evenwicht

Europe’s block on boycotting banks

No law directly prohibits boycotting banks AFAIK, but it’s effectively illegal to boycott banks because:

• It is illegal to be paid wages in cash in some (all?) countries.
• Some EU countries governments insist on tax payments by bank transfer. This is for all kinds of tax (income tax, property tax, and other forms of tax).
• EU level: all cash transactions above €10k are illegal in the whole of Europe. Most of western Europe reduces that limit to €1—3k.

Belgium’s ban on boycotting energy suppliers

Offgrid energy is illegal.

Denmark: you cannot boycott email, as of this year

Denmark eliminates the postal service this year. This essentially means you cannot boycott email because the snail mail option is generally gone. Exceptionally, you can perhaps send letters using UPS or FedEx, but that’s not really affordable if you are boycotting email. Not sure if hand-delivery is an option. Consider Germany, where postal boxes are not always public access and couriers are given a key to the lobby. If that happens in Denmark, then hand-delivery cannot be relied on.

US ban on boycotting Israel

You can boycott the US in the US if you want, but you cannot boycott Israel if your job is from the US government. This tyranny was showcased in Texas when a Palestinian school contractor who taught kids how to speak Arabic had to renew her contract. The new contract required her to agree to not boycott Israel. She could not in good conscious sign such a bizarrely oppressive contract, so she was let go.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/41050620

Spy chips are:

• Intel CPUs after ~2008
• AMD CPUs after ~2013
• Arm CPUs (not sure when they started the trustzone stuff but likely around 2013 since AMD uses trustzone)

I believe IBM Power9 chips are spy chip free, but not sure about the successors.

Anyway, the question is about Apple chips. Web searches are lousy these days. I find nothing to confirm or deny the presence of management engines in Apple (Motorola?) CPUs.

Intuitively, I don’t think it would make business sense for Apple to do that because a majority of their customers are non-corporate individuals (unlike intel). OTOH, if that were sound logic then it would seem to contradict Arm chips which are also largely bought by non-corporate individuals.

Anyway, if anyone knows plz mention it here, ideally with a source.

Thanks!

Spy chips are:

• Intel CPUs after ~2008
• AMD CPUs after ~2013
• Arm CPUs (not sure when they started the trustzone stuff but likely around 2013 since AMD uses trustzone)

I believe IBM Power9 chips are spy chip free, but not sure about the successors.

Anyway, the question is about Apple chips. Web searches are lousy these days. I find nothing to confirm or deny the presence of management engines in Apple (Motorola?) CPUs.

Intuitively, I don’t think it would make business sense for Apple to do that because a majority of their customers are non-corporate individuals (unlike intel). OTOH, if that were sound logic then it would seem to contradict Arm chips which are also largely bought by non-corporate individuals.

If anyone knows plz mention it here, ideally with a source.

Thanks!

I often acquire quite old hardware either cheap 2nd-hand or rescue stuff dumped on curbs typically w/out drivers or s/w. Ultimately all h/w will eventually be used on linux. But linux is often not ideal for testing to quickly assess whether something functions well -- obviously because very little hardware is designed for linux.

So before investing time researching linux drivers and hacks for whatever obscure thing I am dealing with, I need to quickly test whether the thing works without searching forums for what complex installation procedure worked in Bob’s basement lab.

Apparently Windows is very dicey with both forwards and backwards compatibility. I thought win7 would be good for testing because it’s historically close enough to XP that things designed for XP might run on it, yet just barely new enough that hardware ~2—10+ yrs old might likely run on it.

But it seems to be more of a shit show than I expected. Some drivers demand a specific version of Winblows. Matching OS version is often not good enough either because they demand a particular service pack, or specific DirectX or “.Net” version (what a shitty name, btw), which cannot be too old OR too new (e.g. old TomToms are extremely fussy about .Net version IIRC). So even though some form of Windows has the best official support for any given piece of hardware which underwent the most rigorous of its testing on Windows, using Windows for testing hardware is a shitshow nonetheless. Plus I make it worse because I insist on Windows boxes being airgapped, which limits me to drivers I can get off the web and usb-side-load.

A virtualbox with a few different Windows VMs is not good either because virtualisation brings its own baggage of issues that blow the idea of quickly testing arbitrary hardware to confirm that it works.

Is hackintosh a better solution?

I will not be buying any recent Apple hardware. Fuck that.. the cost defeats the purpose. I can (reluctantly) get really old Apple machines cheaply, but I suspect those tend to be incapable of any somewhat reasonably recent MacOS version. So I am tempted to try the hackintosh route on an old PC. Is it safe to say that MacOS drivers are more flexible across various MacOS versions than windows?

It has been decades since I tinkered with hackintoshes.. is it still practical these days? I get the impression that it might still be good for my purposes (but perhaps not in ~5+ years from now considering this).

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/40711081

Most Lemmy users are vulnerable to data loss arising out of an admin spontaneously pulling the plug on their Lemmy instance. I have lost data several times by this cause (both on Lemmy and on Mastodon). Infosec includes availability (thus backup copies), but this has been neglected by developers of clients for fedi platforms.

Mastdon has /something/, at least

We have a crutch for Mastodon: mastodon-archive by Kensenada. It only works on some¹ Mastodon instances, but when it works it’s a quite useful tool. It uses the API to grab all posts you author as well as posts by others who mention you. It would be even more useful if it would grab whole threads for which you participate or bookmark regardless of mentions, but last time I checked there is no plan to implement that. You don’t even have a copy of the parent messages you reply to. And (IIRC) you also don’t get a copy of mentions in situations where fedi barriers prevent responses from reaching the instance you are on.

¹ Some instances are simply incompatible for unkown reasons

What Lemmy needs

A gnu linux tool to fetch whole threads that the user starts as well as whole threads for which they comment. Ideal features:

• produce a searchable local SQL database.
• optionally, grab threads or posts the user upvotes.
• optionally, detect cross-posts and grab those threads too.
• periodically revisit the thread to record new activity, including moderator actions. The period between re-visits should get increasingly longer as the thread ages.
• when an author deletes their post, it should be marked as deleted in the local DB. And users should have the option to have those records purged automatically or selectively purged upon review.
• (science fiction?) get the current host to digitally sign something certifying that the user’s profile/content is the genuine original artifict for the purpose of migrating to another host. The current Mastodon migration mechanism is dysfunctional for cases of a host going down before migrating, and I assume Lemmy might have the same issue.
• fedi politics circumvention: give users the option to grab copies of the same thread from other instances so a browsing tool can compare the various thread versions, suppress dupes, and show the most complete aggregated version.
• for extra credit: integrate the DB with @theblawsybogsy@lemmy.ml’s emacs “Lem” app as a front-end for offline browsing

It’s important for user retention

When a user puts a lot of effort into producing content only to lose it all on the whim of an admin deciding out of the blue to kill the server, it’s demoralising. The user might opt to abandon the fedi or start over from a giant centralised walled-garden like LW. In both cases the decentralised free world shrinks.

It’s important for digital sovereignty and fedi-balance

There are already users who conciously decide to pile onto the biggest instances for the perception of stability. Nervous Bob might have a specific passion for a small mission-focused instance like lemmy.radio, lemmybefree.net, mander.xyz or linkage.ds8.zone, but is risk-averse. He cannot stomach the thought of losing all content and believes that if an instance is large, the admins will be more careful.

Having an archive settles the nerves of Nervous Bob enough to be able to follow his passion. It disables the cognitive dissonance of licking the boots of an oppressor (such as a Cloudflare instance).

Why this is (or will be) posted in !spreadfediverse@flamewar.social

Some would say information security is essential -- a precondition to transitioning into the fedi. Reguardless, such an app would serve to encourage people to contribute to the threadiverse and ultimately the proportionate growth and spread of it.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/40711081

Most Lemmy users are vulnerable to data loss arising out of an admin spontaneously pulling the plug on their Lemmy instance. I have lost data several times by this cause (both on Lemmy and on Mastodon). Infosec includes availability (thus backup copies), but this has been neglected by developers of clients for fedi platforms.

Mastdon has /something/, at least

We have a crutch for Mastodon: mastodon-archive by Kensenada. It only works on some¹ Mastodon instances, but when it works it’s a quite useful tool. It uses the API to grab all posts you author as well as posts by others who mention you. It would be even more useful if it would grab whole threads for which you participate or bookmark regardless of mentions, but last time I checked there is no plan to implement that. You don’t even have a copy of the parent messages you reply to. And (IIRC) you also don’t get a copy of mentions in situations where fedi barriers prevent responses from reaching the instance you are on.

¹ Some instances are simply incompatible for unkown reasons

What Lemmy needs

A gnu linux tool to fetch whole threads that the user starts as well as whole threads for which they comment. Ideal features:

• produce a searchable local SQL database.
• optionally, grab threads or posts the user upvotes.
• optionally, detect cross-posts and grab those threads too.
• periodically revisit the thread to record new activity, including moderator actions. The period between re-visits should get increasingly longer as the thread ages.
• when an author deletes their post, it should be marked as deleted in the local DB. And users should have the option to have those records purged automatically or selectively purged upon review.
• (science fiction?) get the current host to digitally sign something certifying that the user’s profile/content is the genuine original artifict for the purpose of migrating to another host. The current Mastodon migration mechanism is dysfunctional for cases of a host going down before migrating, and I assume Lemmy might have the same issue.
• fedi politics circumvention: give users the option to grab copies of the same thread from other instances so a browsing tool can compare the various thread versions, suppress dupes, and show the most complete aggregated version.
• for extra credit: integrate the DB with @theblawsybogsy@lemmy.ml’s emacs “Lem” app as a front-end for offline browsing

It’s important for user retention

When a user puts a lot of effort into producing content only to lose it all on the whim of an admin deciding out of the blue to kill the server, it’s demoralising. The user might opt to abandon the fedi or start over from a giant centralised walled-garden like LW. In both cases the decentralised free world shrinks.

It’s important for digital sovereignty and fedi-balance

There are already users who conciously decide to pile onto the biggest instances for the perception of stability. Nervous Bob might have a specific passion for a small mission-focused instance like lemmy.radio, lemmybefree.net, mander.xyz or linkage.ds8.zone, but is risk-averse. He cannot stomach the thought of losing all content and believes that if an instance is large, the admins will be more careful.

Having an archive settles the nerves of Nervous Bob enough to be able to follow his passion. It disables the cognitive dissonance of licking the boots of an oppressor (such as a Cloudflare instance).

Why this is (or will be) posted in !spreadfediverse@flamewar.social

Some would say information security is essential -- a precondition to transitioning into the fedi. Reguardless, such an app would serve to encourage people to contribute to the threadiverse and ultimately the proportionate growth and spread of it.

I posted the linked article and now I need to edit it.. some of the formatting looks terrible. But I am blocked. The editor lets me edit, but no matter what I do I cannot save the edits. There is a pop-up about forbidden language.

It’s an old Lemmy bug to not tell authors what word is the problem. But very bizarre that it accepted the post in the first place if it had a problem with it. My edits are certainly not causing that.

The post is not on sdf.org, so I suppose the problem could be with the hosting server.

I have not tried it but I thought it should be mentioned here.

It requires a newer version of emacs than I have -- but that may change soon so I will be able to try it out and perhaps post to !fediapps@lemmy.stad.social.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/40709622

Getting burnt by repair-hostile makers of washing machines who refuse to share documentation inspired this form letter (in LaTeX):

\documentclass[DIV=16]{scrlttr2}

%\LoadLetterOption{NF}              % uncomment for French standard windowed envelope
%\LoadLetterOption{DIN}             % uncomment for German standard windowed envelope
%\LoadLetterOption{UScommercial9DW} % uncomment for US standard double-windowed envelope

\usepackage{ragged2e} % needed to restore the loss of paragraph indents when \raggedright is used
\usepackage{hyperref}

\setlength{\RaggedRightParindent}{\parindent} % restore the loss of paragraph indents when \raggedright is used
\RaggedRight

\newcommand{\appliance}{washing machine} % replace with whatever you need to buy
\newcommand{\mfr}{Machine Maker} % replace with Whirlpool, or whatever
\newcommand{\mfrAddress}{123 sesame street\\90210} % replace with mfr address

\begin{letter}{%
  \mfr\\
  \mfrAddress}

  \opening{Dear \mfr,}

I am in the market for a \appliance.
When I asked the local retailer (whose profession is to sell your products)
which \mfr\ models include service manuals, they were helpless.
Could not find a single machine that respects consumers and thus their right to repair.
Zero. Every product by \mfr\ in their showroom was anti-consumer.

There are no service manuals published on your website either. 
When looking at various second-hand models, many basic user guides were missing as well,
apparently depending on the age of the unit.

I will not buy a disposable anti-consumer \appliance.
Those are for stupid consumers.
A \emph{\bfseries good} \appliance\ meets this criteria:

  \begin{enumerate}
  \item has a \emph{good} service manual which is available to anyone, free of charge
  \item has no cloud-dependency (\emph{all} functionality accessible without Internet)
  \item has no app, OR has a \emph{good} app
  \end{enumerate}

  A \emph{good} app satisfies this criteria:
  \begin{itemize}
  \item open source
  \item requires no patronisation of Google or Apple to obtain
  \item has an APK file directly on your website or on f-droid.org
  \end{itemize}

  A \emph{good} service manual meets this criteria:
  \begin{itemize}
  \item wiring diagram
  \item parts diagram with part numbers
  \item inventory of components including the manuafacturers and models, and functional resistence ranges (Ω)
  \item error codes and their meanings
  \item steps to reach diagnostic mode and steps to use it
  \end{itemize}

Do you make any \emph{good} pro-consumer \appliance s with a good service manual, with no bad apps?
If yes, please send me the service manual and I will take your product seriously.
If not, you are sure to lose the competition.
If everyone else loses the competition as well, then I will continue washing my clothes by hand
-- perhaps with this repairable machine: \url{www.thewashingmachineproject.org}.


  \closing{Sincerely,}
\end{letter}

I suggest sending that letter to every manufacturer making machines for your region. It will get no results but it will send the message they don’t hear enough of.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/40710441

Solar events as well as nuclear can cause an EMF pulse that destroys all transistors, thus inherently all DAB radios. Or has someone managed to build an EMF-proof DAB transmitter and receiver using vacuum tubes?

Post-Internet, radio has surely lost listenership. From there, I think it’s fair to say that emergency/apolyptic scenarios that would kill both household Internet and TVs, essentially making analog radio quite important. If FM is decommissioned, do we compromise the option of broadcasting to survivalists who have tubes receivers?

Consider that in extreme events like an EMF pulse, Denmark is fucked. They eliminate their postal service this year and they will eliminate FM radio. They seem to have no concept of minimising points of failure for any sort of robust engineering, as they create apartment building laundry rooms with washing machines that cannot function without the cloud and electronic payment. Denmark apparently sets a good example of what /not/ to do in the face of digital transformation.