Discussion
Der sachsen-anhaltinische AfD-Spitzenkandidat Ulrich Siegmund will alle NGOs abschaffen. Rechte Akteure nehmen vermehrt politische Gegner:innen ins Visier, um den öffentlichen Raum von rechts zu besetzen und ihre regionale Dominanz zu stärken – besonders in Ostdeutschland: https://www.blaetter.de/ausgabe/2025/april/rechte-gewalt-leere-kassen-ostdeutsche-zivilgesellschaft-unter-druck
RE: https://mastodon.social/@pixelfed/117150138978477903
I'm not perfect, I'm human.
Acknowledging mistakes and learning from them is how we grow, and this one is on me.
The vocal, engaged community is what makes the fediverse special. Feedback, even the hard kind, makes Pixelfed better, and I'd rather hear it than not.
This isn't about me or my ego. It's about us, our communities, and building better spaces for the ones who need them most.
Thank you for holding me accountable.
❤️
@dansup it's good to read this
As always, he remembered the last time. The open, reeking mouth filled with razor sharp teeth, and the splintering crunchy sound as his fragile bones snapped as the powerful jaws effortlessly crushed his body.
It was his least favorite way to go. The sudden, dull thump of the eightteen wheeler at least knocked him out somewhat before it walzed over him.
Thing is, he didn't even know why it happened.
He understood the concept of consequence, that wasn't the problem. When you throw yourself in front of a speeding eighteen wheeler, death is the logical consquence.
But why?
Every time.
His thoughts got cut off as the familiar sound blared, and jolted him into action, involuntarily.
Once more, Frogger leapt out onto the highway.
New Blog post that goes along with the video - Enhanced Spell Checking on the Web...
RE: https://toot.cafe/@bkardell/117117284470740725
It never occurred to me that spell-checking could be a fingerprinting risk. Thank Darwin there are cleverer people than me looking after security and privacy on the Web.
The automatic cataloging team at the National Library of Finland has big news to share! The first version of BIBRA, a new metadata extraction tool, is out now! 🎉
It is open source and you can check it out on GitHub (https://github.com/NatLibFi/BIBRA). Get ready for more features as the work progresses!
#metadata
Reminder, this is our instance's stance on the genocide happening in Gaza:
https://dotart.blog/dotart-blog/masto-arts-stance-on-the-israel-palestine-conflict
It's *very* possible to talk about this without resorting to antisemitism and xenophobia. Plenty of people do it. We also discuss all reports of antisemitism with non-Zionist Jewish people. If we moderate you for antisemitism, it's a conclusion drawn from discussions with Jewish folk.
If it's a first offense, the post will be deleted with an explainer. If you continue, you'll be asked to move.
Please use open source systems whenever possible so you can review the source code. Encourage vendors you work with to stop keeping their software hidden so it can be audited.
Slovakia discovers Russian backdoors in 279 new traffic cameras — SMS-triggered shell access and passwordless live feeds found in EU-funded rollout | Tom's Hardware
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/cyber-security/slovakia-discovers-russian-backdoors-in-279-new-traffic-cameras-national-security-service-deactivates-offending-units
For those who can read the original:
https://www.sk-cert.sk/sk/varovanie-pred-rizikami-cestnych-meradiel/index.html
Last week I was sat in a room filled with a load of really passionate people who had come together to discuss creating a Community Newspaper. The ideas were flowing. The questions were flying about and the enthusiasm was there. But when it came to the crunch; “Hands up who wants to be part of the initial steering committee?” all that momentum came crashing to a halt. The hands did not come up.
It’s easy to think “Nobody has the time” and that’s the problem, but there is a bigger issue that holds people back. People don’t like to let other people down. Not wanting to let people down is perhaps a bigger barrier to getting people to volunteer than time.
This morning I got a very similar response talking to a gentleman about a regeneration project in my local park. He was initially reluctant to sign up because he just didn’t know if he could commit the time needed to the project. When I explained that he wasn’t obligated to come to every event and he could pick the ones that suited him, he was happy to sign up.
This is not a new observation to anyone working in this field. It’s called “commitment anxiety” or “anticipatory guilt.”: the fear that saying yes means taking responsibility for others’ expectations. When people worry about letting down their neighbours, friends, or community members who are counting on them, the social cost of failing outweighs the benefit of contributing.
Image via The Tampa Bay Estuary Program on UnsplashOn top of this there are a few other dimensions to this problem.
Social Risk vs. Practical Constraint: The “no time” explanation is socially safer. It’s concrete and feels less personal. Admitting fear of disappointing others would mean admitting vulnerability. So “time” becomes the convenient public reason while the real barrier sits beneath the surface.
Diffused Responsibility Paradox: Ironically, the stronger the group enthusiasm, the harder it can be for individuals to commit. When everyone seems passionate and capable, each person may think “someone else will take this lead.” The momentum of collective excitement can actually suppress individual action because nobody wants to stand out or fail publicly. This feels very much like what I experienced in the Community Newspaper meeting.
Perfectionism in Community Projects: Community initiatives carry emotional weight beyond transactional tasks. People worry they’ll damage relationships if the project struggles, not just that a deadline might be missed. That stakes-raising makes the ask more daunting than a typical volunteer opportunity.
So, is there anything we can learn from this? Are there any tips or tricks to get people to volunteer that sidestep these issues?
Small, time-bound trial commitments: EG “It’s just for 6 weeks, then we reassess” This lowers the perceived risk and gives people a really clear escape route, after 6 weeks. And then they can say “I don’t have time…” Instead of “join the steering committee,” try “come to one planning session next Thursday.” Each micro-commitment builds identity alignment and people start seeing themselves as someone who shows up. Once that self-image forms, larger commitments feel like a natural extension rather than a leap.
Making roles modular rather than monolithic: Let’s people contribute pieces without owning outcomes. Let’s people decide what they do, and when, so they feel like they are in control. Instead of giving people a task, ask them “What do you want to do?” and invite them to commit on their own terms. Also in an established organisation you can create a Shadowing Option so people can understand the scope before committing, offering a “shadow” role first.
Explicitly naming the fear: “I know saying yes feels daunting right now but…” This can reduce its power. Make it clear that quitting in 12 weeks is better than contributing nothing at all. Normalise exit on-ramps. Make leaving frictionless and guilt-free from the outset. Something like: “Anyone who joins the steering committee can step back at any point, no explanation needed.” When people know the door swings open both ways, commitment feels less like a trap. The irony is that making it easy to leave often makes people stay longer.
So that’s it. I wish I had all that in my head last week! For my Regen project simply getting people onto a mailing list is the big thing. Allowing people to passively sit in the background as potential volunteers until the day comes when they are in a position to volunteer pays off.
Bilan : Enquête usages et perception de Wikipédia par les français
https://lalist.inist.fr/bilan-enquete-usages-et-la-perception-de-wikipedia-par-les-francais/
My birding diary titled, "Birding in Royal Park: Where I looked and What I found" is finally finished! This is part of my final project for my Nature Stewards course.
If anyone wants to read, let me know! Suggestions and comments welcome!
Finally, I learned that NZ Defence forces routinely buy missiles that might expire before they can be used;
"... purchasing those more precise ammunition systems is
quite tricky ... they have a shelf life."
Brigadier #MattWeston, 2025
The cost of each missile can range from hundreds of thousands of dollars, to the "low millions" (Weston's estimate for a complete Javelin missile kit).
(30/?)
"I think the average costs online for Javelin are available, but they’re around $200,000 for the actual missile you fire ..."
Air Marshal #TonyDavies, 2025
As an example of how much bang-for-buck we get for this public spending;
"The New Zealand Defence Force has quietly disposed of $29 million worth of air defence missiles which were never used or brought into service."
#OscarFrancis, 2023
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/axing-missile-system-leaves-nz-army-without-air-defence-ch0n4sl1
(31/?)
This article by Andrew Lynch and César Albarrán-Torres dunks so hard on A24, I absolutely loved it:
A24’s brand aura: commodifying “alternative” cinephilia https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15405702.2026.2653529
d) Full test suite for HTML integrity, dead links, etc.
c) Converter from Docx to markdown (variation on Pandoc)
e) Production workflow through GitHub actions
f) Improved navigation and PDF access at the item level
g) Better social media card game (optimized for Bluesky and WhatsApp)
Just learned of @Bonfire's “Telling” feature!
https://bonfirenetworks.org/telling/
How come no one's talking about this? You can embed Fediverse replies even on static blogs!
It was built originally with the Jekyll static site generator, and now migrated to Eleventy.js. Here's what the new version has:
a) Full accessibility suite and tests for people who use screen readers;
b) Full search using Fuse.js
c) Robust metadata for discovery systems (Scholar, etc)
Yesterday, we launched Archipelagos Issue No. 9. Essays are amazing, but I wanted to talk also about the changes to the platform, which may be of general interest to all scholars who want to or run an academic journal. First, this is a static site (low maintenance, low cost, low security issues) 🧵
@gedankenstuecke @katoss
@khinsen
@yoginho
I highly recommend reading Donna Haraway's first chapter of her book "Staying with the trouble" : "Playing String Figures with Companion Species".
It discusses the interaction of humans with pigeons , among other things, in citizen science.
The interesting concept here is that through interaction , new types of roles emerge that were never possible alone. One could say the emergent construction of new worlds/possibilities out of thin air.
Without reading Ostrom , I would say that she emphasizes equilibrium states for communities, while Donna discusses ways of non-equilibrium, of moving from one state to the other.
It gives an incentive to explore new possibilities that we never knew existed before.
Are pigeons "rats with wings" or "science collaborators"? It depends on the context.
Programm für Mainzer SchUM-Kulturtage 2026 steht fest
Von September bis November 2026 finden die 9. Mainzer SchUM-Kulturtage statt. Mehr als 40 Events, darunter Konzerte und Gespräche mit prominenten Gästen, sind geplant.
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