I've had to register my digital id with .gov.uk due to my volunteer work. Why have have .gov.uk mandated that Google be part of this private relationship? Background: I use an Android Smartphone with GrapheneOS without Google Play Services etc.

Following the collapse of the Berlin Wall many were championing the USA as a new global police force.  Bush and Clinton frequently talked of a "new world order" in which the US would lead and police an era of rules‑based international order.  ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯

"Iran’s internet shutdown is chillingly precise and may last some time." How do we make ourselves resilient to this? My first thought is mesh networks, maybe but know little about what they are capable of. Like how would the mesh connect to the internet, more generally, if the ISPs and mobile providers have been shut down? Even Starlink has gone for them, which shocked me! It just seems that when push comes to shove decentralization and cryptography hasn't worked for the Iranian people. Because the Govt. says 'No!'.

the Guardian

Iran’s internet shutdown is chillingly precise and may last some time

Experts note the blackout is unprecedented in its extent but also selective, allowing some government communications

Europeans quietly shifting away from US tech services. A handy list:-

European Alternatives

European Alternatives

We help you find European alternatives for digital service and products, like cloud services and SaaS products.

Switch-to.eu - EU alternatives to global services

A guide to help you switch from non-EU to EU-based digital services and products.

EuroAlternative

Discover European Alternatives to Big Tech Companies – EuroAlternative

Keep your data in Europe, support local innovation, and simplify business operations. Our directory connects you with European digital service prov...

One coworker -- who I'll call Xavier -- does everything through LLMs. He's the kind of developer that managers who have never been programmers adore: 3000 lines of code per day. I just realized that Xavier cannot read code, even code that he submits for review. He "understands" code by running it against test files and seeing whether results are reasonable. He can only say what the code does, not what causes it to behave in a way. But that has several problems. An obvious first issue is that if a problem doesn't show up in the test file, then it will never be fixed. A less obvious issue is that his code is brittle and it generalizes very poorly. Because Xavier doesn't read code, he has a very tough time imagining "What might go wrong?" And because he relies on the LLM, he misses very broad solutions, like using well-established libraries that solve dozens of problems at once. Programmers who dive deep are still very, very useful.

I'm in Space

Chip Unicorn (@Chip_Unicorn@im-in.space)

One coworker -- who I'll call Xavier -- does everything through LLMs. He's the kind of developer that managers who have never been programmers *ado...

I had to migrate the 'computer centre' from my old shop to home today.  It went badly.  Arch is a sod. Using NAT to jigger getting the max IPs from a /30 has done my head in.  But I'm back online!  Photos of the new expanded home-lab may follow once tidied up...... Need a beer!

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy. by Max Ehrmann ©1927

End of an era. :( Closing after 26 years. Cookability, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, UK.

Another round of hires of UK ex-polititians by the US big tech firms, accompanied by subservient admiration of those firms by the current government crop. The current crop happens to be Labour, but it makes no difference. Universal corruption. My disdain for these politicians is unbounded. Moral disdain for their corruptability, but also political & strategic disdain for their stupidity and their disregard for the consequences of their actions. A minor sign of hope: some scrutiny coming from the UK parliamentary committees. Good writing by the Guardian's Robert Booth. #UKpol #Labour #corruption #USBigTech #StopTheAICorruption

the Guardian

From Nvidia to OpenAI, Silicon Valley woos Westminster as ex-politicians take tech firm roles

Commons committee monitoring revolving door that gave jobs to George Osborne, Nick Clegg and Tony Blair

Here in UK it's #totp 1988 and that makes people happy. :)

Street art. Stroud, UK.

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Staying somewhere posh tonight!