blcollier

4606 pts · June 1, 2014


You say that like it’s a bad thing…

5 months ago | Likes 32 Dislikes 4

Bleh… mixing up “it” and “they” when talking about a corporation… ADHD and no edit make for interesting bedfellows sometimes…

5 months ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

It’s not beyond MediaLab’s capabilities. It introduced age verification for Kik, another platform they bought, that was fully compliant with the UK’s online safety act. And they did it long before the OSA actually took effect: two years ago, when the OSA bill was passed into law.

I’m not defending the OSA here, not at all. But MediaLab is not exactly a shining beacon of glory.

5 months ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

The threatened fine relates to an investigation started nearly 6 months before the online safety act came into effect. No doubt the OSA influenced the decision, but it wasn’t what *started* things.

Worth noting that MediaLab implemented OSA-compliant ID verification on their “Kik” platform in 2023 when the legislation first passed, two years before they actually needed to.

I get *why* they did it, but *how* they did it was one of the worst and shittiest possible ways it could have been done.

5 months ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 1

Imgur banned the UK because the Information Commissioner’s Office had sent “the owners” threats of fines over the handling of children’s personal data.

It was an investigation that started before the OSA took effect.

5 months ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

And countless forums, wikis, blogs, websites, etc, which will have dead images with no way to retrieve them other than trusting the helpdesk of a company that doesn’t want to provide its services to your country in the first place.

I’ve been using imgur since it launched.

5 months ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I am a Dutch person from The Netherlands, but I don’t wish to criticise any company because of… err… “religious beliefs”… It’s a new Dutch religion thing, you probably haven’t heard of it…

Other social media sites still active in the UK are compliant with age verification. Some of those social media platforms have… uhhh… an… umm… owner…

Of course I don’t have anything specific in mind: I am a Dutch person in Dutchland- shit… I mean… The Netherlands, so I am not concerned with such matters.

5 months ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I’m not pissed off that UK access was cut off. Ok… well… I am a *little* pissed off, but I’m not surprised.

What I *am* pissed off about is how it was handled. No warning, no announcements, no notice period, nothing. Just a JSON error message.

FWIW… The OSA came into force in July but this investigation started in Feb. The main target of the investigation was handling of personal information for users aged 13-17, e.g., where was it sent, how was it protected, etc.

6 months ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Euro NCAP testing is going to start incorporating the presence and function of physical buttons as part of the rating criteria. Obviously no help for North American markets, but it’s good to see it being prioritised as a safety feature.

I bought a new EV recently and it’s almost all touchscreen. Even the steering wheel buttons aren’t particularly tactile. Physical controls wasn’t something I prioritised, but I’d have had a hard time doing that: most of the cars I considered had *sod all*.

6 months ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

It’s a shame that it has taken me so much time and experience to really understand George Carlin. Now I’m here and he’s not, and I realise what a loss it is.

6 months ago | Likes 62 Dislikes 3

Well maybe you could put in more effort yourself, at least buy me dinner or something first.

6 months ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

About this? Or is it about all the kids working down mines in incredibly dangerous conditions?

6 months ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

We have a Welsh Government election next year, which will be something of a bellwether for the wider UK political landscape.

Reform are pushing *hard* here, but I seriously doubt they’ll gain any kind of power. They’d need a coalition, and only the Tories would ever consider partnering with them. But the Tories also have similarly poor chances of gaining any measure of power here.

6 months ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Make no mistake, when I say “America is fucked”, it is not done with a gleeful, snide, or smug tone.

I’m well aware of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon’s latest BS, and all those who are supporting and encouraging it.

For a bit more context though, I’m Welsh and live in Wales, so as far as I’m concerned Westminster can rot. The problem though is that our Welsh Government doesn’t have the same kind of devolved legislative power that Scotland does, so we are still tied at the hip to the Westminster rot.

6 months ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I’m in the UK, so I’m spared the majority of Cheetolini’s drivel, but obviously cannot ignore it entirely.

I watched that address he gave after the shooting… and… I don’t recall any speech, or address, in my lifetime, that was quite as chilling as that. Not even after 9/11 or in the build-up to the Iraq & Afghanistan invasions.

That address was a declaration of war on political dissidents.

It’s no longer a question of whether America is fucked, it’s *how badly* America is fucked.

6 months ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 0

*something like this

Let me edit my fucking comments, Imgur. Reddit allows it ffs.

6 months ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I was hoping Led by Donkeys would do something like to “honour” Cheetolini’s visit, and once again they did not disappoint.

6 months ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Fuck yes, Led by Donkeys fucking nail it, once again.

Full video on their instagram page, well worth watching if you’re prepared to open or use instagram and have an account:
https://www.instagram.com/ledbydonkeys.

I’m sure a kind stranger with more time than I have at the moment can screen record and re-post the instagram reel here.

Context: Led by Donkeys is a protest group known for this kind of stuff. They’ve done similar video projections on places like The Palace of Westminster.

6 months ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

There’s always an XKCD.

6 months ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

I was talking about this with my other half the day the shooter handed himself in. Context: we’re in the UK.

She asked me if I knew what a “groyper” was, and my initial reaction was “I know you’re going to tell me, but this is almost certainly going to be another thing that I could have happily lived the rest of my life not knowing about”.

What little I’ve learned over the last few days has absolutely vindicated that assessment.

I now know what a “groyper” is, but I fucking *wish* I didn’t.

6 months ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

I didn’t know I had ADHD until I was 41. I do sympathise, and I know how much stimulants can help because I take ADHD stimulant medication.

But that also means that I have some understanding of strain that constant stimulant use puts on the body. I take blood pressure meds, had months of blood & heart tests before I started ADHD meds, and still need regular checks/tests.

The caffeine dose you’re talking about here is a *far* stronger dose than you’ll see with ADHD stimulant medication.

6 months ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Please, for the sake of your future health, dial it back a bit ❤️.

The damage will be slow, and it will be subtle, but by the time you start to feel the effects it will be too late. Despite all our advances in medicine and surgery, that damage almost certainly can’t be fixed.

I’m not some hippie tosser telling you to go vegan or drink nothing but water. But constant high levels of stimulants places an *incredible* strain on your body, 400mg of caffeine every morning is *not* good for you.

6 months ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

This guy gets it 🙂.

That’s exactly what I meant: “energy” as in “that which can be digested and used as a source of ‘fuel’ for the body and its cells”, not “energy” as in “that which makes me feel awake and alert”.

I take ADHD stimulant medication, so, purely by accident, my knowledge of the chemical effect that stimulants can produce in the brain is probably above average 🙂.

6 months ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

And ironically the only actual “energy” you get from them is all in the sugar.

6 months ago | Likes 32 Dislikes 6

I think the energy drinks in the UK are something around 30mg per 100mL, so a 500mL Monster will give you around 150mg. Not sure how that compares to the US, but I’m pretty sure it’s not *that* much lower.

Monster sucks anyway, stick to Relentless.

6 months ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

Too late, Streisand Effect.

/s

6 months ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

‘s a fair cop, guv 🤷‍♂️😁

6 months ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0