostr.band

relay.noswhere.com

Author Public Key

npub1jwsg8a4nac4mqlkwgf2v85zegh6qwrrdwqafxwkmzq9tdn9s9srqatd9m8

Show more details

Last Notes

2024-11-13 15:52:45

Anyone want to start a webring of personal blogs and websites? We could pick a connecting topic (ie. all members of a specific group, or all co-op folks, or just all single-person personal blogs, etc.) or just allow random sites. I'm trying to think of a better way to find good stuff than search, which is 99% controlled by Google even if you're using third party search engines, and is mostly useless these days anyways.

2024-11-10 12:05:40

- reply

@npub1hqx…944s I basically always think that silver looks good on everything, but the black stem looks *really* good with that fork right now I think. Hoses and housing I always try to de-emphasize for whatever reason, so I'm having trouble picturing silver. I say do it just so I can see a picture and figure out what that would look like!
Anyways, looking fantastic so far, love those bars, can't wait to see the final result.

2024-11-04 02:57:23

- reply

@npub1km9…rh4n figures. Oh well, if we can avert all out fascism for a bit longer I guess I can stomach a few annoying texts and emails.

2024-11-04 02:32:42

- reply

@npub1km9…rh4n yah seriously, there needs to be an "I already voted for you and have no money to give" button. Or an "Only send me new policy proposals, that's all I'm interested in" button.

2024-11-04 02:17:26

I have no idea if "The Progressive Turnout Project" is legit or not, but apparently if you send "STOP" back to opt out, since they can no longer text you from that number they will text you from a *different* number to tell you that you've been successfully opted out and you can also then opt out of that number which will result in the same message from yet another number. I wonder how many numbers they own…
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/113/422/271/862/611/921/original/a58053f240103941.png

2024-11-03 19:11:53

*sigh* submitted an issue asking for some accessibility work to be done to a software package and the response was "there's no audience for this, someone who actually uses a screen reader should submit this request". I am definitely not the person to reply to this and have no idea how to do so in a reasonable manner.
#accessibility

2024-10-31 01:02:50

Weird, I assume the highway must close at dusk too then. I've never seen that before…
#cycling
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/113/399/333/268/027/694/original/f68d6d5593fcbb75.jpg

2024-10-08 21:59:00

If your an admin of a #Mastodon instance and are familiar with Go, here's a quick bot I threw together to monitor for new posts in the current spam wave and automatically report them (you could easily modify it to delete them I just wanted to catch any false positives).
There's also a list of all the servers I've seen spam coming from in there, and a patch that's needed for go-mastodon because it's currently crashing if you send a report with it.
https://codeberg.org/SamWhited/spamblock
#golang #go #fediblock

2024-09-18 00:26:09

@npub10pe…qru6 we've all seen bicycle blenders; what other practical pedal powered non-transportation devices have you seen?
#BikeNitePQ

2024-09-04 16:32:30

- reply

@npub1y3m…r6lg grab the cranks on either side and try to move them laterally back and forth (ie. perpendicular to their plane of rotation); if you feel a bit of a knock it might be time to replace the bottom bracket.

2024-09-04 15:44:35

- reply

@npub1y3m…r6lg I haven't done one of those specifically, but we used to sell some of their stuff in a previous shop I worked at and IIRC it's a normal Shimano Hollowtech setup so I can probably help. What's up with it?

2024-09-02 21:50:59

I'm really sad about this #NaNoWriMo thing. I've used them as an example of a tool that does just enough, and doesn't need to constantly "innovate" new features while also building real community (unlike most social media). But I just deleted my account, so if I'm writing this year, it won't be using the NaNoWriMo tools or forums or what not.
Maybe it's time to build a real community centered NaNoWriMo for the fediverse that doesn't need a centralized non-profit bureaucracy behind it?

2024-08-31 11:37:13

Today on the Jabber bicycle chat I learned that there is a co-op in Northampton, MA that does trash pickup by bicycle!
https://www.pedalpeople.coop/
#bicycles

2024-08-29 20:45:29

- reply

(to be clear, I'm not blaming my friend for this: she has never been in the tech industry and has no reason to understand how AI works, what working for these companies is like, or why any of this is such a bad idea; she's the victim here as much as the patient who's chart gets entered wrong or whatever and gets hurt by it)

2024-08-29 19:27:27

- reply

This is the promise and the problem with AI though: it's always a bandaid, an easy, instant, convenient "solution" to problems that need to be solved the hard way. I want your paperwork to be easier too, but the way to do that is to unionize and to fix the insurance companies, not to patch over the annoyance with bullshit machines and let the insurance execs keep doing what they're doing.

2024-08-29 19:24:50

Had a friend who's a physical therapist say happily that AI tools were making her job much easier lately. She looked put out when I said "please don't get yourself arrested" and she said something along the lines of "but they make these tools specifically for us!"
I don't know how I can possibly stress enough to people who have never been in the tech industry how little they care if you are following the law or killing patients or what not as long as you give them your money first.

2024-08-13 14:45:14

So tempted by this kickstarter from @npub132e…d4aw, an illustrated history of the Virginia mine wars!
"Black Coal and Red Bandanas – A Graphic Novel" By Raymond Tyler. Illustrated by Summer McClinton.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wrkclasshistory/black-coal-and-red-bandanas-a-graphic-novel

2024-08-08 21:29:59

Do I know anyone who uses a screen reader who would be interested in sharing their perspective on AI generated captions?

2024-07-31 10:57:20

- reply

@npub14cw…hfwc You don't need a "truly trustless" ledger. It's just not something there is a use case for. You need to do the actual engineering work of figuring out your requirements, and then pick a trust level that matches them.

2024-07-30 19:04:05

- reply

@npub14cw…hfwc you can do an append-only trustless transaction log with a normal database too, having a giant distributed power hungry ledger isn't good for that either.

2024-07-30 16:23:22

Periodic reminder that "blockchain" is the same as "a handful of databases with replication turned on" except shittier in every possible way and there is literally nothing you can do with it that couldn't better be solved in some other way.
No, I don't want to hear about how you've really finally found a use for it for-real this time and you're going to disrupt whatever industry. You're just wrong.

2024-07-24 22:23:16

Y'all! I've been hounding the local Good Will's recently for a new desk (mine was built in to a wall in the room I'm now renting out to a roommate), and today as I was riding past a construction site, I saw one next to their dumpster! The best part is, just a week or two ago someone literally said to me "how are you going to get a desk home, you don't have a car?"
#cycling #CarryShitOlympics
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/112/843/795/661/096/628/original/b7df77080fb708a7.jpg

2024-07-17 21:52:41

- reply

@npub1km9…rh4n love it! I'm looking forward to it!

2024-07-17 21:46:10

- reply

@npub1km9…rh4n I actually don't know anything about Stripe; I just assume all those companies are bad, but is it particularly worse than others? Maybe I should actually look them up.

2024-07-17 21:29:10

- reply

@npub1km9…rh4n Also, I'd love to hear more about pinefore! I don't really know what the sentence on the homepage means, but it sounds like something I'd like, looking forward to it! Good luck!

2024-07-17 21:18:17

- reply

Update: none of Stripe's emails seem like they're actually responding to what I wrote in the appeal, I figured it was a bot, but today I randomly got an email saying my account was re-instated. No explanation for any of it or what sort of "prohibited business" I was supposed to be still, but I'll take it and I'm not going to follow up lest a bot decide to remove my account again. Anyways, I guess if anyone ever decides they want to give me money for software, they can now :)

2024-07-16 13:35:26

So Stripe is emailing me saying that my account will be canceled because it's not allowed to take donations with Stripe. It exists to be hooked up to my GitHub account to take donations, this is the *only* way you can do that on GitHub. What am I missing? I assume they haven't canceled every single persons GitHub sponsors account and must be wrong about their own policy, but also there's no way to talk to anyone and all I can do is submit a few sentence appeal.

2024-07-15 17:26:39

As far as I can tell there's no program like NLnet (applies for government grants, then re-grants them to Open Source projects) in the U.S. On the one hand I'd be the worst person in the world to start this sort of thing because I have no tolerance for government grant applications, but I feel like something along these lines needs to exist here.

2024-07-12 19:29:10

As usual, I can't find my own previous posts in Mastodon.
Several people told me one #BikeNite that they'd be interested in a writing critique group (ostensibly bicycle related, but probably it'd be just whatever we were working on at the time). Reach out if you're still interested (or if you weren't there but are interested).
Thanks!

2024-06-28 18:56:36

I didn't find any sponsorship for FOSSY this year, but I had a talk accepted and am still considering going despite being even broker than last year (it really was a great time last year). Any chance I know anyone in Portland, OR with a couch I could crash on if I do manage to find a way to make it work?
#FOSSY #FOSSY2024

2024-06-27 23:39:51

This came up in a conversation earlier, but I need more people to share in my misery so I'm going to put it here too:
Earlier I was talking to my financial advisor about divesting from oil and he said that I should buy a fund with more tech stocks and then said, out loud: "tech doesn't have a carbon footprint!"
And now all day I haven't been able to stop thinking about the fact that this is probably a thing many, or even most, people who don't know anything about tech believe.

2024-06-27 15:20:27

Finally met with the credit unions financial guy today and got my retirement sorted out. I feel very gross. Every ESG that's supposedly environmentally conscious is mostly NVIDIA and Tesla and I couldn't find a single fund that was heavy in solar but not losing money like crazy and there was no way to invest in anything co-operative as far as I could find. Also I understand literally nothing we talked about, so it's probably even worse than I'm thinking. I think I avoided buying oil at least.

2024-06-10 20:07:35

I threw up an add-on in the Odoo App Store to add an XMPP address (JID) field to contacts, vendors, and other contacts! If your business uses XMPP and Odoo, maybe it will be useful to you!
https://apps.odoo.com/apps/modules/17.0/jid
#XMPP #Odoo #Jabber

2024-06-04 18:01:52

Shimano in their recent technical education videos literally says that by allowing any button of your choice on the (electronic) shifter to act as the shift button, it eliminates confusion about which button shifts up and which button shifts down. So now if you hop on a friends Di2 equipped bike literally any button could be the shifter. Way less confusing than having two buttons that always do the same thing, I'm sure *facepalm*

2024-06-02 01:17:53

- reply

Not to mention that it ends with one of the rich kids refusing to be saved because they're too racist to accept help from The Doctor. It doesn't cultivate any sympathy for them, it literally ends with "meh, they probably deserve to be eaten" (the Doctor is still torn up about not being able to save them, obviously, but they tear down any sympathy for the rich kids you built up *hard* in the last few scenes).

2024-06-02 01:15:31

Doctor Who is going *hard* this season y'all. In the latest episode the alien of the week is a monster that literally eats the rich.
#DoctorWho

2024-05-27 01:14:16

- reply

@npub1w0h…uwua this may be telling you something you already know, but apparently I have no bookmarks anymore.

2024-05-27 01:14:16

- reply

@npub1w0h…uwua this may be telling you something you already know, but apparently I have no bookmarks anymore.

2024-05-09 23:32:48

- reply

@npub1km9…rh4n much appreciated, but nah, to start a co-op you have to know people, and to take a moonshot you have to have money. But still, if I can fix a few bikes for neighbors (and if they can actually pay me), I'll behappy :)

2024-05-09 21:21:02

- reply

@npub1km9…rh4n update: that was unfair, it's actually on the page, I dunno why searches weren't turning it up. So my bad, they do give you the price up front.

2024-05-09 21:11:10

- reply

@npub1km9…rh4n they also flat out refuse to tell you how much their card readers are, which feels sketchy.

2024-05-08 20:42:28

What payment methods do people frequently use that can be signed up for *without* an app?
So far I've tried:
Zelle but it's not supported by my bank or credit union, cashapp but it doesn't have a webapp and requires iphone or android, venmo thinks my phone number isn't a mobile one (presumably they don't allow verification with VOIP numbers, but that's all I have).
This is why I'll never successfully be able to run a small business.

2024-04-15 20:23:43

In open source wiki style projects there's a weird disconnect between the "expert" contributors and the casual contributor that I've seen a few times, and I think I might be bumping into again that I can't quite put my finger on. 1/…

2024-04-12 19:17:59

The bike shop I work at just got back to me to tell me that they are going ahead with their policy of installing cameras in the shop to monitor employees. They say these are not used to track productivity, but the CEO is a union busting ex-Amazon exec and he has given himself that power, so that's enough for me. My last day will be mid-May and I am now properly desperate to find a new job before I lose my house. Leads in the bike or software industry welcome in or around #Atlanta.
#getfedihired

2024-03-30 22:06:14

- reply

@npub1m0v…du9y probably that stupid looking cyber truck with the exceptionally breakable windows.

2024-03-16 18:23:26

I have on my "blog posts to write" list "Sci-fi is luddist fiction", and I just discovered "Science Fiction is a Luddite Literature" by @npub1hyk…3p33 from 2022, so looks like it's been done way better than anything I could do already!
https://locusmag.com/2022/01/cory-doctorow-science-fiction-is-a-luddite-literature/

2024-03-03 13:35:05

- reply

@npub1c2x…w0nm every time I post anything I get a mix of this and "why would you vote? Voting is bad and props up the system!" and I'm very confused about how so many people don't seem capable of spending a few hours voting once or twice a year and also going to a protest or starting a mutual aid project or whatever else they like to do. If we don't take an adaptable and holistic strategy towards fighting facism, we'll loose.

2024-02-13 22:07:21

For non-profits big donors can often make demands. For example: "I'll give $50 million for a new building, but only if you name it after me." Individual small donors don't have this sort of leverage.
What if we created a platform where a group draft a proposal and pick an amount of money. Everyone donates what they can to the pool. If you reach the goal, you send the donation intent to the company. If you don't (or they refuse the donation), it all gets returned?

2024-02-13 22:07:21

2024-02-13 01:19:28

The thing the crypto currency (and various other forms of tech salvation-ism whether it's AI or just the newest social media trend) folks don't understand is that you can't solve social and cultural problems with technology (and especially not Ayn Randian right-libertarian tech-bro technology).

2024-02-11 19:54:28

I continue to be excited to see other bicycles at the grocery. Today there were a total of 3 bikes (which, sadly, means one of them had to be chained to a street sign because the grocery has only the pictured bike parking). One of the bikes was decked out with panniers, a trailer, and a child seat. So many groceries could be fetched! #bicycles
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/111/914/594/614/260/409/original/8ebf36f791b78f57.jpg

2024-02-06 01:55:30

I talk about considering myself a neo-Luddite a lot, and I see others online reclaiming the term as well, but the real power of the Luddites was in their organization and I just don't see that happening in response to AI and the gig economy, the power looms and factories of the 21st century.
The writers guild, SAG-AFTRA, and other trade unions are a part of that, but we also need individuals organizing at a regional level outside their work place and confederating in industrial unions.

2024-02-04 22:04:24

- reply

@npub1zt3…0v09 @npub1se6…cmph if you get some chickens too they'll eat all the parasites out of the cow poo and keep them healthier too, not to mention that while they're mucking around in there for bugs they spread it out and trample it into the ground quicker!

2024-02-04 15:15:49

- reply

@npub15a4…qzna tried calling to say hi but didn't get anyone; I hope you're all doing well over there. Say hi to everyone for me, I miss hanging out with you all!

2024-01-21 15:35:23

- reply

@npub1y3m…r6lg I'm curious, why on the gravel bike? I tend to clip in on road/gravel and use flats for MTB/commuting/cargo, but have no real reason for it.

2024-01-06 23:17:58

- reply

Even suburbs that build bike infrastructure like the one I live in often think of it as recreational only. So we have tons of bike trails through the woods (which are great!), but none of them go to work places, schools, shops, etc. making it hard to get around. Someone else pointed out that the elderly could still use golf carts when they can't drive anymore, so maybe framing it that way would convince counties to actually build the trails to useful locations and not just for recreation .

2024-01-06 21:09:32

There is a weird rich suburb south of Atlanta that has trails *everywhere* except they're not for bikes, they're for golf carts. I always laughed at this as a stupid rich people thing, but recently I realized that they all take golf carts everywhere (groceries, kids to school, etc.) instead of SUVs and golf carts are electric. I wonder if anyone is using this as a model to trick, I mean, encourage, suburbanites into building bike infrastructure and downsizing / electrifying their transport?

2024-01-06 01:02:08

- reply

@npub10pe…qru6 It's a small thing, but for the first few years I lived here I never saw another bike at the grocery store. Now when I'm there about 30% of the time I'm there another bike is chained up outside! I've seen beach cruisers, the e-cargo bikes you'd expect, and even recently a *very* nice full suspension mountain bike (I saw the guy in his cleats and everything and can only assume he was biking home from the local bike park and stopped for groceries)! It makes me smile every time.
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/111/706/301/143/591/332/original/bec83e0da5a11e27.jpg

2024-01-02 03:07:38

- reply

@npub1g57…y839 I added that to the list, thanks!

2024-01-01 15:34:17

- reply

@npub1g57…y839 looking for suggestions

2024-01-01 13:29:39

Bicycle related book suggestions: fiction, non-fiction (currently reading "Bike Nation" by Peter Walker), whatever. Go! #bicycles

2024-01-01 12:19:30

- reply

@npub1m0v…du9y that one would fit well on the club colors!
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/111/680/653/221/028/229/original/59c63464a260fcaf.png

2024-01-01 03:16:02

Okay, hear me out: in 2024 we're gonna start a combination motorcycle, bicycle, and book club. Now accepting naming suggestions.

2023-12-30 13:00:27

You know, I always recommend Bosch e-bike systems to people, but I think I'm going to stop. Their newest system is so laden with DRM that I can't actually update anything even though I'm one of the certified technicians who's supposed to be able to do so even according to their evil DRM scheme. It's been literally months since I got certified and I still can't get access on my stupid DRM account. Seriously, just don't buy Bosch motors.

2023-10-27 18:30:35

If you're an REI member, please consider signing this petition to return control of some board seats to the membership! Currently REI is not member controlled, meaning that it is not a co-op in any meaningful way (IMO the essence of co-ops is democratic member control). This is being delivered *tomorrow* if all goes well, so time is of the essence!
https://www.coworker.org/petitions/democratic-control-of-rei-co-op-matters

2023-10-12 20:45:03

- reply

@npub1se6…cmph I'd love something like this if there's anything that's *not* on YouTube. YouTube recently started blocking ad-blockers, so it's pretty much dead to me now and I assume it's enshittification has started and will continue. Looking forward to the blog post; other videos or resources that aren't YouTube would be appreciated if you hear of any!

2023-09-29 12:29:07

If you're in the #Atlanta area, Free Bikes 4 Kids (a non-profit that does exactly what it says on the tin) is looking for an executive director. Up to $55k with a 30 hour work week; pretty good for the non-profit sector, and you can do a lot of good in the process! #FB4K
https://www.workforgood.org/employer/c01b8c80-3f3c-4448-8121-2d41b0228584/free-bikes-4-kidz-atlanta

2023-07-29 02:49:00

Quick reminder that a link to a video on YouTube isn't a "podcast". This is not me being pedantic, it's about user expectations and accessibility of the content (ie. RSS with proper enclosures). Thanks.

2023-06-17 11:27:01

Hi all, I can finally confirm that I'll be presenting a talk to the #XMPP track at #FOSSY! I'll be giving an introduction and overview to the protocol targeted at those familiar with programming but with no protocol or XMPP experience. I hope to see you there! https://2023.fossy.us/

2023-06-16 20:54:29

People keep acting surprised at the direction Reddit's taking, but it seemed inevitable. If you try to build community on a platform that's not owned by that community this will happen every time. You can protest, you can even attack the bottom line (which is the only thing that will get you anywhere), but at the end of the day you have no power and they'll just block you and re-add your deleted posts. Don't trade community ownership and power for convenience or you'll get burned every time.

2023-06-07 11:48:59

@npub1g8e…qdqf hi! I'm working on shutting down a service that was hosting a few projects and am making a list of potential replacements. Indieweb might be a good home for some of them. I was wondering: does the service have a Code of Conduct or similar, what is the bus factor as far as administration of the servers, service itself, moderators, etc. and is the service sustainably funded (and thus likely to stick around)? Thanks for doing what you do and hosting this great service!

2023-05-30 17:19:12

- reply

@npub1vh3…8mkp I wouldn't worry too much about the old goop; we once paired up a handful of brands of sealant we had in the shop and only two of them actually reacted. Test a glob of it before hand if you're worried, but I suspect the "don't mix brands" is more "keep buying our brand" than anything. Or maybe we just happen to have 4 or 5 brands that play nice and others wouldn't, it's very anecdotal.