ptz

Current mood: I wish the real world would stop hassling me.

For the record, I'm not faulting Cloudflare here. I'm not a fan of them, but I do understand the appeal, and in this case, they're serving the greater good with this optional feature. It's the underlying reason for that which is where "Fuck AI" comes in.

I have a bunch of Ankers, and of course at least one of them was part of this.

Edit/Clarification: Only certain serial numbers are affected. If your model is listed in this, you'll need to enter its serial number in the recall form to see if that specific unit is affected.

Models:

• Anker Power Bank (10K, 22.5W) — Model A1257
• Anker Power Bank (20,000mAh, 22.5W, Built-In USB-C Cable) — Model A1647
• Anker MagGo Power Bank (10,000mAh, 7.5W) — Model A1652
• Anker Zolo Power Bank (20K, 30W, Built-In USB-C and Lightning Cable) — Model A1681
• Anker Zolo Power Bank (20K, 30W, Built-In USB-C Cable) — Model A1689
• Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Bank — Model A1263

Resources:

• Recall Overview: https://www.anker.com/rc2506
• Product Recall Submission Form: https://www.anker.com/rc2506-form

Not really a lot new in this release, mostly just some bugfixes and polish.The only new "feature" is that it now indicates to the user if the instance is operating in "private" mode. Other than that, it's just some fine-tuning. Apologies for the delay in getting such a small release pushed out, but life has been hectic (to say the least) for the last few weeks and time hasn't been something I've had a surplus of lately.

Bugfixes

• Don't add comment text to conversation line button tooltip if comment is hidden.
• Check if comment_view.comment.content is undefined before setting the text to it. Only shows up in console log as an error, so it's non-breaking but still annoying
• Remove gap in post heading button bar where the "Moderation" button would be if the user is not a mod
• Fixed "Hide Deleted Posts" filter. It's a holdover from the 0.18.x days and recently, you can only see your own deleted posts. The filter was hitting the safety check to not hide your own content before this rule fired, so there's now an exception above the "post is from self" check.
• Inspect alt text for keywords in post filtering
• Fix feed not returning to correct post when return back from clicking into it (if open in modal/new tab is not enabled)
• Community icon in post view modal no longer scrunches with long post titles
• Post view modal was not wrapping the community icon with the proxy URL

Changes

• When collapsing a comment thread, if the top portion of the thread that's being collapsed is outside the viewport, scroll it into view. If that part of the thread is already in the viwport, don't scroll and leave it where it is.
• Add time to expiry date when showing temp bans in modlog
• Reduce padding in modal contents on smaller viewport screens

Private Instance Support

If "Private Instance" is enabled, all API-based routes will only show a banner informing the user that the instance is private. This has links to both login and signup pages.

Filtering

• Refactored post keyword filtering to be a bit more efficient
• Add ability to filter NSFW posts (works in addition to NSFW blur)
• Add ability to filter posts from bot accounts (without blocking them entirely)
  • This is mutually exclusive with the "Collapse Bot Comments" filter option. Technically they can both work at the same time, but it's a lot of redundant clicking to reveal the content or even see who it is, so the settings are configured so one being enabled will disable the other.

Tags

• ghcr.io/asimons04/tesseract:v1.4.40
• ghcr.io/asimons04/tesseract:latest

U.S. lawmakers have reintroduced the bipartisan Open App Markets Act, aiming to curb Apple and Google's control over mobile app stores by promoting competition, supporting third-party marketplaces and sideloading, and safeguarding developer rights. AppleInsider reports:

The Open App Markets Act seeks to do a number of things, including:

• Protect developers' rights to tell consumers about lower prices and offer competitive pricing;
• Protect sideloading of apps;
• Promote competition by opening the market to third-party app stores, startup apps, and alternative payment systems;
• Make it possible for developers to offer new experiences that take advantage of consumer device features;
• Give consumers greater control over their devices;
• Prevent app stores from disadvantaging developers; and
• Establish safeguards to preserve consumer privacy, security, and safety.

This isn't the first time we've seen this bill, either. In 2021, Senators Blumenthal, Klobuchar, and Blackburn had attempted to put forth the original version of the Open App Markets Act.However, the initial bill never made it to the floor for an office vote. Thanks to last-minute efforts by lobbying groups and appearances from chief executives, the bill eventually stalled out.

While the two bills are largely similar, the revised version introduces several key differences. Notably, the new version includes new carve-outs aimed at protecting intellectual property and addressing potential national security concerns.There's also a new clause that would prohibit punitive actions against developers for enabling remote access to other apps. The clause addition harkens back to the debacle between Apple and most game streaming services -- though in 2024, Apple loosened its App Store guidelines to allow cloud gaming and emulation.

There are a few new platform-protective clauses added, too. For instance, it would significantly lower the burden of proof for either Apple or Google to block platform access to a third-party app.Additionally, it reinforces the fact that companies like Apple or Google will not need to provide support or refunds for third-party apps installed outside of first-party app marketplaces.

The full bill can be found here.

I could have done the meme in one frame, but I wanted Quark to do a Jim stare.

Dog-piling is when someone expresses an opinion and people swarm in the comments telling the OC how wrong they are and how right they are. Typically the person getting dogpiled is downvoted into oblivion in the process. Note that I'm not talking about anything controversial in their opinion or the comment being trolling in any way; just any general disagreement with the groupthink.

Brief example:

User 1:  There are lots of factors at play here, not just money.  There's X, Y, Z, and those are all independent from money.
  |____> User 2: No, it's money.  It's always money
  |______>  User 4: Right?  How can anyone think it's anything *but* money?  Some people!
  |____> User 3: Yes, well, X, Y, and Z wouldn't be a problem if not for capitalism, so it's definitely money, and you're wrong.
  |____> User 5: It all boils down to money; always does.
  |____> User 6: Of course it's money.  Only a capitalist bootlicker would think otherwise.
  |____> User 7: Go back to Reddit, troll.
  |____> User 8: You're so close, but it's money.  
  ...
  |____> User 999: (Same as the last 998 comments; contributes nothing except attacking the opinion for being different)

None of that adds anything to the discussion; they're not engaging on the subject, just attacking the opinion because it differs.

That behavior does not seem healthy to me and seems like it's almost designed to discourage anyone from expressing any opinion that's not part of the established group think. Again, I am not talking about trolls here, just any kind of differing opinions.

Should that kind of behavior be discouraged? If so, as a mod, what would be the best way to address it? After the 2nd or 3rd dogpile comment, start removing subsequent ones that are just piling on?

It's definitely a people problem, so I'm curious what would be a gentle but firm way to deal with it.

Following a conversation / thread is a hot mess at the best of times, it's mostly just brain farts, and #people #write #out #things #like #this #as #some #sort #of #shitty #search #engine #optimization #because #EVERYONE #MUST #FIND #MY #BRAIN #FART #AT #ALL #COSTS .

If you have something of substance to say, just blog it or make a post on a proper platform where you can actually make your point without the reader having to put together the worst IKEA jigsaw puzzle known to humans. The technology to edit/update a post has existed forever, so it's stupid to just keep replying to yourself as new information "breaks".

Microblogging is dumb.

#Twitter #Mastodon #Threads #McDonalds #Walmart #TheGap #Baseball #NFL #RockAndRoll #TheInternet #Starbucks #DisneyWorld #Porno #Valium #Reeboks #FakeTits #Sushi #TacoBell #Rodeos #BedBathAndBeyond #TheAlamo #KitchenSinks #Sportsmanship #Books

Edit: Added alt text

Ford is moving forward with its $3 billion EV battery plant in Michigan despite political pushback and the potential loss of key U.S. tax credits that make the project financially viable.

Ford's argument is that by building batteries using technology licensed from China's leading battery producer, CATL, it is helping to re-shore important manufacturing expertise that was long ago ceded to China. [...] "LFP batteries are produced all around Europe, and the rest of the world," said Lisa Drake, Ford's vice president of technology platform programs and EV systems. "How can we compete if we don't have this technology? Somebody has to take the lead to do this," she said, adding that it will lead to homegrown innovation and the seeding of a domestic supply base. "I'm convinced this is the right thing to do for the United States," she said.

Drake said the tax subsidies are even more important in the face of slower-than-expected EV demand. "When EV adoption slowed, it just became a huge headwind," she said. "The [production tax credit] allows us to keep on this path, and to keep going." "We don't want to back off on scaling, hiring or training in an industry we need to be competitive in the future," she said. "It would be a shame to build these facilities and then have to scale back on the most important part of it, which is the people. These are 1,700 jobs. They don't come along very often."

Consumer tax credits for EV purchases get the most attention, but for manufacturers, the far more lucrative incentives come in the form of production tax credits. Companies could receive a tax credit of $35 per kilowatt-hour for each U.S.-made cell, and another $10 per kilowatt-hour for each battery pack. With an annual production capacity of 20 GWh, Ford's battery plant could potentially receive a $900 million tax credit, offsetting almost one-third of its investment. [...] The Republican-controlled Senate could vote as early as Wednesday on a budget bill that would rewrite language around EV tax credits. A House version of the bill passed last month effectively killed the production tax credits for manufacturers by severely tightening the eligibility requirements. It also specifically prohibited credits for batteries made in the U.S. under a Chinese licensing agreement -- a direct hit on Ford.

A bit of sad news to report.

What many of you may not know is that the mod here, Jenny, is one of my oldest IRL friends. Earlier today I got a call from her husband letting me know that when he came home from work Saturday, he found her unresponsive. She has been in the ICU since then. She was awake and talking yesterday morning but is now in a medically induced coma (mostly due to secondary complications).

I'm intentionally skipping over the specifics, but suffice it to say she's got a fight ahead of her. Things were too hectic this evening to visit, but I'm hoping to go see her tomorrow or as soon as the situation stabilizes enough to allow for non-family visitors.

So please keep her and her family in your thoughts.

Thanks,

Patrick