Paul Fenwick

Public Speaker · Games Modding · KSP-CKAN · Perl · Bipolar II · ADHD · Ex-Valve · Rick Astley Hotline · he/him · vi/vim

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npub1lgl8matrhv8rtfq6qfxrn8rtf8ynxuz8gn9cqpx3mspjheujvvnswq4v43

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pjf_at_cloudisland.nz@mostr.pub

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nprofile1qqs050na743mkr345sdqynpen345njfnwpr5fjuqqngacqetu7fxxfcpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43q658ma8

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relay.mostr.pub

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npub1lgl8matrhv8rtfq6qfxrn8rtf8ynxuz8gn9cqpx3mspjheujvvnswq4v43

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Last Notes

2024-11-09 00:11:02

Mr 7yo is learning about harmful gender stereotypes in Peppa Pig at school, and honestly this flippin' rules.🤘🏼

2024-10-28 04:18:20

I had to deal with a freshly unboxed Android phone, and the flipping *clock* app, that was installed by default, came with a privacy policy.
I discovered this because the clock started crying that it couldn't work properly without Google Play Services.
I don't care what the privacy policy was for. I am tired. A clock app does not need to be in a position to have any privacy policy more involved than "we collect and report no data".
The clock is now disabled.
I am so tired of this.

2024-10-26 23:36:08

- reply

Both of these are dangerous.
If we shame others for compromising then they're never going to ask for help. They're going to associate the people pushing back against the culture of scamming as being insufferable jerks.
If we proudly declare we always use the defaults and accept all, then that sends a strong signal that our culture of constant scamming is acceptable. It works even more to ostracise those who may push back against it.
🧵

2024-10-26 23:32:25

- reply

With that in mind, I have two requests for you all. They're hard requests, and I struggle with them both.
One is don't shame people for compromising. Nobody wanted to supply their email address, or click the giant "accept all". They're tired and just wanted to get on with their day.
The other is don't take pride in your complicity. "*I* never have those problems because *I* don't block ads." Great, good for you, but that doesn't help the people who want to preserve their privacy.
🧵

2024-10-26 23:28:01

- reply

And because being constantly scammed is exhausting, it wears us down. We compromise, just because we're so sick of how much effort it is otherwise.
Whether it's disabling your adblocker, supplying your email address, not spending hours sorting out a new device to remove all the crap. Clicking through the EULA that Disney will later use to argue they're not responsible for killing your loved ones.
Tired people will compromise, and we all have stuff to do.
🧵

2024-10-26 23:23:26

Living in a society where everyone is constantly trying to scam you if exhausting.
Sure, there's the regular scammers we think of. The ones who call or email you and pretend to be your bank, your telco, your long lost family with an inheritance for you.
But then there's all the legal scamming. Phones that come with built-in advertising IDs. Pop-ups with tiny close buttons. Anything where you have to "opt-out". Wherever bullshit Adobe has thought up this week.
It's exhausting.
🧵

2024-10-20 06:02:22

I've finally discovered Folk Metal, and discovered that I'm once again bitter at the far right coöpting runic symbolism as I need to figure out who's got tattoos of their favourite runestones or futhark poetry about their cat, versus some nazi bullshit.

2024-10-20 03:01:57

Hello friends,
What's your current special interest?

2024-10-19 22:25:12

I always appreciate alt-text on clipart.
https://botsin.space/@1994clipart/113336400724036572

2024-10-19 09:57:14

Today I learnt that two little dots over a vowel in English are used to indicate that vowel is pronounced separately, and not merged into the previous vowel.
Examples include words like naïve and Noël, and names like Zoë and Chloë.
This use is considered archaic now¹, but given how hard English spelling is, I'd be pretty happy if it were to reënter daily use.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaeresis_(diacritic)
—
¹ Unless you're writing for the New Yorker, which uses it with a passion.

2024-10-12 12:26:05

STOP DOING TEFLON
- OVERHEATED COOKING IMPLEMENTS WERE NEVER MEANT TO KILL BIRDS
- THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF COOKING yet NO COOKWARE found better than CAST IRON
- Wanted food not to stick to your frypan for a laugh? We had a tool for that: It was called "COOKING OIL"
- "Yes, please give me NEWBORNS with perfluorooctanoic acid in their blood, please give me RAINWATER with it" - statements dreamed up by the utterly Deranged
They have played us for absolute fools

2024-10-12 06:18:48

Today at the Repair Cafe one person brought in their laptop that was running slowly, and the repair was literally removing all the shit bloatware that Dell had bundled onto it.
I feel like when you buy something, you should own it, and it should be made with the user's interests prioritised. Apparently that's a hard ask these days. 😒

2024-10-11 09:00:33

Laws are supposed to be applied consistently. We have a name for these laws that get applied without regard to race, wealth, or privilege.
They're called the laws of physics.

2024-10-01 01:40:43

Today I am very jealous of everyone who has object permanence. #whereAreMyThings #ADHD

2024-09-11 08:29:12

I'm at a pizza place in Melbourne, and I can confirm their hand stretched [object Object] is very tasty!
https://files.cloudisland.nz/media_attachments/files/113/117/969/733/638/357/original/158afdd502ae1048.jpg

2024-09-09 01:26:41

Yeah, I dunno, VicRoads. If cars can park in them, and cyclists *have* to use them, are they *really* built for cyclists?
https://files.cloudisland.nz/media_attachments/files/113/104/985/895/132/435/original/7983acaabadd1114.png

2024-09-08 23:56:28

Today I learned that in Victoria (Australia), cars do not have to give way to pedestrians at an intersection without traffic lights, even if they're at a stop or give way sign.
I could have sworn this used to be different. Either way my heart breaks to learn that cars are prioritised over pedestrians at a sign where the driver must give way to literally every other road user. 😢
https://files.cloudisland.nz/media_attachments/files/113/104/610/134/501/718/original/86ce21e02fa0698b.png

2024-08-25 04:32:53

Today's unexpected nature delight was finding a whole posse of butterflies in the process of emerging from their chrysalises!
One was even in the process of drying and pumping up its wings!
The photo isn't the best, as I was working with max-zoom on a phone camera, but I'm not sure I've ever seen this in person before!
https://files.cloudisland.nz/media_attachments/files/113/020/771/634/603/644/original/86882e06a217ecb5.jpg

2024-07-18 04:25:51

Today I am very tired of technology because I had to install Firefox Beta for mobile because at far as I can tell, only the desktop version gives you a nice way to turn off the new ad feature, and mobile Firefox has about:config disabled.
Details and more discussion:
https://gladtech.social/@cuchaz/112775302929069283

2024-07-10 02:09:03

I've started playing the city-builder "Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic", or as I've been calling it, "Soviet Skylines".
Goodness me, it's *fabulously* detailed if you want it to be. Electricity, heating, water, sewage, rail, train, bus, flights, education, health, waste management... They're all optional, but it's like all the stuff I love about city builders turned up to eleven.
Plus you get to learn about Soviet era city planning methodologies! ♥️
https://www.sovietrepublic.net/

2024-06-24 04:55:20

A month or so ago I got myself a tiny $50 smoker from HammerBarn, and honestly I've been having a blast with it. It means I've got a safe place to practice my fire starting and charcoal production each day, and I've discovered that fig wood makes some decently smoked treats.

2024-06-10 03:10:12

Just got news my aunt passed away suddenly this morning. She was active, social, and hilarious to the end. I'll miss her. 😢

2024-06-06 03:18:29

Baby's first wood gas generator!
People used to run cars off this stuff when they were worried about wartime oil shortages.
I don't really have a way to capture and store the wood gas, so this is really just a side-effect of me making charcoal, but I'm still very excited it worked!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_gas
https://files.cloudisland.nz/media_attachments/files/112/567/488/607/555/319/original/f072ab2c9911b1c4.mp4

2024-05-22 01:17:01

I'm sorry, but what the *heck* was going on in the 70s?
IS THIS WHY I GREW UP WEIRD!?
https://files.cloudisland.nz/media_attachments/files/112/482/097/927/071/868/original/64f3913e2f3a7d50.jpg

2024-05-17 11:50:32

Hello friends,
What is your favourite video game, and why?

2024-05-13 09:32:08

Hey y'all, pretty auroras are a good reminder to fill some bottles with drinking water. Doesn't need to be anything fancy, some old drink or soda bottles will do.
Just because if *any* natural disaster hits, you'll be sad if you don't have drinking water.
Yes, you can go much harder on being prepared, but having spare drinking water is easy, important, and takes very little effort.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrington_Event