BodaciousMunchkin

SimpleX Chat's response to Wired's article about neo-Nazis moving to its encrypted messaging app.

Edit: manually cross-posted from https://links.hackliberty.org/post/2981854

cross-posted from: https://links.hackliberty.org/post/2932106

Image Transcription:

WHAT WILL A CASHLESS SOCIETY MEAN?

THE PROS

CONVENIENCE — THERE WILL NO LONGER BE ANY NEED TO CARRY CASH AROUND

THE CONS

EVERY TRANSACTION YOU MAKE WILL BE TRACKED YOUR SPENDING HABITS CAN BE LINKED TO YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

YOU WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED TO SPEND ON THINGS THE GOVERNMENT APPROVES OF. THINGS THAT ARE DEEMED TO BE LUXURIES — MEAT, FUEL, TRAVEL — CAN BE RESTRICTED

YOUR MONEY CAN BE PROGRAMMED WITH AN EXPIRY DATE — IF YOU DON’T SPEND IT BY A CERTAIN DATE, YOU'LL LOSE IT

THERE WILL BE NO ‘BLACK’ ECONOMY. IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO AVOID TAX, BUT THEN YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GIVE POCKET MONEY TO CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN AND NEITHER WILL YOU BE ABLE TO BORROW OR LEND MONEY TO FRIENDS WITHOUT THAT BEING TAXED BY THE GOVERNMENT

PARKING AND SPEEDING FINES WILL BE TAKEN AT SOURCE, WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF CHALLENGE AND POSSIBLY EVEN WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE

IF YOU PROTEST THE ACTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT, YOUR MONEY CAN BE SWITCHED OFF. IF YOU THINK THAT’S UNLIKELY, IT’S ALREADY HAPPENED TO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CANADIANS WHEN THEY PROTESTED AND IT ALSO HAPPENED TO A BRITISH JOURNALIST

A CASHLESS SOCIETY MEANS THE END OF HUMAN FREEDOM

IF YOU WANT THAT, DO NOTHING

IF YOU DON'T, THE FIRST THING YOU MUST DO IS RESPOND TO THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSAL ON DIGITAL ID, UPON WHICH A CASHLESS SOCIETY MUST BE BASED

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/draft-legislation-to-help-more-people-prove-their- identity-online/consultation-on-draft-legislation-to-support-identity-verificat

Image Credit: Brett Scott

Image Transcription:

WHAT WILL A CASHLESS SOCIETY MEAN?

THE PROS

CONVENIENCE — THERE WILL NO LONGER BE ANY NEED TO CARRY CASH AROUND

THE CONS

EVERY TRANSACTION YOU MAKE WILL BE TRACKED YOUR SPENDING HABITS CAN BE LINKED TO YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

YOU WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED TO SPEND ON THINGS THE GOVERNMENT APPROVES OF. THINGS THAT ARE DEEMED TO BE LUXURIES — MEAT, FUEL, TRAVEL — CAN BE RESTRICTED

YOUR MONEY CAN BE PROGRAMMED WITH AN EXPIRY DATE — IF YOU DON’T SPEND IT BY A CERTAIN DATE, YOU'LL LOSE IT

THERE WILL BE NO ‘BLACK’ ECONOMY. IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO AVOID TAX, BUT THEN YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GIVE POCKET MONEY TO CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN AND NEITHER WILL YOU BE ABLE TO BORROW OR LEND MONEY TO FRIENDS WITHOUT THAT BEING TAXED BY THE GOVERNMENT

PARKING AND SPEEDING FINES WILL BE TAKEN AT SOURCE, WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF CHALLENGE AND POSSIBLY EVEN WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE

IF YOU PROTEST THE ACTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT, YOUR MONEY CAN BE SWITCHED OFF. IF YOU THINK THAT’S UNLIKELY, IT’S ALREADY HAPPENED TO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CANADIANS WHEN THEY PROTESTED AND IT ALSO HAPPENED TO A BRITISH JOURNALIST

A CASHLESS SOCIETY MEANS THE END OF HUMAN FREEDOM

IF YOU WANT THAT, DO NOTHING

IF YOU DON'T, THE FIRST THING YOU MUST DO IS RESPOND TO THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSAL ON DIGITAL ID, UPON WHICH A CASHLESS SOCIETY MUST BE BASED

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/draft-legislation-to-help-more-people-prove-their- identity-online/consultation-on-draft-legislation-to-support-identity-verificat

Image Credit: Brett Scott

As long as you meet the recommended exercise goals, working out just one or two days a week may lower your heart disease risk as much as exercising throughout the week.

The standard advice about exercise is to do about 30 minutes a day, most days of the week. But in terms of heart-related benefits, does it matter if you rack up most of your exercise minutes over just one or two days instead of spreading them out over an entire week?

Earlier research has suggested that both patterns are equally beneficial. But those findings relied on people to self-report their exercise, which can be unreliable. Now, a study of nearly 90,000 adults who used wristband monitors to record their physical activity has reached a similar conclusion.

"The findings add to the body of literature showing that it doesn't matter when you get your exercise, as long as you get the recommended amount each week," says Dr. I-Min Lee, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an expert on the role of physical activity in preventing disease.

Volume matters more than pattern

The study, published July 18, 2023, in JAMA, doesn't define the term "weekend warrior" in quite the same way as most people do, says Dr. Lee. "Usually, weekend warriors are seen as people who don't exercise on weekdays but then take a long hike or play two hours of tennis on Saturday or Sunday," she says.

Instead, researchers used participants' physical activity data, which were recorded over seven consecutive days, to categorize them into different groups. About two-thirds of them met the federal physical activity guidelines (see "How much exercise?"). About 42% were deemed "weekend warriors," meaning they met the guidelines but got half or more of their total physical activity — not just exercise — on just one or two days. Another 24% were "regularly active," meeting the guidelines with activity spread out over the week. The remaining 34% didn't meet the guidelines.

After roughly six years, the researchers found that participants who followed either activity pattern had a similarly lower risk of heart attack, stroke, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure compared with people in the inactive group. Historically, experts have encouraged people to be regularly active, mainly because anecdotal reports suggest that weekend warriors may be more prone to injuries. But this study didn't find any difference in injury rates between the two active groups. That's likely because of the definition used in the study: the "warrior" group wasn't necessarily doing the types of high-intensity activities or sports often associated with muscle sprains and related injuries, Dr. Lee says.

Best time of day to exercise? Whatever works for you

Are there any pros or cons associated with exercising at certain times of the day? Research results are all over the map, says Harvard Medical School professor Dr. I-Min Lee. The best strategy is to exercise when it's most convenient and comfortable for you, whether that's the first thing in the morning, early evening, or anytime in between.

If you exercise early in the day, you can check it off your to-do list and can take advantage of the "feel-good" brain chemicals, serotonin and dopamine, that are released during exercise. But afternoon workouts also have some benefits. Your joints and muscles may be more limber later in the day, which may make exercise feel less taxing. If you experience a midafternoon lull, exercise can be a good way to reinvigorate yourself. If you can, find a buddy who likes to exercise at the same time, so you can go together and hold each other accountable.

Likewise, there's little evidence to suggest that coordinating your exercise with respect to mealtimes has any good or bad effects. Some people find that vigorous exercise right before a meal curbs their appetite, while others find the opposite is true. A pre-breakfast workout works well for certain people. But having a small, carbohydrate-rich snack (like a banana or a slice of whole-grain toast) at least half an hour before exercising may provide a helpful energy boost, says Dr. Lee.

Short bouts of activity count

Wristband devices enable researchers to capture all the short bouts of activity people do throughout the day that they may not remember. "If you do jumping jacks occasionally while watching television, you won't necessarily recall that activity the way you remember that you play tennis three times a week," says Dr. Lee. Similarly, people whose daily commutes include a few 10-minute bouts of walking may not consider that as counting toward their moderate-intensity activity minutes. But these small spurts of activity — sometimes referred to as exercise "snacks" — seem to be beneficial. If you're sitting for a long stretch, stand up and move around for a few minutes every hour. Activating your muscles even just briefly can help improve your body's ability to keep your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol in check.

It's also worth noting that if you don't meet the physical activity guidelines, you'll still benefit from doing even small amounts of exercise — and every minute counts.

cross-posted from: https://links.hackliberty.org/post/2559706

Abstract

This paper examines the potential of the Fediverse, a federated network of social media and content platforms, to counter the centralization and dominance of commercial platforms on the social Web. We gather evidence from the technology powering the Fediverse (especially the ActivityPub protocol), current statistical data regarding Fediverse user distribution over instances, and the status of two older, similar, decentralized technologies: e-mail and the Web. Our findings suggest that Fediverse will face significant challenges in fulfilling its decentralization promises, potentially hindering its ability to positively impact the social Web on a large scale.

Some challenges mentioned in the paper:

• Discoverability as there is no central or unified index
• Complicated moderation efforts due to its decentralized nature
• Interoperability between instances of different types (e.g., Lemmy and Funkwhale)
• Concentration on a small number of large instances
• The risk of commercial capture by Big Tech

What are your thoughts on this? And how could we make the Fediverse a better place for all to stay?

cross-posted from: https://links.hackliberty.org/post/2559706

Abstract

This paper examines the potential of the Fediverse, a federated network of social media and content platforms, to counter the centralization and dominance of commercial platforms on the social Web. We gather evidence from the technology powering the Fediverse (especially the ActivityPub protocol), current statistical data regarding Fediverse user distribution over instances, and the status of two older, similar, decentralized technologies: e-mail and the Web. Our findings suggest that Fediverse will face significant challenges in fulfilling its decentralization promises, potentially hindering its ability to positively impact the social Web on a large scale.

Some challenges mentioned in the paper:

• Discoverability as there is no central or unified index
• Complicated moderation efforts due to its decentralized nature
• Interoperability between instances of different types (e.g., Lemmy and Funkwhale)
• Concentration on a small number of large instances
• The risk of commercial capture by Big Tech

What are your thoughts on this? And how could we make the Fediverse a better place for all to stay?

Abstract

This paper examines the potential of the Fediverse, a federated network of social media and content platforms, to counter the centralization and dominance of commercial platforms on the social Web. We gather evidence from the technology powering the Fediverse (especially the ActivityPub protocol), current statistical data regarding Fediverse user distribution over instances, and the status of two older, similar, decentralized technologies: e-mail and the Web. Our findings suggest that Fediverse will face significant challenges in fulfilling its decentralization promises, potentially hindering its ability to positively impact the social Web on a large scale.

Some challenges mentioned in the paper:

• Discoverability as there is no central or unified index
• Complicated moderation efforts due to its decentralized nature
• Interoperability between instances of different types (e.g., Lemmy and Funkwhale)
• Concentration on a small number of large instances
• The risk of commercial capture by Big Tech

What are your thoughts on this? And how could we make the Fediverse a better place for all to stay?

Researchers at Harvard’s Nurses’ Health Study exploring conflicting findings on whether pet ownership is good for our mental health have found that having — and loving — a dog (sorry, cat people) is associated with lower symptoms of depression and anxiety.

...

We used several different measures for depression and for anxiety and found overall that there is an inverse association between pet attachment and negative mental health outcomes. That means the more attached you are to your pet, the lower your risk of depression and anxiety.

The effect was particularly strong among women who had a history of sexual or physical abuse in childhood, who made up the majority of our study population.

I think those findings were mostly driven by dogs, because the majority of the pets owned in the study were dogs — it was about two-thirds dogs and one-third cats. The association was similar to what we found when restricting the analysis just to dogs, but not as strong.

With cats, there doesn’t seem to be an association between pet attachment and mental health outcomes. There was a smaller number of respondents though, so we cannot rule out that we don’t see anything because there were too few cats in the survey.

...

Many studies have been done on the effects of pet ownership, but the premise of this study is that it may matter more how much you are attached to the pet than if you simply own a pet. Many people have pets, but not every owner is attached to their pet.

Plenty of people don’t enjoy having to walk their dogs in the morning because the dog is the beloved pet of their child, for example. So the goal was to sort out whether attachment is the more important variable that links pets to health outcomes in humans, and then to study mechanisms.

cross-posted from: https://links.hackliberty.org/post/2496422

This survey was conducted among 5,101 U.S. adults from May 15 to 21, 2023

% say they are concerned about how ... use(s) the data they collect about them

• Companies: 81%
• The government: 71%

% say they have little to no understanding about what ... do(es) with the data they collect about them

• Companies: 67%
• The government: 77%

% say they have very little or no trust at all that leaders of social media companies will

• Publicly admit mistakes and take responsibility when they misuse or compromises users' personal data: 77%
• Not sell users' personal data to others without their consent: 76%
• Be held accountable by the government if they misuse or compromise users' personal data: 71%

% say that as companies use AI to collect and analyze personal information, this information will be used in ways that ...

• People would not be comfortable with: 81%
• Were not originally intended: 80%
• Could make people's lives easier: 62%

% say that when they think about managing their privacy online, they ...

• Trust themselves to make the right decisions about their personal information: 78%
• Feel skeptical that anything they do will make much difference: 61%
• Feel overwhelmed by figuring out what they need to do: 37%
• Feel privacy is not that big of a deal to them: 29%
• Are confident those who have access to their personal information will do what is right: 21%

% say they ... agree to online privacy policies right away, without reading what the policies say

• Always, almost always or often: 56%
• Sometimes: 22%
• Rarely or never: 18%
• No answer: 4%

Please read the report for a more in-depth look at the data and analysis!

This survey was conducted among 5,101 U.S. adults from May 15 to 21, 2023

% say they are concerned about how ... use(s) the data they collect about them

• Companies: 81%
• The government: 71%

% say they have little to no understanding about what ... do(es) with the data they collect about them

• Companies: 67%
• The government: 77%

% say they have very little or no trust at all that leaders of social media companies will

• Publicly admit mistakes and take responsibility when they misuse or compromises users' personal data: 77%
• Not sell users' personal data to others without their consent: 76%
• Be held accountable by the government if they misuse or compromise users' personal data: 71%

% say that as companies use AI to collect and analyze personal information, this information will be used in ways that ...

• People would not be comfortable with: 81%
• Were not originally intended: 80%
• Could make people's lives easier: 62%

% say that when they think about managing their privacy online, they ...

• Trust themselves to make the right decisions about their personal information: 78%
• Feel skeptical that anything they do will make much difference: 61%
• Feel overwhelmed by figuring out what they need to do: 37%
• Feel privacy is not that big of a deal to them: 29%
• Are confident those who have access to their personal information will do what is right: 21%

% say they ... agree to online privacy policies right away, without reading what the policies say

• Always, almost always or often: 56%
• Sometimes: 22%
• Rarely or never: 18%
• No answer: 4%

Please read the report for a more in-depth look at the data and analysis!

cross-posted from: https://links.hackliberty.org/post/2459489

In a major announcement made during Shueisha’s Jump Press livestream on Aug 19, 2024, it was revealed that Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter manga will be returning to the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump in this year’s 45th issue, set for release on Oct 7, 2024.

This marks the first new chapter in nearly two years since Hunter x Hunter went on a hiatus following the release of chapter 400 in December 2022.

In a major announcement made during Shueisha’s Jump Press livestream on Aug 19, 2024, it was revealed that Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter manga will be returning to the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump in this year’s 45th issue, set for release on Oct 7, 2024.

This marks the first new chapter in nearly two years since Hunter x Hunter went on a hiatus following the release of chapter 400 in December 2022.