I am loving that things are finally moving to make European countries less dependent on US software (especially cloud providers), but I am disappointed that there isn't more of a focus on open source software.
There are several government programs within EU counties to fund the development of open source software. We need WAY more of that, coordinated at the EU level.
The best way to avoid being beholden to big tech is to fund viable open source alternatives.
Now livestreaming on Joystick!
Putting some finishing touches on my Jessie Gender interview before it finally goes live this week!!! joystick.tv/u/toplesstopics
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Hey every0ne ! Yeah, this is one video dad and I didn't particularly enjoy making... Without going into detail, dad has to work full time to cover unplanned ...YouTube
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Please boost and spread the word.
European alternatives for popular services from the USA. This page is far from perfect or complete but just an illustration that there are alternatives.
european-alternatives.eu/alter…
This is also an interesting page with alternatives,
privacyguides.org/en/tools/
#EU #digitalservices #ICT #IT
We help you find European alternatives for digital service and products, like cloud services and SaaS products.European Alternatives
#Mastodon is being more blatant—it will add quote posts.
This will piss some people off but frankly, this has been in the works for years.
To those who believe quote posts are abusive, there is no data whatsoever that shows any correlation between quote posts and abuse.
And actually, platforms like #Misskey, #Akkoma, and #Friendica have had that feature for years, and hardly anyone using those platforms has ever complained.
In fact, I use quote posts every day. No one’s complained to me about my use of quote posts.
Nevertheless, Mastodon is doing the right thing—and it takes serious courage to tell the Fedi Gatekeepers that this will happen. There will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth. But it’s a change that needed to happen.
blog.joinmastodon.org/2025/02/…
Sharing our thinking and progress on bringing Quote Posts to Mastodon, with a goal to create a safe and respectful space for everyone.Mastodon Blog
@UlrikeHahn @tchambers What you’re quoting implies that culture has a bigger effect on incivility. Which seems pretty common sense to me.
Practically speaking, though, what’s your actual stance on quote posts?
@UlrikeHahn @tchambers
There's been a lot of study on this, and QTs just do not contribute significantly to harassment and abuse. But even if they did, the affordances here are different. Followers-only replies are a *much* larger concern than quote posts.
absolutelymaybe.plos.org/2023/…
The first myth to dispense with: That there’s almost no research on quote tweets! I added to this misconception with my December…Hilda Bastian (Absolutely Maybe)
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@jenniferplusplus @UlrikeHahn @tchambers Can you tell me a little bit more about the phenomenon of followers-only posts being used for abuse?
Is it similar to how Discord is used for pile-ons? Or is it something else entirely?
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@jenniferplusplus Yep, three years ago, I put in a feature request on Mastodon for comment controls. It’s pretty common sense to have since, yeah, it would cut down on abuse drastically. Haven’t heard anything back from Mastodon, but I certainly got a lot of angry people who demand that this never be implemented.
At the very least, you should be able to opt out of receiving comments. Still not here, but at least Mastodon allows you to opt out of quote posts. Now if only they would allow this for comments.
@jenniferplusplus @UlrikeHahn @tchambers I call it abuse multi-threading.
You can be abused in broad daylight without a soul seeing it, from multiple sources.
Doesn’t get reported properly as nobody sees it but you. Doesn’t trigger any thresholds.
Massively open to widespread abuse and really skews people’s optics of the situation.
A lot like racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia etc. online generally (“I don’t see it, so it doesn’t happen), but it’s built right into the Mastodon functionally to further enable it.
I see its intended functionality, but I don’t think you should be able to reply with followers only.
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I prefer #SocialWeb to #Fediverse because these imply two entirely different things.
Fediverse implies an enclosed space for which you’re either “in” or “out”. Which is why the Fediverse attracts to many HOA-type people.
In contrast, Social Web presents an effort to supplement a space that already exists, and for which everyone is already included.
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To be fair, it *is* a great name for a unicorn.
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Remember, the Holocaust didn’t start with gas chambers in Auschwitz.
It started with politicians dividing the people with “us vs. them”.
It started with intolerance and hate speech.
It started when people stopped caring, became desensitized, and turned a blind eye.
Remember.
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Now livestreaming at joystick.tv/u/toplesstopics !
Or if you're a Patreon donor or Promo Squad member, you can watch through our Discord server: toplesstopics.org/chat
Become a Patreon donor for as little as $2 a month to gain perks like sub-only livestreams and artistic nude photography here: https:"//www.patreon.com/toplesstopics
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@Lilith111
Cowardly killer?
Folk Hero?
Or can someone be two things at once?
The most balanced think piece I've come across...from the article:
"Obviously, an explanation is not a justification. Nothing justifies murder. I see it as a primal scream from a society that has had enough. I view it as a warning."☠️ 🇺🇸 ☠️
ekathimerini.com/opinion/12562…
First in his class, valedictorian, Ivy League top university graduate, instructor at Stanford, private high school attendee, handsome, friendly, hailing from a very wealthy and successful family. And a murderer, with no previous criminal record.Tenia Christopoulos (ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΕΣ ΕΚΔΟΣΕΙΣ ΜΟΝΟΠΡΟΣΩΠΗ Α.Ε. Εθν.Μακαρίου & Φαληρέως 2)
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Big Tech is using the nationalism card. When the EU wants to regulate American companies and fines them when they break the rules, then they want to see that as attacking American companies.
What does it then mean when the DOJ in the US wants to regulate Big Tech and fines them for breaking the rules?
The reality is that we need regulation. Big Tech has gotten away with too much. They have grown too powerful. They are doing too much damage.
Choose smaller companies, when you can. Take a stand.
#Windows #Macos #Linux #fediverse #Mastodon #Regulation #Politics #Vivaldi
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Did you know about Sepia Search, our search engine for #PeerTube?
With #SepiaSearch, you can find out most of videos, channels and playlists available on PeerTube!
A search engine of PeerTube videos, channels and playlists, developed by FramasoftSepia Search
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A Twitter post by John Sipher ([@]johnsipher.bsky.social) states: "On 21 March 1933 Adolf Hitler was officially sworn in as chancellor of Germany. The same day he pardoned 8,000 Nazis, who had committed violent acts, starting with the failed Hitler coup on 8 November 1923." A profile picture of John Sipher is shown to the left, and a "Following" button is to the right.
Provided by @altbot, generated using Gemini
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I'm actually not sure I'll be able to premiere my new "Goodbye" YouTube " video that I spent all week furiously editing because I'm still fresh off another YouTube ban of a fully-clothed video of me simply talking to the camera as" sexually explicit nudity," which is just *chef's kiss* irony. I can at least show the YouTube-safe version on Twitch since I scraped out all nipples, even male nipples, because I'm banned to a degree that nobody else faces.
man I'm so close to just not even caring anymore about if my post get banned on mainstream social media. I'll just post them to decentralized platforms like Mastodon and Peertube, and if no one watches them, so be it, but at least I won't have to be holding my breath waiting for a fresh ban 🙃
"American solutions to American problems"
#freeLuigi #luigi #neverAgain #neverAgainIsNow #revolution #resist #USPol
Some photos from my various walks around the local nature reserve last year
It doesn't natter what the alt right or media claims, Elon Musk did a sieg heil salute.
And it matters that he did that. He is the richest person on this planet and now has major stakes in the US government
So yes, having neo-nazi's run one of the worlds leading countries does matter a lot
Call the beast for what it is
Looking for instance recommendations by and for PoC, for some people I've been talking to who balked at using mastodon years ago because at that time they experienced a lot of "white liberal" racism here.
(I'm nervous I'll be perceived as racist for even asking this... But I'm not sure how else to frame this request)
American far-right plutocrats are now targeting Wikipedia because it's a platform they don't control.
The Wikimedia Foundation is an invaluable non-profit organisation that is not for sale. Please help keeping it that way by making a donation - big or small:
donate.wikimedia.org
Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia and other crucial free knowledge projects. Each year, the generosity of the 2% of readers who donate allows us to expand the reach of Wikipedia and its sister projects.donate.wikimedia.org
Adron 🤘🏻
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •Damax
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •the French and German governments open sourced this month a software to replace Notion
github.com/suitenumerique/docs
And there are more
lasuite.numerique.gouv.fr
GitHub - suitenumerique/docs: A collaborative note taking, wiki and documentation platform that scales. Built with Django and React. Opensource alternative to Notion or Outline.
GitHubDamax
in reply to Damax • • •GitHub - uscneps/Awesome-European-Tech: Up-to-date, community-driven list of Awesome European Tech projects! all focusing on privacy, sustainability, and innovation. The goal is to support European startups and projects (Compliance to GDPR, UK GDPR, Swiss
GitHubStephen
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱
in reply to Stephen • • •Guus der Kinderen
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •Absolutely! There are interesting funding opportunities that, frankly, get underexposed.
Are you familiar with @nlnet ? Their core business is to support organisations and people who contribute to an open internet, by funding projects and making available a slew of services. I have collaborated with them in a couple of projects, which has been an excellent experience.
generationX
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •yes to all you said + Please not only fund but also use the result and make that success visible to the public. Make them/us aware. Otherwise the money is wasted.
Fund a tool or project and use it. Make the people that they want to benefit from the possibilities.
Examples (maybe they are bad but the idea should become clear.)
Fund Matrix and Element and use it for communication with a doctor, announcement of traffic jam or emergency notifications bla bla. Create good use cases.
lgsp is moving
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •I'll call you Jason "viable alternative" Slaughter from now on 🤪
Just kidding. I agree 100% . We need viable alternatives in many more areas, beyond software and transportation.
Mike Perham
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •So true. Shout out to NLnet: they are doing some great work here, funding both immediate and longer-term OSS projects. Anyone can apply!
nlnet.nl/project/current.html
NLnet; Current projects
nlnet.nlgloria dei
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •Andy Wootton
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •Martijn 🇪🇺🇳🇱
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •I am part of a group of experienced IT people that have experience in building cloud platforms (a la aws / azure etc).
We'd LOVE ❤️ to build a NON-profit, European created & operated public cloud and only charge for costs... (since we don't like the idea of yet another big tech firm squeezing money from people)
Problem is that we have no clue where to even get started with support from government or Europe.... which we'd need because I doubt we'd get VC funding. 😋
bert hubert 🇺🇦🇪🇺🇺🇦
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •derptron
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •I think there's probably a case for some software not being open source. It does let your adversaries have a look at code running on all your important stuff. The more is automated and such in your infrastructure the more impact a zero-day could have.
Your government should own the code though, or be able to look at and audit it. That's a must. It's nuts to buy something from some company that might have a shutoff in it.
When possible though it should be open source.
Dr. Dek 👨🚀🐧🚀 )
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •I really want to see them funding a new OS and completely ignore the linux world. Sounds like them 🥲
Light Owl ☸️
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •What assurance do you have that those governments won't pick really inefficient, cumbersome-to-maintain, bogged-down-with-complexity OpenSource projects, which get mired in problems down the road - BUT have the virtue of having more bells and whistles (conveniences, simplifications) that the end users will like?
Do those governments have incentive to pick the mature, lean-and-mean #OpenSource choices, which have less bells and whistles, -OR- the bloated, cumbersome, Johhny-come-lately Open Source choices, *with more end-user convenience*, and are likely to run way over budget in the longer term? I predict they'll choose the second kind of choice, in a short-sighted, desperate attempt to bring the most convenience to the end users. And it'll bog down in a few years - being really hard to maintain and support; the project being a failure. They'll return back to closed source in a few years - *and thereby get all the end-user convenience they were wanting all along*, realizing they have to pay for it.
Funambolo
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •the European parliament has had a Digital Sovereignty Think Tank for some years:
europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/e…
I think the problem for them has been the same as for everyone: there has not been a really strong motive to move away from the very mature and quite convenient US-based services.
Jordan Maris 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 #NAFO
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •Overcoming barriers to Open Source procurement in the European Union
Open Source InitiativeNot Just Bikes 🇳🇱 reshared this.
Paul
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •David Chisnall (*Now with 50% more sarcasm!*)
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •Flam
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •Unfortunately, that opens up new problems. There was some news article recently about third party companies (lacking in-depth nowledge about the software) claimed support contracts with goverment institutions and grabbed tax money, while the actual developers of open source software were largely left out.
The article (german, paid article): heise.de/news/Wie-Behoerden-un…
Wie Behörden und ihre Auftragnehmer Open-Source-Software ausbeuten
Christian Wölbert (heise online)ednl 🇪🇺
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •Hey, you may have influenced my YouTube algorithm; this was in my top recs just now: youtube.com/watch?v=Bu3S2A02FF…
It's a reaction to/review of eupolicy.social/@eu_os/1141153… and eu-os.gitlab.io
EU OS
EU OS Proof-of-ConceptBaessando ☭🇧🇷🇵🇸🇺🇳
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •This is totally related to the motto Public Money, Public Code of @fsfe
fsfe.org/news/2025/news-202503…
FSFE symposium: Public Money? Public Code! in practice - FSFE
FSFE - Free Software Foundation Europeblausand 🐟
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •@EUCommission @EUCouncil
mmu_man
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •vladfedchenko
in reply to Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱 • • •