akkoma - Link to source

New scraper just dropped (well, an old scraper was renamed):

Facebook/Meta updated its robots.txt entry for opting out of GenAI data scraping. If you blocked FacebookBot before, you should block meta-externalagent now:

User-Agent: meta-externalagent
Disallow: /

Official references:

#RobotsTxt #Scraper

Meta Web Crawlers - Sharing - Documentation - Meta for Developers

This page lists the User Agent (UA) strings that identify Meta’s most common web crawlers and what each of those crawlers are used for.
developers.facebook.com
#scraper #robotstxt
This entry was edited (1 year ago)

Seirdy reshared this.

in reply to Seirdy

akkoma - Link to source

Seirdy

Obligatory “the W3C/EU effort for a standard TDM Reservation Protocol would solve this by letting sites globally opt out of datamining for purposes like this, without having to play robots.txt whack-a-mole”.

People really ought to support the NoAI and NoImageAI X-Robots tags in the meantime. They probably won’t, though. Unlike the TDM Reservation Protocol, there’s no legal incentive to do so; unlike noindex, there’s no self-interested reason to do so (noindex is often used on pages that don’t belong in search results, like duplicates and non-public pages).

This entry was edited (1 year ago)

Seirdy reshared this.

mastodon - Link to source

🇨🇭 Switzerland now requires all government software to be open source - @ZDNet

｢ This new law requires all public bodies to disclose the source code of software developed by or for them unless third-party rights or security concerns prevent it. This "public money, public code" approach aims to enhance government operations' transparency, security, and efficiency ｣

zdnet.com/article/switzerland-…

#switzerland #opensource


Switzerland now requires all government software to be open source

The United States remains reluctant to work with open source, but European countries are bolder.
Steven Vaughan-Nichols (ZDNET)
#opensource #switzerland @ZDNET

reshared this

mastodon - Link to source
Let me preface this by saying that I do absolutely believe the world would be better if Windows were Free Software, but fsf.org/news/lets-not-celebrat… is a very odd post. The failure was due to a bug in Crowdstrike's code when fed invalid data, resulting in uninitialised memory being interpreted as a valid pointer value, which exploded when dereferenced. Having more access to the Windows source code wouldn't have helped here. If the argument is that *Crowdstrike* should be Free Software, sure!

Let's not celebrate CrowdStrike -- let's point to a better way — Free Software Foundation — Working together for free software

www.fsf.org

mastodon - Link to source
Hey @chikim no pressure, but I do think this deserves your attention, especially in the context of VOLlama: ollama.com/blog/tool-support
Really cool development, I must say!

Tool support · Ollama Blog

Ollama now supports tool calling with popular models such as Llama 3.1. This enables a model to answer a given prompt using tool(s) it knows about, making it possible for models to perform more complex tasks or interact with the outside world.
Ollama
@Chi Kim
This entry was edited (1 year ago)

mastodon - Link to source

Is there anything that republicans do not mock? A party of mockers! :) mastodon.social/@chikim/112854…

Chi Kim

2024-07-26 20:01:00


@FreakyFwoof Also this is a good time to remind folks that bunch of republicans mocked #Kamala providing a brief visual self description at the roundtable discussion with #disability rights activists. Regardless whether self description is useful for visually impaired people or not, at least she acknowledged and tried to be inclusive. msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinio…


Kamala Harris accommodating disabled people provokes GOP attack

The Vice President began a recent meeting with “I am Kamala Harris, my pronouns are she and her, and I am a woman sitting at the table wearing a blue suit."
Eric Garcia (MSNBC)

mastodon - Link to source
I'm browsing an appliance site that has the following ADA statement as a terrible excuse to not make their site accessible.
"Welcome to our website! As we have the ability to list over one million items on our website (our selection changes all of the time), it is not feasible for a company our size to record and playback the descriptions on every item on our website. However, if you have a disability we are here to help you." Talk about a lawsuit waiting to happen.
mannystv.com

Manny's Appliances - Appliances

Manny's Appliances is a family owned Appliances store.
www.mannystv.com
in reply to Sean Randall

mastodon - Link to source

rem

@cachondo perhaps a strong opinion, but when I'm on stage introducing the event, and when I talk about the event, I say it as "F F Conf" (and we correct people who call it "Full Frontal")

It's definitely mad that I've tried to jump through hoops when in reality a screen reader is going to sound it out differently depending on the software you use.

As for the right - I've always argued for small and personal sites, you should have the right to experiment, so long as this doesn't hurt anyone.

@Sean Randall
in reply to rem

mastodon - Link to source

Sean Randall

mine was perhaps a bit reactive, too. My apologies.
I think the lengths you've gone to for inclusion are remarkable and I admire the technical aspects greatly.
As you say, though, a person's choice of screen reader, speech synthesizer, voice characteristics ... it all impacts. Blind users will spell what they need to, if they don't already use Braille. It's the difference between calling me Shaun or Shawn or (If you're very british and blind, shorn), when the spelling is sean. It's part of our lives already.
in reply to Sean Randall

mastodon - Link to source

rem

@cachondo on your closing point, I do agree. That's where I nearly (or should have) ended with "am I doing it wrong" in the blog post.

I did also consider changing all instances (across 14 years of micro-sites) from (lowercase) ffconf to (mixed case) FFConf. I didn't mostly because, well, I think screen reader users don't really think (or care) that the event is actually called ffconf (where the F letters aren't pronounced).

@Sean Randall
in reply to rem

mastodon - Link to source

Sean Randall

there's also a huge disparity between speech engines. Some people want a Human-sounding version of the onscreen text, others see a screen reader as more of a way of accessing data. The predictability of a more monotone voice can allow for faster speeds, for example.
The models used to generate speech have varied wildly over the years as technology has changed.

And then there's the matter of how much the engine should do for you. Is "Dr." drive or doctor. Is MB always Megabyte? Sometimes it's millibars. One of the best examples of this is the Windows properties dialog box, the title of which reads "OS (C:) Properties".
One engine interprets the colon and closing parenthesis as a smily face emoteicon. as a kid I thought it did that when you had loads of space, and it'd change to c:( when space was low.

in reply to rem

mastodon - Link to source

James Scholes

The post, and eventual "solution" (in quotes because there was no problem) were interesting, and I think the attention to detail is excellent. I always enjoy seeing people learning more about what makes screen readers tick.

Unfortunately, the end result is that screen reader users everywhere will be copying the incorrect event name to the clipboard, creating an impression that they can't write a conference name correctly when they paste it on social media. It also uses more braille cells than needed (10/11 vs six, depending on translation table, repeated across the website).

Given that they end up hearing the "wrong" (in quotes because it isn't) version in the page title before they read any of the "fixed" (likewise) versions, I think the effort was disproportionate to the return on investment. @eric

@Eric
This entry was edited (1 year ago)
in reply to James Scholes

mastodon - Link to source

rem

@jscholes @eric there's a lot to parse (and it's late for me, which is why I'm getting muddled), but! I'd say that *if* someone copies the text on the FFConf.org site, they're going to get the *correct* way to their clipboard (FFConf is correct, ffconf, looks "better" but not the letters I want copied).

Absolutely 100% that the effort was disproportionate to the actual problem - the small upshot is that I learnt more about navigating screen readers and a tiny bit about ligatures

@James Scholes @Eric
in reply to The Matrix.org Foundation

mastodon - Link to source

Blort™ 🐀Ⓥ🥋☣️

Looks like an amazing conference! I'm especially pumped to see the talks on Matrix 2.0, ElementX and decentralized identity!

Will they be uploaded to Peertube? (Another wonderful decentralized, FOSS platform!)

#Matrix #Peertube #ElementX #Element #Matrix2 #MatrixConf #FOSS

#foss #matrix #element #peertube #matrix2 #ElementX #matrixconf

mastodon - Link to source

KDE signed an open letter for funding for Open Source. I'm not opposed, but I do want to say - given the billions that go in 'funding' to proprietary software - that changing the purchasing rules in the public sector is, in my opinion, far more important.

kde.org/announcements/2024_ngi…


KDE signs petition urging European Union to continue funding free software

KDE signs petition urging European Union to continue funding free software

hometown - Link to source

re-upping this one again

so many forms of writing are rendered nearly useless if they have no info on *when* they were written

infosec.exchange/@0xabad1dea/1…

Tweet from @0xabad1dea: Put the date in your paper. Put the date in your pastebin. Put the date in your blogpost. Please, the date, put it.

abadidea (@0xabad1dea@infosec.exchange)

to quote an old tweet of mine: Put the date in your paper. Put the date in your pastebin. Put the date in your blogpost. Please, the date, put it.
Infosec Exchange

mastodon - Link to source

#AndroidAppRain at apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid today with 10 updated and 1 added apps:

* FDTracker: easily add, view, update, and track your fixed deposits

Enjoy your #free #Android #apps with the #IzzyOnDroid repo :awesome:


IzzyOnDroid F-Droid Repository

This is a repository of apps to be used with F-Droid. Applications in this repository are official binaries built by the original application developers, taken from their resp. repositories (mostly Github, GitLab, Codeberg).
IzzyOnDroid App Repo
#android #free #apps #AndroidAppRain #izzyondroid

mastodon - Link to source

As California gets ready to do more "homeless sweeps," I feel the need to remind y'all that NYC has more homeless people, and more homeless people per capita, than San Francisco.🙂🙃

But NYC is a much less cruel and much less dysfunctional city than San Francisco, so their homeless people are much more likely to have shelter.

hachyderm.io/@mekkaokereke/111…

mekka okereke :verified: (@mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io)

Periodic reminder that NYC has more homeless people, and more homeless people per capita, than SF. 🙂🙃 But NYC has more shelter spots that are suitable for human habitation, and a more efficient intake process, so has far fewer street homeless (tents…
Hachyderm.io

mastodon - Link to source
The Physical Keyboard Challenge: Evaluating the Experience of Using an Android Tablet with an External Keyboard accessibleandroid.com/the-phys…

ThePhysical Keyboard Challenge: Evaluating the Experience of Using an Android Tablet with an External

From the very first day I purchased my Samsung S9 FE tablet and Logitech K380 Bluetooth keyboard, I planned to write this article. I finally decided to take
Salih Kunduz (Accessible Android)
This entry was edited (1 year ago)

mastodon - Link to source
Diversity in tech isn't just good - it's vital. PureOS: Secure, private, and free from Big Tech monopolies. #ChooseFreedom
puri.sm/posts/avoiding-a-monoc…

Avoiding a Monoculture with Secure Diverse Technology – Purism

Purism makes premium phones, laptops, mini PCs and servers running free software on PureOS. Purism products respect people's privacy and freedom while protecting their security.
Purism SPC
#choosefreedom

mastodon - Link to source

Who needs Project 2025 when The Donald could be so easily swayed to return us to 1925, halfway through the forced sterilization of 30,000 Americans in the eugenics program that influenced the Nazis.

“My Uncle Donald Trump Told Me Disabled Americans Like My Son ‘Should Just Die’”
time.com/7002003/donald-trump-…

#accessibility


My Uncle Donald Trump Told Me Disabled Americans Like My Son ‘Should Just Die’

Fred Trump III describes conversations with his uncle about people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Fred C. Trump III (Time)
#Accessibility
in reply to Sean Randall

mastodon - Link to source

Sean Randall

Great fun watching the Archery at the #olympics yesterday, and more qualifying for GB this morning.
The skill and focus needed is impressive, I've only personally done rifle shooting and that was taxing too. The noise of archery is very distinctive, though, and easy to follow by ear.
Tennis again this evening. If Dan and Andy - Dandy? Can pull off another win, well. Hard to imagine how that'll feel.
GB are also in the rowing for a title today, among plenty of other things.
#olympics
in reply to David Goldfield

mastodon - Link to source

Brian Hartgen

@DavidGoldfield No I don't think it says that. Sometimes even some Americans mispronounce that word to my ears anyway. Where I had an issue was when we got to the bridge onward. Despite my original document having no spelling errors, the AI tool insisted on singing, Tors for Windows. That tune was too good to lose, so I simply edited it and substituted the T sound for a J. Strange it did that, but AI can do interesting things.
@David Goldfield

mastodon - Link to source

Inside JD Vance's VC career: five years, two firms before co-founding Narya, investing in AppHarvest, which faced lawsuits and filed for bankruptcy, and more (Angel Au-Yeung/Wall Street Journal)

wsj.com/politics/elections/vp-…
techmeme.com/240726/p2#a240726…


Inside JD Vance's VC career: five years, two firms before co-founding Narya, investing in AppHarvest, which faced lawsuits and filed for bankruptcy, and more

By Angel Au-Yeung / Wall Street Journal. View the full context on Techmeme.
Techmeme

mastodon - Link to source

Here's my advice on how to design your course to be more ADHD-friendly. Many of these tips will help students regardless of #ADHD diagnosis: scaffolding large projects and being abundantly consistent about instructions.

#Academia #UDL #HigherEd #AcademicChatter #DisabledInSTEM

theadhdacademic.weebly.com/tea…

Check your assumptions. Instructors may assume ADHD students are lazy, immature, rude, inattentive, or not taking the course seriously when the reality is often ADHD students are overwhelmed when given poorly organized instructions, excited to learn, making many connections very quickly, struggling to remember and work with all of their creative ideas, and frustrated because their brains don't fit the system.

Course design - ways to help ADHD folks

Learning environments are often not created with ADHD learners in mind; struggles with working memory, regulating attention, and executive functions create different challenges for us. Making your...
the ADHD Academic
#adhd #academia #academicchatter #highered #DisabledInSTEM #udl
in reply to Matt Campbell

hometown - Link to source

Ryan Randall

@matt 1) Having assistance breaking large projects into smaller tasks is something that ADHD people can often receive as workplace accommodations, so this is an acknowledged problem in the work world rather than something exclusively expected of individual employees themselves. (See askjan.org/disabilities/Attent… as an example.) Workplaces, like many instructors, are invested enough in people's success that they will work with them to help make it happen.

2) Just like any other skill, most learners will acquire the ability to break things down into smaller chunks if they have it explicitly modeled for them, rather than absorbing it through osmosis.

3) Almost all learners—ADHD or otherwise—will produce work that's more what the instructor has in mind if they receive some degree of formative feedback along the way. Chunking projects helps this feedback be more manageable / useful for everyone.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Accommodation and Compliance: ADHD
askjan.org
@Matt Campbell
in reply to Nic, Fermenting The Vibes

mastodon - Link to source

Matt Campbell

@PacificNic @KitMuse @belehaa I don't believe either of those things. But I wonder if ADHD requires accommodations from teachers, employers, etc., or if it only requires the people who have it to know how to work around their own disability.

I'm legally blind. I understand why a sensory disability requires external accommodations. I just wonder if the same applies to ADHD. I should probably go off and learn more about this on my own before I say anything more.

@B Haas @Kit Muse @Nic, Fermenting The Vibes
in reply to Matt Campbell

mastodon - Link to source

Kit Muse

@matt @PacificNic @belehaa I appreciate your willingness to learn. Speaking only as someone who wasn't diagnosed until they were 48 and in the final semester of a dual major bachelor's (I'm now a graduate student), learning that I was ADHD changed me from believing I was broken to someone whose mind worked differently. It literally facilitated the healing journey I'm on, moving it from fumbling around feeling like I was broken by trauma to understanding why it happened.
@Matt Campbell @B Haas @Nic, Fermenting The Vibes
in reply to Matt Campbell

mastodon - Link to source

theADHDacademic

@matt Why should it be up to the teacher to teach how to write a project proposal, how to evaluate a project's success, how to work as part of a team? Aren't these skills that the student will need to learn to do for themselves when they want to take on a large project in the workplace?

Read more about scaffolding as an educational term. It's about gradually removing support over time so that the students work independently eventually rather than chuck them off the deep end and see who swims.

@Matt Campbell
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