kbal

kbal , vor 2 Tagen

Recognizing that those goals are simply wrong should be one of those "basic digital skills" they talk about. I mean use cloud services and AI if you really need them, but it should not be encouraged.

kbal , vor 2 Tagen

No need to resort to using tor. I'm sure there will be plenty of clearnet websites around the world that provide what people are looking for without much caring about what the government of Spain has to say about things. Increasingly many, I expect, as it becomes impossible to comply with every one of these ridiculous laws around the world.

kbal , vor 2 Tagen

El Mundo according to google translate:

The problem is that the Agency only has powers for companies and internet providers with their main establishment in Spain and that is why it seeks to extend its project worldwide.

For this reason, in addition to explaining it in the US and before the EC, it has been presented to the Plenary of the European Data Protection Committee, where work is being done under age verification criteria and it is expected that some criteria will be approved before the summer based on the Spanish proposal.

kbal , vor 8 Tagen

The intention is good I suppose, but it seems unfair to those who don't believe that nation-states in general have rights that should require our affirmation, even while they have many powers we must respect. Are they also made to affirm the right of Germany to exist? They've made a rule which denies would-be citizens the right to espouse anarchism, which seems like a step in the direction of removing human rights.

kbal , vor 8 Tagen

Me? I'm not so anarchist that I personally have a problem with pledging allegiance to a flag or whatevs, just anarchist enough that I find it somewhat odd when people assume that everyone is part of "you" and "us" groups of that kind.

I guess it's just that having to acknowledge the sovereign powers of some country other than the one you're applying for citizenship in is unusual enough to make this sort of weird power to define our views of the world that the modern state has achieved stand out a little more than usual.

kbal , vor 13 Tagen

On behalf of Canada, Home for a Rest

kbal , vor 15 Tagen

What "wrong term"? Global warming? Because The Guardian prefers to call it "global heating"? Or am I missing something, because that complaint would be amazingly petty.

Anyway it's not about bringing visibility to global warming to make people aware that it's going on. It's about making a statement. That statement, as I understand it, is "Climate change! Wake the fuck up and do something about it, people!" I don't know if anything will sufficiently get that message through, but it's understandable that they want to try, and painting Stonehenge orange (reportedly in a non-toxic water-soluble paint that will wash away in the rain) seems like a somewhat effective way to get the attention of the news media.

kbal , vor 15 Tagen

Yes, the phenomenom under discussion is climate change. Specifically, it's that change which is a result of the anthropogenic net radiative forcing that increasingly puts more energy into the global climate system, making it less predictable, more dangerous in various ways, and generally warmer, a.k.a. "global warming."

It's not a religion. Correct spelling of the magic incantations does not matter. Calling it global warming, like Al Gore did, in casual conversation is fine.

kbal , vor 15 Tagen

What a weird misconception to have. I wonder where you got it from.

kbal , vor 15 Tagen

It's relevant to climate change in that it was recently used by Just Stop Oil activists to draw attention to their cause. I guess one could also say that the sudden violent transformation of ancient stones that have stood largely unchanged for thousands of years is symbolically appropriate.

kbal , vor 15 Tagen

It might interest you to know how ID MEPs voted on chat control last time it was proposed.

kbal , vor 19 Tagen

Russian steel companies are now bartering metal for any goods that Chinese businesses are willing to offer. This way, no cross-border financial transactions are needed at all.

Cryptocurrency: Even less convenient than the barter system.

kbal , vor 19 Tagen

It's only the latest gambit in a world-wide effort (seemingly led by the five eyes) to undermine and eliminate any widespread use of end-to-end encryption so that they can continue spying on everyone.

kbal , vor 26 Tagen

Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This Article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises.

I can only assume they've decided that every lowly shitposter on fedi is now to be considered a "broadcasting enterprise."

kbal , vor 27 Tagen

On actually reading the article the headline seems misleading. They do not "reject the claim." They say that they don't have as much evidence to as would be necessary to fully prove it. I imagine they'd probably prefer not make the suggestion that they should have any involvement in the affair at all.

kbal , vor einem Monat

I don't know why my brain autocompleted that to "Microsoft secretly collecting children's dolls" but I like it better that way.

Maybe Windows devoting itself completely to being an advertising platform will be what finally takes it down.

kbal , vor einem Monat

• The migration crisis is over and everyone is rich and prosperous again
• Non-fascist parties learn how to talk about these things in ways that make sense to people
• People get a clue and realise that the far-right isn't good for anything or anyone

I don't know if any of them are all that likely, but I guess there are other possibilities as well.

kbal , vor einem Monat

Though not a prevalent catchphrase ...

Thanks, The Guardian, for explaining why it would be bad if anyone was saying the thing you're not accusing anyone in particular of saying.

kbal , vor einem Monat

I'm guessing the main reason they have ridiculously bad security is less "lack of resources" and more that nobody expected the Kremlin to be so interested in making a pump at your local sewage treatment plant exceed its normal operating parameters.

kbal , vor 2 Monaten

I'm not sure which organizations the law is really aimed at, but it seems like it would mean that anyone in Georgia who wants to get involved with some international NGO — Amnesty International, Extinction Rebellion, Doctors Without Borders, the Red Cross, FSF Europe, or whatever — would be required to register as an agent of foreign influence.

kbal , vor 2 Monaten

Our societies have previously tolerated a whole lot of spaces where conversations could be had without fear of law enforcement listening in, but many of those have disappeared as communications moved online. Encryption is the only thing that can restore the balance.

kbal , vor 3 Monaten

A "printer"? Oh right, those things we used to spray ink on dead trees back in the 20th century.

kbal , vor 7 Monaten

The sight of so many people around the world who had always been unequivocal supporters of anything and everything Israel did slowly changing their minds as the horrific scope of the violence inflicted on Gaza continues to escalate has been an impressive one. The remaining people who refuse to change their views at all are impressive in a different way.